Voice of the National ~ Aminatou

About a month ago, we had a conversation at A Life Overseas about one of those unsettling and sometimes divisive (at least as far as opinions about best practices) components of our expat, international lifestyle - local men and women employed to handle those domestic tasks and home maintenance labor.

One thing I did pick up from that conversation was that for many of us, we find it a challenging life choice wherever we fall on the continuum, and it often involves great extremes of feelings... and opinions we are often too willing to share.

In our time overseas, we've had full time help, live-in help, part-time help and no help at all. That about covers the range of possibilities! We've had great help, adequate help, annoying help and bad help. That also about covers most of the possibilities. We've hired, fired, discovered, trained, trained for others, paid medical bills, advanced education fees, financed motorcycle and car loans, submitted the equivalent of social security to the government because of our help, and doled out retirement and indemnities - to name a few. At the risk of repeating myself, That about covers the gamut as well.

As expat, international workers, we all shared our thoughts, ideas and opinions. I thought it might be interesting to hear from "the other side. " What do these hired workers, men and women who come into our homes and practically live day in and day out with us:

think of us,think of what we've come to do, andthink of how we go about doing it?

But the very biggest question I had?

Screen shot from The Help

********************************************************************

To read the rest of this post, an interview with my friend Aminatou and to dive on into our conversation, follow this link to a life overseas: the missions conversation!

See you there!