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Liva doesn’t strip as much as she used to. She’s moved on to coordinate other strippers — girls who dance for one price and then have sex for another.

When a client or a club needs a girl for the night, they call Liva. If you’ve seen a girl on stage here in the city, chances are that Liva took her out of the kampung and put her up on stage to dance — and then some.

What is it you do exactly?

I used to do this myself, well I mean I still strip from time to time if the clients request me personally. But now that I’m tired of it, I find new talent. Usually, I take hookers that roam around freelancing and make them strippers. The freelancers don’t make much, but once you become a stripper you make a lot more. You have a standard rate and you’re worth more.

How much does a regular hooker make?

Less than a Rp 1 million [$106]. But if she becomes a stripper/hooker she makes at least Rp 1.5 million. That’s for short time. You go into the room have sex and then get out, like a karaoke room. The girls join [the clients], but there’s always a back room in the karaoke rooms.

But what if you just want them to strip?

Ever since the Anti-Pornography bill passed, the rate for strippers has gone up. The girls are sent to clubs to strip and then entice the guys into having sex, that’s how we make more money.

Wait, what’s short time?

OK, so short time is just having sex and that’s it. She has sex and then leaves. Then there’s long time, where the girl is with you all night. That obviously costs more.

How does the whole thing work?

Sometimes there’s a group of guys having a party and they need girls, or it’s a club or a single client, and they just call me up.

How many girls do you have?

A lot. I have 50 or 60 girls in the pool; 20 or so that I work with regularly.

Who do I pay, the girl or you?

The money goes to me and then I make sure the girl gets her money.

How many clubs in the city do you provide with girls?

As least seven. There are events almost every night — going to karaoke, bachelor parties, personal escorts, private calls, go-go dancers. I also have male strippers and banci [transvestites] as well.

Do you have any clients in the government?

Yeah, I have officials, guys in the government, but guys here in Jakarta are catching on. Officials from outside Jakarta have more money and they’re stupider.

What does you husband think about this?

He knows, but all his friends think I’m an event organizer.

How much is the most expensive girl you have on your Rolodex?

She’s a model, an artist, it’s Rp 60 million. See there’s a stratification for these girls, a status. There’s the regular ayam [ prostitute], the strippers, models and there’s artists. Not everyone can afford Rp 60 million ­— that means something.

Where do the girls come from?

All over. They come from broken homes, villages, there are ayam kampus [girls putting themselves through school], there are girls who have parents who are sick and they need money right away.

Do you ever have to deal with cops?

If it’s a hotel, it’s usually safe, but if it’s a club or a karaoke place, then we pay the waiters and security Rp 20,000 a piece to tip us off and get us out the back door if the cops come.

How long do you think you will keep doing this?

I’m married, so I have money. This is all on the side. When you’re young, you have get a guy to take care of you while you collect money so that when you’re older you can start a business.

I had a friend who was rich, she had a house, cars, but she couldn’t seal the deal. She didn’t start a good business, didn’t become someone’s second wife, and all that’s gone now.

A business?

Yeah the girl I was talking about sells nasi uduk now. Most of the ayam are widowed or their husbands left them. The goal is to make enough money where you don’t have to rely on anyone.

Who are the best johns?

The best clients are the Chinese. They give you lots of money and they take care of the girls. Indonesian guys want you to sit back and depend on them. But once they leave you, you have nothing.

The Chinese guys, they understand, they want you to have a business by the time you’re done making money off them.