Chores.
Does anyone really like chores?
Laundry
Dishes
Cooking
Cleaning
Well, we have had to adjust to doing Chores in Hong Kong.
Apparently, people don't really do chores here.
They just hire a domestic helper, usually from the Filipines
The government has this very organized process
to facilitate obtaining a helper.
They are SO CHEAP, seems a bit wrong.
You can have a full-time live-in helper
for less than what we were paying for car insurance...
(and, currently, we don't have to pay for car insurance, hmnn)
Weird, right?
Kids and Todd think we definitely should hire one.
They clean and even cook.
I don't know.
Definitely not a live in helper.
That seems too much to me.
It was funny our agent that helped us find this flat
was talking with us about how young we are to have big kids...
Yes, compared to most, I guess it is true.
Then, we were discussing going to University with 3 young kids.
We were explaining that I was home with the kids,
while Todd worked and went to school.
The agent asked if we had helpers
(domestic helpers or relatives).
I said, "Uhm, no, just me."
He was in shock and was going on and on
about how when his wife had her first baby
he had to hire 2 domestic helpers,
because she could not handle it.
It made me kind of laugh.
Such a different culture!
Keeping that in mind.
Chores are more challenging here.
Let's just think about laundry for a second.
The units don't have dryers.
Why?!
WHYYYYY?!!
In the U.S. I would do 3-4 loads a day.
There is NO way I can hang dry that much.
There just is not enough space, LOL!
So, we have had to adapt.
We re-use towels (rather than 2 a day, Each)
and we take most of our clothes to the laundry place downstairs.
-There are no laundromats-
You can NOT actually dry your own CLOTHES!
At first this really upset me.
But...
There is an upside to this.
It is pretty cheap,
prob about the cost of a laundromat
It is SUPER fast.
All clothes are washed and dried in 3-4 hours.
Yes, in under 4 hours...
It doesn't matter how many loads I bring them either!
and I don't have to deal with that process.
I still have to fold them and put them away though, LOL!
Downside...
I like Tide detergent.
No, I LOVE Tide detergent.
It is one of my best friends.
I love the smell.
I love the way it gets everything CLEAN.
I love it!
I brought some with me from the U.S. even.
Although, they do have it here, we have found.
Also, Todd is sensitive to certain detergents.
I only use All Free and clear on his clothes.
-The Laundry place uses who knows what detergent.-
You can not choose...
You can wash the clothes at home
and
bring them wet clothes to dry, however.
but, the idea of wet clothes sitting around is kind of gross...
That and they are super heavy...
Well, and ONE load of laundry at home takes 2 hours?
Why? Why?
Something about energy/water efficiency.
Oh, and the machines are tiny...
So, I would have to bring one load every two hours
or have wet clothes sit, yah just won't work.
And
another downside..
You have to BRING all the laundry to the place
and
bring it back.
It is a JOURNEY!
LOL!
I used to think I WISH I had laundry machines upstairs.
You know, so I didn't have to bring all the laundry up and downstairs.
Now...
Just to have a dryer...
It is all perspective!
My laundry helpers.
Trolleys to the RESCUE!
I can fit a LOT of laundry in those two Trolleys.
(We usually have more laundry)
The laundry place is by the little 'mall' in our complex,
so I usually try to be efficient with the trip
and ask the kids to pick up water down there,
since they have two trolleys with them, anyhow.
Usually, they pick up 10 (smallish) water bottles each.
20 total.
The Japanese home store is the CHEAPEST!
Well, yesterday, the home store was out of water.
So, to not come home empty handed,
the kids went to the International Grocery store, across the way.
Yah, they bought 20 bottles still, but they were HUGE!
So huge and heavy they killed both trolleys bring them home.
Wheels broke off, rims bent...
:(
I was meeting Todd for lunch,
so I figured I would stop over to the 'local mall'
The hidden market place.
There is a 'home type' of store that has everything.
I was hoping they would have replacement wheels, cheap.
Only problem is in the market place it is very authentic,
meaning they don't speak much English.
We tried talking to the shop owner for a bit
through a bit of charades, to explain what happened.
What we needed.
Hmn, yah...
Wasn't going well.
Well, the shop is across from the electronics shop.
(Our favorite, everything you can want/need for a fraction of the price.)
The lady there speaks English, YAY!
She translated for us.
They both started laughing about the water.
So, for about 4 bucks U.S. for each Trolley
the lady said she could replace them.
Sweet!
I sent the kids back to the mall.
With the lady expecting them...
They knew right where to go.
I love that place!
and Ta' da!
(I didn't notice LILY worshipping Logan, so funny!
Thanks for pointing her out, Todd!)
I love how independent the kids can be!
I mean how were we going to pick up laundry
and groceries without trolleys?
I didn't want to buy two more, either!
See how complicated it can be!
Then we have dishes....
Lets just say this.
NO DISHWASHER!
I mean, yes, growing up we didn't have a dishwasher
and
YES, I did wash every dish before putting it in to the dishwasher...
BUT
I am conditioned to feel like the dishes are not clean til they have been through the dishwasher...I probably wash the dishes and rinse them 10 times, and then rinse them again before using them...
I have already discussed shopping,
so that is part of cooking...
There is a process to it!
Way more work, LOL!
Maybe that is why everyone has a domestic helper?
They even have 'Dog NANNIES'!
Now that I can go for!
Especially, when it is 90 degrees F plus and 90% humidity
and the dogs need to be walked.
I wonder.
No comments:
Post a Comment