In Reply to: Just makes me posted by Roz on Monday, 28. May 2012 at 18:40 Bali Time:
a minute to think about this. There is minimum wage in Bali and conditions are very good and there are inspectors to check, she must earn that then she gets her % on top, plus any tips, minimum wage for a masseuse in the Badung regency is now 948,000 IDR, you can look up the wages on the internet for all jobs, just take the time to do some research and don't ask good Samaritan Australians as they have all been told and believe the same stories, they have done for many, many years.
Please don't be fooled by the poor me, I see too many good hearted Australians fall for this. As many Balinese say to me, the Australians are the easiest to fool as they have the biggest hearts.
Also, please don't put the wage into $$ and compare to Australia, I earn in peak season the most $300 (with tips) a month and I live very very well, it is relative to the cost of living. We don't eat at places you eat, we don't pay what you pay for clothes etc. Your heart is in the right place, but I bet you can't save much money per week like the Balinese can. The gap between income and expenditure here is much higher than Australia so basically we are rich here on a local wage.