Gambuh project preserves Balinese dance By Jean Couteau DENPASAR (JP): Balinese dance conformed to the whims of its changing patrons in the 1900s. Dutch colonials and cosmopolitan travelers in the 1920s and 1930s, as well as Javanese officials and jet-setters in post-independence years, have all brought new demands to which the dances have adapted in various ways.

Ubud offers respite from Jakarta's travails By Mohammad Sadli UBUD, Bali (JP): It is refreshing to get away from the haunting debate in Jakarta where day in and day out the media underline the gloom of a frighteningly widening gap between the rich and the poor. Especially when the rich and super-rich are associated with the Chinese business minority and the poor constitute the majority indigenous population or struggling entrepreneurs.

Kartika Affandi inspires many women By Astri Wright JAKARTA (JP): Kartika Affandi, 61, has been recognized as one of Indonesia's most important female artists for nearly a decade. However, as the daughter of the celebrated painter Affandi and his first wife, Maryati, also an artist, Kartika has been in the public eye since she was born. From childhood on, she was raised around art, artists and art making, and she was already painting as a young child.

Traveling in Delhi buses, trains like knocking on death's door By V. Anjaiah JAKARTA (JP): We have seen the millions of Jakartans undertake their mudik (mass exodus) to their hometowns in Java during the Idul Fitri holiday each year. People stampede the bus and railway stations for two weeks of every year. But, have you ever been in a place where mudik is experienced everyday throughout the year, including the freezing winter?

Guess What? If wet-look hair buns are in again next year, Indonesia's top hair dresser Rudy Hadisuwarno deserves the praise. "During last month's hairdressers' meeting in Paris, I proposed wet-look hair buns for next year's hair fashion," said Rudy. Hairdressers from all over the world gather in Paris once a year to set hair and make up trends for the following year. Rudy, who is member of the Paris-based International des Coiffures des Dames, attends the meeting every year.

Age old traditions thrive on secluded Roti Island By Dipika Ray ROTI ISLAND, Nusa Tenggara (JP): The tiny southernmost Indonesian island of Roti is home to the hermaphrodite gewang palm, which flowers once during its one-hundred-year lifespan. The flowering of a single gewang will induce other palms of the same age to burst into towering canopies of ornate flowers, all at once, after which they die.

RI jewelry designs have many sources JAKARTA (JP): Remarkable gold jewelry, household and ceremonial utensils, and weapons have been crafted in Indonesia since the 4th century. Many crowns, necklaces, medallions and earrings were discovered at a site of the former Majapahit Kingdom, which ruled Java and other islands including Mallaca (now Malaysia) between the 7th and 8th centuries. Jewelry in Indonesia is made of a broad range of materials and expresses many regional characteristics.

Sri Lankan athletic coach's hard labor pays off JAKARTA (JP): Fifteen minutes of glory brushed aside years of hardship in Dervin Pereira's coaching job when two Sri Lankan female runners dashed to two gold medals on the penultimate day of the 11th Asian Track and Field Championships here yesterday. "This is the biggest success I've ever had. I think four years of training has now paid off," said Pereira, the man behind Sri Lanka's golden double yesterday.

Salary increase From Jayakarta Both the beginning and end of the year is almost always marked by psychologists raising the issue of civil servants' salaries. Recently they also suggested that the government raise the salary of middle-ranking police officers by between 300 and 1,000 percent. They argue that Indonesian police salaries are the smallest among the ASEAN countries.

Guess What? "I urge those in power not to be hostile to those who have differences of opinion," stated Indonesia's most senior economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo at a gathering of thousands of alumni of the University of Indonesia's School of Economics. "Differences of opinion are important for the development of democracy. Therefore, we should promote differences of opinion, but not enmity," Sumitro said at the meeting held to commemorate the school's 45th anniversary on Wednesday night.

S'pore sailors to Sweden SINGAPORE (Reuter): Singapore's navy is sending 40 officers to Sweden next April as part of a submarine training program, a deputy prime minister told state television yesterday. Tony Tan, who is also defense minister of the island republic of three million. said the Republic of Singapore Navy would also buy a second-hand submarine from Sweden to train its officers. He gave no other details.

Daily commute can affect mental health JAKARTA (JP): Eddi wakes up at 4:30 every morning to catch the 5:30 a.m. train to Jakarta from his house in Serpong, 30 kilometers west of here. He usually arrives at the Tanah Abang railway station in Central Jakarta at 7:00 a.m, and takes a bus to his office on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta. If he manages a seat on the train, he makes the most of it and sleeps. "If I don't sleep, I'm sleepy at work.

Yayuk to play in Surabaya JAKARTA (JP): Despite her tight schedule, Indonesia's tennis queen Yayuk Basuki is strongly expected to join the Rp 236.5 million (US$104,001) Wismilak Open women's international tennis tournament, the organizer said yesterday. Around 50 foreign tennis players have confirmed their participation at the tournament slated for Sept. 28 to Oct. 8 in Surabaya's Embong Sawo tennis courts, which is being expanded to hold 3,000 spectators.

Every Jakartan has a travel tale By Johannes Simbolon and Imran Rusli Getting around in Greater Jakarta is a struggle. Every day commuters labor to catch buses or trains. Those who drive to work are not indisposed to problems as they, too, have to deal with the serious congestion. Long hours are wasted on the way to and from work or school. Parents miss the precious opportunity to be with their children and couples often drift apart because of the lack of time to communicate.

Congestion causes stress, sickness By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): Life is hard enough in Jakarta, even without traffic jams destroying the health of drivers and people who take public transportation. Some people choose to look at the jams in a positive way, others recognize their gravity. "I know that I can't avoid traffic jams so I just enjoy them.

Commuters clinch love affairs, rare dates By Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): They leave at the same hour every morning, take the same bus or train, meet the same people, and stand by or sit beside the same person throughout the trip. Anything could happen. Including falling in love. "Love affairs often develop among commuters. They may feel reluctant to engage in affairs with colleagues because in the office people know each other. On the train people are mainly anonymous.

Indonesians to receive training as good fans JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) has appointed a tourism bureau to organize Indonesians going to the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Prior to their departure, Indonesian supporters will get special 'training' on how to become proper morale boosters for their favorite athletes at the Games, said KONI's public relations chief Ishadi SK.

Wardiman opens Art Summit Indonesia JAKARTA (JP): Art Summit Indonesia 1995 opened at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Central Jakarta yesterday in what is billed as one of the largest performing art festivals ever held in the country.

Guess What? Director Garin Nugroho has proven that if you work for a dream it can come true. "Five years ago, when I saw Alan Parker's film The Commitment at Orchard Hall, Tokyo, I dreamed that one day my film would also be screened at that prestigious place," Garin said. Garin didn't have to wait too long for his dream to come true. On Sept.

Efficiency? Who needs it? JAKARTA (JP): One day the general manager of the state agency where my husband works asked him to find a way to improve efficiency in the workplace. No big deal, my husband thought. He was wrong. Not that it was a difficult task, but he learned a valuable lesson: People benefit from inefficiency, in fact make a living from it. What my husband discovered was nothing surprising or new. It can be found in many Indonesian institutions and companies, even the private ones.

TV today TVRI 7:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Healthy and Fit with Berty Tilarso 7:40 Film 8:05 Around Us 8:35 Children's Stories 9:00 People and Events 9:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 9:45 Music 10:45 Youth Program 11:15 Indonesian Cooking 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 1:15 p.m.

Jakarta's Gold Council promotes local jewelry designs By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): For decades local jewelry designs have been strongly influenced by western tastes because many Asian artists prefer to imitate western designs rather than explore ideas from their own ancestry. "It is true that we have to keep up with the rapid progress in jewelry design concepts, but we have to preserve our own culture.

Mighty China looks certain to extend reign JAKARTA (JP): China's mean gold mining machine sped into top gear yesterday to assure itself of the overall title at the 11th Asian Track and Field Championships here. With just nine gold medals on offer on the closing day today, nobody has a chance of catching up to China's bountiful medal bonanza of 16 golds, four silvers and three bronzes.