Jonathan Walsh

Rizal

My Jakarta: Rizal, Club 36’s Pint-Sized Bouncer

Like most bouncers, Rizal, 36, is easy to spot in a crowd. But he stands out in a different way. In a business where size is an asset, Rizal, who watches the door at Club 36, stands 135 centimeters tall and weighs 44 kilograms.

Rizal, an aspiring actor and a family man, gives us some powerful insight into what it’s like to be a little person in a big city.

When did you come to Jakarta?

I came here from Padang in 1993. I found work with another small person, the magician Ucok Baba, as a sort of sidekick.

What made you decide to move here?

I wanted to become an actor. I feel like I have the talent, but so far I haven’t been able to get any serious roles. My glory days were with Baba.

What was work with Baba like?

With him, sometimes I was a clown, sometimes I danced and sometimes I did tricks myself. I liked the job, but I wasn’t making enough money.

I quit in 1994, after seven months.

Where did you go after you quit that job?

I became a bartender and doorman at the Hard Rock Cafe when it was still in Sarinah. I worked there until 2004. I was fired for drinking and playing pool after hours.

When did you start working at Club 36?

I took this job in 2006.

What’s it like working at a nightclub?

I like it. I work from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., but I’m a night owl, so I don’t mind it. When I get off of work, I call my friends and we go hang out at Stadium.

You’re a bouncer. Isn’t it hard dealing with bigger people?

I never do anything like break up fights or throw people out. I work at the door, and all of the incidents happen on the inside. They aren’t my responsibility.

Club 36 has a bit of a reputation. Does your wife have any issues with you working there?

She knows I’m trying to make a living. We have three children to support.

Tell us more about your family?

I’ve been married since 1996. Our oldest kid is in junior high school, our middle one is in elementary school and the youngest is in kindergarten. The youngest child is also a little person, but the other two are normal sized, like their mother.

Were you worried that if your children took after you, they would have to face hardships?

Yes. Growing up small wasn’t easy for me, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy for them. But sometimes, that’s just the way life is. My wife wasn’t worried at all. She told me that we just had to accept things the way they were. Whatever happens, it’s up to God.

How did you and your wife meet?

She worked in a warteg that I went to a lot. I’d always been attracted to taller girls, and I never let my size get in the way. I was always confident that I would find a normal-sized wife, and it worked out.

Do you ever feel singled out because of your size?

Yeah, but I don’t let it get to me anymore. Of course it’s annoying when children point and stare, but I just go about my business.

Are any of your brothers and sisters little people?

No. My father and my mother were both normal sized. My mother was the fourth of five wives, and so I was one of 25 children, but I’m the only little person in the family.

When you see little people on TV, do you feel like they’re being exploited?

Yes, but actually, I’m happy for those guys. I’d like a job like that — to be that successful.

Have you ever been on TV?

Yes. In one movie, I played a small spirit.

Is there an association for little people here in Jakarta?

Yes, but I’m not a member. Back when I worked with Baba, a bunch of us would hang out together, but now I only regularly see other people like me at casting calls. Still, whenever I run into another little person on the street, we greet one another. There’s mutual respect. We’re facing the same struggle.

How do you deal with tasks that your size makes difficult?

It isn’t a major problem. My wife and my neighbors are always willing to help. If I need a hand, I just call them.

So, back to Club 36. How much longer do you plan to work there?

As long as the place stays open.

Do the police ever give you trouble?

Not really. Raids are common, but when that happens I just send them to meet with the management, and they make some sort of arrangement together. What that is isn’t any of my business. We’ve only gotten shut down once and that was during Ramadan.

If you had the chance to become normal sized, would you?

Of course I would, but like I said, that’s up to God. I’m 36. I’m short. I’ve accepted that.

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