Full-Time Versus Part-Time

In Manila and in Singapore, I had a part-time helper. The person had a set of keys and came in a few hours per week to cook and clean. It was great. I looked forward to coming home and having an immaculate apartment with a fridge stocked full of food. I rarely saw my helper so I didn’t have to sacrifice my privacy and it was very inexpensive, so it didn’t put a dent in my wallet. But when my boyfriend and I decided to move into a ridiculously large house, we knew we were going to need help taking care of it. But there is a big difference between hiring part-time help and having someone full-time. In Singapore, only Singaporean citizens or permanent residents can work as part time maids, and the price is usually somewhere around $20 per hour. Not exactly cheap. To have a full time helper you must hire someone living in Singapore for that sole purpose, also known as a foreign domestic worker, or helper. That person must live in your home. You have to provide them with a room and pay for all meals, medical care and a return trip per contract to their home of record. You also have to pay a $265 monthly levy to the Singapore government and purchase a bond to cover the fees should your helper run away. Yes, you read that correctly. There is a $5,000 fee if your helper should skip the country. Sounds weird, right? Why would someone want to leave in such a hurry? Well it has to do with being treated poorly, which I’ll get to later. The bond also covers any catastrophic health care issues. For example, if your helper were to be diagnosed with cancer, it’s your responsibility to cover her health care costs. Even with all of these added responsibilities, it’s still quite a deal compared to some other countries.

The Hiring Process

Hiring a maid through an agency feels like what I would imagine going to a brothel might feel like. The women are lined up outside the agency and all happily greet you simultaneously as you walk in. You go in and tell the person in charge what you’re looking for and she brings you all candidates that fit those requirements for you to interview. When the interviews are done you hire someone, and have to walk back through the line of disappointed women on your way out. It’s really the worst part of the whole process, unless of course you have to fire someone. There’s also lots of paperwork you have to fill out, a course you have to take on how to actually be a good employer, and health screenings for your new helper that have to be done beforehand.

One of the many hiring agencies located in Singapore. You can find them in almost any mall.

You Become a Boss…Literally (The Firing Process)

Not all hiring decisions turn out to be good ones. If you decide that it’s not a good fit you have to fire that person, hire someone new, and help the person you just fired find a new job-all while having the person that you just fired living with you. Before your new helper can start your old helper has to secure a job and you must give them 30 days to do so. If they aren’t able to find a suitable job during that time frame, you have to pay to send them home to their country of record. I can tell you from experience that 30 days is an eternity when you are living with someone who you just fired. Not sure things get more awkward than that.

The other aspect to being someone’s boss, someone who lives with you at that, is that you have to outline their job responsibilities, manage a pay schedule, evaluate their work, set a curfew, and go over house rules. It seems ridiculous to discuss a curfew with a grown woman, but again, should your helper not come home, that’s your responsibility. Even if your helper were to become pregnant, it would be your responsibility to send her back to her home country. Some employers abuse the system and exploit the women. The previous family my helper worked for took her passport so that she couldn’t leave, forced her to work on her day off, refused to pay her in cash and instead sent her pay to her family for her. In doing so they were keeping her broke and totally dependent on them, and generally gave her zero freedom. I’ve also heard horror stories of helpers not being fed properly or overworked, as well as being asked to do something dangerous, like cleaning the outside of windows on higher floors. Some of the hiring agencies even engage in some pimp like behavior. My boyfriend and I had to step in once when we were walking by an agency where the manager was screaming at one of her girls and berating her for not accepting a job. It’s really disturbing to hear stories like these, but sadly it does happen.

These ladies were so excited when I asked them if I could take their picture. They were having an early Christmas celebration on their day off.

Another community of helpers gathering to enjoy their day off together in the Botanic Garden.

How Fortunate Are We?

More than anything, having a full-time helper makes you aware of how fortunate you are. Not only do you have someone to cook, clean, iron, grocery shop and even do the gardening for you, but you learn a lot about that person as they become a part of your family. And usually you also learn how good you’ve got it. For example, my helper is from the Philippines and has been working abroad for several years to provide for her family back home. While she’s been here caring for other people’s kids, her children are back in the Philippines with her mother. She has given up seeing them grow up and getting to be a larger part of their life so she can give them a better future. While many of us help out at home and continue to give financial support, it pales in comparison to the sacrifice these overseas domestic workers make. Most work 6 days a week, enjoy one day of freedom each week and send all of the money they make home each month. Some of them are highly educated, but the salary they make as a maid here in Singapore beats what they would make as a professional in their home country. When we sifted through applications it was heart breaking to see the skills and education some of the ladies had that they weren’t able to utilize.

Having live-in help definitely takes away some of your privacy, but for some helpers privacy is essentially non-existent. Our helper has a large room with en suite bathroom on a different floor from our bedroom, but most helpers are forced to stay in a tiny space or even what is technically a bomb shelter. What was designed to be our helper’s room is what we now use as our pantry. It would be cruel to put someone in a space like that. Even on their days off helpers have very few options. They can either stay in their rooms all day or they can venture out into the crowded city. Places like the Botanic Gardens or malls are packed on Sundays since the maids have nowhere else to go on their days off. If they are lucky, they have a community of other maids that they can hang out with. But while Sundays may be a bit crowded and not the best time to go out, I’m always pleasantly surprised at the spirit and sense of community amongst these women when I see them congregating at the Botanic Gardens or on Orchard Road. I think it’s a lesson to all of us to be more appreciative of what we have, including their help.

While I’ve learned lots about the process of hiring a helper in my time as an expat, I’ve more importantly learned empathy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no saint and often cry a river over my first world problems, but it does make you thankful even for your problems. As the saying by Regina Brett goes, “If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.”

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The space is very welcoming with a combination of food trucks and container food stalls. In the middle of the venue is a large stage where live music can be found almost every night. Timbre+ is open air but is also completely covered overhead, which is so important in the constant and often unpredictable rain shower that is Singapore. The evening I went it was raining and from the outside it looked as though it was closed. I was happy to learn that there were plenty of open trucks and stalls still open.

Now for the important part, the food. I have to say I was disappointed. As a vegetarian not every restaurant is exciting for me, and this was no exception. There was an India vendor with vegetarian options, but the food was so bad I literally had to return it. I settled for a salad elsewhere that was good, but not worth a trip to the other side of the island. I did have some amazing sweet potato fries with truffle mayo aioli though, and a very large selection of beers and cider to choose from. My boyfriend and the friends that joined us are meat eaters and seemed to really enjoy what they had.

So what’s the verdict? It was a unique experience to try, particularly here in Singapore where food trucks are not the norm. Is there better food elsewhere in Singapore? Absolutely. But none with this particular vibe. I suggest you give it a try and see if you can find that one dish that feeds your soul and your body.

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Joie

Dining at Joie is an experience. It had the most attentive staff I’ve ever seen. They welcomed me by name and sat my party in a private room. And no glass went unfilled on their watch. The food was very creative. From the brightly colored salmon made out of carrot to the black charcoal tempura with flecks of “gold”, this food had flare. Even my ravioli came topped with truffle foam. I definitely wouldn’t have combined some of the ingredients together found in their dishes, such as the pine nuts, seaweed, pomegranate, sea grapes and avocado on the tartare platter, but somehow it worked. Everything I had was delicious, especially the simple cheesecake with raspberry coulis. I would definitely visit Joie again and am already planning what to get on my next visit. I suggest the 6-course lunch set menu, as the price is significantly less than dinner.

Tartare Platter from Joie

Duo Ravioli Platter

Vegetable Sashimi

Zen 

Zen is everything I was expecting, but not how I expected it if that makes sense. For starters, the website is nicely done so I was expecting a fine dining experience, but when I arrived I found it was pretty casual, so much so that there were electronic menus chained to the table and we had to order ourselves. The setting is also very casual. Located on the first floor of the Fortune Centre mall, Herbivore is surrounded by other vegetarian restaurants and grocers. That immediately put my fear that I would be served meat to rest. The only meat found on the menu was mock or soy meat and it was wonderful. I ordered Chili Cashew “Chicken”, Honey “Chicken”, and California Rolls. Both soy chicken dishes were served quickly and with a flavorful sauce that left little to be desired seasoning wise. I do wish the Chili Chicken was spicier, but I’ll be sure to ask for more kick next time. The California Rolls were ever better, with avocado, cucumber, soy crab and topped with a dollop of mayo. While everything was very good, it only left me curious. What about all of the other stuff on the menu? With its reasonable prices I will definitely be going back for a bento box and soy fried fish. Dare I say this might be my new favorite restaurant?

Chili Cashew “Chicken”

Original Sin

Seriously, there is no way to go wrong here. This has been my favorite restaurant in Singapore since moving here and it’s also one of my favorite neighborhoods. It makes for a perfect afternoon or evening outing. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve ever had, from the Falafel Salad to the Spanakopita. Original Sin is billed as Mediterranean vegetarian food, but they also do pastas very well, such as the creamy Absolut pasta made with penne, Absolut vodka, a pink sauce and cooked to perfection crisp veggies. It’s topped off with large ribbons of delicious parmesan cheese. They also have a veggie burger and an outstanding risotto. I recommend the set lunch, which finishes with a warm chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream.

Absolut Pasta

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Singapore is the opposite of the Philippines in many ways. It is the poster child for efficiency and cleanliness, while the Philippines, particularly Manila, can be dirty, exhaust and traffic filled and with basically no mass transit system. The Philippines is post card perfect beaches, volcanoes, waterfalls and jungle treks and Singapore is a jungle within a massive city. Both are beautiful, but I was getting the change that I needed.

The Famous Merlion

MacRitchie Reservoir

Hiking Pulau Ubin with my boyfriend.

The biggest change for me was sticker shock. I had grown accustomed to getting things so cheap in Manila and now I had to cut back. I stopped getting all the massages and pedicures and went back to life without a maid. I also lived in an area that was less desirable than my trendy neighborhood in Manila. Now I wasn’t really near anything other than work and when I would once jump in a cab without a moment’s hesitation, now I thought about it all the time. I just couldn’t go from paying the equivalent of maybe $5 to go clear across town to now paying $25 or $30 for half the distance. Even the groceries made me think twice and I had to investigate where to go for cheaper groceries (Not Cold Storage!). I thought I would take advantage of the cheap eats at the hawker stalls, but I quickly learned that it wasn’t so vegetarian friendly. Perhaps the biggest shock came in the form of taxes. In Manila my employer was paying for my local taxes, so I never even saw the bill. Now I was responsible for paying them and it wasn’t cheap. Still I had to remind myself what I was paying for; litter free streets, amazing mass transit options, public libraries, parks and bike trails. I didn’t have any of this in Manila.

As a result I really didn’t feel like I had to leave. I didn’t jet set every chance I got and instead took in Singapore on the weekends. There was so much to do and I even enjoyed doing nothing much more. My boyfriend lived in a very green area of the city and spending a weekend at his place felt like vacation; I had the pool, hiking at my doorstep and green as far as the eye could see. We’ve since moved in together and have gotten an even better living situation. Currently it is a renter’s market so we are living in a 6 bedroom, 5.5 bath home for just the two of us, our dog and with the money we are saving we hired a live in helper.

Going to a friend’s wedding.

One thing I do miss is meeting more locals and just the overall hospitality of the Philippines. In the Philippines I interacted much more with Filipinos than I do now with Singaporeans. I can’t really say that I have many Singaporean friends, whereas this was not the case in Manila. This is partially my fault. I perhaps haven’t made as much of an effort to do so. I also work with tons of other expats so I just don’t have the opportunity that I once did in Manila, where I worked with many Filipinos and became good friends with them. But Singapore definitely has a much bigger expat population. In fact, Singapore is so filled with expats that being foreign isn’t a big thing. And even though being a black expat here isn’t very common, I still don’t feel like I’m an outsider or get stared at like I do elsewhere in Asia.

My Singapore expat experience is still developing. I’ve just extended my contract for another year, so soon it will be the city I’ve lived in the longest since high school. And if you know me, that is huge. It says a lot about the quality of life in Singapore and about the opportunities I’ve been afforded here. I’m excited for this upcoming year as I continue to grow and evolve and am glad that Singapore has been a part of the process.

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First off are the touristy things. No trip is complete to Singapore without feasting your eyes on the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It really is a gorgeous architectural wonder and is as impressive from the top as it is from across the water. If money isn’t an option staying there is the way to go, even if only for one night. It’s also the only way to get the money shot overlooking the infinity pool. But there are cheaper options for getting to the top, including brunch, a drink at the bar, or ladies night at the club, Ce La Vi. If you want to take in the whole area, start by walking along Clarke Quay, into Boat Quay, then pass the Fullerton Hotel. Once you’ve reached the water you will be amazed by the view of the Esplanade, boardwalk, financial district, Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore Flyer and the mascot, the merlion. Every time I have guests visiting I take them on this walk and it’s as breathtaking as the first time I saw it. Other noteworthy tourist attractions are Orchard Road, the Night Safari, the Botanic Gardens and Gardens by the Bay. 

Singapore is really a collection of neighborhoods, with each one having a distinct look and feel. Little India and China Town are two of the most well known, but try some of the others. I love Holland Village. At its core is a hawker stand, surrounded by shops, restaurants and bars. At night the street is closed off to traffic and the restaurants and bars spill out into the street. It’s a great atmosphere. Arab Street is another favorite of mine. The mosque sits in the center and is surrounded by little shops, specializing in everything from carpets and lamps to fabric. The restaurants in the area are quite good with Middle Eastern menus. This is also a great area for trendy shopping. Just two blocks over is Haji Lane, where up and coming Singaporean designers display their work. The street is lined with shop houses and coffee shops and one could easily spend hours there just going from shop to shop admiring the clothing and trinkets. The quirky neighborhoods are endless really; Robertson Quay, Club Street, Ann Siang Hill, Dempsey Hill, Serangoon Gardens, etc. etc. Spend a couple of days just wandering from barrio to barrio and take note of how Singapore can instantly transport you to places all over the world.

Botanic Gardens

If you are after something a bit off the beaten path in Singapore, try Pulau Ubin. It will take you back in time with its kampong houses and roaming wild boar. You have to take a boat to the island, but once there you can rent bikes or hike. There are also a few restaurants, a small hotel and a camping area. MacRitchie Reservoir is equally as beautiful and easier to get to, as is the Southern Ridges. At MacRitchie watch your bags so you don’t get your lunch snatched by hungry and aggressive monkeys. There is a treetop walk that has great views and lots of trails that wrap around the park. When walking the Southern Ridges you have the option of stopping along the way as the trail goes all around the city, eventually leading to the cable cars that cross into Sentosa Island. Either way you will get a great workout and get to see the non-touristy side of Singapore.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Do you have other favorites or things you’d like to see in Singapore? Comment below.

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