ABSTRACT
Jessie's family was back in Manila, and the years Jessie had been working in Singapore had left their mark. However, her homesickness only surfaced at night, once Jessie had finished housework and childcare for the Lee family. The Lee family were good people and good employers. But just as she would fall asleep after a long day's work, Jessie would think about her young daughter, husband, mother and father back in Manila. During her time in Singapore, costs for 3G mobile phones had dramatically decreased, allowing Jessie more options to try to keep in touch with her family back home. She often used Facebook from her smartphone to send a brief message, or to quickly look at some photos uploaded by her family. Sometimes she used Skype to talk with her daughter, but often found that seeing her daughter on a screen only further reinforced the intimate distance — her daughter seemed so close and yet Jessie was unable to physically hold her. She would try to always sound happy so that her daughter did not worry.
