A timid walk to a place free from discrimination Evi Mariani and Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta For the past two years, Daniel Kristanto, 28, has not been afraid to get into a traffic argument in Jakarta despite his obvious ethnic Chinese appearance. "If a car tries to cut me off in traffic, I will fight back regardless of the driver's ethnicity," he said.

New tsunami concern: A baby boom in Aceh's refugee camps Chris Brummit, Associated Press, Banda Aceh, Aceh With the birth of her first child just one month away, Wadiana Wahab worries about the world her baby will enter. She mainly eats rice and instant noodles and has no money for a crib, diapers or baby clothes. And while she expects to deliver at a hospital, she will likely return to the sweltering tent she calls home, where the stench of human waste hangs in the air.

Discriminatory rules still haunt Chinese-Indonesians Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta For badminton legend Tan Joe Hok, 67, any discussion about discrimination against suku Tionghoa (the term used by many Chinese-Indonesians to describe themselves) is frustrating. Indeed, he was reluctant to recall all of the instances of discrimination suffered by him and his family. "It was very difficult for my children to enroll in schools.

Tsunami may have wiped out vicious Malacca Strait pirates Paul Dillon, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Banda Aceh, Aceh The tsunami that erased dozens of coastal communities in Aceh, Indonesia, killing nearly 175,000 people in the country, may have taken a toll on another group that has dogged security officials in the region for years.

1. Baby (4 x 12) New tsunami concern: A baby boom in Aceh's camps 2. US (2 x 25) Tsunami relief effort helped project US image in RI 3. Afghan (2 x 20) Afghan plane wreckage found, no survivors

'Rainmaker' spins indelible tale Marianne Katoppo, Contributor, Jakarta The Rainmaker's Daughter Richard Oh 210 pp. Metafor Publishing 2004 The Rainmaker's Daughter is a title die-hard feminists would strenuously object to. She is the heroine, so why is her character derived and not defined? But as I started reading, I soon realized that names really are irrelevant here. Would "The Woman Who Swallowed the Whirlwind" be better?

Bush, Clinton to see tsunami victims WASHINGTON: Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush -- the current president's father -- will visit tsunami-affected countries of South and Southeast Asia later this month, the White House announced Friday. Clinton and Bush, whom President George W.

Govt to house tsunami orphans Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra The government plans to set up some 50 orphanages, which could accommodate up to 50,000 children orphaned by the Dec. 26 tsunamis, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said here on Saturday. Kalla said that the government was obligated to develop the orphanages as, according to the country's Constitution, the state has a responsibility to care for orphans. "It's a long-term plan, but we'll start from now.

Langkawi, island of eagles and legends A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Langkawi, Malaysia Two red eagles soared over the popular Cenang Beach on Langkawi Island, Malaysia, as a few European tourists relaxed on the white sand. The beach -- probably like many other beaches in the island such as Tanjung Rhu, Kok and Pasir Hitam, or even beaches in other ASEAN countries -- was quiet, especially after the huge tsunami hit the region on Dec. 26.

Lita looks at life from both sides now Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta When memory fails her about her days on the international tennis circuit, Lita Liem Sugiarto finds the answers she needs in two small notebooks. Within their covers, in tiny, precise handwriting, are listed all of the tournaments she played in, her win-loss record and the prize money she took home. Some names -- Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade -- are familiar to tennis fans.

Paradise island for duty-free shoppers When you arrive at Langkawi airport or the island's port, you will be greeted by big billboards:"Welcome to Langkawi, the Duty Free Island". The billboards speak the truth, and the prices of many goods are much lower compared to similar items available in Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta. For my daughter, I bought a Barbie doll for RM 41 (US$11) at a shopping mall in Kuah, the main town on Langkawi.

Australia to play Indonesia in tsunami relief match Agence France-Presse, Sydney, Australia Australia will play Indonesia in a soccer friendly in March with the proceeds going to the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster, the Football Federation Australia said. The FFA said in a statement late Friday the match would take place in Perth on March 29.

1. Imlek (1 x 32) Monkey runs as rooster takes up rule 2. Thai (1 x 28) Thaksin set to win second term 3. Aceh (1 x 26) Govt to house tsunami orphans 1. New (1 x 29) Islamic new year; what new year?

Old bomb found in Pekanbaru INDONESIA: Residents of Tenayan village in Bukit Raya district outside of Pekanbaru city panicked on Saturday morning after discovering a bomb believed to date back to the time of the Japanese occupation (1942-1945) in Riau. Fearing that the weapon of war was still active and could explode, the residents immediately reported it to Bukit Raya police precinct.

Happy birthday, Pramoedya Ananta Toer Internationally acclaimed writer and Nobel Prize for Literature multiple nominee Pramoedya Ananta Toer celebrates his 80th birthday today. In as much as Pramoedya himself is a controversial figure in his outspokenness and unabated quest for truth, his work has drawn both praise and criticism, but is undisputed in its chronicling of modern Indonesian history through the struggles of the common man.

Monkey runs as rooster take up rule Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With the passing of the year of the mischievous monkey in 2004, it is now time to embrace the year of the rooster. Proud, honest, and blunt are listed as the rooster's characteristics, but does cocksureness come before a fall?

Tsunami relief effort helped project U.S. image in Indonesia Agence France-Presse, Singapore The commander of the aircraft carrier strike group which led the massive US tsunami relief effort said Saturday the deployment had helped project a more positive American image in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim nation.

Dengue fever puts S'pore on alert SINGAPORE: Singapore has gone on high alert after cases of dengue fever almost doubled last year to a 10-year high, the government said, urging "an all-out war" on mosquitoes that spread the sometimes fatal disease. Singapore, a Southeast Asian island of 4 million people, had 9,459 dengue infections in 2004, the highest since records began in the mid-1990s, and at least three people died from the illness, official statistics show.

;AFP; ANPAf..r.. High-quake-US Former US presidents Bush, Clinton to visit tsunami-ravaged natio JP/2/High Bush, Clinton to visit tsunami areas ;REUTERS; ANPAf..r.. High-Singapore-health Singapore on alert after dengue fever outbreaks JP/2/High Dengue fever puts S'pore on alert

Romy Rafael: Hypnotherapy's self-appointed PR man Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Donning black attire from head to foot, gypsy earrings and headcover, and dangling a pocket watch, Romy Rafael, the rising hypnotist, mesmerizes the public through his new form of entertainment on a private TV station. "I like to entertain, but I actually want more. I want to make hypnotherapy a recognized way of healing here," Romy said, sipping his ice coffee in a hotel cafe.

Roosters are ready to crow Chinese New Year is coming, and the roosters are ready to crow on the dawn of Feb. 9, 2005. Chinese Jakartans have been preparing for family gatherings at home. Although some Chinese Indonesian community leaders have requested that people celebrate this new year in a modest manner -- out of respect for the tsunami victims -- they also say that there is no harm in decorating your house with a red lantern or two.

How to get there A variety of carriers provide direct flights from major cities in Indonesia, such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Padang, to Kuala Lumpur. Among these, the most popular airline is probably Air Asia, which offers only budget fares. A two-hour Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur flight only costs around Rp 200,000 (US$22), and it costs only about $10 for a connecting flight to Langkawi. More upmarket airlines that also serve similar routes include Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Malaysian Airlines.