Having Mary (the maid who lives on our plot) around is probably the biggest life changing issue at the moment. Her requested rate is the approximate equivelant of 50 (US) dollars per month to clean for us every monday and thursday. She washes dishes, vacuums, dusts, mops tiles, lets the dogs out and entertains them, HAND-washes our clothes, irons them, folds them, stacks them away, cleans bathrooms, waters the grass, makes the bed (read: makes the air mattress), washes the windows, and literally sweeps the dirt path up to our house with her straw broom. It's unbelievable how much time that actually frees up for us to enjoy the house a lot more, if you consider the fact we've never had anyone to do that sort of thing for us in the past. I think she can even iron clothes better than any dry cleaner I've ever been to.
What's even more amazing is our luck in just happening to land in this house with her attached - she's known around the neighbourhood as being "the best maid in the neighbourhood", and Skyler even tried to pinch her from our landlord when he heard that there was no one living at the house a couple months ago. Oh no sirree, this lady is loyal. She works only for our landlord, and has done such for over 20 years. It helps that she owns her own little "house" on the property, I suppose. She also knows the borehole and water pump situation inside and out, and can fix any problem we have relating to it. Which is great, because even though I'm married to a process engineer, old-fashioned Botswanan boreholes are not his forte.
She's the most lovely big, 50-something-year old Zimbabwean lady with the biggest smile (ok, a wee bit lacking in teeth but who cares when you see that smile?!) and her catch phrase is "no problem!". Everything is no problem with Mary. Given that she's not a Motswana lady I wasnt sure if she'd speak Setswana so I asked her if her home language was Shona and she said no, it's actualy Ndebele and one other that I can't remember... but it turns out given the fact she's lived here for so long, she does speak fluent Setswana and will endeavour to help me learn as quickly as possible! How cool is that? She already pumped up my confidence by telling me that so far all my greetings are very good. I told her that's great, but it's not like I can just go around greeting people all day long.... i gotta learn some conversational stuff too. obviously.
What's even more amazing is our luck in just happening to land in this house with her attached - she's known around the neighbourhood as being "the best maid in the neighbourhood", and Skyler even tried to pinch her from our landlord when he heard that there was no one living at the house a couple months ago. Oh no sirree, this lady is loyal. She works only for our landlord, and has done such for over 20 years. It helps that she owns her own little "house" on the property, I suppose. She also knows the borehole and water pump situation inside and out, and can fix any problem we have relating to it. Which is great, because even though I'm married to a process engineer, old-fashioned Botswanan boreholes are not his forte.
She's the most lovely big, 50-something-year old Zimbabwean lady with the biggest smile (ok, a wee bit lacking in teeth but who cares when you see that smile?!) and her catch phrase is "no problem!". Everything is no problem with Mary. Given that she's not a Motswana lady I wasnt sure if she'd speak Setswana so I asked her if her home language was Shona and she said no, it's actualy Ndebele and one other that I can't remember... but it turns out given the fact she's lived here for so long, she does speak fluent Setswana and will endeavour to help me learn as quickly as possible! How cool is that? She already pumped up my confidence by telling me that so far all my greetings are very good. I told her that's great, but it's not like I can just go around greeting people all day long.... i gotta learn some conversational stuff too. obviously.
I want a 'St. Mary', life would be wonderful...if she ever wants to move abroad send her on over to our place...plenty of tidying up to do over here!!!! You lucky things you!!!!
How sad that ST Mary doesn't have a face for me to see. Sigh.
Photos, woman, photos. Dialup be damned!
good huh...most pple wouldnt have a clue how convenient it is to have a maid...its so common in SE Asia. and sounds like she's a super power MAID...so many chores in two days of a week.... Unbelievable! tot of teaching her to prepare your dinner sometime???
We had a maid when I spent a summer in Mexico. I didn't really like it. It made me feel like a wealthy capitalist pig.
Oink diggity oink oink.
OINK OINK!
(job creation - it's Botswana! You'd be a pig if you didn't employ people. Literally. They'd be knocking at your door and giving you evils. If you think I'm lying, read "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series.)