In Reply to: What would you do? posted by Baldie on Friday, 30. March 2007 at 08:20 Bali Time:
The sad fact is your relationship is never going to be the same again whatever you do.
Think of it this way - if there was a neighbour who you did some favours for, helped them out a couple of times, and then one day they asked you for $200 how would you feel? Whatever you did it would be different between you from then on.
The same applies to giving money to your Indonesian friends.
1 million is going to cost you about $170 by the time you pay transfer fees - not a small amount. Their request has changed your relationship.
My Indonesian husband says that in his culture you don't ask for money, except between family, and even then only in an emergency (his brothers and sisters never ask for money from him, but he would pay for a hospital bill in a heartbeat, which they know).
Sounds like you have been pretty generous already to these people, and I'm sorry but it sounds like you are being taken advantage of.
Once you send money on request they WILL ask again, the type that ask for money always do. Actually I wouldn't be surprised if you are just one of several bules helping them out.