Beauty queen

Some week back all housemaid is excited about Shamcey Supsup. She is Miss Philippines. Beauty queen. she is in the Miss Universe contest and she is in top5. She is not the winner. but she is making full Philippine very proud that she do so good. 

I do not think they are doing Miss UAE contest here in Dubai. I have not read in newspaper about it. Maybe it is there but I am not knowing. But definitely I know Miss UAE is not in Miss Universe contest. How they can be? All the local girl here is wearing abaya. Full black cover up on top of their dress. Even for swimming. Full abaya in the pool. Really I have seen it. They selling full cover burkini swimsuit in mall also. They are not allow to wear bikini. because they always have to cover up.  To hide the body. But you cannot wear burkini  or abaya for swim suit contest in miss universe show. Maybe thats why Miss UAE not going for Miss Universe.

Maybe you think that because they all wear abaya they all wear like uniform. But that not true. Some of their abaya is so fashionous. It so interesting when I go to mall sometimes with maam or on my holiday. I looking at all different style of the local emirati ladies. So many different style abaya. So many different style head scarf. Every lady is looking different. 

Some ladies are putting this big flower clip in their hair. Under the scarf to make the head look big. Mostly it look good.very stylish. but sometime when it is too big it looking so funny. like her head is going to fall off. One time I am seeing one lady getting in car. She is having to move her full head to side to make it fit inside the car. She is looking so funny. I am wanting to laugh. 

First I not knowing that they put flower clip to make it look like this. I always think how the head looking so big? Then one day I am in washroom at mall and I see this lady is making her scarf proper. That time I am seeing how her head is become so big. And I am knowing the secret of the flower clip.

But I am not understanding why they put such a pretty clip inside. because then they are hiding it with head scarf. They always hiding the beautiful thing. Like their body. And also their faces. some ladies have to cover the face. then you can see only her eyes. Like her eyes are looking out of a window. Like we are looking into a window. I want to open the window and see more. I want to see if there is something beautiful hiding inside.

When I am covering my face at my Oman sir house I am not able to see anything. I am all the time looking down and walking but still I am falling. But some of these ladies when they walk their head is so straight. Even with that big clip that make the head big. They walk like a princess or a queen. a beauty queen. No need for Miss UAE or Miss Universe contest.

dust storm

Few days back in Dubai there is dust storm. If you never see dust storm you not believe me when I say the dust just come. So much dust. Only dust. Dust go in your clothes and nose and hair and eyes and mouth. The dust just hang in air. you clean it but more dust is coming. Everything get covered in dust. Always when dust storm is coming it means the weather will change. If it is cold it will become hot after dust storm. If it is hot then it become cold after dust storm. Like that. 

I am not liking dust storm because all my work is become so much. First thing I have to run and bring all clothes inside. Because we are not having dryer. So all clothes is hanging out. When I see the dust storm is coming I quickly quickly have to run for clothes. If I am not realising then I am in big trouble. All clothes is full of dust. Maam not liking that. Then she make me do wash again. I remember  last year in the winter when there is dust storm this big blanket of maam is left outside in dust storm. Maam saying Sally it become so dusty you better you wash again. I saying yes maam.

But you know how hard it is to wash such a big blanket? I always wish maam give for dry clean but this blanket she make me wash at home. I wash in washing maching but still it so heavy when I have to bring it out. Then I have to put on clothes rack. When I am putting it the rack is falling down. It is so big and heavy so sometimes the blanket is touching the ground. Even that Maam does not like. She too particular about this kind of thing. Everything have to be so clean. Clothes cannot touch ground. Blanket cannot touch ground. But children if they sit on ground it is ok. I not understand maam.

She tell me how to dry this blanket. She say Sally you fold it first inside the house then you put it out. then after sometime you bring it in and open and fold again. and put it out again. When I wash this blanket I am folding and opening and folding it the whole day. Until it is dry. It is too much work. And imagine if I have to do it two times in one day because of dust storm. I will not have time to do any other work. So I just shake it and fold and put away neatly when maam is not there. She not suspect me. Because I shake it very well there is no dust.

So when it become dusty I am running outside like a mad girl. bringing full clothes rack inside. or bringing clothes inside. bringing bed sheets and bed covers and towels inside. But I cannot even leave door open because then all dust coming inside. It so difficult.

So much work also after the storm. I have to clean all porch chairs and table. Then I have to sweep porch. Then I have to wash cars and windows and clean the glass on the doors. There is dust everywhere. And if I forget to close some window then the dust is come inside also. Too much work before and after the dust storm. That why all housemaid is not like when it come.

Few days back remember when I am sad because I miss my family? I think sadness is like a dust storm. When you feel sad the air is heavy. Like in the dust storm you cannot see anything clearly. It is like you are wearing dirty glasses and looking at the world. You can clean the dirty glasses and pray they do not get dusty again.  Pray that you do not get covered in a blanket of dust. Hope and pray that you can shake this blanket of sadness and fold it and put it away neatly. And hope when the dust storm goes away you have some better weather days.

One letter

For past week maam in not so good mood because sir is going London. Maam is also wanting to go but she not able to leave children for so many day. Sir is going for work and maam say even she wanting to go. For shopping and meet her friend. She tell me Sally I am stuck here because children having school. If I go who will look after children? Who will take them for school and swimming and tennis and piano?

Sir not having to worry about all this. If he have to go he going. He doing lot of travel. He go mostly London but sometimes other place also. He go one week. Then one week he is at home. Too much travel. And when he at home sometimes he going for golf or dinner. He not worry about who is look after children. Because he know maam is always there.

When sir not there then maam mood is little bit sad. Little alone. Like something missing. She not tell me but I know. Because I know how it like to be alone. Because I see her mood on her face. It look like she is eating something bitter. because she missing sir.

She is in this sad mood yesterday also. Then she go out and come back home. Now she is very excited. She is smiling. I think what happen to her that she in so good mood? Maybe sir coming back quickly? Then she tell me. She going to post office. Over here in Dubai the letters is not coming to the house. She having to go post office and pick up from the box. Usually she just get letter and I not even know that she go to post office. But today she show me this letter.

Her good friend is getting marry to her other good friend and she getting invitation. Maam is in so much good mood after getting this letter. She tell me Sally imagine these two friend is know each other for so many years but not romance. and now they getting marry. She say I not even know they dating. Then she say Sally I am missing all the news in my home country. I wish I was back.

She is running to make phone. She talking to her friend for lot of time. Full time she laughing and asking all question. When this happen? How it happen? Why you not send email? I am so surprise. but I am so happy for you both. I wish I was there. I wish I can come there. 

After the phone she tell me Sally I just have to go for this wedding. Imagine they both such good friend of mine from college. She say Sally I hope I can go. Sir will have to let me go. Then her mood go bad again. She say how I will go Sally? Who will take children to school and piano? Sir have to work he not able to stay home. 

She then say something to me first time. She say Sally I wish I not give up my job and stay at home. Then even I able to travel like sir. I not know this about maam. That she is also doing job before this. But she not tell me anything more and just go to her room.

One letter change her mood. One letter is make maam go from bitter to better. And then her mood go sad again. Not because she miss sir. but because she miss her life. I always think that because she have so nice house and car maam is so happy. But like me she also just live not love her life. 

See how one letter make so much difference? I hope sir let her go for wedding. I hope he give her chance to change her mood again.

The maid is free

Yesterday maam is getting call on her mobile. Her friend Maam K is having big dinner on Saturday and she want to invite maam and sir. Maam say yes they go for dinner. Then maam say no I am sorry but my maid is not free to come and help. She has to look after children.

I know Maam just use children for excuse for not taking me. She not taking me like this anywhere to do work. even if I do not have to stay home with children. She not liking all this. She say that maid is suppose to work only at sponsor house. She worry that she might get fine if I work somewhere else. Any time her friend say is your maid free maam is always say no. for this reason.

Few week back in newspaper I am reading that there is so big fine if they catching maid doing illegal part time work. Maam is also seeing this. She say see Sally that is why I get worry when you go out without tell me. Because I worry you doing like this part time illegal work. Like maybe some ironing. Or some cleaning. I not want you to do that because see how big fine is.

But some part time work is ok. Not illegal. Like in next door house. they have no full time maid. Only part time. She comes from agency. She comes two or three times in week. Lot of people is do like this if they not want to have maid live in the house. Then they are able to use the maid room as store room. For their bags or something.

Every time I am seeing this same girl coming. She bringing mop and broom and vacum and all cleaning thing and going in next door house. Then after three or four hour she waiting outside house for her car lift. Always waiting 20 minutes. sometimes waiting 30 minutes. in sun. On Monday when she is waiting I am going outside to talk to her. First time.

Her name is Rosalie. I ask her how is it to work in agency. She say she starting work at 8 in morning and finish at 8 in night. Full day cleaning. or ironing. or washing clothes. Every house is different thing. But she busy full time because the maam is pay for her by hourly rate. Her only free time is when she eat lunch and when she waiting for her car lift. In the sun. That why she not mind waiting in the sun. Because she having little bit rest and free time.

Every job is pay her 30 dirham for one hour. I am thinking she getting so much money every month. Like 6000 or 8000 dirham? Even I want to do this work. Then she say that all her money go to her agency. Then agency is pay her fix salary. It very low. And from that she having to buy her things. accomdation and bus and food and clothes. Then send home what she have left maybe 200 or 300 dirham. Now I do not want to do this work. So much hard work. so little bit rest time. And so little bit money in the end. I think my situation is better.

Now I tell you my situation. This is how my salary get fix. At this maam house my salary is correct. But before this it not so good. When I apply to come here from Philippines the agency is telling me that my salary be 1500. When I come here agency make me sign contract with my before maam. My before maam say sign quick sign quick. So I just sign quick and not read contract. I make big mistake. when I get first salary she give me only 800. I am so much shock. I tell my before maam how this can be? Agency tell me I get 1500. She say Sally it in your contract. You sign contract at agency. She tell me Sally you work hard I increase your salary. After 6 month she make my salary 900.

It very low but I think at least I am getting salary every month. At least they not beat me or burn me. or like I am seeing in paper yesterday shave all my hair. Really.So bad this is. Anyway because my before maam and sir is not do any of these bad thing I keep quiet. And 900 dirham in peso is still lot of money.

This maam coming new to Dubai. When she transfer my visa from my before maam she just fix my salary for 1200. She not knowing that Philippine goverment is fix minimum salary for all housemaid coming to Dubai. My before maam not say anything to my new maam. Even I feel shy to tell her. In her mind she think Sally salary is 900 I give her more. So she feeling like she doing good thing. Then one day she is reading in paper or somewhere about this minimum salary. So when she renew my contract she make it correct. 

Like this lot of country is fixing salary for maid coming in Dubai. Like if you are maid from India your salary is fix for 1100. And some girl from some country is get 650. too less. I am happy I am from Philippine because maid from my country get more high salary than other country. Why some country girl is getting so less and some is getting more? All housemaid is do same hard work.

House maid work is so much hard work that no maam is want to do this work  That why they get maid to do the work.They not realise that maid is doing so much work until sometimes when maid is leaving and they have to do all the work. They just want work done properly. but they not want to pay properly.

When maam is finding villa last year she is always talking on phone. I am always hearing her. Four bedroom plus maid. Three bedroom plus maid. I know they talk about maid room but I am always thinking it sound like if you buy the villa the maid is free. Buy villa get maid free. Villa plus maid.

But maid is not free. And housemaid work is not free work. That why I happy when maam tell Maam K and all her friend that Sally is not free to work at your house. Only maam and sir will go for dinner. Not maam and sir plus maid.

one year old

Today my blog story is one year old. When I think of writing this story I never think that so many people will want to read my words. Because usually no one cares about the life of a house maid. Because for some people she is just a thing that people is having in their life to do work.

I want people to understand that maid is also a person. That she is thinking and has feelings. and she miss her home and her family so much. But she has to leave home to support her family. I hope my blog makes people realise all these things. and that it does not matter how you speak. It does not matter how poor you are. It does not matter how educated you are. If you have something important to say you must say it. And people will read. people will listen.

So I want to say thank you. For reading. And for listening to Sallys heart.

Happy Birthday to me.