Bali Boys sought for their virility<\/p>\n
By Putu Wirata<\/p>\n
KUTA, Bali (JP): Ketut Mendra, born in Kuta, Bali in 1963, was
\na prominent surfer in the 1980s. A junior high school graduate,
\nhe earned money by selling postcards and newspapers to tourists.
\nIn 1974 he met Paul, a surfer from Australia. They became friends
\nand Mendra learnt to surf.<\/p>\n
But it did not end with surfing lessons. Surfing introduced
\nMendra to a new life, and he became a gigolo for foreign
\ntourists.<\/p>\n
\"The girls gave me money and presents,\" wrote Ketut Mendra in
\nthe book In Praise of Kuta by Hugh Macbbett (1987). In the 1980s
\nMendra was at his peak. His body was athletic, thanks to surfing,
\nand his movements were gracious as a result of his kecak dancing
\nin the village.<\/p>\n
Mendra's life was more settled when he was a prominent surfer.
\nHe acquired a family and children. \"I am growing old, my life is
\nsettled,\" he told Hugh Macbbett. Surfing brought him to foreign
\nshores, riding the waves of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the
\nU.S.<\/p>\n
Gus Lonod, a senior high graduate in Denpasar, wanted to
\nbecome a painter but instead joined the hippies in the 1970s.
\nWith a trials bike, he worked as a guide. At the time there were
\nno plush travel agencies in Bali. The guides took their guests by
\nmotorbike to whatever destination they desired. Theirs was a
\nfriendly relationship. Lonod made the acquaintance of some
\nAustralian girls who were very free and easy. Young, fresh and
\nstrong, often rewarded with money, Lonod lived in a dream amongst
\nangels from the land of the kangaroo.<\/p>\n
He cannot recall all the names of the girls but one was to
\nmake a lasting impression on him. One day, one of his friends,
\nMary, whom he had accompanied on a one-month tour of the island
\nwrote him a letter: \"I have recommended you to a woman. Next
\nmonth she will come to Bali. She is not that young, but she would
\nlike some company. I do not know whether you'll like her, but I
\nwould like you to meet her at least.\" Lonod could not refuse. The
\nwoman was about 40. Half-heartedly he accompanied her. On her
\ndeparture the woman left him A$600, saying: \"I hope I'll see you
\nnext time in a better life.\" After a few weeks, the woman sent
\nhim more money \"enough to set up a small-scale travel agency\".
\nNow, in 1996 Gus Lonod's travel agency is one of the biggest in
\nBali. He has retired from being a gigolo.<\/p>\n
Mendra and Lonod have retired, but Kuta beach with its rolling
\nwaves has become an international hangout for young singles. It
\nhas spawned a new generation of gigolos. They are not just from
\nKuta, they're also from Bandung, Malang, Sumatra and North
\nSulawesi. Unlike the hookers plying their trade on the roads,
\nthese young men, usually long-haired, work as bartenders, surf
\nguides, hotel employees. They often sit in pubs, dance in
\ndiscotheques and walk along the beach waiting for a partner.<\/p>\n
A Denpasar newspaper once reported that in Kuta, Lovina, Ubud,
\nSanur, and Candidasa, there are hundreds of gigolos. They hail
\nfrom all over. Probably pressured by keen competition the
\nBalinese trailblazers have created new myths. The Nusa Tenggara
\ndaily reported on Feb. 24 that Balinese gigolos were sought after
\nfor their virility. Adventurous girls who want children are said
\nto choose Balinese men because they are endowed with artistic
\ntalent. But this may just be keen marketing.<\/p>\n
Amran, 25, said he was born in Malang. Every night he whiles
\naway his time at the Sari Club, a pub-cum-discotheque full of
\nAustralians. \"I often sit here,\" he told The Jakarta Post without
\nembarrassment. He graduated from senior high school in 1993 and
\ncame to Kuta in search of work. He stayed with a relative who was
\nin the clothes business at first. \"I helped him in his shop,\" he
\nsaid. His income was irregular but he had a room and food.<\/p>\n
After two years in Kuta he managed to learn a little Japanese.
\nThen he met Katzumi, 26, a Japanese girl with a small-scale
\ngarments business in Japan. Amran said: \"With Katzumi's I could
\nearn money.\" Hot for each other, Amran and Katzumi rented a small
\nroom in Legian. The landlord was not particular about the marital
\nstatus of his tenants.<\/p>\n
Amran and Katzumi shared a room for Rp 250,000 a month. They
\nhad a bathroom, a small lobby, electricity, water and a
\ntelephone. Amran's main task was to serve as a guide to Katzumi.
\nHowever, Katzumi did not stay in Kuta all the time. Every three
\nmonths she went home to Japan and came back three or four months
\nlater. One month after her first departure Katzumi sent Amran 500
\nyen with a letter of acknowledgement. Then Katzumi recommended
\nAmran to her girlfriends vacationing in Bali. And Amran was not
\nadverse to providing the same service. \"I don't ask for money,
\nbut they understand and give it to me anyway,\" he said, laughing,
\nalcohol wafting from his mouth.<\/p>\n
Not all gigolos need the warmth of love in their adventures.
\nSome are willing to bed women several years their senior. \"I once
\nhad a rendezvous with an elderly woman who paid me well,\" said
\nMacan, a young man from Jember. Macan watches over security in a
\nbar at Legian, Kuta, earning Rp 250,000 a month.<\/p>\n
Do they have fixed rates? \"No, it depends. If the client is
\nunpleasant to look at I charge as much as Rp 200,000 for a short
\n\"rendezvous\",\" he grinned.<\/p>",
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