As I began to search for an apartment to call home during my stay in Shanghai, the word ayi kept popping up in many of the listings. With a quick Google search, I discovered that an ayi is the same as a maid. For a few dollars a month, having to clean becomes irrelevant. At first the idea of never having to clean strongly appealed to me. After living with several guys for two years and having to clean up after myself and the group, I was ready for a change. The first week was great, I came home to a clean room and apartment and didn't have to do anything. With each passing week I've slowly started to enjoy the idea less and less of an ayi. Here is a person whose sole job is to clean up after me. That thought continued to rattle around in my brain until eventually I started to look my door when the ayi would come. She still cleans the other rooms and the common area but no longer will she clean up my mess.
Lesson Learned: How can you learn from your mistakes if someone else is fixing them?
