Yesterday I was talking to our laundry lady (her name is Inday). She just came back on working with us again. She worked for us before like 2 years ago. The kids really liked her and she liked our kids too especially our youngest one. Before she left 2 years ago, she asked me if she could take off for 2 weeks because her and her hubby will be going to Zamboanga to visit the her husband’s parents. Then the next day she came back to get her paycheck, at that time I was not home but my niece (the one that has baby now) was here at the house. My niece told her that I’m not home but she gave the money for Inday’s pay. Inday stayed for awhile and chatted to some of my workers. She’s kind to 2 of them. After awhile of talking she went downstairs and started talking to my niece. My niece just then told her that if you are waiting for for Aunt Feyma, she won’t be here until later. She’s really busy taking care of a lot of orders. So Inday told my niece its okay I will wait I just wanted to talk to her. Right there and then my niece just told Inday to not worry on coming back because her services on being the laundry lady is already terminated and to not come here and be near here again.
Well, I didn’t know that our laundry lady was being terminated. I’ve been waiting for her to comeback. My niece didn’t tell me anything that she’s firing somebody without my approval. My niece told me a different story that our laundry lady quit working here because she’s tired and she wanted to stay and live for good in Zamboanga. I believed my niece’s story at that time. All along when Inday was gone she’s thinking that I was the one who wanted her terminated. Since then we didn’t see her, but Chris our oldest saw the husband of Inday like last year. They just said hi to each other.
A few days ago one of my nieces saw Inday’s sister at the public market here. My niece (different niece) asked her where’s Inday? The sister told my niece that Inday is in her house , that it was her day off that day. The next day I was so shocked that Inday showed up at our house and came to visit. It was really nice seeing her. The kids were really asking her if she could come back and do laundry here for us again. She told me that really she likes working here because she felt that she was treated really good and the kids are really nice to her. So I told her that if she is available and can do laundry for us that I would be interested for her to work for us again. She told me that “Yes Ate Feyma” I would like to work here again.
So Inday has been here now for almost a week. A few days ago we were just talking about the past and she was asking about some of our employees who were close to her, what are they doing now? She then asked me where’s my niece the one that terminated her 2 years ago. I told her what happened to her. She then said that I am not shocked that she had baby now because she’s been causing lots of trouble with you guys before I left. Inday then told me that there were instances before that my niece would even tell her that she’s (laundry lady) stupid because Inday didn’t prepare her uniform. My niece has lots of bad days before because she’s always called up to see us a lot in our room. We would talk to her for a long time. After talking to us my niece then has a bad attitude and she will take it out on our people. I know she treated our helpers like that before, she’s calling them bad names. It’s so embarrassing because all of them would say we are nice but the niece had bad attitudes. Honestly, even now she had baby she didn’t change. She even called Bob bad names too. Come to think of it Bob was the person supporting her even before she started grade school. Bob was even trying to help her after she had the baby. But she’s lazy and just wants hand outs. Bob and I NEVER RECEIVED ANY THANK YOU from her. None what so ever. But we received bad mouthing from her.
Anyway, I’m glad that Inday believed me when I told her that I didn’t know about her termination until later. And some of my nieces and my workers told her too that I didn’t have any idea of what my niece did to her. I told her from now on to tell me if my nieces or nephews would say something bad to her. She must have like us because she would not come back here to work if she didn’t.
Mabuhay!
hi Feyma
sad story really because the neice of yours is obviously not a happy person and has some degree of bitterness which causes these issues for her and then complicates your life
i guess this lady would find fault and problems with whatever was on offer, may not be enough to satisfy her, just a guess really
very best regards
Hi rick b – You are right, she really has a lot of bitterness. It just shocked me that we are helping her but really she's punishing us. We offered her before for her to go to a good doctor that can help her on her anger or bitterness. She told us she doesn't want to go.
Anyway, she's not with us anymore. Hope that she will realize someday what she's done with her life. Bob and I did our best to help her not just financially but also emotionally. Like what she told us its her life not ours. I think really at the end we are fine without her.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
feyma
ugly women inside start young. and the sad thing is, they don't think anything is wrong with them. they are just being themselves and people should accept them for whatever they say and do. too bad because ugly women grow and end up to be nasty, jealous, bitter, back stabbing old women who cant be happy for anyone else but themselves. and they end up with no friends.
my solution to these type of women? stay away from them. the less contact the better your peace and quality of life with your husband and family. i have to deal with one of these in my life too. this is my solution and it works great for me. because if you try to help them to see a diffirent light because you want them to be a better and happier person, then you become their target.
Hi Maria – I can't agree you more. To be honest with you, we didn't have contact with our niece for awhile now. She's not a good influence of our kids. The kids knows what she did before.
Thank you for your nice comment and thank you so much for stopping by!
Take care!
Hi Feyma,
I'm glad you shared this story (and also glad that Inday is back where she is happy).
You know of all the things I thought about when getting ready to move to the Philippines, I always thought how nice it was going to be to have help with the laundry.
Well, guess what? Laundry has been a problem almost since day one. because there are so many peple who need work I thought it would be easy to find someone we could get to do things our way … especially plancha (ironing). Believe me, driving in traffic, opening a bank account, all those sorts of things are easy compared with finding someone who will even touch an iron, let alone do a decent job at it.
We had a laundry lady for a short while. She couldn't (wouldn't) master the washing machine, but that's ok, I get up early and run wash anyway … it's having someone to hang it out, run and fetch it if is tsrats to rain, iron, fold, put away that I need … and I think it would be easier to find a rocket scientist.
A good laundry lady is a treasure … and that's a really good lesson for folks who have relatives staying with them … make sure any employees know who is actually the boss … or a word from a niece or child, even in jest or by accident can surely turn your household upside down.
Hi Feyma! I'm glad Inday came back to do your laundry again. It's really a pain in the ass not having someone who is good at laundry.
The laundry lady of our family have been living with us for the last 5 years but when I moved into my own house late last year, I was really having a hard time doing the laundry, although I'm figuring out how to do the laundry myself.
Anyway, have a nice day and extend my regards to Inday hehe
Hi Dave Starr – It's true it is hard to find laundry people. A lot of them will demand high payment.
The thing I like about Inday if ever my nieces were busy in our other business she will then volunteer to cook or wash the dishes. She really understands the type of business we have. She also watch the kids sometimes. The kids like her a lot. She's also had a close relationship with my nieces now. Good thing.
Thank you Dave for stopping by! Hey when are you and Mita coming here for a visit? Hope soon…
Hi lad madrigal – Yeah I'm glad she came back. Honestly its not easy to wash clothes and iron too.
Good luck in doing your laundry. Have fun. 😉 🙂
Sure I will tell Inday you said Hi! 🙂
hey guys I hate to say this…. but my wife does the laundry at my place ,and my sister-in-law ,brother-in-laws[2] and cousin all did the laundry while i was there, by hand and iron it too …Phil R.
Hi phil r. – Oh yeah a lot pf people do their own laundry, but a lot also would hire somebody to do the laundry too like us. I had other stuff to do than doing our laundry. Nothing wrong with people doing their own laundry. Its just that I earn more money in doing what I am doing than washing clothes. Its cheap to hire somebody and I can help her earn money too.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
to Phil and others who think a laundry lady (especially the plancha .. ironing) is a luxury, yes, in some ways it is. But one of the reasons I moved here is to be able to enjoy small luxuries. Even wiht just the two of us, laundry takes a big chunk out of three or four days per week … I was just noticing the hamper, I'll have to start running the washer tomorrow am … frankly, I'd prefer to spend the time with my wife doing other things than washing, hanging out, running to get the clothes when a sower looms, hanging back out then ironng, folding, etc. all just about in time to start the process over again. I know, I know, poor me … but again, it's all about howwe want to spend our time.
I'd be happy just to have the choice of paying a high wage or not … in our area, the quickest way to make someone who comes to the gate asking for "help" disappear is to ask them, "I have some plancha that needs doing, how much will you charge"? They'll disappear right in front of your eyes rather than even name a price 😉 It's like a street magic show 😉
As far as visiting Davao again? Sometime soon I hope, I';d really like Mita to see your city and meet you … she throughly enjoyed our visits to the American southland, I'm sure she'd like the Philippine southland as well.
Hi Dave Starr – Up in your area, are there laundry shops that will do your washing for you? Here in Davao, that is a relatively new concept (5 years?), and they are everywhere. They charge by the kilo. As I recall, about P18 per kilo is the charge to wash, iron and fold your clothes. That's not too bad, I'd say. Personally, I have my clothes done by a professional like this, because I feel that they do a better job, and the clothes are generally clean and also remain intact. We have a labandera, and everybody else uses that, but I have my clothes sent out.
Nothing like that around us, Bob. Laundry shops in Manila are very common, thanks for reminding me, I'm goinng to write a post or two on travel … it's good time for atrip … and folks staying in hotels can make good use of corner laundry shops, way cheaper than the rates hotels usually charge for laundry.
Bt in our little town I'm have to drive or take a tricycle to find one … nohting in walking distance, and that's more hassle than dumping a load into "Madam Kenmore" ("she" is churning away right outside my window as I write). Another good idea for a service I thought would be easy here. Anything involving labor seems to have become a very precious commodity, and I'm not tlaking about price … just finding people who will work and ask a price.