T

he practice has been around for decades. In the country’s poor and rural areas, members of an arisan social gathering pool their rice and other staple foods before drawing lots to see who can go home with the bulk of the goods.

The method remains the same for some of Jakarta’s well-off residents. The only difference is that they tender millions of rupiahs or even thousands of US dollars before deciding who can take away the cash.

One member of an arisan specially designed for socialites, Fifi Buntaran, 32, has so much time and money on her hands that she has joined eight arisan.

Each group gathered at least once a month — and not only for the money, Fifi said.

“I gather with actors and actresses one week, and I gather with models or businesspeople the next week. We’re sometimes too busy with our jobs, but with an arisan we can always have time to share the latest updates on fashion, jobs and life,” she told The Jakarta Post.

Fifi was recently in the spotlight after an arisan she organized for charity devolved into a scuffle when a participant complained that it was a ruse to swindle money.

Arisan have been known in Indonesia since the early 1960s. Through the regular social gatherings, members contribute and take turns to win a sum of money. For members of high-society, an arisan is a good way to promote their business.

And for Fifi, paying huge sums of money to her arisan clubs was never a problem.

“I pay a different sum of money to each group, between Rp 1 million [US$111] to Rp 10 million,” Fifi said, adding that each group comprised between 20 and 30 people.

Where the lottery would be drawn during an arisan was always of utmost importance, she said.

“We meet up in a cafe or a restaurant. But we also sometimes gather during the launch of a member’s new business,” Fifi said. An arisan could also be held out of town or even abroad, she added.

Fifi also said that for some members, an arisan was a way to show off their latest designer clothes, bags and accessories.

“It’s human to be envious of better things worn by our friends,” she said.

One member of a socialite arisan club who declined to be named, however, rejected suggestions that members gathered only to show off their designer dresses.

“We just wear casual, but chic, clothes because our arisan is usually held in my friends’ homes or while trying out new restaurants.”

Other than being a fruitful pastime, an arisan can meet to exchange information.

“In my opinion, an arisan is not always negative. You get to meet new friends and gain new knowledge. It’s a good thing as long as you don’t use it as a place to trade gossip or show off your wealth,” she said.

An Indonesian woman residing abroad said she was dismayed by the materialism of some arisan members.

“I know somebody who has a collection of more than 100 brand-name bags, and she has to buy a new one every time she goes abroad,” she said.

“It’s too much.”

But she said it was unfair to brand all socialites as social climbers and superficial.

“I also know several women who enjoy the good life but are sure to give back through charity work,” she said.