Bali Boys sought for their virility

Bali Boys sought for their virility

By Putu Wirata

KUTA, Bali (JP): Ketut Mendra, born in Kuta, Bali in 1963, was
a prominent surfer in the 1980s. A junior high school graduate,
he earned money by selling postcards and newspapers to tourists.
In 1974 he met Paul, a surfer from Australia. They became friends
and Mendra learnt to surf.

But it did not end with surfing lessons. Surfing introduced
Mendra to a new life, and he became a gigolo for foreign
tourists.

"The girls gave me money and presents," wrote Ketut Mendra in
the book In Praise of Kuta by Hugh Macbbett (1987). In the 1980s
Mendra was at his peak. His body was athletic, thanks to surfing,
and his movements were gracious as a result of his kecak dancing
in the village.

Mendra's life was more settled when he was a prominent surfer.
He acquired a family and children. "I am growing old, my life is
settled," he told Hugh Macbbett. Surfing brought him to foreign
shores, riding the waves of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the
U.S.

Gus Lonod, a senior high graduate in Denpasar, wanted to
become a painter but instead joined the hippies in the 1970s.
With a trials bike, he worked as a guide. At the time there were
no plush travel agencies in Bali. The guides took their guests by
motorbike to whatever destination they desired. Theirs was a
friendly relationship. Lonod made the acquaintance of some
Australian girls who were very free and easy. Young, fresh and
strong, often rewarded with money, Lonod lived in a dream amongst
angels from the land of the kangaroo.

He cannot recall all the names of the girls but one was to
make a lasting impression on him. One day, one of his friends,
Mary, whom he had accompanied on a one-month tour of the island
wrote him a letter: "I have recommended you to a woman. Next
month she will come to Bali. She is not that young, but she would
like some company. I do not know whether you'll like her, but I
would like you to meet her at least." Lonod could not refuse. The
woman was about 40. Half-heartedly he accompanied her. On her
departure the woman left him A$600, saying: "I hope I'll see you
next time in a better life." After a few weeks, the woman sent
him more money "enough to set up a small-scale travel agency".
Now, in 1996 Gus Lonod's travel agency is one of the biggest in
Bali. He has retired from being a gigolo.

Mendra and Lonod have retired, but Kuta beach with its rolling
waves has become an international hangout for young singles. It
has spawned a new generation of gigolos. They are not just from
Kuta, they're also from Bandung, Malang, Sumatra and North
Sulawesi. Unlike the hookers plying their trade on the roads,
these young men, usually long-haired, work as bartenders, surf
guides, hotel employees. They often sit in pubs, dance in
discotheques and walk along the beach waiting for a partner.

A Denpasar newspaper once reported that in Kuta, Lovina, Ubud,
Sanur, and Candidasa, there are hundreds of gigolos. They hail
from all over. Probably pressured by keen competition the
Balinese trailblazers have created new myths. The Nusa Tenggara
daily reported on Feb. 24 that Balinese gigolos were sought after
for their virility. Adventurous girls who want children are said
to choose Balinese men because they are endowed with artistic
talent. But this may just be keen marketing.

Amran, 25, said he was born in Malang. Every night he whiles
away his time at the Sari Club, a pub-cum-discotheque full of
Australians. "I often sit here," he told The Jakarta Post without
embarrassment. He graduated from senior high school in 1993 and
came to Kuta in search of work. He stayed with a relative who was
in the clothes business at first. "I helped him in his shop," he
said. His income was irregular but he had a room and food.

After two years in Kuta he managed to learn a little Japanese.
Then he met Katzumi, 26, a Japanese girl with a small-scale
garments business in Japan. Amran said: "With Katzumi's I could
earn money." Hot for each other, Amran and Katzumi rented a small
room in Legian. The landlord was not particular about the marital
status of his tenants.

Amran and Katzumi shared a room for Rp 250,000 a month. They
had a bathroom, a small lobby, electricity, water and a
telephone. Amran's main task was to serve as a guide to Katzumi.
However, Katzumi did not stay in Kuta all the time. Every three
months she went home to Japan and came back three or four months
later. One month after her first departure Katzumi sent Amran 500
yen with a letter of acknowledgement. Then Katzumi recommended
Amran to her girlfriends vacationing in Bali. And Amran was not
adverse to providing the same service. "I don't ask for money,
but they understand and give it to me anyway," he said, laughing,
alcohol wafting from his mouth.

Not all gigolos need the warmth of love in their adventures.
Some are willing to bed women several years their senior. "I once
had a rendezvous with an elderly woman who paid me well," said
Macan, a young man from Jember. Macan watches over security in a
bar at Legian, Kuta, earning Rp 250,000 a month.

Do they have fixed rates? "No, it depends. If the client is
unpleasant to look at I charge as much as Rp 200,000 for a short
"rendezvous"," he grinned.