Another mundane marketing musings

And so I was at the chicken stall this morning, when the abang cajoled me into buying fresh chicken. Doesn't matter if it's fresh because I will still put it in the freezer as I will not be cooking chicken today. So I asked for two - one to be cut into four pieces, the other twelve. Then as I looked on, the chickens were already without their head and legs. Not that it ever bothered me because usually I would just ask the what-do-you-call-a-chicken-seller to just throw it away. But my domestic helper is fond of chicken legs. So I asked for it. And then we got into a little banter about chicken legs ... the one I've heard before was "whoever eats chicken legs, can run very fast" but this abang was teasing my young Indon maid by saying that since she likes to eat chicken legs, it means she "kuat merayap" (like to go out). Indon maid gushed with "Ya Allah, Ya ampun" and looking at me fearfully. I played along, and outrightly mentioned that if she were ever caught "merayap", she will get it from me. Then the abang chicken said that I was unkind to let her eat chicken feet only. Of course, I let her eat chicken meat but she loves chicken feet and in fact, I was kind enough to ask for the chicken feet for her, in which my hubby would definitely be so geli with. So I told chicken seller, she loves the chicken feet "sampai gigit-gigit tulang". My Indon maid would actually chew chicken bones. Ok enough of this chicken feet ramblings, when the abang chicken said, you are so "mesra" (amicable) with your maid.

Oh, am I? Suddenly that put a perspective on things.

Frankly speaking, I do not know what kind of employer I would be. In fact, I was a very hesitant person ever to employ a maid. For the many many fears that I have not just about having a domestic helper but a stranger living with me, with my family in my house. A stranger who would be close to my son, who would manage my husband's and my dirty laundry, and a female stranger, that might be able to seduce, nauzubillah. You see, my thoughts would actually go this far, and these thoughts were communicated to hubby before we finally decided to get a helper.

Well, I don't know. In fact, I was frank to tell her that I do not know what kind of employer I will be. But for as long as she is living in my house, she has to follow my rules. She has worked here in Singapore for four years, thus that would say volumes about her experience. But I had to point out to her, that whatever way her previous employer decide to do things, it's their way, and I have my way, and she has to follow my way.

It's still too early to say anything. But I do know that I would not want to be the type of employer like my in-law side. Like I said, they have their own way of doing things, and I have my way. And if my way is not as meticulous and proper as theirs, it is still my way and within my comfort zone, it's fine with me.

In the first few days of her working in my household, I had sleepless nights. She was sleeping in the same room as Afzal, and somehow, I would wake up two to three times in the middle of the night just to check on them in their room. Though that feeling of wanting to check on her has subsided, the feelings of wondering what could be happening in that room besides sleeping do seem to play in my subconscious.

Also, in the first few days, every night before she sleeps, it seemed like a debriefing time for me to let her know what she has done right and what else can be improved. The debriefing has not taken place any more, but of course, there were still occasions that I had to remind her to improve or do it better. Other than that, I don't see the need for me to be breathing down her neck for as long as she does her work properly and diligently. In fact, I think she does not have much to do at my house, as she had to ask me for more work. Sometimes, she would ask if she could prepare snacks for tea time. And usually, I will just let her do it if it's not too frivolous. She has even requested if I could purchase ingredients for rempeyek because she wanted to make some. By all means, I thought since I like rempeyek, and if it's good, she can make rempeyeks for our next raya. Well, but I'm still cautious and not about to let my guard down.