4th post

Well, it's week 2 now with Joy in our home and I am happy to report that there's been a SIGNIFICANT improvement, both in her work and her disposition. It took a lot of patience on my end, and reminders that she doesn't see even half of the things she has to deal with here back from where she's from (eg. vacuum cleaners and chicken nuggets!). Sigh....well, patience has never been one of MY finer qualities, so everyone's learning something from this experience!I came home one day last week, and seeing how my lovely wooden blinds were all knotted up and twisted, how the plastic bin liner wasn't properly lining the garbage and trash bins, how there were no fresh bog rolls in the loo....I just lost it. Completely balistic, I went! It was an accumulation of the stress I was feeling all week with her, so I called her up to my room to show her (again) how things were to be done, how I wanted everything back in its rightful place after she's dusted (she loves to pile things up into a corner - any corner!), etc. it was one long schpeel. Then I got personal. I asked her what her problem was. It took a while but I found out her dentures needed mending, so that's why she wasn't talking much or smiling - she was embarassed and her teeth kept falling out! I told her this was a small problem that can be fixed - and she needed to communicate with us more because we are not robots living in this house and I don't want doom and gloom when I come home everyday. I also don't want to be ignored in my own home, with her wandering around the house like a ghost. She also has this tendency to not say please, thank you, good morning, good night, etc. I mean, how am I going to teach my kids manners when the maid is so gruff and clueless. I told her what we expected from her, not just work-wise but as a person living with us in our home.
I guess what it boiled down to was a clash of expectations and culture. I expected someone like Esther who was so cheerful, polite and efficient - Joy, I guess, expected to be treated like a slave by a cruel slave master (?!!); to just do work, keep her head down, keep out of the way, don't talk, don't complain or the boss will beat the living crap outta you, starve you or yell at you. Huh. Anyway, the talk seemed to do the trick, she's not glum anymore and is actually being friendly with all of us. Her housework's improving, though I still need to show her how to do things properly. I don't mind, as long as there's some cheer in the house.What of Esther? Well, she's on standby...but at the end of the day, the demand for her level of experience and perhaps a family willing to let her off on the weekends may be her choice finally. She knows we need someone full time. Let's see how Joy works out, shall we?