Staying emotionally unattached is hard. You talk to people, get to know about them, enjoy your little rapport with them and you feel a connection...it's not a deep one but it's still a connection. I don't know how not to feel connected to people! I do it in my job but it's a different kind of connection we're dealing with there, I'm not looking to get anything from them. On the up side, I do move on pretty quickly when a lady fizzles out, which is good. So I guess it's one of the hazards of me doing this but it is who I am. I also don't like to take on too many ladies at one time, it feels overwhelming...so two or three at a time is where I'm comfortable. As far as the nanny info, all I know is that many of the ladies doing this go through agencies...I'll ask SDA lady if I get a chance if she has any agency names. She said she was looking for a new job through agencies so she might have some names. We'll see. Happy birthday Barb!
I got a reply from SDA lady, here it is "Hi Whatis, I'd love to meet you ... I've enjoyed chatting to you here, I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more in person, right?" Um, that's encouraging, right?
Well, she just gave me a time and place, I gave her my cell number and she emailed me hers and said "I'll talk to you tomorrow, goodnight Whatis!" I was afraid she wouldn't be ready for this...am I ever wrong! This is the most enthusiastic response I've ever had...maybe I should be scared of her lol!
That would be great, Wii. I still have so many plans to make in my new life but I've also accomplished so much. It just feels great!
Thanks for the birthday wishes. It was wonderful.
Remember - life goes on and gets better. A couple of years from now - you will look back on this time and just laugh. Seriously. The right woman is out there and when she finds you - she will get a gem!
Barb, I'll ask SDA Lady about agency names at some point. You also live up north, right? I don't know whether that would make a difference. Foreign nannies will work anywhere, many of the Filipinas are also nurses back home but can't practise here. So, I'll ask. As far as getting a gem...you're damn right! I sometimes do get frustrated at these ladies cuz in my head I know I'm a great catch and don't see why they don't get it! lol. But SDA Lady (Mel is her name) is quite refreshing. She is quite open about her enthusiasm, which is unusual for a Filipina lady. Just for her to say "I'd love to meet you" is pretty amazing. I wonder if the info I gave her re bridging programs touched her in some way. Hey, it was a man going out of his way to do something special for her, that counts big. She also said she enjoyed the length of my emails "I learn stuff from you" (hey, what guy doesn't love to hear that lol)So I'm looking forward to Sunday but, as I've been told, it's just a meet and treat it as such...but it's so nice to hear a lady say how much she's enjoyed contact with me and is looking forward to more! That's nice. It also is encouraging because it backs up what I was sensing, that she was very much enjoying our talks. When you've been layed off as long as I have you don't feel that confident about the way you are reading things sometimes. Anyway the world rolls on...with me or without me!
You couldn't have asked for a better response, could you?
Awesome. She even took some control and gave you a time and place. Nice!
Nope, that was awesome. My jaw dropped when I read that opening line! But I actually gave her control on time and place. I do that to make them feel more comfortable. I ask them to pick where and when they'd like to meet. I think it's a bit harder for women because, sadly enough, meeting strange men can be anxiety provoking for more than just the normal anxieties. Men can do bad things to you...unlikely, but I'm sure safety is often in ladies minds when they do these meets. I like to let them pick a place where they know the area and feel secure. It makes for a better experience all round. Giving me her cell # was an added bonus, which means she's pretty comfortable with me. I always give them mine but never ask for theirs, that's their choice and she gave it to me. Nice.
I have heard that many Filipina nannies are nurses and that is what I had in mind. I originally wanted a live-in but then I wasn't so sure. Now I'm thinking I might go with it but continue to use my agency for a lot of the care as well. No one person could to all the care required for him. But any recommended agencies would be really helpful as I don't know where to start with this.
I just got home from visiting my mom. I went to POF to see if Mel had answered my email. I mentioned some coffee places in the mall where we could meet and offered to pick her up if the weather was bad or even if it wasn't! I told her that while we were at the mall we could pick up a Blue Jays cap and glove for her and make her the next Jose Bautista (she's a fan). She thanked me so much for offering to pick her up and joked about getting a t shirt instead of the hat cuz she already has one...I replied re the ride offer that "a gentleman always asks" and she replied "You certainly are a gentleman...and your emails always make me smile, even when I'm tired. Thank you." I responded "You know what, yours make me smile too...that's so neat. So, you get some rest and we'll talk again soon." It is funny because I was thinking just as she wrote how my emails make her smile that hers always make me smile! That really is so cool. Anyway, she says maybe we can go to a coffee shop near her house instead and she'll let me know if she wants to be picked up. I do like this lady! We're having fun already.