Word on the street is that I'm living in a country where everyone who can afford to has a maid. Since the going rate for one of these lovely ladies is a mere 8.000 pesos per day (about $16), that means that there are a lot of maids.... and a lot of people earning crappy wages.
So, maids have been on my mind. As far as I can tell, the job description of a maid includes doing whatever anyone wants you to do in their home. This includes everything from cleaning, cooking, minding the kids, helping with homework, answering the phones, etc. I even read that decades ago, it was common for the maid to serve as a sexual partner for any needy member of the household. Not the most desirable job...
As far as I know, maids no longer double as prostitutes. To me that signifies at least a slight increase in their status over the past few decades. I was shocked, however, when shopping in the local grocery store, to find that maid uniforms are sold in the same section as kitchen towels and table clothes. (This store has a clothing section as well.) I've found myself wondering how clothing for a human being could become downgraded to a kitchen accessory.
Besos,
Allie
12 comments:
When I lived in France the families I lived with had maids. Most of them were Portuguese, so much so that the city of around 200,000 had a Portuguese embassy. Foreign maids are desirable because they are not French. I have a feeling they made more than $16 per diem, thankfully.
Wait.... why do French people not want French maids? I'm confused.
Wait wait wait...8000 pesos wouldn't be for a whole day...a whole day might be, like, 9000-12000. A huge difference, obviously. I pay my maid 8000 pesos and she chooses to stay pretty much all day, though if she were even slightly competent she'd be done in 3 hours. I think she likes the fact the house has heating, she has a screaming baby at home, I don't ask her to wear a uniform or even do a very good job and I make her lunch.
I need a new maid.
So, to re-cap: my maid is crap at cleaning, slow, can't cook (and requires feeding), doesn't answer the phone, point blank refuses to help me with my homework, won't wear a uniform and doesn't double as a prostitute. She also sings along to her MP3 player. Loudly and out of tune.
I seriously need a new maid.
a. Matt, you are spoiled, and a snob, and apparently a great maid employer. Good for you.
b. Your comment totally differs from the conversation we had the other day. How dare you misquote me on maid wages?!?
a. Yes on all 3 counts.
b. My comment is exactly what I said the other day. Might I suggest an ear cleaning at some point? I'd offer my maid to help you with the task but, unfortunately, that's another one of the jobs she won't perform.
On the subject of totally bloody useless maids (and because I know your 3 readers are obviously fascinated by my delightful little anecdotes), despite confirming at 7pm yesterday that my maid would be arriving at 10am today for work, she just hasn't turned up. I'd like to say that it's the first time she's done this but I'm afraid I'd be lying. It's the 4th time in under 3 months.
Anyone out there fancy 8000 pesos for 3 hours work?
Allie?
You officially write more on this thing than I do. I'm renaming this blog "Matt tells Allie that she doesn't know stuff."
That should get rid of my remaining 3 readers.
A French maid would not do anything more than she is paid to do, ever. She might also go on strike from time to time. I am not kidding. A Portuguese maid will go above and beyond the call of duty, generally speaking.
----That should get rid of my remaining 3 readers.
Yes. Then you can close this blog and I will have less competition. Blogging is a dirty business. Not one my maid could clean up.
Well...the thought of having a maid is really quite intriguing...At 8000 pesos per day ($16 US) sounds like quite the bargain...How striking it would be to see her in a uniform, doing life's little chores...but she must also be able to cook...I do hope I'm not sounding chauvinistic...
I, for one, am immensely entertained by "Matt tells Allie she doesn't know stuff".
Maybe I'm just weird.
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