My steak knife does not make an obeng bagus (screwdriver good)

A new and interesting aspect of having staff is that they sometimes use the goods you brought from home in ways that they really weren't designed to be used. Case in point, no pun intended, is my set of Wusthof steak knives.

When we unpacked our goods, I was so happy to see my knife block holding my two nice chef knives. Nestled in that same knife block is a set of Wusthof steak knives. These are pretty nice knives, not tip top in the steak knife world, but better than what you might pick up at a Walgreens. Unfortunately, my staff does not quite have the same amount of affection for them

I frequently find my housekeeper using one of them for some task that includes prying. Now, a steak knife is handy, but it really isn't the best or safest tool to use for leverage. These same knives also seem to be the tool of choice to unscrew things. At the rate we're going the knives will have been transformed in a set of Wusthof screwdrivers within the next year.

I try to head this kind of usage off at the pass because I shutter to think what kind of damage Manisem will do to herself if she slips with it. I keep offering screwdrivers and other tools that we brought with us, but she returns to the ever handy steak knife as her tool of choice.

There is a man who peddles around the neighborhood who will sharpen your cutlery for you. My guess is that he gets a lot of repeat business as I am sure my experience is not isolated. I'm not Jim Bowie or anything, but I think once the point is finally shot, there is pretty much no coming back.

I have decided that at the end of our time here, these knives/screwdriver/pry bars will make a nice parting gift for her since they will not be of much use for me. It will be kind of a "Thank you for playing and here is what we have for you."

Another re-purposed item is a large cooling rack for cookies and cake pans. So far nothing sweet has come to rest there. It has now become a super-duper size grilling rack to fit over the small satay grill we bought for the staff. This is kind of troubling, but Manisem makes some pretty sassy satay so I can't complain too much.
Those cookies will just have to cool somewhere else.