Tarzan, lord of the shopping mall

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.