TNI chief gets military honor SINGAPORE (AP): Indonesian defense chief Admiral Widodo A.S. visited Singapore on Saturday to receive a military honor, the government said. Widodo, commander-in-chief of Indonesian Military, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by Singapore's Minister of Defense Tony Tan. The award was in recognition of Widodo's role in fostering closer ties between Singapore and Indonesia's navies while he was Navy Chief of Staff from 1998 to 1999.

Agenda Painting Exhibition: Impressive 2000, by Agus Budiyanto, on show in the lobby of the World Trade Center, Jl. Jend. Sudirman kav. 29-31, from Feb. 14 through Feb. 20. For Agus Budiyanto, this is his first single painting exhibition after having been involved in water color painting. In this exhibition, he demonstrates his skill in aquarelle. Agus says painting is a means for self-contemplation.

Lebanon to host Asian Cup: AFC executive KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Asian Football Confederation (AFC) supremo Peter Velappan on Saturday said the Asian Cup finals will be played in Lebanon despite this month's Israeli bombing. "I want to tell you ... this morning, the AFC executive committee chaired by His Royal Highness Sultan Ahmad Shah have categorically declared that the Asian Cup will be hosted by Lebanon in October 2000.

Tying the knot in unfamiliar ways for lasting memories By William Furney JAKARTA (JP): Ahh, spring is in the air and all around young men have a certain spring in their step as they reflect on matters of the heart. Well, the former would be the case if you were living on a continent other than Asia. But everywhere on this earth we are approaching the time of year when most marriages take place.

Money no matter when wedding By Stevie Emilia It is the Year of the Golden Dragon, which supposedly brings luck and prosperity for all. Many believe it is the perfect time to get married. JAKARTA (JP): Get married in 2000 or forget it. The appeal of the new millennium and the Chinese Year of the Golden Dragon are so strong, that it makes many couples want to tie the knot with their loved ones this year. "This year is the turn of the century ...

KKF festival to honor best local films By Gotot Prakosa JAKARTA (JP): Illegal VCDs are easily found in shops and along the sidewalks here. They are even available in remote villages. The poor sound and picture of these illegal VCDs are appropriate, since the majority of these films are not good, as judged by the standards of film esthetics.

Olympics chief in Bangkok as Thailand bids for Summer Games BANGKOK (Agencies): International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch met Thai sports officials on Saturday, three weeks after Thailand said it was bidding for the 2008 summer Games. Samaranch who arrived in Thailand late Friday night, visited an indoor stadium in Bangkok to observe a game of sepak takraw which is reportedly being considered as an Olympic demonstration sport.

Guess What? Tantowi Yahya His popularity as presenter is hard to deny. But Tantowi Yahya is not a person who is easily satisfied. His company Ceepee Productions, which handles cassette distribution and event production, is progressing rapidly thanks to his business sense. The company was trusted to organize the Indonesian Music Awards and the Panasonic Awards.

Laila Barefooted Laila smilingly strolled the streets of Jatinegara in East Jakarta She was not properly dressed and the people like to behold her shapely naked breasts Children found it aberrant and closed their eyes with their hands While drivers are not that shy They had a wild fantasy: "Oh God, if only she were not loony." Women venders, were not comfortable They murmured to each other: "If she were my daughter I would take care of her." But, no.

Homecoming By Dewi Rubiyanti I want to leave Jakarta immediately, return to my village on the north coast of Central Java. I am in trouble because I lost my job. The bank where I used to work was liquidated. I am not lamenting my fate, though. I am still single and have some money -- eight digits -- in my savings account. If I return to my village, I might not come back to Jakarta. I simply want to live in the village with my parents and siblings.

Traditional beauty treatment important for brides-to-be JAKARTA (JP): Heaven forbid that your wedding should be marred by breakouts, mascara smudges or a hair disaster. Planning your beauty routine in advance is necessary to ensure that you'll be stress-free and glowing on the big day. Ibu Titi, a wedding consultant and beautician in Cinere, South Jakarta, says that beauty and body treatment is important for a bride-to-be. Indonesia, she says, is rich with traditional cosmetics to treat a bride.

Orders from Bali keep gamelanmakers afloat Text and photos by Ali Budiman SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Thirty-five-year-old Harwanto does not care about the dust which makes his face and body black. His strong hands hold a long pair of pincers to pull out a red hot sheet of copper mixed with tin. Assisted by two partners, Harwanto lifts the hot object with a swift movement and moves it to a stone mold to be forged.

'Arok Dedes': An engaging way to tell history Arok Dedes By Pramoedya Ananta Toer Hasta Mitra, Jakarta, December 1999 418 pages Rp 35,000. JAKARTA (JP): One of the most intellectually rewarding privileges of living in this era is that you get to choose your own reading material. When you read the works of Pramoedya Ananta Toer you will recognize that privilege. While elsewhere his books received world-class awards and recognition, he was ironically a pariah in his own land.

A gloomy picture of a Dutch colonial inheritance By Sumanto YOGYAKARTA (JP): In the beginning, she felt ashamed stretching out her right hand, begging for money from passers-by. But now she has gotten used to it, and her five children have joined her in the work. Tomorejo recalled how hard it was when she first decided to beg. She had to fight her feelings of shame and the mental burden that came along with her choice. "I managed to handle all the obstacles.

RI shuttlers lose to South Korea in Uber Cup semis JAKARTA (JP): After employing their all skills, Indonesian shuttlers folded to South Korea 2-3 in the semifinals match of the Thomas and Uber Cups qualifying round in the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday. Top seed Indonesia was leading 2-0 after Lidya Djaelawidjaja performed her best ever to eliminate Kim Ji-hyun 13-12, 11-5 and Ellen Angelina sweated out to outclass Lee Kyung-won 3-11, 11-7, 11-9.

Experts say cats pose no danger to women By Maria Kegel JAKARTA (JP): Pet cats have been given away by many women, pregnant or otherwise, because of a concern about the disease toxoplasmosis. But do the facts support what is often a painful decision?

Decorated pedicabs color the streets of Klayan By Y.R. Prahista CIREBON, West Java (JP): The young man smiled bitterly when told that the becak (three-wheel pedicab) was a symbol of poverty. He was even more saddened when he heard pedicab drivers compared to horses. "If there were a different way to make money, I would not want to work as a becak driver," said Talim, from Klayan, Cirebon, West Java. Klayan is located some three kilometers north of the city center of Cirebon.

'Tonglen': A transformative compassion meditation By Rahayu Ratnaningsih JAKARTA (JP): Compassion is central in Buddhism. It is not only manifested in good deeds and a nonviolent stance, but is also brought to meditation. The widely known metta (compassion) meditation has been used in psychotherapy to treat patients with depression, repressed anger and other neuroses. Another type of compassion meditation, which is a step further than metta meditation, is called tonglen.

Painter to break record DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Indonesian artist Samuel Prasetya Radja Uly set himself to paint for 22 hours continuously, starting Tuesday, in a bid to break the non-stop painting record in Indonesia. "The event will be observed, judged and recorded by a team from the Museum of Indonesian Record (MURI)," Radja Uly said here on Friday.

Relive your wedding with memorable photos after the fact By I. Christianto JAKARTA (JP): Do you want to re-marry your beloved spouse for a second, third or more times? Go to a photo studio offering "honeymoon packages". Dozens of newly-weds and married couples -- with or without children -- everyday crowd into "Tarzan Photo, Bridal and Salon" at Roxy Mas business complex in Central Jakarta, waiting for their turn for a "honeymoon" photo session.

RI troops open fire as reunion turns into violence BATUGADE, East Timor (Reuters): Indonesian troops opened fire at the sensitive Timor border on Saturday as a reunion of families split by the conflict threatened to degenerate into serious violence, witnesses said. Around 200 rounds of automatic fire were let off by Indonesian soldiers, shooting into the air near the main border crossing a short distance from the town of Batugade.

Quaint mementos make for unforgettable wedding By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Arriving at a wedding reception these days, one will be given a nicely wrapped wedding memento along with a thank you note from the bride and bridegroom, and their families. It's not clear who started this trend, but presenting such a souvenir has now become an inseparable part of a wedding party.

E. Kalimantan offers beaches, crocodiles By Sutoro T. SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan (Antara): Thousands of crocodiles are basking in the sun waiting for visitors. A vast area in Makromang village, Samarinda Ilir district, has been developed into solid pools to accommodate the reptiles. This is surely not an attraction for timid tourists. And visitors have to be careful. They are prohibited from approaching the walls of the pool as a preventive measure.

13 convicted for roles in riots MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): A court here sentenced 13 people to between one and four months in jail for involvement in last month's riots on Lombok island. After a five-hour trial here on Saturday all were convicted to a month in jail for looting during the riots. They were found to be in violation of Article 363 of the Criminal Code on violent robbery. Two received additional three-month sentences due to their prior criminal records.

Confucians told to do more social work SURABAYA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has called on Chinese-Indonesians and Confucians to play an active role in social welfare through various programs. Speaking at a celebration for the Lunar New Year at the Hyatt Regency Surabaya on Saturday, the President said that with their (financial) superiority, Confucians and Chinese-Indonesians could pay more attention to people's welfare. At least 1,200 followers of Confucianism attended the ceremony.

Singer Chrisye still appeals to the public JAKARTA (JP): Pop singer Chrisye mesmerized hundreds of his fans with his popular hits in his sold-out concert at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta on Friday evening. Presenting songs mostly from his phenomenal 1977 soundtrack of the noted film Badai Pasti Berlalu (The Tempest Must Be Over), starring Christine Hakim and Slamet Rahardjo, the concert presented Chrisye's oldies with new musical arrangement by Erwin Gutawa.

Light wind snuffs out first race in historic America's Cup AUCKLAND (Reuters): The first race in an historic America's Cup match between holders Team New Zealand and Italy's Prada Challenge was cancelled on Saturday because there was not enough wind, regatta officials said. The cancellation came as an anti-climax after an intense build-up to the Cup, which is being contested without an American boat for the first time in the event's 149-year history.

Yayuk and Irawati go to circuit final JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's former number one player Yayuk Basuki demonstrated her world-class quality in her comeback to professional tennis after a one-year maternity leave in 1999. Partnered with Irawati Moerid Iskandar, who is also a national old hand, they both cruised to the women's doubles final of the US$10,000 Indonesia Women's Circuit-1 after an easy 6-1, 6-2 win over Satoko Kurioka and Remi Tezuka of Japan on Saturday.

Designer Musa's future all sewn up By Agni Amorita JAKARTA (JP): When the young Musa Widyatmodjo determinedly set out on his career as a fashion designer nothing could dissuade him. The 34-year-old bachelor has been working as a professional designer for almost a decade now, and half of that time was spent searching for a business identity. Before approaching his market with elegant, light and very wearable creations that have become his trademark, Musa had several failures.

Protest rally delays local and international flights TANGERANG (JP): Traffic heading to and from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport here was blocked for at least three hours on Saturday afternoon by some 300 angry protesters, causing delays of several international and domestic flights. None of the protesters, believed to have been upset after being banned from running illegal businesses at the airport, were arrested by the police. Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col.