144 Comments on “Jakarta Suckers!”
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Dikkiman Sujengkol says:
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:24 pmHi Ross,
Congratulations on getting it out. Let’s hope you’ll still be on terms with your drinking buddies after they learn about the ‘fictional’ characters in the book. : )
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ZZZBRILJANT says:
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:17 pmEach year, sold and purchased between 600 000 and 800 000 thousand people across national borders.
Many times more are trafficked within their own country.
The real figure is large, while calculations show a sharp increase in recent years. Today the trade in human beings is the third largest form of organized crime, after trafficking in drugs and weapons.
Trafficking, or trafficking, usually defined as the victim has been forced, tricked or threatened to be used in different ways.
Trafficking has major implications that can be divided into three different areas. Sub takes human beings from an individual, her fundamental right to be free and self-control in their lives, and give the revenue and fuel organized crime. Moreover, human trafficking a global health threat.
Most victims of trafficking are women and children. Women and girls are often sold into prostitution but also to forced marriage and domestic work or as cheap labor in farms and factories. Boys are generally used as labor in the fishing or mining, or farming.From poor agricultural area of the city
The trading is mainly in two directions, from rural to city and from the poorer parts of the world to the richer parts. Into Western Europe every year between 120 000 and 500 000 women and children from poorer countries in Eastern Europe and Asia for sex trafficking. -
bs says:
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:24 pm@zzzbriljant
It’s not particularly briljant to copy stuff from the internet and paste it here all the time.
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madrotter says:
March 22nd, 2010 at 8:24 pmCongratulations Ross!!!
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Ross says:
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:59 pmThanks for the congrats, guys.
The numerous sources that I mined for the story will be protected by judicious switching of adventures between individuals, plus alteration of tell-tale details.
I have no wish to embarrass anyone, but there was such a myriad of mishaps that it just had to be set out in the printed word.
I’m rather fond of both the Jaksa Chicks and Jaksacrats, so hope they appreciate their ordeals being enshrined in this little book. Sales are going well. Another visit to the printers is in order! -
madrotter says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:56 ambeen quiet a while since i’ve been to jaksa myself, i always like it there, hunting books, hangin’ around, playing pool…
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adinda says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:39 am…because, even fat ugly bule with noisy breathe will be surrounded and treated like a king by poor, low-educated young hookers…
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Laurence says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:30 amWhats noisy breath??
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Oigal says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:11 amNoisy Breath?? not sure must have do with low-educated..
I am often amazed at the venom spouted at the “working” girls and their patrons by other “ladies” is it an insecurity thing or just jealousy?
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Ross says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:22 amShe means noisome, perhaps, but yes, Oigal, as occasionally happens, I agree with you. There are a lot of voyeuristic ‘respectable” Indonesians who frequent Jaksa on a voyeuristic basis. Strange phenomenon. Glad I’m not fat!
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Swagman says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 amNoisy Breath?? not sure must have do with low-educated..
I am often amazed at the venom spouted at the “working” girls and their patrons by other “ladies” is it an insecurity thing or just jealousy?
I think the venon was not directed at the “working girl”, but at the fat, ugly and loud (I do like the term noisy breath) foreigner with fat wallet – the true “low-life” of this society.
If that is the case then I whole-heartedly agree with adinda.
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ET says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:37 pmI am often amazed at the venom spouted at the “working” girls and their patrons by other “ladies” is it an insecurity thing or just jealousy?
Yes, the moment they can count to three they start looking down on others. It would be interesting to count the number of times so-called ‘educated’ Indonesians in this forum have patronizingly referred to the less fortuned ones as ‘low-educated’.
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madrotter says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:05 pmi love watching those new bule’s here, usually in the nordsea bar, they got a whore they think they the man and then they start to…….dance… or at least, what they think is dancing… white men can’t jump but shit, these types can’t dance…
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venna says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:48 pmRoss, don’t forget to set aside 2 books for me!
ET, i think it’s not about jealousy, but insecurity, maybe or yes. In all societies that praise social status, people need to do something to ensure their class/caste is pure and not contaminated. They start building stigma, mistreatment, judgment, etc to others. Unfortunately, when most of them never try to help the unfortunate to gain better access for improving their life. But it is understandable though, because doesn’t it feel good to stay on top of the tower without too much competitors?
Ross: To tell you the truth, when I read the excerpt – especially about the money-honey relationship between those cewek & foreigners, I felt insecure and offended too. I know you wrote the truth, but….. man, I don’t want to see or even admit it. As much as I don’t want to call those girls as “cewek murahan”. Who am I that I have a right to call them like that? I never help them, never give a hand to them, and never do anything for them. So when I still cannot do anything, better to shut my mouth up. But….. I don’t know, maybe if someday I walk with a “working girl” in Jakarta and meet a foreigner, big chance I will act unfair. I can predict myself to stay away from her and feel offended and start yapping about my “high qualities”, yadda yadda yadda….. to ensure that this foreigner won’t look at me the same way as he does to that “working girl”. Jeez, it is painful to be torn apart like this.
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March 23rd, 2010 at 7:49 pmMadrotter:
Your pic reminds me of a type of endangered monkey in Kalimantan – the Nasalis Larvatus -
Ross says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:48 pmGlad to see this is livening up!
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Odinius says:
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:55 pmI’m no prude, and do believe that people should be able to make decisions for their own lives, but always feel uncomfortable by the exploitation that goes with the sex industry. It’s mutual exploitation, in a lot of ways, but there’s all kinds of ugly stuff going on under the surface–spread of disease, pimps and organized crime, abuse, etc. I read a study not too long ago that said this is far worse in unregulated sex industries like Indonesia’s, Cambodia’s and America’s than regulated ones like the Netherlands or semi-regulated like Thailand.
As for why Indonesian women, who are not pros or semi-pros, might feel uncomfortable about this? Well, I can think of one reason…if that woman were to date a foreigner, many Indonesians would assume she is a prostitute or gold-digger. As we all know, there are plenty of romantic relationships between Indonesians and non-Indonesians (regardless of gender matching) that have nothing to do with monetary exchange or ‘class-jumping.’ Some Indonesians in these kinds of relationships resent the pros and semi-pros because of how they themselves are (unfairly) perceived.
I can understand this, even if I don’t share resentment of these girls. I often find myself cringing when I see certain kinds of bules–probably the same ones Madrotter notes can’t dance–but for me, what I can’t stand is seeing the bules who, fresh off a divorce or other personal crisis at home, come to Indonesia, find some local working girl and then treat them like ‘sex pembantus.’ It’s all very nauseatingly neo-colonial. A little respect for the ladies, fellas, working or no!
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Swagman says:
March 24th, 2010 at 12:03 amCircular argument … blame the girl, blame the foreigner, blame the girl …. the dogs bark and the caravan moves on ….
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madrotter says:
March 24th, 2010 at 12:41 amthat’s freewheelin’ franklyn venna!!! one of the fabulous fury freakbrothers…
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Ross says:
March 24th, 2010 at 12:59 amA lot of what you say is true, Odinius.
The drug trade overlaps with this issue as well, as I discovered during my long talks with many of those who drifted into my book (both bules and ceweks). Never use illegal narcotics myself, but a lot of these girls do, ‘to keep themselves going.’
It’s well-known that ecstasy is peddled in certain bars/clubs, probably by some of the same people who live off the girls. All profit, and though it’s a bit of a tangent, it is relevant to the so-called ‘sex-business.’And yes, it’s true about non-slappers being derided just for going with bules. In one part of Jabotabek, where i used to live about eight years ago, I couldn’t walk down the street with any female, student, colleague, neighbour or girl-friend, without the street-scum making their usual imbecilic remarks, as always, of course, from behind. never upfront. And NEVER unless there was more than one of them on the scene.
I always try to be polite to girls, of whatever profession, though in a few cases this wasn’t easy! Honkytonk angels, a lot of them, but not all!
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March 24th, 2010 at 1:16 amthat’s freewheelin’ franklyn venna!!! one of the fabulous fury freakbrothers…
__________
LOL….. Okay, just found it. I never read those comics before. -
diego says:
March 24th, 2010 at 4:01 amThough a bit out of topic, Odinious’ post somehow reminds me of why I never went to gay hang-out places when I was in indonesia / bali. This part, specifically:
Some Indonesians in these kinds of relationships resent the pros and semi-pros because of how they themselves are (unfairly) perceived.
Apart from the fact that I was closeted back then (with lots of prejudices toward gays), the other reason I didn’t want to come to places like Kudeta or Double Six, for example, is because there are a lot of foreigners there (bules) and local money-boys. Being a local myself, I didn’t want to be sneered at as one (money-boy), both by the bules and other indonesians.
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Inez says:
March 24th, 2010 at 4:29 amRoss, congrats for your books. I read the excerpt…. Thanks for being so honest about the relationship bule-Indonesian girls in Jakarta. I hope your book will open our whitewashed brain a bit…
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Oigal says:
March 24th, 2010 at 9:57 amCircular argument … blame the girl, blame the foreigner, blame the girl …. the dogs bark and the caravan moves on
All a pointless and reveals the authors insecurities more than anything else. Fact is, sex for money (or other rewards) is part of the human condition. The issue in so many countries like Indonesia is the lack of alternatives for so many girls/women.
Some women will always choose that lifestyle for a myriad of reasons and there will always be clients willing to partake. Unfortunately, the decision process is markedly different in Indonesia than many other places.
The evil foreigner is exploiting the women is generally a bit of neo-nationalist wank and ignores the vastly larger “domestic” market with all of its abuses.
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Oigal says:
March 24th, 2010 at 10:19 ami love watching those new bule’s here, usually in the nordsea bar, they got a whore they think they the man and then they start to…
In all fairness, its a pretty hard thing to ignore when you first enter one of those establishments as a “newbie”, the kid in the lolly shop effect is very hard thing to suppress.
Most of us understand the rules of the game very quickly, as a friend always used to say..Well its friday and I am off to sit on my pocket full of personality and see what develops
Most of us grow out of it, some don’t but I think very few could honestly say that have not slipped at least couple of steps down the ladder of decorum at some time or other in country.
Again, at places like the Nordsea bar at the like, one needs to be careful when pointing out prey from predator..very grey area that one.
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March 24th, 2010 at 10:24 am@Oigal:
The evil foreigner is exploiting the women is generally a bit of neo-nationalist wank and ignores the vastly larger “domestic” market with all of its abuses.
___________If you have comparison on how many percent of those working girls that jump into domestic market and how many percent actually that choosing different segment, it would be helpful. Ohya, and also comparison on this issue: do working girls in domestic market get better treatment and appreciation from people than working girls who choose foreigners?
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March 24th, 2010 at 10:49 amIt may sound one-sided and simplistic but I consider the one who pays for some casual sex as the sucker. In the relation between hooker and client it is the former who holds the power and the latter who is the testosterone driven junkie. Just like in the drug trade.
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Swagman says:
March 24th, 2010 at 10:59 amOigal said …
All a pointless and reveals the authors insecurities more than anything else. Fact is, sex for money (or other rewards) is part of the human condition. The issue in so many countries like Indonesia is the lack of alternatives for so many girls/women.
Very true … as someone once said – it is the world’s oldest profession. Prostitution is both economically (need to make money) and socially (acceptance of the profession) driven. Don’t need a book to tell me how that fits into Indonesia
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March 24th, 2010 at 11:54 amI cannot imagine having to pay for sex in Jakarta, I have told a few hookers to leave me alone. Easy place to meet so many girls, why pay?
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deta says:
March 24th, 2010 at 12:18 pmI cannot imagine having to pay for sex in Jakarta
Wait till you’re fat and have a noisy breath.
Oh, congrats for the book, Ross.
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