Joop's jamu joke

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication Joop Ave is famous for his charm and personality, the perfect "salesman" to promote Indonesia. Yesterday he again proved his skills of persuasion.

While on a break, Joop browsed the stalls at the House of Representatives building.

Stopping at a stall selling jamu, a Javanese traditional herbal concoction, he stopped and ordered a glass. Proudly he showed-off his taste for the traditional remedy.

"The taste is so good! You all should drink jamu to help its international promotion," Joop told dozens of photographers who blitzed him with incessant camera flashes.

Prior to the visit to the jamu stall, Joop went to one which sold encyclopedias and reference books.

After browsing through a number of encyclopedias, Joop chose A Cultural Atlas of Islam.

When told by the stall attendant that the price of the book was Rp 1,030,000 (US$120), Joop replied in surprise: "It's very expensive... you can get rich fast."

But the minister was apparently unflustered by the price and decided to purchase it anyway. He even gave the attendant a Rp 20,000 tip before leaving. (byg)