Proper care of Oriental carpets make them a good investment By M. Z. Iqbal JAKARTA (JP): The true spirit of a nation is reflected in its history, culture and art. The arts and crafts of a nation serve as a symbol of identity and act as a guideline for future generations. Carpets are one of man's most important artistic creations. The etymology of the word "carpet" goes back to the Greek tapesetos. The modern neo-Persian term mentioned in the Arabic lexicon is farash.

Sangiran -- Home to fossils of prehistoric man By Nasruddin SANGIRAN, Central Java (JP): Sangiran is just a hamlet on the island of Java, but its name has resounded throughout the scientific community since fossils of prehistoric man were discovered in the vicinity. For more than 100 years, scientists have tried to unveil the mystery of Sangiran's dark soil. Thousands of pages have been written with competing theories that attempt to unravel the secrets of these prehistoric fragments.

Osaka striving to become the new gateway to Japan In conjunction with the second anniversary of its presence in Indonesia, Japan Asia Airways, a private Japanese airline and a subsidiary of Japan Airlines, recently invited four Indonesian journalists to visit Osaka and Kyoto. Imanuddin of The Jakarta Post filed this report. OSAKA (JP): Tokyo is Japan's largest city, with more than one- tenth of the country's population.

Expert urges more recreational centers JAKARTA (JP): Video games are increasingly popular among leisure seekers in the city, and it is teenagers that make up the majority of the hordes who flock to video game centers. "Teenagers are by nature eager to look for additional activities outside their homes," says noted psychologist Sukarni Utami Munandar.

Rural youths complain From Neraca Like hundreds of other rural youths, I am a member of the karang taruna (neighborhood youth association) in the village. I joined the association because I believe youths are the backbone of a country, the motor of development. However, one week after its establishment, no board members or other members were seen again. The reason for their absence is realistic enough. They have gone to the cities to look for work. Will rural conditions always remain like this?

Fire razes part of shopping center JAKARTA (JP): A fire razed hundreds of shops and offices at the crowded Senen shopping center in Central Jakarta yesterday, causing an estimated loss of billions of rupiahs. No fatalities were reported in the fire which lasted from shortly after Friday midnight to Saturday evening. But witnesses feared two shop owners who tried to evacuate their merchandises were killed in the fire. As of late yesterday, the fate of the two people remained unknown.

Hariyanto likely to miss World Cup JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Hariyanto Arbi is facing uncertain prospects of playing in the Sanyo World Cup badminton championships here next month, due to an injury. The reigning world men's singles champion strained his right calf muscle during a match against former Olympic gold medalist Alan Budikusuma in the last National Games in September. Since then, he has stayed off the courts.

Susuk By Dewi Anggraeni "Absolute nonsense!" Russel blurted out, irritated. "Nothing more, nothing less. Utter nonsense!" Russel was offended. Martinus and Ratna, two of his trusted colleagues, had just slandered the love of his life, Rika Juwita. "Rika ...," Ratna had said, " ... has a susuk. Haven't you noticed, Russ, she is actually not pretty. However, no matter where she goes, she becomes the center of attention. All her superiors fall under her spell, except Sunarti.

Ramos inspects Subic site for APEC By David McDonald SUBIC BAY, Philippines (Reuter): He inspected the bathrooms, fussed around the carpet fitters, eyed the shrubbery and checked out the golf course. After he had poked around the Subic Bay site of this year's APEC summit, Philippine President Fidel Ramos -- playing concerned host ahead of the arrival of world leaders -- pronounced the venue "better than all the others".

APEC forum aims to reduce region's disparity By Medyatama Suryodiningrat & Prapti Widinugraheni MANILA (JP): Realizing the importance of equitable regional growth, ministers at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum yesterday issued a declaration aimed at reducing the region's economic disparities.

Democrats to return funds from Indonesian couple WASHINGTON (Reuter): The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said on Friday it would return US$450,000 in contributions from an Indonesian couple after deeming the donations "inappropriate." The DNC received the money in 1995 and 1996 from Arief and Soraya Wiriadinata who were, at the time, permanent residents of the United States, spokeswoman Amy Weiss Tobe said in a written statement.

Deception by hypnotism From Media Indonesia Thefts by hypnotism have been reported in Jakarta's media quite often. Our school, Bimbingan Belajar Santa Lusia, on Jl. Proklamasi, Central Jakarta, had four visitors on Nov. 13. They said they had come to repair the air conditioners. Two of the school's on-duty employees allowed them to do their job because one of the air conditioners was not working.

Growing wealth fuels art auction boom in SE Asia By Roberto Coloma SINGAPORE (AFP): When British auction house Christie's put a classic painting by 19th-century Indonesian master Raden Saleh up for sale here, it estimated the work to be worth perhaps US$850,000. By the time the fierce bidding last March ended, an anonymous regional collector made history by taking The Deer Hunt for $2.2 million -- the highest ever paid for a Southeast Asian painting at an auction.

Nintendo and Sega still lead video games race JAKARTA (JP): Consumers wanting to keep abreast of the latest in game technology will have to reach deep into their pockets. Due to immense popularity, even the old Super Nintendo game still sells for about Rp 200,000 (US$90). Distributors say it was the advent of the original Nintendo game, back in the mid 1980s, that was the starting point of the contemporary craze.

A bird's-eye view of the education system Education and Politics in Indonesia: 1945-1965, Dr. Lee Kam Hing, 425 pages, University of Malaya Press Kuala Lumpur 1995. JAKARTA (JP): Here is a book on the history of the Indonesian education system, between 1945 and 1965. But it is more than that. In Chapter 1 it describes, in bird's-eye fashion, the development of the Indonesian system, from the 7th century to the period of Japanese occupation.

Gus Dur to attend Belo's Noble prize presentation JAKARTA (JP): A prominent Moslem leader is to accompany the East Timor bishop to Oslo to attend the 1996 Noble Peace Prize presentation ceremony. Abdurrahman Wahid, affectionately called Gus Dur, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that he had been invited by the Nobel Prize Committee about a week ago. "I take it as an honor," Gus Dur said of his impending trip to the Norwegian capital with Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 6:25 Morning news 6:45 Healthy and Fit 7:00 News 7:30 TV Series 8:00 Women's Program: Tata Busana 8:30 Children's Stories: Putri Klara 9:00 English News Service 9:30 People and Events 10:00 Music: Album Minggu Ini 11:00 Children's Story 11:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 12:45 p.m.

The video game craze in contemporary local culture JAKARTA (JP): When do people start playing video games? Why are so many people addicted? Do video games affect people's activities? Such questions emerge amidst the mushrooming of video game centers in Indonesian cities. In the following, The Jakarta Post seeks to find some of the pros and cons of this recent phenomenon. Hana Susanti, junior high school student, South Jakarta: "I have loved video games since I was in the third grade.