Pupet shows to mark exhibition

Pupet shows to mark exhibition

JAKARTA (JP): A handphone promotion and puppet shows will be
part of the attractions at a Women's Day exhibition here at the
end of the year.

The Mothers' and Children's World exhibition will run from
Dec. 27-29 at the Jakarta Convention Center, although Woman's Day
actually falls on Dec. 22.

Organizers said they would try to be selective when choosing
items to be displayed at the exhibition.

"Handphones and cars are part of a mother's world too,"
organizer Yulie Indra Setyohadi, director of PT Linea Sakakindo
Promosindo, said.

"On school trips mothers now give their children handphones to
monitor them," another organizer said.

Yulie said it was harder to find items relevant to mothers
than it was to children, but organizers "would try to balance the
range of goods in the display."

Although some people say Women's Day in Indonesia is not
similar to Mothers' Day in the West, Yulie said the event sought
to stimulate a fun time between mothers and their children.

"If we watch television, only a tiny portion is devoted to
shows which bridge a mother and child," she said, adding that
this was also the case with other media.

Around 30,000 visitors a day are expected to attend the three-
day event, which will feature local popular educators such as Ibu
Kasur, Sandiah Soerjono, Seto Mulyadi and psychologist Sarlito
Wirawan.

Children will be encouraged to participate in quizzes and
competitions, including a smiling contest, a photo model contest
and a writing contest.

"The events are designed for infants to 12-year-olds," said
Yulie, a mother of three.

During the exhibition, a seminar on children's creativity and
a talk show about mothers and children will be hosted by model
Soraya Haque, who hosts her own show on a private television
channel.

A new pre-school in Pondok Indah, High Scope, is one of about
100 expected participants.

Organizers said the event was expected to encourage producers
to target women and children, as displays focusing on mothers and
children were rare.

Responding to questions on how organizers perceived the role
of fathers, who meet their children less often, they acknowledged
it was a market which needed to be targeted.

"Fathers are also expected as the event is held on a weekend,"
Yulie said. (anr)