Expats

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the newest episode. I’m glad we got to see the helpers POV.
It seemed like everyone got a little crazy during the storm and then went back to normal when it cleared in the morning. I’m confused about puri, did she miss the competition? They didn’t show it either way so I thought she could still be going? She just realized her friend was right - you aren’t friends with your employers. No matter how much she wanted it to be true.
And why won’t Essie just say no if she doesn’t want to go to the us? It doesn’t sound like Margaret is forcing it and knows it is a big decision. If she wants to go home so bad just say no, it’s kind of a perfect time/opportunity to break free.

My read on the ending:

Puri was supposed to get the morning off for her competition (she mentions to her friends that Hilary has given her the morning off for it). So Hilary asking for breakfast and being very hungover and saying nothing about it does not bode well for Puri going. I think the resigned look on her face indicates that she's not even going to try. It's really sad.

Regarding Essie, from her conversation with Puri about Gus and the family, it's clear she has a very strong feeling of responsibility towards the family and is genuinely worried about the kids (who she has helped raise for the last several years). Essie tells Puri that her kids are telling her she should retire and move back to Manila to be near them and her grandchildren, but that Essie hasn't done it because especially with Gus's disappearance, she can't bring herself to leave the family. Kind of in the same way that the family is having a hard time leaving Hong Kong without Gus because it feels like giving up on them.

I don't think Margaret was pressuring her, necessarily, but I did find it presumptuous that it doesn't seem to occur to her that Essie has children and grandchildren in Manila who it would become very hard for her to see if she moved to the US. Unclear how often she sees them now but from her conversation with Puri, it sounds like they speak often and are very much in touch. Manila is about 2.5 hours from Hong Kong and flights can be found pretty cheap. But from the US you are talking about a really difficult time difference and travel to see them would cost thousands. It is strange to me that Margaret doesn't even seem to have considered this -- perhaps to offer to pay for her to travel to Manila every year or something, I don't know. Margaret says she knows it's a big ask, but it's just felt like a bizarre myopia about Essie's own family, given what Margaret has been through with Gus. Essie would be leaving all her children and grandchildren behind. To not acknowledge that feels callous or at least oblivious.

I don’t share this view at all. Essie is a much older women with grown children (or
maybe just the one grown child we’ve seen?). It’s not rude/clueless/cruel/whatever for Margaret to not be peppering Essie with questions about her kids (or grandkid(s) - and grandkids aren’t the same as kids in terms of one’s responsibilities anyway) or have that top of mind. People in this thread seem to be bending over backwards to find things to criticize about the westerners here.

She has two kids. Her son is married with his own young kids (Essie's grandkids). Her daughter doesn't have kids and I think she said is not married? She said her daughter is focusing on her career.

I don't understand why people are missing so many of the basic facts from this episode. Was it the subtitles? People keep being confused about things that were explicitly addressed in the episode, and the one PP though Puri was the one applying for the helper job with Hilary's friend with the teens and the cheating DH. Are y'all watching the show or just glancing up occasionally from your phones?

That wasn’t Puri be interviewed by the friend. Puri was home cleaning Hilary’s house and she’s chubbier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but Margaret kind of sucks too. When Essie comes home, Margaret asks very warmly how Essie's day off was and then immediately becomes distracted and tells her to go change and then to get dinner ready. Margaret is like "you're family" but Essie is NOT family and us not treated like family.

I don't think Margaret pressured Essie to come to the US at all and I give her credit for explaining to Essie why she took the kids to meet Mercy that day and took responsibility for her own feelings of jealousy. So I don't think she's as bad as Hilary. But I think she is faking her warmth/kindness toward Essie. She wants to be that person, but she's not. Essie is just the help to her.

This is exactly how I feel about her too.

[Anonymous]

Is it over? Was that the last episode? With Mercy looking in mirror at her growing belly and Margaret asking Essie to come to the US.

I was reading there is an episode being released 2/23. I thought that was the final episode.

[Anonymous]

Essie being 60 isn’t great for long term live in help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the newest episode. I’m glad we got to see the helpers POV.
It seemed like everyone got a little crazy during the storm and then went back to normal when it cleared in the morning. I’m confused about puri, did she miss the competition? They didn’t show it either way so I thought she could still be going? She just realized her friend was right - you aren’t friends with your employers. No matter how much she wanted it to be true.
And why won’t Essie just say no if she doesn’t want to go to the us? It doesn’t sound like Margaret is forcing it and knows it is a big decision. If she wants to go home so bad just say no, it’s kind of a perfect time/opportunity to break free.

My read on the ending:

Puri was supposed to get the morning off for her competition (she mentions to her friends that Hilary has given her the morning off for it). So Hilary asking for breakfast and being very hungover and saying nothing about it does not bode well for Puri going. I think the resigned look on her face indicates that she's not even going to try. It's really sad.

Regarding Essie, from her conversation with Puri about Gus and the family, it's clear she has a very strong feeling of responsibility towards the family and is genuinely worried about the kids (who she has helped raise for the last several years). Essie tells Puri that her kids are telling her she should retire and move back to Manila to be near them and her grandchildren, but that Essie hasn't done it because especially with Gus's disappearance, she can't bring herself to leave the family. Kind of in the same way that the family is having a hard time leaving Hong Kong without Gus because it feels like giving up on them.

I don't think Margaret was pressuring her, necessarily, but I did find it presumptuous that it doesn't seem to occur to her that Essie has children and grandchildren in Manila who it would become very hard for her to see if she moved to the US. Unclear how often she sees them now but from her conversation with Puri, it sounds like they speak often and are very much in touch. Manila is about 2.5 hours from Hong Kong and flights can be found pretty cheap. But from the US you are talking about a really difficult time difference and travel to see them would cost thousands. It is strange to me that Margaret doesn't even seem to have considered this -- perhaps to offer to pay for her to travel to Manila every year or something, I don't know. Margaret says she knows it's a big ask, but it's just felt like a bizarre myopia about Essie's own family, given what Margaret has been through with Gus. Essie would be leaving all her children and grandchildren behind. To not acknowledge that feels callous or at least oblivious.

I don’t share this view at all. Essie is a much older women with grown children (or
maybe just the one grown child we’ve seen?). It’s not rude/clueless/cruel/whatever for Margaret to not be peppering Essie with questions about her kids (or grandkid(s) - and grandkids aren’t the same as kids in terms of one’s responsibilities anyway) or have that top of mind. People in this thread seem to be bending over backwards to find things to criticize about the westerners here.

She has two kids. Her son is married with his own young kids (Essie's grandkids). Her daughter doesn't have kids and I think she said is not married? She said her daughter is focusing on her career.

I don't understand why people are missing so many of the basic facts from this episode. Was it the subtitles? People keep being confused about things that were explicitly addressed in the episode, and the one PP though Puri was the one applying for the helper job with Hilary's friend with the teens and the cheating DH. Are y'all watching the show or just glancing up occasionally from your phones?

That wasn’t Puri be interviewed by the friend. Puri was home cleaning Hilary’s house and she’s chubbier.

Yes, I know that. A PP thought this though and asked what we all thought about Puri lying in her job interview with Hilary's friend. Which especially makes no sense because Puri's most recent reference would be Hilary and I think the friend would put 2 and 2 together.

But also Puri and the woman interviewing don't look anything alike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Essie being 60 isn’t great for long term live in help.

The kids are older though and I think Margaret wants her to come just to help with the transition. I also think Margaret has tons of guilt about everything -- leaving Essie behind that night, feeling jealous of Gus's love for Essie, moving back to the US and leaving Essie behind. I think Margaret is just racked with guilt and thinks maybe offering fir Essie to come will make up for it somehow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it over? Was that the last episode? With Mercy looking in mirror at her growing belly and Margaret asking Essie to come to the US.

I was reading there is an episode being released 2/23. I thought that was the final episode.

Theres supposed to be 6 eps, so 1 more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Essie being 60 isn’t great for long term live in help.

The kids are older though and I think Margaret wants her to come just to help with the transition. I also think Margaret has tons of guilt about everything -- leaving Essie behind that night, feeling jealous of Gus's love for Essie, moving back to the US and leaving Essie behind. I think Margaret is just racked with guilt and thinks maybe offering fir Essie to come will make up for it somehow.

Now that you say this, I think so too. She thinks money will make it ok. Like thats all Essie wants. Get a US visa, make more money, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the newest episode. I’m glad we got to see the helpers POV.
It seemed like everyone got a little crazy during the storm and then went back to normal when it cleared in the morning. I’m confused about puri, did she miss the competition? They didn’t show it either way so I thought she could still be going? She just realized her friend was right - you aren’t friends with your employers. No matter how much she wanted it to be true.
And why won’t Essie just say no if she doesn’t want to go to the us? It doesn’t sound like Margaret is forcing it and knows it is a big decision. If she wants to go home so bad just say no, it’s kind of a perfect time/opportunity to break free.

My read on the ending:

Puri was supposed to get the morning off for her competition (she mentions to her friends that Hilary has given her the morning off for it). So Hilary asking for breakfast and being very hungover and saying nothing about it does not bode well for Puri going. I think the resigned look on her face indicates that she's not even going to try. It's really sad.

Regarding Essie, from her conversation with Puri about Gus and the family, it's clear she has a very strong feeling of responsibility towards the family and is genuinely worried about the kids (who she has helped raise for the last several years). Essie tells Puri that her kids are telling her she should retire and move back to Manila to be near them and her grandchildren, but that Essie hasn't done it because especially with Gus's disappearance, she can't bring herself to leave the family. Kind of in the same way that the family is having a hard time leaving Hong Kong without Gus because it feels like giving up on them.

I don't think Margaret was pressuring her, necessarily, but I did find it presumptuous that it doesn't seem to occur to her that Essie has children and grandchildren in Manila who it would become very hard for her to see if she moved to the US. Unclear how often she sees them now but from her conversation with Puri, it sounds like they speak often and are very much in touch. Manila is about 2.5 hours from Hong Kong and flights can be found pretty cheap. But from the US you are talking about a really difficult time difference and travel to see them would cost thousands. It is strange to me that Margaret doesn't even seem to have considered this -- perhaps to offer to pay for her to travel to Manila every year or something, I don't know. Margaret says she knows it's a big ask, but it's just felt like a bizarre myopia about Essie's own family, given what Margaret has been through with Gus. Essie would be leaving all her children and grandchildren behind. To not acknowledge that feels callous or at least oblivious.

I don’t share this view at all. Essie is a much older women with grown children (or
maybe just the one grown child we’ve seen?). It’s not rude/clueless/cruel/whatever for Margaret to not be peppering Essie with questions about her kids (or grandkid(s) - and grandkids aren’t the same as kids in terms of one’s responsibilities anyway) or have that top of mind. People in this thread seem to be bending over backwards to find things to criticize about the westerners here.

She has two kids. Her son is married with his own young kids (Essie's grandkids). Her daughter doesn't have kids and I think she said is not married? She said her daughter is focusing on her career.

I don't understand why people are missing so many of the basic facts from this episode. Was it the subtitles? People keep being confused about things that were explicitly addressed in the episode, and the one PP though Puri was the one applying for the helper job with Hilary's friend with the teens and the cheating DH. Are y'all watching the show or just glancing up occasionally from your phones?

That wasn’t Puri be interviewed by the friend. Puri was home cleaning Hilary’s house and she’s chubbier.

haha OMG thank you ' when the person wrote that Puri was interviewing for the nanny job - I was so confused and did blame myself for not paying attention enough - hahah!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why Puri didn’t simply make Hilary’s breakfast and then say “I’m on my way now.” Or not even make the breakfast and just remind Hilary of the competition. Good grief.

And Mercy’s new friend/girlfriend - what is her connection to the older woman and her son? Is she the daughter/sister?

Was this the final episode?

I think Puri was nervous about a conflict. She doesn't want to appear too demanding. Also Hilary seems unstable at the moment.

Mercy's friend is a classmate/friend of the guy who was going to the protests. No she is not his sister-- we see her in her own home with her family at one point. They have a conversation about an exam coming up and studying.

No, there is one episode left.

Oh please. She was just hungover. People are going overboard with the supposedly cruelness here. Puri could have readily have gone on her way to the competition. Geez.

+100
Totally agree! Hilary isn’t some kind of monster. She was always kind to Puri, even before she got drunk. Puri could have definitely gone to the competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the newest episode. I’m glad we got to see the helpers POV.
It seemed like everyone got a little crazy during the storm and then went back to normal when it cleared in the morning. I’m confused about puri, did she miss the competition? They didn’t show it either way so I thought she could still be going? She just realized her friend was right - you aren’t friends with your employers. No matter how much she wanted it to be true.
And why won’t Essie just say no if she doesn’t want to go to the us? It doesn’t sound like Margaret is forcing it and knows it is a big decision. If she wants to go home so bad just say no, it’s kind of a perfect time/opportunity to break free.

My read on the ending:

Puri was supposed to get the morning off for her competition (she mentions to her friends that Hilary has given her the morning off for it). So Hilary asking for breakfast and being very hungover and saying nothing about it does not bode well for Puri going. I think the resigned look on her face indicates that she's not even going to try. It's really sad.

Regarding Essie, from her conversation with Puri about Gus and the family, it's clear she has a very strong feeling of responsibility towards the family and is genuinely worried about the kids (who she has helped raise for the last several years). Essie tells Puri that her kids are telling her she should retire and move back to Manila to be near them and her grandchildren, but that Essie hasn't done it because especially with Gus's disappearance, she can't bring herself to leave the family. Kind of in the same way that the family is having a hard time leaving Hong Kong without Gus because it feels like giving up on them.

I don't think Margaret was pressuring her, necessarily, but I did find it presumptuous that it doesn't seem to occur to her that Essie has children and grandchildren in Manila who it would become very hard for her to see if she moved to the US. Unclear how often she sees them now but from her conversation with Puri, it sounds like they speak often and are very much in touch. Manila is about 2.5 hours from Hong Kong and flights can be found pretty cheap. But from the US you are talking about a really difficult time difference and travel to see them would cost thousands. It is strange to me that Margaret doesn't even seem to have considered this -- perhaps to offer to pay for her to travel to Manila every year or something, I don't know. Margaret says she knows it's a big ask, but it's just felt like a bizarre myopia about Essie's own family, given what Margaret has been through with Gus. Essie would be leaving all her children and grandchildren behind. To not acknowledge that feels callous or at least oblivious.

I don’t share this view at all. Essie is a much older women with grown children (or
maybe just the one grown child we’ve seen?). It’s not rude/clueless/cruel/whatever for Margaret to not be peppering Essie with questions about her kids (or grandkid(s) - and grandkids aren’t the same as kids in terms of one’s responsibilities anyway) or have that top of mind. People in this thread seem to be bending over backwards to find things to criticize about the westerners here.

DP. Also agree with this! Margaret was lovely to Essie. She told her how much she loved her! And she didn’t pressure Essie to come to the US at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but Margaret kind of sucks too. When Essie comes home, Margaret asks very warmly how Essie's day off was and then immediately becomes distracted and tells her to go change and then to get dinner ready. Margaret is like "you're family" but Essie is NOT family and us not treated like family.

I don't think Margaret pressured Essie to come to the US at all and I give her credit for explaining to Essie why she took the kids to meet Mercy that day and took responsibility for her own feelings of jealousy. So I don't think she's as bad as Hilary. But I think she is faking her warmth/kindness toward Essie. She wants to be that person, but she's not. Essie is just the help to her.

DP. She told Essie to go change because Essie was soaking wet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the newest episode. I’m glad we got to see the helpers POV.
It seemed like everyone got a little crazy during the storm and then went back to normal when it cleared in the morning. I’m confused about puri, did she miss the competition? They didn’t show it either way so I thought she could still be going? She just realized her friend was right - you aren’t friends with your employers. No matter how much she wanted it to be true.
And why won’t Essie just say no if she doesn’t want to go to the us? It doesn’t sound like Margaret is forcing it and knows it is a big decision. If she wants to go home so bad just say no, it’s kind of a perfect time/opportunity to break free.

My read on the ending:

Puri was supposed to get the morning off for her competition (she mentions to her friends that Hilary has given her the morning off for it). So Hilary asking for breakfast and being very hungover and saying nothing about it does not bode well for Puri going. I think the resigned look on her face indicates that she's not even going to try. It's really sad.

Regarding Essie, from her conversation with Puri about Gus and the family, it's clear she has a very strong feeling of responsibility towards the family and is genuinely worried about the kids (who she has helped raise for the last several years). Essie tells Puri that her kids are telling her she should retire and move back to Manila to be near them and her grandchildren, but that Essie hasn't done it because especially with Gus's disappearance, she can't bring herself to leave the family. Kind of in the same way that the family is having a hard time leaving Hong Kong without Gus because it feels like giving up on them.

I don't think Margaret was pressuring her, necessarily, but I did find it presumptuous that it doesn't seem to occur to her that Essie has children and grandchildren in Manila who it would become very hard for her to see if she moved to the US. Unclear how often she sees them now but from her conversation with Puri, it sounds like they speak often and are very much in touch. Manila is about 2.5 hours from Hong Kong and flights can be found pretty cheap. But from the US you are talking about a really difficult time difference and travel to see them would cost thousands. It is strange to me that Margaret doesn't even seem to have considered this -- perhaps to offer to pay for her to travel to Manila every year or something, I don't know. Margaret says she knows it's a big ask, but it's just felt like a bizarre myopia about Essie's own family, given what Margaret has been through with Gus. Essie would be leaving all her children and grandchildren behind. To not acknowledge that feels callous or at least oblivious.

I don’t share this view at all. Essie is a much older women with grown children (or
maybe just the one grown child we’ve seen?). It’s not rude/clueless/cruel/whatever for Margaret to not be peppering Essie with questions about her kids (or grandkid(s) - and grandkids aren’t the same as kids in terms of one’s responsibilities anyway) or have that top of mind. People in this thread seem to be bending over backwards to find things to criticize about the westerners here.

She has two kids. Her son is married with his own young kids (Essie's grandkids). Her daughter doesn't have kids and I think she said is not married? She said her daughter is focusing on her career.

I don't understand why people are missing so many of the basic facts from this episode. Was it the subtitles? People keep being confused about things that were explicitly addressed in the episode, and the one PP though Puri was the one applying for the helper job with Hilary's friend with the teens and the cheating DH. Are y'all watching the show or just glancing up occasionally from your phones?

And? Not remembering whether Essie had one kid or two does not change my point here!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the newest episode. I’m glad we got to see the helpers POV.
It seemed like everyone got a little crazy during the storm and then went back to normal when it cleared in the morning. I’m confused about puri, did she miss the competition? They didn’t show it either way so I thought she could still be going? She just realized her friend was right - you aren’t friends with your employers. No matter how much she wanted it to be true.
And why won’t Essie just say no if she doesn’t want to go to the us? It doesn’t sound like Margaret is forcing it and knows it is a big decision. If she wants to go home so bad just say no, it’s kind of a perfect time/opportunity to break free.

My read on the ending:

Puri was supposed to get the morning off for her competition (she mentions to her friends that Hilary has given her the morning off for it). So Hilary asking for breakfast and being very hungover and saying nothing about it does not bode well for Puri going. I think the resigned look on her face indicates that she's not even going to try. It's really sad.

Regarding Essie, from her conversation with Puri about Gus and the family, it's clear she has a very strong feeling of responsibility towards the family and is genuinely worried about the kids (who she has helped raise for the last several years). Essie tells Puri that her kids are telling her she should retire and move back to Manila to be near them and her grandchildren, but that Essie hasn't done it because especially with Gus's disappearance, she can't bring herself to leave the family. Kind of in the same way that the family is having a hard time leaving Hong Kong without Gus because it feels like giving up on them.

I don't think Margaret was pressuring her, necessarily, but I did find it presumptuous that it doesn't seem to occur to her that Essie has children and grandchildren in Manila who it would become very hard for her to see if she moved to the US. Unclear how often she sees them now but from her conversation with Puri, it sounds like they speak often and are very much in touch. Manila is about 2.5 hours from Hong Kong and flights can be found pretty cheap. But from the US you are talking about a really difficult time difference and travel to see them would cost thousands. It is strange to me that Margaret doesn't even seem to have considered this -- perhaps to offer to pay for her to travel to Manila every year or something, I don't know. Margaret says she knows it's a big ask, but it's just felt like a bizarre myopia about Essie's own family, given what Margaret has been through with Gus. Essie would be leaving all her children and grandchildren behind. To not acknowledge that feels callous or at least oblivious.

It was an initial conversation! Surely that term could be negotiated later. Also, on US wages, a flight home to Manila per year is not that much to afford. Obviously she’s be staying with her family, too, it’s not that expensive.

It's very far. And no, I don't think that trip would be "not that much" even on US wages. For starters I bet it would be hard for her to get the time off.

I don't think it's crazy Margaret asked but I think it's crazy Essie would consider it. She was already thinking of retiring. I think it's just hard for everyone because if Gus. They are all struggling to close the door on this chapter of this time because it's admitting that Gus isn't coming back.

The time off problem isn’t any different from the current situation, except add 2 days for travel time. This is not some insurmountable problem, folks. No one is crossing the world on ocean liners anymore.

[Anonymous]

NP. Did Essie actually agree to move to the US, even temporarily? I must have missed that. I thought she had agreed to think it over.