The story of the domestic helper
In Vietnam one has to spend quite a lot of time with the day-to-day issues of life. Things are not as simple and straightforward, especially as one does not speak the language. So the free time that one has after work and after the day-today issues of life is very little. I have been struggling to increase this time and cut down on time consuming things. Hence I got a domestic helper. Of course I had couple of challenges at the beginning, like the language, so I had to switch a couple of them.
I almost gave up on the idea of having one, but then I went out one night in a bar with friends where you always have these girls to serve your table and entertain you. In this bar, they don’t do anything dodgy (i.e. offering “special services”), but just make sure that you consume as much as possible. So one of the girls there had some decent English and then we have talked about where she is from and what she is doing and stuff.
She is from the countryside and came to Saigon to study. Of course that she needs to finance herself, because the parents are too poor, and sometimes she needs to send money home as well. So during the day she goes to college and in the evening she goes to work to this bar, six days a week. Of course the pay is shit, her salary is around 55 USD and she gets another 100 - 150 USD from tips. Now with the recession, less and less people are going to the bar so the tip is less and less. She is struggling to maintain expenses and always short on cash (having a cash flow issue, but managing the overall costs well).
So I proposed that she can help me with my day to day issues and become my domestic helper, which she was very happy to accept. Of course I am a bit overpaying by local standards, but I guess it is a good deal for both of us. I have more time and she is financially more stable. I was a bit reluctant with the whole thing, because she has to work even more now, but she seems to be happy with the deal. Maybe I feel a bit of guilt for being an exploiter somehow…
For me she is quite inspiring, how she finances her studies and fighting to advance in life. I guess that is in the genes of the Vietnamese people and this is a very good example of that. Also a good reminder how lucky but spoiled I am now.
I thought that it is an interesting aspect of life here in Vietnam; you tell me your opinion.
I almost gave up on the idea of having one, but then I went out one night in a bar with friends where you always have these girls to serve your table and entertain you. In this bar, they don’t do anything dodgy (i.e. offering “special services”), but just make sure that you consume as much as possible. So one of the girls there had some decent English and then we have talked about where she is from and what she is doing and stuff.
She is from the countryside and came to Saigon to study. Of course that she needs to finance herself, because the parents are too poor, and sometimes she needs to send money home as well. So during the day she goes to college and in the evening she goes to work to this bar, six days a week. Of course the pay is shit, her salary is around 55 USD and she gets another 100 - 150 USD from tips. Now with the recession, less and less people are going to the bar so the tip is less and less. She is struggling to maintain expenses and always short on cash (having a cash flow issue, but managing the overall costs well).
So I proposed that she can help me with my day to day issues and become my domestic helper, which she was very happy to accept. Of course I am a bit overpaying by local standards, but I guess it is a good deal for both of us. I have more time and she is financially more stable. I was a bit reluctant with the whole thing, because she has to work even more now, but she seems to be happy with the deal. Maybe I feel a bit of guilt for being an exploiter somehow…
For me she is quite inspiring, how she finances her studies and fighting to advance in life. I guess that is in the genes of the Vietnamese people and this is a very good example of that. Also a good reminder how lucky but spoiled I am now.
I thought that it is an interesting aspect of life here in Vietnam; you tell me your opinion.
posted by Vandor Szekely at
1:24 PM
10 Comments:
I think you fall in love with her. Greetings, Ilona
P.S. utazom Melbournebe/Ausztraliaba es visszauton Singapurban szeretnek 3 napot tölteni. Tudnal adni 1-2 tippet mit erdemes megnezni, mivel ott laktal egy jo ideig...Köszi
That is not the case :) She is not that hot yah? :)
In Singapore you can visit:
- Zoo/Night Safari
- Little India
- Chinatown
- Clark Quay and Boat quay (for dinner and clubbing there)
- Sentosa island with its underwater world
- New Asia bar at the top of the Stanford hotel at City Hall. Great view over the city
-Singapore flyer
- Chinese garden (if you have lots of time)
- Orchard road for some shopping teraphy
- Sim Lim for soem great bargains on electronics or Funan Mall
- Merlion statue and esplanade
Yah, pretty much that's it :)
Well, I could tell you that most of us girl are very capable of producing an "inspiring" story about the difficulties of our life, to obtain the "support" of a wealthy expat. You know how this used to happen a lot in Romania. So don't fall in love, and moreover, don't marry your domestic help :)))
Btw, what kind of politically correct expression is "domestic help"? Is "maid" an offence now? :)
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Well, i have been long enough in asia to be able to make the difference between the stories and reality. Yes, you are right, there are too many girls with all kind of stories, believe me, I heard enough to write a book.... That's the reason why i wrote about this in the first place, because it passed my bullshit test.
As mentioned, she is not the girl I could fall in love with or do anything with her for that matter, besides having a "commercial relationship for cleaning, ironing and doing some shopping".
In SG they use "maid", here they use "domestic helper"; for me it does not matter if my house is clean and I don't have to iron my shirts :) Maybe maid sounds too aristocratic, domestic helper is more in line with the "political language" in Vietnam, if you know what I mean:)
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Eu am o "tanti care face curat". Nu cred ca avem un cuvant in romana, ca "menajera" nu se foloseste decat la case mai mari. Adica la aristocrati :))
Thanx for the info. I will try to visit what I can in those 3 days.
Actually why you left Singapur?
Regarding to your domestic helper, is nice from you that you are helping on people.
I left SG because I got bored of it... it is a small place, and after a while you feel like living in a cage...
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