Every Sunday,
amidst the high end stores,
a strange thing happens.
The center of Hong Kong is transformed.
Thousands of Filipinas and Indonesians
almost all of them domestic workers
gather on every patch of shade:
sidewalks,
subways,
and underpasses.
This is their one day off
and they’re determined to enjoy themselves.
They rent used cardboard boxes from local sellers
to sit on
and for a bit of privacy.
Then settle in to play cards,
eat,
laugh,
and socialize.
Or just catch up on sleep after a long hard week.
There are over 300,000 domestic workers in Hong Kong.
One in three Hong Kong households with children has a maid.
Some have been here for over twenty years.
Others are just getting settled.
It’s a close-knit sorority
and newcomers quickly find shared interests
and make friends.
But there’s more to this than just a social outing.
It turns out that Filipinas are excellent businesswomen.
In fact, most of these gatherings are mobile, undercover, restaurants
serving Filipina favorites.
That’s a menu.
So’s that.
It’s the best – and cheapest – meal you can find in Hong Kong.
The problem is,
foreign workers are not legally allowed to make money on the side.
And the HK government has created a special police force to make sure not a penny changes hands.
Luckily, the police can’t do anything unless they see a cash transaction
and the women have gotten very good at slight of hand.
The average nanny earn a little over $500 dollars a month
and sends almost every penny home to support her own family
particularly her parents
and school fees for her children.
Though they do occasionally indulge in a few luxuries:
shoes,
manicures and pedicures,
and some makeup.
Who doesn’t want to look now and then?
For those who are not into material possessions
there is plenty of spiritual comfort.
There’s even a Christian healer
who will draw out your sins
and get rid of them for you..
Others volunteer to keep an eye on their blood pressure
and make sure they’re not too stressed.
They’ve managed to take a difficult situation in a foreign land
and made it their home.