It's Not You... It's Me

Well not really. It actually was her, though she never picked up any of the clues or the not-so-subtle hints either. I shouldn't be surprised. Note to self... you need to stop being surprised about things here in India. Remember yesterday?

Here's the deal. I have been contemplating firing my maid for the past month. I've wanted to for much longer, but didn't have a replacement, nor the energy to clean the house myself. So I settled. While household help is plentiful here, it's also not quite up to par with what one would expect in other parts of the world. Sure, the cost is ridiculously low - which is why most people have such an abundance of help. But when you find yourself cleaning up after the maid leaves, is it really worth it?

I have a list of things for my maid to do. Not a very difficult list, but a detailed one. It states specific things she should do every day, and things she can do if she finishes up with her daily work early (which she does EVERY day because #1 - she does a half-a** job cleaning in the first place, and #2 - because when you do the same thing over and over again each day, it doesn't take as long to do it). I have this list posted in both English and in Tamil on the refrigerator. I walk by it several times a day. She does too, though I can guarantee that she NEVER looks at it.

Now I'll admit that I'm somewhat picky. But really folks... does it not make sense that if you're going to take out the garbage in the upstairs bathrooms, shouldn't you do it in the downstairs bathrooms as well? And when I specifically request that you NOT do the laundry (something I prefer to do myself), and come home to find not only did you run a load of whites, but that you also added a hot pink tank top that for whatever reason you grabbed out of the darks pile, do I not have a right to be a little annoyed? Oh yeah, and remember when I came home from Phuket and had 5 loads of laundry to wash and for you to fold (yeah, that's the one thing I can't stand to do...), had to go grocery shopping, had 2 tired/sick kids, and you decided that you didn't need to come in to help me because you worked the day before until 5 pm... and there's nothing for you to do. Really not thrilled on that one.

So when I told her today that when I leave next that we're cutting her hours, I shouldn't have been all the surprised that she felt completely blindsided... even though we had "the talk" about how I really needed her to be more proactive around here and become a team player. Twice! Then when I told her that all Matt needs are a few rooms cleaned, his clothes washed/ironed once a week, and maybe make a Biryani rice here and there, and that should only take 4 hours... tops! Really? You're now going to tell me that he needs you here 3 days instead of 2? Lady, you can't even fill an entire day here when there's the 4 of us. And that's WITH 2 tea breaks and over an hour for lunch.

So I switched tactics and told her that it's not her (laugh, cough, snort), it's actually me. I just can't justify her salary. I can't afford to pay her. I have way too many obligations when I leave that put a burden on our pocket book and thus, when I leave, her time left here is fading. And when Matt leaves in May, well... that's all she wrote. The Rupee stops here!

I was given ultimatums about finding her another job. I was told it was our responsibility to help her. She insisted that she's worth the money I pay her. And I feel bad - for a whole host of reasons.

But moreover, I feel the most amazing weight lifting from my shoulders. I've been wanting to do this for months. I finally have my "out." And I took it.... and ran...

Now all I need to do is find myself a new maid when I get back in July. Which should be easy... right?