Guess What? Jeffrey A. Winters American academic Jeffrey A. Winters must have forgotten to say "knock on wood" to cancel out potential bad luck when claiming that Indonesia was a much safer country for him now that president Soeharto has resigned. "The last time I held a press conference here before Soeharto stepped down, I had to go straight to the airport afterward to save my life," Winters, an associate professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, told reporters last Monday.

Jin Hi Kim composes to bridge cultural devides By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): Every culture or ethnic group has different ways of expressing itself, but a universal expression throughout all societies is music, or so believes Korean-American composer Jin Hi Kim. Jin, who along with members of the American-based No World Improvisations multicultural ensemble, mesmerized Indonesian music lovers during two performances at the Art Summit Indonesia last week.

Spotlight Photo A: Farewell JP/afs FAREWELL: Gemala Group boss Sofyan Wanandi (right) bids farewell to outgoing Syrian Arab Republic Ambassador to Indonesia Abdul Salam Akil who had been in office since 1990. Also present at the party on Wednesday were numerous diplomats from other countries.

Sports museum: Coming in a dusty last at TMII By Primastuti Handayani JAKARTA (JP): Have you ever been to the capital's sports museum? The most likely answer will be: "Never heard of it" or "Do we have one?" The fact is yes, we do. Indonesia's lack of success on the international sporting stage is reflected both inside and outside the building. Construction started on Oct. 4, 1987 and was financed by the Panji Olah Raga foundation.

Golkar admits past mistakes JAKARTA (JP): Admitting past political mistakes which led to a centralization of power in one man, the dominant Golkar political grouping's leaders pledged their commitment to reform on Saturday at a meeting to plan new strategies for next year's general election. Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung asked all Golkar leaders to work hard in preparing and devising new strategies to face the national poll, planned for May next year.

Better treatment of Anwar opens Habibie's way to APEC JAKARTA (JP): The transfer of sacked Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim from the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to the modern Sungai Buloh prison has removed the most important hurdle for President B.J. Habibie to visit Malaysia next month, a government official said on Saturday.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. News: Sari Berita Sepekan 6:30 Morning Focus 6:45 Healthy and Fresh 7:00 Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 7:30 Children's Program: Arena 123 8:00 Children's Program: Kumbang and Family 8:30 Children's Program: Nuansa Anak 9:00 Music 9:30 Creative Program: Widya Wahana 10:00 Cooking Program 10:30 Music 11:30 Talk Show: Bincang-Bincang 12:15 p.m.

Art Summit Indonesia's final week enjoys huge crowds By Stevie Emilia and Yudha Kartohadiprodjo JAKARTA (JP): The show must go on. That must be one of the philosophies behind the success of the second Indonesian art summit, which faced the risk of small audience turnouts due to the economic crisis. Edi Sedyawati, director general of culture at the Ministry of Education and Culture, said that preparation for the event had started long before the economic disaster hit the country.

Chinese culture embraces Bali By Putu Wirata DENPASAR (JP): The famed tourist island of Bali has become a safe haven for Chinese-Indonesians following the riots in Jakarta and Surakarta in mid-May in which ethnic Chinese were a main target. Hotels have reaped windfalls and property developers formerly dying in the dire crisis are now overwhelmed by orders for new houses that carry price tags of between Rp 100 million (US$9,000) and Rp 200 million each.

Many turn to used cars to evade rising crime wave By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): There has been a trend toward purchasing second- hand cars since belts first began to be tightened in response to the rupiah's dramatic plunge in value against the U.S. dollar in the middle of last year. Now there is another reason in addition to value for money which is pushing people toward this choice: a rising wave of crime and street demonstrations which many fear could trigger a new wave of unrest.

Malaysia not yet celebrating F-1 win KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Instead of popping champagne bottles, Malaysian officials were subdued to news they would host a World Formula One race next year, a report said Saturday. Officials of Malaysian Airports Bhd. (MAB), the owner of the Grand Prix circuit here, declined to comment, saying Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad would announce further details, the New Straits Times reported. MAB officials cannot be reached for comments.

Indonesia may see baby boom By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): The crippling economic crisis is threatening the state's successful family planing program as prices of contraceptives have soared nearly five-fold, observers warn. Many fear the crisis will trigger a baby boom over the next several years as more and more families struggle to cover the costs of their daily necessities.

Honk if you love bumper stickers By Antariksawan Jusuf JAKARTA (JP): Nowadays it is impossible to travel around Jakarta without spotting striking messages on the backs of vehicles. Bumper stickers might have originated in the United States but Indonesians are finding their own way of expressing their minds and hearts on the bumpers of their cars and trucks. These stickers usually represent good one-liner which entertain those who read them.

Indonesian trainers for South African elephants By Sophie Pons BRITS, South Africa (AFP): Nonchalant Indonesian trainers drive the group of young elephants into a boma, or enclosure, in the bush north of Johannesburg, oblivious to the stir they are causing across the world. They are taming the elephants, the first such program in Africa, for a company called African Game Services, based at Hartebeespoort, near Brits, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Johannesburg.

ASEAN holds women's story-reading evening By Tam Notosusanto JAKARTA (JP): Inen Maskerning and Ma Paw may not seem to have anything in common. After all, one is from Aceh, the other from Myanmar, and they both lead quite different lives. But as their tales were told at the mezzanine foyer of the ASEAN Secretariat last Friday, it turned out the two women have an uncanny number of similarities.

Guruh presents tourism show JAKARTA (JP): A 74-year-old woman entered and stood on stage, a bit ruffled by the plain batik belted around her frail body that kept getting caught up in her tiny feet. Her noticeably lined face started to twitch when she saw the 200-odd audience, consisting mainly of expatriates and public figures. And then, she danced.

Expo reveals more about 'Art de Paris' By Izabel Deuff JAKARTA (JP): A few commonly known facts about 19th century French art include sculpture by Rodin and painters, be they realistic (Ingres), impressionist (Manet, Degas, Courbet) or Postimpressionist (Gauguin, Cezanne). Yet only a few people know that those painters and others of the period were also involved in the French printmaking which dominated Europe.

False religions By profession I am a spiritual guide, the title pastor, (being a Latin word) signifying shepherd. It pains and humbles me, therefore, to have to criticize my own profession in stating that the spiritual leaders and guides in Indonesia (myself included) have long neglected a basic need of many of our people, namely protecting them from false religions in the guise of various forms of superstition. This is pervasive.

Discourse attempts to address problems of multiculturalism JAKARTA (JP): Rarely in the world is there a city that has as diverse a cultural history as Jakarta. In this city recently swept by savage acts of ethnic violence, cultural influences from Hindu, Islamic, Sinic and Western civilizations have settled and blended into the local culture.

Woeful art appreciation rooted in education system By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Most performances in the Art Summit Indonesia have been packed but it may not necessarily indicate that the capital is crammed with performing art lovers. The performances have been jam packed by many of the same goers. Those who have regularly been going to the festival have, time and again, bumped into the same people.

W. Java puppetmaker cashes in despite crumbling economy Text and photos by Suhardiansyah BOGOR, West Java (JP): Dase busied himself arranging Sundanese traditional wooden puppets (wayang golek) at his home in Lebak Kantin village. A few other workers sculpted heads and crowns of puppets in the house, which also functions as a workshop and gallery. Dase, who has pursued his career as a puppetmaker for decades, said not all wood was suitable to make the puppets.

Sound of metal the heartbeat of silver kampong Mayangan By Widyarto PASURUAN, East Java (JP): Mayangan looks no different from any other kampong in Java. What makes it unique is that the town has been a metalwork town since last century. The name of the kampong comes from sayang, which in Javanese means metalwork. This village of 1,200 inhabitants is located in the Gading Rejo district, Pasuruan, 70 kilometers southeast of Surabaya.

Injectable contraceptives still sought out despite cost By Yogita Tahil Ramani JAKARTA (JP): Skyrocketing contraceptives prices aside, a baby boom fear is not something obstetrician Lestari suffers from. The obstetrician of a community health center (Puskesmas) at Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta, agreed that prices of injectable contraceptives, used by 80 percent of the center's 100 or so family planning program participants each month, has risen by nearly 400 percent.

Babakan Madang monastery offers peace and tranquility Text by Yudha Kartohadiprodjo, photos Mulkan Salmona JAKARTA (JP): Two hundred years ago, Chinese migrants moved to the area seeking refuge when they were targeted in a killing spree by Dutch colonialists in Batavia (now Jakarta). Now, every month, on the full-moon night, processions of cars turn off the Jagorawi toll road at exit number 23.

Guess What? Jaya Suprana Medicinal-herb baron Jaya Suprana raised his hands and inserted both of his thumbs between his index and middle fingers. He said the sign had a double meaning. "What do you think? I don't mean to show anything nasty. But it depends on what you think." He said that he was very proud of the sign, and that it was a symbol of strength. However, most Indonesians believe that it also depicts male- female intimacy.

Sumbanese ikat weaving may be going west By Izabel Deuff JAKARTA (JP): The famed ikat weaving of Sumba may well be going west. More than 100 expatriates attended a lecture on Sumba Ikat, its methods and mythology at Erasmus Huis on Sept. 22, attesting the interest of Western buyers. Ikat refers to a weaving technique as well as the textile itself.

Club Med's fun for children of all ages Club Med and its marketing consultant in Bali, PT Bali Holiday Village, recently invited journalists to view the renovation of its holiday facilities and to promote its services in Nusa Dua, Bali. The following is The Jakarta Post's Ivy Susanti's report.

Ode to the reform family JAKARTA (JP): If the whole country reverberated with the seriousness with which the current trend of reformasi (reform) has taken root in our house, then the economic tree would be laden with the fruit of success and we would be approaching the end of the krismon (monetary crisis). One fine morning, mothers must have boasted from the peaceful haven of their culinary chambers, "Hail to the Almighty!