Larasati wants to be like a monkey

By Asniar Sahab

JAKARTA (JP): We met at her residence on Jl. Pejaten Raya, South Jakarta. The tiny sitting room is painted a cream color, matching the wooden floor perfectly. Family photographs are conspicuously displayed on the long cabinet close to the wall bordering the living room, which also serves as the dining room.

Larasati came out in a tight blue shirt and a casual long skirt, beaming a friendly smile that added to her natural beauty. A short while later, while savoring a cup of warm tea in a relaxed atmosphere, we chatted.

Magazines and newspapers once splashed their pages with her photographs; all have made her famous. Larasati was indeed a renowned model. She has starred in commercials for an array of cosmetic brands, both in magazines and on TV. Surprisingly, at the age of 26 -- in the prime of her life -- she abandoned her career which she had built for 12 years.

"I quit on Nov. 14, 1997. On my 26th birthday," she said briefly.

To her, the world of modeling that had ushered her to fame as a highly sought after cat-walker, was beginning to make her feel bored. She was always complaining of stress, and of being preoccupied with show activities.

The thought of resigning from modeling had been in her mind for quite some time and at last it became a reality: she quit, once and for all. She said she just wanted to do it abruptly, reasoning that "if you do something you must do it wholeheartedly".

During her first year away from modeling she did absolutely nothing except spend her time enjoying the days and taking care of her daughter, Alysa. A year later, without fanfare, she got married to a Irvan Gading, a divorcee who has a child. The following year, she gave birth to their beloved daughter, Melisa, now one-and-a-half years old.

She now sends Alysa to school and has her practice horseback riding in Ciganjur, South Jakarta. In fact, Larasati had long harbored a secret desire to become a professional equestrienne. Her family loves horses and while in elementary school she had participated in the activity regularly.

"Actually, I had begun practicing horseback riding before I got married to Irvan. At first it was just for physical exercise. I love challenging sports -- I used to be involved in fencing," she said.

However, the urge to mount a horse again only emerged when she saw her daughter practicing. She said she had really found a sport which suited her personality.

According to Larasati, the horse is not an animal that gets mad easily, likening it to a trait which runs in her blood.

"Like other sports, horseback riding also takes some warming- up and particular moves -- just like those in a ballet" she commented. "There are mental exercises which balance the body and emotions, and this sport is completely relaxing."

She is now addicted to it, with a regular morning regimen from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.. Comparing the sport with the hip-shaking business on the stage, Laras said, "My headaches will soon go away once I am on the horse, just like before -- when I was emotionally involved in modeling, on the stage I would forget everything. Now I have to take my costumes into account too and dress stylishly when riding a horse."

Laras said, "Horses also need special attention and cannot be left alone for too long in the stall. They live a short life -- only 5 to 6 years." Therefore, Laras takes good care of her two horses: Nikolaus, a mixed Indonesian-Australian bred horse, and Dynamite, a German breed born in Indonesia. She bought them in Lembang, West Java, and Pulo Mas, Jakarta.

After a four-month routine and rigorous regimen, Larasati had the chance to participate in a competition in Malaysia and is now geared up to participate in the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games next September in Kuala Lumpur. She will also take part in the first, second and third qualifying rounds of the 2001 ECI Championship in Bandung and Lembang, held throughout this month and July.

She is most at ease and at the same time enthusiastic when talking about her hobbies. "This is my dedication to the country. In the past I carried the name of Indonesia and grabbed the spotlight in various international events and design shows, often becoming an ambassador for the country. This time, I want to dedicate myself to the country through horseback riding," she said.

Larasati considers her aim to lure horse-lovers into the equestrian sport a success. She doesn't pursue a special target. "It all depends on my partner (pointing at the horse). If he is in really good shape, I'll have a lot of fun too."

When asked about the difference between sport and modeling, she said, "In modeling I sought nothing but money, but in sport, the reward is different: achievement".

Larasati is known to be punctual, but she does not want to be compared to a horse, saying that it has a bad character trait -- they just want to be waited on.

"What would I be like? A butterfly? No, because they don't live long. Maybe I just want to be like a monkey, because they are very easygoing and relaxed, like the way I lead my life," she said, laughing heartily. "Monkeys do nothing but live long and are like humans -- they are not going to be hunted or killed," she said.

Larasati is aware of her flaws. She seems to be too straight- forward and naive, detesting unfairness. She loathes cunningness, and thinks a cunning person is definitely dishonest. Her other weak point is that she trusts people easily, thus, often making her a victim of her own naivete. she is not good at expressing her views, which is at times misunderstood as rudeness. To say sorry is what this woman finds hard to do; but to atone for her wrongdoing, she normally shows through her attitude.

Larasati places her family as her top priority. She doesn't expect much from this life. Her real companion is her husband. Shopping and traveling are her favorite pastimes, explaining that traveling broadens one's mind and opens up new vistas.

When asked what life means to her, she said, "Life is waiting for death to come, so I try to make this life and the hereafter balanced. I was converted to Islam in 1987 and am still learning about Islam and preparing myself for it."

Being together with the family makes her life meaningful. Now she has peace, though occasionally she feels dejected when she thinks about death, "I feel sorry for the children. Who's going to take care of them?" But Larasati is sure that her children's lives are in the hands of God. "Man proposes, God disposes," she said.

It was beginning to drizzle at nightfall when she invited me to have a look around the house and her private room. Mainly constructed of wood, with two small swimming pools on both sides, the room looks spacious. The congenial Larasati has not changed, living her life without lofty ambitions.