Guess What? Ratih Sanggarwati

Guess What? Ratih Sanggarwati

Elegantly, clad in white shirt, black pants and blazer,
Indonesian supermodel Ratih Sanggarwati walked onto the stage,
climbed up the steps draped with red cloth and sat on a chair at
the top. Slowly but firmly she read a feminist essay entitled
Women and Power written by musician Tommy F. Awuy.

Last week's visitors to The Stage restaurant in Ratu Plaza,
South Jakarta, didn't see Ratih stalking the catwalk in glamorous
dresses by Indonesian or foreign designers. They saw another face
of Ratih: serious, simple and yet amusing.

Were you nervous?

"Oww yes, I was very nervous. You know, it was different from
modeling. But, because I am known as a model, if I made a mistake
in that essay reading, I believe the audience would understand
and forgive me," Ratih told The Jakarta Post. She added that her
participation in the essay reading was merely because the writer,
Tommy Awuy, is her friend.

Tommy's two other feminist essays were read by actress Nurul
Arifin and writer Debra H. Yatim.

But, how can you be here since you are supposed to be in one-
month of pingitan (isolation) before your wedding next month?

"Oww yes, during this one month seclusion I cannot meet my
future husband. But, I still can do my daily activities. Starting
July 13, or seven days before the marriage, I'll be in Ngawi,
Central Java, my hometown. There, I should stay in a complete
isolation," Ratih explained.

"Oww yes, I cannot meet Budi, my future husband, but we still
contact each other through facsimile. This is how we implement
the isolation in this modern time," laughed Javanese Ratih, whose
future husband is a West Sumatran businessman.

Oww yes, congratulations. (als)