The perils of technology

2 August 2010, Monday

EXTRA-MARITAL AFFAIRS THROUGH MOBILE PHONES
Families are separated, couples divorced, and children are displaced due to extra marital affairs through mobile phone abuse. Do you think this is rampant in Malaysia and the world over? 

STUDENTS ARE DISTRACTED...
Mobile phones have also caused unnecessary distractions for students while studying. They have been reported to have used mobile phones to surf pornographic sites and engaged in immoral activities.

Viewing of such illicit materials provided fertile ground for the spread of HIV/AIDS. It has definitely provoked unprotected sexual activities among school population and families. Rape, cult and others can result from viewing such materials. 

... AND SO ARE HOUSEMAIDS
And the latest peril associated with mobile phones are maids running off with their boyfriends or are constantly distracted by the ringing of the phone or text messaging when they are supposed to be working. And my maids are no exceptions. 

MY FIRST MAID STAYED WITH ME FOR 18 YEARS 
My first encounter with the perils of technology was in 2006/2007. At that time I had an Indonesian maid, Wati (name changed to protect her privacy), aged 27. Prior to Wati joining us, I have had a few maids since 1983. Rosmah, a Kedahan started working for me when I was 4 months pregnant. She went on to stay with me for 18 solid years. Mind you, it was 18 SOLID YEARS, not 1 month, not 8 months, not even 18 months. She left in 2001.

After she left, I had several temporary maids (check out my sequel on MAIDS STORIES, what I wanted to share are so hilarious, it deserves a story of it's own).

THE BEGINNING OF MY PROBLEMS WITH MAIDS
Wati was with with us for about three years before she asked if we could buy her a handphone. Being such a good maid, of course, we agreed.

She was unmarried. She had a boyfriend. Problem is it wasn't her boyfriend who gave me problem. It was my neighbour who kept communicating with her. She took on the role of a saviour. And of course in the process my maid was swayed and started being recaltricant and showing her true colours.

GOOD RIDDANCE
Despite being happy working for my family (she was treated as part of the family, went on holidays with us. We bought her gold for her birthdays. She stayed with us for 6 years), she decided not to renew her contract with us and left to work for another employer, who apparently paid her a much higher salary. If truth be told, I had said "Good riddance!".

TAIKO
Maids are maids. They tend to take on the role of a taiko after 3 years. That's the maximum duration they should stay with a particular employer. So when she told me she wanted to leave, I gladly let her go. In fact, I was hugely relieved.

MY PSYCHOTIC MAID WHACKED MY FATHER-IN-LAW...
And I took another maid from Java, Yanti in 2009. Problem was, my neighbour gave Wati's handphone number to Yanti, and Wati had happily proclaimed how happy she was working with the new employer with a much higher salary.

Naturally, Yanti wanted the same kind of privilege. She did everything to irritate me. She was loud-mouthed. She screamed obscenities at my partially paralysed father-in-law. She threw tantrum, she even whacked my father-in-law. And that was the last straw. By that time, she had stayed with me for 8 months.

I packed her off on the same day. Funny thing was, on the day she was supposed to be packed off to the airport, she refused to leave, citing shame as her reasons for not wanting to leave. She was ashamed that she would not bring any "wealth" back to Java. What a JOKE!!!

POLICE REPORT
At that time, I had told my neighbour to remind Wati that if she continued to instigate my maid and came anywhere near my house ever again, I was going to lodge a police report against her.

BUSYBODY OR PLAIN NOSEY
Imagine a neighbour who keeps in touch with other people's maids even after she had left an employment!!!!!!!!. My husband can vouch that I, for one, have NEVER EVER bothered about other people's maids, especially my neighbours' maids. Don't talk about hp numbers, I don't even know their names!!! So, to think that I have a neighbour who CARES so much about my maids is something worthwhile pondering, perhaps even researching!!!

And I was going to report Yanti too for abusing my father-in-law repeatedly. Wati had happily came to my house several times when I was at work. Guess what their conversation revolved around????

EMPLOYERS ABUSED 
And to think that the Indonesian government is making so much fuss about employers abusing their maids. What about psychotic maids abusing their employers, both physically and mentally? 

... Lipstick-Jungle Maid