Ok, every other Asian Blogger has had a Betelnut Girls story so I figured “if you cant beat them – join em”
~James
The term Betel nut beauty refers to a common sight along roadsides in Taiwan: a young woman selling betel nuts and cigarettes from a brightly lit glass enclosure while wearing revealing clothing.(Openshaw) The Mandarin term names the women after Xi Shi, the legendary beauty of imperial China’s Spring and Autumn Period. Though betel nuts are chewed in many regions of the Asia-Pacific, the betel nut beauty phenomenon is distinctly Taiwanese.
The original betel nut beauties were the “Shuangdong Girls” who, in the 1960s, brought glamour to the opening of the Shuangdong Betel Nut Stand in Guoxing Township, Nantou County. The success of the marketing strategy led competitors to follow suit, and by the end of the century betel nut beauties and their neon-topped kiosks were a trademark feature of Taiwan’s cities and countryside. The kiosks appear in urban, suburban and rural settings alike. They are most characteristically encountered along major highways where truck drivers–famously enthusiastic consumers of betel nuts–can easily find them.
Controversy surrounding betel nut beauties generally centers on two questions: (1) the propriety of their revealing dress in public places and (2) whether their dress marks them as victims of exploitation.
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Sexy Singers in Indonesia (With Video)
I remember the first time I saw a dangdut show not long after I moved to Jakarta. About three years ago a few of my local buddies came over to drink and watch an MMA fight at my apartment. After the fight we were a bit sauced up so I suggested “hey, lets friggin do something”. One of my buddy asked me “Have you ever seen a dangdut singer?”, I was like “a what, is that a traditional dance?” thinking it was some sort of traditional Indonesian village dance with painted faces dancing around with shields and spears. “Hahahahaa… no man, no worry, you will like it”.
After driving over an hour through Jakarta’s traffic with 5 guys stuffed into a compact Honda we arrived at the show. At this point I could just hear the singing and thought to myself “Is this Indo pop music?”. But whatever, I had a buzz and it was better than sitting in my apartment. To my surprise, as soon as we walked around the corner I saw a beautiful Indonesian gal wearing a skimpy outfit dancing like Shakira at a strip club on stage. “This is off the hook Bro! What is this?” I said, “Its dangdut man, it used to only be popular in the villages but now it’s popular with everyone” my buddy explained. After watching the dangdut dancer sing and shake it for an hour I was hooked, I was now an official dangdut fanboy.
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