When Indonesian women apply for work as domestic helpers overseas, their dreams assume shapes and colours, but life in a strange country may be more than they bargained for. No amount of training can prepare them for the shock of the foreign world. With very little bargaining power and negotiating skills and confronted by social prejudice from many quarters, these women's dreams can easily turn into nightmares. A veteran journalist, in conjunction with the International Labour Organization, uncovers the hidden world of Indonesian domestic workers from all points of view: the employers, the agents, the governments, the NGOs, and most importantly, the workers themselves. Focusing on Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, the women give vivid firsthand accounts of their struggles and successes in their adoptive homes. In the appendices are sample employment contracts used in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the Employment and Employee's Ordinance of Hong Kong.