Our housekeeper, Lydia, joined us on Monday and came recommended to us by the previous couple here in Bangalore on the same assignment. The maid-business is both, cut throat and fickle at the same time, in Palm Meadows. And if you manage to score a gig with a western family (particular one who has never had help) you are sitting pretty!
I have no idea what normal tasks or expectations are for a maid or how the process works. Lydia works 10-6pm, Monday to Friday and 10-2 Saturday - however I have sent her home at 5pm each day as all is done. And this is seen as really easy work - a maid working for a 'local' or indian ex-pat would work 7 days, more hours and for much less money. They think we over pay our staff hugely but you wouldn't believe how much she gets a month !! I'm not sure i have enough for her to do in all those hours .....
I am also not really comfortable with the whole 'help' thing - I am more than capable of doing most things and I feel I'm being lazy letting someone else do it. Especially when I'm not currently working - which changes next week.
However, there are many things I am very grateful to have Lydia around for - not least of all, cleaning bathrooms!! Especially with 2 boys in the house - gross little monkeys.
She is very capable and has taken the initiative to do the cleaning that is required and looks for things to do. The house is all marble floors, and with all the dirt and mud (its monsoon here now) daily sweeping and mopping is a real bonus - I couldn't see myself mopping the entire house EVERY day!!
Another lovely job this week has been ironing all of Mikes work shirts - after 7 weeks of being in a suitcase it was nice to NOT have to worry about doing that ironing - Lydia to the rescue ;)
She very kindly offered to make us a chicken curry for dinner last night. The boys and I were out all day, so not having to worry about dinner was fabulous - and it was sensational! Even the boys gave it the tick of approval.
Another bonus is that she speaks Hindi. With the current maintenance items being completed at the house and the new gardener etc, its really nice to have another person on my side and who can break the language barrier. With that said, I still only understand about 60% of my daily conversations with the staff.
I am so grateful to have Lydia work for us but its going to take me a while to get used to the process. She comes across very strong-willed and is not likely to be pushed around - if she's not happy, she will tell me.
Another thing that is very common is that staff bad-mouth each other a lot ( and I mean a lot!!) The driver doesn't like the maid, 'she lies ma'am', the maid is telling me 'the gardener is lazy', the maintenance man is complaining about everyone!! It's a soap opera in its own right.....
My biggest concern is that Lydia doesn't have enough to do and she will be bored - I could be the first expat to lose a maid for lack of work......
Until next time.
Lydia's work outfit ( I was too scared to ask for a photo) Her walk to work sari's are SO beautiful.
Her tool of choice - not quite Enjo !!
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