Nyoman Gunarsa, not a man to rest on his laurels Jean Couteau Contributor Klungkung, Bali It is not himself, nor his works, that the celebrated Balinese painter Nyoman Gunarsa first introduces to his visitor. "Look," he says in his hurried way before his visitor has even had the time to sit down. "Look what I have found". He unwraps a small statue. "You wouldn't guess where I found it -- abroad," he adds with a wry smile. And he bursts into laughter.

Beijing dogs Hawa Arofah I was overjoyed to set foot in Beijing again. Uncle Koo Tek Sian had invited me to the city for his 60th birthday party. "I'll reimburse you for everything when you arrive," he told me by phone before my departure. After staying with his family in an Indonesian-Chinese student exchange program, I was already considered his foster child. I arrived at Uncle Koo's home at dusk.

Paranormal Lauren not one to play God Christina Schott, Contributor, Jakarta At the end of September 2002, Nyonya Lauren was sitting on the beach at Kuta, Bali, meditating. Suddenly she saw a huge wave rolling towards her, adorned by a crest of fire. Many dead bodies washed up on the shore. Nobody else, of course, saw the wave and its ghastly portent. When Lauren talked about it, nobody believed that a huge misfortune would soon come over Bali.

Ruling leaves boat people all at sea AUSTRALIA: A boatload of asylum seekers, floating in an Indonesian fishing boat in a secret location off the northern coast of Australia on Saturday, have had an appeal to enter Australia rejected by the Supreme Court. The boat people -- believed to be 14 Turkish Kurds accompanied by four Indonesian crew -- were towed out to sea on Friday by the Australian Navy after the fishing boat reached tropical Melville Island, 80 km north of Darwin, on Tuesday.

Officials, reporters take shortcut to get train tickets Evi Mariani and Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta As most of the executive train tickets sold out three weeks prior to the Idul Fitri holiday, many of those who had planned to return to their hometowns to celebrate tried to take a short cut in their bid to get tickets home. Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan, is expected to fall on Nov. 25.

Specialty stores offer a little taste of home Susanna Tjokro, Contributor, Jakarta A friend once said, "If you grew up in Germany, memories of eating tasty German sausage would make your mouth water and leave you homesick". He is not alone. People tend to search for familiar brands and comfort food to refresh memories of home -- it's human nature to crave our home-grown food now and then, if not always. No matter where we go, we bring little bits of our culture and our taste for food.

A world of difference in hospital costs Here is a comparison of bed prices at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM), the government-run central hospital and teaching facility in Central Jakarta, and Pondok Indah Hospital in South Jakarta. VIP rooms are private rooms while Class I, II and III are shared. Prices for Pondok Indah Hospital include meals. All prices are exclusive of medical care.

Opening my eyes and seeing the world from both sides now Azwar Hasan, Contributor, Jakarta In Aceh, the land of my birth and where I lived until high school, I grew up in a traditional environment full of religious values. These values were so rooted in my consciousness I often fantasized about what my father, a religious teacher, told me about heaven.

Jacob's supporters vow to occupy ICW's office The Jakarta Post, Jakarta About 100 people rallied in front of the South Jakarta office of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) on Saturday following the latter's plan to report Minister of Manpower Jacob Nuwa Wea to the police. The protesters accused the watchdog of slandering Jacob with its findings on alleged corruption involving the minister, and threatened to occupy the ICW office if it failed to apologize to Jacob within three days.

Media draws men in quest for the perfect body Tony Hotland The Jakarta Post Jakarta It used to be that one of the main things that distinguished women from men was the former's supposed "obsession" with the way they look. Well, they now can welcome a new but longtime hidden ally in that quest: Men. Many assume that body image issues pertain only to women and perhaps some gay men.

Nyoman Gunarsa not resting on his laurels Jean Couteau, Contributor, Klungkung, Bali It is not himself, nor his works, that the celebrated Balinese painter Nyoman Gunarsa first introduces to his visitor. "Look," he says in his hurried way before his visitor has even had time to sit down. "Look what I have found". He unwraps a small statue. "You wouldn't guess where I found it -- abroad," he adds with a wry smile. And he bursts into laughter.

Specialty stores offer a little taste of home Susanna Tjokro Contributor Jakarta A friend once said, "If you grew up in Germany, memories of eating tasty German sausage would make your mouth water and make you homesick". He is not alone. People tend to search for familiar brands and comfort food to refresh memories of home -- it's human nature to crave our home-grown food now and then, if not always. No matter where we go, we bring a little bits of our culture and our taste for food.

Six die in fire, child survives The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Six people died in a fire that gutted a house in the Attorney General's Office (AGO) housing complex in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, in the early hours of Saturday. There was one survivor. Among the dead were Evi Kawit, 50, a prosecutor with the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office and her grandchildren Andika, 9, and Imanuel, 7. Evi's friends Wis, 48, Endah, 25, and Merli, 26 were also killed.

The dogs of Beijing Hawa Arofah I was overjoyed to set foot in Beijing again. Uncle Koo Tek Sian had invited me to the city for his 60th birthday party. "I'll reimburse you for everything when you arrive," he told me by phone before my departure. After staying with his family in an Indonesian-Chinese student exchange program, I was already considered his foster child. I arrived at Uncle Koo's home at dusk.

Police pledge to curb illegal loggers Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Bahorok, North Sumatra National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar has promised to take stern action against illegal loggers, as the death toll surged to 133 following the recent devastating flood in North Sumatra. Da'i told reporters here that police personnel were investigating the causes of the flood which ripped through the resort area of Bahrok last Sunday night.

Swept away by sadness It was time once again for the round of finger-pointing -- another disaster to be picked apart and analyzed after the fact -- when a flash flood ripped through Bahorok area in Langkat regency, North Sumatra, last Sunday. The grim statistics -- more than 100 people dead and an equal number still missing, feared dead -- are only part of the story.

Pet boarding business thrives during holiday season T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, The Jakarta Post As the Idul Fitri holiday approaches, many people are busy planning trips to their hometowns. Entire families will return to their hometowns and villages for joyous family reunions. But it is unlikely that those who have pets will bring the animals along, even if the pets are considered part of the family. In cases such as this, the owners usually send the pets to an animal boarding facility.

Cost not a concern for animal lovers Rudijanto, Contributor, Jakarta The marital vow, to be faithful to one's spouse in times of joy and sorrow, seems to be applicable to bringing a new pet into the family. Even while their owners struggle to pay household bills, pets are pampered, manicured, and sport the latest accessories, -- if the surge in pet shops, pet clinics and grooming saloons is any indication.

Terracotta. Objects from the Majapahit period, 13th-15th century, East Java and other parts of the archipelago. Royal Treasures Room, Dharma Mulia Galleries, Jl. Ciputat Raya No. 50, Tel. (021) 7492850. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., until Dec. 15.

Pay up first policy puts life at risk It is not only the abject poor who are vulnerable in dealing with the Indonesian health service. With only an estimated 40 million people capable of paying for their insurance from their own pockets or from insurance policies, most people have difficulties in settling hospitals payments. And anyone can find themselves in an emergency room without their wallet. This can be a potentially dangerous situation.

Die well is our parting message to our ailing parent Santi W.E. Soekanto and Winahyo Soekanto, Contributors, Jakarta One of the country's top neurologists recounted an off-color, even lame, joke about the Marriott bombing and the elderly woman, Mak Erot, who has made a name helping impotent and other "sexually challenged" men regain their virility to our 73-year- old father.

Protesters slam moves for Aceh, Papua Tiarma Siboro and Teuku Agam Muzakkir, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Lhokseumawe Hundreds of protesters from the country's two troubled provinces took to the streets on Saturday to demand for an end to martial law in Aceh and attempts to partition Papua. Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of police and intelligence officers, the protesters marched from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to the United Nations representative office on Jl. M.H.

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, November 9, 2003 Exhibitions * Photo by Stefan Moses, GoetheHaus, Jl. Sam Ratulangi 9-15 Central Jakarta (Tel. 23550208), 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., until Nov. 17. * Children's Painting, at Galeri Mini, Pusat Kebudayaan Jepang - The Japan Foundation, Summitmas I, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62 South Jakarta (Tel. 5201266), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Nov. 21. Performances * Theater Kicau Burung, Teater Utan Kayu, Jl. Utan Kayu 68H, East Jakarta (Tel. 8573388) 8 p.m., Nov.

Making a dorm room into a welcoming home Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The client's brief was for a functional, low-cost dorm for his four employees. Architect Andra Matin took that and turned the project into unique and comfortable living quarters. The recently completed dormitory in Bintaro, South Jakarta, standing on a 400-square-meter plot of land, was constructed on a tight Rp 29 million budget.

Doctors need to get right bedside manner Indonesians spend a whopping US$300 million on overseas medical services each year, an official of the Ministry of Health announced earlier this week. I dare say I understand some of the reasons. Several months ago in Melbourne, an Australian friend of mine was hospitalized for minor surgery.