Be cool-headed and avoid stress: Expert JAKARTA (JP): Life today is a byword for stress, especially in a big city like Jakarta. Traffic jams, sweltering heat and the frantic pace of work are given problems. Now there is the additional trouble of the monetary crisis, hitting not only the capital but the whole nation. Problems have avalanched following the sharp decline in the value of the rupiah in the past few months.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. TVRI News 6:25 Morning News 6:45 Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 7:15 Healthy and Fit 7:30 Children's Program: Arena Kami 8:00 Brudy and Family 8:30 Cartoon Film 9:00 People and Event 9:30 Cooking Program: Indonesian Food 10:00 TVRI News 10:30 Music: Album Minggu 11:30 Teenager's Program: Temu Remaja 12:15 p.m.

Soeharto to leave on 12-day trip JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will embark on a 12-day overseas trip this Tuesday, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono announced yesterday. He will visit Namibia, South Africa, Canada and Saudi Arabia. "The President will start his trip with a state visit to Namibia, as an exchange for President Sam Nujoma's visit here in August," Moerdiono said Friday.

McVey's focus on RI came by chance By Linawati Sidarto MONTISI, Italy (JP): The color still high on her cheeks as she returned to her 19th century three-story house from tending her olive garden, the thin, silver-haired woman looked very much a part of the lush, sprawling Tuscany countryside. Except that she is far from your average resident in Montisi, a quaint village nestled in the midst of the most beautiful landscape in central Italy.

'Weighty' issues of our conversations JAKARTA (JP): When I was in the Netherlands last month, people were still talking about the heat wave they had experienced the month before. When I went to the Saturday open air market, I had to listen to the same old story of the temperature hitting 40 degrees Celsius, over and over again at every stand: the fish vendor, the butcher, the dairy man and even the Vietnamese selling egg rolls. I would probably have done the same if I had lived there.

The joy of giving up two Rooks By Kristianus Liem JAKARTA (JP): Grandmaster John Emms of Beckenham, Kent, England, was the outright winner of the 1st Drury Lane Grandmasters, held in the heart of London's theaterland, at the Drury Lane Moat House, from June 16 to June 24. Turning in a rating performance of 2703, Emms outdistanced the category 10 (average rating 2485) field by a clear point and scored a devastating 4 points from 4 rounds with White. For the completed results see the cross-table.

Fun and games to teach kids environmental concern By Sugianto Tandra MOJOKERT0, East Java (JP): On a dusty playground under the shade of a big tree, a group of elementary school students played a game under the guidance of a teacher. "Who would want to be a worm?" the young educator, Budi, 23, asked his noisily excited students, who had come all the way from Surabaya, some 60 kilometers northeast of here. "I want to be a tiger," replied a chubby boy enthusiastically.

Housewives scrimp and save amid crisis By Emmy Fitri JAKARTA (JP): Economic recession is not a common expression in housewives' conversations. Housewives from low- to high-income groups say they are used to managing limited funds, but do say they are trying harder now. Sandra Hugo, not her real name, who lives in Pondok Hijau, South Jakarta, is one who says she has felt the effect of the recession.

Decorated helmets turning heads among youngsters Text by Tedy Novan and photos by Hari Budiono YOGYAKARTA (JP): Creativity is apparently identical to youth. At least this is what is shown by a group of youths in Yogyakarta who express their creativity through helmets. One afternoon, amid the hustle and bustle of Yogyakarta's traffic, a group of youths in high school gray and white uniforms, formed a motorcycle convoy. There was something that distinguished them from other motorcyclists.

U.S. arms usage in E. Timor WASHINGTON (Reuters): The U.S. Congress has urged the Clinton administration not to supply arms to Indonesia that could be used in East Timor. The language was included in a foreign aid spending bill Congress passed on Thursday. That section of the bill is non- binding but sends a strong message to the White House and to Indonesia, a Congressional aide said on Friday.

Halt the hooligans From Panji Masyarakat Hooliganism in Jakarta is nothing new. Different efforts have been made to find a solution to the social problem, but none has achieved tangible results. It appears the police and the Armed Forces are completely bewildered by this particular problem. Scholars have utilized different theories at their disposal to cure this social illness, but still the medicine is not effective. Hooliganism is a dilemma.

Committee awaits medical forms on Thai athletes JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games Federation Medical Committee secretary, Dr. Carmen Jahya, said yesterday the committee had yet to receive drug declaration forms for two Thai athletes from the organizers' doping control committee. "We haven't received them yet," Carmen said.

The separate culture of RI's Chinese The Culture of the Chinese Minority in Indonesia By Leo Suryadinata Times Book International, Singapore, 1997 276 pp. JAKARTA (JP): The Chinese have always been the target of resentment, discrimination and riots in Indonesia on a scale not experienced in other Southeast Asian countries. At various stages of the giant archipelagic nation's recent history and political development, they have been implicated in power struggle conflicts.

Jazz continues to hold on as music machine keeps turning By Devi M. Asmarani JAKARTA (JP): It is an era when being a musical purist is out of the question. Rock bands bring an orchestra on stage with them, rappers hip hop to acid jazz and Bob Marley, and a lithe, transparently-clad female violinist rocks MTV audiences with a techno-fused Bach concerto. This confusing trend started way back. In fact, the marriage of genres is the motor spinning music's evolution.

Guitarist Dewa Budjana turns his hand to all that jazz By Helly Minarti JAKARTA (JP): In the remote Balinese village of Klungkung, a 10-year-old boy stole some money from his grandmother's pocket to buy a guitar. "I confessed to her right after I bought the guitar," Dewa Budjana, 33, recalled of his experience more than 20 years ago. "It was bad, I knew that. But it seemed the only way to have that instrument." Unfortunately, he lost the Rp 10,000 guitar.

Scrimping, saving in the recession The writing is on the wall. The economy is slowing down, prices are going up and people are being laid off. Hard economic times lie ahead as analysts warn of a deep recession. The Jakarta Post reporters Achmad Junaidi, Ati Nurbaiti, Arief Suhardiman, Benget Simbolon, Emmy Fitri, Kornelius Purba and Riyadi talked to a cross-section of society to find out how they are coping with that not-so-secure feeling. Related stories are on Page 9.

BCA rush eases after Liem's TV appearance JAKARTA (JP): The rush by depositors of Bank Central Asia (BCA), Indonesia's largest private bank, receded yesterday following an overnight TV appearance by its main shareholder, Liem Sioe Liong, who had earlier been rumored to have died. Long lines of depositors still developed at some BCA branches in Jakarta yesterday morning, but they petered out as the message spread to worried depositors that Liem was alive and the bank was sound, Antara reported.

Immunization program for pupils launched JAKARTA (JP): Following its success in immunizing children under five, Indonesia began Friday the initial phase of a nationwide immunization program against diphtheria and tetanus for elementary schoolchildren. Initiated jointly by the ministries of health, education and culture, religious affairs and home affairs, the campaign will target some 26 million primary schoolchildren throughout Indonesia over a two-year period.

KL minister blames U.S. embassy for spat KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): A Malaysian minister yesterday blamed the United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur for misinformation which had strained relations between the two countries, the national Bernama news agency said. "The U.S. embassy here is not giving the right information. They are sending the wrong message," Primary Industries Minister Lim Keng Yaik was quoted as telling reporters after a public function. He accused the embassy of informing a U.S.

Risky weekend at the vertical wall of Gunung Parang Text and photos by Tantyo Bangun PURWAKARTA, West Java (JP): "It's okay. To die here, or on the street, it's all the same to me," said Rama, removing his safety rope and walking along the edge of a Gunung Parang terrace in Purwakarta, West Java. Less than half a meter away the edge of the mountain drops 200 meters. We stretch our arms and legs on the terrace having strained them using the jummar (an ascender) to get to where we are.

Accordion enters musical mainstream By Nico Colombant JAKARTA (JP): For the city's jazz music lovers who have developed a craving following last week's three-day JakJazz festival, Richard Galliano has just the fix. The French accordionist extraodinaire will be at the Neo Fabrice world music bar and restaurant Tuesday night to perform his very own brand of jazz: new musette.

Care after three decades JAKARTA (JP): Care International marked its 30th anniversary of operations in Indonesia with a dinner on Friday attended by ambassadors of the major governments that fund its work, which focuses chiefly on poverty alleviation. Ambassadors Gary J. Smith of Canada, Tim Groser of New Zealand and Stapleton Roy of the United States were among the honorary guests at the dinner hosted by Care International Indonesia director Ann Thompson at Ambhara Hotel.

Nigerian shot dead in police drug raid JAKARTA (JP): Police shot dead a Nigerian in a drug operation Friday that saw the arrest of a Myanmar man for his alleged involvement in the smuggling of about six kilograms of heroin. The seized heroin, suspected of coming from the so-called golden triangle area near Myanmar, has an estimated street value of about US$900,000. It is the country's largest drug haul this year.

Liquidity is vital for survival in economic downturn By Riyadi JAKARTA (JP): Companies come and go almost every day; but in an economic recession, many will go rather than come. And in the current economic and monetary crisis, it is believed that many corporations will face difficulties, especially those in unhealthy financial condition.

Property firms told to merger JAKARTA (JP): Property analyst and chairman of the Indonesian Property Study Center, Panangian Simanungkalit, has recommendations for those in real estate trying to weather the current tough times: First of all, managers should bear in mind that they will not make good profits during the recession in the next two years. They will have to be satisfied with breaking even to survive.

Indonesian take-out outlets, minimarkets are Dutch treats By Thor Kerr THE HAGUE (JP): It is freezing, overcast and not a palm tree is in sight, but Indonesian food is being served in just about every town in the Netherlands. The quarter of a million Indonesians who immigrated here after Indonesia's independence have created a legacy of popular restaurants, take-out outlets and Indonesian minimarkets.

Newcomer films harsh realities of Jakarta By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): With all the gloom and doom about the ailing local film industry, it gives heart when a new face emerges. Although Arie Ibnu Hadjar is still practically an unknown in his homeland, the 25-year-old student at the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) can be expected to soon add to the list of accomplishments of Indonesia's new generation of filmmakers.

Khoiriyah cleans up her 'jamu' herbal medicines MOJOKERTO, East Java (JP): Khoiriyah is known in her neighborhood as a maker of jamu, the traditional herbal concoction used by Javanese for whatever ails them. But she is different from her many counterparts. She is following in footsteps of her grandmother and mother in preparing the concoction. But, beginning two years ago, she has added some modern touches to her family's time-honored tradition of mixing the herbs.

Terror By Sori Siregar When the sound of several gunshots was heard and a cry echoed in the stillness of the night, my friends and I on duty in the guardhouse were playing cards. We were stunned by the gunfire and looked at one another. "From that direction," Baskoro said, pointing to the south. He stood up and took the stick leaning against the wall. It was approaching 10 p.m.

What financial woes mean to the people JAKARTA (JP): Just when many have begun to grow accustomed to the good life, tougher times call for trimming expenses. Some continue to be upbeat, but others have begun to feel the pinch: Rebecca Tumewu, radio and television presenter, MC: I don't have that much money so I can't say I have felt the effect of the coming recession yet. Regardless of recession, I usually keep expenses under control. I have my own costume designer.