Young people shine at Betawi culture fiesta

Young people shine at Betawi culture fiesta

Suzanne Plunkett, Associated Press/Jakarta

Kenny has just strutted his stuff on stage at the amusement park.
Now, the emcee grills him on his favorite local museum, and
teases him about whether or not he has a girlfriend.

"Not yet, but when I do, I will take her to the National
Museum," says the 9-year-old, acing the question and answer
section of the Abang None Youth Pageant.

Boys and girls ages five through 16 have been competing in the
pageant for 25 years to celebrate the culture of Jakarta's
indigenous Betawi people. The celebration, called Jakarta fair,
runs from June 17 to July 18.

Swamped by migrants from elsewhere in Indonesia, the Betawi
people are now a minority in the country's capital, and the
government has long tried to promote the group's traditional
culture.

The word Betawi derives from Batavia, the name given to what
is now Jakarta by Indonesia's Dutch colonial rulers when they
first set foot here in the 17th century.

The boys -- Abang in the local dialect -- model traditional
Betawi dress. The girls -- known as None -- demonstrate how to
wear kerudung, or Islamic head scarves.

Contestants then greet the audience and a four-judge panel
asks them questions designed more to test their composure and
poise than their general knowledge. Popular topics include their
families, their home address, and places they have been.

Some of the contestants try to impress by answering in
English. Others reply flirtatiously, gesticulating elegantly in
hopes of winning the panel's favor.

"The event is aimed at educating children and adults of
Jakarta about Jakarta's traditional dress, and to preserve the
Betawi culture," says the pageant's organizer, Diding Syamsuddin.
"Everyone can learn from participating or just watching."

Nita Hahadi is looking to the future for her 9-year-old son,
Bagas.

"This contest tests the children's intelligence, but also it
can open opportunities for a career in acting or modeling later,"
she says while helping him put on traditional slippers.
Bagas has a shorter-term view. "I want to win!" he says. "A win
would feel good."

The children who make it to the finals are awarded
certificates, and the top three finishers win a trophy and a
savings account with Rp 900,000, or just under US$96. Many later
go on to become models, television hosts and singers.

One young girl answers a few of the panel's questions in
English. Then she gets a new assignment: "You must find a
foreigner in the audience and ask them how long they have lived
in Indonesia."

She blushes, but keeps her composure, holds her head high, and
confidently responds: "Of course, Abang!" she says, pointing at
an Associated Press photographer before asking the required
question.

GetAP 1.00 -- JUL 16, 2004 01:51:24