Businesses will need dogged determination for successful year

The Jakarta Post, Saturday January 28, 2006

Dating back at least 3,000 years, feng shui was first used to determine the best sites for tombs. Later it was used to site palaces, government buildings and monuments.

Over time, it developed to include detailed observation of the living world and the way the earth’s energy affects our daily lives.

Feng shui expert Hendra Julius uses the Four Pillars of Destiny — the year, month, day, time and their corresponding two elements — to determine the kind of businesses that will thrive in 2006.

The Chinese New Year beginning Jan. 29 marks the Year of the Dog and has the inherent element of Yang Earth, but the year also possesses the element of Yang Fire.

Taking into consideration these two strong elements, Hendra said businesses most likely to succeed this year were those also inherently connected to the Earth element, such as building contractors and building material traders, stone craftsmen, precious stones jewelers, processed food manufacturers, agriculture and mining.

“There may be many supermarkets opening this year, but only the huge hypermarkets will win out. The same goes for department stores — only the big stores will succeed this year.”

Businesses influenced by the element Fire are also likely to succeed, Hendra said, listing electronic stores, lamp stores, chemical industry, entertainment, nightclubs, welding workshops and the stock market.

“I predict the Jakarta Stock Exchange Index will break another record this year, and lawyers will do booming business because small incidents will be exaggerated, and many major cases will be found out and blown out of proportion.”

Although its basic element is Water, businesses dealing with shipping mining products will boom this year. Businesses with the element of Yin Metal will also be successful, such as metal handicrafts, computer hardware and gadget.

However, since Yang Fire melts Yang Metal, businesses having this basic element will suffer in 2006, such as the metal industry, automotive industry and banking.

Also in for a slowdown are fishery, distributor, trading, ticketing and credit sectors.

“Sports are also categorized as Yang Metal, meaning that Indonesia’s achievements in sports this year won’t be any better than last year’s,” Hendra said.

Fire engulfs wood, so businesses such as fashion, cotton textiles, wood furniture and education will also lag this year.

“The publishing and printing business that had scored some major successes last year must now find ways to cope,” Hendra said, adding that the movie industry and literature would also become stagnant, with no major launchings.

“Instead, we will have sensational movies in abundance, as well as controversial publications”.

Upmarket malls go ‘red’ for ‘Imlek’ celebration

The Jakarta Post, Monday, 23 January 2006

There’s no mistaking the signs, red is definitely “in” and Jakarta shopping centers have embraced the lucky color to usher in a happy and prosperous Year of the Dog on Jan. 29.

Not unlike Idul Fitri, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve, for the last five years Indonesia’s retail industry has taken on Imlek as an excuse for more shopping promotions.

Just take a look at Jakarta’s newest high-end shopping center Pondok Indah Mall 2, in South Jakarta. Sparse in its decorations, the mall nevertheless looks elegant with its rows of pink plum blossoms, dragon lamp posts, and red lanterns hung from the ceiling.

At the Sogo Atrium in PIM 2, traditional and contemporary Chinese music and singers will entertain shoppers on Jan 23 and Jan 25 at 7 p.m., while at Metro Atrium in PIM 1 they will perform on Jan 24 and Jan 26, also at 7 p.m.

A performance of the traditional Chinese musical instrument, gu zheng, will entertain shoppers on Jan 28 at 2 p.m. at Sogo Atrium, and on Jan 29 at 6:15 p.m. at Metro Atrium.

Using the theme a Surprisingly Different Chinese New Year, Pondok Indah Mall will also present an exhibition of the Chinese martial art wushu at Metro Atrium on Jan. 27, and liong (dragon) and barongsai (lion) dance shows at Sogo Atrium from Jan. 27 through Jan. 29.

Don’t forget to visit Mrs. Alien the fortune teller at Metro Atrium, for a peek into the future.

Embracing the spirit of Chinese New Year, Plaza Senayan in South Jakarta is also ready to entertain shoppers with traditional Chinese music every day until Jan 29 at 1 p.m. in the lobby, and a barongsai and liong performance from noon to 2 p.m. at the plaza’s atrium.

Metro Department Stores are also in for the Chinese New Year, offering a spin on its Metro Lucky Wheel for a minimum purchase of Rp 1 million (about US$106), or two spins for holders of Metro Yours Card.

At Taman Anggrek Mall, it is time to Celebrate a Year of Fortune, and the mall in West Jakarta has dressed itself in old-world China.

Besides the usual barongsai and liong show, calligraphy and art performances, fortune tellers, and other Chinese-style entertainment, the event — running until Feb. 5 — also showcases Cai Shen Ye, the god of luck and fortune.

“Cai Shen Ye is the Chinese god of wealth and is believed to bring good luck. Here Cai Shen Ye will walk around the mall giving out chocolate-filled gold ingots to visitors,” Taman Anggrek Mall PR and Communications Executive Yunny Christine said.

Across the city at WTC Mangga Dua in North Jakarta, a huge angpao (red money envelopes) tree is featured for the Sensasi Imlek 1000 Hoki (1,000 luck Imlek Sensation).

Various competitions will be held this year, including a Red Dress Contest on Jan. 29 on the lower ground level of the mall, and free Chinese calligraphy lessons will be given on Feb. 5 and Feb. 11 at the exhibition hall on the ground floor.

Cruise to Prosperity at Kelapa Gading Mall in North Jakarta features artists’ performances, including Chinese singers Rani and Adri Manan on Jan. 27, Shanty on Jan. 29, and popular comedy group Project Pop on Jan. 31.

Shoppers are also invited to pick an angpao packet from the mall’s Lucky Angpao Tree with every purchase worth Rp 500,000.

Shoppers on the prowl for traditional Chinese New Year goodies

The Jakarta Post, Saturday 21 January 2006

Snatches of Mandarin intermingle with Hokkien and Bahasa Indonesia as shoppers bargain for glittery posters, red angpao envelopes and sweets at specialty shops in Glodok, West Jakarta, for the upcoming Chinese New Year on Jan. 29.

“We usually buy new clothes and prepare lots of small change for angpao, and sweets and snacks for those who come to visit,” Evi Herawati from Cengkareng, West Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Evi, her mother and aunt were shopping for sweets, preserved fruits and other snacks in the basement of Glodok market. Nearby, Evi’s mother was arguing with a shopkeeper in Hokkien over the price of candies.

Perhaps the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar, the history of Imlek, or the Chinese New Year, dates back to the agrarian tradition of welcoming the bountiful season of spring.

In keeping with its agrarian roots, many modern rituals involve food and all the symbolism that goes along with that: happiness, prosperity and luck. Hence, the sweets.

“The snacks have to be sweet, to ensure a sweet future,” said A Hiong, originally from Pontianak, West Kalimantan, who runs a confectionery in the market with his son Juniadi.

He said Imlek was the one time of the year his shop was guaranteed to do a booming business, with up to Rp 2 million (about US$213) in sales a day.

Besides the standard plastic-wrapped sweets found in shops around the city, A Hiong’s confectionery also sells golden-colored, chocolate-filled sweets in the shape of boats, symbolizing abundance and an easy life, as well as chocolate-filled sweets in the shape of lanterns and “lucky money cats”, for the hope of good fortune and wealth.

Kue Keranjang (basket cakes) are essential purchases for the Chinese New Year, particularly during religious ceremonies. The cakes are usually stacked high and topped with a red cupcake, symbolizing an increasingly sweet life.

Not far away a vendor sells plastic plum trees, which usually bloom in the spring. Plum blossoms — signifying reliability and perseverance — are arranged with oranges and tangerines for abundant happiness.

“I sell these trees every Imlek. They cost between Rp 150,000 and Rp 500,000, depending on the size,” the vendor said.

Outside the market, the electronic sound of crickets rises above the noise of the crowds.

The Year of the Fire Dog, according to the Chinese, is a difficult year but also one of hope and optimism, which is probably why vendors are selling plastic crickets — symbolizing courage and a fighting spirit — inside plastic peanut shells, for long life.

In another part of Glodok, on the ground floor of the Chandra building on Jl. Pancoran, the store Li Ly is doing a roaring business selling Chinese symbols.

“People like to decorate their homes with lots of symbols for the new year, in the hope of a good year ahead,” Steve Daniel, the son of the shop’s owner, said as he wrapped a customer’s purchase.

Posters bearing glittery Chinese characters for prosperity and luck leap out at shoppers. The posters are usually pasted on living room walls or on doors, to bring hope into the home.

“The character fu is popular, it means blessing and good fortune,” Steve said, explaining that it is usually hung upside down on the front door.

An upside down fu means “good luck comes”, since the character for “upside down” in Chinese sounds the same as the character for “come”.

“But really, all of these are only decorations, for appearances. It is more important that we attend prayers at the temple. This year I’m going to the temple in Banten,” 60-year-old Karnadi from Bogor, whose wife was busy browsing for red angpao envelopes, said.