Maid Reliance

It is always fun to listen to people trying to work out how they are going to cope for the week or two that their maid(s) return home to the kampung. It is even funnier to know that those who are a little more well-to-do check into hotels in order to avoid having to do the washing, ironing, cleaning and the like. I, on the other hand, look forward to the maid being back home in her kampung for a week or two.

I was born and raised in Australia. I have been washing and ironing my own clothes for as long as I care to remember. I have been cleaning up after myself for that long as well. I am a good cook (almost became a chef) and I have the basics down on sewing and other things.

Now, that said, I enjoy having a maid and have enjoyed becoming even lazier than I was before.

It is interesting that people panic that their maid(s) will not return after the trip back to their kampung. For me and the missus this was never an issue. When it is all said and done our maid has a pretty cushy gig. It might be as boring as watching the grass grown on a hot summer afternoon but she is well looked after in terms of salary and benefits. And, she is free to pretty much come and go as she pleases.

Sometimes we impose on her to stay at home but that is so rare I cannot even remember the last time that we did it. Generally, it is a security thing in making sure someone is home, but since the missus "retired" there has not been much of an issue on that front.

The wife and I were having a bit of a chuckle this morning about our maid's style as we were sitting in the study. The maid has a mobile phone and it is one that allows hand's free operation and she seems to be all geared-up on that front. The chuckle was to watch the maid go about her business sweeping and mopping while nattering away hands free. It was pretty funny but I guess you would have had to been there to appreciate how funny it was to us.

I guess it was funny to me because I cannot remember the last time I used hands free or the speaker phone. She seemed happy enough though.

Anyway, long story short, the maid had her two weeks off back in the kampung and has returned to resume doing whatever it was that she was doing before. She has been with us a bit over 12 months now so it is time for a raise on the salary front. We are not going to tell her about the raise rather just surprise her with the extra and explain it at the time. It is not mega Rupiah to us but I am sure it will make a difference to her.