Tarigan takes stock of new rock Chris Holm, Contributor, Jakarta From a young age, music buff and CD-producer David Tarigan knew he was nuts about "things", especially musical things. "I've always had a fetish about objects; cultural things. I collect them, I suppose, because I love memorabilia," he said. "Since I was very small until I was about 10 I created my own country -- I called it 'Antarctica' but it wasn't a land covered with ice and snow.

A feast for the eyes The inclusion of visual arts in this year's Art Summit Indonesia takes the international festival to a new level, presenting artworks by renowned visual artists as well as the regular dance, music and theater performances. For one month, 39 works of 25 artists from six countries -- France, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, New Zealand as well as host Indonesia -- are on display at Galeri Nasional Indonesia.

A feast for the eyes The inclusion of visual arts in this year's Art Summit Indonesia takes the international festival to a new level, presenting artworks by renowned visual artists as well as the regular dance, music and theater performances. For one month, 39 works of 25 artists from six countries -- France, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, New Zealand as well as host Indonesia -- are on display at Galeri Nasional Indonesia.

Govt takes a beating on terrorism Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Factions in the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) hailed the government on Saturday for helping to promote democracy in the country but blasted it over its poor handling of terrorism.

IWA, Ramli to hold bazaars INDONESIA: Two upcoming bazaars in Jakarta will offer the opportunity for shoppers to snap up some bargains, and do some social good in the process. The Indian Women's Association (IWA) will hold an international charity bazaar on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m at Four Seasons Hotel in South Jakarta. Clothing, fashion accessories, food, handicrafts and perfumes, from India, Indonesia and other countries, will be available.

Going with the flow at Oktoberfest Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Munich's famous Oktoberfest is much more than beer drinking and Bavarian food, it also involves lots of foot-stomping and hand clapping -- as one lucky Indonesian man found out at this country's version of the event. The Garmisch Partenkirchener Band from Bavaria livened up the venue at the Aryaduta Hotel Jakarta on Saturday with live music and jokes.

TV Program: Sunday, September 26, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Children's Show 9:00 Music: Delta 10:30 Sports: Antar Gelanggang 11:00 TV Drama 12:30 p.m. English for Fun 1:00 News: Berita Siang 2:00 Music 3:00 English News Service 4:30 Zooming 5:00 Robocon 6:30 Talk Show: Obrolan Wong Cilik 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music TPI 5:30 a.m.

Touch and go: Tuina handles an ailing body Elvera N. Makki, Contributor, Jakarta At a glance, tuina might look similar to ordinary massage but it should never be taken as merely a fun rubdown. The Chinese consider it serious business for health, and it's now available in Jakarta. You may be bemused by the term "hand-manipulation" the same way I was when I first heard of tuina, an ancient Chinese healing method developed about 2,000 years ago. But, whatever you do, don't call it massage.

If you go ... Getting there: A number of airlines, such as Garuda Indonesia, Eva Air and China Airlines, have direct flights from Jakarta to Taipei. Airfares average US$450 to $475 roundtrip. Tour packages are less expensive; a four-day tour package from Jakarta to Taipei, including hotels, local transportation, lunch and dinners, for example, sells for only about $700.

Visiting Oriental Circus flips with flair for fun Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Claudio bravely approached the large feline and patted it on the head, then sat on a wooden bench with the tamed beast trailing behind. The 49-kilogram leopard put its large paws on the chubby thighs of the boy, who will turn three in December, and posed for a photo-op.

In the clear: A house of glass without full exposure Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta You know the old adage about people in glass houses, but glass doors and walls, combined with wooden screens, can make for quietly comfortable and stylish modern living. The extensive use of glass walls and doors as well as a semiopen top area give a natural, open feel to this luxurious tropical house in Surabaya.

Pro-Susilo parties start jostling for Cabinet posts Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Political parties that supported Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Sept. 20 runoff are accusing the retired Army general of breaching a preelection agreement, after he hinted at giving a prominent Cabinet post to a senior executive of a minor party that did not campaign for his presidency bid.

Sailor feared to have bird flu MALAYSIA: One Malaysian navy sailor remained ill with flu-like symptoms and four others recovered on Saturday as the country scrambled to determine whether potentially deadly bird flu was spreading beyond a quarantined northern state. The sailors remained under observation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, capital of Sabah state on the tip of Borneo island, said Ramlee Rahmat, director of disease control at the health ministry.

PKB 'freezes' Yogya chapter INDONESIA: The National Awakening Party (PKB) has officially suspended operations at its Yogyakarta chapter and appointed a caretaker to select new executives to fill leadership positions. In a letter dated Sept. 16, Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the PKB board of patrons, said the decision was made after PKB Yogyakarta executives acted in a manner that contradicted decisions issued by the PKB headquarters.

Spas open their doors to men for a soft couch Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It was a mere four years ago that spas to pamper us into the never-never land of complete relaxation received the lofty stamp of approval as the latest "trend" from leading women's magazine Femina. Today, spas, whether you see them as nearing the ultimate in self-gratification or merely as part of the holistic approach to putting both mind and body on an even keel, are here to stay.

Giant looking for late replacement Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Giant Asia Racing Team of Taiwan was caught one rider short of the minimum four required for the Dji Sam Soe Tour d'Indonesia after the abrupt withdrawal of Ahad Kazemi Sarai here on Saturday. The first race in the 10-day, 1,503 k.m. series from Jakarta to Bali starts on Monday and Giant ART is scrambling for a replacement for the Iranian rider, who withdrew because of a family emergency.

Sitcom star Sukma Ayu dead at 25 The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Actress Sukma Ayu, who played tomboy Rohaye in the hit TV sitcom Kecil Kecil Jadi Manten, died on Saturday afternoon of heart failure at her home in Bukit Sentul, West Java. She was 25. The daughter of veteran actress Nani Wijaya and director Misbach Yusa Biran had been in a coma since last April, when she suffered a fall at a Central Jakarta nightclub and underwent surgery for a cut to her arm.

Morisette set to come on over, fingers crossed Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta You oughta know that one of the most important contemporary artists is coming to town. You oughta realize that the recent Australian Embassy blast has scared away some foreign musicians (Alicia Keys, bond) slated to perform here. So, you oughta keep your fingers crossed, in the hope that Alanis Morissette will not cancel her upcoming performance. The Canadian is scheduled to perform here on Oct.

A feast for the eyes The inclusion of visual arts in this year's Art Summit Indonesia takes the international festival to a new level, presenting artworks by renowned visual artists as well as the regular dance, music and theater performances. For one month, 39 works of 25 artists from six countries -- France, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, New Zealand as well as host Indonesia -- are on display at Galeri Nasional Indonesia.

Touch and go: Tuina handles with care an ailing body Elvera N. Makki, Contributor, Jakarta =========================================================== STANDFIRST: At a glance, tuina might look similar to ordinary massage but it should never be considered merely a fun rubdown. The Chinese consider it serious business for health, and it's now available in Jakarta.

New Assembly to have a speaker and three deputies Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will have one speaker and three deputies that will reflect the composition of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), according to a document obtained by The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Sandy takes on Chan in final Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Second-seed Sandy Gumulya of Indonesia will be challenged by surprise package Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan in the final of the US$10,000 Indonesia Women's Circuit tennis tournament here on Sunday. Sandy secured her final place after stopping unseeded Ayu Fani Damayanti 6-1, 6-3 in the semifinal match on Saturday while Chan went through with a surprise 6-0, 7-5 win over top seed Napaporn Tongsalee of Thailand.

Where is the justice in this world? Jacinta Hannaford, Contributor, Jakarta There's nothing like another bombing to get people thinking about what life means to them all over again. A few days before the bombing at the Australian Embassy on Sept. 9, life to me meant university applications and going out with my friends, partying. You know, the typical teenage expatriate world.

Feeling Blue: The boys make a showing, finally Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta First there was the gokart accident, and then came the SARS epidemic and the inevitable, foreboding travel warning. So the Australian Embassy blast earlier this month could have been another good reason for British boyband Blue to delay their performance here for the third time.