I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an assistant (or two, or eight), what would his/her/their primary roles be? What would you do with the sudden increase in free time?
If you were rich enough to have full-time personal staff, would (or do) you?
05/25/2013
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Back in the days when I lived in Hong Kong, I have 2 live in "domestic helpers", and you don't have to be extremely rich to hire one - it's just an integral way of life in that part of the world. Their responsibilities were household chores, cook, and care for my young child while we're busy at work.
Right now, there's no need for extra help, because I'm a stay-at-home mom with a grown kid, and there's not that much to do around the house.
Right now, there's no need for extra help, because I'm a stay-at-home mom with a grown kid, and there's not that much to do around the house.
05/25/2013
I wouldn't want a full time staff. But definitely someone to come clean once a week. Maybe someone to help with the cooking.
05/26/2013
Quote:
Did they teach your child to speak Mandarin? I've always thought that if I had an au pair, I would definitely want her to be Chinese because that way my child would be at least trilingual from the get go. I mean, I don't really want kids, but if I ever change my mind or get stuck with one, I'd like it to be well-equipped. I would try my best not to end up as one of those pushy parents who makes their kid do everything all of the time, though, ha. I get the feeling that I would be like that if left unchecked and I definitely think that it's a bad thing.
Originally posted by
Rossie
Back in the days when I lived in Hong Kong, I have 2 live in "domestic helpers", and you don't have to be extremely rich to hire one - it's just an integral way of life in that part of the world. Their responsibilities were
...
more
Back in the days when I lived in Hong Kong, I have 2 live in "domestic helpers", and you don't have to be extremely rich to hire one - it's just an integral way of life in that part of the world. Their responsibilities were household chores, cook, and care for my young child while we're busy at work.
Right now, there's no need for extra help, because I'm a stay-at-home mom with a grown kid, and there's not that much to do around the house. less
Right now, there's no need for extra help, because I'm a stay-at-home mom with a grown kid, and there's not that much to do around the house. less
05/26/2013
Quote:
I think I'd feel uncomfortable by the idea of it.
Originally posted by
surreptitious
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an
...
more
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an assistant (or two, or eight), what would his/her/their primary roles be? What would you do with the sudden increase in free time?
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Of course, I could easily think of a hundred household tasks for someone to do to help me right now...
05/26/2013
Quote:
No, they weren't Chinese - they're Philippinas and they speak English and Tagalog. The foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong comes from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Woman China who lives in Inner Mongolia might probably be the one who have Chinese maids.
Originally posted by
surreptitious
Did they teach your child to speak Mandarin? I've always thought that if I had an au pair, I would definitely want her to be Chinese because that way my child would be at least trilingual from the get go. I mean, I don't really want kids, but
...
more
Did they teach your child to speak Mandarin? I've always thought that if I had an au pair, I would definitely want her to be Chinese because that way my child would be at least trilingual from the get go. I mean, I don't really want kids, but if I ever change my mind or get stuck with one, I'd like it to be well-equipped. I would try my best not to end up as one of those pushy parents who makes their kid do everything all of the time, though, ha. I get the feeling that I would be like that if left unchecked and I definitely think that it's a bad thing.
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05/26/2013
Not sure I would hire any help for anything. Unless my life just got out of control for some reason, I can do everything that needs doing at the moment. I have quite a great deal of help almost anytime I need it around the house, so I'm not sure I'd ever have a real reason to pay someone to do things. But nothing is impossible. If something big happened and things changed, I guess I'd hire people to help me if ever there was a time when I desperately needed it. Otherwise, that's what the kids are for. LOL I'm so kidding. I'd probably be better off hiring help in that case! lol. Kidding again.
05/26/2013
Yes I would. We run a business. I would probably have someone help there and also with some of the household duties.
05/26/2013
About 9 years ago a friend of mine since high school lost her job, was left by her husband, was in a boating accident and hospitalized and was unable to work a full time job for awhile.All this in one week!!!!!
My hubby and I were doing pretty well with our jobs, and after talking it over we hired her to do some simple but appreciated chores for us a couple days per week and paid her reasonably without being obviously 'sorry for her'(and charged her $50 per month to live in our guest building--all inclusive with food). Nothing overly strenuous due to her injuries--but some scheduling, paperwork, sewing and mending, watching our animals when we took our weekend trips....things that were very light and not physically taxing.
She was able to work again after 4 months and got a good job (one worthy of her skills). I think she knew we 'helped' her out--but could never prove it. We weren't talking.....but just felt like she really needed a good break for once!!! About a year and a half later, we went on a weekend trip and when we came back--she had a landscaping firm in to totally mow, trim, tidy and repair all our yards!!! She even had them do the really small fountain/garden I had talked to her about wanting someday.....what an amazing friend!! She still is!!
Other than that--no domestic help would be wanted--we value our complete privacy!!!!
My hubby and I were doing pretty well with our jobs, and after talking it over we hired her to do some simple but appreciated chores for us a couple days per week and paid her reasonably without being obviously 'sorry for her'(and charged her $50 per month to live in our guest building--all inclusive with food). Nothing overly strenuous due to her injuries--but some scheduling, paperwork, sewing and mending, watching our animals when we took our weekend trips....things that were very light and not physically taxing.
She was able to work again after 4 months and got a good job (one worthy of her skills). I think she knew we 'helped' her out--but could never prove it. We weren't talking.....but just felt like she really needed a good break for once!!! About a year and a half later, we went on a weekend trip and when we came back--she had a landscaping firm in to totally mow, trim, tidy and repair all our yards!!! She even had them do the really small fountain/garden I had talked to her about wanting someday.....what an amazing friend!! She still is!!
Other than that--no domestic help would be wanted--we value our complete privacy!!!!
05/26/2013
Quote:
Forgive my assumption. That was rather silly from me. Growing up, my best friend's mum was Filipino, but she never taught me the language. She actually spoke Spanish incredibly well because she had some fancy Spanish blood (I never really understood who, exactly she was related to, but I know that my best friend thought that it was the coolest thing ever). Now that I think about it, though, she actually worked in Japan before coming to Canada.
Originally posted by
Rossie
No, they weren't Chinese - they're Philippinas and they speak English and Tagalog. The foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong comes from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Woman China who lives in Inner Mongolia might probably be the
...
more
No, they weren't Chinese - they're Philippinas and they speak English and Tagalog. The foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong comes from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. Woman China who lives in Inner Mongolia might probably be the one who have Chinese maids.
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05/26/2013
Quote:
That is a really great friendship - it's fantastic that you were so generous, and even better to hear that she didn't take advantage of it. I'm sure that she appreciated it very much.
Originally posted by
js250
About 9 years ago a friend of mine since high school lost her job, was left by her husband, was in a boating accident and hospitalized and was unable to work a full time job for awhile.All this in one week!!!!!
My hubby and I were doing ... more
My hubby and I were doing ... more
About 9 years ago a friend of mine since high school lost her job, was left by her husband, was in a boating accident and hospitalized and was unable to work a full time job for awhile.All this in one week!!!!!
My hubby and I were doing pretty well with our jobs, and after talking it over we hired her to do some simple but appreciated chores for us a couple days per week and paid her reasonably without being obviously 'sorry for her'(and charged her $50 per month to live in our guest building--all inclusive with food). Nothing overly strenuous due to her injuries--but some scheduling, paperwork, sewing and mending, watching our animals when we took our weekend trips....things that were very light and not physically taxing.
She was able to work again after 4 months and got a good job (one worthy of her skills). I think she knew we 'helped' her out--but could never prove it. We weren't talking.....but just felt like she really needed a good break for once!!! About a year and a half later, we went on a weekend trip and when we came back--she had a landscaping firm in to totally mow, trim, tidy and repair all our yards!!! She even had them do the really small fountain/garden I had talked to her about wanting someday.....what an amazing friend!! She still is!!
Other than that--no domestic help would be wanted--we value our complete privacy!!!! less
My hubby and I were doing pretty well with our jobs, and after talking it over we hired her to do some simple but appreciated chores for us a couple days per week and paid her reasonably without being obviously 'sorry for her'(and charged her $50 per month to live in our guest building--all inclusive with food). Nothing overly strenuous due to her injuries--but some scheduling, paperwork, sewing and mending, watching our animals when we took our weekend trips....things that were very light and not physically taxing.
She was able to work again after 4 months and got a good job (one worthy of her skills). I think she knew we 'helped' her out--but could never prove it. We weren't talking.....but just felt like she really needed a good break for once!!! About a year and a half later, we went on a weekend trip and when we came back--she had a landscaping firm in to totally mow, trim, tidy and repair all our yards!!! She even had them do the really small fountain/garden I had talked to her about wanting someday.....what an amazing friend!! She still is!!
Other than that--no domestic help would be wanted--we value our complete privacy!!!! less
05/26/2013
But I would love to have someone to sort out all my money/documentation for me. Accountant and solicitor I suppose? And also someone to clean my house, although I would not want any live-in staff. I am a very private person.
05/26/2013
I wouldn't want any full time staff- I value my privacy too much. I would like someone to clean my kitchen and bathrooms twice a week.
05/26/2013
I would want someone to come in once or twice a week to clean, but otherwise, no. If I were to become really sick I'd probably need a health care worker. Otherwise, I think I could do without a full staff.
05/26/2013
In my fantasy where I have a huge gorgeous house and grounds and a stable? Yes for sure. If I was more realistically just comfortable well off, then just have someone come in to clean once a week, with seasonal cleans.
05/26/2013
Yes, I would definitely want someone (or people) to cook and clean.
05/26/2013
Quote:
That's all right. Our family did have local maids (we called them "amahs") working for us when I was a young kid, but when their generation retired, they were replaced by foreign domestic helpers.
Originally posted by
surreptitious
Forgive my assumption. That was rather silly from me. Growing up, my best friend's mum was Filipino, but she never taught me the language. She actually spoke Spanish incredibly well because she had some fancy Spanish blood (I never really
...
more
Forgive my assumption. That was rather silly from me. Growing up, my best friend's mum was Filipino, but she never taught me the language. She actually spoke Spanish incredibly well because she had some fancy Spanish blood (I never really understood who, exactly she was related to, but I know that my best friend thought that it was the coolest thing ever). Now that I think about it, though, she actually worked in Japan before coming to Canada.
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The two Philippinas that worked for us are actually sisters. We hired the older sister first through the employment agency, then a year later, her baby sister in the Philippines also wanted to work in Hong Kong. We applied a work visa for her and flew her over, so they can work under one roof. When we decided to move back here, a relative of mine picked up the hiring contracts, and took the sisters with them to Vancouver to work in their second home. While they worked over there, they found Canadian boyfriends and got married after their employment contracts expired - I think that's a good story book ending for them.
It was a good experience to have Philippinas work for me, or else I'll never know what to order when I'm in a Filipino restaurant!
05/26/2013
Quote:
And what does one order when in a Filipino restaurant? That's some practical advice that I never got from my friend's mother - she did a lot of cooking, but never of traditional dishes.
Originally posted by
Rossie
That's all right. Our family did have local maids (we called them "amahs") working for us when I was a young kid, but when their generation retired, they were replaced by foreign domestic helpers.
The two Philippinas that worked ... more
The two Philippinas that worked ... more
That's all right. Our family did have local maids (we called them "amahs") working for us when I was a young kid, but when their generation retired, they were replaced by foreign domestic helpers.
The two Philippinas that worked for us are actually sisters. We hired the older sister first through the employment agency, then a year later, her baby sister in the Philippines also wanted to work in Hong Kong. We applied a work visa for her and flew her over, so they can work under one roof. When we decided to move back here, a relative of mine picked up the hiring contracts, and took the sisters with them to Vancouver to work in their second home. While they worked over there, they found Canadian boyfriends and got married after their employment contracts expired - I think that's a good story book ending for them.
It was a good experience to have Philippinas work for me, or else I'll never know what to order when I'm in a Filipino restaurant! less
The two Philippinas that worked for us are actually sisters. We hired the older sister first through the employment agency, then a year later, her baby sister in the Philippines also wanted to work in Hong Kong. We applied a work visa for her and flew her over, so they can work under one roof. When we decided to move back here, a relative of mine picked up the hiring contracts, and took the sisters with them to Vancouver to work in their second home. While they worked over there, they found Canadian boyfriends and got married after their employment contracts expired - I think that's a good story book ending for them.
It was a good experience to have Philippinas work for me, or else I'll never know what to order when I'm in a Filipino restaurant! less
05/30/2013
Definitely a cleaning woman and handyman to come in once a week to do some work. I don't mind the daily dishes and spot cleaning, it's just the general all over cleaning that I hate doing. And the handyman can take care of all the "honey-do" things that the landlord deems "not my job".
05/30/2013
For a while after college I worked for a family that was wealthy enough to have essentially a full-time personal staff. I was their sons (full-time) tutor, and in addition to me there was almost always someone else in the household doing something. Most of the others weren't full time, but there were gardeners, house-cleaners, cooks, and plenty of "on retainer" accountant/laywer/etc. types. Not to mention all the various maintenance people who were in and out taking care of various things.
The one thing I learned from that experience is that I would never want an extensive personal staff in my life. I would just never really feel like I was in my own space.
If I had the money I can see hiring an every other week cleaner to come through and take care of some things in the house, and maybe paying someone to do shoveling and some yard work help, but mostly I wouldn't want to be inundated with extra staff. It just feels weird to me.
The one thing I learned from that experience is that I would never want an extensive personal staff in my life. I would just never really feel like I was in my own space.
If I had the money I can see hiring an every other week cleaner to come through and take care of some things in the house, and maybe paying someone to do shoveling and some yard work help, but mostly I wouldn't want to be inundated with extra staff. It just feels weird to me.
05/30/2013
I wouldn't mind having somebody cook for us a couple of times a week... I guess. I've never had any kind of staff, but I know people who do. I definitely wouldn't want any kind of full-time help.
05/30/2013
I don't think I'd want a cook, as I like to do that. I would love a cleaning person....and maybe someone on call for childcare. I don't leave my kids with anyone except my parents right now if we need a sitter, because none of our family is babysitting age and our friends don't have kids old enough to babysit. I don't trust a complete stranger to stay with my kids and wouldn't need someone often enough to justify a full time nanny. But for the times when I help out with the older kiddo at school or volunteer for school things, it would be nice to have someone I trusted to watch the little one.
05/30/2013
I wouldn't want someone "full" time . . . many come in a few hours a day to help with a few things and then leave. I don't want someone who is not living there to be there all the time!
05/30/2013
I too have privacy concerns, but if money was no object, I would build a professional kitchen (with living quarters, if necessary), outside my house, and have a full-time chef to deliver gourmet nutritious meals. I would also hire a personal trainer to come over every day and train me in my own well-appointed gym. And of course, I would need someone to clean the house twice a week. We have dogs, and therefore dog FUR all over the place. I would LOVE to be able to hire people to do all this! Sadly, it's just a nice fantasy. I don't think it will ever be reality.
05/30/2013
I don't even let the maid come in my room if I'm staying a couple of days. I always go out to request new towels and such. Plus I love to cook, and cleaning isn't so bad when you have a nice house. I might get a maid to come once in a while, but I'd have to be there while the maid worked.
05/30/2013
Quote:
I would not. I never want to take things for granted.
Originally posted by
surreptitious
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an
...
more
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an assistant (or two, or eight), what would his/her/their primary roles be? What would you do with the sudden increase in free time?
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05/30/2013
The only "personal staff" I would want is a personal trainer, a maid, and an agent. I wouldn't want a chef though because I LOVE cooking my own stuff.
05/30/2013
I don't want staff, but an extra little help once in a while would be nice. Like a maid once a week for a few hours. I run a business, My boyfriend runs a it with me, and my Hubby works full time! The house is such a mess!
05/30/2013
Quote:
I would. Because I have 5 kids. I would have them clean and cook. Whole i took care of the kids. I would hire a teacher to home school my children.
Originally posted by
surreptitious
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an
...
more
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an assistant (or two, or eight), what would his/her/their primary roles be? What would you do with the sudden increase in free time?
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05/30/2013
Quote:
Hell no I don't have the money now. I always wish I had a maid but I am so fucking nasty that I would have to pre-clean before she came over so she wouldn't think I'm a gross bitch. It kinda defeats the purpose.
Originally posted by
surreptitious
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an
...
more
I don't want to make this a poll, because I'd like to hear why you would or would not. I'm wondering if you'd be all for it, are opposed to it, simply wouldn't find it necessary, or something in between. And if you had an assistant (or two, or eight), what would his/her/their primary roles be? What would you do with the sudden increase in free time?
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if I got filthy rich: I'd hire a chef for sure. And a personal masseuse who would just be on-call or maybe my chef and be my masseuse. I'd hire a personal yoga teacher or trainer. I think I will just be the Flinstones and hire a bunch of dinosaurs to be my household appliances really.
05/31/2013
Total posts: 32
Unique posters: 26
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