'I find it difficult to remember names' Sociologist Imam Budidarmawan Prasodjo is not only popular among his students at the University of Indonesia (UI). He is also well-known among refugees in the Maluku islands and Aceh province since his foundation, Nurani Dunia, regularly delivers aid to the strife-torn provinces.

Landslides kill 58 in Banten province JAKARTA (JP): Landslides resulting from persistent rainfall in Lebak regency, Banten, have claimed 58 lives over the past three days, Antara reported on Saturday. The news agency said that at least 5,695 families living in 10 districts in the regency were left homeless and thousands of hectares of crop fields were destroyed by flooding. Lebak Situ village in Cipanas subdistrict was the worst hit, with landslides killing 36 people.

Buyers beware, you're in Indonesia Although Indonesia finally passed the long-awaited Consumer Protection Law in 1999, consumers' rights remain largely neglected. While the law is still toothless, the public's awareness of their rights as consumers has not improved either. The Jakarta Post contributors Prapti Widinugraheni, I. Christianto, Tri Hafiningsih and reporter Ida Indawati Khouw look into the issue.

Indoflorist.com: A Tale of a small online shop in Indonesia By Vishnu K. Mahmud JAKARTA (JP): Be it books or flowers, buying gifts online is a convenience for the ever growing Internet community. Before, if you were lucky, you could call up the florist or local bookstore to order and deliver presents to your door. Payment was always an issue as some merchants wouldn't accept credit cards over the phone. And in Indonesia, most people don't even have credit cards.

Light-color cocktails for Valentine's Day dinner JAKARTA (JP): Here is a bad-case scenario for Valentine's Day. You are dying to have a romantic candlelit dinner with your partner, but what a shame -- you run short of ideas on what cocktails to serve to accompany the conversation before the main course. Hmmm, how about trying these special cocktail recipes from Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta.

Police ignorant about art crimes By Yusuf S.H. JAKARTA (JP): The police have been sitting idly by amid the startling growth of fine art crime. Even when Indonesia's fine art world was jolted by an exhibition of allegedly "forged" paintings in Jakarta, late last year the police still failed to take any decisive action against the growing problem. The reason?

De Neve becoming a professional guitarmaker By Kafil Yamin BANDUNG (JP): The young Gilles E.D. de Neve liked music very much and dreamed of becoming a world-class guitarist. Being left- handed was no barrier for him to sharpen his skills but it was not always easy to find a guitar that suited him. He played his guitar upside down and it was not always convenient.

The art of living in big cities Metropolis Now!; Ramesh Kumar Biswas, editor; SpringerWienNewYork, 2000; Paperback, 240 pp JAKARTA (JP): Ramesh Kumar Biswas is a self-confessed, unapologetic urbanite. No Wordsworth, like pining for a piece of pristine, pastoral life for this 43 year-old architect. For he has left it to the birds and the bees to follow the forests. As for himself, Ramesh is known to often go out of his way to become lost in cities.

Parking remains insecure despite consumer law By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Parking can sometimes lead to serious problems. Pick a wrong spot and your vehicle may have disappeared when you return, or your belongings in the vehicle stolen. Often, cars come out of the parking lot with scratches or dents. Stefan, a photographer for Bola, a sport tabloid, never thought the Kijang van that he had borrowed from his office could vanish from the parking lot of the Senayan Indoor Stadium complex.

Bonit and Sulistyo keep Indonesia's hope alive JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian old hands Bonit Wiryawan and Sulistyo Wibowo kept the team's hopes alive after they managed to tame the Uzbekistan duo of Oleg Ogorodov and Dmitriy Tomashevich 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the Davis Cup Asia Oceania zone Group I match in Kemayoran Tennis Center, Central Jakarta, on Saturday. The victory left the host team trailing narrowly by 1-2. Uzbekistan was leading 2-0 when its players won both singles matches on Friday.

Merapi volcano observers overworked and underpaid By Bambang M. YOGYAKARTA (JP): The heavy rain pouring down on Merapi volcano from dusk to midnight failed to dampen the spirits of young people who had flocked to the Babadan monitoring post at Dukun village, Muntilan. At midnight the rain had stopped and the weather was clear. The red and yellow sizzling hot lava streamed down from the top of the 2,968-meter-high volcano.

For ADVERTORIAL - Focus Issue: OFFICE PROPERTY/ Feb. 25 - BSR - this is revised edition from client- 08 Feb 2001-bsr Wisma 46 Food Mall offers diverse array of local and international cuisine Wisma 46 is not only known as the tallest skyscraper in the country, with thousands of people working inside the 50-floor building, it has become Jakarta's landmark for its magnificent exterior design, with prevalent use of solar reflective glass for its wall.

Resuscitation skills are necessary By Maria Endah Hulupi JAKARTA (JP): Management of public facilities are required to equip their officers with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills to provide immediate treatment for cardiac arrest, a cardiologist said. Chairman of the Indonesian Health Society and Cardiologist with the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Indonesia Y. Kisyanto said that cardiac arrests are still a major health problem that can lead to sudden death.

Surya dominates table tennis All Star DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Surya Kediri of East Java proved its domination in table tennis nationwide by sweeping three of four titles at the All Star match at Ngurah Rai Stadium on Saturday. Women's doubles Yulianti Fauziah and Putri Hasibuan managed to oust teammates Christine Feliana and Nilasari in the final 11-21, 22-20, 22-20.

Clubbing's undercover dress code JAKARTA (JP): Jenny took a deep breath while standing in a never-ending queue. She thought that the idea of going to the hottest dance club located in a five-star hotel in Jakarta on Friday night was the silliest thing she had ever done. If it was not for her dear friend Jade. She just gave birth to her first child the previous month.

Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Painting Bramasto's Collections 1939-1996, Gallery Twilite Cafe, Jl. Kemang Raya No. 24A, South Jakarta (Phone: 7194270), until Feb. 28. * Comic and Animation Week, Pusat Perfilman H. Usmar Ismail, Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta, until Feb. 16. * Photo: Artlife on Bali: 1930-1958 by Paul Spies, Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. S-3, South Jakarta (Phone: 5241069), until Feb. 24. * Ceramics: Noor Sudiyati Agung, Galeri Lontar, Jl.

A pen that could digitalize your doodles JAKARTA (JP): This electronic pen called Anoto (Uh-No-toe) will be introduced in April this year and will have a price tag of less than US$100. But it remains unclear whether enthusiasts in Jakarta will have the chance to take a close look at this new device.

Search for chopper interrupted PURWAKARTA, West Java: Bad weather halted on Saturday the Search and Rescue team's efforts to locate the missing N-Bell 412 helicopter, with three people onboard, in the mountainous area of Burangrang. The SAR team helped by hundreds of locals, volunteers and boy scouts had to stop the operation before 2 p.m. due to heavy rain and thick fog. Combing of the Burangrang area would continue on Sunday morning, Purwakarta Police chief Sr. Comr.

Technical quality of Indonesian films From Kompas As an Indonesian film buff, I'm concerned with the fact that Indonesian films are still poor and simple in terms of technology. Indonesian film makers must try to make quality films that can demonstrate technological sophistication in film making like we can witness in such films as Independence Day, X-Men, Godzilla, Batman, Jurassic Park or the films from Walt Disney and Columbia Star Films.

Kampung Naga: A traditional village in West Java Text and photos by Dewi Anggraeni JAKARTA (JP): It is always fascinating to find a community adhering to its own strict customs and traditions in the midst of a bigger community whose civilization is moving in leaps and bounds -- albeit in a very uneven manner -- into a modern era. To an outsider, the questions why, and how successful their endeavors are, often present themselves.

Mount Merapi erupts, but nearby residents unmoved MAGELANG, Central Java (JP): The 2,968-meter high Mount Merapi erupted at dawn on Saturday and continued spewing hot clouds of steam and fine ash throughout the day, but residents were undeterred despite the high alert warning announced by the government. The latest discharge of hot cloud took place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Lonely 'Piggy' in zoo cell cries for help By Maria Endah Hulupi JAKARTA (JP): Only those who have emotional attachment to their pets and consider them as part of their family could understand the feeling of loss suffered by Dyah Indriani, when she eventually decided to give up her 18-month-old pet pig, Piggy, to Ragunan Zoo, in South Jakarta on Jan. 15.

Highlights of the 1999 Consumer Protection Law JAKARTA (JP): The Consumer Protection Law was issued by the Directorate General of Home Trade, Ministry of Industry and Trade and enacted on April 20, 1999. It consists of 14 chapters and 65 articles.

Former models take up other jobs By Asniar Sahab JAKARTA (JP): Modeling is glamourous, fast-paced and viewed as prestigious. Unfortunately, modeling is not a lifelong vocation. Models can survive for a maximum of five to 10 years only. Then a new generation of models will come on the stage. Some models have left their careers to be full-time housewives while others give up modeling to take up new professions.

Power of the poor can be bought for rallies By Ida Indawati Khouw JAKARTA (JP): Those who glorify democracy may believe that the voice of the people is the voice of God. But in Indonesia "voices of the people" cost a mere Rp 20,000 each. The "voice" belongs to poor people who will take to the streets for money and shout slogans already formulated by the interest groups which hire them.

Still Playing JAKARTA (JP): Sunday may be the best time to watch movies in local theaters. The Jakarta Post's contributor Joko E.Anwar has some suggestions. The Accidental Spy. (Action/Adventure, 100 minutes). Starring Jackie Chan, Vivian Hsu, Eric Tsang. Directed by Teddy Chen. Disappointing entry which tries to substitute Jackie's incredible stunts with silly plot but still worth a look.** The Art of War. (Action/Thriller, 113 minutes).

Will Indonesia be affected by mad cow epidemic? By Mangku Sitepoe JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Post ran a story from Reuters on Jan. 25, 2001, which reported that Indonesia will be the next victim of the mad cow crisis along with Taiwan, Thailand and Sri Lanka which import meat and bonemeal from Britain.