Crying out for a drop of rain Reality bites: Each year our people endure a schizophrenic existence of weathering floods, only to be followed by severe drought. It's an ordeal for residents of drought-hit areas, waiting and praying for rain to fall on their parched land.

Police wait for order to freeze JI accounts Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Syaiful Amin, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Yogyakarta The National Police is waiting for an order from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the financial assets of Indonesian nationals included on the list of 10 alleged members of the al- Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah terror group. "Officially, we have yet to receive the order from the foreign ministry.

Rolling out the red carpet for a new library network Ignatius Haryanto, Contributor, Jakarta A search for a good public library in Jakarta will be in vain. Instead of cavernous libraries boasting huge collections and helpful service, we are left to make do with poorly funded, ill- maintained institutions with a sparse number of dog-eared books gathering dust on their shelves. And while the rest of the world switched to computerized cataloging years ago, we still muddle on with a manual system.

Clubs bring lovers of the written word together Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A muggy Tuesday night in the third week of August was time once again for the book club bacabaca (from the Indonesian for reading) to hold another meeting. Nine people gathered in an apartment in Kuningan, South Jakarta, each clutching a copy of Of Love and Other Demons by Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Apartment living offers better social life Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta There are many reasons why people prefer to live in houses rather than apartments. Besides apartments generally being more expensive, people fear losing the friendly environment of a traditional residential area. But for those who have stayed in an apartment for a long time, living in an apartment complex gives residents an opportunity to have a better social life.

Read on - Jassin center offers literary treasure trove Lie Hua, Contributor, Jakarta A pack of junior high school students swarmed into the narrow reading hall. With beaming faces, some of them grabbed the magazines on display, took a seat and were quickly absorbed in the stories, taking them a world away from noise-filled Central Jakarta. Others wandered over to a large picture of Chairil Anwar, staring up at the hard lines in the face of the pioneer in Indonesian modern poetry.

Car crashes kill eight in C. Java SEMARANG: Two families were killed in separate traffic accidents along Central Java's northern coast early Saturday morning. Antara reported that a family of four died when the Kijang van, license plate number H 8646 DS, they were riding collided head-on with a box truck on Kademan highway in Tulis district, Batang, 100 kilometers west of provincial capital Semarang. Two others were seriously injured in the accident.

Sights and sounds to soothe the senses Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Transforming an austere house into a pleasant, inviting home with a strong "green" element is a challenge of time and creativity. For young couple Ari and Agung, it was their dream to remodel their house and small garden in Bintaro, South Jakarta, since they moved in eight years ago. Back then, the house was unwelcoming, with its small, dull and disorganized garden shut behind high fences.

Govt talks about Aceh economy Nani Farida The Jakarta Post Banda Aceh, Aceh The government along with the military met with a select group of concerned people in Aceh on Saturday to hold discussions on economic recovery in the province, in the event that the economy- hindering armed conflict comes to an end.

Bookshops to browse through Time was when it was mighty hard (and mighty expensive) to lay your hands on a foreign book in Jakarta. Even today, our hunt for imported books may be limited to the big names like QB and Kinokuniya, besides the local chains Gramedia and Gunung Agung. There are many more choices available -- it's just a case of looking in the right places. TIMES (METRO - Plaza Senayan, Plaza Indonesia, PIM) Plaza Indonesia, Basement Level Unit B #84-85 Jl. M.H.

Govt discusses Aceh recovery Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh The government along with the military met with a select group of concerned people in Aceh on Saturday to hold discussions on economic recovery in the province, in the event that the economy- hindering armed conflict comes to an end.

Sunday/Page -5/ Serviced apartment remain favorite choice for short-term visitors Rudijanto Contributor The Jakarta Post Equipped with semi-hotel and sometimes full-hotel services and amenities, serviced apartments remain the favorite choice for those seeking cozy living environment during their brief stay in Jakarta. Occupied mostly by expatriates, the occupancy rate of serviced apartment depends on the influx of foreigners, especially those with deep pockets or strong financial backing.

TV Program: Sunday, September 7, 2003 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. News: Berita Pagi 7:00 Cartoon 7:30 Documentary 9:00 Children's Program: Bando 11:00 Variety Show: Maskum Show 12:00 p.m. News: Berita Siang 12:30 Traditional Comedy: Mustika Campur Sari 2:00 Film 3:00 City News 3:30 Music 4:00 Documentary 5:00 Music 6:00 English News Services 7:00 News 7:30 Music: Dansa Yo Dansa 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Variety Show 11:30 Traditional Performances: Pentas Rakyat TPI 6:00 a.m.

Teen magazines: Getting a dumbing down for the times M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Pick up two or three glossy teen magazines from a newsstand, and start browsing. Before long, you will be surprised by the striking similarities between them. By the time you read the last page and close the magazines, you will be hard put to tell any difference between them all.

Police geared to freeze up JI bank accounts The Jakarta Post Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Syaiful Amin Jakarta/Yogyakarta The National Police is waiting for an order from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the financial assets of Indonesian nationals included on the list of 20 alleged members of the al- Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah terror group. "Officially, we have yet to receive the order from the foreign ministry.

Chusin delves deeper into body of work David Kennedy, Contributor, Jakarta, d_kenn@yahoo.com Chusin Setiadikara likes to shock people. When the 53-year-old artist from Bandung starts a new painting he looks for something different that will challenge and disturb the viewer. Two recent works by the artist, Float & The Might, currently on display at Galeri Nasional in Central Jakarta as part of the CP Open Biennale 2003 exhibition, certainly achieve just that effect.

Taxi drivers protest at airport strands hundreds Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang Thousands of domestic and international passengers were stranded for five hours on Saturday in Terminals I and II at Soekarno- Hatta International Airport when taxi drivers held a protest.

Menswear: Let's hear it for the boys Muara Bagja, Contributor, Jakarta It is a woman's world when it comes to Indonesian fashion. They can take their pick from a rich assortment of apparel available, and in particular the market for luxurious evening gowns from the many designers catering to their needs. But the other half has been left empty-handed in the fashion stakes.

'Sastrawangi': RI's 'chick lit' or literature lite? Lie Hua, Contributor, Jakarta In the last five years a not so quiet revolution took place on the local literary scene. A band of young, talented women writers emerged, heralded by Ayu Utami's ground-breaking Saman and followed by singer-cum- author Dewi "Dee" Lestari's equally celebrated Supernova. They have since been joined by Fira Basuki, Djenar Maesa Ayu and, most recently, Nukila Amal.

Car crashes kill eight in C. Java SEMARANG: Two families were killed in separate traffic accidents along Central Java's northern coast early Saturday morning. Antara reported that a family of four died when the Kijang van, license plate number H 8646 DS, they were riding collided head-on with a box truck on Kademan highway in Tulis district, Batang, 100 kilometers west of provincial capital Semarang. Two others were seriously injured in the accident.

A luxurious tipplein a wooden atmosphere at the Oak Room Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this week's bacchanalian dissection -- the first for quite some time -- I'd first like to offer my sincere condolences to the relatives of all those who perished in the heinous Marriott bombing, and wish all the injured a speedy recovery. No doubt, not a few of you out there have had doubts about going out on the town since the event.

Bali mourns 'Kecak' maestro I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Bedulu, Bali The energetic dancer, Wayan Limbak, passed away on Friday night at the age of 106. In the early 30s -- along with the late German painter Walter Spies -- he appropriated the chorus of the sacred Sanghyang dance to choreograph the powerful performance, later known as Kecak and so popular with tourists here.

Page 14 Going green It took a painstaking process of trial and error for a young couple to create a trio of lush gardens to soothe the senses in their modest but comfortable Jakarta home. Page 15

Astari Rasjid: Modern metaphors for ancient issues Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta Many of Astari Rasjid's previous works were stirring revelations of gender situations in the Javanese traditional life of the upper classes, done with a trenchant albeit refined critique. Her painterly style was realism with a surreal touch -- and one from which her Javanese background was always identifiable -- while her three-dimensional works were one-of-a-kind, stunning metaphors of a woman's life.

The comedy of errors of life in Jakarta Longtime Jakarta residents have learned to laugh at life. They have to: It's a case of making a joke about the assorted irregularities that are so commonplace in this teeming capital, or else they end up crying at the state of things. We find ourselves gingerly stepping over vendors on the sidewalk, despite regulations prohibiting anybody from occupying the space.

Serviced apartment remain favorite choice for visitors Rudijanto, Contributor, The Jakarta Post Equipped with semi-hotel and sometimes full-hotel services and amenities, serviced apartments remain the favorite choice for those seeking cozy living environment during their brief stay in Jakarta. Occupied mostly by expatriates, the occupancy rate of serviced apartment depends on the influx of foreigners, especially those with deep pockets or strong financial backing.

Matori condition improving SINGAPORE: Indonesian Defense Minister Matori Abdul Jalil was in intensive care in a Singapore hospital on Saturday after a mild stroke. Matori, 61, was unconscious when he arrived at Mount Elizabeth Hospital but has since regained consciousness, said Chalief Akbar, the Indonesian Embassy's head of information. "His condition is improving," he added.

TNI offers to work with East Timor Ian Timberlake, Agence France-Presse, Jakarta The Indonesian Military (TNI) has offered to cooperate with its former adversaries in the East Timor Defense Force in areas such as training, an East Timor embassy official said Saturday after a meeting between commanders of the two armed forces. The offer came late Friday during 90 minutes of talks between TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and Brig. Gen.

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, September 7, 2003 Exhibitions * Fine Arts Suara-Suara di Ruang Gelap by Gotot Prakosa, GoetheHaus, Jl. Sam Ratulangi 9-15 Central Jakarta (Tel. 23550208), 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., until Sept. 9. * Painting Painthinkting by F. Sigit Santoso, Edwin's Gallery Jl. Kemang Raya No. 21, Kemang, South Jakarta (Tel. 7194721), until Sept. 14. * Western ready-to- wear with Indian touch by designer Bonnie Hazuria at FUSIONS boutique Saberro House, Jln Kemang Raya 10 A (Tel.

Tenants get extra protection following Marriott incident Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta High-rise apartments and townhouses are beefing up their security systems to protect tenants from threats of danger in the wake of the recent bombing of JW Marriott hotel.