About Me

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Adventurous, observer,kind, compassionate, generous, Practical, quick learner and hard working.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Maids offday in Singapore

When i first came to Singapore few years ago, I was'st allowed to have a dayoff for about 6 months as i was still in debt with my agency. The agency charged me  an equivalent to my  6 months  salary and i was  only entitled to recieve a SGD 30 each month for 6 long months.

This was a real surprise for me because i came here as a tourist. They explained that even though i came as a tourist , they are the one who found  me a job. In a sense this is true but why the hefty amount? I bought my own airfare plus i paid the lady who invite me over. I remember handing her 3,ooo pesos as soon as i arrived. She asked for it, i did not gave voluntarily. I came here to work not giving away cash...
So i assume thats how this daylight robber does to unsuspecting victims.
Agency fees has always been in the news because of its hefty amount leaving almost nothing to a poor girl who come here to work only to be fleshed out as soon as she stepped in at the airport by the money hungry agents.

Ok so i survived that ordeal, although i hardly stomach being have to work just to be able to pay my agency. I remember going for a medical check up as soon as i arrive , but i guess the medical fee was shouldered by my employer. I learned later on that aside from the fees that  comes from me, my employer also has to pay the agent,  so to sum it all ...the agency is earning a lot of money. No wonder some of them now are driving a Mercedes, BMW, Porche God knows what else, maybe they even live in condos ,i can only guess.

On my first year with my first employer, i was only allowed a once a month day off after that 6 months period ( while paying my agency fee). But even though its called my offday...its not really a offday because i have to work before i go out. I handwash clothes early in the morning, mop the floor and wash the baby bottles. I generally do my usual morning routine before i am allowed to take off . I have to come back by 5 pm because i need to look after the kids while my employer cooks dinner. Her husband MUST go for a jogging so he cant help with the kids.

When my contract expired my employer renew my work permit without even asking me first, but she told me about later on so  i ask her if she could allow me to have at least 2x off a month and she agreed. They let me have my vacation in my home country for a month after they renewed my contract.

I adjusted very well with my job, having been trained to do housework since young i did not encounter any trouble with it. The only thing that i really hate is washing car , because i  did not think that its a woman's job. In my home country  i did not see woman washing a car, i believe it was a man job all along.
Anyway, i did learned how to do it, and actually loving it , because thats the time that i could think, away from the kids noise and no ones calling me to do things. I spend couple of hours each time i do it, and that is long enough to free up my mind.

I love the children even though they are naughty sometimes, but after 4 years i left the family because i wanted to move into a expat employer whom i suppose are more open and understanding. Also they pay more than most of the locals.

I was given a sundays off  plus allowed to go out on public holidays , not given any curfew or things like that.
I have my needed  freedom, which everyone entitled to but not all are lucky. I spent my offdays attending enhancement classes, socialising with good company. , meet people, meet new friends  , go on a weekend holidays, attend church service and more.

I enjoy going around town, do shopping and eating out. I watch concerts, movies , visit museums, go for swimming, cycling , picnic, visit library , there are countless things that you can do here in Singapore. Even though its only a tiny island compared to where i come from, you have everything you need to do and see.

Offdays means the freedom to free your  burden. Time to connect with friends and family, time to search your soul.