Helpers not grateful to HKongers and Gov

Grateful? What, are they supposed to get out of everyone's way just because they work and live in HK? If you want to import labour, you have to make a space for the labourers in your society.


As for property prices and inflation, I fail to see how they are caused by helpers. Please explain.



My guess is the OP is just trolling anyway.

Just in case the OP isn't a troll and really believes the nonsense he or she posted, I would like to point out that if one has a problem with high-property prices, low wages for local workers, etcetera then take it up with the people who are responsible for those things and not the people who are carrying out your domestic and parental responsibilities for you at scandalously low wages. If you don't like FDHs then show some PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, be an ADULT and do your own housework.

retsamlee, if you have something to say on this subject, lease post it in the thread instead of sending me a ranting PM. In order to respond, I am pasting your PM here.


"to axptguy38

From: retsamlee

Sent: June 5/11 1:49AM


If your kids are in the hands of FDH i am sure parents would treat them even better then their own parnts ! put yourself in the same situation, would you ill treat the maids ??? why they choose Hk instead of other asian countries, of cos ideally is canada or other western countries !

two new borns are dump, one flush away in toilet on thursday,one in garbish in northpoint today , another maid beat up a seven year old till he was seriously injured and rushed to hospital for surgery, any sympathy for the kid and working parents ????????? read the news !!!!"


Certainly there are incidents where helpers do terrible things. But it is hardly the norm. And there are plenty of parents who do terrible things as well.


You seem to be blaming helpers for many things that they are innocent of, for example property prices.

The OP also sent me a raving PM bragging about how well he supposedly treats his helper so I am responding in the proper place. He told me to 'have a heart' and some feeling for 'young working couples' who 'cannot afford to treat their helpers' as well as he supposedly treats his. It is ridiculous to hear these hypocrites who say they are so concerned about poor working people. It's just an excuse to blame helpers for problems they didn't create. Do helpers set property prices? Do helpers determine the salaries of local working people? Are helpers the ones prosecuting street hawkers while letting wealthy connected criminals off the hook? Nice try but most Hong Kong people are not as stupid as you, retsamlee; they know that the bosses, property tycoons, and their lackeys in the government are the ones really responsible for the plight of local working families. No amount of ranting from idiots like you will succeed in distracting HK people from REAL problems. Just look at how many people protested in Victoria Park yesterday versus how many took to the streets to protest against FDHs.

Secondly, I can see why you didn't have the guts to post your rant to axptguy38 on the public message board; it's just so full of ridiculous, unsubstantiated accusations against helpers. The only 'crime' you reference that I actually remember reading about in The Standard was the one where a fetus was flushed down a toilet and you don't even get your facts right on that one. The police are still investigating that; it may have been a miscarriage. I have no way of verifying the facts in the other cases because you don't provide a scrap of evidence to support your absurd ravings. Even if all these cases could be substantiated what on earth do you think it proves? So local people never murder anyone, never dump babies in the garbage, never kill their domestic helpers? If you had bothered to check the facts you would know that according to a survey done in 2001 by the Asian Migrant Centre, about 25 percent of helpers are abused by their employers. Why doesn't your heart bleed as profusely for them as it does for local families?

p.s. Don't send me another PM or I will report you to Ed. That's not how things work on this forum.

Still unclear what you're whining about. You have a helper but hate Filipinos?

The poor wives after work has to deal with hosehold chores on the helpers's dayoff sobasically she has no rest day !


This is not the helper's problem, husbands should step in and do some chores. Yes, when you choose to have your own house and children, basically you have no rest day (but this is a personal choice and not a job (which is what a helper does for a living).


family/running own home = personal choice = no rest days/annual leave/ salary

domestic helper = job = entitled to rest days/annual leave/ salary

Clearly as insane as the rest of us.

retsamlee- 'hunt for cheap meat and got hooked !'

Surely this is demonstrative of business and commerce, an integral part of Hong Kong's laissez-faire character?

Why do some people talk so much about which they know so little?

@Retsamlee, you are kidding yourself.


Aside from your posts containing wide-ranging generalisations on everything from nationalities to cultures, job conditions, societal facts and all sorts of other things I don't understand - you are also blatantly inaccurate. Not to mention exhibiting a complete lack of common sense and dare I say common decency - which is what prompted me to write my previous post, because this attitude (though not as extreme and rambling as yours, granted) is so pervasive here!


Just one point, FDHs are mostly women necessarily because - would you hire a man to look after your children? It doesn't seem from any of your previous posts that that is the case. That's just the nature of the world - people prefer women to look after children, generally.


Good on you for being a retired senior with plenty of time to gossip. It must be very fulfilling, and it sounds like you do a lot of it. Unfortunately all that practise hasn't improved your clarity and logic any.

i think retsamlee is best left ignored, to rant in his/her own discriminatory little world...

Agree.


Poster must see the other side.


Everyone needs money to live. The helpers are human beings too, perhaps we forget this?

Ps if its such a cushy job - why not try taking a job as one!

OMG such a shame,they human being too.remember ...Why people judge everyones else from the look...and is really unprofesional if someone just say to someone else "cheap meat"...

I think the OP is just expressing his thoughts and observations, with which I have also heard a lot myself. I also accept that some of his points are unjustified and as moral as many of us like to consider ourselves, we all judge in one way or another.


It's harsh to say that the OP is a gossip as internet forums are a meeting or opportunity for an exchange of views. It appears the OP is not as fluent in English hence many people finding it hard to understand him/her.


Whilst there is much defense for foreign domestic helpers in HK, what the OP seems to be trying to state in his initial post where he talks about the "poor local grassroot family" is the unfairness to the local Hong Kong families.


If any of you have ever visited the slums of HK you will see that there are many more numbers of locals live in far worse conditions that a domestic helper would with their tiny, yet private ensuite rooms that are provided to them by many well-off expats. A friend of mine even offers two rooms and lots of other benefits to her helper.


Certainly the OP sounds upset about the local situation and therefore some points were exaggerated. I'm sure working wives can manage one day not having their home cleaned and eat out or order take out. Helpers need their time off to rest too as they are also human beings!


As human beings we all strive for better, so of course it's normal to want to find ways to have a better life for themselves and their family. It's good to have a goal, even if that is seeking a well-to-do western husband, looking for job opportunities in western countries like Canada, UK, Australia.


However, what the OP has observed is some domestic helpers who degenerate the name of other honest, trustworthy and hardworking helpers by doing demeaning things, such as spending most of their free time hawking themselves down in Wanchai. It has been observed that married domestic helpers spend a lot of time down in Wanchai (a well-known hooker district of HK). Most western countries would consider women like this cheap.


I guess it's Hong Kong's laissez-faire character which allows many employers to allow domestic helpers to work part-time illegally because it's 'kind' to do so and sell themselves as hookers part-time because they're human and need to make more money somehow.


There is some truth to the motives of some DH's trying to find expat or wealthy chinese husbands. I think most women aim for that. What the OP seems agitated about is the unscrupulous method of stealing someone's husband, however, this happens a lot in Chinese culture.


Seems the OP is just expressing his anger and everyone here is getting angry from it. Is it infectious? Do you all enjoy arguing? or just some DH's out there in defense mode?! I'm just posting because everyone seems to be attacking the OP personally, rather than discussing and asking the OP to justify some of his unsupported thoughts and opinions.

First of all, this is technically an advice forum, not a discussion forum.


Secondly, the OP is attacking all these helpers in rather a nasty way. Sure, there are those who prostitute themselves. However only a very small fraction do this.


As for trying to find husbands, it is hardly "most women". Yes, there are DH who do this, but again only a fraction.


It is unfair to these typically hard-working ladies to say that these things are typical DH behaviour.



Finally, yes there are many HKers who are poor. But how can helpers be blamed for this?

'First of all, this is technically an advice forum, not a discussion forum.'

Therefore we may discuss the advice that is stated.

I'm curious. What was your intention in posting your initial comments? Were you looking for someone who agrees with you…. then look no further. I completely agree. FDHs should definitely be more grateful to HKers and the gov for the following:

- being treated like second class citizens

- working 12-14 hours days often in thankless jobs

- sleeping in teeny tiny rooms

- being paid such a generous minimal wage and well, don't forget the huge food allowance they are entitled too.

- oh, and of course, getting a whole day of a week. that's right - one whole day a week. awesome deal.

- and finally having the extreme imbalance of wealth in our world flaunted in front of them everyday when their families and extended families are most likely living below the poverty line back in the Phils.


Yep, time to stand-up all you ingrats and show your gratitude.

To louiseamanda- because am Not from a nation best in exporting servants, have better things to do.

To mamainhk -if your girls don't like it here in tiny rooms then don't come to Hong Kong, try apply other city or stay home in philippines island resort, where there is a sun sea, latino dance ,your family, love the lot, why come to a place to suffer if it's so bad, it's not healthystay networking and gossip online, find something to do in the household chores ???????? before your employers back

END

To madtown_ Why you move from your Sun and Sea island where you can,sing,dance and love to work in a city you complain about unfairness to helpers but what about the unfairness of helpers to employer and theie kids ? Hey what about that ?? Why stay on then ? go home if it's so bad ! You know well HK is a small island, living condition is dense,your employer is no better then you with tiny rooms and pay big part of income to huge rent ,most family have a tifgt budget, a helper should understand and help with budgeting and learn no to waste to protect the enviroment. If you consider this slavery you should go back to your paradise be content with your love ones !

If there were a chance that the employers sons or daughters would grow up to be a helper, than I can assure you that helpers would be treated much more ly and the Hong Kong government would be actively pursuing those who violate policy.

This is not justify, the governent are more lenient to the FH, they are allow to eat, lie, sleep, play cards, doing business in the streets and prime pedestrains without prosecuting them ! hey have you had a hair cut or pedicure in admiralty ? atrium ? haha !

The reason the government doesn't 'prosecute' them for sitting or whatever on the sidewalks is that it isn't a crime. If obstructing sidewalks were against the law here they would have to incarcerate half the city. As far as 'unfairness of helpers' toward their employers and employers' children goes, this point has already been addressed in previous posts which you obviously didn't bother to read. Can you please tell me how on earth 'tiny rooms', 'huge rents', and 'tight budgets' can be blamed on FDHs? If you can't answer this simple question then please don't bother responding with any more of your offensive, racist blather.