SabrinaAh, what can be said about Sabrina which isn't said here?
Actually a lot, but read this first because I'm only going to link to the Jakarta Social Blog the once. As an example of the 'fuck you' mentality which pervades Jakarta I don't think I'll ever find a better example. (Indcoup suggests that "Harpers Indonesia magazine is incredible too - it's a fucking different world to the one we know.... "
Quite, but to be fair, JSB do affect to have a social conscience. Of sorts.
Make a difference for the better - starting with yourself.
Show your care to the victims of Sidoarjo Mudflow.
Thankfully, the Bakrie niece's birthday bash was only attended by her closest friends and relatives.
There might be disappointments from those who had expected sumptuous and lavish celebration because despite the immensely increasing wealth of her uncle - Aburizal Bakrie, Adinda only threw a modest celebration attended by her closest friends and relatives.
Birthday girl’s dearest friend, the uber-talented young designer Didit Hediprasetyo was among the fabulous guests that include Indra, Gaby, Intania, and Andra Bakrie, Seng-Hoo Ong, Manohara Pinot, the Soekasah twins, Indah Saugi, Elsa Kurniawan, Vashty Soegomo, Wulan Guritno, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Renny Sutiyoso, Kiki Utara, Ronald Liem, Rachmat Harsono, Livia Prananto, and Fitria Yusuf.
The birthday girl was looking effortlessly chic in a dress by Emilio Pucci (yes, that print du jour) with a quirky yet sweet hairdo. What else can I say other than “Wow!”
What else? "What a pile of doodah" would be a good start. What is a "quirky yet sweet hairdo"? And where does it fit in the cuteness scale of 1 - 10?
If you think I'm digressing, you're right, but that's because Adinda is, in Indcoup's immaculate phrase, a real cracker of a looker.
And now back to my purpose in writing this.
Many Indonesians have been saddled with names which, to many westerners are rather unfortunate. Take the certain TV pundit, questioner of presidents and politicians, who's been saddled with the forenames Adolf Caesar - because his parents admired Hitler and Julius.
Some folk saddle themselves. There was a lass I taught many years ago who had a string of names like pearls - maybe they were Dewi Sari Putri Sinta. I said that they were beautiful, but please tell us which we should use.
To which she replied, "It's up to you, lah, but I prefer Mavis." I kept a straight face and continued to call her 'You'.
Which nicely brings me to the social climber in Jakartan circles who is known as Sabrina.
Dozens of girls within the society are dying to look gorgeous, if it takes awful pain to get there, they’ll take it. Yet, that is not the end of the quest, the circle goes; if they want to be respected, stick to the proper manner, if they want to be sought-after by the fashion people, wear the latest trend, if they always want to be invited, mingle with the right clique, if you want to be envied, spend like a madwoman, yet living it is much more torturing than just reading it.
But such wicked and relentless social rules do not apply to this vivacious young lady with extreme fondness for fun. Blessed with naturally tantalizing physique (do I need to mention why?), perfectly sun-kissed tan, lively personality, and well-connected parents, this champagne-swelling (sic) daughter of Putra and Imelda Joseph has everything a girl needs for her social entrance – climbing is one absolutely unnecessary action.
Unfortunately for young Sabrina, she is likely to be famous only among her social clique and I don't suppose there'll be a website in forty years time devoted to her, even if she does have a "naturally tantalizing physique". Even now, pictures of her seem to have been removed from the site.
However, the original British Sabrina, 72 last month and living in Hollywood, can still be celebrated thanks to the wonders of the internet, and this is the site which does have pictures of her.
Norma Sykes D.Litt (Hon) is the voluptuous British lass who became Sabrina and accomplished above the hips what Elvis accomplished below.
She was a cheese-cake pinup model, TV hostess, actor, singer, stage performer and sex-queen who didn't like to be touched - and had no talent. Even she admitted that. Why then, was the Western world and the bearded president of Cuba so keen to see her that - at one time -10,000 people in Perth caused an airport terminal to collapse?
A victim of polio, mocked for her lack of talent and excess of bosom, she became an international phenomenon who charmed both the public and the cynical reporters, and generated more myths, lies, legends and throbbing memories* than anyone else of her era.
Maybe she is remembered because she was "The Average Englishman's Goddess of Glamour" and not closeted away from we proles.
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*As a kid I couldn't escape her impact on our black & white TV nor in gossip-ridden tabloids such as Tit-Bits. My
