Jegeg (Beautiful)
“What kind of a woman is considered ‘beautiful’ (jegeg) in Bali?” comes a question.
It is for the first time Ni Luh Makin Digosok Makin Sip (The More You Rub the More She Likes It) offers a topic for a discussion.
“In my point of view, a beautiful woman is the one who has similar ‘characteristic’ as sekar sandat (a kind of flower), which is not really colorful but smells very good; a kind of a woman who respects her parents, can cook food well, speaks politely, and sociable. The point is being beautiful is not just about physical appearance, but it’s more about attitude and behavior or we can say ‘inner beauty’,” comments I Madé Mata Keranjang (I Madé Turns On When Sees a Beautiful Woman).
They all laugh having heard what I Madé said. Nobody really buys what he says. They would think that I Madé’s big mouth is similar to politicians’s, legislative members’, Gayus Tambunan’s, Ariel Peterpan’s and the pretima (god statue) stealers’; too much lie and never wants to say the truth.
“Well, if ‘beauty’ is all about attitude and behavior, why do you often hit your own kind wife? Why do you also often come to girly bars and squeeze the beautiful waitresses’ breasts there?” asks Ni Luh angrily.
I Madé just smiles and gives no answer. He knows a lot about women. When a woman is angry, it is better not to argue her. It’s better for you to just keep sipping your palm toddy and eating you turkey lawar*
“A beautiful woman is a woman who can take care of her life in this cruel world, be able to make a living for her own family as well as a good housewife, makes coffee for her husband. In other words, she must have a good career but still be able to take care of her own family,” comments I Wayan Lintah Benalu. (I Wayan Parasite).
I Wayan is a kind of educated person but unemployed (always talk and talk, and often act as if he knew everything but does nothing). He just wants to hang out; in the morning he just sits waiting for his wife to serve him breakfast and a cup of coffee. In the afternoon he spends his time playing with his roosters along the alley.
It is his wife who has to work very hard to enable her buy I Wayan coffee and chicken food and vitamins his roosters.
“How lucky you are being Balinese men, just like our brother I Wayan. He thinks that a woman is considered beautiful when she acts like a slave for her husband; works very had all day; when arriving home from work, she has to serve her husband who does nothing all day but just sits or sleeps. If she doesn’t, she will be considered as a ‘disobey’ wife, which sometimes, can be a reason for her husband to make love affair with other women,” says Ni Luh angrily.
Nobody dares to comment. Some think that what she says is right. Some think that the palm toddy stall belongs to Ni Luh. If they say something wrong she might get angry and pour some methanol into the palm toddy to make them sick.
Since the old time, it has never been the women who judge themselves being beautiful or not, but the men have (according to them ‘beautiful’ means good-looking, sexy body, and nice legs). Or if not the men, the commercial companies have – from shampoo, perfumes, medicinal herbs (jamu) for slim body and body lotion companies (according to them beautiful hair is smooth, straight, long, black hair; beautiful skin is white; and sexy means ‘curve waist’, flat belly, long legs; and if one wants to look beautiful she has to wear dress, bras, shoes, face powder made by certain brand). So, if one is black, fat, has curly hair, tiny breast, so she is considered not beautiful at all.
It can be concluded that it is the men who judge whether a woman is beautiful or not based on their taste. In addition, the commercial companies create standards of beauty to double their income from the women who are obsessed to be look beautiful.
“From now in, it’s me who decide what ‘beautiful’ means,” says Ni Luh loudly.
Nobody answers.
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Glossaries:
*Lawar: Balinese vegetable salad made of boiled unripe jackfruit, unripe papaya, long bean, grated coconut mixed with meat and usual spicy.
