spiderman

Two day back maam is tell me Sally we going to see spiderman you also come. First I thinking she taking me for the movie spiderman. First time movie with this maam. I quite excite. Then she showing me in paper that this man going to climb up burj khalifa. From outside. Not in lift. Like a spiderman. It so scary. How he climbing like that? I getting scare if I climb on ladder to wash window. Maam saying Sally he using rope for support so he not falling. Then I feeling it so boring to go see this but I getting chance to go to mall. So I also going.

Rayan most excite. He asking his mama if man wearing spiderman clothes. He asking is he real spiderman? Whole time he jumping he so excite. Even maam excite. From 4 oclock she is waiting to see if he really climbing or it all rubbish news. She checking on computer. She calling friend. Then at 6 she saying ok he start climbing let us go. 

By the time we reaching it dark. Everyone standing near fountain but looking up. We also looking up. Everyone asking where he where he? I thinking why all this people is coming here to see him do this? All this people must be so bore in their life that they getting excite by seeing this? by seeing nothing.

Then Sir is seeing this light on burj khalifa. It so very high. Like one dot. He saying look Sara look Rayan there he is. Rayan starting to cry. He saying I not see him. Maam is take out her camera and do zoom and show everyone. All people around maam is ask where he where he? Maam is feeling very important. She showing everyone.

Next day I reading in paper that spiderman reaching top after many hour. But I also read in same paper that one boy is jumping from window because he fail in school exam. because his mother crying. He thinking he not having mother support because she crying. He thinking he letting her down. 

I thinking how life is. One man climbing up building to be in paper. other boy is jumping down from building and come in paper. Whole time I thinking why this man and this boy is risk his life? Both is in paper. Both is knowing that they can die. But they both different. 

Spiderman trying not to die. He having rope for support. Boy is trying to die. He thinking he not having support.

It lucky that both not die.

shopping

I telling you now how we going for shopping to spinney or carefour. If we going carefour then maam is say Sally you start shopping. I just coming. Then she just coming in one hour maybe sometime more also. But I not minding because I am able to talk with all my other filipina kabayan. And I able to do my own shopping also. I buying all thing to put in my boxes to send home. Like shoes and school bag and scarf and dress.

If we not going carefour then going next to house spinney. Then also maam is drop me sometime and she going to do her toes nail or her eyebrow wax and then she coming to pay. But sometime she coming with me and staying whole time. Like today. I not liking so much when she with me whole time because I not able to talk my friend. 

Maam is push one cart. I push other cart. If maam cart very heavy or it get stuck she changing cart with me. She saying Sally my back is hurt you push. If only one cart then only I pushing. Today maam is meet her friend inside Spinney and she talking talking. Full time. and I am do shopping. When she done talking she ask me Sally what else left on list? I telling her whole list finish. My shopping cart is so full. Maam cart only having bread and egg. When maam is paying I am thinking she is paying one time shopping at Spinney more than half my salary. That much. I thinking if I shopping that much I having so many box to send to Philippine.

After we paying we going car and maam opening the backside and we putting all thing in. Maam is help me but only with bread and thing like that. All heavy thing like water I am lift and put in.Then we going home and maam is help me to taking bag in. But again not heavy bag. But it ok. Atleast she helping me. In my before house maam just give me car key and tell me Sally bring everything. 

Like that we going one time in week and buying lot of thing. then maam sending me walking in evening to buy only milk bread. thing that getting over.

Sometime I thinking I want to go shop without maam. If I ask my maam she  always letting me go out in evening if there no work. But sometime I feeling scare or shy to ask her to go to shop so I doing like this. When we go Spinney I having list. but I on purpose forget to buy something. Like ketchup. something not so important but you needing it. Then I telling maam I forget ketchup. Maam saying ok Sally you go for walk in evening you bring it. Then I going buying ketchup and talking my friend. Mostly it working.

But one time I forget to forget anything. And I wanting to go to shop. I telling maam I am getting my menses suddenly and I needing to buy napkins. Maam saying Sally why you not having any napkin at home? what you will do if you getting menses middle of night? Why you not keeping? She saying we busy today how you will go? Then maam giving me her full napkin packet. She say next time Sally you buy and keep. but this time you use this.

Now I not able to go out so I feeling sad. But I also feeling bad because I am lie to maam and she give me her thing. But I can not tell her I lie. so I keeping napkin. It very nice expensive type. First I thinking I will use for me next time. Then I thinking of my mama. She never using anything nice. So I putting maam napkin in my box to send to Philippine for her. Like that I am doing sacrifice for my mama.

Shopping cart always so full when we doing shopping. Now even all my box getting full. I hoping my mother is realise that my boxes full of my sacrifice for my family. Because my heart full of love for my family.

night out

When I going holiday I going always Friday morning and coming back night time. When I am first coming this maam house I asking her maam can I go on Thursday night for my holiday? Maam is tell me Sally you my responsibilty I can not let you go in night. if something happen to you then I be responsible.  I so new that time I not say any thing. I thinking at least I can take holiday when I am wanting. At Oman place I not going holiday for two years. And at before maam I am waiting so many month before I able to ask for holiday. So I keeping quiet.

But few day back my friend Diana is having this idea. She saying Sally we going out Thursday night. It good we can be meeting some more friend. Maybe even meeting some boys. Diana so new here in Dubai. She wanting to meet all new people. I also thinking it be fun if I be going out. So I telling my maam I wanting to go to my cuzzin in Sharja Thursday night. I tell her I am having to pack my box for Philippine I needing time. Maam is say Sally you having full day Friday to do your box why you need to go Thursday night? I telling her I having lot of thing to pack and my cuzzin having time on Thursday night to be helping me.

My maam is saying No Sally I not letting you go to Sharja at night. suppose something is happen to you? I telling her no maam you not worry. I know car lift boy he not do anything. But she saying no Sally please no argue with me. I not allowing you to spend night outside. She then saying Sally sir and I going out Thursday night so how you can go? who will stay with children?

Then she going her room and I hearing her calling sir. I shock what she say. She saying Sally wanting to go out at night and I telling her no. because all this maid is going and sleeping with all people then getting pregnate and blaming the sir. She saying no worry I taking control of situation. I telling her no going at night.

I am so angry she thinking like this. She not trust me?  I thinking after that day when water man is come and I am out of house without telling her she becoming very not trusting. Like example. First she always ringing bell when she coming home. After water man day she always coming with key. Maybe she think she catching me doing something. 

I am so angry she think like this I wanting to leave this job. But I just going to my room. For two day I not doing too much work. I not talking maam. I just banging thing and when maam is ask anything I not answer properly. Maam is knowing I upset but she not say anything. I thinking maybe she changing her mind and letting me go but she not say to me Sally you can go on Thursday night. 

Today morning Maam is giving me big bag with all clothes for my box. She saying Sally you can send all this to Philippine in your box. She thinking she making up with me by giving me this. I telling her thank you but I wanting to shout and scream at her. 

But I keeping it all inside. Just like maam keeping me inside on Thursday night.

teeth problem

Few week back Maam is getting new piano teacher for children. Sara is not like her. She all the time is compare her to old piano teacher. She all the time arguing maam saying she not wanting to go piano class. She making too much noise. Too much fuss.

Maam saying Sara not to worry. this because piano teacher is new. She saying Sara these all teething problem. soon you will be getting use to teacher and be liking teacher. I thinking if piano teacher having teeth problem why she not going dentist?

When I am at my before sir house even I am having teeth problem.  I telling my before maam to take me to dentist. Dentist is saying my tooth having too much bad thing. He saying he doing root canal. My before maam is tell me Sally root canal very expensive. She say I paying for tooth remove not for root canal. I telling dentist you pull it out because I not want pay. Dentist saying are you sure you not wanting to save teeth?

To be saving teeth I having to use my money that I saving to send to Philippine. I telling him remove tooth. When dentist is pull it out it is hurting me so bad. So I am knowing all about this teething problem. I feeling sad for piano teacher. But I not understand why Sara not liking her because her teeth is giving problem. Maybe piano teacher also needing to remove this teeth that give problem.

When Rayan tooth is falling out maam is make him put teeth under pillow. She saying teeth fairy coming and taking teeth and giving money. When we small my mama she making us throwing teeth on roof of house.  She saying that the mouse taking teeth away from the roof. Then when new teeth is coming it be so strong. Just like mouse teeth. When we small we believing that. Now I thinking how mouse is take away teeth? Where all this teeth is going? Maybe if I going on roof I seeing lot of teeth.

But maybe if mouse taking away piano teacher teeth then piano teacher not having teeth problem. Maybe then Sara also stop making fuss for piano and be quiet like mouse.

new old friend

I am so excite. My old friend from school in Davao is move here. Her name Diana. She calling me one day she saying Sally it Diana how you are. She telling me she working 4 year in saudi but now is work here in Dubai. I saying really Diana where you living? When she telling me I get so excite. I saying Diana you living next street to me. I so happy I wanting to go meet her at that time only. Maam is gone school so I quicky running to next street just to see if she really there. We talking quickly few minute then I going back before maam is come.

I telling maam my friend is move next street. She saying good Sally now you having old friend near you. Maam then tell me Sally if you finish your work you can go meet her. She not know I already is meet her. So I quickly doing my work and going again Diana house. Diana maam work full day so Diana home with little baby. I taking Diana and baby to park. All my friend here saying Sally now you having old friend here you forgetting all your new friend? I saying how I can do that? All you friend in park is like my sister. we sharing so many thing.

When Diana and I small also we sharing many thing. Like if Diana getting chocolate she keeping for me.  Diana always having more thing than me. When her daddy is giving her money for uso-uso jeepney Diana is going walking sometime and not use money. Then we going buying ice cream.  She always have big heart she share everything with me.

Even now Diana very fashionous. She having so many clothes. She everyday wearing some new thing. I telling her Diana how you having so much money to buying clothes. She saying Sally I spending all my earn money on me. Diana not having any husband or child. Her mother also doing house maid work many year in singapore. So Diana not having support any person. She so lucky. I feeling little jealous of Diana.

I telling her Diana maybe if I going on my holiday I wearing your thing? She saying Sally you become so fat now you not fit in my thing. But I thinking I can still be using her shoe and her bag. But she not saying anything so even I not say anything. I telling her maybe Diana we going holiday together. We can sharing carlift and all. But she still not saying anything. I understanding she not wanting to share her thing any more.

I hoping Diana is remember how she share her thing with me when she is small girl.  I am hope she is share her thing with me again. Because I thinking I liking my old friend Diana more than this new old friend Diana.

Hair and salmon

When maam is washing her hair that mean her hair is everywhere. On floor of room. in bathroom. on stair. everywhere Even if she not telling me she washing her hair I knowing when I see hair everywhere. First maam is wash hair. Then she dry. Then she do iron. So much trouble on her hair. Her hair not so nice. My hair also not nice. I not cutting my hair for long time. I not wanting waste money. So my hair very long. But not strong. Maam is tell me Sally if you cutting your hair it be more healthy. 

Maam hair medium long and she never tying it. She saying Sally if I tying my hair I getting headache. But maam is always tell me Sally tie your hair. Sally no cooking with hair not tie. She not liking if my hair falling anywhere. but maam hair is fall so much she not minding that.

When I am first coming to this maam I am wash my hair and I not tie it and maam is tell me Sally tie your hair. She saying Sally I not liking your hair going in food. or fall on floor. Then I am coming in kitchen with towel on my hair and maam is saying Sally I not like this towel on hair in kitchen. She giving me dryer. She telling me Sally you use this dryer before you come to work in kitchen. and tie your hair. Maam too much particular on kitchen.

Like example how she particular in kitchen. If egg is having even small crack she throwing. She saying salmon is in the egg. If I washing chicken and not wash my hand with soap after that she telling me salmon in the chicken Sally it coming on your hand and on knife. What this salmon thing I not knowing. I only knowing salmon is type of fish. How fish can be inside egg and chicken? I asking my maam what this salmon. She saying Sally not salmon it salmonel. I still not understanding how that can come in egg or chicken or on knife. But I understanding that when maam coming in kitchen I having to be extra careful how I doing cleaning. It better when maam not coming in kitchen. Then no salmonel is coming in kitchen also.

I thinking now of my hair and salmon. I remembering my grandmother is tell me salmon very good for hair. It make hair strong. My hair not strong. Maam hair also not strong that why it always is falling. Maam and I both not eating salmon. Maybe that why our hair not nice. 

Lilibeth is tell me Sally I cutting your hair if you wanting. So I am taking scissor from kitchen and going to Lilibeth house when maam is going school. Maam is come back and I showing her see maam I am cut hair. Maam is not say it look nice or anything like that. She only tell me Sally again you leaving house open and go out? I having no option but lying and telling her no maam Lilibeth coming here and cutting hair. Then maam get angry. She saying where you cutting it? What scissor you using? I am lying and telling her I doing outside house and using Lilibeth scissor. Otherwise maybe maam is thinking that salmonel is come on scissor also. 

Sara is telling me that Justin Beeber is cutting hair and selling for forty thousand dollar. I thinking I cutting my hair but no one give me any money for it. Not one dollar. Not even one peso. I thinking maybe it good if I be eating salmon. Then maybe I get some money for my hair also.

lucky itch

Yesterday my nose itching lot. Maam saying Sally you getting allergy. I telling her no maam it because someone is kissing my photo. Maam is laughing so much I telling her no really maam you try next time. Then maam saying Sally I show you. She kissing her own picture and her own nose not scratch. She saying see Sally all this nonsense. But I telling her no maam it happen if someone far away is kissing your picture. not if you kissing your own picture.

I telling her maam I having lot of belief on itching. Like if hand be itching it very lucky. Because it mean that you getting money. Maam saying if hand itching when you getting money then all money falling from your hand on floor. She then saying Sally you make your own luck. It not depend on itch or any thing like that. Maam is saying Sally you full of nonsense. I not like that. How you like if someone telling you that? 

But I thinking maybe maam is right. Maybe you can make good or bad luck. My friend Jackie is getting in big trouble. She getting pregnate. I not know if she having boyfriend here or in Philippine but she telling us she going back Philippine at christmas time and is now pregnate. She not married so now she in big big trouble. Her sir is tell her Jackie I have no choice you better going back to your home country. In few month Jackie is having baby and she having no job. Jackie saying she not knowing why she is have this bad luck. But I thinking Jackie making own bad luck by getting pregnate.

I thinking maybe I able to make my hand itch by scratching lot. Lot of itch mean lot of money. That way I making my own luck. Just like maam saying.

Mix up

For few days I very busy. Some guest is come. Full family. They staying almost one week. I am doing so much clothes wash and dry and iron like full day I is doing that only. My maam is too much particular about clothes wash. We not having dryer so full day I am put clothes in washing machine and putting outside for dry. It so dusty also so I having to bring clothes inside sometime. Inside outside inside outside ironing washing. I just whole day doing clothes.

We having 3 clothes rack. Maam saying Sally this  rack for guest family. this rack for our family. and this rack for you. No mix up all clothes. It too much difficult to sort so much clothes. I thinking how the clothes can get mix up? everyone is know who belong what clothes.  So I putting all clothes on any rack. First maam not seeing she so busy talking talking to friend and taking her to beach and burj khalifa. Then  maam coming home and seeing. She getting all bad mood. 

She saying Sally what is this? I telling you no mix up clothes. Why all clothes is mix up? I so tired I saying what mix up? Maybe maam is get mix up but I knowing who belong what clothes. Maam not liking if I talk like that to her. She not saying anything but I seeing on her face. I know she not wanting to do sorting clothes that why she angry. She saying Sally I telling you not to mix so dont mix. thats all.

Maam is not liking sorting clothes. Even when no guest is there. First when I coming to this house for work I just putting all clothes all mix in basket and take upstair. Maam sorting and putting. She getting lazy after few month. She thinking why she having to do sort when Sally do it? She saying  me Sally you put all Sara clothes in Sara bedroom. Rayan clothes in Rayan bedroom. Like that. So I doing it.

If I putting Rayan sock in Sara bedroom maam is telling me why you putting sock in wrong place. sometime if I bored I doing purpose mix up. for my fun I putting maam tshirt in Sara room. Sara shirt in Rayan room. All mix up. Then maam is get so confuse. she calling me. Saying Sally what this? Why you mix up everything again?

I laughing because I not the one who mix up. I having fun. I knowing exact what I is doing. 

It not fair

When I am working at my before sir house in Dubai I am having good friend Marcie. Her maam and my before maam is good friend so Marcie and I meeting lot. When I am moving to this maam we not meet so much but we still talking lot on phone. Marcie is having husband and two children in Cebu. Few day back she is calling me. She so upset. She saying Sally what to do? My husband having affair with girl who only 20 year old. Marcie must be like 35 year old. I telling her Marcie how you knowing this? She saying Sally this girl Angela is call me so many time telling me I having affair with your husband and now I pregnate. 

Poor Marcie spending all her phone card phoning home. She calling her friend. her mother. her mother in law. everyone. Just asking if her husband is good man or not. She like becoming crazy. I telling her what the use? You here you cannot do anything till you going back Cebu. I telling her what your husband saying Marcie? He marry you so many year. he looking after your children. He not doing like this thing.

But in my heart I thinking all man is able cheat if there so young girl who ready. Marcie then saying even if he doing affair what she can do? she not able divorce him. He looking after children. she so far away and have so less money. she not worry for herself. She is worry what happening her children if she divorce her husband.

I telling this to my friend in park. Asking if they having any advise for Marcie. They all saying it not fair Marcie here and she so far away from husband. So she not able do anything. They all thinking husband is hundred percent cheat on Marcie. 

My one friend Gina is listen all this. She then telling me her maam and sir is get divorce. She saying that her maam is doing affair with her tennis teacher in her home country. Her maam is going some month back to meet her family and then she is starting affair. She coming back here and all time her sir and her maam is fight because her sir is find out. Gina is know all this because all the time they shouting they not caring who watching. They having 2 child who watching them fight. Children is crying full time. But they just fighting all time. They not thinking of children. So sad we all feeling for children.

See how life is. Poor Marcie who even if husband is cheat she not divorce him because she thinking of her children. She not thinking of herself. she only worry for her children. Gina maam and sir is doing divorce but they only thinking of themself. not the children.

I thinking life not fair. And doing affair also not fair.

Break fast

Every morning I making breakfast for children. Sometime I make pancake. also banana pancake. egg. wafle. grill cheese. like that. Children here is give too much trouble with breakfast. Rayan he taking so much time to be eating one bite. and then he saying I done. Sara saying I not want this breakfast. why you not making wafle. she only liking wafle and pancake and if maam is buying donut. I thinking my brother and sister be so happy this breakfast. They be happy with any breakfast.

In Philippine in my family we eating rice for breakfast. Actually we eating rice for breakfast lunch and dinner. one kilo rice costing like 50 peso. It so expensive. Maam saying 50 is sound expensive in peso but if you doing dirham then it only 4 or 5 dirham. She not understand that even 5 dirham lot of money for me. It buying so much thing in my home country.

I thinking every morning what to give children for breakfast. Maam saying breakfast most important meal. She saying because you not eating anything full night it like you fast. So it important because you  breaking fast. That why this name breakfast.

I then thinking why this word fast. I know during ramadan they doing fasting one month. But why it call fasting? Why not slowing? I thinking you actually is slowing your eating so it need be call slowing. then it be breakslow. Then I thinking maybe the person who not eating is eating so fast later because he so hungry. Maybe that why it call fasting. and breakfast. 

Maam children do too much fuss for breakfast. In this house it not breakfast or breakslow. it breakfuss.