Derap Nusantara
Chronicling Jakarta Fair, From Gambir Market to Kemayoran
One of the residents of Kebon Sirih, Jakarta, Henni, now 62, recounted that she often visited the Djakarta Fair since she was a child
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"I remember that there used to be embassies introducing the culture of their countries, such as Japan, Russia, and Pakistan. My mother once bought a rosary made from Pakistan," Henni remarked.
Judi Kim and "American" donuts
Out of the various outlets that competitively offered their products, Henni recalled an area that was never empty of spectators, whether they were children or the elderly.
That area was where the game of "Judi Kim" was held. The game is now extinct. However, for Henni, it was like just yesterday night when she saw the level of enthusiasm of the players of Judi Kim.
According to Zeffry J. Alkatiri through his book "Pasar Gambir, Komik Cina, dan Es Shanghai" (2010), the Judi Kim game was accompanied by a band that plays Minangnese pop songs.
To win the game, the player must cross out numbers on a small piece of paper. The numbers are called by the singer with witty sayings, for instance, the number 33 is called three marriages, while the number 51 is called a five carrying a stick.
A person, who manages to cross out one horizontal line of numbers, must immediately raise his or her hand and the music stops right away.
Meanwhile, a booth that has always been present at the Jakarta Fair is called "American Donat (donuts)".
Despite an "American" word being embedded in the brand, it is a local micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME). The donuts are served with various toppings, such as nuts, meses or chocolate granules, cheese, and powdered sugar.
The Jakarta Fair, which was earlier located in the Monas Area, had to move to the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran in 1992 due to the increasing number of visitors.
Now electric cars
The Jakarta Fair is an inseparable part of the Jakarta City anniversary, which is commemorated every June 22.
During the 70s, the Djakarta Fair was replete with exhibitions by television companies, though now, the visitors currently throng the electric car showcases at the fair.
This seems to be in line with the theme "Jakarta Fair Supports National Economic Growth to Compete in the World Market" of the Jakarta Fair 2024.
This year's Jakarta Fair, held from June 12 to July 14, 2024, also has the sub-theme of "Bolster Innovation, Industrialization, Maximum Creativity."
