The Big Mango V.S. Uncle Sam

Thai expat living in California, looking back and comparing life in Thailand and the U.S.
Permalink : http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/oakmonster

Tuesday , July 31 , 2007

Dude, wheres my maid?

Posted by OakMonster , Reader : 1111 , 13:03:34 | Category : Easy Street

It's almost 11 p.m. Do you know where your maid is? I do. I'm sitting right here. That's right. The major adjustment to life in the US from my cushy high life of Bangkok is the housework. I am my own maid now. Doing the dishes. Doing the laundry. Cleaning the bathrooms. Fixing meals (which actually I have become very fond of). Picking up around the house...and piling it elsewhere. Dusting? Once a year, may be. So yes, there is still the little Thai princess in me, rebelling against all the manual labor American life requires of me. But so far, I didn't do all that bad. Okay. I AM a spoiled little princess. When I was growing up, I had a nanny and a maid, plus the kitchen staff, groundskeeper and a driver. My household has since shrunken and the staff is now down to just two. But everytime I come home, I still savor the fact that I have help, that all my clothes are washed and pressed, that breakfast is ready when I wake up and I didn't have to clean up afterward. Mater Dei School tried to instill some common sense into their privileged student body with home economics, after school classroom cleaning, and washing our own dishes at lunch. They tried to make us "normal". It worked. A little bit. At least I definitely knew how to do dishes and fry my eggs. My American manager forced the paper towel and Windex from my hands as I was trying to clean up after an office birthday party once. "Gimme that!" she said. "You clean like a little princess. It'll take you all day. Go back to your desk and let me finish this." It's been 14 years since I came here on my own. I mean, when I first landed, I didn't ever know how to use the washing machine! Ironing was a home economic hands-on pop quiz. Doing dishes was something we did because we HAD to. My mom tried to prepare me before I left for school then too. I had a few sessions with our laundry lady to learn to fold and press my cloths. (Still hate ironing, by the way.) I was sent to the kitchen to learn from our family cook. I watched how things were made, jot down the recipes, and even got a few stirs into the wok. But nobody would let me handle the knife or anything. I learned to cook, but I really didn't. You know what I mean. Nowadays, my husband has to ask me what goes in the washing machine. And he is not allowed into the kitchen (only when he makes the garlic butter chicken) any more. I have turned into a quite a little Italian cook and an aspired baker. How about Thai food, you ask? Nah. I still leave that to the pros. We go out to Thai food once to twice a week. See? You can't completely take the spoiled Bangkok brat out of a girl after all. :)

It's almost 11 p.m. Do you know where your maid is?

I do. I'm sitting right here.

That's right. The major adjustment to life in the US from my cushy high life of Bangkok is the housework.

I am my own maid now. Doing the dishes. Doing the laundry. Cleaning the bathrooms. Fixing meals (which actually I have become very fond of). Picking up around the house...and piling it elsewhere. Dusting? Once a year, may be.

So yes, there is still the little Thai princess in me, rebelling against all the manual labor American life requires of me. But so far, I didn't do all that bad.

Okay. I AM a spoiled little princess. When I was growing up, I had a nanny and a maid, plus the kitchen staff, groundskeeper and a driver. My household has since shrunken and the staff is now down to just two. But everytime I come home, I still savor the fact that I have help, that all my clothes are washed and pressed, that breakfast is ready when I wake up and I didn't have to clean up afterward.

Mater Dei School tried to instill some common sense into their privileged student body with home economics, after school classroom cleaning, and washing our own dishes at lunch. They tried to make us "normal". It worked. A little bit. At least I definitely knew how to do dishes and fry my eggs.

My American manager forced the paper towel and Windex from my hands as I was trying to clean up after an office birthday party once.

"Gimme that!" she said. "You clean like a little princess. It'll take you all day. Go back to your desk and let me finish this."

It's been 14 years since I came here on my own. I mean, when I first landed, I didn't ever know how to use the washing machine! Ironing was a home economic hands-on pop quiz. Doing dishes was something we did because we HAD to.

My mom tried to prepare me before I left for school then too. I had a few sessions with our laundry lady to learn to fold and press my cloths. (Still hate ironing, by the way.) I was sent to the kitchen to learn from our family cook. I watched how things were made, jot down the recipes, and even got a few stirs into the wok. But nobody would let me handle the knife or anything. I learned to cook, but I really didn't. You know what I mean.

Nowadays, my husband has to ask me what goes in the washing machine. And he is not allowed into the kitchen (only when he makes the garlic butter chicken) any more. I have turned into a quite a little Italian cook and an aspired baker.

How about Thai food, you ask?

Nah. I still leave that to the pros. We go out to Thai food once to twice a week.

See? You can't completely take the spoiled Bangkok brat out of a girl after all. :)

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comment 8
OakMonster date : 06/08/2007 time : 21.51
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/oakmonster
Want more? Brace yourself. :: www.OakMonster.com

Wait a sec. How did my blog about having a maid has anything to do with Multiculturalism?

comment 7
Ian date : 06/08/2007 time : 02.03
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

catch22, multiculturalism, rather than assimilation, and based on mutual tolerance is no problem. Where there is a total lack of tolerance on one or both sides there is a major problem. Historically it has always been solved with bloodshed.

comment 6
count_von_dindang date : 04/08/2007 time : 23.17
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/countvondindang

What the ....?

comment 5
catch22 date : 04/08/2007 time : 14.25
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/catch22

Ian - Regarding UK, would you see multiculturalism as a problem considering the Islamic population there and the fact that most wars now seem to be fought against Islamic fundamentalists?

comment 4
Ian date : 01/08/2007 time : 18.48
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Speaking as an Englishman, National Service was a damned good institution. Bring it back with a parallel structure for girls, it would solve many of today's social problems.

comment 3
GGrass date : 01/08/2007 time : 10.12
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/GGrass

pondering: i so so so know what you mean. pls read my newest blog... 'WHERE'S MY DINNER...'

comment 2
Pondering date : 01/08/2007 time : 08.26
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/pondering

Oh+
What you've written just starts to hit me right here (my butt cheeks a.k.a. butts if you know what I mean) and right now! It's so so so so very true. As much as ones hate picking and cleaning after themselves (let alone others), there isn't really anybody around to help no more. Kinda sad in a way, huh?

comment 1
GGrass date : 31/07/2007 time : 13.45
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/GGrass

Oakmonster: wow.... i envy your husby...

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