Day 3: Maid situation
No maid!
Here's a blow by blow:
Friday, Day 1: Although she didn't start the first day until about 10:00 a.m., around 1:30 p.m., she asked if she could leave early. I won't say I was pleased (thinking it was a sign of things to come), but I said that I understand that the first day is always the hardest, so I said she could leave at 4:00 p.m., an hour early. When I asked her to clean the shower, she said it would have to wait until Monday as she can't get her feet wet after 3:00 p.m. At 3:40 p.m., she came to me with her purse in her hand to say goodbye.
Saturday: Almost all Honduran maids work at least a half day on Saturdays. When I hired her I told her she could have Saturdays off for the same salary.
Monday, Day 2: She arrived 15 minutes late. She complained about what we were having for lunch (baleadas − tortillas with beans, eggs, and cheese). At 1 p.m., she asked if she could have one of the sausages that she had found in the freezer. At 2:00 p.m., she asked if she could leave early.
Tuesday, Day 3: No show!
Saga continued on Day 4.
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13 comments:
I am going to ask my maid if she has any sisters who want to work in La Ceiba. We had ALOT of people in our house for Thanksgiving and she had cleaned up the mess by the time our guests left.
You can try to steal her, but I think that she is pretty loyal. She and her daughter really help my self esteem, because they think that I am the funniest person alive. And she tells some pretty good jokes herself.
Hey, Jill, that sounds great!
Your Spanish must be a lot better than mine, because my jokes usually fall flat.
Okay, since you are being so nice, I won't try to steal her away from you. ;-)
Sounds like labor darn near everywhere. Avoid work yet collect the check. Sorry she is not working out for you.
It is puzzling, isn't it, how in such a poor country people aren't more willing to work to better their situation. I ran into a similar situation when I lived in West Africa. My village neighbors were dirt poor, and lots of people asked me to GIVE them money, but I couldn't find anyone who was interested in earning a little money by helping me out with some household work. It will always be for me one of those unsolved mysteries of the universe.
Ok that's it, between this and the other article about the remesas I am going to have to start giving kudos to the Nicas
My Nica maid is one of the most efficient/curious people (well on her line of work anyway) , she constantly tries to do new stuff on her own (worried that I might fire her if there is not enough work?)
I have been to Honduras only once.....and despite the fact that Costa Ricans are known as the 'argentineans of latin american' (I am sure Jefe can confirm this) the more I read about Honduras the more I say "well..........no wonder things are like that"
btw its not like we are 'wonderful' here in CR, sometimes I wonder if there is even a difference
my wife leads a team that gives customer service to a company in the States, the other day she goes downstairs to have a cigarette......she comes back and finds 4 of her people hanging out like nothing happened...she says 'why are you all down here' / answer is 'because the elevator broke down'....scream back 'take the freaking stairs!!!!!!!!!!!'
this is a 8 floor building and they all work on the 6th
$@#$@#$@#!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh no! i wonder if she´ll show up on friday! ah well, at least you kind of expected it, right?
Marie, It is very puzzling! I know it sounds crazy, almost unbelievable, but you hear this kind of story all the time.
She came to me for a job. I offered her a part time job. She insisted she needed full time work, but only worked two days before taking a day off, without notice.
Wolfie, Your comment "well..........no wonder things are like that" -- It is hard not to think that sometimes.
I know cleaning house is not a glamorous job, but it is a job and it will put food on the table and that is something to be proud of, I think. When a person (especially a woman in Honduras) only has a 6th grade education (or less) there aren't a lot of other options available to them.
Your other story sounds like one that could happen in any country.
Katrina, Yes, as soon as she asked to leave early on the first day, I had an idea that things wouldn't go smoothly.
Does ANYONE understand this? Please tell me!
La Gringa, How do you remain calm and collected. This would drive me up the wall. I'm sorry that you have trouble finding (and keeping) a maid. These tile/concrete houses with the windows open all the time are hard to keep clean. Of course our climate here is dry most of the time so we content with lots of dust and I hate walking on a gritty floor. At any rate, it would be nice to have help.
Billie, I wouldn't say that I remain calm and collected, except that now I'm getting more used to it and based on the first day, I just had an idea that this was going to happen.
You are right about the dirt! In Dallas, we used the A/C about 9 months of the year, the heater about 2 months, and hardly ever had many windows open.
Here our windows are open every day and we have a construction project across the street with dump trucks bringing sand, etc. all the time. Not to mention 3 dogs coming in and out all the time, too.
I feel your pain !! My dad (Who still lives in Honduras) has had the most difficult time keeping his maids. It's as though he has a new one every week ! When I lived over there it wasn't like that, I think the mentality has changed over the years among the "maid community" if you want to call it that ! it seems that it is getting harder for ANYONE to keep one ! -- questions: are you sure your jokes isn't what's driving them away ? hahaha -- just teasing -- hang in there I am sure one good one will come around !
I'm glad you said that, Ruthy. I always want to say, "It's not just me!" because I know some who read this assume the problem is that I am a gringa or too demanding or whatever. But EVERYONE I talk to, Hondurans and ex-pats, have the same problems.
There are a very few lucky people who have had the same maid 10 years or more but all the rest of us have an ongoing problem trying to find someone to work.
The jokes? Well, maybe... The one thing I have been told over and over again is that I'm too nice to them! Whaaaaaat?!
What an upside down world this is.
Yes, what a sad indictment if being too nice can lose you your maid. I used to hear this when I lived in the Far East in the 60s...."don't get too friendly, don't be too nice - they won't respect you"!
I'm now going back to the poll to register my guess.....
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