This AYI was recommended by Vincent's family, she is good for ironing & a fast worker. (Thanks Vincent & Dawn!)
However, after working for me for 2 days, she told me that maybe we had a miscommunication. She had no intention to work long hours, she prefers to work short hours per day per family. (She'll get to earn more by going to a few families in a day) And she would like to recommend her husband's cousin to work for us as a Stay-in AYI.....
At that point in time, I was also in contact with the relocation specialist's AYI agent. The rate that this AYI agent quoted me was atrocious! Really out to "fish $$" from us! The asking price is RMB$2500 for a 'good & experienced' stay-in AYI! Thank goodness we have friends & contacts in Shanghai for us to 'verify' ! And as I surfed the internet, I found articles that indicate that maybe most of the money goes to the AYI agent, and the AYI herself actually gets very little !
Feeling disgusted, and disappointed with the relocation specialist for giving us such a lousy AYI agent, I decided to give a shot at the cousin (AYI Z) recommended by the part time AYI(AYI S).
Here is what happens there after:
- I set up an interview session between AYI Z & Bruce;
- We negotiated to pay AYI Z RMB$1600 per month;
- AYI S kept insisting that AYI Z will not be able to cope with the housework in our 4storey home, (and also, me paiseh to burn bridges with AYI S), we continued AYI S's service at RMB$720 for 3hour service daily;
- AYI S charges RMB$8 per hour, and she said the norm is to pay her 7 days' wages eventhough she do not come in on Sunday - this, I verified with Dawn, and realised that it was BULLSHIT! ---1st 'school fee' I paid on learing the ropes on AYIs :)
- Told AYI Z to purchase her own bed, blanket, bedsheets, pillow;
- The total bill came out to be almost RMB$900 ! ---2nd 'school fee'
- 7 days into working for me, AYI Z asked for a fan cos 'it's very hot while washing clothes'...no way I am gonna be 'makan' again, I flatly rejected the request, asking her to wash in the backyard (open space), if it is absolutely necessary;
- 9 days into working for me, AYI Z told me that her mother-in-law is ill, her husband asked for her to be home to help take care of the old lady, hence she cannot work for me anymore...I sprung into action, looking for a replacement, sms neighbour for help too!
- 10th day, today (17/06/2007), after we came back from dinner...AYI Z told me that her husband scolded her for not going back immediately, hence, she has to leave tonight to catch the bus home tomorrow.....(is this true or just an excuse? I don't know & don't bother)
So here I am, no more AYI Z in our house. But thanks to my neighbour, she knows somebody who wants to work as a stay-in AYI. This AYI is in Anhui now, and she'll contact me on my hp soon....I am eagerly waiting... this may be THE ONE, or this may not be...I will just pray hard that I do not need to pay too much 'school fees' before I find the RIGHT ONE :)
