Tarzan, lord of the shopping mall

By Jules Bell

JAKARTA (JP): At Taman Anggrek Mall at the moment you can literally climb the walls, go skateboarding or if you are feeling a little less energetic, be entertained in a jungle environment. This is all because Tarzan has been swinging across screens Jakarta-wide since July 9.

To celebrate the new animated film, Taman Anggrek Mall, in conjunction with Disney, is hosting a festival of activities daily from June 24 to July 25.

Located mainly on the ground floor of the mall, the event is hard to miss as you enter the building, with the 9-meter indoor climbing wall, skate ramp, and stage buzzing with activity.

Deasy, 22, has just come down from the indoor climbing wall. She is momentarily speechless. "Before you climb it," she says, "you are afraid, but when you get to the top you feel a great sense of freedom, and the feeling of just hanging loose on the way down is awesome. I love it."

There are events for children and adolescents of all ages. For younger children there are puzzles, rides, stage presentations, and "many other exciting programs held daily", according to the advertising material.

Coloring, singing, and music competitions offer children the chance to win prizes including Tarzan merchandise, free tickets, and copies of the soundtrack, featuring five songs by Phil Collins.

If that is not enough and your children want more, twice daily over the weekend there is a Jungle Jamming Party, where children sing and dance on stage to the beats of the jungle; a re- enactment of a scene from the movie.

For older children, adolescents, or parents there are higher energy activities including indoor wall climbing, skateboarding, in-line skating and ice-skating.

According to Rezianni, Taman Anggrek Mall's advertising and public relations executive, the event illustrates the mall's "interpretation of the movie into a series of activities which reflect the dynamic characteristics that exemplify Jakarta's youth".

Taman Anggrek Mall has organized the event in conjunction with Beuna Vista International, the promotional division of the Disney film company. The mall is relatively new, having been built in 1996, and this is the largest movie promotion to date, said Rezianni.

It is also a successful promotion she said, referring to a 20- percent increase in visitor traffic.

She said the mall's task was to translate the character of Tarzan and the movie into live activities that also reflect a modern interpretation of the energetic animated character.

"Our aim is to offer some innovative, unique, interactive and healthy activities to celebrate the movie. When we do things, we do them with an all-or-nothing approach," she said.

Taking a break from the skateboarding and in-line skating area are two American skateboarders living in Jakarta. They have come to skate the only indoor ramp in Jakarta.

"It's cool," exclaimed Adam and Bryan, both 14. "We usually have to build our own ramps," continued Bryan, who is considering entering one of the competitions held every weekend. An indoor ramp is great they said, remembering a week when it "rained every day after school".

The two skaters wished the ramp was permanent though, and that the skate area was larger, reflecting the need for a new skate park in Jakarta.

Claud, 20, who has been skating for four years, is a resident daily skater at the mall. "Skateboarding is becoming very popular in Indonesia," he said. "It is good to have a ramp, it helps people start skating."

Local and international professionals are also scheduled to appear for demonstration events in the future.

Supervising guests at the indoor climbing wall is experienced climber Angkie, 23, a member of the Wall Climbing Federation of Indonesia.

"People are very enthusiastic and interested," she said, "more than 200 people have tried wall climbing for the first time in the past two weeks. At first most people are curious, because they have never tried it, but then they come back for more".

The indoor wall is very popular, and according to Angkie this mirrors the sport's rapid increase in popularity in Indonesia over the last two years.

The program at the indoor climbing wall includes supervised climbing, ongoing competitions and demonstrations from experienced climbers. People of all ages have been climbing the wall said Angkie, from "5 years to over 30 years".

Meanwhile on the third level of the mall, people are skating also, but on ice. Sky Rink, a permanent ice-skating rink, is abuzz with people taking lessons and skating to the sounds of funky music in a blur of colors.

Yola, 15, said, "I have been coming here for a week. It's fantastic, there are instructors who help you, and the atmosphere is really cool."

A visit to Taman Anggrek Mall during the celebration represents a day out for the whole family. "We are a family- orientated mall," said Rezianni.

For children who have seen the movie there are numerous activities to burn off the inevitable energy and motivation inspired by the action-orientated character Tarzan. Families can also have a photo taken with Disney's Tarzan background, participate in "family fun" activities such as tent building, and shop at the Tarzan merchandise stalls.

The Nadjaya family, currently visiting Jakarta from Sumatra, are enjoying themselves. "You can bring your children here during the holidays," said father Feryanto. "There are lots of games and things to do."

The activities usually run from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, and 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Taman Anggrek Mall has also concentrated on issues of safety. Experienced supervisors are present to ensure that participants are safe, beginners are instructed correctly and safety standards are enforced. The mall has first-aid practitioners available and there have been no accidents to date.

The height of the indoor climbing wall is deliberately less than the usual 12 meters, and although the ideal skate ramp usually extends four or five meters vertically, the ramp at the mall has been restricted to two meters.

With a few exceptions, such as the ice skating, the entire festival is free. Considering the activities available and the atmosphere the mall has created, the celebration of the new Tarzan movie offers a great day out for Jakarta families. Taman Anggrek Mall, located in West Jakarta, has created an environment Tarzan himself would feel at home in, so swing on down there with your family and check it out.