the last two days were very busy yesterday i did two weeks worth of laundry and cleaned my room and the bathrooms. then i went to drinking monday and got plastered on vodka crans and then my friend david invited me over to his house for movies and matzoh so that was wicked fun then today i cleaned an apartment in astoria for cash and then i went to 36th street in brooklyn for another cleaning job and then i went to chinatown to get a turtle for my sister.
History -- Chinatown: Strangers In A Strange Land
back when i got my turtle (like seven years ago) in front of every other store in chinatown there would be a grandma with a bucket full of baby turtles but i guess the city has been cracking down (they are illegal). I saw no buckets of turtles, only a few stores had the little turtle tanks outside but with stone/ceramic turtles in them. i hipped myself to the scene by finding a grandma near a tank with the stone turtles and i picked one up and said "turtle?" and she made some mumbling and pointed at another store across the street that had mechanical frogs swimming in a bucket outside. i went in that store and said "turtle?" to someone but they didn't work there then i found the right lady and said "turtle" but she didn't respond until the grandma from across the street showed up and then they sold me a turtle. he is very cute.
and then i ate really delicious Vietnamese curry chicken with awesome bread but then i got really sick because i had been hungover and didn't realize it and that sucked. so i had a sad train ride but a dude gave me his seat.i had a job interview to go to when i got home but i was super exhausted so i called and asked to reschedule it. i wouldn't usually do that but i am pretty ambivalent about this job b/c the pay sucks. the lady was accommodating so no worries on that front.
It's hard finding a good P/T nannying gig because people don't understand how skilled and valuable real quality childcare is. I don't want to get too far into it right now but this is an important worker's rights issue and show the devaluing of what was traditionally thought of as "women's work." if you are interested you can read more about the situation here and here New York is at least somewhat progressive in that the state passed a Domestic Worker's Bill of Rights.
According to Jezebel, The law says that domestic workers, including nannies, housekeepers, and elderly caregivers, have:
- The right to overtime pay at time-and-a-half after 40 hours of work in a week, or 44 hours for workers who live in their employer's home;
- A day of rest (24 hours) every seven days, or overtime pay if they agree to work on that day;
- Three paid days of rest each year after one year of work for the same employer; and
- Protection under New York State Human Rights Law, and the creation of a special cause of action for domestic workers who suffer sexual or racial harassment.
But most domestic workers don't know about the law, and if they do many won't fight for their rights because of their immigration status. sucks. I have only had one paid day of rest or sickness or whatever you want to call it in the five years i have been nannying in NYC.
I have not worked as a domestic for less than minimum wage since I was a minor. This is because I have white privilege and also that I am a native English speaker and a graduate degree holder and education degree student. I can do more than just watch the kids though, I do have other skills like tutoring them in reading and writing and basic math and elementary piano and Spanish and a wealth of creative and cultural skills and willingness to physical exert myself and participate in play. So in some ways I am worth the high price I seek and have received and I don't want to bend over for the first job offered that I a bad move. It would be about thirty hours a week so I would make more money than I do now, but it is lower quality of life for me because I have to work a about 10 extra hours a week to only make about 60 extra dollars. That doesn't make any sense. And i'm still in school full time and working additional part time gigs. too much too muchery.
When I got home I relaxed for a bit and started to feel better. I watched a program on PBS with Brian that was really good. hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Blacks in Latin America is fascinating. Can't wait to see the other episodes in the three part series.
ok time for bed g'night.
by Isabel Allende which was about a slave and a concubine and Haiti before it was a haiti. it was extremely moving and beautiful. i would have made it a bit shorter if i was the editor, a few parts were clunky or boring but overall it was a great book. i have gotten some swell b-day gifts so far including an awesome black gold earring for my rook from 
from brian for workouts, a 
from papa (have yet to order that though, i should get on that, earrings and 
and buttons and light up bracelets from the lovely kelly, superstickers and baked things from doug and leah, and 
from me!
. i like her, she's awesome. I wanted to go to the party at the sacred gallery tonight but i was too worn out and tired and headachey. we really did the dang thang last night. ok well i think i'm ready for some sleeping. see ya later!
