Sex and the City

A village near Indramayu, West Java, supplies dozens of female `entertainers' to Jakarta. The excuses—economic problems and scarce job opportunities—are clichs.

December 31, 2002

"Jare mboke bocah ... aja medang ning Cangkingan
Bokat dikemat kepelet dadi kedanan
..."

The song with a dangdut tarling (guitar & flute) and dermayonan beat screeches out at the Lestari Bar, try-ing to drown out the sunset prayers from across the road. No one bothers to move to lower the sound from the cheap tape deck in the middle of the room. Eti and Sukeri, the two bar girls, are busily serving drinks to their four customers. Perhaps th


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