20 February 2013

Sparkling



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. 

No comments :

Post a Comment