Ambonese keep on partying despite tension<\/p>\n
Pandaya, The Jakarta Post, Ambon<\/p>\n
Bombs occasionally jolt the city. Rubble and debris litter the
\nfloors of buildings, which lay in a state of ruin from the three-
\nyear-old sectarian fighting. Heavily armed soldiers patrol the
\nstreet 24 hours a day. Fresh fighting could break out any time.<\/p>\n
But the famous fun-loving Ambonese keep on partying, dancing
\nand singing as if nothing is going on.<\/p>\n
Pubs and karaoke lounges are making a comeback as security
\nimproves. Roadside vendors offering traditional fare and basic
\ncommodities are doing business late into the night.<\/p>\n
Just last week, residents were delighted when a new
\ndiscotheque opened at Planet 2000, the largest entertainment spot
\nin Maluku. More roadside pubs, which look more like Padang cafes
\nin Jakarta from the outside, have also reopened.<\/p>\n
Even though entertainment spots can only be found in the
\nChristian area, they have offered respite to the stressful life
\nin this war-ravaged city as well as added to the sense of
\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
Something that the Ambonese lament most is probably the
\ndisappearance of their traditional all-night private dance
\nparties where those attending, men and women, feast, sing and
\ndance inside a locked house and nobody is allowed to leave until
\ndawn.<\/p>\n
But many hope the tradition will resume when the economy and
\nsecurity eventually get better.<\/p>\n
\"Even now you can sometimes find people lying flat in the
\nmiddle of the street too drunk to go home after attending a
\nparty,\" said \"Solina\", an employee of an international
\norganization.<\/p>\n
Hotels, which do not have many guests staying there anymore,
\nkeep up their entertainment facilities, such as pubs and karaoke,
\nalbeit they close earlier. Hotel Mutiara on Jl. Pattimura, for
\nexample, is trying to make their few guests feel at home with
\nlive music and karaoke in its restaurant for an hour or so,
\ndepending on when patrons appear.<\/p>\n
Although the bar is manned only by a keyboard player, the few
\nhungry guests that come and go when they please fight for the
\nkaraoke microphone to sing a song, while others hit the floor for
\nthe indigenous poco-poco dance.<\/p>\n
Before the war, Ambon was probably the most lively city in
\neastern Indonesia in terms of nightlife. But the conflict that
\nbegan in 1999 has not only shattered the economy but also
\nsegregated the community into Christians and Muslims.<\/p>\n
Nightclub Santai, Ambon's first and most popular until 1999,
\nis now history. Located in the Muslim area, it will probably
\nnever see the light of day again because the Muslim community
\nopenly rejects any activity they deem \"non-Islamic\".<\/p>\n
\"I don't know what to do with it,\" the club's owner, Johny
\nBetago, a big name in the local tourist and entertainment
\nindustry, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Other few remaining night spots elsewhere in the Muslim
\nterritory have also been closed. Locals say that these places
\nwere generally owned by Christians, who have fled from Muslim-
\ncontrolled territories.<\/p>\n
And this bad news is apparently good for the upscale Planet
\n2000 nightclub, which opens at 3 p.m. for karaoke before the
\nstage is turned over to a band that plays live music from 8 p.m.
\nuntil 11 p.m., and then it becomes a discotheque.<\/p>\n
When the clock strikes nine, more cars drive up to the
\npremises, the doors fly open, and women and men step out laughing
\nall the way to the skyscraper.<\/p>\n
For those unfamiliar with the situation in Ambon, even an
\nentertainment spot such as the Planet looks scary from the
\noutside. Buildings in the area are full of holes and cracks
\nresulting from the bullets fired from a nearby hill when warring
\nmobs exchange gunfire.<\/p>\n
Armed soldiers guard the entrance and watch each bystander.
\nVisitors begin their night out by bidding them a good evening
\nwith a smile or giving them a military salute, if you feel
\ncomfortable about it.<\/p>\n
Regulars are, of course, not bothered by the soldiers, who are
\nomnipresent in war-torn Ambon. But if you are new to the area, do
\nnot worry, your quickening heart beat from seeing the soldiers
\nwill soon be back to normal when you set foot on the dance floor
\nat Level 5.<\/p>\n
Blinding colorful disco lights and deafening house music
\nblaring from the powerful sound systems make everyone forget
\nabout the bitter reality of life outside.<\/p>\n
Theoretically, people are not allowed on the street after 10
\np.m. without a good reason because of a night curfew imposed by
\nthe civil emergency administrator. It is safe to go out at night
\nbut it is recommended that people do not cross the demarcation
\nline, especially at night, as tension remains.<\/p>\n
What is wonderful about the night curfew is that it is not
\nstrictly enforced. Just be prepared for a security check on
\nstreets close to the white (Muslim) and red (Christian)
\nterritories. A body search is standard procedure.<\/p>\n
The crime rate on the streets is low, so say locals and long-
\ntime residents. Women continue to wear expensive jewelry when
\nthey are in public places, such as the market, shopping malls and
\nin upscale pubs.<\/p>\n
Shops and traditional markets, which have become the barometer
\nof security in any area, usually close by 6 p.m., but night
\nmarkets have sprung up over the past couple of years after
\nmarkets and shops were reduced to ashes. However, in neutral
\nzones where Muslims and Christians can do business together,
\nnight street markets are open until well after 9 p.m.<\/p>\n
In Ambon, the low-income bracket, too, can exercise their
\nright to go to the club. There are small roadside pubs where the
\nless privileged can enjoy their evenings leisurely downing some
\nbeer and shooting the breeze with friends.<\/p>",
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