The Wrecked and The Cleaner

Whilst playing with my daughter in the dream, some noise awoke me in the shared house I am living in. I put on clothing, opened the door, and there was a Chinese house cleaner came to clean a room where the former roomer has left.

"Ni hao, good morning!" The cleaner greeted to me in both Mandarine and in English after seeing my asian looks. She is very polite though a little bit shy to speak in English. This lady is at around the age of my mother, and I served her a cup of Chinese tea since it is the etiquette I've been told when meeting seniors.

She was a little bit shocked about that cup of tea served to her, and said:"You don't have to do that, I've been drinking coffee more often with my husband after years of life here in Australia..."

Nevertheless, she had a sip after hardworking and said:"It is very nice tea, I am not saying that to be nice, but it really have something that we do not have from tea made of tea bags... you know..."

"Aroma?"

"Yes, that's the word I meant," she said, "by the way, are you an international student here?"

"Yes, and I aim to graduate this year."

"What are you studying in?"

"I'm major in Economics & Econometrics."

She was very disappointed to my answer and said: "That doesn't sound like a major that leads to good career!" I know she was not meant to offend but just have been direct. Like many Chinese at my parents' generation in China, they only recognise government officials, doctors, lawyers, and accountants as decent careers.

"That's right", I laught, "hence I just do my best and wait for my opportunity." Then I changed the topic: "Have you found the room you cleaned just now was not so filthy? That former roommate of mine has done a reasonable cleaning before he left."

"That one was okay, and much better than rooms of some wrecked people."

"Wrecked people? Did you mean disabled?" I was confused.

"No! I meant those who throw garbage everywhere on the ground, leave a hill of stinking clothing in their wardrobe, and play video games every time I go to clean their house."

I felt very sick to hear those descriptions of filthy rooms, but she saw the sympathy from the grimace of mine and kept pouring more bad experience in house cleaning.

"Ah, I'm sorry about your experience, but that must be rare." I interrupted.

"No! It is very common in this wealthy nation! I found more wrecked people in houses of international students who are rich kids and wrecked children whose parents are richer!" Her observation is interesting but not supervising to me:

"Do you find those so-called wrecked people in your sight are those who wait for windfalls? Perhaps relying on parents or social security in their adulthood causes loss of purpose."

Maybe I didn't make myself clear whereby she kept critiquing: "I entertain myself as well. I go to gamble a little bit as the life here is boring. Video games are their life but gambling is not my life."

It is likely that the "gamble-life balance" of this lady is better than "work-life balance" of many. Like many Chinese seniors, she hates video games and believe people could be wrecked if get addicted in.

"I was like that," I said to the cleaner, "I once had played video games for 48 hours without sleeping when I first went to university. Because I did not know what I want to have or what I should have." She couldn't believe that the bloke who offered her tea was a "wrecked people".

"Is it likely that..." I asked her, "addictions like video game, short videos on social media, alcohol, and even drugs are consequences rather than determinants of being 'wrecked'? Namely, the emptiness is more likely to be the initial problem which causes the slothfulness and eventually uses of addictions?"

She was frozen. The cup was held in her hand but she wasn't drinking tea neither put in down. She was thinking.

After farewell, I was cleaning the mess from my brunch in the kitchen. There came the knocking on the door, it was that lady. She came back after 20 minutes.

"This is a bath product I bought from China in bulk ," she said, "I give it to my clients and this is a gift to you." It is an interesting bath product which has sponge on one side and shower pouf on the other side.

"Thanks, but I cannot take this gift," I said to her, "I am not your client, but my landlord is. He hired you."

"You made me cup of tea, so you are my client, take it, and wish you to have a bright future!"

I do not understand her logic but I appreciate her kindness. I took the gift and said: "perhaps I should aim to become a government official, a doctor, or a lawyer?"

She nodded her head and left with great satisfaction from my "decision".

The gift from the cleaner