Bouraq's president dies JAKARTA (JP): Jerry A. Sumendap, president of the private airline PT Bouraq Indonesia, died in Jakarta yesterday afternoon from heart failure. He turned 68 last December. The Antara news agency reported that Sumendap, who was also president of Bali Air and concurrent chairman of the Federation of ASEAN Fishery Associations, was hospitalized at the Harapan Kita Hospital in West Jakarta for ten days following a heart attack. Sumendap is laid out at his home on Jl.

Youngsters enjoy homestay programs JAKARTA (JP): "I hope I meet Brandon and Brenda when I go to Los Angeles," 16-year-old Penny Juwita exclaimed while attending a briefing with her chaperon at the LIA Foundation last weekend. Brandon (played by actor Jason Priestly) and Brenda (Shanen Doherty) are favorite characters from the famous TV series Beverly Hills, which is very popular among teenagers worldwide.

Pair bridge meet expanded JAKARTA (JP): The international pair bridge championship, Epson Worldwide Bridge Contest, will be expanded to 10 provincial cities in Indonesia next year, with priorities given to Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya. Committee chairman Wisnu Djajengminardo said on Friday that the 10th championship will be held simultaneously in seven Indonesian cities and other cities throughout the world on June 9. The one-day tournament is monitored from Paris.

RI pianist to perform in Norway JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian pianist Kuei Pin Yeo will play a number of solo piano compositions by Indonesian Mochtar Embut today at the Festspillene i Bergen in Bergen, Norway. This will be the first time that Embut's compositions have been presented at an eminent music festival. It will be attended by such big names in the world of music as Kiri Te Kanawa.

The history of bamboo musical instruments in Indonesia By Endo Suanda BANDUNG (JP): Bamboo used for musical instruments is as old as bamboo in cultural artifacts. This is due to the nature of bamboo as a source of sound. The plant's hollow trunk and straight, strong and flexible grain enable interesting and different sounds to be produced. A large variety of instruments can be made from bamboo with very simple tools.

Contest: The importance of being different By Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): "It's a pity that progress in photography in Indonesia did not feature in Rana Citra 1994 as it did in the previous Rana Citra competitions," the chairman of the team of judges, Wisaksono Noeradi, remarked in a speech prior to the revelation of contest winners.

Clarifying Gandhi As a visitor to Jakarta, I have been reading your newspaper for the last week. In the Sunday, May 7, issue my eyes fell on the article about Candi Dasa in Bali entitled Gandhi and Marley alive in Candi Dasa which I read with much interest. However, I would like to draw the attention of the writers, (Degung Santikarma and Emma Baulch), as well as your readers to an obvious error in the opening sentence of the article.

The late Arifin C. Noer: His life and works JAKARTA (JP): How appropriate it was for the theater/movie director Arifin C. Noer, who died a week ago today, to describe Indonesia as a country with the most dense "jungle of statements" in the world. "Indonesians talk too much but never do anything," he reasoned. "Everybody is engrossed in their own voices, like a baby who has just discovered his ability to produce sounds," Arifin explained.

Tommy steps down from IMI JAKARTA (JP): Hutomo Mandala Putra sprang a surprise on Friday night when he refused his second term as chairman of the Indonesian Motor Association (IMI) and handed the post to Bob RE Nasution at the end of the IMI congress in Medan, North Sumatra. Hutomo, known as Tommy Soeharto, was expected to lead the national automotive sports governing body for a second four-year term.

Lir-ilir: Javanese song and its meaning By DWR Mastuti JAKARTA (JP): Traditional Javanese songs are more than just lyrics and rhythm, their words contain the philosophy of life. When I was young, my parents always sang Lir-ilir. I understood it only after studying Javanese. I came to love this song deeply because of its deep meaning.

New quake jolts Russianoil town of Neftegorsk MOSCOW (Reuter): A new earthquake jolted the Far Eastern oil town of Neftegorsk early yesterday, a week after it was flattened by a killer quake, Russia's Ministry of Emergencies said. Spokesman Vasily Yurchuk, contacted by telephone in Neftegorsk, told Reuters the latest quake struck at 3.30 a.m. (2330 GMT) and measured 4.5 on the Richter scale. It had its center in the north of the island of Sakhalin but caused no casualties or damage.

Poet denies wedding news DHAKA (Reuter): Self-exiled Bangladeshi poet Daud Haider denied yesterday he secretly married controversial compatriot writer Taslima Nasrin, whom fundamentalist Moslem clerics accuse of blasphemy. Haider, denying a report by Dhaka's Independent newspaper, said "the report was incorrect, baseless" and intended to tarnish his name. He told Reuters by telephone from his home in Germany he had no relations with Nasrin and he did not like her or her writings.

Timor reconciliation talks begin in Austrian castle STADTSCHLAINING, Austria (Reuter): East Timorese leaders began a historic meeting yesterday to try to reconcile differences that have torn their people apart for the last 20 years. The All-inclusive East Timor Dialog was held behind closed doors at Stadtschlaining's imposing medieval castle, 140 km (90 miles) south of Vienna. The meeting is scheduled to last until Tuesday.

Preserving the traditional wavy dagger By T. Sima Gunawan JAKARTA (JP): Tradition and modernism seem to stand in unreconcilable contradiction with one and another. Explaining tradition in a modern way is not easy. But it is not impossible to do so. Indonesia's Heirloom Society, Darmataji, is striving to preserve national cultural artifacts using a modern approach.

Rambitan: Lombok's 'traditional village' By Dini S. Djalal SENGGIGI, Lombok (JP): The village can be seen from miles away. Perched upon a hill, the grouping of thatched huts provided a stark contrast against the bright blue sky. We were approaching Rambitan, a "traditional Sasak village" in South Lombok. We had been warned about this "tourist attraction". You have to pay to enter the village, a "donation" (Rp 5,000 in our case) to be put into a box near the village's gate.

Polish booters to come to town JAKARTA (JP): The Polish Olympic soccer team will tackle the Indonesian national squad in a friendly match at the Senayan stadium in mid July. The All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) has yet to decide on the date of the international match, but says that any time between July 15 and July 20 is acceptable.

Physical strength rules French Open By Russell Barlow JAKARTA (JP): The French Open, like all the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, possess its own special qualities. The huge crowds which throng to Rolland Garros every year and the well-planned maze of outside courts in a huge park setting, are conductive to a nonchalant, carnival atmosphere.

Looking for a nice, bright house? JAKARTA (JP): Ever scanned the classifieds for a place to stay? This newspaper carries enticing messages from landlords, housing agents, brokers and entrepreneurial housewives (or should I say home-makers?) flogging accommodation to prospective lessees. They promise, "nice, bright, spacious house, with swimming pool, all facilities, 10,000 watts, furnished or unfurnished, two telephones, servant's quarters," et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

The homestay craze: Worth the money? By Rita A. Widiadana and T. Sima Gunawan Homestay programs have become trendy among Indonesia's school students in big cities. The programs, which are expensive, are also considered profitable, attracting many organizations to this business. The Jakarta Post interviews homestay organizers, parents and students, as well as the staff of a number of foreign embassies in Jakarta. JAKARTA (JP): As the long-awaited school holiday draws near, students cheer.

'Outbreak' sweeping cinema screens with virus scare By Dini S. Djalal JAKARTA (JP): Schadenfreude: it's a German phrase meaning "joy at the suffering of others." It may not be the intention of the moviemakers, but Outbreak, a new film depicting a deadly epidemic, not unlike the Ebola scourge currently ravaging Zaire, is undoubtedly cashing in on mainstream media's new nemesis: the pestilent virus.

Promote Positivism "Positive Attitude is a Plus" -- so goes the corporate advertisement of Essar Gujarat, one of the leading industrial conglomerates in India. The ad clearly describes positivism as having a logic and momentum all its own. One of my friends from India visited Jakarta without his family, and stayed in a hotel for a few weeks.

Suro's celebration no fun for the royalty By T. Sima Gunawan JAKARTA (JP): Javanese people, and the royalty in particular, celebrate the Javanese New Year, which fell on May 31 this year, by reflecting on the past and contemplating the future. No dances. No songs. No fun. Suro, the first month of the year, is a time to pay more attention to spiritual matters. People are advised against holding big family events such as marriages and circumcisions.

Colorful events mark the arrival of Japanese New Year Photo A: Reog JP/28 The management of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta organized a series of events to celebrate the Javanese New Year, which fell on Wednesday. On Tuesday night, the eve of the new year, a procession was held. It was highlighted by various dances, including the reog traditional dance from Ponorogo, East Java. Photo B/C: Dances JP/28 The dances performed on Tuesday night were not limited to Javanese pieces.