Cobblestoned walk a free treatment in the heart of the city Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Aminah, 50, a resident of Pekayon, Bekasi, grimaced in pain as she hobbled along the cobbled walkway in the National Monument (Monas) Park in Central Jakarta in her bare feet. "It hurts, but that's OK. Some people say that if you feel pain in your feet, that is a signal something is wrong with your body's internal organs," she said on Saturday.

Message from Dutch Ambassador: The EU and Indonesia: Partners in development It is a great honor for me to send a message to the Indonesian people on behalf of the Presidency of the European Union on the occasion of Europe Day. In Indonesia, the Netherlands has the EU Presidency for one year and a half, between January 2004 and June 2005. This is because apart from its own Presidency the Netherlands takes over from Ireland and Luxembourg, countries that have no embassies in Indonesia.

Back from Malaysia Manggar Maula Mahabana Suli had been working as a domestic servant in Malaysia for two years now, leaving behind her husband, Karto, and two children: Nono, who was aged four and a half, and Nini, 3. Karto patiently looked after both children. Every time Nono and Nini asked when their mother was coming home, Karto would answer: "Emak1 will return when you go to elementary school!" Karto's reply would soothe their longing, but then they would ask how she would get home.

Hi-tech gates not working JAKARTA: The organizing committee of the 2004 Thomas and Uber Cup championships pledged before the events to provide a high level of security by installing barcode readers and fingerprint scanners at the entrance gates. The hi-tech security features caused long queues during the first days of the competitions. Unfortunately, the organizers are not using the gates around the clock.

Internationalism in education, a logical development Simon Marcus Gower, Executive Principal, High/Scope Indonesia School, Jakarta It is probably accurate to say that by now the notion that we are living in the age of globalization has become something of a cliche. But it is a reality that, practically each day, that is brought to our doorsteps.

Giving students easy access to good universities Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With academic qualifications still a passport to accessing a good university and professional career, international schools are becoming more popular among expatriates and local parents, not only because of the positive cultural values resulting from their multicultural environments but also due to the undisputable quality of their education.

New band Ten2Five arrives right on time Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It all began in 1994, in the bland city of Perth, Australia, where public buses stop operating at 7 p.m., and so do public places. Four Indonesian students spent most of their free time jamming together in a home studio, with a regularly scheduled session every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Then came the monetary crisis in 1997, where personal allowances were cut short and the studio became their main hangout.

Malaysia loses to Denmark to finish third in Group Y Zakki Hakim, Jakarta Uber Cup debutante Malaysia battled hard but still could not avoid a 5-0 whitewashing at the hands of Denmark in their Group Y match at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium here on Saturday. It was the second loss for Malaysian, seeded 11th out of 12 teams, following their 4-1 loss to Japan on the opening day of the competition. Wong Mew Choo and her teammates were clearly outclassed by the Danish women, led by Camila Martin.

Mob storms office of 'Nuansa Pos Palu' daily Ruslan Sangadji, Palu, Central Sulawesi A group of thugs claiming to be the relatives of local businessman Erwin Sumampouw stormed the offices of the Nuansa Pos Palu daily on Saturday, only a day after the newspaper ran an article that the attackers claimed had defamed the businessman. The attack came less than three weeks after an unidentified mob attacked the office of the Sinar Indonesia Baru daily in Medan on April 22.

Making a home under the roar of traffic Jakarta has its fancy skyscrapers, luxurious cars and posh shopping malls. That is the charmed life for the lucky few: Many others barely scrape by, finding a "roof" over their heads wherever they can.

Designers flock to Bali to take a chance on trance Agatha BelindaContributorBali From the happy hippy days of the Beatles, grunge's dark suburban look to the "bling-bling" ghetto fabulous of hip hop, music always underlies changing fashion. As music progresses in its art, culture and popularity, the fashion industry is never far behind to seize the day -- and the trend. So, what does it take for a trend to explode from its culture to the masses? And how long does it need?

'I love romantic novels' Legal expert/women's activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, 50, has had a hard time sleeping in recent days, as over 1,000 books in her home library were attacked by termites. "I left home for two weeks and out of the blue, termites ruined my books! I felt so sad, I cried," said Nursyahbani, founder of the Legal Aid Institute and several women's organization.

'S. Africa needs 15 years to catch up' JAKARTA: South African coach Morten Frost Hansen said that his country would need another 15 years to be able to challenge the strong badminton countries. The South African Thomas Cup team was beaten 0-5 by Thailand in a Group C match on Saturday. "Frankly speaking, it will be a long way for us to chalk up better achievement in the Thomas and Uber Cup. We have been participating simply to obtain experience," he said. -- Antara

Opening impression: Gates a stylish entry point Nirwono Joga, Contributor, Jakarta The gate still plays an important role in a modern house, accentuating the house's style and beauty. But the first impression of a gate is usually little changed from that of yesteryear -- robust, symmetrical and formal.

Majority of parties file complaints over polls Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Constitutional Court received on Saturday 131 complaints linked to the April 5 legislative election. Twenty-two of the complaints were filed by political parties, one by an alliance of political parties and the rest by individual candidates for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) from across the country. Most of the cases revolve around disputes over the ballot counting.

Adventure seekers drawn to 'child' of Krakatau Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press, Anak Krakatau, Banten In an ancient cycle of death and rebirth, the offspring of a legendary volcano is now growing at the spot where its parent was destroyed in the most cataclysmic natural event in recorded history -- and becoming a magnet for adventure tourists from around the world. The volcanic eruption on Aug.

Message from the Ambassador/Head of the Delegation of the European Commission, HE Sabato Della Monica Enlargement will further strengthen EU's relationship with RI Today, the European Union celebrates Europe Day. It was on May 9, 1950, in the aftermath of the Second World War, that the French foreign minister Robert Schumann made history by announcing a plan to control the forces of war and instead create a Europe in which countries were economically and politically linked.

Smoking defenders are full of puff 'n' nonsense Krabbe K. Piting, Contributor, Jakarta Aaah, the smell of kretek (clove cigarettes), that quintessential Indonesian smell. Everybody has his or her own pet peeves. Mine is when smokers light up in public places and assume that others tolerate their cloud of cancer-laden smoke, kretek or otherwise. Never mind it's a crowded bus and the windows are permanently jammed, and have been from the Malari days back in the mid-1970s.

GAM gives assurance on Fery INDONESIA: The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) commander for Pereulak, Ishak Daud, stressed on Saturday that the rebels would release TV station RCTI cameraman Fery Santoro and other civilian hostages on May 13.

Police say no terrorist link to Riau blast Abdul Khalik, Jakarta After five days of intensive investigations and the involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the police announced on Saturday that the Pekanbaru blast was not a terrorist outrage but a purely criminal act. The announcement came after police investigators declared three persons as suspects in the blast that killed two persons and seriously injured four others last Tuesday.

Tuition not the deciding issue for many expats Joseph Kirschke, Contributor, Jakarta Altogether, expatriates with children in Jakarta have 17 international schools to choose from. They range from British and American schools to French, Pakistani and even Saudi Arabian secondary schools.

Indonesia gets off to winning start by drubbing U.S. in Thomas Cup Eva C. Komandjaja and Zakki P. Hakkim, Jakarta Indonesia got off to its expected winning start in its defense of the Thomas Cup, racing to a 5-0 win over the unheralded United States in a Group A match at Bung Karno Indoor Stadium here on Saturday. Thailand also chalked up a 5-0 win over South Africa, while Germany conceded a point in its 4-1 win over New Zealand in a match between outsiders in the men's team competition.

Megawati to open IBF meet Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to open the 65th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Badminton Federation (IBF) at the State Palace on Sunday, a top Indonesian badminton official said on Saturday. "This is the first time that a head of state will open an IBF AGM.

Tickets for RI vs. China sold out JAKARTA: All 6,000 tickets for the match between defending champion Indonesia and favorite China in a Group A match in the Thomas Cup on Monday have been sold out This prompted the organizing committee to print another 2,500 tickets for the 10,000-capacity Bung Karno Indoor Stadium. "They have been sold out. We will be distributing more tickets tonight," a ticketing official said. Off the tickets that were sold, 1,200 were VIP tickets costing Rp 50,000 a piece.

Islamic parties join forces with candidate The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Four Islamic-oriented parties agreed on Saturday to nominate common presidential and vice presidential candidates. "We will announce our presidential and vice presidential candidates on Monday. The names of the candidates are still being discussed," incumbent vice president and chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Hamzah Haz told reporters after a meeting at his residence in Bogor, West Java.

Veteran shuttlers set up badminton community Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta Despite the fact that the nation's badminton players have brought pride to their country, many of them still fall victim to racial discrimination. As a result, a group of veteran players established the Indonesian Badminton Community (KBI) on Saturday to improve the athletes' welfare once their heyday in the court is over. "The idea has been around since 1977.

Clunk, click, buckling up worth your trip "You're joking, aren't you?" was the practically cynical response from a friend to the warning that "you had better put your seat belt on because you'll be in trouble, if the traffic police see you without it on". Old habits die-hard, and so do bad habits. The truth is that you are now obliged to use a seat belt when traveling in a car in Jakarta and this is a good thing, not something that we should be cynical about.

Clunk, click, buckling up worth it on your every trip "You're joking, aren't you?" was the practically cynical response from a friend to the warning that "you had better put your seat belt on because you'll be in trouble, if the traffic police see you". Old habits die-hard, and so do bad habits. The truth is that you are now obliged to use a seat belt when traveling in a car in Jakarta and this is a good thing, not something that we should be cynical about.

Designers take a chance on trance in Bali Agatha Belinda, Contributor, Bali From the happy hippy days of the Beatles, grunge's dark suburban look to the "bling-bling" ghetto fabulous of hip hop, music always underlies changing fashion. As music progresses in its art, culture and popularity, the fashion industry is never far behind to seize the day -- and the trend. So, what does it take for a trend to explode from its culture to the masses? And how long does it need?

RI's women look to bounce back Novan Iman Santosa and Zakki Hakim, Jakarta After being hammered by China, the Indonesian women hope to capitalize on the absence of Mia Audina when they meet the Netherlands in their Uber Cup Group W match here on Sunday. Indonesian coach Ivana Lie said Mia's absence would benefit her singles' players. However, Dutch coach Martijn van Dooremalen insisted her squad would be just fine without Mia.

National-plus schools: Another alternative to obtain quality education Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta Of all kinds of education available in the Indonesian school system, "national-plus" schools are becoming increasingly popular among parents in big cities as an alternative way to obtain quality learning. Slightly different from international schools, national-plus schools are accredited by the Ministry of Education and must fulfill its curricula and policy requirements.