Open House Pics - Better Late than Never!

Aveline speaking:



Jolovan speaking:




Rev. Dr. Yap Kim Hao, Chairman of the Chen Su Lan Trust and our Guest of Honour, speaking:



Our Supporters:



Unveiling the Plaque of Honour:



The girls doing a traditional Filipino dance (which was really cool because you have to jump in and out of the bamboo poles - I tried and not as easy as it looks!)







Our fearless leader Bridget making a speech:



Rev. Dr. Yap being presented with a painting by one of our shelter residents:



Signing the Guest Book:



Cutting the ribbon on the new Resource Centre:




Bridget and Rev. Dr. Yap:




We're officially open!!!

Finally a New Post!

Hi everyone,

So I realize it's been 19/20 days since my last post, and I apologize. My life has been absolutely insane! Between work, new found friends, work, work, going out, oh, and more work, I have not had the time or energy to blog! Normally by the time I get home at night, I zonk out in my lovely twin-sized bed. Plus my computer has been having major problemos (not charging... which it started doing around March but has progressively gotten to the point where it is unusable - thank the stars my work had an extra lappy laying around just begging for use).

Ok, so let me give you an update on work first: I absolutely love what I am doing, even though it requires a lot of time, energy, and emotional commitment. Everyday I get to the office around 9:00/9:30 (and by get I mean wake up, shower, get dressed [jeans around here - can I just tell you how much I enjoy working for an NGO?!?!?!] and walk up half a flight of stairs from my bedroom to my office), and usually don't leave until at least 6:30/7:00 (although sometimes later if there's a meeting or whatnot). The main part of my job is interviewing domestic workers that have run away from their employers and/or agencies for some reason and are in need of some sort of legal advice and/or counsel.

Let me back-track: foreign domestic workers are brought into Singapore from other countries (mostly Philippines, followed by Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, China [v. rarely], Bangladesh, etc) by "brokers" who serve as a sort of middle-man between the "girls" and the agencies here. The Singaporean government requires that all migrant workers (whether domestic, construction, etc workers) have an employer before they arrive in Singers. So, the brokers get the girls, the girls go through an agency, and the agency finds them an employer here. When they arrive in Singapore, they go straight to their agency, and are usually held there for 3-7 days before reporting to their employer's home to live and work. Also, when the girls come here, they owe a "loan" to their agencies - usually 6 months or so of their pay - for their plane ticket, visa, "incidentals," and, of course, the agency's fee to bring them here. So, for at least 6 months, the girls work in the home of their employer for the meager sum of S$20/month (think about $15 USD) "allowance money."

Ok, so there's a little background about how the girls get here and their situation. My job comes in when these girls run away from thier employer or thier agency. Most of the time the girl has suffered some sort of abuse, whether physical, mental, withholding of food, long working hours, unpaid wages, being forced to work in more than one household (or the employer's shop or business), etc. If the girl is mistreated by her employer and asks to be transferred, or the employer chooses to send her back to the agency (for any number of reasons, or in the alternative, completely lacking in reason), the girls' loans are "topped off" by the agency - meaning another 1, 2, or even 3 months of salary is "owed" to the agency (BTW: in reality, the agency hasn't put out any money - the employers usually have to pay about S$2000 to the agency before they can begin recieving domestic workers). This means that some of these girls work 9 months - 1 year without pay, other than their S$20 allowance, which some don't even get.

So the girl runs away from her employer, or her agency, and comes to HOME (my organization). We provide her shelter, food, counseling, and (drum roll please) pro bono legal services, if needed. What, praytell, does this mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means I (and my boss Aveline, a Singaporean attorney) interview the girls, find out about their cases, and begin the oh-so-fun-and-exciting task of calling agencies and employers. I say "oh-so-fun-and-exciting" because usually the employers/agents are MAD. And when I say MAD, I mean going-to-rip-me-a-new-one-even-though-I'm-just-the-messenger mad. They can't believe the DW (domestic worker) has run away, they don't know what they have done, they have never mistreated her, ya-diddy-ya-diddy-ya. I speak to the employers/agents, and try to arrange a time to mediate the case. Sometimes the girl just wants to go home, sometimes she wants to stay and work. I will arrange a meeting with the employer/agency, try to get what the girl wants (plane ticket home or a work release), her luggage, passport, personal belongings, etc.

Mondays we usually have 6-8 cases. The rest of the week, the load lightens and we may only have 1-2 on any given day. Besides the case mediation, I also write letters to MOM (Ministry of Manpower, Singapore's Department of Labor, and where my visa/work permit came from) dealing with violations of Employment Law, and the police if there is a violation of the Penal Code (a criminal act, like physical abuse of a domestic worker). I have also been put in charge of our newly-established Legal Resource Library, and been cataloging and adding new material to that. I work with volunteers, do a bit of chatting with the press now and again, take pictures at events (this past Saturday we had an Open House to celebrate the opening of the Resource Centre and Legal Helpdesk - pics to come at a later date), and generally do anything that is needed of me. I attend meetings with other organizations about the services the Legal Helpdesk provides, including international law firms, other "sister" organizations, The Body Shop (yes, that Body Shop - they have graciously decided to fund our Victims of Sex Trafficking Hotline), etc. I speak with the girls, help comfort and counsel them. I research employment law, statutes, regulations, etc. Lunch I take in the conference room of the Resource Centre, graciously prepared by some of the girls from the shelter.

I love what I am doing. Some days are harder than others (today is a prime example of that), and some days the "crazies" come out of the woodwork and I spend half the day on the phone listening to an employer/agent tell me about all the things the DW did wrong, to which I reply, "Well, I'm not passing judgment either way, I'm just facilitating the DW's right to assert her rights, and she feels like she has suffered an injustice," but all in all, I love what I am doing. I honestly and truly believe that the system here is set up in a way that is very unfair to the DW. These are women who are abused, marginalized, taken advantage of, and, in a nutshell, treated like animals. This isn't to say that all DWs are - some have good employers and are very happy, but here I see case after case after case where the DW is verbally abused, called names like "stupid," "you idiot," etc; overworked; underfed; underpaid; made to sleep on the floor; locked in the employer's home unable to leave; and sometimes physically and/or sexually abused. One of my cases involves a girl who was locked in a home and jumped out of a third-story window to escape. One was sexually assaulted by her employer's husband. One was beaten. One attempted suicide. The list goes on and on and on. And when I get on the phone with these employers and/or agents, fight with them, argue with them, I know that I am fighting/arguing/working for someone's rights who have been so violated, so trampled and squashed and completely forgotten that they have no one else. In the last 3 weeks, I have had girls cry out of sadness and pain, put their trust in me to help them, and then get to see them cry out of happiness because I have gotten them a plane ticket home, their belongings, and back wages/salary owed. My boss says my American accent helps - she says when people hear an American accent on the phone they automatically get really frightened that they have done something wrong. Lucky me I guess. I'm not sure, but seeing those girls cry out of happiness and thanking me for helping them makes even the worst day completely worth it.

Besides work, I have been going out with friends a lot. I met a girl named Lucy, a PhD student from the UK who is volunteering a few days a week with us for the summer, and she and I have really hit it off as well. She's a great shopping partner, likes to club and pub hop, and generally a pretty laid-back type. My kind of girl. I think she, Aveline, and I might try to go to Sentosa (the beach) this weekend for a little fun in the sun. I need a tan....

I've met so many wonderful people here. All of Aveline's friends, Lucy, a few other vounteers - everyone is so nice, warm, friendly, and caring. I guess that's kind of the requirements for NGO work. You certainly don't go into this type of occupation for the oodles of cash, that's for sure. But honestly, I don't care. Even if I would have made top 10% of my first-year law school class and landed a cush job at a swanky firm, being wined and dined, and paid more in 2 weeks than I'll get paid the entire summer, I would have chosen what I'm doing now. That's not to pass on any ill-will or bad feelings to those who did land those kinds of positions, it's just not for me. I love what I'm doing, I love the experience, I love actually mediating cases and writing Settlement Agreements and handling cases myself. I love these girls (I don't work with the men very much), and I don't think I could have hand-picked any other job in the world that satisfies me as much as this one does. I am learning so much, about law, about life, about others, and about myself. I love that this past Saturday night, the people I was hanging out with hailed from the US (me), the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Holland, and Sweden.

I spoke to my mom yesterday, and she and my step-dad are coming to visit me here on 4 July for a week. I am so excited to have them here. Niether one has ever been to Asia, and I can't wait to show them around and share a bit of my experience with them. I really hope that even in a short amount of time, they get to see what I do and why I do it. I'm taking them to all of the touristy stuff, but I also plan to take them to the shelter for dinner with the girls one night, bring them to my office, and let them talk to some of the girls and hear their experiences.

Part of me already does not want to leave here in August. Part of me wants to say "The H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks with Law School" and stay here and continue with the work I have started. I've actually been rolling the idea around in my head for the last 2.5 weeks. But, as I have to remind myself, I have to return to the States and finish what I started so I can do this "for real." But I think that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I just can't imagine returning to the States and resigning myself to a profession like family law where I'm mediating two people fighting over a pair of end tables that really niether want and would be hard pressed to fetch $15 combined at a garage sale. No thanks.

I've always felt like God has a plan for me. I know I don't talk about religion or God much, but I've always felt that. Right now, I'm pretty certain that I landed here for a reason. And with that folks, I'm off to bed.

So Much to Update!!!

Oh my gosh I feel like I have so much to update everyone on! So much has happened since my last blog post - I have started working, met the girls from the shelter and some of the guys, attended a "Solidarity Rally," met new friends, figured out the MRT system (Singer's version of the subway), etc, etc, etc.

Ok, let me start with my work: I LOVE it. The NGO I work for is pretty well known throughout the region here. My boss is 61, and has more stamina than 3 of me put together - she starts work at 7/8 am and I often receive emails from her at 1/2 in the morning. Her normal attire is jeans, a sleeveless t, and flip-flops (called "slippers" here). If you saw her on the street you wouldn't think much of her, but, unbeknownst to me until this week, she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for her work with migrant workers. At present, the 2 shelters she runs house 59 women and 27 men. She estimates that 40,000 migrant workers have come through her doors in the past 10 years. The pics I'm posting are of the Solidarity Rally last Sunday; 3 groups (HOME, my organization,; Migrant Workers Count Too; and Migrant Voices) signed a treaty to work together to help foreign workers here in Singapore, fight for their rights, etc. The girls dancing are girls from the shelter here.

I am living at the newly opened Resource Center. Here we have the Legal Clinic, Resource Library, and Hotline for victims of sex trafficking. They just moved into this location (a "proper" house) on the 15th of this month, so we have been getting everything (phones, internet, furniture) set up and organized. My commute to work consists of walking up half a flight of stairs from my room to the upstairs part of the house, which is where the office is housed. Office attire is casual - really anything goes, which I love. There are 3 girls from the shelter who come to the house everyday to keep the place tidy, cook lunch for us, answer the phones, etc. They are wonderful, and never let me do anything on my own. They insist on helping me with everything, bring me coffee, etc. The eldest, who is probably in her 40s, is a mother figure who yesterday insisted on doing my laundry for me. I pleaded with her not too, but it was pointless. She would not take no for an answer. I love having the help, but I am kind of afraid I'll get to use to it and won't be able to do anything for myself once I get back to the States! We also have a dog at the shelter, a huge female German Shepard named Joey. Joey is nothing but a big lug though; she's absolutely worthless as a guard dog. But soooo sweet!

Monday was an easy day; I was really just getting to know everyone and hanging around the house. Besides my boss boss, I am working with a girl named Aveline who is an attorney. She's a year younger than me, but already barred here - you can study law right off the bat in University here instead of having to get a 4-year degree and then doing law school. She is super super nice and we have hit it off right off the bat. Tonight I went to dinner with her and she introduced me to some of her friends, and Sunday we are going to Sentosa (an island with really nice beaches) together! I think she could very well become one of my closest friends here! I also work with a French girl named Anais. She is finishing up university and will soon be practicing law back in France. She will only be here for a month, but is very sweet and quiet.

Tuesday I began "real" work. Since Tuesday, I have met with 6 women and 2 men about their cases - getting facts, information, what's going on, etc. Most of the women have suffered some type of abuse from their employer. It breaks your heart hearing some of the stories; one girl today has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and came here to earn money as a domestic worker from the Philippines because the pay as a teacher was so bad, only to be mentally and physically abused by her employer. Some of these women work 20 hours a day in terrible conditions, aren't given enough to eat, never given a day off, and kept confined to their employer's households. Some of these women have husbands and children and family to support in their home countries, and they come here looking for a way to support their loved ones back home. Some are mothers who haven't seen their children for a year. These are people who are abused, marginalized, and ignored. HOME offers them a free place to stay, 3 meals a day, support, guidance, love, and freedom. The Legal Clinic is here to assist them in filing civil charges against their former employers for assault, battery, false imprisonment, back pay, etc, etc, etc. And if they are accused of any criminal offense (stealing or something) we are here to assist them legally as well.

Yesterday I had a woman say to me, "Sister (sister is a term of respect here) Ashley, I know who you are. I know that you are an American lawyer, and I know that you will help me with my case. I am so grateful to you." I almost got choked up at that point. Here was this women, married with 2 children in the Philippines, broken, abused, neglected, putting her trust in my hands. Looking to me to help her, to help make her whole again. I know I'm not a real lawyer yet, but being part of this legal team, helping these women in the way I can has already affected me. I feel like I am really working towards something - it's so much more fulfilling than sitting in a classroom listening to a professor drone on about something that has no meaning, no depth, no soul to me. This is different - this is real. These are real people who need help, understanding, love, patience, kindness. They are trapped in a country with no friends, little if any money, with no real time frame of when they can go home. This is why I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place. I only hope my time here has as great of an impact on their lives as it is sure to have on mine.

A Day at the Beach and a Night on the Town

Yesterday was a bit slower for me. After my 5 am wakeup and blogging, I finally fell back asleep around 10:30 and slept for 2 hours. I had contacted a guy I met over Expat Singapore Friends around 8 yesterday morning, and we decided to meet up at 7:30 for dinner and drinks. When I got back up, I decided to head back to Suntec to find a hair dryer (so my hair wouldn't look a total mess) and grab some lunch. I finally figured out how to get the hot water in the shower to work - you have to flip a switch outside the shower! Brilliant!

I stopped in at a big drugstore in Suntec, but no luck for the hair dryer; they told me to try a place called Carrefour in the mall. Ok, Carrefour is just like a Wal-Mart. Everything you could possibly want under the sun, with a weird smell to boot. But I got my hair dryer! YAY!!!

I then headed down to the food court to get something to eat. I decided to have another go at the noodle bowl thing. But this time, I was ready. I grabbed my chopsticks and spoon and found a place to sit that was tucked away so I could make a fool of my self in front of as few people as possible. I had a much easier time with it this go round. I also watched (from a distance) another guy, so I could see exactly what he was going. I only had chicken this time, no crazy prawns, but I am happy to report that I finished all my noodles without the aid of a fork. Go me! LOL!

After lunch I decided to check out East Coast Park. After a different bus ride and stopping to ask a few people for directions, I made it. It is great - biking, walking, and rollerblading trails; lots of folks out and about; and a little beach. The beach was a bit rocky, with calm waters. It's a man-made beach kind of like the beaches on the Coast (of Mississippi); the breaker islands provide a barrier. But the water was nice and clear (no sewage). In the distance you can see all of these big ships and tankers. I found a nice place shaded by palm trees and parked in the sand there on the beach towel I had brought with me, next to a lady and her 2 year old daughter. We began chatting; she is originally from Canada and been living here for 6 years. She gave me some tips and places to try and was very helpful.







After an hour sitting on the beach relaxing and enjoying the view, I decided it was time to head back to the hostel and get ready for my "date." I gave myself an hour to get back because I wasn't sure exactly how to and didn't want to get turned around. But I made it without getting lost! I decided to walk the whole way back as exercise, and to help with the next time I wanted to go. It took 30 mins, and by the time I got back I was dripping with sweat. I took a cold shower, got dressed for the night out, and hopped back on the bus to head back to Suntec where I was meeting Sunil.

About Sunil: he is of Indian heritage, but was born and raised in Malaysia. After college, he moved to Australia to get his Master's degree (IT) and worked there for awhile, until his job transferred him here in December. He works for Fortis and is head of their IT department for the region. Very nice guy; extremely respectful; close to his family; etc. He took me to Swissotel - it's the tallest hotel in Asia, at 72 floors. At the top, on the 72nd floor, there is a bar and restaurant. The view is AMAZING - you can see the entire city! We ordered a bottle of wine, and just sat there talking and getting to know one another. We hit it off immediately; no weird awkward pauses or forced conversation - it was fantastic, and so nice to be able to chat with someone! I wish the pics I'm posting were better - they really don't do justice to how absolutely stunning the view was.





After our wine and some sushi (really good btw), we decided to head to a place called Clarke Quey (Key). It is this really happening district with a lot of night life, and tons of ExPats from Australia, the UK, the US, among others. We went to this great bar/club that had a live band that played covers of US music from the 80s - today: even Sweet Home Alabama! Ha! We had a few drinks, shot some pool, talked more, and people watched. The people watching was HILARIOUS. Some guys were doing these crazy drinks called flaming Lamborghinis, where the bar tender actually sets up this crazy really tall bottle on top of a martini glass, and lights it on fire. I thought they were going to burn the place down! That, and we saw a group of old white guys (not sure where from) dancing with these young Asian girls (we decided working girls - prostitution is legal in some parts of the country). The old men were hilarious. They were dancing with the girls and Sunil and I nearly fell off our chairs laughing! Their moves were a little dated, to say the least. I tried to take a video of this nonsense, but it was too dark.

After that, Sunil and I took a walk. Clarke Quey is located right on the river, so we walked along the river just talking. By that time it was getting pretty late, so we said our goodnights, and have plans to meet up for a casual dinner on Sunday after I get settled in my apartment. He was so sweet all night - very complimentary, opened doors, would not let me pay for anything, that sort of thing. I am excited to see him again on Sunday and have my first friend here! :)

Day 2

Day 2 in Singapore and what a day! Thanks for all the well-wishes and concerns; I think yesterday I was suffering from a combination of jet-lag, dehydration, lack of sleep, and too much sun. Today I am feeling 100% better!

I started off the day hopping back on the topless tour bus to do the City Tour (yesterday was the Heritage tour - more of a historic tour). As I boarded the bus, I met a lady from Florida! She is here with work, but took an extra 2 days to see Singapore and enjoy herself. We palled around all day; it was nice to have company!

I thought that today I would try to post my pics in order and describe what you're looking at. I hope that it makes for better and more interesting reading! But to start off, here's a little video from right when I got on the bus:



Our first stop was the Singapore Flyer. It's the tallest observatory in the world, according to our tour guide.



We then headed along kind of the same route as the Heritage tour, so Sharon and I chatted a bit. I took this photo; it's not anything special, I just thought it looked really neat:



Our next stop was the Botanical Gardens. Oh. My. Gosh. AMAZING!!!!! I can't tell you how beautiful everything was! They even have a National Orchid Garden that houses nothing but Orchids - you can even have one named after you for the small price of S$3000 (about $2000US) I think. The garden is amazing - you really don't feel like you are in the city at all. Very good planning on their part. The gardens are free to go to, and to see the Orchid part it was only S$5 ($3US). So worth it! In the US, you'd probably pay $30 to go to a place like that. But not here; it's free for the public. I like it. :) There were all these school children running around, people walking their dogs, just out for a beautiful day!





















After walking around for about an hour or so, Sharon and I were soaked in sweat. We decided to grab some lunch there before boarding the tour bus again. This sign was in the restroom; random, but I thought it was pretty funny:



After our lunch, we hopped back on the bus. I decided to get off the bus at Orchard Road/Lucky Plaza to find someone to unlock my phone, and planned to meet back up with Sharon at 7 p.m. to do a night river cruise and maybe grab a bite and a glass of wine. Lucky Plaza is a 7-story mall filled with little vendors - no chain stores here - all mom-and-pop little vendors. I found a vendor that sold cell phones, and they told me they could unlock my phone, but it would take a couple of hours. I said no problem; I would just come back around 5 p.m. I bought a plug adapter from them so I could charge my electronics (camera, computer, etc) and headed out. Lucky Plaza is where my office is located, so I went in search of them. I found the office, and dropped in to check in. I met my roommate Dominique; a really lovely, sweet girl from Indonesia. She is the finance director for HOME, and although a bit shy at first, warmed up to me rather quickly. I found out that I will probably be working out of the Resource Center, which is the same place I will be living. Short commute! She said that is it nice and new; I am excited to see it on Sunday. Unfortunately, she is going home for a week on Saturday, so I won't see her until the following weekend. I also found out that we have a German Shepard. She about fell off her chair when I told her the dog's name was the same as my ex's! Ha!

After checking in, I decided to catch a bus back to my hostel for a little rest and to recharge my batteries (literally) before heading out again in the evening. Around 5:30, I hopped back on the bus and headed back to Lucky Plaza. Unfortunately for me, I missed the stop. And by missed, I mean missed by about 30 minutes. By the time I had figured out my mistake, it was about 6:30 and traffic was getting really bad. I had to catch a bus headed in the opposite direction; I didn't get to Lucky Plaza until 7:15, and it's about another 20 mins to the spot where Sharon and I were suppose to meet up (Suntec City). I decided to go ahead and get off at Lucky Plaza and pick up my phone, and forgo meeting up with Sharon. I still feel bad about that, but at the time there was nothing I could do. I went back to the vendor, but they said that they couldn't unlock my phone because it was an older BlackBerry model, but that it was probably better anyway because it would be cheaper for me to just buy a new phone: a phone cost me S$60, and the unlocking fee would have been closer to S$90. So all's well that ends well I suppose. After the phone, a SIM card, and $20 worth of minutes, I had spend S$116. Uhg. But at least now I have a phone here and feel somewhat more connected and independent! Oh, and if you want to call me, you can. But I don't recommend it.

After Lucky Plaza I hopped back on the bus (#14 is my BFF), and headed back to Suntec City, because I knew there was a river cruise stop somewhere close and I figured I could find it, plus I didn't want to depart too far from the bus stops I actually knew. I got off at the right stop this time, and after some maneuvering of the shopping mall and underground walk-ways, I came out right by where the cruise picked up. Go me! Here are pics:

The night skyline of the business district:




Construction of the first casino. It's being built by the Sands (Las Vegas). For tourists/foreigners to go in it's free, but Singaporeans have to pay S$100 just to go in! Why? The government says to cut down on gambling!



Famous Merlion - half Lion, half fish:





The Esplanade Opera House:




The Fullerton Hotel (which use to be the Post Office and then a hospital):




Parliament (sorry it's so dark - using ambient light):



Other interesting shots along the river:






After my tour it was nearly 10:00 p.m., so I dragged myself back to the hostel for some R&R. I woke up about 5:00 this morning, checked email and facebook, and uploaded these pics for you! Today I think I might make my way down to East Coast Park and the beach to see what that's like, and I'm meeting up with a guy I met on Expat Singapore Friends. He's an Aussie; been here about 5 years! I'm excited to get to hang out with someone my own age! We are going to go hang out awhile; hopefully we'll have a good time and I'll meet some cool people! :)