Background
Etin is from Surabaya, in East Java, the largest city after Jakarta. Unlike the majority of Indonesian FDWs in Singapore, her parents were both teachers and comparatively well off. As a result they were able to provide Etin with capital to set up a small grocery shop. Etin is the eldest among 7 children in the family. She among the better educated Indonesian FDWs in Singapore, having completed 12 years of formal education - Senior High School. After school she took care of her grocery shop until she decided to work in Singapore.

1. Her first job was a disaster and she was rejected after only 1 week, which is hardly long enough to assess a domestic worker's potential.
2. Her second job last the duration of the work permit - Mar 96 to Feb 98. Her host family consisted of 5 persons, including 3 children aged 7, 4 and 2. As Madam was working, Etin took care of the children and performed the household chores. She went home after 2 years.
3. In Aug 01, six months later, she was back, this time working for a family of 4, all grown up. Initially her employer had one domestic helper who found it increasingly harder to handle the job because Madam required much care. She had cancer. So Etin was hired to relieve her of some of the work: mainly cleaning, laundry, washing 3 cars and gardening. When Madam lost the battle with cancer, the family decided they no longer needed two helpers and Etin elected to go home.
4. She came back to Singapore in July 09 to work for a fmaily of 6 including 4 children aged 10, 12, 14 and 16. She has been paid her salary for the last two months. Non-payment of salary is a serious breach of MOM regulations and so Etin's employer has lost his privilege of employer an FDW. Now Etin has MOM's permission to seek alternative employment.

Childcare
In the 4 significant situations, Etin took care of 8 school-age children or younger. The youngest was 2 years old. She likes children and gets along well with them. Besides attending to their physical needs, she also played with them and in other ways interact with them.

Cooking
Etin taught herself to cook Chinese food. Her employers provided her with cook books. But sometimes she would also prepared Indonesian dishes for them, especially rendang (beef and chicken). Some of the Chinese dishes Etin used to prepare for her employer include:

• Black sauce chicken, Oyster sauce chicken, Fried chicken, Baked chicken, Roast chicken
• Steamed fish, Assam fish, Fried chilli fish (fish stuffed with chilli), Fried fish with sauce, Sweet and sour fish, Fish cutlet
• Bak Kut Teh, Pork chop, Sweet and sour pork, Pork with black sauce and mushroom, Pork cutlet
• Stir fried vegetables and Vegetable soups.

Personality and Proficiency in English
Etin's command is above average compared with other Indonesian FDWs. She is simply dressed and tidy in appearance. She is fairly outgoing and prompt in answering questions, a sign of intelligence. Well, she sounds intelligent to me.

When available: As Soon As Possible

Profile by Karl Tan
Licensed Employment Agent since 1981

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