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morenangpinay
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Post by morenangpinay » Mon, 01 Jul 2013 4:05 pm

what? are you serious... wow. kiasu level: expert

x9200
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Post by x9200 » Mon, 01 Jul 2013 4:13 pm

It's not about taking the trolley home (BTW, I saw one couple near Jurong Point doing this) - still this would be a theft IMHO, but to discipline people so the trolleys will be in the designated places and not over the whole carpark for example. I am very sure this would be the case if no coin goes inside.

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Mi Amigo
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Post by Mi Amigo » Mon, 01 Jul 2013 8:26 pm

The petty meanness of so many people here is something that (for some reason) irritates me even more than the claustrophobia (per Hannie's other thread).
Be careful what you wish for

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Post by Hannieroo » Mon, 01 Jul 2013 9:23 pm

I just see such lack of grace and stinginess as the biggest loss of face I could imagine. I don't get scoring points off somebody just because circs make them an FDW. Or a tray auntie. It's all very medieval. Stay in thy place.

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Post by zzm9980 » Tue, 02 Jul 2013 1:22 pm

Hannieroo wrote:Jeez. The lady we have starting has stated she would rather eat alone and I'm not comfortable with it. If it's because of professional boundaries and a desire for peace then great but I suspect it's not. Dunno what to do there.
Given the awkwardness of being a live-in helper, I would go out of my way to accomodate whatever requests they have. Eat with us, eat alone, whatever she prefers.

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zzm9980
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Post by zzm9980 » Tue, 02 Jul 2013 1:23 pm

x9200 wrote:It's not about taking the trolley home (BTW, I saw one couple near Jurong Point doing this) - still this would be a theft IMHO, but to discipline people so the trolleys will be in the designated places and not over the whole carpark for example. I am very sure this would be the case if no coin goes inside.
And personally, when I leave the trollet (cart!) at the very far edge of the car park, or even the next HDB car park over, I feel no guilt. Because I know some auntie or uncle who would otherwise be cursing the Ang Moh Devil is instead laughing and grateful at Ang Moh giving him a dollar.

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Post by Hannieroo » Tue, 02 Jul 2013 1:45 pm

zzm9980 wrote:
Hannieroo wrote:Jeez. The lady we have starting has stated she would rather eat alone and I'm not comfortable with it. If it's because of professional boundaries and a desire for peace then great but I suspect it's not. Dunno what to do there.
Given the awkwardness of being a live-in helper, I would go out of my way to accomodate whatever requests they have. Eat with us, eat alone, whatever she prefers.
Yes, I've bought a small table with two chairs and a little radio to go in the kitchen. To be honest I'd like to eat alone occasionally.

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Post by katbh » Tue, 02 Jul 2013 2:14 pm

Hannieroo wrote:I sense and I most certainly hear my neighbours talk to their ladies. Next door beep their horn rather than opening the gates themselves.

.
Yes, we get this a lot wherever we have lived. Would it really harm them to get an automatic opener. FFS if they have enough money for a landed home perhaps they could ....
The ultimate is when it IS an automatic gate and people beep for the helper to hit the button!
We stopped our neighbours by simply pointing out how annoying it was to those who perhaps did not come back from Church at 7am on a Sunday. We bought a claxton horn (one like the karang guning men but a hell of a lot louder), and every time they did it, we did one back to them. They soon stopped. Sometimes it is arrogance mixed with ignorance - never a good combination here.

The 'owning' of a helper (as many people term it) makes some people SOOO arrogant. As an expat, the behaviour can be worse - I think potentially, THE worst - as expats are not used to having live in home help.

I always suggest to expats that they should look at their behaviour, and if they think what they have just done to their helper (or what limit they have put on them, what they have said to them, how they are treating them etc) was not how they would treat a cleaner of their own race in their own country, then perhaps they were acting inappropriately and should change their behaviour.
And to remember that helpers are often very young (not as young as they used to be), often shy of expats, and do not necessarily know how things are done in this country, or how you as an expat would like it done.
Mind you, of course, there are the schemers - this is inevitable when people come from poorer backgrounds.
But I would let a helper walk all over me if I could have a clean house and the ironing done!

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Post by x9200 » Tue, 02 Jul 2013 2:35 pm

zzm9980 wrote:
x9200 wrote:It's not about taking the trolley home (BTW, I saw one couple near Jurong Point doing this) - still this would be a theft IMHO, but to discipline people so the trolleys will be in the designated places and not over the whole carpark for example. I am very sure this would be the case if no coin goes inside.
And personally, when I leave the trollet (cart!) at the very far edge of the car park, or even the next HDB car park over, I feel no guilt. Because I know some auntie or uncle who would otherwise be cursing the Ang Moh Devil is instead laughing and grateful at Ang Moh giving him a dollar.
You know you can justify this way every single act of messing up in the public space... Besides, 25 cents coins also fit in many places. The Angmoh will be cursed in such case.

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Post by the lynx » Tue, 02 Jul 2013 2:40 pm

x9200 wrote:
zzm9980 wrote:
x9200 wrote:It's not about taking the trolley home (BTW, I saw one couple near Jurong Point doing this) - still this would be a theft IMHO, but to discipline people so the trolleys will be in the designated places and not over the whole carpark for example. I am very sure this would be the case if no coin goes inside.
And personally, when I leave the trollet (cart!) at the very far edge of the car park, or even the next HDB car park over, I feel no guilt. Because I know some auntie or uncle who would otherwise be cursing the Ang Moh Devil is instead laughing and grateful at Ang Moh giving him a dollar.
You know you can justify this way every single act of messing up in the public space... Besides, 25 cents coins also fit in many places. The Angmoh will be cursed in such case.
Tried a US quarter in vending machines here once. I felt like a badass! :P :lol:

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Post by durain » Tue, 02 Jul 2013 8:55 pm

come to think of it, now i know why some people in the office fill up their BIG water bottle at the drinking fountain before going home!

just need to wait for someone to bring in a 5.3 gallon jerrycan!

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PNGMK
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Post by PNGMK » Wed, 03 Jul 2013 2:13 am

Hannieroo wrote:
zzm9980 wrote:
Hannieroo wrote:Jeez. The lady we have starting has stated she would rather eat alone and I'm not comfortable with it. If it's because of professional boundaries and a desire for peace then great but I suspect it's not. Dunno what to do there.
Given the awkwardness of being a live-in helper, I would go out of my way to accomodate whatever requests they have. Eat with us, eat alone, whatever she prefers.
Yes, I've bought a small table with two chairs and a little radio to go in the kitchen. To be honest I'd like to eat alone occasionally.
We have similar quandries and are trying to work out a way to split the kitchen / maids room off with some sort of bead curtain to provide some mutual privacy and separation.

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PNGMK
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Post by PNGMK » Wed, 03 Jul 2013 2:15 am

I'm astonished at how much involvement Assange and his assistant (neither with any real legal training) have in this mess and not surprised at how bad it is going.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 03 Jul 2013 6:52 am

PNGMK wrote: We have similar quandries and are trying to work out a way to split the kitchen / maids room off with some sort of bead curtain to provide some mutual privacy and separation.
You keep your maid in the Kitchen and/or laundry/utility room? :o :(
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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PNGMK
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Post by PNGMK » Wed, 03 Jul 2013 10:24 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:
PNGMK wrote: We have similar quandries and are trying to work out a way to split the kitchen / maids room off with some sort of bead curtain to provide some mutual privacy and separation.
You keep your maid in the Kitchen and/or laundry/utility room? :o :(
I have a specific room (in a condo) for her - it's neither a utility room or laundry - it's a separate room large enough for a single bed and wardrobe - probably 3 x 5 m? - near the second entrance with a lockable door. She is very happy with it.

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