Hiker's paradise within driving distance By Mehru Jaffer No limousine or five-star hotel for the many addicted to nature's bounties just beyond the neon lights of Jakarta. Bounce off the gray concrete highway southeast of the city and step right into greenery so lush and air so fresh that it almost hurts to be there amid so much beauty.

Being humorous a serious job, Mi'ing claims By Emmy Fitri Hastuti JAKARTA (JP): Being a comedian is more than just being a clown, says Tubagus Dedi Suwandi Gumelar, whose stage name is Mi'ing. The name undoubtedly conjures up recollections of savvy, critical and smart jokes. "The philosophy of comedy, I think, lies beyond the serious. We cannot just go on stage and successfully make jokes unless we know how to act well," said Mi'ing, 42.

'Indlish', the trendy language in Jakarta English, a global language, has penetrated Bahasa Indonesia and it seems there is no stopping it. Not a day passes in a metropolitan city like Jakarta in which English is not heard, although it might not be spoken correctly. The Jakarta Post's Stevie Emilia and Rita A. Widiadana report on this issue. JAKARTA (JP): If you enter a cafe, an office building or a shopping mall in Jakarta, you will find numerous people speaking English.

PON a success in record achievements By Ivy Susanti SURABAYA (JP): The National Games (PON) were held in Jakarta for the first 33 years of their existence, before this year's just-concluded edition of the event was moved outside of the capital. East Java took over from Jakarta in hosting the quadrennial event, the first PON of the 21st century and by most accounts a rousing success.

TV soaps - ice breaker for father and daughter? By Hera Diani JAKARTA (JP): If you watch Indonesian television, you must be familiar with soap operas or sinetron (an acronym for sinema elektronik). Some people love them, others hate them. But who would have thought they could bridge a widening gap between a father and his daughter? Well, they did just that to my relationship with my father. It's not the ideal father and daughter relationship pictured in episodes of The Cosby Show.

Mask business supports Bobung economy By R. Agus Bakti YOGYAKARTA (JP): Almost every house in this Bobung village is filled with wooden masks. Not because they like to attend masquerades or because they are mask collectors. They make masks for sale. Sagiman, 32, said that almost 90 percent of the villagers, including him, make wooden masks. These villagers, who also farm, earn their money making wooden masks.

Mallrats: A product of an urban Jakarta By Katherine O'Hara JAKARTA (JP): Mallrats: a generation of teenagers dressed in the latest fashions seen at shopping malls seven-days-a-week, day and night. These large groups of clones, walking through the mall giggling with a cigarette in one hand and a mobile phone in the other are easily spotted.

Something to see all year round While traveling in Indonesia, the most important thing is to keep one's cool. Being too assertive and aggressive toward the police, restaurant owners or travel agents will mess up things further. An extra suitcase full of patience is what will often come in handy while vacationing here. After deciding on a budget, contact a travel agent like Satriavi or Banten World and tell them the number of days you have for a vacation.

Adapting to village life not an easy experience By Angela Black JAKARTA (JP): There's an old man in my kampung with the most wonderful, toothless and heartwarming grin. Whenever he sees me, he quickens his tightly-saronged stride and makes a dash for me, with, it seems, no other reason than to present his terrific smile. I can't resist, and I try to match him with the biggest grin I have too, which of course makes him grin more.

Fisher wants to devote career to resolving conflicts By Riyadi JAKARTA (JP): Until he was 20 years old, Ben Fisher thought he was going to be a professional baseball player. But his eyes started to go bad, so clearly unable to play baseball for a living, he went to college and then graduate school. His career eventually took him to the World Bank's Jakarta office, a stint that lasted many years and only recently ended.

Rescue teams find no clues to missing 'Cahaya Bahari' JAKARTA (JP): Three days after detecting an SOS signal from the Cahaya Bahari, rescue teams have still not been able to detect a single trace of the ferry and on Saturday began looking into alternative possibilities, including hijacking. National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) chief Setyo Rahardjo in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Saturday said his team was also proceeding to examine all information on the whereabouts of the ferry.

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, July 2, 2000 Exhibitions * Sculpture, Sketch Exhibition: Dua Perintis at Mon Decor Gallery, Jl. Gunung Sahari Raya no. 1 blok B 13-14, Central Jakarta (Phone: 6299660), Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., until July 9. * Sculpture Exhibition: Netherlands Small Size Sculpture, Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav S-3, Kuningan, South Jakarta (Phone: 5241069), until July 29.

Forum calls for return to the ideas of reform By Fabiola Desy Unidjaja DENPASAR, Bali (JP): A gathering of prominent national figures made a strong call here on Saturday for the nation to recommit to the ideals of reform by recommending an absolute break from antidemocratic institutions and practices of the past, including putting former president Soeharto and his cronies on trial.

Indonesian youth smarter and braver By Rita A. Widiadana and Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): "Look at that boy, he is kuulll (cool) and oke banget deh (really good)," a high school girl screamed upon seeing a cute boy at a McDonald's restaurant in the upmarket Kebayoran Baru area in South Jakarta. "Let's having bigmek (BigMac) and ngeceng (find a date)," another girl said. (In her jargon, a bigmek is not a hamburger, it means a cool boy).

Say it with good bahasa Indonesia JAKARTA (JP): Spare about 10 minutes of your time in front of a television during a talk show. If you have more time, attend a seminar. Within 10 minutes, you'll hear "foreign" terms coming out of the talk show host or seminar participants.

Shelomita follows in mother Marini's steps By Endi Aras JAKARTA (JP): Since the launching of her maiden album Langkah (Step) in late May, Shelomita Sulistyani, 25, has been leading an unusually hectic life. "Promotional activities for this album are insanely time consuming. Interviews, picture taking, there seems to be no end to my activities," said Mita, as she is usually intimately addressed. Like mother like daughter.

National Police separates from defense ministry JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid officially announced on Saturday a separation of the National Police from the Ministry of Defense and a plan to put the police corps under his direct supervision from Jan. 1, 2001.

'Si Doel' still maintains its popularity By Sri Ramadani JAKARTA (JP): Come Monday evening many people are glued to the TV screen watching Si Doel Anak Sekolahan V (Doel the Graduate), one of the most popular local programs -- and one of the best. Si Doel, a comedy series about the lives of a group of Betawi people, has long been a favorite among TV viewers.

Film synopses Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure). Children-musical; starring Sherina Munaf, Didi Petet, Butet Kartarajasa and Derby Romero. Directed by Riri Riza. A crowd-pleasing film featuring the talented child singer every mother wished she had, Sherina. The story revolves around Sherina's moving with her family from Jakarta to Bandung.

Pornography in computer labs causing concern By Michael Kibaara Muchiri YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Internet is finally causing ruffles here in Yogyakarta. And a lot of institutions, particularly universities, are riding the wave of its popularity and taking advantage of its reputation as a source of easy money by installing easily accessible and cheaper Internet services. In fact, the hourly rate at campus computer labs couldn't get any lower.

Why demonstrations and protests? From Sinar Pagi It seems that in this era of reform, everybody is free to do what they like. Individuals and groups can hold demonstrations at will. One can freely lodge a protest, slander another or force someone into a corner, including the President, Vice President and ministers. They seem to ignore the values of the Pancasila state philosophy, one principle of which is respect for humanity.

Art Agenda Painting Exhibition by Dodo Abdullah at Galeri Bandung, Jl. Siliwangi No. 16, Bandung; Phone and Fax: 022-236515; through July 8. Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java, is renowned as a center of the arts. The city is home to many famous figures from the country's art scene, including Dodo Abdullah, one of the city's most promising artists. His current exhibition, Ruang Kemungkinan (Space of Chance), takes a look at people and their environment.

Outspoken and in print: New RI writing Silenced Voices, New Writing From Indonesia; Editor: Frank Steward; Feature Editor: John McGlyn; University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, 2000; 268 pages; US$16 JAKARTA (JP): More than 100 years of repressive censorship by the state, and the equally dulling effect of self-censorship by authors and publishers, has left much of modern Indonesian literature stilted and sterile.

Negotiating the face of Pondok Indah Mall By Charlie Stevens JAKARTA (JP): It looked easy enough. A 12-meter high stainless steel wall speckled with brightly colored plastic "rocks". On closer inspection some of these were molded into the shape of skulls, an ominous sign some might say, still I was undeterred. Naldy, my supervisor, had given me a couple of demonstrations on the more challenging sections of the wall and watching his casual ascent filled me with unjustified confidence.

Do you want some special service, Mister? JAKARTA (JP): John walked into a gloomy four-square-meter room. Four blue candles were lit in the corner. The lingering aroma of a blend of eucalyptus and lavender oil was in the air. A spotless white towel covered a kinky looking bed in the middle of the room. The bed looked like a guillotine table without the blade. There was a hole at the end of the bed, and he guessed he was supposed to stick his head in this hole.