The Safeway supermarket in QV at the city is undergoing renovations. The products are all over the place and this makes it hard to shop ‘systematically’. The aisles also seem narrower than ever and I hope this is only temporary. Narrow aisles won’t do in this particular Safeway because many shoppers like to shop in groups and spread out to take up as much space as possible to chat or to discuss the quality / the use of the products on the shelves.
I was there a few days ago and bought only 4 essential items that came to a measly total of just $10. It was either because I was drop dead tired or that my ageing memory chips were playing up, as I had forgotten all about the newly installed self-checkouts. I even filed past them on the way to be served by a checkout attendant. When the young checkout attendant saw the items I unloaded from the basket, she asked, “Only 3?” I fished out a small pack of lollies under the bread and answered, “No, there are four actually.” Up to that point, I was still my cheerful self despite being very tired and longing to get home ASAP. Then I was given the lecture of my life. I was asked if I had ever used the new self-checkouts. She then went on to explain how to use the self-checkouts and why I should use them. I don’t mind gentle suggestions but this checkout chick was bombarding away very loudly. She asked a few questions but there was no way I was allowed to answer them because there never was any intention for her to allow me to do so. She was too busy bombarding away as she checked out the items that I had bought. If anyone saw me looking very guilty for taking up her time, they should have tried looking at the two customers after me. The woman after me bought only two items and the man after her bought only one! To avoid a similar predicament, the Asian students after them wisely moved to another checkout. Those kids are unusually quick in sniffing out a potential ‘loss of face’ situation. I just put up with her verbal spray and even thanked her before I left. There was no point in complaining. This store is making a roaring trade. People living in the city rely on it.
I recently heard that some supermarkets were trialling the idea of charging customers for plastic bags. In fact, Borders is already charging customers for plastic bags. Now, I am all for greener living and I personally use calico bags for all of my shopping. Even the girls, Bree and Stella are taught to use a little green bag whenever we go shopping. So, I am not totally against the idea of paying for the use of plastic bags, but if they can start charging this to promote greater environmental awareness, I can’t see why they won’t dig up some reasons to start charging for other services that are still free to customers today. For instance, with the installations of these self-checkouts, these shops would probably one day find a reason to charge a small service fee if a customer instead chose to be served by a checkout attendant.
The Safeway supermarket at QV opened its doors around September 2003. The staff members were mostly friendly. Most of the checkout attendants were Australians. They were probably students from universities nearby. Cameron and I used to have our favourites and would prefer to be served by the ones we liked. I can vividly remember one guy that looked like Ian Thorpe but shorter. Then some were gradually replaced by more people from the subcontinent of India who were just as friendly. I think they too were mostly university students and I often wondered why the others were replaced by them. Cameron and I too have our favourites among the ‘foreign workers’. A few of them seemed happy and would make small talk – something of a rarity in the city. With the influx of these machines recently, I think even the friendly and probably cheaper overseas born checkout attendants are finding themselves a no match in this fierce competition. I wonder if any were given the boot or whether some were retained to help stock the shelves. What is obvious is that this is one example of how it is becoming harder for students/unskilled workers to earn a small living and with the global financial crisis looming ever so close, it really looks like there is going to be a tough period ahead.
Showing posts with label Ranting and Venting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ranting and Venting. Show all posts
Monday, 3 November 2008
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Thoughts about Autocratic Parenting
(Sorry, I just can’t stop ranting.)
I have seen many examples of parenting styles throughout the years of working as a nanny. Most families do not stick solely to just one style. The autocratic parents that I have worked for are mostly inconsistent. In fact, most of the parents I have worked for are just plain inconsistent when it comes to caring for their children. They are brilliant parents at times but they can go nuts over minor problems on some days. Suddenly, they expect their children to do as they were told. Once the bout is over, these parents are back to being relaxed and laid back again. It can be confusing for the children. I just find the ‘psychotic episodes’ educational. LOL
The visitors to Bree’s house got me thinking. I do not know them well. In fact, it was the first time we met. I therefore have no right to assume that the mother and son have episodes like the other day all the time. As a nanny, I have however worked in households where battles were a common occurrence. I find that autocratic parents, who subscribe to the ‘do-what-I-say’ approach, can make their children feel useless and/or terribly angry. Children growing up in such households can become super defiant towards anyone; especially people they think have some kind of authority over them. They bring with them a loaded bag of tricks to their school or the local playground to unleash their peers with hostility they have mastered from being on the receiving end at home. A typical reaction is to ostracize the offender but such a move can further damage the child’s social development.
Luckily, not all children go down the same road. Some just back down and become ‘good’ kids. These children behave like robots, doing everything as told with little to no resistance. This can lead parents into thinking that they have achieved some sort of success in creating an obedient child. Despite appearing fine, upon closer observation, these children lack self-confidence and do not view themselves positively. How could they possibly see themselves for what they truly are when they have been totally over-powered? Sometimes I wonder if such children want to even look at themselves or think for themselves. Why bother? Is it possible for them to become accustom to the rules controlling their lives?
An autocratic parenting style can also create sneaky children. They behave wonderfully in the presence of people they deem as ‘important’ but are actually the total opposite in ‘private’. They probably worry about not being loved or accepted by their parents if they behave not as expected. At the same time, they also learn to cover up their ‘tracks’ when they are up to no good. They probably also seek opportunities to be in situations where they can let their real personalities shine. If the relationship between parents and child is not strained because the child prefers the company of others, it can be ruined when the child’s ‘secret life’ is revealed. Someone I knew was like that. She was such a lovely girl. My mum used to talk highly about her. Behind our parents’ backs, she was the first to swear like a sailor, smoke, drink alcohol and dropped out of school at the end of Yr 10 because she was sick of playing her parents’ games. Her relationship with her parents has been rocky to this day.
There is a bit of a rebel, goody-two-shoes and sneaky weasel inside each and every one of us. It is typical for a child to display a minimal amount of defiance. This is especially common among toddlers and teenagers. In terms of being good, many busy adults have trouble seeing it, but the opposite of defiance happens more often than we give children credit. And who wouldn’t find at least one attempt to be sneaky if we search our own childhood recollections? Unfortunately, children who are genuinely affected by autocratic parenting display a greater amount of the behavioural issues mentioned above. It doesn’t just occur during specific developmental stages. In Alexandra’s case, her mum used to say, “It’s like there is no end to the terrible 2’s.” Alexandra was then approximately 5.5.
Trying all sorts of things (e.g. humiliations, rewards) to control children so they will do what we expect of them will not work. It may look like it is working but it is not effective on the long run. Apart from the problems mentioned above, others surface, including the possible destruction of the bond between parents and child. The parenting style of my current charges’ parents is very similar to mine. We believe in working cooperatively with the child. We try our best to guide them but at the same time we are also sensitive to the choices they make. For instance, before the visitors arrived, I did prep Bree about greeting and saying ‘Thank you’ but I never made it a demand. The little tot is free to decide. It was great that Bree behaved well but if she had refused or forgot to do what we discussed, I would have stepped in and greeted the visitors or thanked them for us. In doing that, I would have modelled to my young charge the kind of good manners we should all adopt. Our similar practice makes it very easy for me to support the parents’ hard work when it comes to the care of the children. I believe that our consistent approach also makes it less confusing to the children. Unless you have worked in households where your work is constantly undermined, you wouldn’t understand how relieved I am to be working for these two wonderful families.
I have seen many examples of parenting styles throughout the years of working as a nanny. Most families do not stick solely to just one style. The autocratic parents that I have worked for are mostly inconsistent. In fact, most of the parents I have worked for are just plain inconsistent when it comes to caring for their children. They are brilliant parents at times but they can go nuts over minor problems on some days. Suddenly, they expect their children to do as they were told. Once the bout is over, these parents are back to being relaxed and laid back again. It can be confusing for the children. I just find the ‘psychotic episodes’ educational. LOL
The visitors to Bree’s house got me thinking. I do not know them well. In fact, it was the first time we met. I therefore have no right to assume that the mother and son have episodes like the other day all the time. As a nanny, I have however worked in households where battles were a common occurrence. I find that autocratic parents, who subscribe to the ‘do-what-I-say’ approach, can make their children feel useless and/or terribly angry. Children growing up in such households can become super defiant towards anyone; especially people they think have some kind of authority over them. They bring with them a loaded bag of tricks to their school or the local playground to unleash their peers with hostility they have mastered from being on the receiving end at home. A typical reaction is to ostracize the offender but such a move can further damage the child’s social development.
Luckily, not all children go down the same road. Some just back down and become ‘good’ kids. These children behave like robots, doing everything as told with little to no resistance. This can lead parents into thinking that they have achieved some sort of success in creating an obedient child. Despite appearing fine, upon closer observation, these children lack self-confidence and do not view themselves positively. How could they possibly see themselves for what they truly are when they have been totally over-powered? Sometimes I wonder if such children want to even look at themselves or think for themselves. Why bother? Is it possible for them to become accustom to the rules controlling their lives?
An autocratic parenting style can also create sneaky children. They behave wonderfully in the presence of people they deem as ‘important’ but are actually the total opposite in ‘private’. They probably worry about not being loved or accepted by their parents if they behave not as expected. At the same time, they also learn to cover up their ‘tracks’ when they are up to no good. They probably also seek opportunities to be in situations where they can let their real personalities shine. If the relationship between parents and child is not strained because the child prefers the company of others, it can be ruined when the child’s ‘secret life’ is revealed. Someone I knew was like that. She was such a lovely girl. My mum used to talk highly about her. Behind our parents’ backs, she was the first to swear like a sailor, smoke, drink alcohol and dropped out of school at the end of Yr 10 because she was sick of playing her parents’ games. Her relationship with her parents has been rocky to this day.
There is a bit of a rebel, goody-two-shoes and sneaky weasel inside each and every one of us. It is typical for a child to display a minimal amount of defiance. This is especially common among toddlers and teenagers. In terms of being good, many busy adults have trouble seeing it, but the opposite of defiance happens more often than we give children credit. And who wouldn’t find at least one attempt to be sneaky if we search our own childhood recollections? Unfortunately, children who are genuinely affected by autocratic parenting display a greater amount of the behavioural issues mentioned above. It doesn’t just occur during specific developmental stages. In Alexandra’s case, her mum used to say, “It’s like there is no end to the terrible 2’s.” Alexandra was then approximately 5.5.
Trying all sorts of things (e.g. humiliations, rewards) to control children so they will do what we expect of them will not work. It may look like it is working but it is not effective on the long run. Apart from the problems mentioned above, others surface, including the possible destruction of the bond between parents and child. The parenting style of my current charges’ parents is very similar to mine. We believe in working cooperatively with the child. We try our best to guide them but at the same time we are also sensitive to the choices they make. For instance, before the visitors arrived, I did prep Bree about greeting and saying ‘Thank you’ but I never made it a demand. The little tot is free to decide. It was great that Bree behaved well but if she had refused or forgot to do what we discussed, I would have stepped in and greeted the visitors or thanked them for us. In doing that, I would have modelled to my young charge the kind of good manners we should all adopt. Our similar practice makes it very easy for me to support the parents’ hard work when it comes to the care of the children. I believe that our consistent approach also makes it less confusing to the children. Unless you have worked in households where your work is constantly undermined, you wouldn’t understand how relieved I am to be working for these two wonderful families.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
Photos & Chinese New Year Experiences
Here are a couple of photos taken on the weekend when we turned up for the Chinese New Year celebrations at Melbourne’s China Town and Crown Casino. The event at China Town was more chaotic than in previous years. There were a few changes that I was not very happy with, but I guess everyone involved was doing their very best. I just wish that Crown would celebrate this fun cultural event on the weekend before or after China Town’s turn. My neighbour told me that Chinese New Year is usually celebrated over 15 days (commencing from the eve to the 15th day of the New Year). So, if China Town is celebrating it on the weekend after the actual date of the Chinese New Year, then Crown should celebrate it before or after that. Then everyone can easily make it to all of the venues. We didn’t even get to the Docklands to see the Dragon Boat race on Sunday. There was just too much happening on the one day. I reckoned that China Town should have top priority because it is after all Chinese New Year we are talking about. People will still turn up even if the events are planned for different weekends as long as they don’t clash with another Aussie event. That happened this time because Sunday was the final day of the St Kilda Festival and as a result, the number of non-Asian Aussies was clearly lower on Sunday evening at Crown.
For free events like these to work it also requires the attendance of some bossy people to ensure enjoyment for all. These days crowd controllers do less, so it is up to bossy people with guts to tell other people to sit down so that everyone else can enjoy the performance on stage. These bossy people were no where to be seen on Sunday night and we ended up standing and getting squashed for around 4 hours. This is made worse because many people do not observe other people’s right to a little bit of personal space. If you think that Cameron and I have an advantage over most of the people around us, my 5 foot 7 inch height can never beat someone an inch or two shorter than me, because they usually have their little 3 year old child on their shoulders as well. It’s not easy trying to sway left and right and ducking the squirming precious little ones just to watch the performance on stage. It was really quite horrible but where else can we experience such cultural events in Australia if we didn’t take part last weekend? Cameron was not bothered one bit but then again, he is well over 6 foot. He was reaching the clouds! I did try to tell some people in front of us to sit down but to no avail. People with precious bottoms absolutely refuse to sit down on the steps (like some lowly coolies) to enjoy the beautiful free entertainment. They prefer to stand. It wasn’t like we were all rocking away at a rock concert. Everyone was just all squashed together in an upright position. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy the event down at Crown as much as in the previous years. May be it is all in Crown’s interest to have everyone standing up. Those who can’t stand for hours can cut their viewing short to try their hands at a bit of gambling, watch a movie, do a bit of high end shopping or dine at Nobu and the like. People like me who were there for the cultural experience, should really be grateful that we were offered such wonderful shows on the stage despite the physical discomfort.
Ok, enough already! I will stop the whingeing now. Below is a list of brief descriptions of the photos above. I am forever grateful that we have a great education system in place in Australia that requires children to attend schools on Monday mornings. Towards the end of the evening, families in front of us began to leave and their vacated spots allowed some of us (including Cameron & I) a chance to move forward a little. My height became my advantage from then on and I finally got to snap a few photos.
For free events like these to work it also requires the attendance of some bossy people to ensure enjoyment for all. These days crowd controllers do less, so it is up to bossy people with guts to tell other people to sit down so that everyone else can enjoy the performance on stage. These bossy people were no where to be seen on Sunday night and we ended up standing and getting squashed for around 4 hours. This is made worse because many people do not observe other people’s right to a little bit of personal space. If you think that Cameron and I have an advantage over most of the people around us, my 5 foot 7 inch height can never beat someone an inch or two shorter than me, because they usually have their little 3 year old child on their shoulders as well. It’s not easy trying to sway left and right and ducking the squirming precious little ones just to watch the performance on stage. It was really quite horrible but where else can we experience such cultural events in Australia if we didn’t take part last weekend? Cameron was not bothered one bit but then again, he is well over 6 foot. He was reaching the clouds! I did try to tell some people in front of us to sit down but to no avail. People with precious bottoms absolutely refuse to sit down on the steps (like some lowly coolies) to enjoy the beautiful free entertainment. They prefer to stand. It wasn’t like we were all rocking away at a rock concert. Everyone was just all squashed together in an upright position. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy the event down at Crown as much as in the previous years. May be it is all in Crown’s interest to have everyone standing up. Those who can’t stand for hours can cut their viewing short to try their hands at a bit of gambling, watch a movie, do a bit of high end shopping or dine at Nobu and the like. People like me who were there for the cultural experience, should really be grateful that we were offered such wonderful shows on the stage despite the physical discomfort.
Ok, enough already! I will stop the whingeing now. Below is a list of brief descriptions of the photos above. I am forever grateful that we have a great education system in place in Australia that requires children to attend schools on Monday mornings. Towards the end of the evening, families in front of us began to leave and their vacated spots allowed some of us (including Cameron & I) a chance to move forward a little. My height became my advantage from then on and I finally got to snap a few photos.
- Two groups of lions met up and kow-towed to each other. How cute! (Melb ChinaTown)
- People flocking to checkout the market stalls. (Melb ChinaTown)
Friday, 4 January 2008
Fire Bombed!
Bonnie and her husband + baby Nicholas came over to our apartment on New Year’s Eve to watch the fireworks. We had a lovely evening and Nicholas was of course the main topic of conversation even though he spent most of the time sleeping in his carrycot blissfully unaware of his popularity.
At 11:58 pm, we (minus Nicholas) gathered on our main balcony to wait for the countdown. Many of the balconies in our building were occupied like ours. Larger groups also gathered on the lawns downstairs. Even the security officers (hired specifically to control crowds on special days) were happily waiting for the fireworks. It seemed like everyone was focussing on the roof of the Eureka building. Well, I was!
The fireworks started right on the dot at 12:00 am. I wasn’t sure which way to look. From the main balcony, we were able to see the fireworks at Docklands, from the roof of the Eureka and the ones on the Yarra near Southgate. Because Nicholas was sleeping in the spare room, I was not able to access the other little balcony to view the fireworks on the Yarra near Federation Square. Okay, I admit it. I love fireworks and we see a lot of them throughout the year.
I think the fireworks went for approximately 15 minutes that night. 10 minutes into the show, Bonnie pointed to two red dots in the night sky and asked, “Are those from the fireworks?” The Good Samaritan said, “They can’t possibly drift that far.” I on the other hand was busy watching this helicopter hovering near us with its search light switched on. When I turned to look at the two dots that Bonnie was talking about, even the crowds in the other balconies and on the lawns have begun to focus their attention on them. One dot was orange while the other one was bright red. As they drifted closer, we saw that each dot was actually attached to a tiny white parachute. The orange dot drifted into our complex first. It suddenly flared up and as it fell to the ground, the parachute itself was also consumed by the flames. One security officer rushed to that corner of the lawn to make sure that the fire was put out. Meanwhile the red one was drifting closer towards the balconies on my side of the complex. Bonnie freaked out and ran inside to the amusement of her husband and the Good Samaritan. The people downstairs were calling up to us, warning us to watch out. One lady yelled out, “Oh no, it is going to fall on my head. I am sure of it. It is definitely going to fall on my head.” I was beginning to worry, thinking that it might land on the roof and somehow start an electrical fire. (Okay, this may not make sense to those who understand the behaviour of fire but I am no expert.) It drifted upwards as it passed by our balcony and then it changed direction, falling towards right where the crowds had gathered. As it fell, it flared up just like the other one and landed right next to where one of the security officers strategically stood. He and his partner put the fire out by stamping on it.
There was a total fire ban imposed on the final day of 2007 and the first day of 2008. That didn’t stop some cheeky monkeys for pulling such a stunt. I believe that the parachutes were released from one of the taller apartment buildings nearby. It was minutes later that I became very angry at what happened. What if the parachutes landed on the roof and somehow started a fire? With the news of multiple house fires incinerating occupants all over Australia in the past month, I sure am entitled to be more than a little angry at these cheeky monkeys.
At 11:58 pm, we (minus Nicholas) gathered on our main balcony to wait for the countdown. Many of the balconies in our building were occupied like ours. Larger groups also gathered on the lawns downstairs. Even the security officers (hired specifically to control crowds on special days) were happily waiting for the fireworks. It seemed like everyone was focussing on the roof of the Eureka building. Well, I was!
The fireworks started right on the dot at 12:00 am. I wasn’t sure which way to look. From the main balcony, we were able to see the fireworks at Docklands, from the roof of the Eureka and the ones on the Yarra near Southgate. Because Nicholas was sleeping in the spare room, I was not able to access the other little balcony to view the fireworks on the Yarra near Federation Square. Okay, I admit it. I love fireworks and we see a lot of them throughout the year.
I think the fireworks went for approximately 15 minutes that night. 10 minutes into the show, Bonnie pointed to two red dots in the night sky and asked, “Are those from the fireworks?” The Good Samaritan said, “They can’t possibly drift that far.” I on the other hand was busy watching this helicopter hovering near us with its search light switched on. When I turned to look at the two dots that Bonnie was talking about, even the crowds in the other balconies and on the lawns have begun to focus their attention on them. One dot was orange while the other one was bright red. As they drifted closer, we saw that each dot was actually attached to a tiny white parachute. The orange dot drifted into our complex first. It suddenly flared up and as it fell to the ground, the parachute itself was also consumed by the flames. One security officer rushed to that corner of the lawn to make sure that the fire was put out. Meanwhile the red one was drifting closer towards the balconies on my side of the complex. Bonnie freaked out and ran inside to the amusement of her husband and the Good Samaritan. The people downstairs were calling up to us, warning us to watch out. One lady yelled out, “Oh no, it is going to fall on my head. I am sure of it. It is definitely going to fall on my head.” I was beginning to worry, thinking that it might land on the roof and somehow start an electrical fire. (Okay, this may not make sense to those who understand the behaviour of fire but I am no expert.) It drifted upwards as it passed by our balcony and then it changed direction, falling towards right where the crowds had gathered. As it fell, it flared up just like the other one and landed right next to where one of the security officers strategically stood. He and his partner put the fire out by stamping on it.
There was a total fire ban imposed on the final day of 2007 and the first day of 2008. That didn’t stop some cheeky monkeys for pulling such a stunt. I believe that the parachutes were released from one of the taller apartment buildings nearby. It was minutes later that I became very angry at what happened. What if the parachutes landed on the roof and somehow started a fire? With the news of multiple house fires incinerating occupants all over Australia in the past month, I sure am entitled to be more than a little angry at these cheeky monkeys.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Adoption: No Return Policy
I wondered how many more articles inside Monday’s Herald Sun will shock me. First, there was the news about 4 teens who incinerated in their car on the front page. Then when I got to page 23, I read an article stating that children cared for at home by nannies and grandparents throw more tantrums than kids in childcare centres. I was fuming when I finished with that and turned a page to find another shock.
The headline read: “Parents return unwanted girl, 7”. A senior European diplomat and his wife had given up the 7 year old Korean girl they adopted as a baby. The diplomat used to work in Korea and the two adopted the then 4 month old there. They are now based in Hong Kong and the wife has since produced two biological children of their own. The poor child was handed over to social workers in Hong Kong because the adoption didn’t work out. This is like returning an expensive outfit bought last summer because it is no longer flattering this summer.
This little girl speaks English and Cantonese but not Korean. She is now under the care of an expatriate foster family. Apparently, the members of Hong Kong’s Korean community are offering help. I hope they will find her a stable home soon. It must be damaging to subject a child to such turmoil. As for her adoptive parents, I hope they realize one day the damage they have done. Why O’ why are people like these blessed with little bundles of joy?
This is not the first time that I have heard of incidents like this. Way back in the late 80’s when I was still a self centred teenager, a new family moved into our street. My parents got to know them well. They migrated to Australia from Malaysia. The dad was a GP but never worked as one over here while the mum was a secretary. They had two boys. I learned from my parents recently that the couple left another child behind when they migrated. The then teenage girl was never included in the migration application procedure because there was never any proper paperwork for the adoption. They never treated her as their own child either. She was simply there to offer the GP’s wife company before the boys’ birth in 83 and 86. She wasn’t dumped on the street though. She was sent to live with the GP’s parents.
I also watched a documentary on Pay-TV about a little boy who was also ‘returned’ by his adoptive parents. The little Indonesian boy was also adopted by expatriates. I think the dad was Irish and the mum was either Eastern European or Russian. They adopted him as a baby when they were based in Indonesia. The wife already had a daughter from a previous relationship. When the couple left the country and finally conceived their own child, the little Indonesian boy was no longer wanted. The adoptive dad took him back to Indonesia and left him at an orphanage with a bag of toys. Eventually, his birth mum was tracked down. It turned out that the adoption was never legal. It was some kind of a scam. Luckily, this story has a positive ending. His mum took him home and from what I remembered, the authorities from the birth country of his adoptive father agreed to look out for him in some ways. Sorry, I can’t remember the exact details.
Not all adopted children end up with lousy families but the decision to adopt should never be made hastily without proper considerations. Some people complained that authorities or adoption agencies make them jump through hoops to get a child but I do agree with experts that they have to be careful when screening prospective parents. Children up for adoption have already experience the trauma of losing their biological families. They shouldn’t have to go through another potentially unstable situation. Children, biological or adopted, are not fashion accessories that make you look good in photos during social gatherings. They are the future and we should make sure that they grow up well adjusted, educated and cared for. Hopefully, a secure childhood will ensure that they too will grow up to be splendid parents themselves one day.
The headline read: “Parents return unwanted girl, 7”. A senior European diplomat and his wife had given up the 7 year old Korean girl they adopted as a baby. The diplomat used to work in Korea and the two adopted the then 4 month old there. They are now based in Hong Kong and the wife has since produced two biological children of their own. The poor child was handed over to social workers in Hong Kong because the adoption didn’t work out. This is like returning an expensive outfit bought last summer because it is no longer flattering this summer.
This little girl speaks English and Cantonese but not Korean. She is now under the care of an expatriate foster family. Apparently, the members of Hong Kong’s Korean community are offering help. I hope they will find her a stable home soon. It must be damaging to subject a child to such turmoil. As for her adoptive parents, I hope they realize one day the damage they have done. Why O’ why are people like these blessed with little bundles of joy?
This is not the first time that I have heard of incidents like this. Way back in the late 80’s when I was still a self centred teenager, a new family moved into our street. My parents got to know them well. They migrated to Australia from Malaysia. The dad was a GP but never worked as one over here while the mum was a secretary. They had two boys. I learned from my parents recently that the couple left another child behind when they migrated. The then teenage girl was never included in the migration application procedure because there was never any proper paperwork for the adoption. They never treated her as their own child either. She was simply there to offer the GP’s wife company before the boys’ birth in 83 and 86. She wasn’t dumped on the street though. She was sent to live with the GP’s parents.
I also watched a documentary on Pay-TV about a little boy who was also ‘returned’ by his adoptive parents. The little Indonesian boy was also adopted by expatriates. I think the dad was Irish and the mum was either Eastern European or Russian. They adopted him as a baby when they were based in Indonesia. The wife already had a daughter from a previous relationship. When the couple left the country and finally conceived their own child, the little Indonesian boy was no longer wanted. The adoptive dad took him back to Indonesia and left him at an orphanage with a bag of toys. Eventually, his birth mum was tracked down. It turned out that the adoption was never legal. It was some kind of a scam. Luckily, this story has a positive ending. His mum took him home and from what I remembered, the authorities from the birth country of his adoptive father agreed to look out for him in some ways. Sorry, I can’t remember the exact details.
Not all adopted children end up with lousy families but the decision to adopt should never be made hastily without proper considerations. Some people complained that authorities or adoption agencies make them jump through hoops to get a child but I do agree with experts that they have to be careful when screening prospective parents. Children up for adoption have already experience the trauma of losing their biological families. They shouldn’t have to go through another potentially unstable situation. Children, biological or adopted, are not fashion accessories that make you look good in photos during social gatherings. They are the future and we should make sure that they grow up well adjusted, educated and cared for. Hopefully, a secure childhood will ensure that they too will grow up to be splendid parents themselves one day.
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Let’s intervene; ‘We’ know what’s best?!
Little Johnny refused again and again to say sorry to the Aboriginal people of Australia. For a long time, he and his men did little to improve the lives of this important group of people. He only toyed with the idea when he obviously began to feel that his power trip was coming to its inevitable end. Oh, wait a minute. We must not forget that little Johnny and his men did send ‘help’ up north to rescue women and little children from all sorts of abuse. In the eyes of these bullyboys, ‘we’, the non-indigenous lot, must know what’s best for the Aboriginal people. Since ‘Shock and Awe’ worked (?) so well in Iraq, what is better than to send the troops in to freak out the folks right from the beginning? Genius!
Little Johnny’s project aside, let’s move to another story starring a judge from this so called Clever Country. I read in the newspaper (on Monday) that 9 males were given non-custodial sentences for raping a then 10 year-old at the Aurukun Aboriginal community on Cape York. To be exact, 3 of the males (aged 17, 18 and 26) were sentenced to 6 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. This is not a JOKE, but wait there is more! Judge Sarah Bradley noted (as quoted from MX on Monday December 10, 2007): “The girl involved was not forced and she probably agreed to have sex with all of you (-referring to the males).” Whatever happened to statutory rape? Is it only considered to be statutory rape if the child was White/Caucasian?
What happened to the poor child? She is now 12 and she had to leave her community behind to live with foster parents. To me, that seemed like she was punished while the males got away scot-free. Unbelievable!
I seriously think that the time has come for all Australians to come together to improve the lives of this very disadvantaged group of Australians. While some people argue that there are disadvantaged people living in Australian cities and country towns that need help, we have to honestly admit that the Aboriginal people have greater problems and less access to help. I really don’t understand why the males were not sentenced appropriately. I am aware that the rape occurred in Northern Queensland but if ‘we’ are capable of mass scale intervention ‘next door’, why did this judge not use this opportunity to teach not only the Aboriginal population but the whole country that sexual attacks are not to be taken lightly? Little Johnny and his men wanted to save the lives of Aboriginal women and children from such abuse. Their bullyboy approach in the Northern Territory Intervention was never palatable to me and there was even talk about expansion. I recently read somewhere that the new Federal Government will keep the intervention going. I really hope that Kevin Rudd and his friends will look into seeking more input from the Aboriginal elders and to approach in cooperation with the Aboriginal people. A humane approach does not mean turning a blind eye when an Aboriginal person is clearly in the wrong.
(Note: I just heard from Sky News that the rape victim was placed in foster care after an earlier rape but was then returned to live in the community when she was gang raped in 2005!)
Little Johnny’s project aside, let’s move to another story starring a judge from this so called Clever Country. I read in the newspaper (on Monday) that 9 males were given non-custodial sentences for raping a then 10 year-old at the Aurukun Aboriginal community on Cape York. To be exact, 3 of the males (aged 17, 18 and 26) were sentenced to 6 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. This is not a JOKE, but wait there is more! Judge Sarah Bradley noted (as quoted from MX on Monday December 10, 2007): “The girl involved was not forced and she probably agreed to have sex with all of you (-referring to the males).” Whatever happened to statutory rape? Is it only considered to be statutory rape if the child was White/Caucasian?
What happened to the poor child? She is now 12 and she had to leave her community behind to live with foster parents. To me, that seemed like she was punished while the males got away scot-free. Unbelievable!
I seriously think that the time has come for all Australians to come together to improve the lives of this very disadvantaged group of Australians. While some people argue that there are disadvantaged people living in Australian cities and country towns that need help, we have to honestly admit that the Aboriginal people have greater problems and less access to help. I really don’t understand why the males were not sentenced appropriately. I am aware that the rape occurred in Northern Queensland but if ‘we’ are capable of mass scale intervention ‘next door’, why did this judge not use this opportunity to teach not only the Aboriginal population but the whole country that sexual attacks are not to be taken lightly? Little Johnny and his men wanted to save the lives of Aboriginal women and children from such abuse. Their bullyboy approach in the Northern Territory Intervention was never palatable to me and there was even talk about expansion. I recently read somewhere that the new Federal Government will keep the intervention going. I really hope that Kevin Rudd and his friends will look into seeking more input from the Aboriginal elders and to approach in cooperation with the Aboriginal people. A humane approach does not mean turning a blind eye when an Aboriginal person is clearly in the wrong.
(Note: I just heard from Sky News that the rape victim was placed in foster care after an earlier rape but was then returned to live in the community when she was gang raped in 2005!)
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
On Saying ‘Sorry’ to the Indigenous People of Australia and Helping the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels
Let’s clarify a couple of things first:
According to the Macquarie Dictionary (Australia’s National Dictionary – 3rd Edition), Aboriginal, Aboriginals or Aboriginal people are the terms preferred by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Here in this post, I will use the terms Aboriginal people and the Indigenous People of Australia.
Also according to the same dictionary, a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel is a native of Papua New Guinea who helped the Australians, especially the wounded, during World War II.
A certain little Johnny used to argue that we shouldn’t have to apologise to the Indigenous People of Australia. He reckoned that the current generation of non-Indigenous Australians had not participated actively in past injustices towards the Aboriginal people and are therefore not required to apologise. This little Johnny is not the only person in a population of 21 million to argue against saying sorry. He has a large base of supporters. This nanny is happy to find that he was virtually ‘forced’ to ‘retirement’ recently. LOL.
Meanwhile, a cyclone hit Papua New Guinea recently. This nanny didn’t hear anything about it on the news. The cyclone destroyed a large area, wiped out villages including whatever basic infrastructure they have established. Many people were affected. These people are the descendants of the heroic Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. They helped to move Australians to safety when the Japanese came attacking. They saved many lives then. This nanny has now seen an ad on TV showing the damage done by the cyclone and the aid agency or organization was asking for donations. Now, if I see little Johnny as my ‘elder’ and learn from his ‘teaching’, then this nanny can save some pennies by choosing not to donate. Why so heartless? Well, this nanny was born well after WWII and she and many others were never directly saved by the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. So, why should anyone help these neighbours out when the money can be better spent to make Christmas even more commercialised?
No, no, that little Johnny will never be qualified enough to be this nanny’s ‘elder’. She has a big heart. Along with the Good Samaritan, she is all for helping the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels and wishes that one day (real soon) the new government will formally apologise to the Aboriginal people.
According to the Macquarie Dictionary (Australia’s National Dictionary – 3rd Edition), Aboriginal, Aboriginals or Aboriginal people are the terms preferred by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Here in this post, I will use the terms Aboriginal people and the Indigenous People of Australia.
Also according to the same dictionary, a Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel is a native of Papua New Guinea who helped the Australians, especially the wounded, during World War II.
A certain little Johnny used to argue that we shouldn’t have to apologise to the Indigenous People of Australia. He reckoned that the current generation of non-Indigenous Australians had not participated actively in past injustices towards the Aboriginal people and are therefore not required to apologise. This little Johnny is not the only person in a population of 21 million to argue against saying sorry. He has a large base of supporters. This nanny is happy to find that he was virtually ‘forced’ to ‘retirement’ recently. LOL.
Meanwhile, a cyclone hit Papua New Guinea recently. This nanny didn’t hear anything about it on the news. The cyclone destroyed a large area, wiped out villages including whatever basic infrastructure they have established. Many people were affected. These people are the descendants of the heroic Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. They helped to move Australians to safety when the Japanese came attacking. They saved many lives then. This nanny has now seen an ad on TV showing the damage done by the cyclone and the aid agency or organization was asking for donations. Now, if I see little Johnny as my ‘elder’ and learn from his ‘teaching’, then this nanny can save some pennies by choosing not to donate. Why so heartless? Well, this nanny was born well after WWII and she and many others were never directly saved by the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels. So, why should anyone help these neighbours out when the money can be better spent to make Christmas even more commercialised?
No, no, that little Johnny will never be qualified enough to be this nanny’s ‘elder’. She has a big heart. Along with the Good Samaritan, she is all for helping the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels and wishes that one day (real soon) the new government will formally apologise to the Aboriginal people.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Tram Riding Etiquette Tip #1
I love riding Melbourne’s Trams. It is just so convenient. Ok, it is not as cool as driving one’s personal wheels from point A to point B but I am just a nanny and do not need to constantly prove anything at my age. I am happy to continue using the trams or catch bus #11.
There used to be conductors on each tram. Their job was to sell tickets, give basic directions and to check passengers’ tickets. Hardworking conductors used to remind overexcited passengers to let people off the tram first before boarding. Those days are now history. We are now in the 21st century. We have been without conductors for yonks now. I am not complaining. I can live without them as long as I can buy a proper ticket from the machine when I need to. This is not applicable to many other public transport users. In an increasingly human eats human world, without ‘authority figures’ around to manage the masses, many never learn or pretend to not have heard of what is appropriate and more and more are returning to bad habits. It is sad to see that many of us humans are only capable of what is appropriate when there are ‘authority figures’ around. I thought we were all capable of logical thinking or are we just lazy, opportunistic and selfish? We humans are one of the 5 great apes in this world. We see ourselves as very different from the other four great apes. We pride ourselves for being able to think and invent. We look at the world and admit that the Bonobos, the Chimps, the Orang-Utans and the Gorillas, can never achieve our intelligence. And yet, we almost immediately behaved like uncivilized beings ever since the conductors were sacked for the sake of progress all those years ago.
Tip #1: When boarding a tram, look to see if they are passengers getting off. Let them off first before boarding.
· Trust me; the tram is unlikely to leave if there are passengers waiting to get on, unless it is already jam-packed or it is already about to move on when you reach the door.
· For those asking, “What’s in it for me if I do what you suggest?” Think! If those passengers are getting off then there will be more space for you when it is your turn to hop on. You are less likely to bump onto people that you are likely to deem as uncool or germy. Pure logic!
· So if you are anywhere near the door when the tram arrives, step to either side of the door and wait for the passengers to hop off. Avoid standing in the middle of the entrance and this is applicable also to those who are a delicate size 0.
To all readers who catch Melbourne trams, let’s give this idea another go. This used to be the way. It is lo-tech but if you have a hi-tech idea to solve this problem, do share it. There probably is a gadget (requiring batteries) on a drawing board somewhere that may ‘encourage’ people to get on and off the tram in a civilized manner.
There used to be conductors on each tram. Their job was to sell tickets, give basic directions and to check passengers’ tickets. Hardworking conductors used to remind overexcited passengers to let people off the tram first before boarding. Those days are now history. We are now in the 21st century. We have been without conductors for yonks now. I am not complaining. I can live without them as long as I can buy a proper ticket from the machine when I need to. This is not applicable to many other public transport users. In an increasingly human eats human world, without ‘authority figures’ around to manage the masses, many never learn or pretend to not have heard of what is appropriate and more and more are returning to bad habits. It is sad to see that many of us humans are only capable of what is appropriate when there are ‘authority figures’ around. I thought we were all capable of logical thinking or are we just lazy, opportunistic and selfish? We humans are one of the 5 great apes in this world. We see ourselves as very different from the other four great apes. We pride ourselves for being able to think and invent. We look at the world and admit that the Bonobos, the Chimps, the Orang-Utans and the Gorillas, can never achieve our intelligence. And yet, we almost immediately behaved like uncivilized beings ever since the conductors were sacked for the sake of progress all those years ago.
Tip #1: When boarding a tram, look to see if they are passengers getting off. Let them off first before boarding.
· Trust me; the tram is unlikely to leave if there are passengers waiting to get on, unless it is already jam-packed or it is already about to move on when you reach the door.
· For those asking, “What’s in it for me if I do what you suggest?” Think! If those passengers are getting off then there will be more space for you when it is your turn to hop on. You are less likely to bump onto people that you are likely to deem as uncool or germy. Pure logic!
· So if you are anywhere near the door when the tram arrives, step to either side of the door and wait for the passengers to hop off. Avoid standing in the middle of the entrance and this is applicable also to those who are a delicate size 0.
To all readers who catch Melbourne trams, let’s give this idea another go. This used to be the way. It is lo-tech but if you have a hi-tech idea to solve this problem, do share it. There probably is a gadget (requiring batteries) on a drawing board somewhere that may ‘encourage’ people to get on and off the tram in a civilized manner.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
‘Illiterate’ Nanny Ranting About Literacy/Spelling
A popular half hour show on TV has bugged me a great deal last week. The issue of poor spelling among young Aussies was brought up again and of course TEACHERS were to be blamed again. What infuriated me most was that the show has used the same case study of a father and son time and time again.
In the short segment about the father and son, the show highlighted the father’s frustration when he found out that the child’s teacher had not corrected his spelling mistakes in what looked like to me, an exercise book for creative writing. I really can’t stand parents who seem to think that they know it all because they have managed to produce little human beings. So instead of finding out why the mistakes were not corrected and read up on today’s literacy education, he jumped to complain to the media first.
Anyone who has seen a child develop from being a newborn to an active toddler would have realised that a baby that has just learned to sit up unaided is not going to step up in the next minute to hop to the toilet. There are other skills in between for the child to master first. There are different stages too in Language Development. In speech development, interested people are often at awe at how a toddler masters his mother tongue without signing up to a formal language course. In reading and writing however, the child must be shown keys so as to gradually apply them to unlock the mysteries of reading and writing. This can be a speedy process for some children and a slower process for others. Do not be fooled into believing that a preppy will learn all he needs to be a reader/author in the first year of school.
When a child enters the first year of school, he brings with him an extensive and well developed vocabulary. At school, his teacher will offer him the keys (like learning the alphabet and their sounds) to learn to read and write in a well-designed language rich classroom. It is in such a secure environment, (hopefully) free from unnecessary interventions and judgements, that a child experiments for himself, trying out the keys (he has learned so far) to write for the very first time and then to read simple text. This is when inventive spelling starts to appear in the child’s work. For example, the child may write ‘cum’ for the word ‘come’ or ‘egs’ for the word ‘eggs’. This is the stage when the child is trying to write phonetically. Read the misspelt words and you will find that they are pronounced the same as the original words. This shows that the child is intelligent and resourceful in trying to apply some of the sounds he has learnt into his own writing. Parents should be happy to see that their child is inquisitive enough to want to experiment in different ways. Gradually over years (shorter, in some instances), the child will master the entire set of 44 (or 45, depending on where in the world you are) sounds of English and then begin to learn alternate spellings for sounds they have learnt earlier. (English is a non-phonetic language. There is a combination of skills to learn to be able to read and write properly.) This is when the child will start to show accurate spellings. Instead of writing ‘plai’, he may now be able to write it properly – ‘play’. Continued exposure to book language through read-alouds and shared-reading enhances spelling accuracies as well.
Most teachers are discouraged from correcting the young author’s spelling mistakes. This is partly because teachers do not wish to discourage the child’s new found interest in writing. By being a picky parent, judging the child’s every mistake, he runs the risk of putting the child off writing. Visualize a child too worried of failing to even want to try. I believe that Cathy Freeman as a 6 year old didn’t run as fast as she did at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Everyone should be patient and allow each child the time to blossom naturally.
The little boy featured in the TV show was 6. His state of origin was not mentioned. He could have been a preppy or in Grade 1. From the footage no one can be sure if his teacher never records his mistakes into her own folder. Respectful teachers do not mark out a child’s beautiful piece of writing. (Which La La Land is this nanny from?) That’s like tagging a beautiful public structure. Dedicated teachers are likely to record the child’s mistakes in a separate folder. From there, the teacher may invite the child for an individual or small group (with children sharing the similar mistakes) discussion. If not, the teacher may create a mini lesson to be presented to the whole class. No shaming is necessary and the child/children who made the mistake/s are never mentioned. The teacher may include examples she created herself. No one can be sure if the boy’s teacher ever carried out what I mentioned above. (Why would the show’s producer want to give her a chance to speak up? She is only a teacher.) Facing a dad who was on a mission of picking errors from the child’s work, the boy is likely to just back down and accept what is dished out. As a nanny, I have seen children who are so tired at the end of the day, they just agree with what is ‘thrown’ at them from their parents. This is quite a funny sight because children are known to be troublemakers and not the parents.
I love this blog. I get to speak my mind even though I am just a nanny. Readers may not agree with what I have to say but I get to say it anyway. If you totally disagree with this nanny, please drop me a comment.
In the short segment about the father and son, the show highlighted the father’s frustration when he found out that the child’s teacher had not corrected his spelling mistakes in what looked like to me, an exercise book for creative writing. I really can’t stand parents who seem to think that they know it all because they have managed to produce little human beings. So instead of finding out why the mistakes were not corrected and read up on today’s literacy education, he jumped to complain to the media first.
Anyone who has seen a child develop from being a newborn to an active toddler would have realised that a baby that has just learned to sit up unaided is not going to step up in the next minute to hop to the toilet. There are other skills in between for the child to master first. There are different stages too in Language Development. In speech development, interested people are often at awe at how a toddler masters his mother tongue without signing up to a formal language course. In reading and writing however, the child must be shown keys so as to gradually apply them to unlock the mysteries of reading and writing. This can be a speedy process for some children and a slower process for others. Do not be fooled into believing that a preppy will learn all he needs to be a reader/author in the first year of school.
When a child enters the first year of school, he brings with him an extensive and well developed vocabulary. At school, his teacher will offer him the keys (like learning the alphabet and their sounds) to learn to read and write in a well-designed language rich classroom. It is in such a secure environment, (hopefully) free from unnecessary interventions and judgements, that a child experiments for himself, trying out the keys (he has learned so far) to write for the very first time and then to read simple text. This is when inventive spelling starts to appear in the child’s work. For example, the child may write ‘cum’ for the word ‘come’ or ‘egs’ for the word ‘eggs’. This is the stage when the child is trying to write phonetically. Read the misspelt words and you will find that they are pronounced the same as the original words. This shows that the child is intelligent and resourceful in trying to apply some of the sounds he has learnt into his own writing. Parents should be happy to see that their child is inquisitive enough to want to experiment in different ways. Gradually over years (shorter, in some instances), the child will master the entire set of 44 (or 45, depending on where in the world you are) sounds of English and then begin to learn alternate spellings for sounds they have learnt earlier. (English is a non-phonetic language. There is a combination of skills to learn to be able to read and write properly.) This is when the child will start to show accurate spellings. Instead of writing ‘plai’, he may now be able to write it properly – ‘play’. Continued exposure to book language through read-alouds and shared-reading enhances spelling accuracies as well.
Most teachers are discouraged from correcting the young author’s spelling mistakes. This is partly because teachers do not wish to discourage the child’s new found interest in writing. By being a picky parent, judging the child’s every mistake, he runs the risk of putting the child off writing. Visualize a child too worried of failing to even want to try. I believe that Cathy Freeman as a 6 year old didn’t run as fast as she did at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Everyone should be patient and allow each child the time to blossom naturally.
The little boy featured in the TV show was 6. His state of origin was not mentioned. He could have been a preppy or in Grade 1. From the footage no one can be sure if his teacher never records his mistakes into her own folder. Respectful teachers do not mark out a child’s beautiful piece of writing. (Which La La Land is this nanny from?) That’s like tagging a beautiful public structure. Dedicated teachers are likely to record the child’s mistakes in a separate folder. From there, the teacher may invite the child for an individual or small group (with children sharing the similar mistakes) discussion. If not, the teacher may create a mini lesson to be presented to the whole class. No shaming is necessary and the child/children who made the mistake/s are never mentioned. The teacher may include examples she created herself. No one can be sure if the boy’s teacher ever carried out what I mentioned above. (Why would the show’s producer want to give her a chance to speak up? She is only a teacher.) Facing a dad who was on a mission of picking errors from the child’s work, the boy is likely to just back down and accept what is dished out. As a nanny, I have seen children who are so tired at the end of the day, they just agree with what is ‘thrown’ at them from their parents. This is quite a funny sight because children are known to be troublemakers and not the parents.
I love this blog. I get to speak my mind even though I am just a nanny. Readers may not agree with what I have to say but I get to say it anyway. If you totally disagree with this nanny, please drop me a comment.
Monday, 24 September 2007
Begging For A Pixar Show Bag at ACMI
I had Thursday off thus creating an extra long weekend for myself because I am getting Monday off as well, because grandma Ettie is here to visit Bree. Stella had an appointment at the dentist and was also invited to celebrate her friend’s birthday party. It was kind of weird to have the party on a weekday afternoon and Stella’s mum wasn’t looking forward to it because it was based on the Disney Princess theme.
After reading for 6 hours, I decided to take a break by going out for a walk. I was meant to just go down to the Ferris wheel by the Yarra to take a few pictures and ended up paying $15.00 to check out this popular exhibition at ACMI called “Pixar: 20 Years of Animation”.
I enjoyed the exhibition more than expected. It was interesting to see how much effort the artists put in to create the movies or short features that we enjoy at the cinemas. They actually made 3D models, to show everyone involved in the production the size of each character in relation to the rest of the characters. The whole process seemed pretty time consuming. I used to think that they used only computers to create this form of animation but it turned out that they still use traditional techniques in the process. I was of course delighted to see the magical Toy Story Zoetrope. Although I knew what it was, I refused to believe that I was still looking at the same figurines for a little while. I kept telling myself that when they started to spin real fast, someone must have removed the figurines discretely and replaced them with a screen to show the same characters doing their stuff. LOL. The Zoetrope is not suitable for people with certain medical conditions because they use Strobe lights, but I actually found the Artscape experience dizzying for some reason.
To me, the service was pretty good at first. The lady who sold me my ticket was friendly. The guy who checked in my backpack was friendly. The lady who checked my ticket was also friendly. At the entrance of the exhibition, I was welcomed by another lady, who gave me the leaflet as pictured here. She too was friendly. The attendants at the Zoetrope and the Artscape were friendly and cheerful. I almost gave the whole experience a thumbs-up until I witnessed what I would consider as pretty ugly on the way out. What I think is ugly may not have been necessarily ugly to other people, especially among those who are totally desensitized in the rat race of life.
I was on my way out. Immediately in front of me was a casually dressed young couple in their late 20’s. In front of them were 4 tall men (3 in power suits), chatting to the two attendants there while blocking the rest of us from exiting. After they stepped onto the escalators, the couple in front of me moved forward. They asked for a show bag. The attendant asked them bluntly if they had any children. Her body language was clear that they were not entitled to the show bag. The couple did answer yes to the question but the attendant only reluctantly gave them one after a long pause. There was another attendant but he didn’t speak the whole time. I didn’t bother to ask for one. As much as I enjoy the movies made by Pixar, I can live without too many products linked to licensed characters. Super sensitive me didn’t like the way the couple was treated, especially because the attendants were super friendly to the 4 men in black before the couple. When I did finally get up to the next level, I did see the men again. They were just men (probably from offices nearby) without their wives and kids. This is what I noted. One man had five show bags, the second man had 3, the third man had one and the youngest of the 4 didn’t have any. So, is it that expensive to give the young couple one show bag? Is giving away one show bag to a paying couple who didn’t take with them their kid/s going to cause serious constraints to the budget of the people who brought this exhibition to Melbourne?
The men left the building looking very happy, stepping out to Flinders Street. Where did the couple go? I went to the Gift Shop and they were there too. Poor me bought 4 postcards to give to the Good Samaritan. As I stepped out of the shop, the couple was getting served. Judging from what I could see, they were paying for a number of items. Now, suited up men do look like they have the power to spend big but that is not always the case. This young couple spent more at this exhibition to deserve that one show bag than those men. Jokingly, I am suggesting that parents who visit this exhibition without their children should take with them their children’s birth certificates and family portraits to show when requesting for the show bag/s. Maybe the show bags should be made available for a small fee of a few dollars for those who do not qualify for some reason. Nothing is Free in life these days. Gee, I really wonder what is in it anyway to make it so precious!
After reading for 6 hours, I decided to take a break by going out for a walk. I was meant to just go down to the Ferris wheel by the Yarra to take a few pictures and ended up paying $15.00 to check out this popular exhibition at ACMI called “Pixar: 20 Years of Animation”.
I enjoyed the exhibition more than expected. It was interesting to see how much effort the artists put in to create the movies or short features that we enjoy at the cinemas. They actually made 3D models, to show everyone involved in the production the size of each character in relation to the rest of the characters. The whole process seemed pretty time consuming. I used to think that they used only computers to create this form of animation but it turned out that they still use traditional techniques in the process. I was of course delighted to see the magical Toy Story Zoetrope. Although I knew what it was, I refused to believe that I was still looking at the same figurines for a little while. I kept telling myself that when they started to spin real fast, someone must have removed the figurines discretely and replaced them with a screen to show the same characters doing their stuff. LOL. The Zoetrope is not suitable for people with certain medical conditions because they use Strobe lights, but I actually found the Artscape experience dizzying for some reason.
To me, the service was pretty good at first. The lady who sold me my ticket was friendly. The guy who checked in my backpack was friendly. The lady who checked my ticket was also friendly. At the entrance of the exhibition, I was welcomed by another lady, who gave me the leaflet as pictured here. She too was friendly. The attendants at the Zoetrope and the Artscape were friendly and cheerful. I almost gave the whole experience a thumbs-up until I witnessed what I would consider as pretty ugly on the way out. What I think is ugly may not have been necessarily ugly to other people, especially among those who are totally desensitized in the rat race of life.
I was on my way out. Immediately in front of me was a casually dressed young couple in their late 20’s. In front of them were 4 tall men (3 in power suits), chatting to the two attendants there while blocking the rest of us from exiting. After they stepped onto the escalators, the couple in front of me moved forward. They asked for a show bag. The attendant asked them bluntly if they had any children. Her body language was clear that they were not entitled to the show bag. The couple did answer yes to the question but the attendant only reluctantly gave them one after a long pause. There was another attendant but he didn’t speak the whole time. I didn’t bother to ask for one. As much as I enjoy the movies made by Pixar, I can live without too many products linked to licensed characters. Super sensitive me didn’t like the way the couple was treated, especially because the attendants were super friendly to the 4 men in black before the couple. When I did finally get up to the next level, I did see the men again. They were just men (probably from offices nearby) without their wives and kids. This is what I noted. One man had five show bags, the second man had 3, the third man had one and the youngest of the 4 didn’t have any. So, is it that expensive to give the young couple one show bag? Is giving away one show bag to a paying couple who didn’t take with them their kid/s going to cause serious constraints to the budget of the people who brought this exhibition to Melbourne?
The men left the building looking very happy, stepping out to Flinders Street. Where did the couple go? I went to the Gift Shop and they were there too. Poor me bought 4 postcards to give to the Good Samaritan. As I stepped out of the shop, the couple was getting served. Judging from what I could see, they were paying for a number of items. Now, suited up men do look like they have the power to spend big but that is not always the case. This young couple spent more at this exhibition to deserve that one show bag than those men. Jokingly, I am suggesting that parents who visit this exhibition without their children should take with them their children’s birth certificates and family portraits to show when requesting for the show bag/s. Maybe the show bags should be made available for a small fee of a few dollars for those who do not qualify for some reason. Nothing is Free in life these days. Gee, I really wonder what is in it anyway to make it so precious!
Sunday, 23 September 2007
I Agree With You, Inga Gilchrist! (Re: ‘Pumpkin’)
My Singaporean neighbour, Winnie, and I have been following the news closely since learning about the little New Zealand Chinese girl who was abandoned at the Southern Cross train station. Before we found out what had happened to her mum, we wondered why she was abandoned. We almost naturally wondered if the little girl was abandoned simply because she is a girl. One of Winnie’s cousins was born in the year of the tiger in the 60’s and was given away because she was a girl. Winnie explained that people used to believe that girls born in the year of the tiger may never find suitable husbands. She said it had something to do with the Chinese Horoscope cycles. I know that there are 12 animals in the horoscope, rotating in a 12 year cycle but I only just learned that there are other cycles involved. It really is quite intriguing.
On Thursday, I picked up a copy of MX (free mini newspaper) to read on the tram. On page 4 was a piece written by a journalist named Inga Gilchrist. It was about the nickname ‘Pumpkin’, given to the lost little girl. Coincidentally, I too was wondering what a little Caucasian child would be called if he/she was abandoned in India. Sauerkraut or Brussels Sprout in Hindi? That evening, when Winnie popped over, I asked her for her opinion on this nickname. Her first response was that ‘Pumpkin’ sounded cute. She also said that everyone concerned should keep calling her ‘Pumpkin’ to keep things simple. Apparently, no one had managed to pronounce the names of the people involved in this case accurately in the daily news on TV. I secretly thought at the time of our conversation, that the newsreaders do not really want to learn to read the names properly. This could be partly because the parents and the child are not VIPs. It was only a couple of weeks ago, when most of them were pronouncing Hu Jin Tao’s name properly at APEC. A few did say ‘Hugh’ instead of ‘hoo’. Winnie also pointed out to me that even the Chinese language media (as shown in one of the short footages on Sky News) was referring the child as ‘Little Pumpkin’, in Chinese characters.
When I first met my Singaporean neighbour, he introduced himself as CK Leong and his wife as KH Wong. Yes, I was meant to call him CK and her KH. I did wish that they had given me a chance to call them by their given names. I would have tried my best to pronounce them properly. As I got to know them better, I did learn of their given names and do call them by those names occasionally. Their young son joined them later and he already had an anglicised name, Michael, even though the family is not Christian. Like the person the journalist mentioned in her article, who called a famous Chinese actress ‘the Z girl’, CK had a similar experience at work. His wife told me that people initially had trouble remembering the alphabetical combination. Some started to call him KC. His wife KH too, experienced the same at their son’s school. In Singapore, work colleagues had always called him CK and his wife by her given names. The couple decided to use the alphabetical initials of their given names for the both of them when they moved here, because people found it hard to pronounce their names. When people still find the initials tricky, they set out to find themselves anglicised names in frustration. So, CK was reintroduced to me as Leon (inspired by his surname) and his wife became Winnie. On learning that his wife is now Winnie, one young bloke at his workplace asked why he didn’t choose the name Vinnie for himself. He was not amused.
I agree with the MX journalist, Inga Gilchrist that we should make more of an effort. These are people’s names, given to them by their parents. Winnie said that Chinese names are usually carefully selected or created with pride. I think we ought to show newcomers respect and give them a warm welcome to our country. We shouldn’t be expecting them to learn all about us and live like us without learning a thing or two about them. They have heaps to enlighten us on.
Note: In my posts, I have referred to this family as my Singaporean neighbours. Some people may find it offensive that I keep describing them as Singaporean but I am only doing this on the blog. It is easier to give the readers of this blog a bit of background information on the people I am talking about. I can’t refer to them as just plain old ‘neighbours’ because I know quite a few in this building of 144 households. I have English neighbours, New Zealand neighbours, Korean neighbours, and since a month ago, Indian neighbours. It is not done intentionally to offend negatively.
On Thursday, I picked up a copy of MX (free mini newspaper) to read on the tram. On page 4 was a piece written by a journalist named Inga Gilchrist. It was about the nickname ‘Pumpkin’, given to the lost little girl. Coincidentally, I too was wondering what a little Caucasian child would be called if he/she was abandoned in India. Sauerkraut or Brussels Sprout in Hindi? That evening, when Winnie popped over, I asked her for her opinion on this nickname. Her first response was that ‘Pumpkin’ sounded cute. She also said that everyone concerned should keep calling her ‘Pumpkin’ to keep things simple. Apparently, no one had managed to pronounce the names of the people involved in this case accurately in the daily news on TV. I secretly thought at the time of our conversation, that the newsreaders do not really want to learn to read the names properly. This could be partly because the parents and the child are not VIPs. It was only a couple of weeks ago, when most of them were pronouncing Hu Jin Tao’s name properly at APEC. A few did say ‘Hugh’ instead of ‘hoo’. Winnie also pointed out to me that even the Chinese language media (as shown in one of the short footages on Sky News) was referring the child as ‘Little Pumpkin’, in Chinese characters.
When I first met my Singaporean neighbour, he introduced himself as CK Leong and his wife as KH Wong. Yes, I was meant to call him CK and her KH. I did wish that they had given me a chance to call them by their given names. I would have tried my best to pronounce them properly. As I got to know them better, I did learn of their given names and do call them by those names occasionally. Their young son joined them later and he already had an anglicised name, Michael, even though the family is not Christian. Like the person the journalist mentioned in her article, who called a famous Chinese actress ‘the Z girl’, CK had a similar experience at work. His wife told me that people initially had trouble remembering the alphabetical combination. Some started to call him KC. His wife KH too, experienced the same at their son’s school. In Singapore, work colleagues had always called him CK and his wife by her given names. The couple decided to use the alphabetical initials of their given names for the both of them when they moved here, because people found it hard to pronounce their names. When people still find the initials tricky, they set out to find themselves anglicised names in frustration. So, CK was reintroduced to me as Leon (inspired by his surname) and his wife became Winnie. On learning that his wife is now Winnie, one young bloke at his workplace asked why he didn’t choose the name Vinnie for himself. He was not amused.
I agree with the MX journalist, Inga Gilchrist that we should make more of an effort. These are people’s names, given to them by their parents. Winnie said that Chinese names are usually carefully selected or created with pride. I think we ought to show newcomers respect and give them a warm welcome to our country. We shouldn’t be expecting them to learn all about us and live like us without learning a thing or two about them. They have heaps to enlighten us on.
Note: In my posts, I have referred to this family as my Singaporean neighbours. Some people may find it offensive that I keep describing them as Singaporean but I am only doing this on the blog. It is easier to give the readers of this blog a bit of background information on the people I am talking about. I can’t refer to them as just plain old ‘neighbours’ because I know quite a few in this building of 144 households. I have English neighbours, New Zealand neighbours, Korean neighbours, and since a month ago, Indian neighbours. It is not done intentionally to offend negatively.
Sunday, 9 September 2007
Itchy Fingers @ the City Library
It was only weeks ago I wrote about how I love the City Library in the Melbourne CBD. In that post, I mentioned the Nintendo Wii station located in the Young Adult section of the library, but guess what? This little bit of free entertainment is no longer available. Some one cheeky yanked off the controller and took off with it. The Nintendo Wii controller is wireless but this was chained to prevent theft. It obviously didn’t stop this cheeky human from pinching it. Although the console and TV were not damaged, the games can’t be played without a new controller. According to a note stuck there, the library will no longer offer this piece of equipment for public use due to the recent theft. Apparently the library (or was it the City Council) had already made plans to expand the range of games but because of one (or more) senseless human, no one gets to enjoy any of it anymore. What happened didn’t affect me personally, but I just hate it when people damage things that are made available for the public to enjoy. I wonder if there are any footages of the joker/s work.
Friday, 7 September 2007
Mr Smith and the 143 Potential Thieving Families
I came home today to find a note stuck in my mailbox. It was from a certain Mr Smith of apartment XX. He wrote about how his car was broken into on the weekend and about things, including his new GPS unit, which were taken. He declared that he knew the culprit and warned the person to watch his/her back. He also complained about the lack of video cameras within the complex and garage areas. I found the note offensive because it sounded like he was referring to me. Before I went to my apartment, I decided to drop by my elderly neighbours on the ground floor to see if they received the same note. They didn’t but decided to go with me to check their mailbox anyway. Sitting there indeed was the same note. My neighbour read it and scrunched it up. They told me not to be bothered by the note. On my way up to my apartment, I bumped into my Singaporean neighbours. I asked if they also had received the offensive note. They said they too received such a note. They wondered why Mr Smith didn’t just tell the police who he suspected the thief to be and let the police to do their job. By then, I was pretty sure that Mr Smith had left the same note in everyone’s mailbox. There are altogether 144 apartments in this complex. Is Mr Smith accusing everyone except himself?
Mr Smith is wrong to whinge about the lack of video cameras. The complex is already hooked up with many cameras. There are cameras in the garage, in the foyer and there is even one overlooking the communal areas. There was none of these gadgets when I first moved here. Today, I can’t help feeling like I live in a complex not much different from the Big Brother House. All these security measures are expensive too. I would like to see the Body Corporate fees better spent. I absolutely disagree with the installation of the one spying on the communal facilities. Aren’t people even allowed to enjoy themselves without having their privacy invaded like that?
Mr Smith is wrong to whinge about the lack of video cameras. The complex is already hooked up with many cameras. There are cameras in the garage, in the foyer and there is even one overlooking the communal areas. There was none of these gadgets when I first moved here. Today, I can’t help feeling like I live in a complex not much different from the Big Brother House. All these security measures are expensive too. I would like to see the Body Corporate fees better spent. I absolutely disagree with the installation of the one spying on the communal facilities. Aren’t people even allowed to enjoy themselves without having their privacy invaded like that?
Friday, 17 August 2007
Australian Made Toys? Please Enlighten Me
I was watching the news a few nights ago paying particular attention to the piece on Mattel’s Toy Recall. A lady who was asked who should be involved in checking the standards of quality for toys entering Australia suggested that imported toys should be avoided. If the term ‘imported’ refers to all toys that are manufactured overseas and brought into the country to be sold locally, can someone please point me to the right place to shop for Aussie made toys? I believe imported toys include those that are made in Europe, the UK and the US, not just China. (Yes, this nanny is aware that China is now producing the bulk of the toys available today.) If all imported toys are under scrutiny, is this lady trying to say that Aussie made toys are of the top most quality?
I recently searched high and low for Australian Made toys for a little ‘relative’. It all started because I ‘scored’ a great buy on Ebay. It was an auction for a brand new pair of Clarks boots. They were one size larger than what this little ‘relative’ was wearing at the time. The price and service were excellent but the best thing was that the boots (from older stock) were ‘Made in Australia’. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The savings ($$) allowed me to buy another gift to go with them. The idea was to keep things Australian made.
After visiting various toy and department stores, I found a basic plastic tea set in a plastic hamper, a plastic rugby ball stand, a set of quoits, pieces of sandpit toys, a very expensive tepee and a toddler swing seat. I also found a nice rocking horse online somewhere. The tepee and the rocking horse were immediately struck off the list because of costs. The toddler swing seat was beyond my budget as well but the child was already 4 and has a swing set in her back yard. Being raised as a modern day Aussie princess, I didn’t think this child would ever encounter a rugby ball stand or want a set of quoits for that matter. In the end, I bought the picnic/tea set from Big W. They weren’t pink but I thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce other colours into this lucky child’s wonderful world.
Hey, what about the pieces of sandpit toys? They were Aussie made alright, but I am in no hurry to part my hard earned cash on toys so poorly made, even though they were the cheapest on my list. I love Australia but I hate to lie. These toys were awful. The little rake was flimsy. The edges were uneven (not sharp) on most of them. They just didn’t look well made. Of the whole range, only the sand scoop was pretty good. My gift would have look really odd if it had consisted of a scoop and a pair of boots.
I didn’t find many Australian made toys. Do you know where I can find more variety? Email me to tell me please. If I don't have to, I prefer not to shop from online stores because of exorbitant postage quotes.
I recently searched high and low for Australian Made toys for a little ‘relative’. It all started because I ‘scored’ a great buy on Ebay. It was an auction for a brand new pair of Clarks boots. They were one size larger than what this little ‘relative’ was wearing at the time. The price and service were excellent but the best thing was that the boots (from older stock) were ‘Made in Australia’. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The savings ($$) allowed me to buy another gift to go with them. The idea was to keep things Australian made.
After visiting various toy and department stores, I found a basic plastic tea set in a plastic hamper, a plastic rugby ball stand, a set of quoits, pieces of sandpit toys, a very expensive tepee and a toddler swing seat. I also found a nice rocking horse online somewhere. The tepee and the rocking horse were immediately struck off the list because of costs. The toddler swing seat was beyond my budget as well but the child was already 4 and has a swing set in her back yard. Being raised as a modern day Aussie princess, I didn’t think this child would ever encounter a rugby ball stand or want a set of quoits for that matter. In the end, I bought the picnic/tea set from Big W. They weren’t pink but I thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce other colours into this lucky child’s wonderful world.
Hey, what about the pieces of sandpit toys? They were Aussie made alright, but I am in no hurry to part my hard earned cash on toys so poorly made, even though they were the cheapest on my list. I love Australia but I hate to lie. These toys were awful. The little rake was flimsy. The edges were uneven (not sharp) on most of them. They just didn’t look well made. Of the whole range, only the sand scoop was pretty good. My gift would have look really odd if it had consisted of a scoop and a pair of boots.
I didn’t find many Australian made toys. Do you know where I can find more variety? Email me to tell me please. If I don't have to, I prefer not to shop from online stores because of exorbitant postage quotes.
Saturday, 4 August 2007
Overloading Leads To Resentment
I consider myself to be very lucky currently because the two families that I work for appreciate my work and are considerate in that they do not overload me with work. Stella’s mum once said that a nanny is a helper hired to lighten her own workload around the house. A nanny is not there to take over all of the household chores while also looking after the kid/s.
There are many nannies out there that are stuck in appalling work environments. They are made to complete all sorts of chores around the house as well as making sure that the children are well looked after. I know what that is like because I have been in situations like this before. My years working for Alexandra and Bella’s families were like a living nightmare. I thank God each day that I don’t have to work for them ever again.
Parents sometimes overload the nanny’s working day because they think they should squeeze as much as possible out of the nanny since they are paying her a wage. Mothers often feel completely stressed out from looking after the children and taking care of the household chores and affairs with very little help from their husbands. If they can afford to do so, many mothers hire someone to share the work. For example, hiring a cleaner will free up precious time for the mother so she can spend more time with her precious little ones. Most mothers are appreciative of this sort of help. Unfortunately, there are mothers who after enjoying briefly the benefits of hired help, succumb to a never ending search for more ‘me’ time. They may then think of ingenious ways to create more ‘me’ time for themselves. This may include requesting the cleaner to look after the children while she cleans the house. If the cleaner resents this, she may be offered a small raise of an extra dollar per hour. If that doesn’t work out the mother may even contemplate hiring both a nanny and a cleaner. According to the last census, we Aussies are richer than ever. Unfortunately, it is still out of the reach of most Aussies to hire both a cleaner/housekeeper as well as a nanny. So what is a mum desperate for ‘me’ time to do in such a stressful situation? Well, she can sack the cleaner and hire a nanny. This type of mothers tends to be very fair to the new nanny at first, but just as the nanny is about to settle in, the mother is then likely to raise a bar and then another bar, gradually adding more to the nanny’s workload. The mother may even pepper her little project with bits of psychological bullying to create guilt and pity. Looking back to what Alexandra’s mum used to do I sometimes can’t help but laugh at how manipulative someone can be, to exploit another human being like this. I laugh at myself too. How naive can I be to be fooled like that?
Another reason why parents overload the nanny with work is because they believe it to be a form of abuse prevention. While parents are happy to part with their income so as to hire someone else who will look after their children, many do not trust the person they hired. By overloading the nanny with work, these parents come to believe that the nanny will be too busy to be able to plan anything evil towards their children. She will have little time to plot and execute anything to get back at the family. Why o’ why do people hire nannies if they suspect them so much?
Overloading a nanny’s work load can lead to resentment and stress that then leads to poor work quality. To expect a nanny to clean windows while still keeping an eye on two very active toddlers is not fair. It is hardly fair for a mum to be expected to do that, however it is considered an accident if one toddler breaks his arm because the other toddler pushed him off the couch while mum was cleaning windows. On the other hand if it happens while the nanny was cleaning the windows, it can be seen as neglect and the parents may press charges. Nannies working in such conditions are very stressed and are more likely to get sick and are also more prone to real accidents. The children under her care will be affected. Whose children are these again? They are the precious little ones of the very people who paid the nanny to look after them in the first place. I for one will not pay someone and then stress them out so that they can look after my child haphazardly.
Just remember to keep it simple. A nanny is a person who looks after her young charges. This includes any chores that are related to the child/children. She may give the children their baths, but cleaning all the bathrooms and toilets is not part of her job description. She is there to cook or serve up food for the little ones. She may load the dishwasher afterwards and perform general cleaning in the kitchen after food preparation, but she is not meant to be cleaning the BBQ, the fridge and the space behind it while the children are napping. I love folding clothes when the children are napping, but that does not mean I am asking to iron the undies of the children’s grandparents. Above all be appreciative of the nanny, especially if she is doing her job well and shows initiative to help around the house when she has the time. Do not take her for granted just because she is naturally hard working.
NOTE: The chores I have highlighted in the last paragraph are only part of a long list of things a nanny does each day.
There are many nannies out there that are stuck in appalling work environments. They are made to complete all sorts of chores around the house as well as making sure that the children are well looked after. I know what that is like because I have been in situations like this before. My years working for Alexandra and Bella’s families were like a living nightmare. I thank God each day that I don’t have to work for them ever again.
Parents sometimes overload the nanny’s working day because they think they should squeeze as much as possible out of the nanny since they are paying her a wage. Mothers often feel completely stressed out from looking after the children and taking care of the household chores and affairs with very little help from their husbands. If they can afford to do so, many mothers hire someone to share the work. For example, hiring a cleaner will free up precious time for the mother so she can spend more time with her precious little ones. Most mothers are appreciative of this sort of help. Unfortunately, there are mothers who after enjoying briefly the benefits of hired help, succumb to a never ending search for more ‘me’ time. They may then think of ingenious ways to create more ‘me’ time for themselves. This may include requesting the cleaner to look after the children while she cleans the house. If the cleaner resents this, she may be offered a small raise of an extra dollar per hour. If that doesn’t work out the mother may even contemplate hiring both a nanny and a cleaner. According to the last census, we Aussies are richer than ever. Unfortunately, it is still out of the reach of most Aussies to hire both a cleaner/housekeeper as well as a nanny. So what is a mum desperate for ‘me’ time to do in such a stressful situation? Well, she can sack the cleaner and hire a nanny. This type of mothers tends to be very fair to the new nanny at first, but just as the nanny is about to settle in, the mother is then likely to raise a bar and then another bar, gradually adding more to the nanny’s workload. The mother may even pepper her little project with bits of psychological bullying to create guilt and pity. Looking back to what Alexandra’s mum used to do I sometimes can’t help but laugh at how manipulative someone can be, to exploit another human being like this. I laugh at myself too. How naive can I be to be fooled like that?
Another reason why parents overload the nanny with work is because they believe it to be a form of abuse prevention. While parents are happy to part with their income so as to hire someone else who will look after their children, many do not trust the person they hired. By overloading the nanny with work, these parents come to believe that the nanny will be too busy to be able to plan anything evil towards their children. She will have little time to plot and execute anything to get back at the family. Why o’ why do people hire nannies if they suspect them so much?
Overloading a nanny’s work load can lead to resentment and stress that then leads to poor work quality. To expect a nanny to clean windows while still keeping an eye on two very active toddlers is not fair. It is hardly fair for a mum to be expected to do that, however it is considered an accident if one toddler breaks his arm because the other toddler pushed him off the couch while mum was cleaning windows. On the other hand if it happens while the nanny was cleaning the windows, it can be seen as neglect and the parents may press charges. Nannies working in such conditions are very stressed and are more likely to get sick and are also more prone to real accidents. The children under her care will be affected. Whose children are these again? They are the precious little ones of the very people who paid the nanny to look after them in the first place. I for one will not pay someone and then stress them out so that they can look after my child haphazardly.
Just remember to keep it simple. A nanny is a person who looks after her young charges. This includes any chores that are related to the child/children. She may give the children their baths, but cleaning all the bathrooms and toilets is not part of her job description. She is there to cook or serve up food for the little ones. She may load the dishwasher afterwards and perform general cleaning in the kitchen after food preparation, but she is not meant to be cleaning the BBQ, the fridge and the space behind it while the children are napping. I love folding clothes when the children are napping, but that does not mean I am asking to iron the undies of the children’s grandparents. Above all be appreciative of the nanny, especially if she is doing her job well and shows initiative to help around the house when she has the time. Do not take her for granted just because she is naturally hard working.
NOTE: The chores I have highlighted in the last paragraph are only part of a long list of things a nanny does each day.
Sunday, 8 July 2007
One Rule For Mums And Another Rule For The Nanny
It doesn’t take much for a cranky mum to have a go at the nanny just because the mum is the boss.
I am a nanny, not a weather expert. It is very difficult to forecast the weather in Winter. It is cloudy on most days in Melbourne and this makes it look like it is about to rain. We have had plenty of rain lately but unfortunately the clouds don’t always mean rain.
As a nanny, it is my job to take my charges out to play in the park. Some parents prefer their precious little ones to be taken out twice a day. They believe the outdoor play will wear the children down. This way they can have some peace and quiet if the children end up going to bed nice and early. Some parents make me feel like I am taking their dogs out for a walk instead of their kids. Some of them are also insistent so that they don’t have to do this ‘chore’ when I am not there. I don’t mind taking the children to the park at all. It is my job after all.
The task is made harder because I can’t forecast the weather. Sometimes I wait a little to see if it is really going to rain before going out but I also sometimes wait a little too long and the rain finally comes pouring down, ruining my opportunity to go out at all. Whose fault is that? The nanny is at fault, of course! New parents may wonder why I can’t go after the rain. Let me tell you, nannies have other things lined up to do during the day as well. Now, imagine wheeling a precious little Aussiemite to the playground and then getting caught in the rain whilst on the way home. Being a dutiful nanny, I should have remembered to put the plastic waterproof shield over the pram to prevent the poor child from getting soaked. Whose fault is it if the plastic waterproof shield is nowhere to be found and the child ended up getting wet? The nanny is at fault again, of course!
When I was looking after Mathilde when she was a young toddler, her cranky mum complained a few times if I didn’t take her out when it didn’t end up raining. The truth was that I sometimes waited too long for the rain to happen or to pass. When we were caught in the rain on the way home from the park on two occasions, I was asked why I took her to the park on such a rainy day. This cranky mum wanted Mathilde to go to the park daily but provided no waterproof shield for the pram to keep her little girl dry if it rained. She complained that the shield was too cumbersome to use and kept it in her SUV instead. Mary Poppins always carried an umbrella but if I carried one like hers it would still be difficult for me to shield the child while she was sitting in the pram, while I pushed her from behind.
On two occasions, I arrived for work on rainy days to see this cranky mum wheeling Mathilde home from the shops. The child was wet. The first time this happened the cranky mum said that the rain just came from out of nowhere. The second time this occurred the cranky mum had the audacity to explain that it was an unexpected, silly little mistake, but Mathilde enjoyed it. After probably judging my facial expression, she went on to tell me that this was an okay bit of fun for her, because she is the child’s mum, but she expected a little more from me because I am a nanny.
So, is a nanny neglecting her duties because her young charge got wet, while a mum is considered to just be having a little bit of fun with her young child if the same thing happened? Is there one rule for the nanny and another rule for the ‘ever so caring’ mother?
I am a nanny, not a weather expert. It is very difficult to forecast the weather in Winter. It is cloudy on most days in Melbourne and this makes it look like it is about to rain. We have had plenty of rain lately but unfortunately the clouds don’t always mean rain.
As a nanny, it is my job to take my charges out to play in the park. Some parents prefer their precious little ones to be taken out twice a day. They believe the outdoor play will wear the children down. This way they can have some peace and quiet if the children end up going to bed nice and early. Some parents make me feel like I am taking their dogs out for a walk instead of their kids. Some of them are also insistent so that they don’t have to do this ‘chore’ when I am not there. I don’t mind taking the children to the park at all. It is my job after all.
The task is made harder because I can’t forecast the weather. Sometimes I wait a little to see if it is really going to rain before going out but I also sometimes wait a little too long and the rain finally comes pouring down, ruining my opportunity to go out at all. Whose fault is that? The nanny is at fault, of course! New parents may wonder why I can’t go after the rain. Let me tell you, nannies have other things lined up to do during the day as well. Now, imagine wheeling a precious little Aussiemite to the playground and then getting caught in the rain whilst on the way home. Being a dutiful nanny, I should have remembered to put the plastic waterproof shield over the pram to prevent the poor child from getting soaked. Whose fault is it if the plastic waterproof shield is nowhere to be found and the child ended up getting wet? The nanny is at fault again, of course!
When I was looking after Mathilde when she was a young toddler, her cranky mum complained a few times if I didn’t take her out when it didn’t end up raining. The truth was that I sometimes waited too long for the rain to happen or to pass. When we were caught in the rain on the way home from the park on two occasions, I was asked why I took her to the park on such a rainy day. This cranky mum wanted Mathilde to go to the park daily but provided no waterproof shield for the pram to keep her little girl dry if it rained. She complained that the shield was too cumbersome to use and kept it in her SUV instead. Mary Poppins always carried an umbrella but if I carried one like hers it would still be difficult for me to shield the child while she was sitting in the pram, while I pushed her from behind.
On two occasions, I arrived for work on rainy days to see this cranky mum wheeling Mathilde home from the shops. The child was wet. The first time this happened the cranky mum said that the rain just came from out of nowhere. The second time this occurred the cranky mum had the audacity to explain that it was an unexpected, silly little mistake, but Mathilde enjoyed it. After probably judging my facial expression, she went on to tell me that this was an okay bit of fun for her, because she is the child’s mum, but she expected a little more from me because I am a nanny.
So, is a nanny neglecting her duties because her young charge got wet, while a mum is considered to just be having a little bit of fun with her young child if the same thing happened? Is there one rule for the nanny and another rule for the ‘ever so caring’ mother?
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Target CBD Becoming a Friendly Store?
I shopped at the Target store in the CBD ever since it first opened its doors in 1994. It was a Coles Fossey store before that. I never quite enjoyed shopping at Target CBD but had to because it was the only one of that kind of store in the city until 2003. You should have seen how delighted I was when Big W opened at QV.
What was so unpleasant about the Target CBD store? Well, I absolutely couldn’t stand the security guards they used to hire. They made me feel like I had committed a crime just for entering the store. I may be a poor nanny but frugal me has a tendency to not enter a store unless I am willing to part with my cash and purchase some things. I definitely do not STEAL. Do not get me wrong. I don’t mind the employees hired to greet shoppers at the entrances of all Target stores and neither do I mind having my bags searched when I leave the store without purchasing anything because the item advertised in the catalogue was not in stock. Big W at QV has employees that greet and check shoppers as well but they don’t have scary security guards that turn a simple shopping trip into a journey to hell.
From 1995 – late 2003 / early 2004, they had a security guard who annoyed me terribly. I understood he was hired to watch out for shop-lifters but his attitude really sucked. (Sorry for the terrible language.) He stalked customers, including me. I didn’t then and I still do not understand now, why he targeted me. He would appear within minutes of me entering the store. I have seen him in action when I was not the victim. He would stalk almost like a wild animal prowling for their prey. He must have earned plenty of praise from his employers because I have seen police called in to take away shop-lifters he caught. I could just visualise him smiling like a Cheshire cat. Urggh!
From around 1999 – 2003, the security guard mentioned above acquired a sidekick. The younger bloke was quite cute actually. He reminded me of an actor on CSI Miami. The two worked hard to catch plenty of shop-lifters. This Robin wannabe would radio him whenever he saw me and within a minute or two, I would find Batman either hiding behind some shelves/racks or conveniently walking in my direction. It was downright annoying.
How did he come to ‘hate’ me? (Yes. I am aware that Hate is a big bad word.) Well, I think he began to focus on me when I distracted him from a successful kill many years ago. I was checking out some books when a little boy came to me crying because he was lost. Now, I do not know why the boy approached me as I wasn’t even dressed as Mary Poppins. As I wasn’t the adult in charge of this little boy, I thought I would just hand him over to someone from the store. If this happened on the street, I would hand the child over to a policeman (that is if I can find one). As this happened inside a store, I thought I would hand him over to either a store clerk or another employee. Guess who was right around the corner? Batman the fearless security guard! So, I took the child to him and explained what had happened. It was only then I realised that he was busy stalking or watching a dude at the CD section. He turned around and barked “Deal with it.” I told him that’s not my job and left the boy sobbing next to him. Luckily the boy’s family appeared soon after. They thanked him like a hero but he was not impressed at all. That’s how it started. After that incident, he never let me shop in peace again.
I saw less of this nasty bloke from around 2004. Gradually another tubbier security officer took over. My friends and I nicknamed this guy teletubbie. He was slightly friendlier but still stalked or watched me just the same. Some of my friends reckoned that he was actually a friend of mine that I was trying to hide from. By then I didn’t care if all of the security officers at Target CBD had a problem with me. I didn’t have to shop there as often anymore and if I really had to buy something from Target, I would travel all the way to the Target stores in either Malvern Central or Highpoint. Big W opened its doors at QV in September 2003. In terms of shopping, Big W and Safeway were a big welcome to a poor nanny like me.
I did visit the Target CBD store twice lately. The first time I went there was a few weeks ago, the store was undergoing the first stage of a series of renovations. I didn’t see teletubbie. In fact, I didn’t see any security officers. The lady manning the Little Bourke St entrance saw that I was collecting a catalogue ending that day offered me a new catalogue advertising items on discount starting from the next day. She was warm and cheerful. I was there again last Thursday, after work, to get a friend a Gift Card for her birthday. I didn’t want to go there at first but this friend really loves shopping at Target. As I enter the store, I looked for catalogues again but there were none left. The greeter immediately offered me a copy but then realised that he didn’t have any either. To my surprise, he offered to go to the other end of the store to get me a copy! This has never occurred to me in the past. Is Target trying to score Brownie points? With the warm welcome, I decided to look around the store. I saw a security officer downstairs in the basement. He was just walking around like a normal person. He wasn’t preying like a monster.
I don’t think all shoppers should be treated rudely by nasty security guards. I am aware that they are many shop-lifters around but it is unfair to judge shoppers for no reason. (Yes, I do absolutely believe that they had no reasons to see me as a THIEF.) Shops should really utilize the use of surveillance cameras more in this day and age to give shoppers a chance to shop in peace. Of course machines may have their limits. In that case, hire security officers who do their jobs and are yet courteous to shoppers.
As a nanny, I am police checked. As a shopper, I am not police checked when I enter a store. Funnily, one greeter from Target CBD commented that I am a honest shopper because I always presented my bag for search on my way out. Honestly, I would rather go through Airport style checks if I am requested to if it gives them a peace of mind and an opportunity for me to shop without judgement.
What was so unpleasant about the Target CBD store? Well, I absolutely couldn’t stand the security guards they used to hire. They made me feel like I had committed a crime just for entering the store. I may be a poor nanny but frugal me has a tendency to not enter a store unless I am willing to part with my cash and purchase some things. I definitely do not STEAL. Do not get me wrong. I don’t mind the employees hired to greet shoppers at the entrances of all Target stores and neither do I mind having my bags searched when I leave the store without purchasing anything because the item advertised in the catalogue was not in stock. Big W at QV has employees that greet and check shoppers as well but they don’t have scary security guards that turn a simple shopping trip into a journey to hell.
From 1995 – late 2003 / early 2004, they had a security guard who annoyed me terribly. I understood he was hired to watch out for shop-lifters but his attitude really sucked. (Sorry for the terrible language.) He stalked customers, including me. I didn’t then and I still do not understand now, why he targeted me. He would appear within minutes of me entering the store. I have seen him in action when I was not the victim. He would stalk almost like a wild animal prowling for their prey. He must have earned plenty of praise from his employers because I have seen police called in to take away shop-lifters he caught. I could just visualise him smiling like a Cheshire cat. Urggh!
From around 1999 – 2003, the security guard mentioned above acquired a sidekick. The younger bloke was quite cute actually. He reminded me of an actor on CSI Miami. The two worked hard to catch plenty of shop-lifters. This Robin wannabe would radio him whenever he saw me and within a minute or two, I would find Batman either hiding behind some shelves/racks or conveniently walking in my direction. It was downright annoying.
How did he come to ‘hate’ me? (Yes. I am aware that Hate is a big bad word.) Well, I think he began to focus on me when I distracted him from a successful kill many years ago. I was checking out some books when a little boy came to me crying because he was lost. Now, I do not know why the boy approached me as I wasn’t even dressed as Mary Poppins. As I wasn’t the adult in charge of this little boy, I thought I would just hand him over to someone from the store. If this happened on the street, I would hand the child over to a policeman (that is if I can find one). As this happened inside a store, I thought I would hand him over to either a store clerk or another employee. Guess who was right around the corner? Batman the fearless security guard! So, I took the child to him and explained what had happened. It was only then I realised that he was busy stalking or watching a dude at the CD section. He turned around and barked “Deal with it.” I told him that’s not my job and left the boy sobbing next to him. Luckily the boy’s family appeared soon after. They thanked him like a hero but he was not impressed at all. That’s how it started. After that incident, he never let me shop in peace again.
I saw less of this nasty bloke from around 2004. Gradually another tubbier security officer took over. My friends and I nicknamed this guy teletubbie. He was slightly friendlier but still stalked or watched me just the same. Some of my friends reckoned that he was actually a friend of mine that I was trying to hide from. By then I didn’t care if all of the security officers at Target CBD had a problem with me. I didn’t have to shop there as often anymore and if I really had to buy something from Target, I would travel all the way to the Target stores in either Malvern Central or Highpoint. Big W opened its doors at QV in September 2003. In terms of shopping, Big W and Safeway were a big welcome to a poor nanny like me.
I did visit the Target CBD store twice lately. The first time I went there was a few weeks ago, the store was undergoing the first stage of a series of renovations. I didn’t see teletubbie. In fact, I didn’t see any security officers. The lady manning the Little Bourke St entrance saw that I was collecting a catalogue ending that day offered me a new catalogue advertising items on discount starting from the next day. She was warm and cheerful. I was there again last Thursday, after work, to get a friend a Gift Card for her birthday. I didn’t want to go there at first but this friend really loves shopping at Target. As I enter the store, I looked for catalogues again but there were none left. The greeter immediately offered me a copy but then realised that he didn’t have any either. To my surprise, he offered to go to the other end of the store to get me a copy! This has never occurred to me in the past. Is Target trying to score Brownie points? With the warm welcome, I decided to look around the store. I saw a security officer downstairs in the basement. He was just walking around like a normal person. He wasn’t preying like a monster.
I don’t think all shoppers should be treated rudely by nasty security guards. I am aware that they are many shop-lifters around but it is unfair to judge shoppers for no reason. (Yes, I do absolutely believe that they had no reasons to see me as a THIEF.) Shops should really utilize the use of surveillance cameras more in this day and age to give shoppers a chance to shop in peace. Of course machines may have their limits. In that case, hire security officers who do their jobs and are yet courteous to shoppers.
As a nanny, I am police checked. As a shopper, I am not police checked when I enter a store. Funnily, one greeter from Target CBD commented that I am a honest shopper because I always presented my bag for search on my way out. Honestly, I would rather go through Airport style checks if I am requested to if it gives them a peace of mind and an opportunity for me to shop without judgement.
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