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