Mery came to
my house today to clean. She normally comes once a week but I was away over the
Chinese New Year break so she hasn't been for a while. I love coming home after
Mery has been and cleaned my little apartment. The whole place sparkles and it
smells of flowers and pine needles and soap and mountains. It is beautiful.
It really is.
Mery is from
the Philippines. She is actually the full time and live in Helper of a work
colleague of mine and I sub let her for a couple of hours. Once a week. We call
maids 'Helpers' here in Singapore. I think that this is a far more dignified
description of what they do.
Not who they
are.
The Helpers in
Singapore are all very nice ladies and they are very hard working. Most of
these Helpers send home to the Philippines pretty much all that they earn to
help their families. They don't earn very much but they still support their
parents and their brothers and their sisters.
Mery is a real
sweetie. She is funny and happy and boy can she clean. I like her a lot. She
irons all my shirts and she changes my sheets. Mery washes my clothes and makes
magnificent piles of all my items around the house. She turns my sofas into
works of art with cushions placed in color coordinated patterns and my yak
blankets are arranged just so. Mery turns my toilets a sparkling blue. Every
surface gleans and shines and my bed linen is fresh and clean. My pillows are
fluffed as well.
It is
fantastic.
It is
glorious.
Mery calls me
Sir even though I constantly tell her not too. I tell her that my name is Peter
and she should call me this but she just giggles and calls me Sir Peter
instead. I retaliate by calling her Madam Mery which makes her giggle
more.
I tell Mery to
let me know what cleaning supplies I have run out of so I can make sure that there
is plenty in stock. I ask her to make me a list. She leaves me funny notes
after she has cleaned and left and I look forward to these almost as much as I
do to returning to my sparkling house. Mery’s messages are often cryptic. They
take some working out and they usually make me laugh out loud. I do an LOL. She
always starts her notes with "Dear Sir Peter". When I leave notes for
Mery I always start with "Dear Madam Mery".
Today's
note was a beauty. It was a cracker. I have apparently run out of "ducking
toilet". I am pretty sure that this is the blue stuff that she uses in my
toilets or maybe it is the brush thing. I will get her both. I also need
"dishing liquid". I think this is dish washing detergent. Mery also
told me - in her note - that "I am great all over the house". I don't
really know what this means but it sounds very positive. It sounds nice and
pleasant and sweet.
Just
like her.
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