尋找中國好保姆

尋找中國好保姆

LOOKING FOR A MANDARIN MARY POPPINS

Text by Lena Gidwani Photo by Corbis Translation by Grace

Lena Gidwani is a mother of a son and daughter, resident in Guangzhou for 13 years, self-confessed networker, magazine editor and an avid writer.She can often be seen conducting interviews around the city while her trusty ayi lends a hand around the home and with the children.

Lena Gidwan是自由網絡工作者、雜志編輯和作家。她在廣州居住了13年，深受信任的阿姨幫她料理家務，照看一對兒女。

When 8-year-old's Jane and Michael Banks advertised for a nanny in the 1964 fi lm Mary Poppins, they asked for a witty, fairly pretty, rosy-cheeked, treat-giving type.How supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Nowadays, families are more likely to put more essential qualities like honesty at the top of their requirements when hiring the right person to look after their offspring.Mary Poppins sure chose the wrong era to dabble in childcare.

Living in the Middle Kingdom comes with a number of lifestyle changes for an expat family, and one of them is most likely hiring an ayi.Literally translated into English from Mandarin as “aunt,” they are prevalent and wear several hats; housekeeper, cook, launderer, personal shopper and so on.However, it's a running joke that fi nding a good husband is easier that fi nding a good ayi, and I'll vouch for that in a heartbeat.

Start by making a detailed list of what essential qualities you desire, traits to be avoided, what chores you want her to do and to what extent you want her to take control, the number of hours you feel you will need her for and how much you're willing to pay for all of this.Are you looking for a part-timer or a live-in? Do you want someone from your city, or a migrant from another province? This affects salary, holiday allowances, the

meals that they make for you and even the dialects that they speak.Most ayis don't speak English, and those who do charge more.To keep initial costs down and to invariably help the children pick up the language quickly, having a rudimentary grasp of Chinese will help.After all, there's only so long you can depend on hand gestures; imagine trying to ask your ayi if she's seen your feminine wash.Awkward.

No matter you approach a third party like an agency, take the route of asking trusted friends for referrals, or search through online message boards and WeChat groups, in due time, you'll be able to line up a few interviews.If you have the time, carry out a background and health check.Lastly, never assume that everything is clear and understood; specify everything either through a written contract or a verbal agreement that is witnessed by a third party, and of course, keep a copy of their hukou or identity card.

Clearly, the search for a good ayi requires some serious effort.And this is what makes living in China so heart wrenchingly wonderful; the challenge of fi nding someone that can help you assimilate to life all whilst sharing the domestic burden.In the words of my wise mother, if you let them become part of your world, they will in turn let you become part of theirs.And of course, keep your house spanking clean…

在電影《歡樂滿人間》中， 8歲的珍和邁克對保姆的要求是美麗詼諧，會找樂子。如今，各個家庭更看重保姆的基本素質，諸如誠實可靠。

對于在華居住的外國家庭，他們尤其需要找個阿姨。阿姨身兼數職，既是管家、廚子、洗衣工、采購員，也是護士、房屋管理員等等。中國阿姨會給你的生活帶來極大便利，但事實上，找個好阿姨難過找個好丈夫。

首先，你要列出一份詳細的要求，包括阿姨的工作范疇、勞動報酬、是否住家、是否全職、語言能力等等，因為這些很可能會影響到你每天晚餐吃得開不開心。建議雇主掌握基本的漢語，這樣既能有效溝通，又能降低雇傭成本。

接下來,你可以通過中介、朋友、上網或者在微信群中找阿姨。在適當的時候，便與阿姨面談，也可以對阿姨進行背景核查和健康檢查。最后，必須簽訂書面合同或是在第三方在場的情況下進行口頭約定。別忘了保留阿姨的戶口本或身份證復印件。

找阿姨的過程可能令我們精疲力竭，卻又妙不可言。如果你讓她成為自己生活的一部分，那么你也會成為她生活的一部分。