SELLING LUST AND LOVE IN BALI

Many of their boyfriends also see their relationships with Western women as an escape from the class and caste politics of their own society. 56-year-old Made Karya of Ubud claims to have had relationship with 75 Western women for the experience. “I nev er thought about money. If I had, I could have had my own hotel by now”, he says, laughing.



Wayan, a 26-year-old who took a job at a Kuta hotel hoping to marry with a Western woman, explain why he prefers foreign girlfriends; “ Bali nese women just look at how much money you have. If you don't have a car, a mobile phone, a good job, or a good family, they I'll leave you for someone who does. Western women don't care about all that. They believe in love. ”Even Surya agrees somewhat: “Of course, most of the appeal of Western women is that they don't care about your background. They just care about how you treat them”.

The Perils of Playing Casanova

Hidden behind the excitement and adventure, however, lurks heartbreak. Those who fall victim to the gigolo phenomenon are not only those women who find them selves ripped off by lies and lavish request. The men also run the risk of getting hurt. “Rule number one is don't fall in love,” say's Surya. Stories are common of promises broken, with return visits cancelled and plane tickets that never arrive. Made Karya recounts how it was broken heart that finally caused him to swear off Western women. Karya recounts the ancient Bali nese tale of Rajapala to explain his feelings (read sidebar).

“The tourist are like angels,” he says. “They fly down to Bali on their airplanes. There are thousands of them, and we watch them in their bikinis on the beach. We steal from them, maybe, but we want them to stay. And sometimes we fall in love. But they come from another world, and so they leave. And sometimes it hurts your heart. ”karya seems to hover briefly on an edge between tears and laughter. But then he smiles. “That's the price you pay for experience.”