# Struggling With Certain Things



## BringBackBuck8 (Sep 20, 2013)

I'm new to Dubai, finding lots I like here and really looking forward to settling into a routine and acquiring new favourite haunts.

The one thing I'm really struggling with is the kind of dual society which exists out here. My brother says it's just how it is and to accept it, ignore the inequality and get on with it.

I'm a grown man; I've always ironed my own work shirts; a maid now does that for me; she also changes my bed and cleans my apartment; even washing up any dirty dishes I leave around and generally picking up after me. Yes she gets paid but I feel guilty for this.

The balcony at my place needed cleaning; it was laden with dust; I'm an aable bodied man, well capable of doing it but paid a couple of the concierges 100 AED to do it for me; whilst I sat and watched rugby league..... They seemed happy enough with the pay; I still felt hellishly guilty. back home I'd have done it myself. Simply because it's so cheap here to get other people to do things for you, should you?

Also the maids and nannies in my building step aside to let me go through doors when I stop for them; saying "No, sir. You go." Yet never making eye contact and looking to the floor. I find it really disconcerting.

Am I just being oversensitive?


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

BringBackBuck8 said:


> I'm new to Dubai, finding lots I like here and really looking forward to settling into a routine and acquiring new favourite haunts. The one thing I'm really struggling with is the kind of dual society which exists out here. My brother says it's just how it is and to accept it, ignore the inequality and get on with it. I'm a grown man; I've always ironed my own work shirts; a maid now does that for me; she also changes my bed and cleans my apartment; even washing up any dirty dishes I leave around and generally picking up after me. Yes she gets paid but I feel guilty for this. The balcony at my place needed cleaning; it was laden with dust; I'm an aable bodied man, well capable of doing it but paid a couple of the concierges 100 AED to do it for me; whilst I sat and watched rugby league..... They seemed happy enough with the pay; I still felt hellishly guilty. back home I'd have done it myself. Simply because it's so cheap here to get other people to do things for you, should you? Also the maids and nannies in my building step aside to let me go through doors when I stop for them; saying "No, sir. You go." Yet never making eye contact and looking to the floor. I find it really disconcerting. Am I just being oversensitive?


You took the step to hire these guys, rather than carrying on doing it yourself, so it's clearly not that big a deal to you.

I have to admit that the deference gets to me a bit too. In my book, when it stops getting to me a bit, it'll be time to go home...


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

You can choose to not hire any help.

Or, hire them, pay them fairly, treat them with respect, acknowledge a job well done and give them an extra tip for it, and if you have a full time or part time maid that has been with you for a while and you're happy with them, give them a little extra for Christmas, their birthdays, and just before they go home to see their families. 

I think there is nothing wrong with getting extra help if you can afford it and it makes your life better, what is really wrong is the way many people treat them.


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## travertine (Aug 10, 2010)

This is a really common and normal reaction. Some people don't get over it and go home. But we're all here to earn money and we'll all go home or to the next post when the big D is finished. Sharing a bit of your income means others might be able to return home sooner or share their income more broadly. Lastly I don't think this is simply a 2 level society. There is the complete spectrum. While it's easy to see who are at one end of the income continuum most of us are certainly not at the opposite end. We have own 'masters'.


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## GumGardner (Aug 24, 2013)

Hey, I feel the same! Mainly the deference side...


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## Grt1 (Nov 7, 2012)

travertine said:


> This is a really common and normal reaction. Some people don't get over it and go home. But we're all here to earn money and we'll all go home or to the next post when the big D is finished. Sharing a bit of your income means others might be able to return home sooner or share their income more broadly. Lastly I don't think this is simply a 2 level society. There is the complete spectrum. While it's easy to see who are at one end of the income continuum most of us are certainly not at the opposite end. We have own 'masters'.


Agree totally travertine ... its just give and take relationship... people who are going house work are doing their job, while we do our jobs... the important thing is to respect them, never overburden them, be there when they need help and support, treat them with equality as human beings by never looking down on them. 

The money that you give them means a lot to them and their families and they respect you for giving them the opportunity to earn it, so there are no ethical issues attached with getting domestic help in my view.

However you can solve your issue, for sitting idle while they work, by doing community service you are capable of at a different level by sharing your time, capability and energy in a worthy cause.


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## Budw (Oct 14, 2013)

Interesting post. We have always fought against that "servant" lifestyle. It is very "normal" here to have a live-in maid doing all the work for the "madam & sir", but I am strongly convinced that this has a visible major negative on what we become, and how it effects our society, especially children. 

A house maid is a luxury, not a necessity. Just because, in this region you can get away with paying extremely low salaries to maids, it seems suddenly that many people cannot live without. Once arriving here it suddenly seems impossible to live without a maid, whereas back home it would be the normal order of the day. Some people even take the maid with them on vacation to enjoy lots of time off from the children; what type of family life is that? 

My wife and I live here for a very long time, we live in a large double story house, and we both work for our business: we have no maid. Our house is always clean, we prepare our own breakfast, put the dirty dishes in the washer, make up our own beds, vacuum the house, serve our guests ourselves, we do not have a car cleaner, and we do not have a gardener... besides this, we still have plenty of time to enjoy our life in Dubai. Once a week, we have a person coming doing the ironing for a few hours, and we pay her very well for this. 

Having no live-in maid, we enjoy all the privacy we need, and at the end of the day, reflecting what we have accomplished, we feel great!


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

Well, arent their part time helpers/cleaners in the UK as well? Just that they charge higher (last I heard 30 GBP/hour from some agencies).

ANd others have said this as well - no one is FORCING you to hire anyone.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Nothing wrong with having people work for you as long as you pay them reasonably well.

The deference thing is annoying but there is a reason it happens. Have you seen people of some particular types get angry at maids/workers for entering a lift with them?

I have, and so to minimize such situations, worker types act meekly.

I have worked in a place where "tea boys" were not allowed in the cafe as "*some customers get upset seeing low level people eat in the same place*". I am quoting what the manager told me

And here is what is the most hypocritical about it all: the worst perpetrators of such behavior themselves whine and moan if they detect the slightest bit of unpleasant behavior when they go to the West, in other words _they want equality for themselves but not for those below them_. Go figure that out


The fact you are feeling guilty puts you in a different plane to people who actually treat them bad, so relax and have a clear conscience


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Budw said:


> Interesting post. We have always fought against that "servant" lifestyle. It is very "normal" here to have a live-in maid doing all the work for the "madam & sir", but I am strongly convinced that this has a visible major negative on what we become, and how it effects our society, especially children.
> 
> A house maid is a luxury, not a necessity. Just because, in this region you can get away with paying extremely low salaries to maids, it seems suddenly that many people cannot live without. Once arriving here it suddenly seems impossible to live without a maid, whereas back home it would be the normal order of the day. Some people even take the maid with them on vacation to enjoy lots of time off from the children; what type of family life is that?
> 
> ...


i've seen too many kids with a "leave it to the maid" attitude to clearing up.
This is not an example my children will be getting (here or anywhere!)


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> Nothing wrong with having people work for you as long as you pay them reasonably well.
> 
> The deference thing is annoying but there is a reason it happens. Have you seen people of some particular types get angry at maids/workers for entering a lift with them?
> 
> ...


Bingo.

Honestly I've no problems with paying someone to do some cleaning once a month, when I can't be bothered to do it myself. I'm lazy and they need the money, it's a win-win for both of us.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Go on the "other" forum. They'll soon help you get rid of that middle class guilt.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

I don't see anything wrong with paying people to do certain odd jobs. We work for a living and they do too. The 100AED that you paid these people works out to 1,600INR in India. That's a LOT of money back home.

The maid topic however, is something that is discussed over and over again. I'm not against housekeepers, I employ one too. What really pi$$es me off though is this list created by the psycho b*tches on the other woman forum for their maids while they spend time getting manicures, driking lattes and gossiping over quinoa salad. They're too lazy to make their own beds! 

Every day:
Wash clothes
Ironing
Clean kitchen
Clean bathrooms
Clean Living Area
Make beds
Tidy bedrooms

Clean Living Areas & Bedrooms=
All carpeting vacuumed
Vacuum, mop and dry hard floor surfaces
Stairs, mop and dry hard floor surfaces
Tidy room appearance
Dust furniture and knickknacks (damp cloth)
Make beds
General dusting

Clean Bathrooms=
Tile walls and bathtubs cleaned and disinfected
Shower and shower curtains cleaned and disinfected
Mirrors cleaned and shined
Sink and counters cleaned and disinfected
Floors washed and disinfected
Carpeting vacuumed
Clean and disinfect toilet
Wipe down outside cabinets, drawers and cabinet faces
General dusting

Kitchen Cleaning=
Scrub sink
Clean small countertop appliances
Clean refrigerator exterior
Outside of range hood cleaned
Top and front of range cleaned
Drip pans cleaned
Sinks cleaned and disinfected, chrome shined
Countertops cleaned and disinfected
Clean outside cabinets and cabinet faces and doors
Clean exterior of large appliances
Wipe down inside and outside of microwave
Clean table and chairs
Floors cleaned and mopped
Trash emptied
General dusting
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weekly Tasks:

Every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday:
Clean furniture
Clean glass tables
Vacuum floors
Wash floors
Clean cooker top
Dust off room

Sunday:
Change sheets on beds, wash and iron them
Change towels, wash and iron them
Wash and iron table cloth / Wash table mats
Water indoor plants
Cover outside furniture
Vacuum carpets

Monday:
Clean and tidy out fridge, throw anything out of date
Wash and disinfect kitchen bin
Clean cooker properly / hob
Clean large appliances
Clean inside of microwave and oven

Tuesday:
Clean inside of windows and ledges below
Dust off study / book shelves

Wednesday:
Water indoor plants

Thursday:
Uncover, clean and arrange outdoor furniture
Clean outdoor areas and doors (entrance, patio, balconies)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monthly Tasks

Once a month:
Check all wardrobes and drawers are clean and tidy.
Clean top of pictures, doors, fridge, mirrors…etc.
Go through kitchen cupboards and clean interior and exterior, make sure anything out of date is disposed of
Wash shower curtains in washing machine
Clean walls with sponge and water
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Mr Rossi said:


> Go on the "other" forum. They'll soon help you get rid of that middle class guilt.


 Great minds think alike! I just posted the list from the other forum!


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Tropicana said:


> Nothing wrong with having people work for you as long as you pay them reasonably well.
> 
> The deference thing is annoying but there is a reason it happens. Have you seen people of some particular types get angry at maids/workers for entering a lift with them?
> 
> ...


I have such an example at my workplace. He complains about being looked down and labeled a 'terrorist' every time he travels to Europe or the USA, but you should see the way he treats others...


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## Budw (Oct 14, 2013)

rsinner said:


> Well, arent their part time helpers/cleaners in the UK as well? Just that they charge higher (last I heard 30 GBP/hour from some agencies).
> 
> ANd others have said this as well - no one is FORCING you to hire anyone.


"Buying" help house jobs is happening everywhere, and that is reasonable. Its very different here with the "24x7 house maid" / "I do nothing" syndrome that is spreading in this region.


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## BringBackBuck8 (Sep 20, 2013)

I suppose it is my middle class guilt kicking in; back home I wouldn't have dreamed of paying someone to do these tasks for me, I simply couldn't have afforded it. Hey, I reckon I get over it. I think the guilt spans from the fact I've moved here and am getting paid significantly more than I did back home, and I see these people working for less than the equivalent would be back home. But then I suppose, as you say, it is more than they would be paid back home, so I guess it's all relative! 

The other thing I'm struggling with, particularly in elevators.......... is, well do different nationalities have differing attitudes to personal hygiene?


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## jk_1337 (Oct 25, 2012)

The gross inequalities will be hard to stomach initially and not to say you'll become totally nonchalant about the whole thing at some point, but you will learn to live with it and do your bit to make life that bit more easier for them. Be it through generous tips or just common courtesy. 

the guy at my corner store always comes running to me with a basket whenever I walk in and he offers to hold it for me, even if I'm just buying 1-2 things. I politely decline and take the basket myself if need be but they look very uncomfortable seeing me do things for myself, like pick out which carton of juice I want or even carrying the basket! I found this odd until I saw some guy in a huge 4x4 outside the store, honking like his life depended on it, until someone came out, took his order and went back in quickly to get it sorted - as if this was a drive through.

Apparently, this happens all the time. it's shocking and disgusting the first few times..then you just shake your head and carry on.

my guys now have a tip jar which I can see is filling up slowly but surely. I hope it at least gets distributed properly amongst the team. I figure every dirham counts...


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

BringBackBuck8 said:


> The other thing I'm struggling with, particularly in elevators.......... is, well do different nationalities have differing attitudes to personal hygiene?


No. Nationality is one of the lazier indicators by which you can predict hygiene. Every country has people who are very well groomed and those who are not.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> No. Nationality is one of the lazier indicators by which you can predict hygiene. Every country has people who are very well groomed and those who are not.


Yes and no.

That said, the 'yes' is more related to the likely socio-economic class of person - which here is often heavily tied to nationality. So it's practically a 'no' anyway.


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## Tropicana (Apr 29, 2010)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Yes and no.
> 
> That said, the 'yes' is more related to the likely _socio-economic class of person - which here is often heavily tied to nationality._


Only true on the higher portion of the social pole. 

People from first world countries tend to be well -off in Dubai, but people from 3rd world countries can be very rich, middle class or a poor laborer


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Tropicana said:


> Only true on the higher portion of the social pole.
> 
> People from first world countries tend to be well -off in Dubai, but people from 3rd world countries can be very rich, middle class or a poor laborer


That's what I'd meant; but reading back what I wrote - I can see what you thought I was getting at.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Dirty and unhygienic people will be dirty and unhygienic no matter how much money they make or where they come from.


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## M123 (Aug 14, 2009)

BringBackBuck8 said:


> I'm new to Dubai, finding lots I like here and really looking forward to settling into a routine and acquiring new favourite haunts.
> 
> The one thing I'm really struggling with is the kind of dual society which exists out here. My brother says it's just how it is and to accept it, ignore the inequality and get on with it.
> 
> ...


Religion teaches you to judge peoples character by how they treat those less fortunate than them, but not everyone follows this. The fact remains that these people are making a honest (some dishonest) living and they are looking for work from poorer backgrounds. The problem is with the world's economy and the governments which is beyond the reach of average joes.

What you can do is treat someone you hire with respect and pay them a wage that they will earn based on whatever the market rates are. In this country we are more exposed to this side of things, but it really is everywhere.

In the UK there's plenty of Eastern European cleaners that charge 6-7 pounds an hour (30-40 AED)
There's Indians in corner shops that earn around 3 pounds an hour cash in hand, and work 15 hour shifts. The Restaurants are another thing altogether. It's just you don't see it and whilst wearing any high street product made by people earning a few pounds a day means nothing to us in the west, it's an analgous concept.

Encourage good working conditions, pay fairly, treat them as they deserve and get on with life. If you are worried about your kids being spoilt, then don't hire help, but that's ultimately your choice.

If you benefit from such services then what you can do is not abuse these people who have lives and families to support.

Engage in conversations with some of these workers and go to their countries (in some cases I have seen first hand) and the abuse they suffer and lack of income to support children/families/relatives is much worse and perpetuated by their own people. Heck those people that work as agents to get labour from poor countries are akin to slave traders in some cases, where one has to spend their life savings to get out and buy their freedom to go back!.

I'm not saying it's ok that things are like this, but if you want to make a difference it starts with what you can do.


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## Jinx (Jul 2, 2010)

Hubs used to live in a flatshare that employed a maid to come in and clean almost daily, even their rooms if they wanted. When I lived with my housemates, we didn't employ a maid but just cleaned up ourselves. When hubs and I moved in, he wanted to hire a maid (he does NOT clean) and I said no, because I wanted to try to get him to help clean (it's kinda working.. ) and I don't want us to get too lazy for when we move back to the States and have to do it all ourselves. However lately I've been kinda feeling like we should get one to do the big messy jobs, like toilets (I hate toilets!) and stuff, but daily stuff I don't mind.

Like others said, it gives people jobs and money and as long as you pay them properly and treat them well, there shouldn't be any guilt in it. I'm completely guilty of ordering little bits from the shop downstairs and leaving them with a tip because I'm lazy (yes, really lazy).


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## mehranR (Jul 27, 2013)

BringBackBuck8 said:


> I'm new to Dubai, finding lots I like here and really looking forward to settling into a routine and acquiring new favourite haunts.
> 
> The one thing I'm really struggling with is the kind of dual society which exists out here. My brother says it's just how it is and to accept it, ignore the inequality and get on with it.
> 
> ...


I am going to be the devils advocate here,
You were hired to do a certain job that most probably the owner of the company could do. You were hired at a fraction of what he would make and yet you took the job. You are happy, he is happy. 
Just keep in mind that what may seem little to you, might be a lot for others. I see people ask about salary packages here, some ask about less than 2k and try to find out if it is a good deal. Some are happy with what they get, some make 100 times more than that and yet they complain. I believe you can never have enough, but you could still be happy with what you have.
Last thing I want o leave you with is by you allowing others to do what you don't want to do, you are helping feed some families that sometimes are not very fortunate to enjoy things in life. Some one mentioned that it is a good idea to visit some countries to see how people live and make a living. Take our employees out to lunch or dinner once a month. Take them shopping, give them a bonus. Remember that 50 dirhams may not be much to you, but it's a lot for someone. Always pay it forward


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

M123 said:


> Religion teaches you to .................



or, more usefully, basic humanity comes up trumps, i think!
One can live an ethical, moral, sensitive, fair and balanced life without the baggage...


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## GumGardner (Aug 24, 2013)

Just realised I've given away a 500dhs note, must have mistaken it for a 5!!! Someone would have been happy, lol.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

GumGardner said:


> Just realised I've given away a 500dhs note, must have mistaken it for a 5!!! Someone would have been happy, lol.


done that with a 50, but not a 500!


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

GumGardner said:


> Just realised I've given away a 500dhs note, must have mistaken it for a 5!!! Someone would have been happy, lol.


... drinks sometime, doll?


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## GumGardner (Aug 24, 2013)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> ... drinks sometime, doll?


If you're paying, I'm skint now! 

Must have been the taxi when it was dark, rookie mistake! Won't make that mistake again


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## Jumeirah Jim (Jan 24, 2011)

good thread

there is no need to pay everyone here the same as you would pay at home just pay them fairly. yes it sounds very low pay sometimes but that's because most of us think very little of spending far more than is needed, 5* hotel bars/restaurants, fancy homes /cars /holidays when realistically we could all live far more simply, and often at least as happily like a lot of the people on lower wages...

If I had kids here it would worry me hugely how they were influenced by this, maybe not at home but certainly by their friends and how many here treat domestic workers. 

At home it bugs me when the lift stops and a worker won't get it because I'm in the lift maybe I smell  but I think there are other reasons. At work I hate the fact post room guys /office assistants, some in their 50s, are called "office boys". 

I think really the only answer is to pay everyone in your employment fairly, treat them well and most importantly treat them with RESPECT as fellow human beings. I think respect is so so important.


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

I work on the simple basis that if we don't pay folks to do things for us, on our inflated salaries, they would be out of work and would go home much poorer. 

I can afford it, they need the money and I pay reasonably well I think. Even for a car wash I will pay over the odds.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I don't see anything particularly onerous about the list. If you have a full time maid/housekeeper/home help working eight hours a day, five days a week, all those tasks are easily manageable within the time frame, especially as the house is already going to be fairly clean and cleaning something that's already clean takes a matter of minutes, not hours or days. My cleaner manages to do pretty much everything on that list and she only comes in twice a week for four hours each.




pamela0810 said:


> What really pi$$es me off though is this list created by the psycho b*tches on the other woman forum for their maids while they spend time getting manicures, driking lattes and gossiping over quinoa salad. They're too lazy to make their own beds!
> 
> Every day:
> Wash clothes
> ...


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

TallyHo said:


> I don't see anything particularly onerous about the list. If you have a full time maid/housekeeper/home help working eight hours a day, five days a week, all those tasks are easily manageable within the time frame, especially as the house is already going to be fairly clean and cleaning something that's already clean takes a matter of minutes, not hours or days. My cleaner manages to do pretty much everything on that list and she only comes in twice a week for four hours each.


Good for you TallyHo!

I think the women on that forum are crazy psycho b*tches who have nothing better to do than spend their husband's money while he's out banging the 22 year old barista because the wife's too lazy to even make her own bed.....but that is just my opinion


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## BringBackBuck8 (Sep 20, 2013)

So what is a fair hourly rate for a cleaner in Dubai? I've just used the same lady my brother does and pay her what he does per hour.


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## BringBackBuck8 (Sep 20, 2013)

pamela0810 said:


> Good for you TallyHo!
> 
> I think the women on that forum are crazy psycho b*tches who have nothing better to do than spend their husband's money while he's out banging the 22 year old barista because the wife's too lazy to even make her own bed.....but that is just my opinion


I'm single; where does one find these baristas for banging? Do I have to get a wife before I'm allowed to?


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Agencies average around 30 AED/hour with a minimum of four hours although I've heard of one or two that will accept a minimum of two hours. I pay mine 30 AED/hour plus tip. 




BringBackBuck8 said:


> So what is a fair hourly rate for a cleaner in Dubai? I've just used the same lady my brother does and pay her what he does per hour.


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## blazeaway (Sep 28, 2011)

BringBackBuck8 said:


> I'm new to Dubai, finding lots I like here and really looking forward to settling into a routine and acquiring new favourite haunts.
> 
> The one thing I'm really struggling with is the kind of dual society which exists out here. My brother says it's just how it is and to accept it, ignore the inequality and get on with it.
> 
> ...


Resisting maid and still doing most of my laundry although work shirts go to cleaners. Actually cleaned my own balcony, won't next time it was far to hot for that.

Deferential thing is a bit off putting, as Vantage said if you get to used to it it is time to go. The lift thing is always a surprise especially when workmen won't even get in if you are in the lift!

Still find it strange being called sir by colleagues, even the Mr bit is odd!


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## blazeaway (Sep 28, 2011)

rsinner said:


> Well, arent their part time helpers/cleaners in the UK as well? Just that they charge higher (last I heard 30 GBP/hour from some agencies).
> 
> ANd others have said this as well - no one is FORCING you to hire anyone.


£8-12per hour


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## blazeaway (Sep 28, 2011)

pamela0810 said:


> I don't see anything wrong with paying people to do certain odd jobs. We work for a living and they do too. The 100AED that you paid these people works out to 1,600INR in India. That's a LOT of money back home.
> 
> The maid topic however, is something that is discussed over and over again. I'm not against housekeepers, I employ one too. What really pi$$es me off though is this list created by the psycho b*tches on the other woman forum for their maids while they spend time getting manicures, driking lattes and gossiping over quinoa salad. They're too lazy to make their own beds!
> 
> ...


I feel worn out just reading that list! And no I don't have a maid


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## NjxNA (Jan 13, 2013)

pamela0810 said:


> Once a month:
> Check all wardrobes and drawers are clean and tidy.
> *Clean top of pictures, doors, fridge, mirrors…etc.*
> Go through kitchen cupboards and clean interior and exterior, make sure anything out of date is disposed of
> ...


Once a month?
Not only she must be the laziest fatass I've ever read about but... cleaning top of the fridge once a month means also adding "dirty as hell" to the above...


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## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

vantage said:


> or, more usefully, basic humanity comes up trumps, i think!
> One can live an ethical, moral, sensitive, fair and balanced life without the baggage...


Hallelujah!!!


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## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

pamela0810 said:


> ...spend their husband's money while he's out banging the 22 year old barista because the wife's too lazy to even make her own bed...


pretty sure the husband isn't doing that because the wife is lazy...

wonder where he works, and if they are hiring...


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> Agencies average around 30 AED/hour with a minimum of four hours although I've heard of one or two that will accept a minimum of two hours. I pay mine 30 AED/hour plus tip.


They see a fraction of that AED 30/hour, probably more like AED 5-10/hour. 

I'll usually pay for 5 hours instead of 4, so they actually get something.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

yes, i heard that a maid from one of these companies gets between 5 and 10 AED of your 30 AED. Shameful.

There are plenty of maids out there that will work privately for 20-25 AED an hour. Usually with their employer's / sponsor's blessing

If they are working for 25 AED, they get 25 AED
you're better off, and they're MUCH better off.

There's a maid round our way that has just packed her daughter off to University in Sri Lanka. 
She gets 1,000 / month from her sponsor, with accommodation, with an agreement that she only works mornings (i think)
She puts in around 100 hours a month at various other properties at 25-30AED / hour
She is grossing 3,500 AED / month.

An agency maid will barely scrape 1,000...


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

A 'part time' maid as you referred to is illegal and if caught you are subject to a fine between 50k to 100k. And the maid is deported after a spell in prison. 

The laws of this country are clear. It's illegal to hire anyone not on your sponsorship and that includes all the maids who claim to be on their husband's sponsorship or working with the permission of their sponsor. You may be comfortable with the risk but I am not and I do know people who were caught and had to pay the fine.



vantage said:


> yes, i heard that a maid from one of these companies gets between 5 and 10 AED of your 30 AED. Shameful.
> 
> There are plenty of maids out there that will work privately for 20-25 AED an hour. Usually with their employer's / sponsor's blessing
> 
> ...


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

I used to have a part-time one, paid AED 150 for about 3-4 hours of work (1.5-2 hours twice a week). I was spending AED 650 a month, but at least she was pocketing the lot. 

Now I just get an agency maid once a month to do a blitz, and I'll do the rest myself.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

TallyHo said:


> A 'part time' maid as you referred to is illegal and if caught you are subject to a fine between 50k to 100k. And the maid is deported after a spell in prison.
> 
> The laws of this country are clear. It's illegal to hire anyone not on your sponsorship and that includes all the maids who claim to be on their husband's sponsorship or working with the permission of their sponsor. You may be comfortable with the risk but I am not and I do know people who were caught and had to pay the fine.


all good. I'm not employing her...


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

vantage said:


> i heard that a maid from one of these companies gets between 5 and 10 AED of your 30 AED.


It's still more than they get in their own country. 

Also, I worked hard to get where I am today why should I now give it away? If they'd become a doctor or lawyer than I'd be paying them rather than expected to subsidise them.

Plus they steal all your toiletries and phone credit anyway.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

Mr Rossi said:


> It's still more than they get in their own country.
> 
> Also, I worked hard to get where I am today why should I now give it away? If they'd become a doctor or lawyer than I'd be paying them rather than expected to subsidise them.
> 
> Plus they steal all your toiletries and phone credit anyway.



I'm with you. We don't use a maid. My savings are more important!

Just saying what others don't necessarily realise when they hand over their cash to the Companies that run the maids...


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## IzzyBella (Mar 11, 2013)

pamela0810 said:


> they spend time getting manicures, driking lattes and gossiping over quinoa salad.


^^ Meeeeeeeeeeeee

(Except for the maid and the not making my own bed malarky.)


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## nicegalmemi (Nov 17, 2013)

I know what you mean, however when things happen like that I go out of the way I greet or smile these maids..
even the one at work ,she cleans the bathrooms but I smile and talk to her, and she just become so happy when she sees me..
be yourself, and when things around you are not, make them the way you want them to be because that is how you are and you can't be somebody else.

do not worry over these things, however writing a blog about your feelings is awesome, I love to go to expat blogs and read about how they felt when they went to x place, it feels honest, cute and genuine..


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