BUT......
I have decided to change track for this one entry.
We have a housekeeper. Her name is Monica. She is just a sweetheart. My dear Brennie made her cry today. Monica has been working and crying for about an hour now. So what did the Brennie-Beast do?
Well, we have a combo storage room / laundry area / tiny maid's quarters on the roof. The Brennie-Beast asked Monica to give it a cleaning. This is not the reason Monica is crying. I mean, she is a housekeeper after all. She cleans stuff. But, up in that area, we have some doors and some shower doors and some other stuff we have taken out of the apartment and didn't know what to do with.
Back to this in a second......
Monica came to us via some friends of ours that she also works for. They were introduced to her via a local couple. As part of the intro agreement, we had to agree to pay Monica what everyone else is paying her ........ $12/day. We had to promise. $12/day, no more. You know, don't spoil it for everyone else ....... and don't spoil Monica. By the way, when Monica started working for us, she quit another lady that paid her $10/day and she had to strip the wax off her floors every week. (My Spanish is bad but I think this is accurate.)
MOVING ON AND A SLIGHT DETOUR ...... and I WILL eventually get to what the Brennie-Beast did.
Let's look at this pay thing from my personal perspective. I taught in the Kansas public schools for 20 years. Kansas was 42nd to 46th or 47th in the nation in teacher pay that whole time. Benefits? Health Insurance? Don't make me laugh. In order to be able to afford to teach I always had to create other streams of income and over the years there were many. For the final 4 years, I had my own little lawn mowing business. Except for a couple extraordinarily bad days (the first year), I never earned less than $20/hour mowing. Usually it was $30+/hour. And I worked a lot of hours! That is my personal perspective .... and now back on point.
Monica arrives at our house at 8:00 every Thursday. She walks 1/2 hour (1/2 mile? I think it is 1/2 hour, actually.) to get from her house to her first bus. She also has to take a 2nd bus. Total commute 1 1/2 hours each way. By the way, she is one of the most personable, cheerful people I have ever met. Truly a ray of sunshine to have in the house.
WHY THE TEARS? WHAT DID THE BRENNIE-BEAST DO?
Well, 'The Beast' gave Monica the doors and glass/plastic shower doors. Monica's house does not have doors or windows. Did you get that? Her house has no doors or windows. Holy shit! No wonder she is crying.
SO.......
We have never paid Monica the $12 a day. Not even close. Some promises are evil, so we broke the $12/day promise immediately. Never remotely intended to keep it. Remember what I made mowing yards (and cleaning gutters and cleaning leaves and trimming hedges and hauling sh*t to the dump)?
I read a gringo blog entry a few weeks ago basically telling gringos not to over tip, or over pay for services, etc. You know, don't spoil the natives. Don't upset things. Don't raise expectations or hopes. We are guests here, so follow the local custom (of oppressing the poor). I have heard this a number of times.
By United States standards The Beast and I are not even remotely rich. We always saved for retirement, been very careful with our earnings and now have a decent nest egg. But by US standards ....... not rich. By Ecuadorian standards, we are 'Fabulously Wealthy'. Almost every gringo down here is 'fabulously wealthy'. It is relative.
So what do we do?
- We give money to beggars. Not the alcoholics, but the old, feeble, crippled and disabled. I give a buck. Not 25 cents. A buck. Because we are FW.
- I tip. I tip cabbies unless they try to overcharge me. If they try to overcharge, I will give them as little as possible. I tip the guy that brings the heavy gas bottles to my door. I tip the poor and the hard working. I tip the waiters and waitresses. And, I am going to start tipping the poor and hard working even more ....... every chance I get. Because we are FW.
- I break my promises. Yep, if I promise to underpay the hired help ....... well my word is no good on that. And I am VERY old fashioned about keeping my word, telling the truth, etc. But giving my word to underpay, to oppress ......... yep, that is a lie.
- And you know what, I am going to do more of the above. As much as I can. Because we are FW
- I am going to stop price haggling as hard as I have been. (I have gotten very good at it by the way.) Haggle, of course. Drive a hard bargain ....nope, not any more
To those that say, don't overpay, don't tip, don't upset things......
SHUT THE F*CK UP!
Life is sweet,
Clarke
PS:
Upon leaving Kansas, I vowed not to get controversial any more. No talk of politics any more. Be congenial. Avoid arguments. Etc. I am not interested in debating any more. Seek tranquility and harmony. Change the subject if someone starts talking politics (or gossiping), etc. Avoid arguing with idiots and morons. (Oopsie, strong statement ...... my bad.)
This post is a distinct breech of that vow. It is a temporary slip. I promise. I will return to banal moronic blogging ASAP. I promise.
If anyone feels like posting a comment taking issue with what I have said here. Wants to argue it, criticize it, debate it, point out how I am ruining the economy and/or status quo, etc. No problem. I will simply delete any opposing comment. Back to peace, harmony and tranquility.
I am with you. Our housekeeper Jimena works for us one day per week, we pay her $15 (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) feed her breakfast and lunch (which she prepares herself) and since she spends commuting two hours one way!!!! we pay her $2 bus fare every time she comes to clean.
ReplyDeleteOn top of this we take her and her kids, Lisa and David, once per two months for the lunch and movie/theater.
In August we buy them school supplies, in January(Lisas and Davids birthday in January) we give them nice gifts, like new bed.
I helped her quit her job with previous employer who underpaid her and didnt treat her well and helped her to find job for the full week with two other russians families who treat her well.
and I am very happy and satisfied to do this no matter what other people think!!!
I am glad you wrote about this.
Bravo Senor Clarke.
ReplyDeleteEstoy muy orgulloso de ser tu amigo.
what was it piss everyone off Tuesday south of the equator? Clarke be careful or they might revoke your membership in the happy little expat club. This is what always annoyed me about you, you are not sneaky enough. You couldn't just give her an extra 5 dollars everyday and shut up about it? or better yet deny it say something like no hablo Blah Blah Blah. You have just won the big wooden spoon award, cause you are always stirring the shit. Fight the power C dog.
ReplyDeletemerrydeath
Randy wants to know if he can have a shiny dollar..?
ReplyDeleteLove you, Clarke! Say Hi to Brennie! Think of you often! Happy Holidays from Denver!
ReplyDeleteGini
Lilly - Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteLenny - I am proud to be your friend too.
Merrydeath - I have been very good at not stirring the poop for 6 months. Brennie says it was just a pressure cooker type thing .... needed to release a little steam after 6 months of being soooo good. Maybe I should go back on my meds.
Karen - Randy doesn't need permission to take my shiny new dollars. He does it anyway.
Gini - I wish you and Blair were here.
OMG, am I the last one to read this?!? This is quite possibly the best blog post I have ever read! Period. Thank, God, there's at least one other person in Cuenca that isn't going to give me the speech: "you're inflating the economy." Keep making waves, Clarke, and we'll keep splashing around in them. And if anyone gives me a hard time for tipping, I'm going to tell them to "shut the *&$# up"!
ReplyDeleteP.S. We're not "FW" and it seems like those who are not "FW" in Cuenca are the biggest tippers -- go figure?!? Before I get "unbrave," I'm going to hit the "post button." Gracias, amgigo!
Oops, I think the writer in me can't spell (amigo)! Oh gracious, my comment ID word came up as "givernut". That just made my day...
ReplyDeleteConnie - You can call me 'Amgigo' any time you like. Or if you prefer, you can call me Clarkie. I don't think it is possible to say 'Clarkie' in an angry tone. Try it.
ReplyDeleteClarkie, you're absolutely right! ;-)
ReplyDeleteOMG, Clarke! You're going to destroy what everyone (and, by "everyone," I mean "International Living") says about Cuenca. You're singlehandedly bringing down the social order!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work.
By far my favorite blog so far!...You're our hero and beginning 12/15/10, we intend to follow your lead!
ReplyDeleteI read this entry with great interest as it is a subject that I have struggled with as well. I understand the need to improve the terrible (often intolerable) situations we newcomers see here in Cuenca. But (you knew that was coming, right?)…I think it’s important to remember that what we “FWs” pay, ultimately affects ALL of us--gringos and Ecuadorians alike.
ReplyDeleteI hear what you’re saying and must admit that I’ve been guilty of deliberately over paying many times, but I think it’s a little one-dimensional to think that we’re only sticking it to the “FWs” when we overpay.
Ask any of your Ecuadorian friends (obviously NOT the rich ones!) how they feel about the financial oppression they live with everyday. Many of my friends here are blue-collar labourers who work extremely hard long hours. They work six, sometimes seven, days a week for those crappy wages we are talking about. I have asked a few of them what their thoughts are on this subject and they don’t think the wealthy overpaying is a good idea (even if it means that they themselves go without). Does that mean when someone overpays them they don’t take the money? Of course not! When faced with the temptation of extra money many of them aren’t in a position to say no (it’s pretty nice to be able to pay all of your water bill instead of half of it) but most of them are well aware that it’s a double-edged sword.
Here’s the problem I see with over paying:
If some of the “rich” people over pay or stop haggling then the prices for certain things become lopsided and inflated and, in our generosity, we cut off many not fabulously wealthy Ecuadorians from some services they may have once been able to afford.
Case in point: I have a friend who is an auto body guy. He uses taxis once in a while and (because he’s single) gets a lady in to clean his house every once in a great while. I would like to point out that a cleaning lady is a real luxury--almost all of my Ecuadorian friends couldn’t afford even the small sum of $12/day. What if his cleaning lady now wants $15? Now he can no longer afford that small luxury. What if taxis now cost $3 instead of $2? Now taking a taxi becomes an expensive indulgence. That dollar or two, which doesn’t mean much to us, can be the cutoff point for many others.
You and Brenda are kind and generous people and I totally get why you want to give so much more to those less fortunate. Kind people see all the need and can’t help but feel pulled toward doing something. Am I suggesting that we never tip? Absolutely not! But I think it needs to be within reason. I think there are better, more sustainable solutions.
Employing more people or giving more hours to the people we already employ are a couple. I agree that $12/day for cleaning someone’s house is a pittance but instead of giving an unusually large amount of money why not give a little bit more but have the lady come more than once a week? Or use someone’s services for things you normally do yourself? Like a gardener (yes, even for potted plants!) or hire a driver, or a translator etc. The list is endless.
Another way to balance the playing field is to quit giving money to the rich. It’s easy to cut down or even cut out shopping at Supermaxi or Coral or the malls. Instead why not visit the local tienda or market more often? Many (if not all) of the big stores here in Ecuador are owned by a handful of privileged wealthy families--shopping at those stores just lines their pockets even more.
I think giving Monica the doors was great. Especially as there really aren’t any second-hand stores here and it’s also a good way to recycle. It’s certainly something we could all do (there’s a reason the poor go through our garbage and it’s not just for the cardboard--North Americans are pretty wasteful).
I know you said you would delete any comment that didn’t agree with you but I’m hoping that you see that I DO agree with you. But I believe there are better, more sustainable long-term solutions to the terrible conditions we see here.
Hello Holly,
ReplyDeleteI see the point you are trying to make. But I have a comment and a question for you. It seems that you are suggesting that:
1) the working poor prefer it that the 'other' working poor continue to be paid miserably, and
2) it is in the best interest (somehow) of the working poor if I do my part to maintain the status quo.
If this is true, then why do I see as many pictures of Che Guevara here in a week than I have seen in a lifetime in the US?
And yes, I do most of my shopping here in old town in the tiendas and the mercados. I will admit to getting my JIF peanut putter and other gringo luxury items at Super Maxi as they are available nowhere else. Re the malls ..... I hate them as much here as I did in the US.
It is all in numbers and probablility, there are around 1000 or so gringos in Cuenca, and few hundred thousands ecuadorians, so if " cleaning lady now wants $15" or taxidriver wants $3 - good luck.
ReplyDeletechoice is simple - if they didnt find gringos to work for - they will take $12 or $2 or will be without job.
When people don't understand numbers and probablility - it is so easy to make them feel guilty, scared, brainwashed,etc...