Housework

Here is a photo taken from the kitchen window which gives you a clearer view of the prison on Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.  With a view like this I don't really have any excuse not to wash the dishes on a regular basis!

But living here has confirmed something I have always believed and I've been trying to convince my parents since I was about 5 years old - I just am not cut out to do housework!!!! Our landlady left us with a list of instructions on which cleaning products to use for the different areas of the house and I had to really think about how to go about it before my first effort at house cleaning. What an array of cleaning products are available in this country - with the majority of them claiming to be eco-friendly, albeit disposable in every way. Disposable mops, disposable toilet brushes, different types of disposable wipes for cleaning every possible surface in the house! So after getting the hang of the actual housework process I finally gave in, and as my tiny contribution to the destruction of our wonderful planet, I am using disposable wipes to clean the toilets as I really hate having to clean toilets and there are four toilets in this house(!) but I have bought some cloths (which are difficult to find in shops) and am using them to clean the rest of the house ....

Our landlady did leave the number of the woman who cleans the house on a regular basis and she is available should we require her service. She only charges $175.00 (excl. tip!) per day, so I am happily cleaning the house and will present Saleem with the bill at the end of our stay. Based on my long-standing relationship with him, I've decided to give him a discount, so will only charge hime $150.00 per day and he can forget about the tip!