Indonesia to join Kendo ASEAN tournament Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Sixteen Indonesian kendoka from the All-Indonesia Kendo Federation (AIKF) will compete in the seventh ASEAN Kendo tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5. The kendoka -- two third dan, five second dan and nine first dan students -- will fight in individual and group events in the tournament.

'Dangdut' king A. Rafiq dstill in tune Narada Krisnaputra, Contributor, Jakarta The burly man looks surprised and his eyes widen. All of a sudden, he moves his body closer to me; his face is just inches from mine. For a very brief moment, I think he is about to yell, or worse, hypnotize me. "Read my lips: I don't think there's still someone out there who has the guts to call dangdut kampungan (provincial).

Minahasa's traditional house travels well Jongker Rumteh, The Jakarta Post, Manado The growing fascination with traditional houses has put Woloan, a small village in Manado, on the map both here and abroad. It is known as the place where customers can order knock-down wooden Minahasan traditional houses to their own specifications. Located about 3 km from Tomohon and about 28 km from Manado, the village is the home of carpenters famous for their skills in building traditional houses.

Gus Dur endorses Susilo's bid for presidency Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Reneging on his earlier vow to abstain, former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid declared on Saturday he would vote for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Sept. 20 runoff. Emerging from a 30-minute talk at the Regent Hotel, Gus Dur said he did not represent the National Awakening Party (PKB), which he co-founded in 1998, in his decision.

Come and visit us, if you really want to Traveling exposes you to the good and the bad not only of the place you travel to, but also helps you to see your town, city, country, etc. in a different light. Local schoolbooks always point out how beautiful Indonesia is, with its lush rain forests (with the illegal logging and forest fires, this just goes to show how outdated the books are, not to mention the whole education system), bountiful natural resources and smiling people.

A reporter calls on his peers to tell Aceh's story Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia's Secret War in Aceh John Martinkus Random House Australia, 2004 326 pp Using the word "secret" as a book title is bound to be a magnet for curious readers, the tease to draw them in to find out more about its promise of providing more information.

Benny Moerdani in 'critical condition' Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. (ret) Leonardus Benyamin "Benny" Moerdani was reported to have gone into a coma on Saturday following a steady deterioration in his health since he was hospitalized early in July.

TV Program: Sunday, August 29, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Children Show 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports 11:00 TV Drama: Traditional 12:30 p.m. English for Fun 1:00 News: Berita Siang 2:00 Music 3:00 English News Service 4:30 Pak Odor's Show 5:00 Robocon 6:30 Bagito's Show: Obrolan Wong Cilik 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 7:30 Indonesian Film 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music 10:00 TV Drama 11:00 Music TPI 6:00 a.m.

TV Program: Sunday, August 29, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Children Show 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports 11:00 TV Drama: Traditional 12:30 p.m. English for Fun 1:00 News: Berita Siang 2:00 Music 3:00 English News Service 4:30 Pak Odor's Show 5:00 Robocon 6:30 Bagito's Show: Obrolan Wong Cilik 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 7:30 Indonesian Film 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music 10:00 TV Drama 11:00 Music TPI 6:00 a.m.

Semarang: `Little Holland' tries to came alive M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Semarang Always renowned as a bustling port city, Semarang is rarely considered an inviting place to stop and take in the sights. Nevertheless, the legacy from the Central Java capital's history of commercial activities, in all its long-lost glory, today holds potential as a tourist attraction.

Festival out to boost interest in local comics Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Hanny, 27, was window-shopping at Mal Ciputra in Grogol, West Jakarta, when she noticed a banner informing shoppers of the Comic Festival on the fourth floor. Curious, she decided to take a look. There, in front of the entertainment-games center, was a display of beautifully rendered comic strips mounted on boards and dozens of comic books.

Fire hits ornamental fish market INDONESIA: A fire broke out in the ornamental fish market area on Jl. Barito in Gandaria, South Jakarta, late Saturday, but no casualties were reported. The fire in the area adjacent to the flower market was reported to have started around 9:30 p.m. It destroyed some 20 kiosks and a short circuit is thought to have caused the fire, detik.com online agency reported. -- JP

Perfect places for pick-me-ups Coffee culture in Jakarta has taken on its own meaning, distinct from the original function of its counterparts Europe where regulars stop in for a taste of the bitter black stuff. While the friends from Friends had Central Perk, here the coffee shop can be a place to hash out deals, a stop during an afternoon of shopping, the choice spot to watch the world go by or people watch at the end of the day.

Warehouse gutted by fire INDONESIA: Fire gutted on Saturday a warehouse belonging to paper producer PT Pura Barutama in Kudus, Central Java province. No fatalities were reported in the incident. The fire department was called immediately after the fire started in the warehouse at 4.30 p.m. The prompt arrival of the fire department allowed the fire to be put out completely within a few hours, said Hasan Aoni Azis, a spokesman for the company.

Govt's commitment to fighting corruption questioned Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The government's commitment to the eradication of corruption has come under public scrutiny due to its apparently lackluster support for the eight-month-old Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), and failure to set up the anticorruption court.

Artists tap the Olympic spirit, with a twist Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta As the Olympics returned to its native home this year, with the first ever Cultural Olympics to accompany the Sports Games in Athens, a group of 28 Indonesian artists drew inspiration from the auspicious event.

Choosing the right wine a matter of taste Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta Many of us dream of being a great host, but it's the wine that gets us every time. The trick of properly pairing our menu with accompanying wine gives some novice hosts sleepless nights while trying to find the right combination. We know the rules: The flavor of a dish affects the wine, and the wine also influences the food.

TV Program: Sunday, August 29, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Children Show 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports 11:00 TV Drama: Traditional 12:30 p.m. English for Fun 1:00 News: Berita Siang 2:00 Music 3:00 English News Service 4:30 Pak Odor's Show 5:00 Robocon 6:30 Bagito's Show: Obrolan Wong Cilik 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 7:30 Indonesian Film 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music 10:00 TV Drama 11:00 Music TPI 6:00 a.m.

Names Y. Wibowo The air was damp and fetid with the smell of urine, and Karyo felt uneasy. He was not sure how long he would be behind bars: Five or 10 years, perhaps more. After 57 days in the cell, the resolution of the case remained unclear. It was unfair, yes: All he had done was deliver letters from one worker's union to another. He started it three years earlier, when workers set up the unions with the aim of securing their rights.

'Dangdut' king A. Rafiq still in tune Narada Krisnaputra, Contributor, Jakarta The burly man looks surprised and his eyes widen. All of a sudden, he moves his body closer to me; his face is just inches from mine. For a very brief moment, I think he is about to yell, or worse, hypnotize me. "Read my lips: I don't think there's still someone out there who has the guts to call dangdut kampungan (provincial).

Come visit us, if you really want to Traveling exposes you to the good and the bad not only of the place you travel to, but also helps you to see your town, city, country, etc. in a different light. Local schoolbooks always point out how beautiful Indonesia is, with its lush rain forests (with the illegal logging and forest fires, this just goes to show how outdated the books are, not to mention the whole education system), bountiful natural resources and smiling people.

Local coffee shops wake up and smell the competition P.C. Naommy Contributor Jakarta For Serli Wawolumaya, it's all about the coffee. When the 23-year-old private company employee and PR student seeks out her daily pick-me-up, she does not look for a trendy spot to stop and talk shop as others look in from the outside. Her choice is a locally owned coffee shop -- "it's tastier and fits my pocketbook" -- for an Indonesian brew.

Local coffee shops wake up and smell the competition P.C. Naommy, Contributor, Jakarta For Serli Wawolumaya, it's all about the coffee. When the 23-year-old private company employee and PR student seeks out her daily pick-me-up, she does not look for a trendy spot to stop and talk shop as others look in from the outside. Her choice is a locally owned coffee shop -- "it's tastier and fits my pocketbook" -- for an Indonesian brew.