So just about every house and apartment here has maid quarters. It's the thing here. Goods are expensive, services are cheap. She lives in our apartment Monday thru Saturday, cleaning up after us, doing laundry, cooking and occasionally watching the kids. The kids adore her. She's the reason B learned, "Quiero chocolate!" so fast. Sounds ideal, right?
This has been the hardest part of my adjustment to Mexico. I cried the first two weeks she was here. Nothing to do with her. She is as sweet and hard-working as can be. But having someone in my personal space ALL. THE. TIME. Some days I have to close my bedroom door and be alone for a little while without someone coming around the corner saying, "Senora Noelle..." Eeeeeek! I also suffer from some serious independence issues. We come from America where people do everything themselves. Equal opportunity and all that jazz. You feel like a failure if you ask for help. Or maybe that's a Mormon thing. In any case, the whole maid deal goes against all my principles.
Mexico maids here in la ciudad are infamous for their lack of integrity, sense of entitlement and laissez faire attitude about showing up on time or at all. We were blessed to find Elisa, because she has none of these things. We met her at the hotel we were staying at when we first arrived here. She would come in at night to bring us more towels and turn down the beds. Bruce would always chat with her. He decided he had a good feeling about her and wanted to see if she would come work for us. I, on the other hand, was wary, apprehensive and stomped my foot and cried a lot over it. I'm glad I was wrong. And now life is too easy for me. We may have to bring her back with us.
10 comments:
That is crazy that she lives with you. I must admit it would be awesome to have a maid, but I can see what you mean by not having any personal space!
This is so interesting. I don't know how you get used to someone being there all the time...I can hardly stand to have someone come be in our house to help clean for a few hours every once in awhile. But, at the same time how nice would it be to have your house clean all the time. I have so many questions...I'll ask another time:)
I think I would have totally the same reaction as you. I can see it being a very difficult adjustment!
Seriously?!?! I'll take a maid any day:-) Although I am particular about the way I like things cleaned and I do agree about the space issue. I think if I were rich enough to have a live in maid- I'd have to build her an extra guest house. . . hmmmm- someday;-)
Did you just love having your sisters come visit you?!? I loved seeing Rae Lynn over Thanksgiving. I miss you!!! Come to Utah!!!
When I read this I was so happy I'm not alone when it comes to having someone else in the house! I grew up with a live-in maid overseas and I swore if I ever moved overseas I could never do what my mom did having someone live-in. I'd be turning the maids quarters into my own private crap/junk room instead.
I am very territorial and borderline OCD when it comes to how I want things done. With this pregnancy I realized this house is too much for me (we are coming from a 2 bathroom house now we have 5 in this stupid house, not to mention these tile floors that never get clean) and I broke down and hired a maid but only for 2 days a week for floors and bathrooms and I'm even having issues with that.
I find I love/hate when she comes, I adore her and find she actually does a better job than I do in the bathrooms and when you have to mop the floors everyday her 2x a week really helps. My problem is that I feel like a faliure as a homemaker (I was always pretty happy that I could keep up a home with kids...badge of honor kind of thing) but as Kris says "This isn't our house, Mexico City air blows too much filth in to be able to keep up with it all and she's only doing floors and bathrooms which you are more than capable of doing if we lived in a home in the US with our specifications" (The home we are in is mostly a bunch of wasted space that just attracts filth)
As for you thinking that services are cheap!?!?!?! What the heck? Are you kidding? Funny, I find that goods are very cheap (but I buy on the local market...not much imported stuff which makes a huge difference) but services are expensive! I told Kris if we were going to pay a live-in $600-$800 a month (the embassy recommendation depending on if there is child care, work done, etc...)to forget that and just give me the money instead. As it is, $20-$30 a day for a day maid is crazy in my POV. Then again, when we were in Virginia our neighbor had a cleaning crew 2x a week that was $40 a day so who knows.
I would have never thought about that being a problem. But now that you mention it I guess it would be overwhelming almost. Heck, I go crazy if Jarom has more than 2 days off!
On the other hand, when you get back in the states you will think, "Did we forget someone?" or "I've got to do this myself?"
I'm glad she's working out for ya.
I really thought you were kidding about the live in maid! How crazy. Although my house seriously needs a maid's attention right now, I think it'd be so hard to have someone living in your house!
And Audrey really is the best at remembering everyone random person's bday - although I hope I'm not a random person!
ummm yeah, so what happens when you and bruce have a fight and you start shreaking in that high-tone shreaking-voice thing you do. yikes...embarrassing is all i have to say about that. hmmmm...a live in maid...sounds decedent and annoying all at the same time. you'll have to dish the real dirty details later. love ya noe
what can I say??? I guess I'd just try to enjoy the great parts and look forward to the messy house but just you later:)
M is getting so big! look at those pigtails--I expect to see some of your sister in laws darling bows in her hair soon--yeh some of us have to live through you (aka a little water and for special occasions some gel)
Noelle, am I a loser? I'm spending my friday night blogging and I don't know if you'll get these messages. So I'm reading this post and thinking, should I be happy with the day maid who charges 250 a day??? what do you think?!
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