Jakarta Expos – iFMAC, Sofa Parts, Beauties and Similar Delights

You may have noticed we tend to publicise exhibitions and such-like here, and although it’s something of a public service, there is the spin-off benefit of selecting photos of lots of lovelies manning (womanning? – mustn’t be sexist!) the stands.

And it’s not just indoor exhibitions either – even on the pavements of Jalan Jaksa, we are frequently and agreeably faced with cuties in a variety of uniforms, usually including mini-skirts, persuading us to try some type of smokes or sweets or whatever.

I don’t personally go to every exhibition in Jakarta, firstly because even if I had the inclination, there are just too many. The next one I’ve had notice of is IFMAC

That’s the International Furniture Manufacturing Components. 11th – 14th September at PRJ, 10am – 7pm daily. I doubt if I’ll be going.

Comfy sofas and easy chairs do hold a certain attraction for me, but I am no DIY geezer, so inspecting their component parts ( I refer to the sofas not the promotion girls!)  is not something I’d reckon to factor into my limited spare time. Here’s what you’ll get if you go –

Machines and Auxiliary Machines for Furniture Production, Materials and Components for Furniture Production, Machine/Materials/Components for Upholstery and Bedding, Machines/ Materials/ Components for Interior Works, Media and Associations   –   http://asiatoday.com/event/ifmac-2011-furniture-manufacturing-components-show

Jakarta has lots of events, and, as said oftimes, it’s a city where boredom rarely imposes on you.

But the Jakarta Post recently (20/8/11) caught my eye, for it included an article on those gorgeous young ladies ( usually smiling – the two above must have been fasting!) whom you see luring visitors to admire cars, motor-bikes, cigarette brands and almost anything you can think of.

Actually, I don’t have much interest in bikes or autos and while I enjoy a cigarette, I don’t see any reason to acquire vast knowledge of rival brands if I’m out for a day at Jakarta Convention Centre or the PRJ (Jakarta International Exhibition centre ) – the latter being where I took the photo below!

However, I never brush off these girls’ advances – are you kidding?

So I scanned the article to find out a bit more about them.

The JP quoted Rio Dwi, an SPG agency employee, on the criteria for choosing girls, and surprisingly, to me, at least, the key seems to be height.

“We have two categories: grade A for girls with a minimum height of 165 centimeters, and grade B for those with a minimum height of 160 centimeters,” he said. “Most of the clients — especially those from big companies — usually look for the grade A girls. The grade B ones are usually employed by cosmetics companies to work in shopping centers, for example,” he said.

Grade A SPGs usually get Rp 400,000 (US$47) per eight-hour shift, while the grade B girls earn Rp 350,000 per shift.

Another agency spokesman described his organisation’s requirements, a shock revelation being that ‘clients preferred good-looking girls!’ But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes, and here’s how he defined his preferred eye-full.

“Good-looking here means they have flawless skin, not too dark, long hair — presentable ones, because they will be the image of the brand,” he said.  The girls range from 20 to 27 years old and are paid between Rp 200,000 and Rp 1 million per shift.

That ‘not too dark’ aspect is a reminder of the way Indonesian gals avoid that magnificent weather that I revel in. My delight in sitting out front reading or just baking whenever the sun is high astonishes my neighbours. And I find it entertaining to see all those little brollies opened up at bus- stops to prevent some pretty things’ wonderful golden-brown complexion getting too golden or too brown!  

As for tall or short, though I’m not into dwarves, my own six feet never makes me look down on a petite Indonesian lady, except in the literal sense – and most of them sport high-heels to minimise the communication gap!

Thought you’d like a change from politics and religion!