An aunt for all reasons

One of the attractions of living in China is the affordability of ayi, who can raise the quality of life simply by doing those things you neither have the time nor inclination to do.

In the major cities a deep pool of cheap migrant labor has created a huge demand among locals and foreigners for those who can clean, cook and take care of the kids.

In other countries, particularly in the West, attitudes and more importantly costs, preclude hiring an ayi, which literally means "aunt", unless you are wealthy.