Coming clean on Indonesian sexual attitudes today JAKARTA (JP): The country could be said to be experiencing its own sexual identity crisis. Information and counseling on once taboo subjects are now freely available, yet traditional mores still predominate. It is a situation which leaves some Indonesians torn between pressure to conform to entrenched sexual mores and the realities of their lives. Jakarta residents give their views on contemporary sexual attitudes.

Weighty issues with oversize entertainer Hughes By Bruce Emond JAKARTA (JP): Emcee-cum-talk show host Dewi Hughes bristles whenever she hears the "F" word. Most recently it was a journalist, tired at the wait for a show to begin, who committed the offense. "He shouted at me, 'hey, fatso, when is everything going to get started?'" Hughes said recently over a brunch of calamari and cappuccino.

Transvestites place a priority on practicing safe sex By Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): Tamara, 21, has been on the street just for half a year. The Bugis transvestite, with lustrous hair cascading down her slender back, enjoys the job and has no intention of doing anything else. Besides, Tamara just loves men. "Those nights are divine when I get to spend time with handsome and rich men," giggles Tamara in fake ecstasy.

What is obvious about stating the obvious JAKARTA (JP): Twelve days ago a powerful bomb exploded in front of the residence of the Philippine ambassador in Central Jakarta. The explosion was so loud that you could hear it as far away as Bali or even California -- if you turned on the television. You could also see the debris, the awful sight of the victims' bodies, the wrecked cars and the policemen who quickly got busy in doing their job.

The path of mystics is rocky and bumpy By Rahayu Ratnaningsih JAKARTA (JP): In the previous article, I expounded the four different stages of spiritual development, namely Stage I: Chaotic, antisocial; Stage II: Formal, institutional; Stage III: Skeptic, individual; and Stage IV: Mystic, communal. When people hear the word "mystic", what immediately comes to mind is quackery, voodoo, black magic and the like.

Flandy, Eng Hian vow to win KL c'ships JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian men's doubles Olympic Games qualifiers Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian aim to end their title drought at the upcoming Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur next week. The pair, who are now in the world number 10 position, earned their last title in the Korean Open last year.

The Body Shop branches out into matters of the mind JAKARTA (JP): It was bound to happen sooner or later. An international chain of all-natural cosmetics and beauty treatments gets all cerebral with Ayurveda, the ancient Indian approach to mental and physical well-being. The Body Shop now has its Ayurveda range, based on the principles of Indian Ayurvedic medicine practiced for more than 2,500 years (Ayurveda is from Sanskrit and means "science", "wisdom" or "knowledge of life").

Yayuk keeps her cool in Olympics chance JAKARTA (JP): Making her fourth comeback in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney does not make women's tennis player Yayuk Basuki feel like she is an Indonesian superwoman. Yet for the 29-year-old mother of one, it is an honor to be given another chance to defend the country's name on the court. "I'm proud to be an Indonesian fighting in the world event.

Indonesia grapples with sexual mores By Bruce Emond Everybody is doing it, or at least talking about it. There has been an avalanche of sexual information in the media, particularly in the last two years. The Jakarta Post looks at whether the greater openness is chipping away at traditional sexual mores. JAKARTA (JP): Gynecologist and sex consultant Dr. Boyke Dian Nugraha believes Indonesians are looking at sex in a new light. "Eastern values are still present, but I think it's changing.

Ratings system helps viewers decide on what to watch By Gotot Prakosa JAKARTA (JP): A TV viewer recently wrote a letter to a newspaper complaining about the films screened by a private television station during the school holidays. He said the films were too violent, even for adults, let alone children. Meanwhile during a discussion forum on TV, a young mother complained about a film expert who said if people were not satisfied with the TV programs, just switch off the TV.

AGRAKOM: Bringing your enterprise to e-business So many traps litter the road to the successful use of the Internet in everyday business practices. And only a small proportion slip through the traps. This was the central message of Internet strategy expert David Siegel in his top-selling books Creating Killer Websites and Futurize Your Enterprise. Agrakom, Indonesia's oldest professional Internet services company, fully understands the hazardous terrain.

e-Indonesia: Slow motion on a fast track By Fritz E. Simandjuntak Since early 1990, the Internet, the worldwide network of computer networks, has grabbed enormous public attention. The news has been filled with stories about the Internet and its impact on individual countries. Computer sales continued to rise as more people were getting connected to the Net. Within just a short period of five years the number of Internet users worldwide jumped to 50 million.

What makes an e-Marketplace different from others? By Zatni Arbi Have you ever thought about how many hospitals, clinics, medical centers, community health centers and private clinics there are in Jakarta alone? Or of how many pharmaceutical companies, plus importers and traders of medical equipment and supplies there are?

Why creativity is important in e-Business By now you must already know what MP3 is. It's a format of audio file that was actually the audio part of the MPEG video file. Hundreds of street hawkers have been selling these VCDs on their makeshift stands in the Glodok area of Jakarta, creating an acute traffic problem on the streets and headlines in the newspapers, so you should be very familiar with the VCDs by now.

Factions agree on TNI/Police decree JAKARTA (JP): All 11 factions in commission meetings at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) here on Saturday agreed to propose a decree which will ensure the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police's presence in the Assembly. In a sub-commission meeting of the Assembly's commission in charge of decrees, factions agreed to accommodate the TNI/Police's political aspirations by giving them a presence in the Assembly, as they do not vote during the general election.

Jatis groups talented Indonesians to develop IT Solutions Consulting Several idealists and young professionals gathered and set up an IT (information technology) solution company. What will they make of the company? It depends on their background, determination and skill. PT Jati Piranti Solusindo -- Jatis -- (www.jatis.com) has already expanded significantly in only its third year. Starting out with only 10 people, Jatis is now a solid e- business enabler firm with some 150 personnel.

Mount Bromo offers glorious sunrises, magnificent terrain By Grace Segran BROMO, East Java (JP): Mount Bromo National Park in East Java has been described as "a vivid holographic portrayal of science- fiction landscapes straight out of a Bradbury or Asimov story". It consists of beautiful highlands, but it also boasts of desert tourism. During the night and early morning, the temperature often drops to close to freezing point.

Chocolate tradition for independence party By Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): It a long trek from the highlands of west Sumatra to the lobby of Jakarta's Shangri-La hotel. But it seems to have been worth the trouble -- the Rumah Gadang, the traditional house of the people of Minangkabau with its distinctive saddle-back roof has had guests buzzing around it like bees to a hive ever since it was put on display at the hotel on Aug. 4. After all, this is no ordinary Rumah Gadang.

Steaming up the airwaves with advice on you know what By I. Christianto JAKARTA (JP): The bashful among us are probably saying a private thank you to the media for its help in clearing up our questions about sex. People too embarrassed to openly talk about the subject can keep their identities secret in seeking advice from print media columns and radio talk shows.

Armed man shot dead by police in robbery attempt JAKARTA (JP): A member of an ax-wielding gang, that preys on motorists and taxi passengers for their valuables, was shot dead on Friday evening by a police officer near the busy Jl. Pemuda intersection in East Jakarta. First Insp. Freddy Sambo from the local precinct identified the suspect as Rancus Simanjuntak, 23, a member of the Red Axe Gang. According to officer Freddy, Rancus was shot dead at 6.50 p.m.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:00 Health and Fresh 8:00 Children's Film 9:00 Children's Program 10:00 Music 11:00 TV Series 12:00 p.m. TV Drama 1:00 TV Drama 2:30 Performance 3:00 Sports 4:00 News 4:30 Religious Teachings 5:00 Travel 6:00 Music 7:00 Evening News 7:30 Sports 8:00 Music 9:00 News 9:30 Music 10:30 Performance Program 2 5:30 p.m. News 6:00 Music 7:00 Evening News 7:30 TV Drama 8:00 City News 8:30 Variety Show TPI 5:30 a.m.

UN pulls foreign staff out of West Timor border town JAKARTA (Agencies): Two UN agencies pulled most of their foreign staff out of the East Nusa Tenggara border town of Atambua on Saturday, a day after pro-Jakarta militia encircled and threatened their offices, UN officials said. The officials, speaking from the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang, said the police and the military were negotiating with the militia in Atambua, and that no incident was reported on Saturday.

Yielding to critical pressure There has been, in the view of most domestic and foreign observers, good news from the political battleground called the Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) at Senayan, Jakarta. President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur has yielded to pressure from members of the MPR to improve his performance in his next term in office. He has agreed that the day-to-day business be entrusted from now on to Vice President Megawati. It is possible that Mr.

Taking Leadership Some people are still reluctant to make purchases via the Internet due to such reasons as security and other considerations related with safety and convenience. Well, they can now enjoy carrying out transactions through the Internet from their home PCs, buying various items and getting them delivered on time thanks to the system offered by PT eSecure Indonesia. The Internet is changing the way every business works. The number of Net users are multiplying at an incredible rate.

Indonesia fights to stop auction of sunken treasure By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): It is known as the "The Titanic of the East". A huge replica of the Chinese junk Tek Sing (True Star), which sunk in the Gelassa Straits east of Sumatra in the 19th century, stands in the Stuttgart railway station in Germany.

Guess What? Bambang Widjojanto Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) Bambang Widjojanto has won a British government Chevening scholarship to study in Britain and is due to leave in mid-August of this year.

New cartoon series a forum for long forgotten folktales JAKARTA (JP): If you ask kids today who is Si Kancil or Pak Belalang (Mr. Grasshopper), they will probably shake their heads in bewilderment. Many Indonesian children are unfamiliar with characters from local folktales because their parents, who themselves grew up hearing the tales, no longer have time to tell them bedtime stories.

Gus Dur to visit Baghdad to call for lifting of sanction JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Saturday that he would visit Iraq in the coming months and called for the lifting of international sanctions against the country. "I will visit Baghdad at the end of this summer," Gus Dur, as the President is popularly called, told a joint press conference with visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Yanes suffers from malaria JAKARTA (JP): National men's sprinter and 2000 Olympic Games qualifier Yanes Raubaba will likely miss the Asian Track and Field Championships in Madya stadium here from August 28 to August 31 after he became ill with malaria on Friday morning. Coach Pieter Noya gave his assurance that Yanes's illness would not prevent him from competing in the quadrennial event. Yanes has qualified in the men's 100m dash and the 4x100m relay, along with Sukari, Subakir and John Murray.

Sultan shows royal concern in antidrug campaign By R. Agus Bakti YOGYAKARTA (JP): "Excuse me, may I put an antinarcotics sticker on your car? Where would be the best spot for it?" The speaker was no ordinary antidrug campaigner. Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the hereditary ruler of Yogyakarta and also its governor, took part in an event held to mark a proclamation by the group Antidrugs Yogyakarta (YAM) two weeks ago.

Harry at home in oriental costume Harry Darsono, 50, is Indonesia's leading international couturier. Born with dyslexia, he went on to open Pantara, a school for children with learning difficulties. He is also the founder of the Harry Darsono School of Art and Design. The former dancer and pianist living in Cilandak, South Jakarta, shared his thoughts with The Jakarta Post's William Furney. Question: If you had a choice, what would you be doing now?

Art Agenda Arts for Independence Day Galeri Nasional Indonesia (the National Gallery), Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur 14, Gambir, Central Jakarta. Phone: 348-33954 through August 22. To commemorate the 55th anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day, which falls on Aug.17, Galeri Nasional Indonesia will hold a series of art activities, such as a painting exhibition, poetry recitals, a cultural talk, concerts and a book launch. The painting exhibition, which opens on Aug.16, features Sudaryono, P.

Indonesia world's most earthquake-prone country By William Furney JAKARTA (JP): Every day, some 20 earthquakes rock various parts of Indonesia, leading to a total of about 7,000 subterranean movements each year. Of that number, only about 60 are felt. Among those, however, are what are known as killer quakes -- earthquakes whose magnitude is great enough to destroy buildings, roads and lives.

Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Photo Exhibition by Hashiguchi George 1991-1995, at Pusat Kebudayaan Jepang - The Japan Foundation, Summitmas I, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62 South Jakarta (Phone: 5201266), Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., until Aug. 31. * Painting Exhibition Figure Abad Baru (The New Era Figure) by seven painters at Edwin's Gallery Jl. Kemang Raya No. 21, Kemang, South Jakarta (Phone: 7194721), Aug. 13.