Our Housekeeper

One of the things I was most excited about when we learned we were moving over here was that we would have a full-time housekeeper / nanny!  Eleri has worked in this house for over 12 years and has been a firm favourite of all the families who have lived here.

To go from a stressed out full-time working mother of three, part-time Uni student, almost single mother (with Paul at sea all the time!) who didn’t even have a cleaner…to a stay at home mother, full-time Uni student (yes!  I can finally finish my degree….LOL) with a full-time housekeeper / nanny…well that just sounded too good to be true.

But…..it’s weird!!!!   I feel so guilty.  There is nothing wrong with me.  I am perfectly capable of tidying up after my children (or ignoring the mess until I have the time or can be bothered to do it…..LOL). I am the type of person who used to clean up before the cleaner came…..and even paying $25 an hour….I could never get them to stay….it was always too hard and too much work!

Eleri does everything.  I am sitting here typing this blog and she is bustling around me.  I feel like I should be getting her to put her feet up and making her a cup of tea…..

One thing I do get to do for her is to make her and gardeners lunch. Gardeners? I hear you ask…..yes we have gardeners, security and a boat driver as well – it just gets better and better doesn’t it!)  This is usually left-overs from the night before, sandwiches or ramen (two minute noodles).  Today it was honey and mustard chicken and salad.  No food gets wasted here at all.  If it isn’t eaten by humans, then the scraps are saved to feed people’s animals.  Most people keep pigs and dogs (both are for food!)

Now before you all write mean and nasty comments about me….just remember, that by employing the locals and paying them decent wages (people over here, if they are very lucky, can earn US $10 per day – six tomatoes cost US $22!) we make a valuable contribution to the economy and enable them to better support their families.  Eleri is able to support her six children and her husband on the salary we pay her.

So I guess I will just have to stop feeling guilty about having a housekeeper / nanny and not working and enjoy it while it lasts…..it certainly won’t be happening when we are back in Australia….

Kaselehlie!  

Louise