Did something ever unexpected happen which would cause a flood of memories rushing back to you? Like when you see a brand of snacks you haven’t had in decades and you suddenly remember the thrill of playing truth or dare at a kids birthday party. My former nanny, who cared for us when I was 9 and Alba 7 years old, sent me a Facebook friend request. Since my mother had joined the social network, I got an increase of requests from Filipino relatives, some of whom I barely remember or never met before. I clicked on the latest request mumbling “and who the heck are you,” when I recognised the fac ..read more

As a mom I am no stranger to being judged. But once people come to the conclusion I am a domestic helper the judgement has a stronger bouquet of casual racism, sexism and classism. Boundaries and civility go poof. Strangers are more likely to correct or worse reprimand me. Suddenly my perceived autonomy and intelligence shrinks to that of an eBoy who says 'bro' too often. Thanks to my Northern Filipino genes combined with plenty of Spanish colonist interference I am fairly light. So depending on if I wear makeup, how I dress and how not tanned I am, I can pass for Chinese. That is inconvenien ..read more

Covid-19 Summer Journal #02 - Week 4 of stricter social distance measures in Hong Kong. Better safe than sorry A week ago E., our helper asked if you could leave earlier. She was not feeling so well. It was around 8 pm, and I was in the middle of writing so I only said: "Of course. Take care and get well soon." She was already gone for an hour until it dawned on me that maybe I should be worried. Kai came home late from work. I told him that E. was not feeling so well. "What are her symptoms? Maybe she's just feeling queasy or it's that week of the month, " he said. I forgot to ask. So I text ..read more

Week 3 of stricter social distance measures in Hong Kong. Dex keeps asking to see his friends, E., our helper, is sick. It's mummy daycare all over again. Three days ago E., our helper, asked if she could leave earlier. She was not feeling so well, a bit of a headache and bodyache. That was around 8 pm, and I was in the middle of writing so I only said: "Of course. Take care and get well soon." E. is a live-out. She lives with another domestic helper 30 minutes away. The following day she texted us that she was coughing a bit but assured us that it was probably just a cold. She is most likely ..read more

Now that the world has come to the consensus that surgical face masks help against the spread of the covid-19 virus many countries including Hong Kong have made it mandatory to wear masks. That means parents suddenly had to come up with strategies to convince their small children to wear them. Here's how we did it. When there was news of a strange new virus emerging from Wuhan it was only a matter of weeks until masks became a hot commodity in Hong Kong. Yes, there also some toilet paper craziness but stocking up (not hoarding) masks really made sense because Hong Kongers knew from our experi ..read more

Posting an online application is one of the easiest ways to for a domestic helper to put herself out there. Use your online post to make a good impression and to help you find a good employer. Here is a guide on how to write a good online application on job platforms like HelperChoice. When I got pregnant my husband and I decided to hire a domestic helper. The husband read over 300 applications on HelpersChoice. There are a lot of applications out there and most of them are badly written. That is good news because it will be easier for you to stand out. Just follow eight steps when you write ..read more

Flats in Hong Kong are smaller. So when most of your life is mostly limited to your flat your life becomes smaller, too. All entertainment, fitness, wellness, sports venues remain closed. Public gatherings have been limited from four to two people. Dining inside restaurants is no prohibited. And we all must wear masks outdoors as well. 5:45 I wake up and try sneak out of the room in the hope that my co-sleeping toddler sleeps another half hour. 6:00 After having been to the loo, washed my face, and brushed my teeths I settle on the sofa to meditate for 10 minutes. 6:10 The toddler is awake an ..read more

#01 I re-use my face mask Underneath the face mask I wear a triple folded kitchen paper towel to absorb the sweat. I change the paper towel 2 to 3 times a day. I use a face mask for around 2 to 3 days. #02 The face which will launch a cold war The two low points of 2020 for me are definitely the covid-19 pandemic and that moron who was elected 45th president of the United States. #03 I believe that my OCD husband feels smug about his hygiene They say cleanliness is next to godliness. Family time can always flip to conflict time since my detail-oriented husband has taken it upon himself to m ..read more

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Did something ever unexpected happen which would cause a flood of memories rushing back to you? Like when you see a brand of snacks you haven’t had in decades and you suddenly remember the thrill of playing truth or dare at a kids birthday party. My former nanny, who cared for us when I was 9 and Alba 7 years old, sent me a Facebook friend request. Since my mother had joined the social network, I got an increase of requests from Filipino relatives, some of whom I barely remember or never met before. I clicked on the latest request mumbling “and who the heck are you,” when I recognised the fac ..read more