Waisak holiday In observance of Waisak, or Buddha's Day of Enlightenment, The Jakarta Post will not appear tomorrow. The Post will resume publication on Tuesday. -- Publisher

Political climate affects consumers By T. Sima Gunawan and Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): You are upset to hear that the toll fees on Jakarta's highways will likely increase this year. You grumble, take a breath and then ignore it. There is nothing you can do to prevent the hike anyway. Your complacency is common. More and more Indonesians are becoming apathetic, according to the head of the Indonesian Consumers Organization (YLKI), Zumrotin K. Susilo.

Count to 100 to escape trouble JAKARTA (JP): A former U.S. President prayed before being sworn in, "Lord, please keep my big mouth shut until I know what I am talking about." He had a very good reason for saying the prayer. Embarrassment or even serious problems can stem from a careless word. However, blunders are sometimes unavoidable. When you are angry or excited, you're apt to say something without thinking.

'Kupu-Kupu AIDS' allows exploration of sensitive issues By Dini S. Djalal JAKARTA (JP): "You can't talk about AIDS without talking about sex," insisted Ministry of Health official Bagus Mantra at Kupu- Kupu AIDS, a seminar on AIDS held at Kedai Kancil, Summitmas Tower 1 in South Jakarta. Mantra's statement was firm in a conservative environment. Yet, data on HIV and AIDS in March 1995, reported cases reach 288, with 218 HIV diagnoses and 70 AIDS patients throughout Indonesia.

Guess What? Arief Budiman Judging from the people who were present at the gathering, it could have been a poem-reading contest between prominent poets, an intellectual seminar or even a human rights demonstration. But it wasn't. It was just noted sociologist Arief Budiman and his wife Leila Chudori hosting a wedding ceremony for their daughter Susanti Kusumasari. She was married last Sunday to Kuskridho Ambardi.

Guess What? Winny Sutowo The woman who opened an exhibition of contemporary glass fuse works on Tuesday lingered around some of the beautiful pieces, but the Rp 4 million price tags were not the only constraint on her mind. "Where would I put them? My five-year-old plays basketball in the house," said Winny Sutowo, wife of businessman Pontjo Sutowo. Her son, Prasetyo, has smashed a number of crystals in their home in Menteng, Central Jakarta. However, Sutowo hasn't driven him outside to play.

Consumer protection law still a dream JAKARTA (JP): Business is business. These three words contain a "philosophy" reflecting how harsh the business world is. For a business to succeed, every means might be applicable, regardless of the harm to other people. Business ethics are often cast aside and consumers are exploited.

Guess What? Hana Hoed "I feel so nervous. It's just like waiting for a new baby to be born," said Hana Hoed. The new-awaited baby is a five-star hotel The Regent Jakarta, which is expected to start operation next month, added Hana, the hotel's public relations and media coordinator. The construction of the Regent Jakarta was halted for several years due to financial constraints and internal problems among the investors.

Ledok Code, portrait of an ever-changing kampong Text and photos by R. Fadjri YOGYAKARTA (JP): The sun has just dipped below the horizon and the Gondolayu bridge in Yogyakarta is still filled with traffic. Below, the Code River cuts across the city's center and children can be seen rushing along the alleys separating the rows of small houses east of the river. Tucking their school books under their arms, the children head towards a building in the middle of their kampong.

Indonesia has new spectacular flower garden By Rita A. Widiadana CIPANAS, Bogor, West Java (JP): "Look at Dolly Parton and John F. Kennedy down there in the rose garden. They are so marvelous!" yelled a visitor. They were not talking about the famous American country music singer and the former American president, but about two varieties of hybrid tea roses, grown in the newly-developed Taman Bunga Nusantara, the Nusantara Flower Park.

Comprehensive outlook of Balinese art on display By Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): Continuity and Change are themes often used in the discussion of Indonesian art. As early as 1967, Claire Holt wrote about Indonesian art in the context of continuity and change. More recently, the 1990 publication of Modern Indonesian Art, prepared in conjunction with the Festival of Indonesia, discussed Three Generations of Tradition and Change.

IOC recognizes bridge as official Olympic sport JAKARTA (JP): The International Olympics Committee has formally recognized bridge as a sport in its meeting in Bukarest, Rumania, on May 5. The board game, which also has its own Olympics, can now be contested at the Olympic Games. The Indonesian Bridge Association was informed of the committee's decision by vice president of the World Bridge Federation, Mazhar Jafri, on May 8, Amran Zamzami, the association's executive chairman, said.

YLKI needs to promote activities among the public JAKARTA (JP): What do people know of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI)? What are their expectations of the foundation? The following is excerpts of interviews with four people, including a director of a state-owned company. Aziz Sabarto, PLN's distribution director for Jakarta and Tangerang. Along with other large-scale public services companies, PLN receives a lot of complaints from its electricity users nationwide.

Indonesian boys qualify for World Cup tennis JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian boys tennis team yesterday secured a place at the World Youth Cup finals in Essen, Germany, next September. The girls clinched their spot early on Friday. Feby Widhiyanto's 6-3, 6-4 win yesterday gave the Indonesian boys team a decisive 2-0 lead over New Zealand, and a place in the World Youth Cup finals.

In celebration of Jakarta's blossoming of bicycles By Tim McHargue JAKARTA (JP): Early one Sunday morning I witnessed a seemingly endless parade of bicyclists pedaling down Metro Pondok Indah in South Jakarta. The bike riders were decorated in a glorious array of colorful lycra, gaily greeting the dawn.

Zumrotin: Outspoken consumer activist By T. Sima Gunawan JAKARTA (JP): Fear of becoming infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, prompted Zumrotin K. Susilo, chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers' Organization (YLKI), to stop undergoing facial treatments. "Blood may flow during the treatment and there is no guarantee that the needle used in the process has been sterilized," she said. She did not hesitate to stop the treatment as she had nothing to lose.

Handicrafts and cargo cults on Bali island By Degung Santikarma UBUD, Bali (JP): Bali has carefully cultivated an image as an island of shimmering rice paddy views. But travelers on the road between Ubud and Tegalalang will find the journey tightly hemmed by a never-ending strip of shops, all exuding whatever happens to be the latest trend in Balinese handicrafts.

Struggle between movement and genre in RI films By M.M.S. Marthawienata JAKARTA (JP): People often wonder why Indonesian films are rarely down to earth and rarely reflect the realities of our society. Indonesia's film history shows that the prominent figures supporting movement have sunken into the steam of genre. Movement versus genre. What does that mean? If there is a mainstream cinema, there must be a counterpart; side-stream cinema.

Breathing gurus start teaching JAKARTA (JP): Two Shanghai-based breathing exercise experts yesterday began a three day program to teach around 400 Indonesian tai chi trainers how to do the exercises properly. Their visit is part of the realization of a memorandum of understanding on sports cooperation signed on Nov. 24 last year between the Indonesian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and China's Commission for Physical Culture and Sports.

Guess What? Ira Maya Sopha Can a fair and charming Cinderella become an effective public relations officer? Yes. Former child star Ira Maya Sopha, known for her role as Cinderella in Shangrila's operetta in the l970s, has been Public Relations Manager of the Jakarta Hilton Convention Center since l994. "As a public figure I have a special place in society. But people often ask me how I got my present job," Ira said.