Garin is swimming against the current By Marseli Sumarno JAKARTA (JP): It's fortunate we still have Garin Nugroho. In the past few years, with the Indonesian film industry in a doldrums, the name Garin Nugroho has continued to ascend. Last year, film reporting in the Indonesian media was dominated by discussions about Garin's second work, Surat untuk Bidadari (Letter to an Angel).

Teenagers lured by ads in magazines JAKARTA (JP): Love your children. For some of Jakarta's parents, the slogan means hand your kid money or a credit card. Nunui, in her second year at SMP Sumbangsih junior high school, says that her parents give her Rp 15,000 (US$6.81) a week. Agung, a high school student, gets Rp 30,000 per week. Mei, another high school student, whose father has a chain of restaurants, was given a supplementary credit card when she was 15.

11 killed in road crash JAKARTA (JP): At least 11 people were killed when a speeding bus crashed head-on into a truck along the notorious Prapat to Balige highway in North Sumatra on Friday, Antara reported yesterday. Dozens of passengers were taken to a hospital in Pematang Siantar, according to the report. Police said they are still investigating the cause of the crash between the bus from Tarutung and the truck that had a Jakarta plate number. (29)

Sunday Post columns We are regular subscribers to The Jakarta Post. I especially enjoy the Sunday edition because of the many general interest stories, especially those dealing with Indonesian life and culture. The English/Bahasa crossword puzzle is great because I'm learning Indonesian, so it is a challenge and fun. I would like to suggest the following additions to your Sunday paper. One would be a column on Indonesian food and cooking, possibly with some recipes.

Soldiers said out of line in East Timor killing JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono yesterday said that some members of the Armed Forces (ABRI) violated procedures in last month's killing of six people in East Timor. Moerdiono said Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung reported the incident 10 days ago to President Soeharto. The President then called for an immediate inquiry and for the soldiers responsible to be punished.

Tennis blends profits and sport commitment JAKARTA (JP): There are tennis courts scattered across Jakarta, offering various facilities to benefit people who like hitting a furry ball across a net. Playing time is arranged as easily as a quick meal at a warung (food stall). Weather is a minor hurdle. A lack of skill is easily compensated for with an expensive and "forgiving" racket which allows the player to blast deadly shots.

Guess What? Astari Rasjid The day-long fast passes by rapidly for artist Astari Rasjid as she hops around town checking on various preparations for the non-aligned nations exhibit in April. The day starts with hovering around the Fine Arts Gallery in Gambir, Central Jakarta, accompanying officials in charge of palace protocol. One step wrong in the arrangements and Mrs. Rasjid, the head of the organizing committee, will naturally take all the blame.

Ramadhan time for Jakarta Sunday Maghrib 06.19 p.m. Monday Imsak 04.29 a.m. Subuh 04.39 a.m.

Oasis restaurant caters to presidents and kings By Lenah Susianty JAKARTA (JP): You're in the gent's when U.S. President Bill Clinton enters, slaps you on the back and says "Hi!" It's not a scene from a new Hollywood blockbuster. It happened last November at the Oasis restaurant in Central Jakarta when Clinton was here for the APEC leaders meetings. The Clintons refused to dine in one of the Raja, the king rooms on the second floor, they wanted to mingle with the other guests.

Gen. Hartono installed as new Army chief of staff JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto, as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, yesterday installed Gen. R. Hartono as the new Army chief of staff to replace Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar. It was a simple and short ceremony that could easily defy the significance of the change in the Army's top leadership. Hartono took the oath in front of Soeharto and then signed a paper accepting the new task.

Throwing together independence parties JAKARTA (JP): If you remember, one subject in my scrawlings last Sunday was dirty flags, the numerous rags -- national and foreign -- you see flapping from many a pole throughout the city. Would a rap on the knuckles of the owners help improve the situation?

Teaching children to swim takes patience, knowledge By L. Moroney JAKARTA (JP): The prospect of teaching their child to swim is often approached by parents with trepidation. "I can't possibly do that," they grumble, remembering their parent's tales of: "My dad just threw me in the river and there's nothing wrong with me." However, as their child gets older and still can't swim, desperation sets in and the river begins to look enticing.

Mother of Vice President Try Sutrisno's dies at 82 JAKARTA (JP): Mardiyah Soebandi, the mother of Vice President Try Sutrisno, died here yesterday at the age of 82. Mrs. Soebandi, who for the last several years had been living with Try's family in Jakarta, died at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital. The official announcement from the State Secretariat did not specify her illness. She is survived by four children, 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

My friend, the Professor has little capability By E. Sadtono SURABAYA, East Java (JP): It comes as no surprise that there is a glut of professors in Indonesia. There are three kinds of professor here: the real professor, the marginal professor and the fake professor. The real professor obtains their professorship through toil, sweat, blood and tears.

The figure of Semar is local creation By M.M.S. Marthawienata JAKARTA (JP): In 1970, former Singapore ambassador to Indonesia, Lee Khoon Choy, wrote in his book entitled Indonesia between Myth and Reality that Semar was a Javanese creation and was much more interesting than any other character in the Ramayana and Mahabarata epics.

Guess What? Btari Karlinda Many people, women in particular, are quite happy if told they are slim, but not Btari Karlinda (Linda), a movie star turned public relations officer at the Hilton. "Being slim doesn't annoy me, but questions about my weight stress me out," Linda said, admitting that in the last few years she has lost weight. She said that she now weighs 45 kg and is 163 cm tall. Ideally, she should be about 50 kilograms to 55 kilograms Linda said.

Parents-teenagers relationship have changed JAKARTA (JP): The relationship between parents and teenagers has changed. A few decades ago, teenagers would do whatever their parents told them to do. A parent's words and wishes were considered final, few kids bothered to rebel. Although today's teenagers still respect their parents, they have more freedom to express themselves and make their own decisions.

New hotels continue to spring up in Yogyakarta By R. Fadjri YOGYAKARTA (JP): Despite a limping hotel industry, new star-rated hotels continue to spring up in Yogyakarta. The city's 13 star-rated hotels are struggling to survive with only 48 percent capacity. This has been the situation for the last three years, but investors have not been discouraged from constructing new hotels.

Belgian uses local materials to present universal ideas Text and photos by R. Fadjri YOGYAKARTA (JP): A journey often yields new ideas. Apart from enriching our visual experience, our encounter with objects we have never seen before may also lead to a spiritual experience. A journey may also introduce us to things that are similar to our past experiences, although they may take completely different forms or shapes. For an artist, a journey is more than just a physical pleasure.

Guess What? Goenawan Mohamad The Jakarta State Administrative Court came alive on Thursday when Goenawan Mohamad, the former Chief Editor of the banned Tempo newsweekly, was called as a witness in the case of former Tempo employees against the Minister of Information Harmoko for revoking the magazine's publishing license. The packed courtroom was astonished by his clear and firm answers to questions posed by the judges, the employees' lawyers and Harmoko's lawyers.

Guess What? Tunky Ariwibowo "It's easy to build our own car," Minister of Industry Tunky Ariwibowo said to a bunch of journalists while briefing them on Indonesia's automotive industry earlier this week. The problem, Tunky said, lies in whether Indonesians will buy the product. The minister managed to spare some time to explain the Indonesian automotive industry, which has been incessantly criticized for enjoying too much protection from the government.

Rap generation has much to learn from folk hero Semar By M.M.S. Marthawienata JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto suggested recently that dalang (puppet masters) should create themes surrounding Semar, a reincarnated god and servant at the royal palace that didn't exist in the original Ramayana or the Mahabarata epics from India. Two questions come to mind: Who is this figure called Semar? And when did he make his debut in the Indonesian inventory of puppet stories?

Six die of electrocution JAKARTA (JP): Six people from two neighboring families died of electrocution on Thursday in a accident in Tulungagung, East Java, the Antara news agency reported yesterday. When one of the men was electrocuted while working on the house, the other household members tried to pull him away and were, in turn, electrocuted. Everyone, including a five year old girl, died, Tulungagung Police Chief Lt. Col. Suko Nugroho said.

Moersia Zaafril-Ilyas, a woman with vision By Carla Bianpoen MALANG, East Java (JP): "I do not believe in material development alone," says Moersia Zaafril Ilyas. Her sparsely furnished sitting room in a garage, where market vendors, becak (pedicab) drivers, youths and colleagues have come to discuss problems and plans for decades, reflects the sober lifestyle of a woman who believes in life's essential values.

TV today TVRI 7:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Healthy and Fresh 7:40 TV Series: Vicky The Viking 8:10 Culture 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 Beauty 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 12:45 p.m.

Music, language and fashion shape Jakartan pre-teen lifestyle By Rita A. Widiadana "Nyokap, bokap cabut, kita nyepik ke Pim, asyik lhaa yaow !" JAKARTA (JP): What speech! These strange words will surely raise the eyebrows of many a parent. This is a modest example of an exchange between a group of pre-adolescent boys and girls gathering (nyepik) at Pondok Indah Mall (PIM) while their mothers (nyokap) and fathers (bokap) are out (cabut).

Western values influence teens They wear branded clothes and shoes, eat at fast food restaurants, hang out at shopping malls, listen to rap and rock, speak in slang and are very pompous. They are what Jakartans call the ABG, an abbreviation for anak baru gede -- urban pre-teens. Their lifestyle is an indication of the country's growing wealth and reflect the strong influence of foreign cultures, American in particular.