Massage therapists battle stereotype to do business<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post\/Batam<\/p>\n
Many people are prepared to travel halfway across Jakarta,
\nbattling heavy traffic for an hour's massage with a skilled
\ntherapist, and, finally, the chance to relax.<\/p>\n
On Batam, however, Balinese and Thai massage, as well as
\nreflexology, centers are easy to find, with 40 centers catering
\nfor a population of 560,000.<\/p>\n
Most massage centers on Batam employ 10 to 30 therapists.<\/p>\n
Siswoyo, the owner of the 123 Massage Center in Penuin,
\nNagoya, said that the massage business in Batam was promising as
\nthe industrial island is densely populated. The area of Batam is
\nabout 415 square kilometers.<\/p>\n
\"People feel stressed by the crowds and the complexity of
\nsociety here. They need a place to relax, but there aren't many
\nrecreational areas on Batam. Workers here also have more money to
\nspend than those in other provinces,\" Siswoyo said.<\/p>\n
He said, as tourists from Singapore and Malaysia comprised an
\nideal target market, he had made a deal with several tour
\nagencies, so that they would promote the 123 center to
\nweekenders. Last week, around 20 tourists from Korea, China and
\nJapan dropped into the center for a massage.<\/p>\n
\"We recruit therapists from Java, aged between 19 and 27 years
\nold. They are trained for a month by senior therapists.\" said
\nSiswoyo.<\/p>\n
The large number of massage centers on Batam has encouraged an
\nincreasing number of locals to work as therapists. But, while the
\ntherapists say they are professionals, others claim that a good
\nnumber of massage centers also offer sex.<\/p>\n
Winda, 23, from Surabaya, East Java, who works at the Thai and
\nBali Massage Center in Nagoya, said, as a therapist, she could
\nearn enough to help out her husband, who had previously been the
\nsole breadwinner of the family.<\/p>\n
For a one-and-a-half-hour massage Winda's center charges Rp
\n70,000 per hour, she gets to keep Rp 9,000. She also receives a
\nmonthly salary of Rp 250,000 (US$27.70).<\/p>\n
\"I suppose I am hoping to get by on tips. I usually get Rp
\n10,000 to Rp 50,000, more than my cut from the company,\" said
\nWinda, who is proficient at both Balinese and Thai massage
\ntechniques.<\/p>\n
According to Winda, most guests come on the weekends, while on
\nweekdays, a therapist can only expect to get one or two clients a
\nday.<\/p>\n
\"It's my body that actually needs to be massaged on the
\nweekend though, not their's. The parlor opens at 10 a.m. and
\ncloses at 11 p.m. Guests are constantly coming and going all
\nweekend,\" said Winda.<\/p>\n
She said that each therapist was allotted five guests a day,
\nmost of them from Singapore or Malaysia<\/p>\n
\"The tips are mostly good,\" said Winda.<\/p>\n
Winda said that she receives a total of Rp 650,000 a month
\nfrom the center, but over Rp 1 million a month in tips.<\/p>\n
Purnomo, 26, who specializes in reflexology, said he learnt
\nhow to apply pressure to specific points on the feet three years
\nago. He feels that his training paid off as he can live
\nreasonably well on his salary and tips. \"My salary is not big,
\nbut I have regular guests. They believe that reflexology prevents
\nillnesses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Besides those working in centers, other therapists are
\nfreelance, placing advertisements in the local paper to attract
\nclients.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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