Modern housemaid In a country where mass media pinpoints the wide gap between rich and poor, or the haves and have nots, I would like to cite the true story of a modern maid. Yeyen (not her real name) commutes by bus from Tangerang to Jakarta, where she works as a maid. But, sitting in the air- conditioned bus, she looks more like a lady of the nouveau riche. They say she has taste, just because she is well-dressed. How well-dressed?

English-version 'Wayang' loses something in translation By Dini S. Djalal JAKARTA (JP): The sight, even viewed closely, was familiar. Two pesinden (singers of traditional Javanese songs), sitting demurely in their red kebaya, let out a melancholy lament as their male peers scaled the delicate melodies of a gamelan tune. Mallets fell on the gongs of the saron, cudgels struck the xylophone-like gender, filling the room with wistful harmonies on the sly side of unpredictable.

KL seeks foreign help to combat haze KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia has turned for help to France and Canada to combat the haze pollution hanging over the country, reports said yesterday. Science, Technology and Environment Minister Law Hieng Ding said officials from the two embassies were helping the government to map out an action plan to tackle the worsening haze nationwide.

New bug takes a fancy to pricey gourmet cuisine JAKARTA (JP): Just read in The Economist that there's a new bug doing the rounds on this sphere we call earth. Perhaps "new" isn't exactly the way to describe it -- after all, it may've been busy since time began but only now have come to the attention of scientists.

Good times are long past for the Djakarta Theater By Budiman Moerdijat JAKARTA (JP): People say 21 -- as in the chain of movie theaters Group 21 -- when they talk about going to the movies today. The Djakarta Theater, in a prime location on bustling Jl. Thamrin, is the one stubborn holdout to the numerical mass. It was a pioneer of modern movie houses in the country when it raised its legendary maroon curtain on June 20, 1970.

Young Indian duo set for Ericsson Masters match By Bobby Allen Wilson BINTAN, Riau (JP): The young Indian duo of Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkan Singh set up their final day pairing for the Asia Pacific Ericsson Masters after finishing the third round on top of the leaderboard. Atwal carded a 5-under-par 67 yesterday to lead the tournament on 14-under 202 by one stroke from Singh who returned with a 4- under 68.

How to make museums more attractive By Yenni Kwok JAKARTA (JP): The city's museums are poor. The problem has nothing to do with the value of artifacts they store, but the poor quality of displays, poor funding and poor human resources. And, above all, poor public interest. Most people in Jakarta prefer spending their Sunday afternoons wandering through shopping malls over visiting one of the 41 museums in the area. Old museums are clearly losing out to the vibrant and flashy malls. What to do?

Guess What? Whatever happened to Eddy Silitonga, whose songs were on everybody's lips in the 1970s? "I am still in pop music," the North Sumatra native told The Jakarta Post recently at a Batak wedding reception. He has now turned his attention to promoting the government's development programs. He travels around from his South Jakarta home entertaining the public with songs which carry serious themes of preparing the country for the next century.

RI women chess players fail to take GM norm By Kristianus Liem JAKARTA (JP): None of Indonesia's three best women chess players made the Women's Grandmaster (WGM) norm at the STAHL Women's Grandmaster Chess Tournament at Wisma Catur Frederick Sumanti. Maria Lucia, Upi D. Tamin and Lisa Lumongdong, all tried for the title at the competition in Tanah Abang I, Jakarta, from Aug. 12 to Aug. 26, 1997.

Old polemics die hard in Indonesian literary circles Polemik Hadiah Magsaysay (Polemics on the Magsaysay Award) Editor: A.S. Laksana Foreword: Nirwan Dewanto Institute of the Study on Information Flow (ISAI) and the Cultural Work Network (JKB), Jakarta, May 1997 xiv and 241 pages Rp 17,500. JAKARTA (JP): The selection of Pramoedya Ananta Toer for the 1995 Ramon Magsaysay Award in journalism, literature and creative communications arts opened up old wounds.

Workers' lot gets stage treatment JAKARTA (JP): A lot of work and some play. A combination of these two elements makes Teater Abu, most of whose members are factory workers. Teater Abu performed Mesin Baru (New Machine), their seventh production, at Bengkel Teater Rendra in Cipayung, West Java, last weekend. The venue was the studio of renowned poet W.S. Rendra. Like their previous performances, the play depicted the reality of their lives.

Money talks is anthem for today's young professionals JAKARTA (JP): Nobody knows who posted the sticker on the front of the bus plying the Kampung Rambutan-Grogol route. But its message -- Better to Be Rich than Poor and Ailing -- may be the anthem for today's young professionals. It seems the only fate worse than death today is an empty wallet. A consensus backed up by the "Quick Route to Get Rich" survey conducted by Tiara in July. Respondents were not shy about revealing their yen for wealth.

Rethinking the IMS-Growth Triangle By Linda Low The IMS Growth Triangle has unique potentials and advantages. SINGAPORE: Mooted in 1989, the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle (IMS-GT), formerly dubbed Sijori (Singapore-Johor-Riau Islands) was the first subregional growth triangle in ASEAN.

Obituary JAKARTA (JP): Retno Poernomoningsih Djamaludin, wife of Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, died at the Cikini public hospital yesterday. She was 63. Relatives at the minister's residence, in the high-ranking government officials complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta, said Retno died at 12:55 p.m. She had been in hospital for the past three days. She was unconscious when taken to the hospital on Wednesday. No information has been given on the cause of death.

Fashion of haute couture -- an escape from reality Text by Dini S. Djalal and photos by P.J. Leo JAKARTA (JP): Christian Dior, the late French designer who spent the 1950s whittling a million socialite waists into his hourglass New Look, once said, "Fashion comes from a dream, and the dream is an escape from reality." To dream and escape; how else to explain the world's love of haute couture, regarded as "France's finest flower"?

Small movie theaters struggle in Jakarta In a city where entertainments are countless, movie theaters seem to remain the main option for weekend leisure activities. The Jakarta Post reporters Budiman Moerdijat, Devi M. Asmarani, Edith Hartanto, IGN Oka Budhi Yogaswara, Stevie Emilia, Dwi Atmanta, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat and Ridwan Sijabat explore the many challenges facing the local theaters.

Is home entertainment gaining ground over movie theaters? JAKARTA (JP): In a bleak survival of the fittest scenario bandied about by fearful movie theater owners, home entertainment will mean bankruptcy for all but the most competitive. But do people really prefer to stay at home? Have the big screens and powerful sound systems lost their attraction? The Jakarta Post interviewed a cross-section of the Jakarta populace to find the answers.

Stone quarriers dig their business in heat and dust By Tarko Sudiarno and Ronaldo al Hakim MAGELANG, Central Java (JP): The clang of iron banging against stone sets a monotonous, discordant beat. A little further off, men use hoes and crowbars to excavate a plot of land. Cavernous plastic tents shroud the pit to protect workers from heat and dust. This is life for many villagers in Keningan near Magelang, Central Java.

Victoria's secret of steak and crepe JAKARTA (JP): Just as ice-cream adds an edge to desserts, a fine sauce and thoughtful presentation makes steak mouthwateringly good. Victoria's Char-grill Steakhouse and Cafe trains it's staff with well-known chefs, and offers quality customer service that attracts people more than once from as far away as Bandung.

Low-class movie theaters cling to existence By Edith Hartanto JAKARTA (JP): The movie posters jump out at passersby with seductive images of tangled bodies and exposed flesh. Provocative film titles -- spiced with adjectives like wanton, lust and insatiable -- also lure with promises of a steamy cinematic experience. But what is up on the screen is usually tame stuff.

Indonesia gets the hard sell in upcoming tourism mart By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): Bali and Indonesia are one and the same to many foreigners, but the Indonesia Tourism Promotion Board is trying to bring name recognition to the rest of the archipelago.

Darga put RI artists on global map By Jean Couteau JAKARTA (JP): When art connoisseurs visit Bali, what they are normally looking for are old traditional Kamasan paintings or works of modern Indonesian masters, both of which they can find in the main galleries of the island. Now they may come for Picasso, Renoir and others. The Darga gallery opened its new premises on Sept.

Electronic toys now child's play in major cities By Sona Vora Blessing JAKARTA (JP): It is a sunny Tuesday afternoon. A toy store located in an upmarket North Jakarta mall is deserted, quite unlike itself on weekends and most evenings. But for four-year- old Jason, and his brother, who is almost three, it is indisputedly the dream place to be. They dart into the toy shop, maid in tow, and head straight to the all-new and trendy Star Wars toy shelf.

Cinema theaters encounter challenges By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Movie theater owners are worried as the final curtain falls for many of their colleagues. The problem is dwindling audiences. Some lay blame squarely with alleged monopolistic practices of a nationwide film distributor and cinema owner, as well as the boom in home entertainment. But the chairman of the Association of Indonesian Movie Theater Owners, H.M.

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 Creative Program: Disekitar Kita 10:00 TVRI News 10:30 Music: Album Minggu Ini 11:30 Teenagers' Program: Temu Remaja 12:15 p.m.

Palmist rewrites fate by sleight of hand By K. Basrie JAKARTA (JP): For some people, fame and fortune lies in their hands. Literally. While many consider palmistry -- the practice of reading a person's character or future from the lines on the palms -- little more than a pseudoscience, others trust implicitly in its judgments. They would even go to great lengths to change the lines in a bid to turn around misfortune.