Fishy, fishy, fishy... bring me luck!<\/p>\n
By Kafil Yamin<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): The Chongs feel they have everything it takes to
\nbe a successful family. They run a corporation, own a luxurious
\nmansion, fancy cars and five koi fish.<\/p>\n
Chong, 34, was interested in koi because of their variegated
\ncolors. He also believes they bring luck to his life.<\/p>\n
\"The whole family believes that,\" Chong said.<\/p>\n
Koi, originally from Japan, have a growing number of admirers
\nin Indonesia despite their remarkable cost.<\/p>\n
A two-kilogram koi is sold for Rp 3,000,000 (US$350).<\/p>\n
There is, however, no standard or fixed price with the koi.
\nIn the end, it all depends on the decision of the owner. This is
\nnot a market commodity, after all. One isn't buying a car or pair
\nof pants. One is buying a fish.<\/p>\n
If the owner sets the price at Rp 500,000,000 (US$58,000) for
\na koi, and the buyer agrees, then the transaction will take
\nplace,\" said Wahyudi, a Koi admirer in Bandung.<\/p>\n
But there is a common yardstick used when it comes to naming
\nthe price of a special koi.<\/p>\n
If a fish wins a koi festival or contest, its worth will
\nincrease tremendously.<\/p>\n
\"Once there was someone who was willing to buy a contest-
\nwinner for one billion rupiah. I couldn't believe it,\" Wahyudi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Admirers commonly say that the beautiful colors that garland
\nthe fish are what make koi so special. They call the fish
\n\"swimming jewelry\" or \"king of garden fish.\"<\/p>\n
\"If you look at koi long enough, you will see a mosaic of
\nsinuous, hallucinatory colors. It's hard to explain. Just look at
\nthem,\" said Chong.<\/p>\n
Dare we?<\/p>\n
\"Koi move so elegantly. Anyone who watches them will
\nexperience peace of mind and quickly establish a bond with this
\ncreature,\" said Johny Wong, another Koi admirer.<\/p>\n
There are those who believe their koi bring them good luck,
\nbut Wahyudi has given a logical explanation for this
\nsuperstition: koi admirers are still limited in terms of their
\nnumbers. And they tend to be rich, because ordinary people cannot
\nafford to buy the expensive koi.<\/p>\n
Due to the limited number of koi owners, when they get
\ntogether it is more like a family gathering than anything else.
\nAnd because they are all rich people who run their own
\nbusinesses, it become much easier for them to find business
\nopportunities,\" Wahyudi said.<\/p>\n
Just like other newcomers to the koi community, Apen feels his
\nsocial and economic status improved after he began to associate
\nwith other Koi admirers.<\/p>\n
\"They would come to see my koi. They would compliment me on
\nhow well I took care of them. This can do a lot for a man's
\nsocial status, believe it or not,\" Apen said.<\/p>\n
Apen is now one of the 50 members of the Koi Lovers Club in
\nBandung. He is involved in the association's activities, such as
\ndiscussing the best ways of taking care of koi, new products of
\nkoi food and organizing social activities.<\/p>\n
He is also engaged in business lobbying, from which he often
\nreceives new opportunities.<\/p>\n
\"The other day a member of the association invited me to a
\ncafe for a cup of coffee. He asked me if I could supply a certain
\namount of furniture for his new restaurant. That's great.
\nFurniture is my business. I got a big profit from the order,\" he
\nrecalled.<\/p>\n
He has also seen increased business because a similar club
\nalso exists in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
In the capital of East Java, the number of koi lovers is on
\nthe rise. Such clubs are linked to the central koi admirers
\nassociation in Japan.<\/p>\n
For now at least, the association network is still confined to
\nAsia with Japan as the epicenter, encompassing Hong Kong, Taiwan,
\nMalaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Regionally, the number of koi lovers has continued to increase
\nsignificantly.<\/p>\n
\"We have at least a regional meeting once a year. Each time I
\nattend the meeting I find new members,\" Chong said.<\/p>\n
Fifty koi admirers and breeders from Asian countries -- Japan,
\nHong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan and China -- took part in the
\nIndonesia Koi Show held in Lembang, near Bandung, earlier this
\nmonth, followed by a series of multi-million valued transactions
\non the winning fish.<\/p>\n
There are about 1,000 koi admirers in Indonesia, mostly in
\nJakarta, Bandung and Surabaya. In Bandung alone there are some
\n300 fans of the fish. Surabaya has a similar number.<\/p>\n
Wahyudi said that not all koi lovers join the club.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe because they are too busy in their lives to take part
\nin this sort of gathering.\"<\/p>\n
Asked how koi admirers here have maintained their expensive
\nhobby during the prolonged economic crisis, Chong said there are
\nthose whose indulgence and enjoyment have not been troubled by
\nthe crisis.<\/p>\n
\"If one can afford to lead a life of his own, no matter how
\nmuch it costs, why not?\" he argued.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fishy-fishy-fishy-bring-me-luck-1447893297",
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