Drug addicts share their experiences By K. Basrie and Soeryo Winoto JAKARTA (JP): Ecstasy addicts can enjoy themselves fully only if there's dancing, music, crowds, peppermint gum, certain tonic water products and liters of water. They say it would be total nightmare and a waste of money to stay at home after consuming the costly pills, which they call Inex (derived from the enak, meaning delicious).

Golf Academy introduced at Serpong Country Club JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's first golf academy is aimed at teaching beginners the fundamentals of the game. "The purpose of the academy is to teach more people how to play golf and to improve their technical skills," said Jim Stanley, general manager of the Gading Raya Golf and Country Club yesterday.

The hot debate of a car pool JAKARTA (JP): With the three-in-one road rule refusing to go away, car pools are gradually taking hold. This, no doubt, makes traveling by car colorless. Yet car rides, shared or otherwise, have an irresistible allure. This car pool was one of five. The time spent in traveling was a verbal joust, usually of a storm-in-a-tea-cup variety.

A trip to the Thousand Islands on the 'Awani' JAKARTA (JP): I'm eight years old. On March 20, I went to the Thousand Islands on this ship. DAY ONE: We went to our rooms. Afterwards, we went to the Duty Free Shop. Next to the Duty Free Shop was a children's play area. There was a video game place. I played a video game. It was very good. We went to the upper deck and saw if the swimming pool was full. It was not. We missed the Power Rangers film -- it was 7 p.m.

Increasing globalization erases national individuality By Graham Best JAKARTA (JP): I came to work in Indonesia because I wanted to experience something different. Like many or even most people in Britain I knew nothing about this country. It was, I thought, a single tropical island near Malaysia. Of course I knew all about Borneo from wildlife documentaries, and plenty about Bali from holiday programs, but I didn't know they had anything to do with Indonesia.

Guees What? Working in the tourism industry is not always fun for women. Some people believe that women working in the tourism sector also serve as escorts. "That is not true," says Rae Sita Supit, vice president of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agency. She herself has been victimized by this wrong perception. "Once, I was in an elevator with a man.

Cruise ship makes waves as the latest holiday hotspot Text by T. Sima Gunawan and photos by Arief Hidayat JAKARTA (JP): "Welcome aboard," a woman in a smart, freshly- pressed white uniform greeted the passengers as they stepped onto the cruise ship. It was Monday evening. The sun had long-since disappeared beneath the horizon but it was still hot at the Tanjung Priok harbor in North Jakarta. Entering the ship's reception hall, travelers soon felt at ease, enjoying the man-made cool temperature.

RI fields 35 drivers in Medan World Rally JAKARTA (JP): In a bid to hold off the domination of marauding world rally winners, host Indonesia will field 35 of its best drivers in the Bank Utama World Rally Championships in Medan, North Sumatra, from May 10 to May 12. Rally organizer official Helmy Sungkar said that among the 35 rally drivers headed by Indonesia's top ranking Hutomo Mandala Putra, there will be two female racers, Enny and Aang Ariane.

Drugs addiction leads to cmoplex social problems By T. Sima Gunawan JAKARTA (JP): The abuse of narcotics, psychotropic and other addictive substances affects not only physical and mental health, but can also create complex social problems. Drug addiction can affect the user's perception, as well as his or her thinking, creativity and emotions. In the end, it can change a person's behavior. An overdose of a drug can be deadly.

Freeport suit withdrawn JAKARTA (Reuter): An Indonesian tribal leader said yesterday he had withdrawn the US$6 billion class action suit brought in his name against Freeport-McMoRan Inc. because it was filed by an American lawyer without his consent. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans on Monday in the name of Tom Beanal, claims the company's subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia had engaged in "eco-terrorism" and "cultural genocide".

Widayat and the decorative realm of magic realism By Parvathi Nayar Narayan JAKARTA (JP): On the 140-metre-long canvas, Widayat has filled up 40 metres with Chinese ink. He is creating the story of his life and he works on it when he needs a break from his work, the latest examples of which are currently on exhibit in Jakarta. One is immediately impressed by the sheer industry and creativity of the man. At age 77, Widayat holds one major show every year.

Poor performances dominate second invitational meet JAKARTA (JP): Mediocre performances dominated the second Bob Hasan track and field invitational meet held at Senayan yesterday evening. Europeans and Americans were the kings and the queens of the meet which saw female javelin thrower Lee Young Sun of South Korea as the only Asian gold-medal winner. Asia's powerhouse China was surprisingly numb. It won only two bronze medals. No Indonesian won a medal.

ASEAN must act not just react to challenges By Bilson Kurus If ASEAN does not take a more proactive approach to international affairs, it faces a difficult future. If there is to be a concise phrase which would arguably serve both as a critique of and a challenge for ASEAN as it heads towards the 21st century, it must be: "Lead, follow or get out of the way". Too strong a statement perhaps, but fitting nonetheless.

Hospital helps cure drug addicts, alcoholics By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): One chilly night, a rich middle-aged couple rushed their teenage son to a hospital. He was in critical condition from an overdose of narcotics. After trying in vain to find help from several hospitals and medical centers in Jakarta, the couple finally decided to go to the Hospital of Drug Dependency on Jl. Rumah Sakit Fatmawati in Cilandak, South Jakarta. "Doctor, please help my son.

Keeping the body resilient in old age By Djoeweriah Poorwo S. JAKARTA (JP): It's alarming how frequently elderly women slip and fall. A bruised leg, shoulder or hip is unfortunate, but a broken hip could be disastrous. The hip would have to be operated on, and chances are in Indonesia the woman would be disabled afterwards, relegated to a wheelchair. She would need continual help, something most people hate the thought of.

Bali's Hindu culture: A dying phenomenon? By Putu Wirata SANUR, Bali (JP): Karaoke, the newest form of music entertainment on the local scene, has spread its tentacles as far as Bali, where no less than five establishments on Jl. Raya Ngurah Rai, Sanur, are doing brisk business.

Hero's insecure parking lot From Pikiran Rakyat On April 12, 1996 I entered the parking lot of Hero Maskumambang and went shopping. This took only 20 minutes. When I returned to my car I found that my car had been broken into. The thief took two briefcases, hoping that they might be holding cash or valuables, but actually they only held documents of no value to the thief. I lost my car documents, BPKB No.69333029-G, under the name of Bambang H. Susetyo.

Rehabilitation center helps youngsters kick the habit By T. Sima Gunawan JAKARTA (JP): Everything is free here. Students don't have to pay for their tuition, training, food and boarding during their year-long study program. Welcome to the Rehabilitation Center for Narcotics Victims and Juvenile Delinquents. The Khusnul Khotimah in Tangerang, West Java, is home to 100 men between 15 and 25 years old. The term "narcotics victims" refers to former drug addicts or alcoholics.

Campaign continues against Ecstasy JAKARTA (JP): There is no law which explicitly bans Ecstasy, a stimulant which is becoming more popular among young Indonesians who want to have fun. It is excluded in a 1976 law on narcotics and is not in the Ministry of Health's list of prescription drugs. That does not necessarily mean Ecstasy can be freely bought or sold in Indonesia. Ecstasy is illegal. The police have repeatedly raided night spots and arrested dealers.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 6:25 Morning Focus 6:45 Healthy and Fit 7:00 Morning News 7:30 TV Series: Grandizer 8:00 Science Film 8:30 Information 9:00 English News Service 9:30 Focus: People and Event 10:00 Music: Album Minggu Ini 11:00 Stories for Children 11:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 1:15 p.m.