Lonely hearts attend Yasco's all-night ball<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some 200 singles attended an all-night ball held
\nby the Scorpio Foundation (Yasco) on Saturday. About 150 women
\nand some 50 men were among the hopefuls of meeting their partners
\nfor life.<\/p>\n
\"I realize there are more women here,\" said Yasco chief
\nexecutive H.M.S. Hasbie, \"But as you know men can have four wives
\n-- but it's better to marry just one,\" he said, drawing laughter
\nfrom the crowd, some of them shy first-timers to a singles ball.<\/p>\n
The ball at the Kartika Chandra Hotel on Jl. Jend. Gatot
\nSubroto, South Jakarta, started a bit late at 8 p.m. With music
\nfrom the Bambang Brothers band and entertainment from a comedian,
\nit was held in conjunction with Yasco's 22nd anniversary. The
\nparticipants sat around 10 tables. The seating was arranged to
\nencourage encounters between unmarried males and females.<\/p>\n
Hasbie also said the ball was held to give singles --
\nincluding widows and widowers, divorces and divorcees -- the
\nchance to meet potential partners.<\/p>\n
\"One meeting is worth more than a thousand letters,\" Hasbie
\nsaid in his opening address.<\/p>\n
The majority of the women, almost all career women, seemed
\nundeterred by the number of men; it is usual at Yasco balls, some
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Yasco has seen 3,051 of its members marry.<\/p>\n
Currently its 12,700-strong membership consists of more than
\n4,000 men and 8,000 women. There are also 120,286 \"interested\"
\nlisted individuals, who are not active enough to be categorized
\nas members.<\/p>\n
Exchange<\/p>\n
Before the ball started, the above 30-year-old males and
\nfemales exchanged names and addresses. They had to solve a puzzle
\ntogether, one puzzle for one table, designed to break the ice.<\/p>\n
Totok, an accountant at a plywood firm, said the ball was
\nuseful for him since he does not have much time for dating.<\/p>\n
\"Except for my mother, all of my family members are males. I
\nhave difficulty getting to know a woman. This is a chance for me
\nto have acquaintances,\" he said, adding that he twice attended
\nsimilar balls held by Yasco.<\/p>\n
\"But I don't give my office number to the women here. I don't
\nwant to be disturbed while I'm working,\" Totok said.<\/p>\n
He said he wants to meet a Catholic girl with whom he can
\ncommunicate with about anything.<\/p>\n
Yani (not her real name), a car dealer employee in Bogor, said
\nshe attended the ball to make friends.<\/p>\n
\"Friendship is just a beginning to continue relationships,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Michael (not his real name), an Australian who works for a
\nJapanese firm in the city, said he became interested in attending
\nthe ball after reading about it in The Jakarta Post In response to whether he was particularly looking for a local
\nwoman, he said he just wanted to meet someone first.<\/p>\n
Michael, who has been living here for seven months, said in
\nAustralia singles were matched first by computer before being
\nintroduced.<\/p>\n
\"So the foundation (matchmaker) could arrange seats to get the
\nmale and female sitting side by side,\" he added.<\/p>\n
In Yasco, contact can also be made through its magazine called
\nMesra (affectionate).<\/p>\n
The ball, which officially lasted four hours, continued until
\n5 a.m. (jun)<\/p>",
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