Sprouting some full-fledged anger with Korn Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta For a songwriter whose lyrics are full of f-this and f-that, self-deprecation and seething anger, American new metal pioneer Korn's frontman Jonathan Davis is composed and polite off stage. He talked in a soft tone and paid attention to every question thrown his way in the media conference prior to the show on Thursday, even when the queries seemed completely irrelevant.

China in tough group for Thomas Cup prelims Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur Former champion China was placed in a tough group including strong challenger Thailand at the draw for badminton's men's Thomas Cup Preliminaries (Asian Zone) in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. China was drawn with Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam in Group D for the Feb. 16-22 qualifiers here, with only one team from the group getting automatic qualification to the May finals in Jakarta.

Are vegetarians having the last laugh? Pavan Kapoor, Contributor, Jakarta "Eat what tonight, madam?" my house cook asked politely as he brought in my morning brew. It was Wednesday and he was supposed to thaw the chicken he buys on his weekly Sunday market trips. "Um...," I began creatively, only to have each menu idea slam against a brick wall, stagger and pass out in a bed of insipid vegetables, calorie-pregnant breads and frugal soups.

Composer Sinta bridging East and West in music Her shiny black hair in a tight, short bob reminescent of 1920s' actress Louise Brooks, musician Sinta Wullur gesticulates in an Amsterdam cafe opposite the Tropenmuseum (Asian Civilisations Museum). Outside, great gusts of cold wind and gray skies remind us that we are in Europe, far from Bandung where Sinta was born in November 1958.

New gamelan center playing its tune in Amsterdam Kunang Helmi-Picard Contributor Amsterdam, Netherlands Eleven-year-old gamelan afficiando Morrison solemnly tapped out the steady beat on the kempli, a large kettledrum on which all the musicians in Balinese gamelan depend to keep time, especially when the rhythms get tricky.

Center lends an ear to hear troubled teens out Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Angst, anxiety, raging hormones -- it's never been a smooth transition to adulthood. Apparently, it is no less difficult today, despite high tech, glitzy shopping malls with all their offerings and glossy magazines doling out advice.

Despite arrest, 'kolor hijau' all in the mind Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta While most capitals in the region are battening down the hatches against bird flu, a creature of another kind has sent Jakarta residents into a tizzy. From gossip at office water fountains to talk in traditional markets, the city has been abuzz in recent weeks with stories of attacks committed by a half-man, half-beast.

Bird flu feared to have infected ducks in Bali Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Tabanan, Bali Bali's bird flu looks to have spread to ducks, with some 3,000 of the birds displaying symptoms of the virus before they died, the island's animal husbandry office said. Provincial head Ida Bagus Raka said while the evidence looked bad, his office had not yet determined conclusively whether the ducks had avian influenza, or the dangerous H5N1 strain of the virus.

;JP; ANPAc..r.. Apartments-business-grow checked EJK Business getting better as economy shows its strength Debbie A. Lubis Contributor Jakarta As the country's economy begins to show signs of recovery and the security situation has improved, more and more businesspeople and expatriates are coming to Jakarta, making the serviced- apartments business a lucrative venture. Major serviced apartments, particularly in Jakarta, reported an occupancy rate of between 80 percent to 100 percent in 2003.

DJ James Zambiela beats things up at the turntable Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta Jakarta was once again treated to some top international DJ talent when 24-year-old James Zambiela, the world's #11-ranked DJ, played to a crowd of nearly 1,500 people at Club Centro on Jan. 24 in South Jakarta. From Southampton, UK, Zambiela grew up with a sensory overload of the latest UK acid house, since his father worked in a nearby record store.

RI Davis Cuppers on brink of elimination Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Japan took a 2-1 lead in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I tie against Indonesia when world No. 74 Thomas Shimada paired with Takahiro Terachi to win the doubles in straight sets here, on Saturday. The Japanese were too strong for the host pairing of Suwandi and Hendri Susilo Pramono, winning 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 in just two hours at the Bung Karno Tennis Open Stadium in Senayan.

Night-time story Muryanto HP Marni was uneasy. The coaxing words of her friend Lastri were still fresh in her mind. "You should take pity on your aging and ailing mother. Remember, you have two sisters. They all must survive..." In fact, she had not rejected outright Lastri's offer to work at her food stall. She would consider the offer and seek her mother's advice.

Local restaurant franchises make big success T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta Everybody enjoys good food, which explains why the restaurant business continues to thrive, even during the economic crisis. This was also what Erliza Hambali, a researcher at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, had in mind when she decided to get into the restaurant business.

Government declares Nabire disaster area The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government declared the town of Nabire in Papua a disaster area after a second major earthquake shook the town on Saturday, and promised immediate humanitarian aid to those affected by the disaster. Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said the government would soon deliver 50 tons of staple foods and other basic commodities to Nabire and discuss further relief programs.

Composer Sinta bridging East and West in music Her shiny black hair in a tight, short bob reminiscent of 1920s' actress Louise Brooks, musician Sinta Wullur gesticulates in an Amsterdam cafe opposite the Tropenmuseum (Asian Civilizations Museum). Outside, great gusts of cold wind and gray skies remind us that we are in Europe, far from Bandung where Sinta was born in November 1958.

Doping no way to fitness Fitness instructors play important roles in answering questions from clients and giving advice on training. The Jakarta Post asked fitness instructors in several gyms in Central Jakarta their views on fitness and doping. When we met Ade Rai at Graha Atrium, Senen, in Central Jakarta he said that fitness is like mathematics, as one plus one always equals two. There is always a reason if you don't make the progress you would like.

Gamelan center playing its tune in Amsterdam Kunang Helmi-Picard, Contributor, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Eleven-year-old gamelan aficionado Morrison solemnly tapped out the steady beat on the kempli, a large kettledrum on which all the musicians in Balinese gamelan depend to keep time, especially when the rhythms get tricky.

Mahathir swaps stories with old pal Soeharto Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Old friends and fellow retirees Soeharto and Mahathir Mohamad, who shared the limelight during their heyday as two of Southeast Asia's most powerful leaders, held a reunion here on Saturday.

'Cap Go Meh' parade set to liven up Sunday morning The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Thousands of Jakartans will parade along the streets on Sunday to take part in the exciting celebrations of Cap Go Meh to mark the end of Chinese New Year festivities, which began on Jan. 22. A procession of four toapekong (likenesses of traditional gods) will start at 9 a.m. from Wihara Toasebio on Jl. Petak Sembilan, Glodok, West Jakarta. At the intersection of Jl.

Fending for themselves After going through many stressful changes in their lives -- kept as pets, confiscated by the authorities and rehabilitated by experts -- six orangutans are finally free to roam in the wild again. As "graduates" of the Orangutan Reintroduction Center at Nyaru Menteng in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, the animals were declared ready to return to their natural habitat.

A day at the 'zoo' with other human attractions Aida Greenbury, Contributor, Jakarta I looked at my face reflected in the mirror, trying to trace any She-Devil lines in between my laugh crinkles. "Can people actually see me as a criminal? A replica of the famous duo Thelma and Louise perhaps -- with a five-year old girl as the mischievous accomplice?" I mumbled to myself. Our story actually begins one beautiful Sunday. My two-year- old son wanted to go to the park and see wild animals, he said.

TV Program: Sunday, February 8, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:00 Children's Program: Dongeng Anak 9:00 Children's Program: Delta 10:00 TV Drama: Nostalgia 11:00 Variety Show: Maskum Show 12:30 p.m.

Game show in S'pore antiterrorism plan Associated Press, Singapore Refrigerator magnets, a media blitz and even a game show are part of the Singapore government's new all-out new campaign to prepare its people for a potential terror attack. One Singaporean will be crowned the island's "Total Defense King" in a game show testing citizens' knowledge of how to be alert for possible terror dangers, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Saturday.

Artist : The Groove Album : Hati-Hati Bandung-based The Groove tones down the beat on its third album, resulting in a record filled with smooth jazz tunes rather than the acid jazz of its previous works. The band brought in a pack of collaborators, mostly jazz musicians, such as jazz wizard Indra Lesmana, who did the mixing and mastering, Idham Noorsaid, who led the brass section highlighting most of the tracks, and drummer Aksan Syuman, who played the additional second drums on the title track.

'Art-full' designing: Melding artistic nuances into a home Asip A. Hasani, Contributor, Yogyakarta The house appears like an ordinary two-story residence from the outside, but once one steps inside there is an immediate sense of the characters of its owners, noted artists and gallery owners Nindityo Adipurnomo and Mella Jaarsma. Located in Danunegaran village in Yogyakarta, the house, already featured in a French architectural magazine, reflects freedom through its space and relaxed nuances.