Ayi's & Drivers Galore

One of the joys of living in a less-expensive country is the affordability of hired help, a luxury once afforded only by the rich. It seems in Shanghai that everyone has one or two Ayis, which means aunt, but really means maid or nanny. You usually have one for cleaning and then one for each of your children. They are cheap, but recent demand (many families have 2-3) makes it difficult and of course you don't give your children to just anyone. They rarely speak English and are culturally far from America, but it's a system that works, and works well. It's so common that when I once asked a women with two kids if she had an ayi, she looked at me funny, as if it was a stupid question (which it sort of was).

Further, many families also have a driver - you buy a car for usual prices and then hire a driver for a few hundred dollars per month. Very convenient, especially for carting mom and kids around town. In the end, these luxuries make it hard to move back to the West.