Fund managers told dollars available JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad challenged speculators yesterday with the announcement that the government will meet all their demands for U.S. dollars. "I challenge everybody. How many dollars do they want, I'll pay. Even for forward purchases. It doesn't matter," Mar'ie told journalists after addressing a seminar conducted by the Prasetia Mulya School of Management yesterday.

Guess What? A candlelight dinner is usually romantic but the one the new German envoy Heinrich Seeman enjoyed extended throughout the house of his host, Rudolf Baarth. The blackout in Cipete, South Jakarta, lasted for most of the recent gathering but did not deter Seeman from meeting more people. The Seemans replaced Walter Le Walter and his wife. Baarth, the head of the German cultural center, the Goethe Institut, was a great help.

Middle class' foundness for art flourishes By Franki Raden JAKARTA (JP): One of the most interesting phenomena in Indonesia's development is the rise of a class in society called as the middle class. Economic growth under the New Order is one explanation for the emergence of this new class. Supported by their strong buying power, the middle class tends to seek new experiences and sensations in life.

Estimates of monthly expenses: Case 1: Christian, a section head at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, level IV for two years, married and has a five-year-old and a 13-year-old: - Maximum total earnings, including net minimum salary of Rp 900,000 with extras from projects allowances include car, driver, fuel, with extras from projects Rp 3,000,000 Expenses: - Monthly supplies 300,000 - Daily meals/gas 200,000 - Servant's wage 55,000 - Garbage/security 10,000 - subscriptions 25,000 - arisan...

Navy clears S'baya mines JAKARTA (JP): The chief of the Navy's Eastern Armada Rear Admiral Gofar Soewarno has ordered his minesweeping unit to search for mines that might have been placed off Kenjeran beach in Surabaya during World War II. The armada's chief spokesman, Lt. Col. Kusmandar, told Antara in Surabaya yesterday that the allies had anchored their warships off of the beach. They guarded the area with mines.

Crash report upsets family JAKARTA (JP): The family of M. Rahman in Bali have been anxiously waiting to hear if he was indeed on board the Merpati plane which crashed on Tuesday in Molo Strait off Flores in East Nusa Tenggara. Desy Anjani, an economics student at Pendidikan Nasional University in Denpasar, said her family had been trying to find out whether their father was among the 14 people on board the Twin Otter plane flying from Bima to Ruteng, Antara reported yesterday.

Airport taxis Soekarno-Hatta Airport is an international gateway. It is here that visitors first set foot on Indonesian soil and our hospitality should therefore be truly visible and not remain a mere slogan. People coming to Jakarta for the first time often encounter problems with taxis at the airport. Taxi drivers often insist on setting their own rates and do not shrink from asking for more without giving any acceptable service in return.

Kasongan is emerging as handicraft village By R. Fajri Yogyakarta (JP): Kasongan, in the Bantul regency, is famous for producing gerabah (clay artifacts). Flower pots, horse sculptures, chairs, ashtrays and wall decorations are made according to a specific Kasongan design -- unglazed surfaces with applied ornaments. At least two generations have created the handicrafts, and have earned their village the label of "Handicraft Village".

Anatomy of Indonesia's anxiety about succession A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia in the 1990s; Adam Schwarz; Published by Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd, Australia, 1994; 370 pages JAKARTA (JP): This is the latest effort of dissecting the anatomy of the anxiety in Indonesia today, especially among the elite and middle classes, pending one of the most crucial moments of the country's history: the succession of power from President Soeharto.

Guess What? "I want all of you to use every single spare moment you have to keep on developments in the forestry business," said Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo to executives during a visit to state forestry firms last week. "Read in the plane, train or car while you travel. Don't kill time by talking nonsense and laughing about nothing," he proclaimed. Most of Indonesia's forest concessions are located outside Java, a fact which forces executives to travel extensively.

The problem of doping in sports By Hario Tilarso JAKARTA (JP): The word "doping" is very well-known in the sporting community. Doping is an effort to improve performance with chemical substances or techniques prohibited by the International Olympic Committee. Athletes who use drugs are taking unfair shortcuts to improve their ability. Doping is contrary to the belief that high performance should be obtained through rigid, systematic training.

Inside the Jakarta to Surabaya mobile market JAKARTA (JP): The noise inside the Gaya Baru Malam train is like that of a traditional market. Only the roaring of the wheels across the tracks deafens passengers to the sound of dozens of vendors shouting out the goods they have for sale. They offer fried bananas, 'lontong' (boiled rice wrapped in banana leaf), ice lollies, toys and books on religion, usually Islam.

Vasek, Haarhuis race for 1st singles title JAKARTA (JP): Czech Radomir Vasek stormed to an upset victory over Ronald Agenor of Haiti yesterday to set up a final showdown against second seed Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands in the US$300,000 Indonesia Men's Open tennis championships. Both Vasek and Haarhuis are seeking their first career singles title today, but they avoided making pre-match boasts of winning the top cash prize of $43,000.

How they survive on small salaries Call it magic, but civil servants manage to live on their small salaries. Their ability to survive might be considered one of the world's wonders. The recent announcement of a 10 percent salary hike by the government was received coolly by its four million employees, given the rate of inflation. The Jakarta Post looks at how a few civil servants conjure their "magic", along with comments by experts on the condition of the bureaucracy.

ASEAN wants Japan funding BANGKOK (AFP): The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is to ask Japan to finance its social development fund after South Korea refused to do so, The Nation newspaper reported yesterday. An informal request will be made at a forum next week in Bangkok attended by representatives from Japan and ASEAN member states Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the paper said.

The Club: Beauty care for city's elite By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): Beauty was once thought to spring from a fountain of eternal youth, but today we are told it awaits us at hundreds of beauty salons or spas. Salons that offer beauty, facial, hair-removal, skin care and slimming courses are mushrooming on every city street. Commenting on the abundance of beauty salons in Jakarta, psychologist Sartono Mukadis once said that women always hold on to exacting standards for beauty.

The key to your children thoughts JAKARTA (JP): Up until the age of five or six, children's thought processes are different from older children in two ways. First, a preschool child tends to see things only from their own perspective (known as being egocentric), which has a significant effect on how they view the world. To see this, sit your child and her teddy bear at opposite ends of a table. Put two toys on the table, one near the teddy bear and one near your child.

Understanding what's inside your child's head By Novita Tandry JAKARTA (JP): Understanding how your children's minds works will help you teach them at home, says Dr. Richard Woolfson, a child psychologist working for the headquarters of Tumble Tots Preschool in London. If you want your children to learn at home it's useful to understand more about how they learn and the basic skills they need to develop, he adds.

Teacher shares joy with three generations By Ati Nurbaiti JAKARTA (JP): One morning at a kindergarten, children stepped gleefully across a long wooden block. Teachers then raised the block a few inches higher on its supporting benches and the little ones spotted a happy challenge -- all except one. "The little girl was barely in the middle of the block when she turned pale," narrated Ibu Kasur, a life-long educator of under five-year-olds.

Students upward bound at Jakarta International School By Jim Plouffe JAKARTA (JP): For most Jakartan junior high school student, a challenge is getting to the final level of the latest Super Mario or Kickboxer video game. Although there is no doubt that many students at North Jakarta International School (NJIS) would still find that fun, they would rather dangle from a eight meter high wall by their finger tips. It isn't a fantastic new punishment, but a climbing wall.

Lowest and highest monthly salary of civil servants * Year Lowest Highest ** Inflation rate (Level I/A, 0 years) (IV/E, 24 years) 1992 Rp 51,000 Rp 399,200 4,94 % 1993 Rp 78,000 Rp 453,600 9,57 % 1994 Rp 78,000 Rp 453,600 4,47 % * those entitled to living allowances are civil servants posted in designated areas -- such as Irian Jaya and East Timor. - Family allowances for a husband/wife is 10 % of salary; children 2 %. - Other allowances include differentiation by education.

Turtles struggle to lay eggs on remaining nesting beach Text and photos by Mulkan Salmona Pangumbahan, West Java (JP): Soft sand and towering waves mark the beautiful beach of Pangumbahan in southern West Java, but on New Year's Eve it was bleak and unattractive. However, the crowds visiting the site in the Gunung Batu subdistrict of the Sukabumi regency, were obviously expecting something.

Does small salary affect employees' productivity? JAKARTA (JP): Many people's view of civil servants is that of someone who chats with colleagues or on the telephone in a crowded room with the radio blaring, while those who need their help patiently queue outside. They blame their small salaries for their slow and bureaucratic attitude. The secret to getting quick and adequate service is 'uang pelicin' (bribe).

Drawing inspiration from the elegant Mt. Merapi By Agus Dermawan T. YOGYAKARTA (JP): Central Java's Mt. Merapi is an endless source of aestheticism. It is a large part of the landscape and its natural elegance is forever the focus of attention for the people living around it. The beauty of Mt. Merapi, both when it stands silently against blue skies or when it spews lava, has also touched artists throughout the ages.

Police question Oki over LA triple murder JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Police expanded their interrogation yesterday of Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, over the Los Angeles triple murder. Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto told reporters that the investigation, which had been confined to allegations of passport forgery, had now been expanded to include the murders.

Guess What? Is there any reason to shave your head besides going for the Telly "Kojak" Savalas sexy bald look? The president of RCTI, a private television company, had an answer. Andi Rali Siregar, who was hairless at the inauguration of Indosiar, a new private television station, made most of it when people couldn't figure out who he was. "I shaved my head just for this occasion, just for Indosiar," he asserted with a deceptive smile.

Croatian PM visits RI JAKARTA (JP): Croatian Prime Minister Nikica Valentic is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta this afternoon to begin a brief two-day visit. Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono announced yesterday that Valentic and President Soeharto are expected to explore ways to establish economic ties between the two countries. The former Yugoslav republic is a center of economic activities and industry, he noted.

Jazz accelerates toward golden days in Indonesia By Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): Jazz has never been as prominent in Indonesia as it is now.

TV today TVRI 7:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Healthy and Fresh 7:40 TV Series: Vicky The Viking 8:10 Science Program 8:40 TV Series: Voltron 9:00 People and Events 9:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 9:45 Music 10:45 Youth Program 11:15 Search For The World 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 12:45 p.m.