‘My nightmare is living in a country full of phony people’

In her youth, singer-songwriter Oppie Andaresta, 38, gained a reputation as an angry female singer raging against a male-dominated world. Some of her hits tackled the subject of injustice against woman, the most prominent being “Cuma Karena Aku Perempuan” (Just Because I’m a Woman). Motherhood has apparently done much to tone down her anger. Having married American stage engineer Kurt Maler, she gave birth to Kai Matari Bejo in 2007, and the little boy is the light of her life. But don’t ask her about Jakarta’s traffic. It’s probably the only thing that can still rile her up, after the phony people that populate Jakarta’s ubiquitous malls.

Best trait?
I can easily look for positive things in life. I can easily bounce back. I never wallow too long in sadness.

And worst?
I’m stubborn and have penchant for arguing. I find it easy to blame others too.

The craziest thing I have done …
Eating my baby’s placenta. It was cooked using an Indian recipe, just a quarter of it. It tasted like liver. It’s a Native American custom; they say the placenta is rich in nutrients and vitamins, and compensates for the energy lost during childbirth.

My favorite clothes …
I can’t go wrong with jeans and a T-shirt.

Mouth-watering mainstays …
Sambal (chili paste); I’m a native of Padang, you know.

I’m angered by …
Unruly angkot (public minivans), zigzagging and blocking the road, worsening the traffic congestion.

I laugh at …
After a hard day’s work, going home and as I honk my car my son Kai Matari Bejo comes running toward me and saying, “Mama’s home”, and he only stops saying that after I give him a big hug. That’s the definition of heaven to me.

If I hadn’t been a musician, I would have been …
I would probably be running a Padang restaurant. I’m a good cook and probably know all the traditional recipes.

I cry at …
Whenever I’m tired and take a rest I realize how often I’m not present, not putting my feet on the ground. Where have I been?

Always on my iPod …
Jack Johnson and Bob Marley. Both are a must-listen for me.

The book on my bedside table …
Walt Disney’s It’s a Small World. It’s a bedtime story for my son.

I would never …
Wear green striped pants matched with a green-and-yellow polka-dot shirt. I don’t want to be mistaken for a flag.

My favorite place(s) on the planet …
At the movies; I like to go watch a movie alone. Get inside the theater, the lights are off, the reel starts to roll and I get inside the film, just me and the film, very private, very intimate. My second favorite place is my bed. It could be anywhere, but with some conditions: It has to be bedtime, I have my son with me, we’re watching television and I’ve made Rp 20 million during the day. My third favorite place is a travel agency. I like going there, it just feels fun. My fourth favorite place is the bank, especially when I’m there to deposit Rp 100 million.

I’m bored to tears by …
Fishing. You tell me why so many people love this sport.

I’m most proud of …
Breast-feeding my son, he can grow up to become a happy and healthy kid from it. I also take pride from the fact that I’m not afraid of going to shopping malls wearing slippers with no makeup. I get a good feeling from performing for social events for free.

I would like to have lived during …
The time when Bob Marley was alive. I want to hang out with him, just jamming with him, working for his band as a backup singer.

I most admire …
Writers. They have their own world and they’re engrossed in the world they live in, and they inspire people.

My dream date …
Dinner with US President Barack Obama.

I never leave home without …
My cell phone; I’m a slave to the technology.

My worst nightmare …
My son living in a rich country full of poor people, heavily indebted to other nations, starved of oxygen because thieves steal its forests, no legal certainty, freedom of speech suspended, full of phony people, phony hair, phony teeth, fake breasts, fake nose, fake legs, fake money, fake heart, fake hospitals, fake witchdoctors. And there are only a few people left — including my son and I —who are as genuine as bakpia pathuk.

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