Myanmar maids

[nkthen]

Just go to any travel agent, pay $10 and they will get a visa for your maid in one week.


Bring along your maid’s work permit and passport.

[vfong1]

Are burmese maids mostly Buddhist or Christian? Should teach them mandarin or English?

[nkthen]

vfong1:

Are burmese maids mostly Buddhist or Christian? Should teach them mandarin or English?

Myanmar is a Buddist country but they do have a lot of Christians in some of the states.

And, depending on where they live, they can speak basic English. Even then, they have very limited vocabulary so use simple English where possible.

I have met a maid who can speak perfect mandarin because she came from North-Eastern part of Myanmar, and it's just next to Yunnan.

[vfong1]

Thanks. Is it possible to share some translated instructions in English n burmese on giving instructions like washing, cleaning, wake up at what time.


I think I have to do a chart n point what instruction to give at an initial start before my burmese helper arrives.

[nkthen]

Last time I went to Peninsula Plaza and get a Burmese-English dictionary and a English-Burmese dictionary. I got both for less than $10.


I use the English-Burmese dictionary to communicate with her and the maid will use Burmese-English dictionary to tell me what she needs.

[vfong1]

nkthen:

Last time I went to Peninsula Plaza and get a Burmese-English dictionary and a English-Burmese dictionary. I got both for less than $10.


I use the English-Burmese dictionary to communicate with her and the maid will use Burmese-English dictionary to tell me what she needs.

Which bookshop?

[nkthen]

I think many shops there would sell it. For me I got them at level 2, near the escalator.

[Coolkidsrock2]

hquek:

Sending money home is HER perogative, I just help to facilitate the process. If I were to control her monies, I'm sure at the end of her term, she will feel very rich. But it is not my call, so I'm betting this current helper won't have much in her wallet (not with the stuff she buys on her off days).


Of course, the ideal situation will be like my first helper - after the first couple of remittances, she kept the rest of her monies in SG and only transferred to HER bank account when she is about to go on home leave/go home. But then she was single, no kids.

If the helper has got kids at home, i don't think she can wait 2 years to send something back.

On calling home to Myanmar, my helper doesn't have a phone in her home and had to call a neighbour who will shout for her family to run over. it's quite crazy. We found out the hard way that the regular phone cards sold in 7-11 either sucks up money and gives very little airtime, or can't call at all. Strangely, the 'weird' cards sold by those mama shops in Peninsula gives easier access - but yes, there were problems connecting still.

To clarify, it is the maids' choice to send money home only when they go home. But I do remind them constantly of the land and house they are planning to buy or the provision shop they are planning to open.

I always told them that they have a choice of spending their money in Singapore and having to leave their family again or to not spend any money (I provide them with everything) and hopefully not need to leave their family again. There will be trade-offs in their choice and it will be their personal decision.

For the experienced maids, they are only too aware that their money are squandered/gambled away when they send it back.

[hquek]

yah, I also kept painting pictures of the house/land they can buy at end of contract. But quite paiseh after a while becos my current helper will tell me her dad want to buy machinery, or hire labourer (harvest season). Anyway, I will keep my droning to her that I wish for her to return home and never having to venture out of her country for money again. It’s the least I can do lah.


I used to tell horror stories of tales where money was sent back and squandered before the maids returned home, but not sure if these are effective now. Likely what I say will be held in very much lower esteem that those of their friends.

[Coolkidsrock2]

I know a maid who sent her son to a private school in the home country. She is (rightfully) very proud of him. Because of this, she is very focused in doing her job well so that her contract is renewed. She has been in Singapore for at least 6 years - never ask for off-days, no handphone, no Facebook.


It is not that she is a slave. She is paid above market, she is free to go out when she needs to or ask for her off-day (she went for a few then decided she does not want it), everything is provided by the employers, goes for holidays with employer’s family when it is convenient and she is given almost full autonomy to run the household.

So long as they are focused, they will not want to engage in activities which will need them to spend money. Need to keep that dream alive in them so that they can go home with some money. My ex-maids had all gone up with at least SGD5-figures which is sufficient for them to build some form of assets.

Myanmar is experiencing changes at an amazing rate. If they learn English and housekeeping well here, they can have a chance to work in the hotel industry. Their cash should hopefully be sufficient to buy some form of economic assets and hopefully move them up the ladder, even if it is a bit.