I would estimate that about half of the teachers here at ICS have a live-in helper. Invariably, the helpers are young, Filipina women who have come to HK to live and work. Typically, they send a portion of their money home to the Philipines. Hong Kong regulation requires that all Filipina helpers live with the family that employs them. These helpers typically do the grocery shopping, cook the evening meal, tend to young children, do the laundry, and clean house. Rumor is that the cost for all this is about US$500 a month. And the reason we haven’t arranged for a helper yet, would be . . . ?
The typical arrangement is that the helpers work six days a week. Sunday is their day off. Last Sunday, we were out grocery shopping at a sort of strip mall with a courtyard. Clustered together in the courtyard were several groups of helpers chatting, eating their picnic lunches, and spending their Sunday afternoon together.
There’s got to be a fancy British word for these helpers, right? Something akin to “nanny” or “au pair,” right? So I asked a colleague the other day “So what do you call these helpers?” She gave me a confounded look, as if I had just asked her what year it was and replied “Why, they’re called 'helpers' of course.”
Of course, silly me.
-Jack
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