For Balinese, the gift really is in the giving By Garret Kam BALI (JP): Offerings are perhaps Bali's most important form of art, even more so than the paintings and sculptures for which the island is famous. The reason is simple. Offerings, banten in Balinese, lie at the heart of the Hindu religion. Made of perishable materials, the fragrant flowers and carefully trimmed palm leaves wilt within hours under the tropical sun.

RI, Malaysia agree on dollar-less trade JAKARTA (JP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and President Soeharto agreed yesterday to boost bilateral trade but without using hard currencies so as to preserve their foreign exchange reserves. Mahathir said after visiting Soeharto yesterday that their agreement was an implementation of a decision to boost regional trade, made by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at its informal summit in Kuala Lumpur, in December last year.

Volleyball body plans congress JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Volleyball Association will hold its annual national congress here in April, Sutardiono, the association's deputy, said Friday. "The officials have yet to set the date. The congress will be a meeting between the association's national officials and officials from its 27 provincial branches. Each branch will send two officials to attend the congress," Sutardiono said.

Why people take dietary supplements JAKARTA (JP): We all know what it takes to keep in tip-top physical shape. Eat healthful foods, get plenty of sleep and maintain a regular exercise routine. For some of us, this standard fitness equation has expanded to include regular doses of dietary supplements. Most of these are imported and carry a high price tag.

Human failings One sultry hot afternoon, Mrs. Amin (not her real name) was dozing off, perhaps because the oppressive weather of Jakarta had made her sleepy. Suddenly, the telephone rang. With a yawn to suppress her drowsiness, she took the telephone receiver and said in a sleepy voice: "Hello". The person on the other end of the line said in an agitated voice: "I am Mrs. Amin and want to talk to Mr. Amin, whom I had not seen for almost a month". The unfriendly voice made Mrs. Amin wide awake.

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.

Dietary supplements sell with promises of good health By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): It could be called the shortcut to better health for those loathe to make hard sacrifices. The "Back to Nature" movement, which reached Indonesia from Europe and the United States in the 1980s, preaches a holistic natural lifestyle and turning one's back on harmful modern conveniences.

Will APEC honor pledge on development? By Xavier Furtado APEC, associated mainly with trade and economic liberalization and development cooperation, is also interested in sustainable development. SINGAPORE: The much-touted "East Asian miracle" has exacted a high price. While the region's fantastic growth has helped to raise millions of people out of abject poverty, decades of unsustainable development practices have wreaked havoc on the region's environment.

Alicia Silverstone clueless in 'Excess Baggage' By Dini S. Djalal JAKARTA (JP): Thank God for little girls. Or so Hollywood thinks. Every year, a new roster of rosy-cheeked nymphets slither their way into Tinseltown's floodlights, squeezing sighs out of slick studio execs lounging in their casting couches. Liv Tyler, Kate Winslet, Winona Ryder, Uma Thurman; what do they have in common? They all got top billing before they turned 20.

Ramadhan time for Jakarta Sunday Maghrib 6:18 p.m. Monday Imsak 4:19 a.m. Subuh 4:29 a.m.

Sex workers turn a naked lens on their lives Menghadang Mentari pun tak Peduli: Cerita tentang perasaan- perasaan oleh Pekerja Seks Komersial (They Do Not Even Care to Face the Sun: A Story About Feelings of Commercial Sex Workers) A photo sketch by Bandungwangi Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia, 1997 176 pp JAKARTA (JP): In the stillness of night, a row of women waits at a drinking den in North Jakarta. Outside, several men glance around them before entering.

Thai hotels want payment in dollars BANGKOK (AFP): The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has appealed to the government following threats by tour operators to blacklist hotels which quote dollar rates for rooms, a report said yesterday. In a letter to the prime minister's office, THA president Praphandsak Bhaetyanond said the move would benefit the country by bringing in dollars and raising hotel standards, a report in the Bangkok Post said.

Swimmer Elsa back home to be coached by father JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian national women team's leading swimmer Elsa Manora Nasution is expected to return home today from the United States, where she had been practicing for the last three years. Elsa, a member of the Indonesian 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games team, is being prepared for December's 13th Asian Games in Bangkok and will be trained by coach and father Radja Murnizal Nasution.

How ASEAN should attract investment The Chinese challenge to ASEAN in the area of foreign direct investments will intensify, not weaken, says Susumu Awanohara. SINGAPORE: Some officials and businessmen in South-east Asia seem to be clinging to the hope that ASEAN would attract more foreign direct investment (FDI), now that China has supposedly lost some of its strengths as a host country. Such a hope was perhaps more justified before the region's continuing currency crisis.

Christensen wins dream match against Arbi TOKYO (AFP): Peter Gade Christensen emerged victorious in his "dream" match against Indonesian star Hariyanto Arbi yesterday to secure a final berth at the Yonex Japan Open badminton tournament. The top-seeded Dane was one game and 0-2 down when he started hitting a series of effective short serves to chalk up point after point and shift the momentum in his favor to win 4-15, 15- 2, 15-6.

Senior expert frowns on dietary supplements By Aloysius Unditu JAKARTA (JP): Dietary supplements are very popular with Indonesians who can afford to buy what they believe will help them stay young to better enjoy their worldly goods. Experts are alarmed by the public's lack of knowledge about nutrition, and concerned about the motives of manufacturers who aggressively promote their food supplement products.

Former lieutenant shapes an army of clay 'wayang' figurines By Ahmad Solikhan SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Under the glare of the sun, miniature terra-cotta figurines, each representing a character from the wayang tradition, stand at attention in the front yard of a house on Jl. Kiai Maja in this city. Sugeng Sihono, 67, a retired army lieutenant and the owner of the house, is the creator of this uncommon handicraft.

Penny-pinching measures MANILA (AFP): Philippine President Fidel Ramos yesterday ordered government agencies to implement various cost-cutting measures in a bid to cope with the regional economic crisis. Among the measures are a suspension of perks and grants to government employees, a ban on publications and advertisements not required by law and a halt to charitable donations except to disaster victims.

The full dish on food supplements They cost a pretty penny and their inflated claims may be dubious, but dietary supplements have still scored a hit with well-heeled consumers. Or rather they had -- local agents grumble that the monetary crisis has taken a big bite out of business. The Jakarta Post's team of reporters Imannudin, I. Christianto, Christiani S. Tumelap, Aloysius Unditu, Ivy Susanti and P.J. Leo; and contributor Rita A.

Humor is at the heart of Joger's handicraft success By Putu Wirata DENPASAR, Bali (JP): "Buying or not buying, still thank you!" This is one of the colorful mottoes of Joseph Theodorus W., better known as Pak Joger, director of Joger Handicraft Center in Kuta. With more than 100 employees, Joger could be said to be laughing all the way to the bank, producing the most quirky and amusing souvenirs in Bali today.

Local dubbing agencies find talk in English is not cheap By Yogita Tahil Ramani JAKARTA (JP): In a dingy box of a dubbing studio, a young woman drums her fingers on a tattered seat. With headphones over ears and a bad translation of a Hindi movie script in hand, Siska gives voice in Indonesian-accented, jabbering English to the Indian siren on screen. The dubbed version of the movie, with its compulsory Indonesian subtitles, is to be "understood and hopefully enjoyed" said the freelance dubber.

Website address On Dec. 21, 1997 you published my article Website helps expats get the inside track. The article was about an Internet website designed for expatriates living in Jakarta or planning to relocate to Indonesia. Unfortunately, the website address listed was incorrect. The correct website address is www.expat.or.id. This is an excellent site, full of useful information on living in Jakarta, and is a great source for both expats and Indonesians alike. DAVID WHITE Jakarta

Swapping vegetables for pills in search of the perfect body By Christiani S. Tumelap and Ivy Susanti JAKARTA (JP): Health is more precious than all the money in the world, the wise man says. And these words are a good reminder for us to take good care of ourselves.

National assets to pay debts? JAKARTA (JP): Bank Indonesia, the central bank, has announced that the country's total foreign debt amounted to US$118 billion as of September last year. The government was responding to media speculation about the actual size of the debt, alleged to be about $200 billion. But this official figure does not include the standby loan from the International Monetary Fund, amounting up to $40 billion.

Many dubbers speechless after English-only TV rule JAKARTA (JP): Mention programs dubbed in English, and housewives irritated at having to scan Indonesian subtitles once again are not the only ones scowling. Amid the worst economic crisis to hit the nation in the last 30 years, many local dubbers are losing their jobs simply because they are not proficient in English.

Former top badminton players to help groom their juniors JAKARTA (JP): The Badminton Association of Indonesia is inviting the sport's former national greats to become involved in an ambitious athletic development program, a top association official said.

Idealistic fires still burn in Semsar Siahaan Text by Emmy Fitri, photos by IGGP Bayu Ismoyo JAKARTA (JP): Semsar Siahaan is not a new name on the country's fine arts scene. The 46-year-old artist is well-known for harsh but realistic depictions of society. While preparing his two-week Ecoseed exhibition, scheduled to open at Cemeti Gallery in Yogyakarta in early March, he took time out for an interview with The Jakarta Post.