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Sharita Sopacua has been busy since winning the Miss Universe Netherlands beauty pageant in 2005. Her victory took her to the finals of the Miss Universe contest in Bangkok and since then she has graced the pages of fashion magazines in her native Netherlands, as well as the United States and Indonesia.

The daughter of a Dutch mother and an Indonesian father, Sharita tells us about studying Balinese dance and why skin whiteners have got to go.

What made you decide to come to Indonesia?

When I first came here about two and a half years ago, it was to do PR work for Garuda. Eventually I got offered an arts and cultural visa to study Balinese dance. But I broke my foot, so I had to leave. I went back to Holland for a bit and then to New York for a couple of years.

How is Jakarta compared to New York?

Quite different. For one, New York’s way more organized. Here, people say shooting is at 2 p.m. and then it starts at five. New York’s also a big city, but at least I could walk around there. Here I can’t, and when I try to, I get harassed the whole time. Plus, New York is a global center of fashion. But Jakarta is growing.

How do you like living in Jakarta?

It’s a love-hate relationship. The traffic’s terrible, of course, the malls soon get boring and for an outdoors person like me there’s not much to do. That’s why I sometimes need to escape to Ambon or Bali. Actually, I have just visited Maluku, where my dad’s family is from. I did some swimming and diving and also did a photo shoot and interview for a book. But everything’s available in Jakarta, I love that.

How does Jakarta compare to other Indonesian cities?

It’s definitely got the biggest fashion scene. There’s a lot of money and that helps. But you can’t buy good taste. Lots of rich people here will buy something by Louis Vuitton or Prada just to show off their wealth without caring whether it actually looks good. For artists, Bandung is much better. Jakarta’s mostly a business city.

How easy was it to fit in here?

Actually, quite difficult. For one thing, I have fewer female friends here. It’s as if I intimidate Indonesian women. Also, Jakarta’s very cliquish and there are hangers-on who are only interested in you because you’re famous. But I live with a good friend and his family and they’ve introduced me to some very nice people.

Do you ever hang out with other models?

Not really. A lot of them view me as a rival, and frankly, I can’t really talk with them on the level that I’d like. In Holland, most models are also students. Some girls here are bright, but most seem shallow. Forget talking about anything serious.

Do you have any favorite places here?

I often go to Senayan City because it’s so close by. It’s not that I like malls, but I just need somewhere to go. My gym’s there, and there’s a restaurant there called Portico that I like; you can sit outside, which is a nice change of pace. There’s also a very nice place called Social House, in Plaza Indonesia. It’s sort of a lounge restaurant. And I like going to the yoga studio. Other than that, it’s mostly work.

Right now, how pleased are you with your decision to move here?

At first I regretted it. I kept asking myself what I was doing here. I felt like an outsider, and the inequality bothered me too. Every time I drove to the mall and saw kids dodging traffic to beg, I felt depressed. But after a couple months, I adapted. It helps that I love the food and the typical Indonesian is a wonderful person.

What’s your pet peeve about Jakarta?

The obsession with white skin. It’s as bad as the Western obsession for tans. The skin whiteners Indonesians use contain mercury. Basically, you harm yourself and you make your face look like a mask.

And then there’s this craze for green or blue contact lenses. Models here even list their eyes as green. No, darling, they’re brown. But it’s improving. I was one of the Jakarta Fashion Week poster girls, and I’m quite tan.

What do you see yourself doing after modeling?

Right now, I’m focusing on presenting. I have this offer right now for a Southeast Asian travel show, and I’ve got a movie offer; I just read the script, but I’m not sure about it. I’ve been modeling for 10 years now. It’s been a good career, but it’s time I tried other things too.