Sadly the people that come to mind were raised with help, their parents were raised with help and their grandparents … well at the very least they had help even if I strongly suspect they were raised with it. That is precisely why I found their behaviour repulsive, inexcusable and verging on pathological.

Nothing worse than old money acting nouveau riche or rather feeling the need to remind that they are (and note that I use the word “to be” ) old money.

On the other hand help in my very middle of the middle class family is something new. We converted as soon as we could afford to even if my mother never worked outside the house.

Help was always treated with respect, lunched with us on the same table, was invited to our family events and we to theirs.

[Daphne – Now that’s a real no-no, sorry.Treating the help with respect is one thing, but having no boundaries is another.]

Like I said I essentially agree with you. The people I am thinking of may simply be the famous exception that maketh the rule. Still it’s not such a neat and tidy rule and sometimes personality simply trumps upbringing.

What about Ms Dolores Cristina?

“They enjoy ordering their cleaner about and talking to her in a bossy voice, something people who grew up with paid help in the household never do.”

I know what you mean. Still, I am not so sure about this one. I have heard people, who have always had help, who speak of and to them as if they were a different caste.

Quite upsetting when you witness it, actually, especially because you’d think they know this, that they should know better. I think it’s more a question of personality. Some people seem to get a fix of adrenalin from bossing others about.

[Daphne – You might think they have always had help, but look beyond what you think you know. Were they raised with help, and was help a new experience to their mother, who talked to the maid the same way?]

One *can* issue a VAT receipt and not pay NI.

I stand to be corrected, but doesn’t one have to work more than 16 hours per week to pay NI.

The concept of outsourcing is anathema to the Labour Party. Apparently, it is scandalous that government outsources work at cheap rates rather than employing costly labour.

A tearful 43-year-old woman from Birkirkara admitted today that she withdrew €43,000 from an elderly man’s bank account after she gained possession of his cash card and PIN number.

Rita Mifsud admitted in court that she had befriended a resident of Casa Arkati, where she used to work as a cleaner. He had entrusted her with the key of his Post Office box. While she regularly handed him his mail, she had intercepted and kept his cash card and PIN number and between March 4 and last Saturday made 96 transactions for a total of €43,000.

In pleading guilty, the woman returned €7,820 and was ordered to return the remainder within six months.

She was condemned to a two year jail term suspended for four years.

Twist in the tale (or tail ?).

[Daphne – How in heaven’s name is she going to return the money? She sounds like the desperate victim of usury to me.]

The maid or whatever Daphne chooses to call her takes care of that.

I don’t do any odd jobs at home. If the doors need repairing or the roof needs a new coat of roof compound, or I want to hang up a new painting then I get a handyman to do it.

If my car is dirty I take it to the car-wash.

Why is it that some people want to do everything themselves? Using other people’s services is beneficial to the economy as a whole but more important is that it frees up my time to much more interesting things than cleaning the house, washing the car or painting the house.

Yet the truth is that in Malta in spite of all the poverty that exists (claimed by PL and the church) it is very difficult to find a maid or cleaner or a handyman or a baby-sitter.

If you do manage to find one you have to treat her or him really well or else they simply won’t come! My wife used to pick up and drop the cleaner from the bus-stop, prepare a packed lunch for her and pay her extra tips to cover her travel expenses.

As for a VAT receipt, we have to pay cash since she won’t accept payment by cheque – ahseb u ara kemm ser tghatik VAT receipt.

Its their problem if they don’t pay national insurance contributions.

Very soon I’ll start looking for a driver because I spend around 3 hours a day driving to meetings and more when you consider the amount spent trying to find parking.

If i could spend the same amount of time working in my car whilst being driven around, mhux il-paga tad-driver thallas! What’s the living wage for a driver, by the way?

[Daphne – Yes, but even those who are exempt still have to be registered with the VAT department and issue receipts (without VAT).]

He was just as adamant however that people with talent should employ servants so that they have more time at their disposal to exploit their potential.

Kipling never drove his Rolls Royce, which is still maintained in pristine condition at Bateman’s. He always employed a chauffeur. Thus he could sit at the back while being driven around the superb Sussex countryside taking it all in and thinking about what to write next. Clever man.

When talking about their ‘seftura’, postman or plumber, they will say, ”Qalti/qalli sinjura…..”.

Then when talking to their husband, ”Ma nafx min hi is-sinjura, wara kollhox ghax taqla darbtejn daqsi hu la taxxa, l-anqas VAT, hu xejn, ghal karozza ghandhom tnejn, ‘holidays’ kull sena hu ghada kemm xtrat post ghaliha hu ghat tifla.”

Many Sliema newcomers, talk in such a manner.