【外籍女佣小故事 FDWs' Journals】 一念之间 On A Whim
文 / 莹
生而为人，我们都有故乡，离乡背井到外地工作难免想家，这是人之常情。
As human beings, we have hometowns. It is inevitable that we will be homesick when we leave our hometown to work at another place. This is human nature.
女佣的工作性质特殊，她们选择这份工作的同时，即注定失去人生中大部分的天伦时光，不但不得不与自己的家人分居两地，还必须融入雇主的家庭中求生活。
The FDW's work is of a special nature. When they decided to take this job, they are destined to lose most of their family's time. Not only have they had to separate from their families, but they must also integrate into the employer's family to live.
懂得与至亲隔着千山万水的苦，就不难理解女佣因为思乡而出现对新环境不适应的
各种状况。每天来去六合发的女佣形形色色，但思乡是每位女佣的“通病”。
Knowing the hardships of being separated far away from their loved ones, it is not
difficult to understand that the maids turn out with various conditions due to their
homesickness that leads to their inability to adapt to the new environment. At Advance
Link, kinds of maids come and go every day, but homesickness is the "common problem" of every FDW.
A 是从印尼来到新加坡准备给雇主家工作的女佣，自她踏出家门的那一刻起，就肩
负着家里的经济重担。初来乍到，她还未曾感觉任何不妥，一切表现正常。
A is a FDW who came to Singapore from Indonesia to work for her employer. From the
moment she stepped out of her home, she shouldered the economic burden of her family. When she first arrived in Singapore, she had not felt anything wrong and everything was normal.
然而，随着时间流逝，她心底对家人的思念之情逐渐浮现。才到新加坡两个星期，
她已感觉离开家里似乎有三秋之久。这种苦，由于未得到疏导的路径，终于到了难
以抑制的地步，她决定放弃工作，不顾一切，往那远方的家奔去了！
However, as time went by, her heartfelt feelings for her family gradually emerged. Only
two weeks after arriving in Singapore, she felt that she had left her home for three years. Without diffusing her suffering, it had finally reached the point where it was difficult to suppress. She decided to give up her work and get back to her distant home!
要是这么奔回家，家中的经济问题怎么办？
If she just went home like this, what about the economic matters of her family?
所幸六合发创办人暨海外招聘资深顾问，王太得悉其中原委后，本着多年处理女佣
疑难杂症的经验，决定亲自与 A 面谈。所谓心病还须心药医，王太深谙其道，A
需要的，正是心理辅导。经王太由浅入深、循循善诱地晓之以大义，为她分析其中
的利害关系后，A 终于决定学着克服情感，继续留在新加坡工作，为家里挣钱。
Fortunately, after the founder of Advance Link cum Overseas Recruitment Senior
Advisor, Mrs. Winnie had gotten to the bottom of the matter, she decided to personally
interview A with her experience of dealing with the FDW's problems for many years. As
the saying goes, seek yourself where you get your sore. Mrs. Winnie knows the
mechanism quite well, what A needed the most was psychological counseling. After Mrs.
Winnie had explained to A about what is right using the ABC method, guided her
skillfully by an orderly manner, and analyzed the interests in this matter, A finally
decided to learn to overcome her emotional feelings and continue to work in Singapore to earn money for her family.
人世间很多事情无法两全，许多逆境、窘境都要学着自己去面对、克服，但自己找
不到出路的时候，更需要的是那双温暖的援手。而六合发的角色之于女佣而言，不
仅仅是中介那么冰冷，在竭力为雇主提供优质服务的同时，六合发更像是指引女佣
往正确方向的明灯。
Most of the time, perfection is impossible. We have to learn to face and overcome
adversities and dilemmas by ourselves. But when we can't find a way out, we shall need
the warmest help from others. To FDWs, the role of Advance Link is not only as cold as
an intermediary but while striving to provide quality services to employers, Advance
Link is more like guidance for the maid to the right direction.
去或留，也许就在一念之间。
To stay or not to stay, it may just happen on a whim.