Painter Sonny Eska reflects on his world Mehru Jaffer, Contributor, Jakarta His father is a Christian from Sumatra; his Muslim mother, half Bugis and half Javanese. But it is the ancient Hindu philosophy that inspires the highly imaginative art work of Sonny Eska the most. Different cultural influences enrich his life to this day -- despite the fact that the 47-year-old artist will not soon be on any lists of naming the wealthiest men in the world.

A better breath to cure what ails you Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Expectation reduces joy. Live in the present. Be 100 percent in all that you do. Those three mantras welcomed us, the participants in a five- day course for the Art of Living movement. That was after shaking hands and greeting each other by looking straight into each other's eyes and saying, "I belong to you".

Floods finally touch 'untouchable' areas The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Torrential rains pounded Jakarta and its adjacent highland suburbs in Depok and Bogor on Friday night, causing the floodwater, which had been receding the day before, to rise again and even reach areas previously regarded as untouchable, flooding them to a depth of 1.5 meters.

Residents pull together as officials waffle Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta There has been one bright spot amid the terrible toll from the flooding that has swamped the capital in the past few days: Jakarta's population has united in an inspiring show of community and solidarity. As national and city leaders wasted precious time pointing fingers and shifting blame, city residents, regardless of background or place of origin, pulled together to help out their fellow citizens.

'I would like to be a politician in the future' Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sophia Latjuba is a Jill of many trades in the entertainment world. She has been a singer, soap actress, TV show host, interviewer (she gave a famously tender grilling to Soeharto crony Mohamad "Bob" Hasan from his prison cell for METROTV) and plugs everything from bath soap to traditional medicine.

Punctuality award keeps Garuda's spirits flying sky-high Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post, Amsterdam Every cloud has a silver lining, goes the saying. And Garuda Indonesia Airlines, the state-owned national carrier, has seen it twice. In mid-January, Garuda received its second consecutive Punctuality Award from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport here for recording the fewest number of delays at the airport during 2001. Finland's national carrier Finnair was granted the same honor.

Judge nixes bail for Budiman UNITED STATES: A U.S. judge ruled on Friday that an Indonesian man, whom a prosecutor described as having "direct and troubling ties" to the Sept. 11 hijackers, must remain in jail until his trial on unrelated fraud charges. Chief U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton said Agus Budiman presented a risk of flight. He said authorities were looking into whether Budiman had any involvement with the hijackings of planes that hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

School cliques: What it's worth to fit in Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In the latest local teen flick Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What's Up With Love?), the main character is a girl named Cinta whose life orbits around her group of four girlfriends. They do everything together, making sure to always wear the same style of fashion, and write all of their experiences in a confessional diary. It really is so high school, isn't it? Ring a bell about your own experience, or someone you know?

On the record Artist : Cokelat; Album : Rasa Baru (Sony Music) This is the sophomore effort from the Bandung-based band which was established in 1996. This pop/alternative band first emerged in 1998 when their single Bunga Tidur (Dream) was included in the Indie Ten compilation for independent groups.

Jakarta comes to soggy standstill The Jakarta Post, Jakarta As the waters continued to rise in Jakarta on Saturday so did the death toll and the anger of the people. The huge floods left hundreds of thousands of people homeless, stranded in houses or sheltering in evacuee accommodation or worse -- on the streets. People were distressed, desperate, frustrated and angry. Many houses were submerged, roads inundated and closed, valuables damaged, shops closed, flights delayed and weddings canceled.

Train service near normal JAKARTA: Passenger train services were better on Saturday than earlier in the week although there were still some canceled due to flooding. Spokesman for state railway company PT KAI Zainal Abidin said almost all intercity and city services were normal. Services at Gambir Station in Central Jakarta was not disrupted, despite floodwater that had been in front of the station since Friday night.

Foreign groups make their way back After a lull in the nervous months following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, foreign artists are set to return here for performances. Artists who are scheduled to grace the stage in the near future are French duo Modjo, Lou Bega and quartet Bond. Electronica group Modjo will heat up Valentine's Day by performing on an event called Valentine Hype Party at the Jakarta Convention Center's Plenary Hall.

Pregnancy no reason to put a stop to sex Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta For some parents-to-be, pregnancy can lead to the interruption of sexual activity, which for most people is linked to the fear of harming the womb. "I'm reluctant to have sex with my wife, not because she is no longer pretty or anything like that. I'm just afraid something might happen to my baby," said "Adolf", an employee of a travel agent.

Brewing popularity: A sip of herbal teas Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Tea is no longer just about a cup of dark jasmine tea, served so sweet that it makes your teeth ache. Herbal teas, or infusions, have become a pick-me-up for those down in the dumps, and a soothing drink when stress levels start soaring. In Jakarta's hip cafes and on supermarket shelves, herbal teas have established a place.

Good for all seasons, except when there's flooding Hendarsyah Tarmizi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta People have different reasons for buying a particular car. It can be due to the popularity of the car's marque, its safety specification, eye-catching design or sophisticated technology. The sedan is one of the most popular vehicles for those who put safety and convenience above all.

Wary public stocking up on essentials The Jakarta Post, Jakarta As the floods have still to recede, Jakartans are haunted by the fear of running out of food. Terrible traffic congestion at several spots in the capital encouraged people to stock up on food for their homes. Unfortunately, the market has failed to meet the rising demand as many suppliers could not enter Jakarta, which has been inundated since Monday.

People reach saturation point as transportation troubles pile up The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A long line of slow-moving vehicles is almost an ordinary scene in Jakarta, but flooding this week caused some of the worst congestion many residents had ever experienced, creating frustration and desperation. An insurance man, Hidayat, said he and his wife spent four and a half hours to get from Slipi to Jl.

Intro Sedans are, of course, not so popular during the rainy season in such a poorly-planned city as Jakarta. Under such unfriendly weather, producers of other types of vehicle aggressively pour money into ads to claim the extra plus of their products. But the stunning comfort, acceleration and suspension of sedans make it hard for many, particularly those looking for a quality drive, to turn their heads to another type of vehicle.

Lighthouse Family: Soft sounds spell success Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Lighthouse Family is synonymous with laid-back, yet catchy pop tunes. Formed in Newcastle eight years ago by vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and programmer/keyboard player Paul Tucker, the duo had two years to wait before its 1995 single Lifted was released. It was worth it, because the debut album ,Ocean Drive, and sophomore effort, Postcards From Heaven, sold 2.5 million and 3.7 million copies respectively.

Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Painting, Sculpture: PEREK - "Women's experiment" by members of the Yogyakarta-based art group, The British Council Gallery, S. Widjojo Centre, Jl. Jendral Sudirman 71, South Jakarta, until Feb. 16. * Painting Friendship through Arts 2002, Gran Melia, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. X-0, Kuningan, South Jakarta, Feb. 3. * Painting by Lucia Hartini, Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jl. Palmerah Selatan no. 17, Central Jakarta (Tel. 5483008 ext.

Latest teen flick comes light 'n' frothy Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Ada Apa Dengan Cinta ** (out of ****); Teen drama, 112 minutes; Starring Dian Sastrowardoyo, Nicholas Saputra, Titi Kamal, Ladya Cheryl, Sissy Priscillia, Adinia Wirasti; Directed by Rudi Soedjarwo. Miles Productions; In Bahasa Indonesia. Remember Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure)?

A journey to self-discovery through verse Lie Hua, Contributor, Jakarta The Rites of the Bali Aga; By Sitor Situmorang; With Introduction + Epilog by Harry Aveling; Metafor, Jakarta, 2001; xix + 55 pages; Rp 65,000. In late 2001, Metafor brought out a collection of poems by Sitor Situmorang, one of Indonesia's foremost modern poets. This collection, The Rites of the Bali Aga, is interesting in that it contains poems that Sitor wrote in English.

Disrupted delivery Due to flooding in Jakarta, Saturday's edition of The Jakarta Post could not reach subscribers in Tanjung Karang, Lampung, and many parts of Jakarta, namely Pluit, Muara Karang, Jelambar, Grogol, Kalideres, Kelapa Gading, Pulo Gadung, Gunung Sahari, Regent Hotel, Omni Batavia Hotel, Dusit Mangga Dua Hotel and Horizon Ancol Hotel. In addition, the Post arrived late at Sari Pan Pacific Hotel and Arcadia Hotel. We regret the inconvenience. Publisher

Doctor goes to areas where others fear to tread Santi W.E. Soekanto, Contributor, Jakarta It's a painful memory that sticks with Joserizal Jurnalis. "We came upon layers upon layers of burned bodies at a mosque ... bits and pieces of rotting limbs with larva swarming all over them. Hundreds of them, scattered in the streets, inside houses and in bushes.

CAR PRICE IN RUPIAH Audi A3 1.8 Automatic 322.700.000 Audi A4 1.6 LAT 313.000.000 Audi A4 1.8 LAT /SE 490.981.000 Audi A6 2.8 Triptonik 669.500.000 BMW 3 Series 318i Automatic E-46 415.000.000 BMW 3 Series 325 Ci A 783.000.000 BMW 3 Series 330 Ci A 888.000.000 BMW 5 Series 520i Automatic 550.000.000 BMW 5 Series 525 iA 657.640.000 BMW 5 Series 528i Automatic 637.000.000 BMW 5 Series 528i Touring 912.500.000 BMW 7 Series 728i A 1.478.000.000 BMW X Series X5 4.4 Automatic 1.478.000.000 BMW Z3...

No Other Choic By Siti Nurhayati I was holding the letter tight, as if in a dream. Incredulous, I read it again. "Look, your dad has no other choice," it read. "I have to divorce your mother. This is the best way, for me, and, perhaps for your mom, too. All this must be ended before it is too late and gets worse. Unless I divorce your mom, there will be disaster ... " I couldn't continue reading. Something pierced my heart, a bitter memory of how my boyfriend left me a few years go.

Aikido strives for more popularity Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta If you know a little bit about action movie star Steven Seagal, maybe you already know that he is a master of aikido, a self defense martial art originally from Japan. Invented by Morihei Ueshiba in 1942 from several older forms of Japanese martial arts, aikido is distinguished from other martial arts as it is claimed as the only pure self defense.

Coffee vendor stays true to time-honored traditions Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Bandung There is not much difference in the way Widyapratama, 50, sells coffee from how his father did when he first started up his own business back in the 1930s. His store, a white art-deco building with a low ceiling, flanked by electronic goods stores in the bustling Jl.

AIDS activist Green soldiers on Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Bandung Cordial and warm, that is the first impression of activist Chris W. Green. He speaks excellent Indonesian, and quickly says that he likes to be called babe (father in the Betawi language of native Jakartans) instead of Mr. Green or even pak Chris Green. Sixty years old, Green has spent half his life in Indonesia -- a country he says he chose to stay in for no particular reason, except its tropical weather.

U.S. envoy tells Jakarta to do more SINGAPORE: Indonesia should follow the lead of Singapore and Malaysia in taking firmer action against suspected terrorists, U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Frank Lavin said here Saturday. Lavin said it was "disturbing" to read reports that some of the suspected terrorists who had planned to attack American targets in Singapore, including the U.S. embassy, had fled to Indonesia.

Domestic prices remain high despite AFTA agreement By Sudibyo M. Wiradji, Contributor, Jakarta Under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) agreement, Indonesia and the association's other member countries are required to reduce import tariffs to between zero to five percent beginning this year.