Ayis are the best

On Monday morning I went out and when I came back I had discovered my ayi occupied herself by reorganizing my wardrobe and she folded all my underpants! LOL. Noone's ever done that for me before, least of all myself. (she did it for hubby too but it doesn't look as pretty as mine ;) ) I remember seeing a Facebook group called "I miss my ayi" and I'll sure miss having one when I go home. She's like a mother only she doesn't have all the annoying qualities a mother has such as nagging.

Domestic helpers (ayis) earning more than university graduates

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200803/20080306/article_351084.htm

AGAINST the backdrop of high unemployment among college graduates and lack of housekeepers, I suggest that more university graduates work as housekeepers.

According to a recent report in Information Times, the supply of housekeepers has failed to keep up with demand, with the gap in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, standing at 70,000.

Consequently, the pay for a housekeeper has been on the increase steadily, with some experienced people earning as much as 2,000 yuan (US$281).

By contrast, in Guangzhou the average monthly salary for a fresh graduate student is 2,100 yuan. While many may find their pay unsatisfactory, they are lucky to be employed at all.

Is there a proper way to solve the two problems at once?

Some of my friends' experience helped me find an answer to this question. Instead of working as a substitute teacher or temporary worker, they gave up their jobs after marriage and stayed at home, devoting all their time to domestic duties.

Apart from solving the two problems mentioned, there are other reasons why homemaking is a good choice for university grads.

For one thing, this can contribute greatly to family stability. For another, their resignation will leave a vacancy and opportunity for others who need a job badly. Unemployment disrupts the social stability.

Of course there are important limitations. While some can comfortably enjoy domestic bliss with high pay brought in by their husband or wife, some have to count every cent and penny to scrape along.

The government should improve the economic situation for those who choose to work at home as housekeepers or homemakers.

Many American women choose to stay at home after giving birth. The family rather than the individual is regarded as a unit when individual income tax is levied.

Well I've not nothing to say to that (make up your own opinions on this!) except that in Australia it's the exact same thing. I don't know figures but I'm willing to bet a full-time domestic helper or nanny would earn a heck of lot more than a university graduate, in any major!

Hayfever and Pomelos

There are so many things I could write about now, all overdue of course, but I'll just write about today for now. Over the last two weeks or so the weather has changed dramatically. Gone are the blissfully warm yet comfortable temps that were to be had in late September and the first week of October (the week long public holiday). Although it is still sunny during the day the air is now cool and dry. Very dry.

My and my husband's hayfever have come back with a vengeance! In Australia many many people suffer from hayfever and I suffered from it quite badly, having it year round, some days worst than others. Whilst I was in China (and heck I noticed this whenever I was in ANY other country apart from Australia) my hayfever did not exist. At all. I put this down to the extremely dry climate in Australia coupled with too many allergenic plants, grasses, flowers, etc.

So, it is quite a rude and unfortunate shock that I find myself suffering from this horrible thing once again - red, itchy eyes, itchy palate (roof of inside of mouth), watery runny nose, sneezing, even headaches. It's just yuck and makes me feel like I have a cold, which of course I don't. It's not so bad inside our house where I haven't used the air-con but with indoor heating it seems to be particularly bad as it's so dry inside.

Anyway, this morning I was talking to my ayi and she said she had itchy eyes and a friend of my great aunt (who she also works for) had similar symptoms and to relieve them, I was supposed to get some kind of special fruit and rub it all over my face, particularly my nose. So away she went to the market across the road, and came back with a fruit I had never seen before. It was green and had the smell of a lemon. The skin was extremely thick, soft and spongy and bright white, while the flesh looked like grapefruit, heck it even tasted like grapefruit except much blander, and sweeter and not at all bitter. (the pic above does not give you an idea of how big it is though - it is roughly the size of a small coconut). In Chinese it is called yòuzi (柚子).

I laughed and dismissed this crazy Chinese idea but she kept forcing me to do it. She ripped apart the skin of this (what I later found out was a) pomelo and gave me a piece the size of a business card and forced me to rub it all over my face. Actually, after a while it did feel quite soothing and the smell was really nice and not at all overpowering. It was probably a good exfoliant for my face too! (haha).

I am used to weird Chinese medicial and health related 'ideas' so I was not shocked by this but I found the whole idea rather amusing!

Metro City and Grand Gateway again

On the weekend I finally got better - Yay! All that drinking of garlic in hot water every day/night coupled with taking disgusting Chinese herbal medicine did wonders and 9 days later I finally got rid of this damn cold.

On Sunday I decided to venture out and Mike and I went to Metro City to get his Smiley Face red bean buns from Breadtalk.

After that, we had lunch in the food court in the basement of that mall. It was the first time both of us had been there. I had been in that building before when I was buying my laptop cooler, but not down to the food court. We were both pleasantly surprised. It is the same chain of food courts that we had already tried in Gubei Carrefour and Zhongshan Park, called "Megabite." You must purchase credit which is put onto a thick plastic card a bit like a credit card and use that to purchase your meals. Most meals cost about 18 RMB (Less than $3 Australian or US$2.50). However, we decided to try a Japanese restaurant inside the food court. I have been a lover of Japanese food since I was a young child and I can tell the difference between the authentic and non-authentic stuff. This place wasn't exactly 100% authentic, but nevertheless the decor was fab and the food looked even more fab!

We were not disappointed. The presentation of the food was amazing and it was delicious and came in fairly large portions. The decor of the restaurant was wonderful too, fitted out in a modern meets vintage style with mirrors and neutral colours like grey and camel, but with striking modern looking chandelier lights on the ceiling. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me but you weren't permitted to take photos there, or else I would have! The total cost came to under 60 RMB (or about $9 Australian).

After that, we went across the road (underground, via the subway. You cannot cross the huge fiveways intersection unless you want to be squashed flat) to Grand Gateway. I wanted to check out the supermarket with Mike.

Every expat talks about and goes to Carrefour in Gubei because it's one of the biggest supermarkets in Shanghai and also stocks most foreign goodies. However, after going there.. what.. 10 times?.. I am soooo sick of it and dying to see and 'try out' new supermarkets. Well I had been last time but didn't look at much and didn't stay long. This is Lianhua 联华.

We didn't bring with us a shopping list (oops) so we didn't end up getting a great deal since all the necessities (meat, fruit, veges) we like to buy fresh and our 'ayi' (maid/cleaner/cook/housekeeper, nanny too if you want) also buys them for us.

After that, Mike went off to play basketball with his work colleagues and I went home in the taxi with all our groceries - including the cool mug Mike found and bought for me!





Taxi etiquette - First to push in, first served

There is a queue right outside GG for the taxi but unfortunately, most people in China don't understand what a queue is. With this in mind. I've taken to becoming a "push-er in-er" too.

So anyway I see this middle aged well-dressed couple waiting in an orderly fashion so I queue up behind them. They get impatient and walk off... A taxi comes along and stops right in front me so I'm about to get in, then the couple come BACK and at first I think they are just another Chinese couple pushing in, then I realise it was the exact SAME couple so I thought should be nice to give it to them since they were waiting longer than me... Out of the taxi comes an American(?) businessman with all his luggage and he says something about the taxi waiting for him and then taking him to the airport. Noone knows what he is saying except me.. and I tell the couple in Chinese.. and they start saying あそうですか in Japanese. D'oh! OK so I'm still waiting patiently for this taxi and I see one coming up the driveway into the mall. Then this stupid girl out of nowhere comes out of the mall and the taxi stops in front of her! ARGH! Of course she wouldn't have the decency or politeness to give it to me. So I wait. Again (kinda getting fed up by this stage given I'm carrying heavy bags of groceries!) Well finally, after what seems like an eternity I get a taxi - Yippee!

While I was out and about I thought to myself, "Hey it isn't even that hot" (remembering the last time I was out in the same place) but then when I got home I was so exhausted and realised the heat had zapped my energy once again!

(PS - put up my Weather Pixie today).