Yes, the cooking.
That is probably why the restaurants are so poor here and the palate so bland,, because everyone is just used to campesino cooking, no one reads a cook book and tries out new recipies. But neither here nor there.. as I said, I do like to cook.
I guess my standards are just lower. I can do with a mopping twice a week and a sweeping in between if I get energetic. But there is just me and the dog, not a housefull of kids who are tracking in and out.
I call the colmado to bring stuff. Only send her out when it is something specific like a part for the blender or something like that. She does move the furniture. But does not wait til the clothes are dry. I put them away and leave the stuff for her to iron the next time. Leave the sheets for her to fold and put away.. they are hung in the cuarto so they do not bother me for a couple of days.
I think perhaps it is part about "treated as invisible and not a lot of respect" .
There is probably a real class divide here that we don't have so much in the States. I mean, I have worked as a cleaner when I needed money (ok, I CAN do it but I just hate it) Lots of my friends have worked as waitresses, flipping burgers, at Dunkin Donuts, whatever it takes. No shame in it and it does not affect our self esteem.
But here, I think that it would be a lot different.
Here, almost everyone in the middle class has a servant. Not all of my neighbors do but And yes, there is something in that word as well. I call mine a worker, a trabadora. not a muchacha.. since she has kids who have graduated from high school. Even "maid" is a bit wierd to me as it sounds like something out of "Upstairs Downstairs" with helping me get into an evening dress and all that. But I do think that a lot of upper class Dominicans live more in that world than in the one I am used to -- believing perhaps that there is something inherently better between themselves and the maid. That is certainly true in probably the majority of cultures in the world. Guess it is just that you can take the American out of America but you can't take.. etc..
And we use the "tu" form with each other which I do not think she would actually do with a Dominican. But I think that I have made it clear that I really appreciate her and value her.
I always ask about her kids, her family, her life. Stuff like that. Plus if I am making coffee or a sandwich I ask her and make one for her.. which I guess would be the exact opposite of the way things would be done in a Dominican house and classified as "spoiled" but it is just normal for me. I suppose I could take the time to teach her to make a perfect BLT but how much work is that for me when she is the one who cleans the pan?
Plus, I always say "thank you for your work" when she leaves and often tell her how much I appreciate her.
I sit and talk with our housekeeper, and if she's shucking guandules she picked on our property I sit down and lend a hand, for example. But I'm still Dona to her and she's very protective of me. She won't leave to go home if Mr. AE is down the road somewhere. We have an odd sort of friendship.
