Will Sept. 9 bring calamity or good karma?<\/p>\n
By Fabiola Desy Unidjaja<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Sept. 9, 1999, according to some psychics, is a
\nportentous date carrying the ultimate in bad omens: the end of
\nthe world and the human race.<\/p>\n
As hundreds of fearful people in East Java have left their
\nhomes and sought shelter in huts they built on a mountain slope,
\nsome Jakartans are seemingly thumbing their nose at the warnings
\nby choosing this Thursday for their weddings.<\/p>\n
Ballrooms in several major hotels and buildings are fully
\nbooked, with prospective brides and grooms wishing to celebrate
\ntheir weddings on a unique date that has five \"nines\" and only
\noccurs once in a century.<\/p>\n
\"The date is favored by many couples who are eager to
\ncelebrate their weddings, even though it falls on a Thursday,\"
\nBalai Kartini marketing officer Novi told The Jakarta Post.
\nWedding bookings are usually for weekends.<\/p>\n
Her statement is supported by the bookings since last year at
\nKartika Eka Paksi, Balai Sudirman and Shangri-la Hotel, also
\nfavorites for wedding receptions.<\/p>\n
Contrasting the euphoria in the capital, many people in the
\ncoastal town of Banyuwangi in East Java are staying on Mount
\nSrawet after calamity was predicted for the date by a psychic
\nnamed Syamsuri.<\/p>\n
Some psychics argue that as all nine planets in the solar
\nsystem will be in a straight line on Sept. 9, the position of the
\nheavenly bodies could bring catastrophe. They warn that a huge
\ncomet could collide with Earth.<\/p>\n
An astronomer from Jakarta's planetarium, Widya Sawitar, told
\nthe Post that Sept. 9 would not be the end of the world and the
\npsychics' predictions were groundless.<\/p>\n
Based on his calculations, Widya said that none of the planets
\nwould be in a straight line \"at 9 a.m., on Sept. 9, 1999\".<\/p>\n
\"What happens is that a comet may be passing Earth's orbit,\"
\nhe said in an interview, noting that over the past two months
\nthree comets were seen approaching Earth. Two of them passed
\nEarth's orbit while the position of the third has not been
\ndetected further.<\/p>\n
A feng shui expert, Tjan Jok Ling, also scoffed at the
\ndoomsday predictions. \"Although it is not a very good date, a
\ncatastrophe is not going to happen,\" she told the Post over the
\nweek end.<\/p>\n
TV presenter Becky Tumewu and her fiance Irwan and
\nphotojournalist Oka and Hetty have chosen Thursday as ideal for
\ntieing the knot.<\/p>\n
\"It is a very unusual date and it will be the best day of my
\nlife,\" Becky told the Post.<\/p>\n
Hetty and Oka concurred even though some of their family
\nmembers are heeding the warnings.<\/p>\n
\"Although some of our relatives from East Java have refused to
\nattend our wedding, we are determined to go on with our wedding
\nparty on that date,\" Hetty said on Friday.<\/p>\n
For former president Soeharto and former owner of Bank Bali,
\nRudy Ramli, the bad omens for Sept. 9 may come true on a personal
\nlevel.<\/p>\n
Before his illness, Soeharto was scheduled to give his account
\nof his wealth, allegedly accumulated illegally during his reign,
\non the date. Rudy is scheduled for another intensive police
\ninterrogation regarding the Bank Bali scandal that has caused a
\npublic outcry.<\/p>\n
Time alone will tell if doomsday comes to pass this Thursday.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/will-sept-9-bring-calamity-or-good-karma-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }