Skip to main content

Yaya Diaries: Yaya Ritchie

A month before my SIL gave birth, she found a yaya.  Since she didn't need her yet - she lent her to me to be 'trained'.  And so I interviewed Yaya Ritchie when she got to my house.  I always interview to scare, haha!  Bad, right?  But I do that so that my helpers know that I am firm.  I've always believed too that interviews are only for show.  I wanted to see her in action and at the back of my mind, I was expecting the worse.

That night, I told her to watch over Connor.  Connor was 5 months old then and he was gaining very little weight.  I was very worried because if you compare him with Kailee - Connor was so far behind.  During her first day - I was already impressed.  She knew what she needed to do, plus she knew how to handle a breastfed baby!  She was such a breath of fresh air, she was very helpful in every way, I mean in EVERY way.

She was quiet, and not chatty.  She seldom uses her cellphone.  She's simple and down to earth.  Very respectful of the things that I wanted done.  She was very helpful, may kusa.  She was also not picky when it comes to food (unlike Yaya D).  I learned that she was a domestic helper for 2 years in Hong Kong.  She told us that when you are a DH in Hong Kong, you literally did everything.  Clean the house, do the groceries, take care of the baby and literally EVERYTHING.  But the pay, according to her was big - so she sacrificed.  She was very much interested to go back again since the pay was big - thus she can save more.  I told myself that at the rate my SIL was paying her for, I wouldn't mind paying the same amount if she was employed with me.  She was very efficient, I swear - she was the perfect yaya.  She was very clean with herself, the baby and the room.  She was organized and well prepared.  She knew how to suction out snot with a bulb suction.  She knew how to nebulize, she was alert, attentive and listens very well to instruction.  I am all praises, but seriously - she is really really THAT good!  She was supposed to be trained under me - but I will tell you what I told my SIL - Yaya Ritchie didn't need to be trained.  I knew from seeing her work that she knew what to do.  A few days with me, I gave my SIL a thumbs up, I told her that her baby will be in good hands.  Ganon ako ka-impressed.  Her good qualities as a yaya didn't end there.  She knew she also had to get along with my other helpers - and she did.  No conflicts in the one month she was with me.  She's also great with nursery rhymes!  Hahaha.. It was from her that I learned the song 'Five Little Monkeys' - she introduced me to Mother Goose club in Youtube!  Hahaha...  I really super liked her!!

A month later, my SIL gave birth and I had to return her.  It was sad but at least I knew that my new nephew would be in good hands.  We saw Yaya Ritchie regularly for 3 months, we would visit them and she would visit us (my nephew in tow of course!)  When she would stay in the house with my nephew, she felt very at home and comfortable.  I'm sure it's very obvious that I was very fond of her - mabait eh!

After a few months, I learned from my SIL that Yaya Ritchie had told her that she wanted to leave.  Apparently, Yaya Ritchie and my SIL's house help were not getting along.  I had to ask why, so I spoke to Yaya Ritchie, she relayed to me that she was threatened, that her life was threatened by the house helper and she was so afraid for her life.  She was crying when she told me, she was really really scared.  It came to a point, that Yaya Ritchie and the house help had to be separated.  I volunteered my home for Yaya Ritchie to stay at - for the time being that she didn't find a job yet.  I told her that I would pay for a portion of her salary since she will be somehow watching over Connor.  But it never happened.  Last I heard was that she went home to the province, Yaya D. told us.  I even texted her that I would help her find work.  Imagine ha, that was how much I really really liked her.

A few months later, I saw in this FB group that someone was going to hire her.  This girl messaged me, lets call her M and I replied.  I told M what a gem Yaya Ritchie was.  I was all praises, and she was actually baffled because Yaya Ritchie stayed with me for only a month, yet I was all praises.  What I told her was really simple - it was that Yaya Ritchie took care of Connor very well.  She was really nice, good with infants, honest, reliable and efficient.  So M took her in.  But it didn't work out, Yaya Ritchie only stayed with her for 2 weeks.  Yaya Ritchie's reason for leaving was that an aunt of her was sick and she needed to help this aunt.  This was a valid reason - because while she was with me, I knew of this aunt she was helping.  I evern accompanied Yaya Ritchie to a bank so she can withdraw some money from her ATM account.  Mind you, Yaya Ritchie has some money saved up.  And its not just 4 digits, more like 5 digits worth!  I was impressed, ha!  I've never met a yaya/helper who had money saved up!

So anyway,  M, out of trust - gave Yaya Ritchie a part of her month's salary in advance.  (This was all relayed to my by M through FB chat - so it's documented)  M said it was her 'help' to Yaya Ritchie and she accepted.  She just told Yaya Ritchie to come back when everything was settled.  But after two weeks or so, Yaya Ritchie told her that she wasn't coming back.  A few weeks later, she got a text from Yaya Ritchie saying that Yaya Ritchie found employment in Hong Kong.  When M told me this, I apologized because it was through my recommendations that M took Yaya Ritchie in, but M was very understanding - she knew the risks and was thankful.  M and I would chat here and there, asking how each other was.

A few weeks ago, I got an FB message from M.

 I asked how she knew and that if Yaya Ritchie texted her, below are her replies:



I was shocked and floored!  I mean, when M told me Yaya Ritchie left for Hong Kong, I thought to myself - kahit gaano ka bait ang Yaya, they're all the same talaga - they just needed the money.  But when I got this message for M.  OH MY GOSH, I couldn't believe it.  I mean, I was really happy because Yaya Ritchie did something NO OTHER HELPER WILL EVER EVER DO!!  And that is to pay back their advances to their employers!  Imagine, she is already in Hong Kong yet she still remembered her obligation.  I was seriously thinking that it was goodbye P5,000.00 of M!  But I guess not!  It was really a miracle, seriously - don't you think so?

What does that say about Yaya Ritchie?  It says so much about her character.

So Yaya Ritchie, wherever you are in Hong Kong, GOD BLESS YOU!

We miss you Yaya Chi!!  Connor is a little boy na!  I miss you whenever I think about you!!  I wish to bump into you when I'm in Hong Kong!  I'm sure I'd give you a very tight hug and praise you infront of your employers!  You should see Kailee, she's a lovely little girl, you would be proud of her too!

This is the only picture I have of Yaya Ritchie and its with Connor pa.




There is still hope pala for these helpers.  It's not all bad I guess, but its so hard for us to trust since we feel that most every helper that came into our lives were bad.  I wish there were more people like Yaya Ritchie.  Mabuhay Ka, Yaya Ritchie!








Comments

  1. Wow swerte naman ng employer niya. I swear sobrang rare ang ganyan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ro, super duper RARE talaga! Kaya I wanted to share. Sana may natitira pang ganyang yaya sa mundo noh??

      Love, Didi

      Delete
  2. Wow, so blessed of you that you met a yaya like Yaya Ritchie. At least, me magandang addition sa yaya chronicles natin. Ako din, I met a yaya like her. Sobrang linis sa house, sobrang maasikaso sa kids ko, then magaling din magluto. Wala ka nang hahanapin pa. Kaya nun umalis sya kasi she got pregnant (by her husband), I cried talaga (but not in front of her). Kasi I know wala nang katulad niya e. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Beth! Thanks for dropping by! Yes, it is a nice addition to our Yaya Diaries! How's that helper of yours na? Hehehe!! We all wish the same thing ano? Hehehe..

      love, Didi

      Delete
  3. Hi Didi I am interested to join your yaya fb group haha thanks for sharing this wonderful story.

    xoxo
    MrsMartinez

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for appreciating Michelle!

      Love, Didi

      Delete
  4. Nakakatuwa naman si Yaya!! rare talaga yung mga yaya na ganyan..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sobrang rare talaga Leirs!!
      I wish nga I could keep her eh! Kaso grabe scary ang sweldo diba?

      Love, Didi

      Delete
  5. Dami ko na ring napagdaanang yaya. Yaya Chi is a gem. Nung bata pa kami nagka yaya kami na oarang ganyan. Eventually umuwi ng province dahil nag asawa. Ka fb na namin sya ng mother ko ngayun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous! Nakakatuwa yung mga ganyang Yaya diba? How we all wish that they're all ganun. Yung may prinsipyo. Ibang level ang paghanga ko. Thanks for dropping by!

      Love, Didi

      Delete
  6. Hi Didi akala ko negative ending but turned out to be a good one giving us all hope haha. May I know where your SIL "found" Yaya Chi was she a direct referral or agency? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The agency was Royale. But mind you, panahon pa yan ng Lola ko ha. It's really hit and miss kasi my mom also gets from them and swertehan lang. When I was about to give birth, the applicants that I had were all bagsak! It's really swertehan to be honest. You can try your luck!!

      Love, Didi

      Delete
  7. Konti na lang ang mga yayang ganyan sa mundo. Kung saan man ngayun si yaya, nakapa swerte ng bago nyang amo. :)

    maid provider agency

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Breastfeeding Mama!

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (July). For this month, we join the National Nutrition Council - Department of Health in celebrating Nutrition Month with the theme "Isulong ang Breastfeeding - Tama, Sapat at EKsklusibo!" Participants will share their experiences in promoting breastfeeding or their tips on how breastfeeding should be promoted. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants." When I got pregnant, I knew instantly that I would be breastfeeding my baby.  My mom found it odd that I decided to breastfeed - this was because I grew up formula fed.  My twin brother and I were given formula since birth, there was no attempt whatsoever to breastfeed.  In fact my mom recounted that she was given medicine to stop the milk production.  My pedia, Dr. Joy Ty-Sy said that during my mom's time (when she had us) it was the boom of formulas, that it was the trend that time.  I grew up with formula, my c

ANSON SUPERMARKET - Grocery delivery!!

Sharing is caring, so we can't keep it a secret any longer.  THIS is where we get out groceries!  Well, Anson Supermarket has been where we have been purchasing all of our kids' diapers!  From Kailee to Connor to Shobe!  Yes, yes, yes! A week into the lockdown, it just occurred to us that we can get our groceries from them - but then we thought, we didn't want to force them to do it - after all it's a different time now.  But when we asked and they said yes, it was like we won the lottery.  We sent out our list - a very VERY SPECIFIC list and voila after a day or two (we weren't in a rush) they told us to schedule a pick up.  Please remember that I am sharing this with you guys because I believe so much in the saying 'sharing is caring'.  Please be mindful of your language and respect those who will call or message you about your orders.  Also note that some items might NOT be available - so manage your expectations.   They're a full functioning

#CookingQuest: Winter Melon Soup ala Didi #EnhancedCommunity

One of the things that gets ooohs and aaaahs in a chinese restaurant is the #WinterMelonSoup.   You may ask why?  Well because with this soup, restaurants use the winter melon itself as a huge bowl to serve the soup!  It's a sight to see as you'll be amazed how they were able to pull it off.  You'll see the whole winter melon, and then suddenly they're take out the top part and when you peek in, the soup is inside together with meat bits and other veggies!  My mom has tried it at home, and I remember her being nervous that the winter melon doesn't break apart, kunde sira ang presentation! So during this #EnhancedCommunityQuarantine, I chanced upon Theo's Farm that they have winter melon, so I ordered.  When I saw it - I knew I wouldn't be able to pull off the carving and serving the winter melon.  It actually made the preparation easier.  I had to ask my mom, and she told me to steam the winter melon to soften it.  Honestly, I don't think I can w