Do you know why we're 'pampered'? Because wages are so bloody low here, that's why! Why should I lift a finger to do anything when I have a $500/mth maid, my electrician is at my beck and call for a $30 transport charge, and my contractor can make me an entire kitchen cabinet for $6,000.
A plumber earns more than a professor in Australia; you certainly wouldn't call him to change your faucet. I've a NZ woman friend who runs a cleaning company in Auckland with her sister: her clients are the wealthy – 8-bedroom beachfront homes with helipads – and she brings home more money than an SAF half-colonel even though she's just a 'lowly housemaid'.
When you're in a high-wage country like Switzerland or Sweden, you jolly well do everything yourself, from cooking your meals to assembling a side porch to fixing the plumbing. You save your eating out for special occasions and the occasional weekend binge.
Case #1: My Swiss expat friend tells me that full-time housemaid in Switzerland is paid USD2,200 (minimum wage); 8 hours a day for 5 days; weekends off; a room with an attached bathroom and TV is requisite. He has a house with a wine cellar in Zurich but he can't afford a maid, so he and his wife put in the elbow grease every weekend.
Case #2: A Indonesian Chinese family friend owns a mansion in Bandung – 2 drivers, 10 housemaids, 3 manservants, and a posse of bodyguards. He wouldn't think of migrating because nowhere else in the world can afford him such luxuries at such low cost in such a servile cultural milieu.
The former is First World, the latter Third World. Which is the more progressive society? Would you want Singapore to be like Bandung or Zurich?
In case number 2, the Indonesian Chinese will always feel like they never really belong. Yes, they can make good money, and yes, they can have big house with 10 servants, etc. But now and then, the bumis will riot and blame the chinese for everything and try to burn their shops and houses, etc. Surprisingly, there are many poor chinese in Indonesia too. They are always viewed with suspicion and not always welcomed, regardless of how many generations have been raised in Indonesia. No genuine rule of law protects them. They can carry on life there and the rich Indon chinese all have an escape plan if things turn bad quickly.
In case number one, u have the stability. The swiss are not going to blame u for their economic woes, and if u are a professional, they will even respect u. There are many ways around a high wage maid in Switzerland. I see my friends in Australia, canada and US have these same issues too. The canadian ones sponsor Pinays to be their maids, yes, its not cheap. But sometimes, they share the maid with another family and pay for part time or half cost. Getting your house cleaned 2-3 times a week instead of 5 is still a lot better then nothing. SOme US friends I know have Mexican maids, who are real cheap to employ. when I visit them in those countries, I am struck by the maturity of the kids. Many of their kids, even the younger ones, help out in chores around the house. The boy for example, might mow the lawn. the girls might help with prep in the kitchen. They are doing some kid of household to help around the house. SO, the lack of a maid is not that onerous on a married couple if they can train their kids to help out. Some sinkies I know move with their parents too, so grandparents also help out with cooking, cleaning and babysitting the grand children. because they usually live in much larger houses then the HDB flats here, all 3 generations can comfortably live under one roof, instead of here, where parents have to drop their kids of every day at the grandparent's house, or even worse, leave them there for the week and pick then up on the weekend.
In singapore, kids never help out with chores around the house, they have a maid for that. Sometimes, there is much to be said for doing things yourself around the house. Do I have a maid? Yes I do. But I still do certain things, like I wash my own car. I don't like anyone else touching it. The maid is more like a jaga for my house when I travel. And she is a good cook. The answer to your question is its up to you. U can make singapore your personal bandung or make it your zurich. Its up to u.
