Living with someone but never seeing them!

Have you ever lived with someone but seldom have a chance to talk to them or even see them, except when they are asleep? That's the case for me at the moment!

I live with my sister, not just under the same roof but in the same room and sleeping on the same bed. If I tell that to most people, they would be thinking, "How nice and how close these siblings are?". Nothing is further from the truth... and the truth is that I find that we are drifting apart because we hardly ever get a chance to talk to each other, other than the occassional SMS message in the day.

In the morning, I wake up at 5am to get ready for work. My sister is almost always still in dreamland. She hardly stirs, even when I have to turn on the lights. I can fully understand as she must be so tired standing for almost 12 to 14 hours every day. By 5.30am, I am out of the house and off to work. At about 8am, my sister would get up and it is then her turn to get ready for work. She usually leaves the house at 9am to get to work by 10am as she usually works quite far away... currently in Ang Mo Kio.

I finish work at about 6pm and usually make my way straight home. I am usually back by 6.45pm or so. Sometimes I go for a jog, sometimes I read my books and watch the news on my computer. Sometimes I go to the supermarket to buy some groceries and have my dinner at about 8pm. Usually by 9.30pm or 10pm, I would go to bed as I have to wake up at 5am. That will give me about 7 to 7.5hours of sleep.

My sister usually gets off work at 10pm. By the time she gets home, if she does not work overtime, it will be at least 11pm. I would be deep in sleep by then and I seldom if ever stir, even when she comes home and turn on the lights. I wear eye patches to sleep, so I seldom even notice that she is home. Sometimes my sister would work overtime to do the packing and get ready for the next day. This usually means she will be home by 2am.

So the only time I get to see my sister is on her off-day, which is usually once in two to three weeks. She only takes off when she is really really tired as her objective is to earn as much as possible during her stay in Singapore.

So there you go! Living with someone you love, and even sleeping on the same bed, but seldom ever get to speak face-to-face! How pathetic? Do you face this problem?

My sister is changing work location too!

One evening, my sister came home and complained to me that she had a tiff with her Singaporean colleague. At her work place, they are paid commission based on how much each individual sells. When you attend to a customer, you ring up the bill and you get paid the commission. My sister said that a few times, when she made a sale, her Singaporean colleague will rush to ring up the bill, so she gets the commission instead. My sister got really upset too because they called her, "大路妹"! I told her that phrase don't mean much as long as she don't attach a stereotype meaning to it!

I am aware that I am only listening only to her side of the story... so I shall not make any comments. However, I did tell my sister about my early experience with some local workers too. Many local workers tend to treat us Chinese workers as if we are a big threat to them or their jobs. The truth is, we are here to earn a living, and are willing to work really, really hard to make ends meet too!

Anyway, my sister requested for a change of location from her boss and ever since, she had been posted to Yishun North Point for a couple of weeks and then to Serangoon NEX shopping center till now. She seems to enjoy the change of environment better, as it gives her a chance to experience different parts of Singapore. I told her she is seeing more of Singapore than I ever did, despite me staying here almost three years already!

I had the opportunity to visit her on a few Saturdays when she was working, just to make sure she is OK. Most times, she is so happy to see me. I even bought her a soft toy which she likes alot at NEX. It cost me a lot (SGD69) but I will do anything just to keep her happy. I made a promise to my mother to look after my sister really, really well... and I intend to keep that promise!

Sick!

On Monday, my sister came home with one big red eye. I asked her what happened and she said she wasn't so sure. She had Chicken Rice for lunch and right after that, her eyes swelled and became red. It was also a little itchy and she had to rub it, making it even redder.

She said she was going to take a rest and the next day, she should be fine. That night, she slept early at about 9pm.

However, on Tuesday, the redness did not go away. She went to work anyway but the discomfort got the better of her and she took half-a-day leave to come home to rest. She sent me an SMS saying she wants to go see a doctor when I get home.

I was a little concerned as I wasn't sure if it was serious. Sometimes, it's a tough feeling to be worried and yet having to continue to work, knowing that there is no way I can help until the day is over.

When I got home, she was already waiting for me. I had a look at her eye and indeed it was getting worse. We proceeded to a doctor in Bedok Central, the same doctor I visited the last time when I was down with flu. I always prefer to visit doctors I am more familiar with. This clinic seems clean and the doctor was very professional, kind and friendly the last time I visited her.

There was about couple of people before us, so we had to wait about 20minutes for our turn.

Our turn came soon enough and we were ushered in to see the doctor. The doctor had a look at her and said it's a common infection. It could last a few days if not treated and there was nothing to worry about, she added. She should be fine with some medication.

With this, she prescribed some artificial tears for her and gave her a day's MC to rest at home.

We both felt a lot better after the visit knowing it was nothing serious!

Keeping food warm!

I cook quite a lot for my sister these days... since I come home early and she comes home late. I would usually do the cooking at about 7.30pm and go to bed by about 10pm. My sister will usually come home at 11pm and by that time, I would be in dreamland. By the time she have her shower, dinner (or supper) will be close to midnight! Although that's not the best time to have dinner and jump straight into bed!

So, how do you keep cooked food warm and ready to eat for about 4 hours (8pm to midnight)?

Well, I bought a two-tier container which cost about 13 dollars from the local supermarket. It is made of plastic and made in my home country, China. However, due to having double-layered walls and insulation, it is able to keep the food warm for quite a few hours. My sister told me that when she have her dinner close to midnight, the food is still reasonably warm! Great!

I'm not sure it's such a good idea to be cooking for her so often. Since coming to Singapore, my sister has complained that she had put on quite a few kilograms. Is this due to eating dinner late and then going to sleep straight away? Or is it just due to a lack of good exercise. As she comes home late, she is not able to join me jogging and when I invite her to jog on her off days, she says she is too tired!

So, I made her promise that she will wash the container after eating, otherwise, I will not cook for her! Ha ha! That way, at least she gets a little exercise after eating!

Finally, my Sister!

My sister never liked her picture taken, for whatever reason, especially since she came to Singapore! One day she would say she has put on too much weight, another day, she would say she has no make-up on. Somehow, she will find some excuses to reject me. As for me, I enjoy snapping pictures with my mobile phone so that I can keep these as souvenirs when I do go back to China.

Well, finally she relented and I had some new shots of her to show. These were the first pictures I had taken of her since she landed in Singapore. It's been tough for my little sister, working 6 days a week from 10am to 10pm. I guess she'll get used to it soon, just like I did. I know it took me a while to adjust but adjust I did... and I am sure she will too.

Anyway, I took these pictures as she was preparing to go to bed. She had to brush her teeth, remove her make-up etc... after coming home from work and I decided to snap some pictures. I thought that with her face all wet, or her mouth full of toothpaste, she has no place to run. She decided to go wild and smeared make-up all round her eyes to look like a Panda, just so I won't be able to take good pictures of her.

She's always such a sport when she needs to be... always my lovely sister!

Looking after my sister!

My sister started work on Wednesday afternoon after her medical check-up earlier in the day. The agent said that she will be selling clothes but she ended up selling shoes instead! She did not mind that actually, they are quite the same. She works at the Ang Mo Kio MRT Station at a store called KIYO. I believed they have several branches all over the island as I remembered seeing them before. I text my sister to tell her that I will be picking her up as she is not sure how to take the train system in Singapore. I'll show her the way home and then the following day, she will have to do it all on her own.

That evening when I came home, I prepared some dinner for her before I went to pick her. Here's what the dinner looked like. My sister told me she is not quite used to the local food yet, so I'll just cook something up for the next few days until she knows what to eat. I know how it's like to be in a new country... in a new culture all alone. I've been through it all just over 2 years ago and it's no fun... so I'm going to make sure my sister's life here is better!

My sister works 6 days a week from 10am to 10pm with one day off. She chose to have Monday off every week. For this, she is paid SGD1,000 per month with a SGD200 living allowance. Better than what I get but then... I'm really happy with my job!

Finally... my sister is here!

Finally, my sister is now in Singapore. The two pictures you see here are pictures of me waiting at the airport. I had a drink at the Burger King outlet at the Arrival Hall as I was quite a bit early... almost an hour early in fact. I had to be sure as I had never picked up anyone at the airport before and I wanted to make sure I was at the right terminal.

I had wanted to take a picture of my sister but she resisted (and kept covering her face) as she claims she looked a mess after being on the plane for so many hours! Maybe such vanity runs in the family! I'll try to grab a few pictures of her in the next few days if I have the chance!

We arrived home safely at about 2am both tired but excited. The agent picked her up the next morning (after I had called the China agent to complain) and brought her to their office at Jalan Berseh for some documentation. At about 11am, they told her that she can go home without at least explaning to her how. Interestingly, the night before, my sister had forgetten to take down the address of the Bedok place I am staying (and in my excitement I forgot to give it to her), even if she had the money, she won't know how to tell the cab driver to take her home, let alone take a bus or mrt. My sister had some RMB with her but we still did not have the opportunity to change the money to SGD.

Anyway, she called me when and I was able to give her directions home. She managed to get home safe and sound... smart girl!

I'll take her out to show her Singapore this evening. Afterall, this might be the only evening I get to spend with her as her working hours will be from 10am to 10pm while mine is from 6am to 6pm. She gets one day off a week although this might be a weekday! Sigh! I thought we would at least have one day a week together!

Tonight's the night!

Tonight, or rather Wednesday morning will be the day my sister arrives in Singapore. I guess she must be just as excited as I am! However, looking back at what I went through when I first came to Singapore, I tried to tone her excitement down a little. Isn't it true that in life, if we keep our expectations lower, we will almost always be happy. However, if expectations are too high, we can be sorely disappointed. Anyway, I am so excited I cannot sleep!

I don't expect her to go through what I went through, like sleeping in a room with eight people and having barely any money left to even to eat during my first month. Afterall, I came on my own but now she has the benefit of having me here to pave the way for her... ha ha... if you can call that pave the way (as I am still struggling myself too!) But at least, she can come knowing that she has a place to stay, a familiar face to pick her at the airport and a family member to talk to when she is down. I remember on one outing with some friends, I refused to buy a bottle of water at SGD1.00, knowing that back home in China, the same bottle sells for RMB1(about SGD0.20), even though I was parched dry and about to collapse of dehydration.

My lovely sister... welcome to Singapore!

Can somebody help find a job for my sister?

Ever since coming to Singapore, I have been calling home on a regular basis; every few nights or so. Most of the time, I call home to speak to my mother, just so she is not unduly worried about me being so far away. My parents have been country folks all their life. They've never traveled out of their city, not to mention the country and to them, any foreign place is bad! How can I blame them?

The other person who is always eager to talk to me is my sister. She's been bugging me to get her a job in Singapore. I guess she does not know that the government is reducing the number of foreign workers (at least for now) and it is really really difficult to find her a good job. She knew that I changed jobs and she thinks that it must be very easy for me to change my job, so why is it that I am taking so long to find her a job. Before I left, I promised to help her look for a job and since I came, I have been looking at the papers almost daily and calling prospective employers. Most of them just want PR's and "S" passes.

My sister is so eager she is all packed and ready to come. She even made me give her my bigger suitcase. That's how determined she is.

I kind of dread calling back because I know she will snatch the phone from my mom and ask me about the job and I have to keep giving her the bad news (that I have not found a job for her).

Can any of my readers help her? She is good looking, hardworking and smart too. Unfortunately like me, we never had the opportunity to further our studies due to financial reasons. However, I know she is willing to pick-up and learn just about anything.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

A little disturbed!

This morning, my sister called me and said that an agent told her that he's got a job for her. It's a job as a beautician in the city and the pay is SGD1,000 without any other allowances. I know my sister is really keen to come to Singapore, especially now that I am here and I am fearful that in the haste, she may make the wrong decision and end up SGD8,000 poorer. My first experience told me that this SGD8,000 will take as long as a year or more to earn back... and the pressure builds if you have to borrow the money too.

My colleague tells me that Beauty Centers are sprouting up in Singapore because the barrier to entry is low. However, many of them don't last more than a year or two. Is this true? I really don't want my sister to fall into the same trap as me... ie just when you earn back your agents fee, it's time to go home!

Isn't it interesting in life that the more we know, the more we worry? When I came out here the first time, I wasn't worried about anything. I just paid and went... because I did not know a thing about Singapore! But now that I know a little more and also a little more experienced, I am a little concerned. I'm not sure how I should advise here as far as this is concerned. Even while taking my breakfast with my colleague, I am thinking about it!

My Sister wants to go too!

Ever since my sister heard that I was coming to Singapore to work, she wants to come to. My sister is 5 years younger than I but she is a lot more adventurous and "gung-ho" too. Unlike me, she makes up her mind really fast and when she does so, it will be very difficult to change her mind.

My sister and I are very close since young. Since I started work at 17, I've always bought her little things that she wants. She's always look up to me as "big sister" and I kind of enjoy the "honor" as well. She's a lot more bubbly than I am and now she's grown up to be a beautiful girl. Isn't she lovely?

Currently, my sister works in the beauty line. She specializes in doing facials and currently works in a beauty center in Shenyang. Beauty centers has sprung up by the hundreds all over China as we progress. More and more ladies find it a necessity to want to look good at work, especially office workers. Working hours in this part of the world are long (10-12 hours day) and many work 6-7 days a week. Most workers are only given 7 vacation days each year and as such, many of them don;t have the time to look after themselves. These beauty parlor are perfect places for them to relax and let someone pamper them. Well, the competitiveness of this business is good for the clients but for the business owners and employees of the beauty parlors, life is tough. Margins are low and charges are very competitive, driving many smaller ones out of business.

My sister has an ambition to come to Singapore to familiarize herself with the trade and when she has saved enough, to finally start a small business here. It's just too competitive here.

However, I told her that I will go suss out the situation and working conditions in Singapore before asking her to come over. The truth is, I know she does not have the money  to come over and like me, she probably has to take a loan from someone to pay the agent's fee. I'm not sure it is a good idea for both of us to get into such a high debt at this time, so I am using this as an excuse to discourage her from coming. I promised her that when things are moving well, I will look for a job for her so that we do not have to pay the hefty agent's fee. Or in the event that things does not work out for me, then she should not even think about coming. However, deep down inside me, I wanted her to be beside me on this long journey. Outwardly, I tried to show her that I am "cool" but inside me, I'm just a complete nervous wreck... not unlike a cool looking swan that is paddling like crazy under water!