MariaBy AA Navis Batang Antokan river flowed swiftly from Lake Maninjau to the Indian Ocean. I could clearly hear the clamor it made from the spot where I stood.

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Taman Safari breeding program offers hopeBy Stevie Emilia CISARUA, West Java (JP): It is a perilous race against time for many endangered animal species in Indonesia.

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Guess What? Author HB Jassin is still being treated at Jakarta's Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital for a stroke, but this did not stop his friends from celebrating his 80th birthday in style.

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Western fare knocks traditional RI dishes off the menuBy Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): They may be swimming in fat and laden with calories, but pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs and other Western dishes are threatening to supplant traditional Indonesian cuisine.

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Arifien tells whimsical tales in artBy Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): One of the Kurawa brothers attempts to undress Dewi Drupadi by pulling her translucent selendang cloth, causing the vase on a nearby table to almost tip over. In fact, the entire table is also about to tip over.

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Seeing orangutans at their devilish best needs cautionText and photos by Mulkan Salmona LANGKAT, North Sumatra (JP): I was panting from exhaustion after trekking up the sequestered trail in the woods of the Bohorok rehabilitation center for orangutans.

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Garin hopes of lucky number fourBy Yenni Kwok JAKARTA (JP): Garin Nugroho is both worried and hopeful."People say four is the death number," said the young filmmaker. "But, I believe that it also signifies births and revivals.

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What they say about endangered species JAKARTA (JP): The problem of endangered animals has more to do with humans than the animals themselves.

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Hollywood sends wrong message about smokingBy Hillary Rodham Clinton Not long ago, I saw the romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding. It had a clever plot, witty lines and some unusual high jinks. It also featured a prop increasingly favored in Hollywood movies: the cigarette.

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Indonesia's fauna is in dire straits Dead as a dodo has been the epitaph for many animal species after they have slipped into extinction. But for future generations, the name of the flightless bird could well be replaced with dozens of Indonesian species now perilously close to vanishing forever.

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SEA Games athletes eye overall title JAKARTA (JP): The country's athletes are determined to reclaim the overall medal honors at the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this October, the title they lost to Thailand two years ago.

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Leadership and Asia's 'Economic Miracle' Tigers: Leaders of the new Asia-PacificBy Greg Sheridan,Allen and Unwin Pty Ltd., NSW, Australia, 1997xviii and 324 pages,S$29.90 YOGYAKARTA (JP): Many books and articles explore Asia's "economic miracle".

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Ciputat antiques going for a songBy Edith Hartanto JAKARTA (JP): Antique dealers along Jl. Ciputat Raya in South Jakarta are offering discounts of up to 50 percent for the whole of August.

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Happy Idul Fitri *) Happy Idul Fitri, Mother Earthplease forgive us for our crueltyin pillaging you everyday Happy Idul Fitri, oh Skyforgive us, we have been nastyin making you look gray Happy Idul Fitri, our Sunforgive our irresponsibilityin making you look hazy Happy Idul Fitri, oh ...

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Hun Sen agrees to ASEAN suggestionsBy Santi WE Soekanto PHNOM PENH (JP): ASEAN took a step forward in its mission to help restore political stability in Cambodia yesterday when First Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to some of its suggestions.

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Anand mauls Illescas in Leon chess festivalBy Kristianus Liem JAKARTA (JP): Indian chess star Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand crushed Spain's top Grandmaster Miguel Illescas 4,5-1,5 in a six- game match which was part of the main attraction at this year's 10th City of Leon chess festival in Spain.

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Zoo breathes fire into dragon breedingText and photos by Tarko Sudiarno YOGYAKARTA (JP): Weighing a mere 90 grams and just 45 centimeters long, the "babies" are nurtured with tender loving care.Each day they are fed a special protein-rich cocktail of minced meat, egg yolks and vitamins.

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'Pacinko' riders burning up the streets in downtown Jakarta JAKARTA (JP): On lazy Saturday nights when many streets are deserted and quiet save for the motley sounds of street vendors, the city's downtown is galvanized by the roar of motorbike racing.

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Sumatran tiger tries to beat the extinction oddsBy Dini S. Djalal SUMBER JAYA, Lampung (JP): He lay there quietly, hiding his face behind a stray log. Through the handycam's viewfinder, I watched him watch me with piercing green eyes. Then, without warning, he growled. And jumped.

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Traveling: A bag of laughs A merry heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.During my recent trip to Europe with the "COSMOS" group (head office in London) I met tourists from various countries. I was accompanied by my spouse and my 11-year old grandson.

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Sharks are nature's misunderstood monstersBy Gayatri R. Lilley JAKARTA (JP): Sharks have always been known as the fiercest creatures in the sea. The idea of being eaten by a shark horrifies everyone, even people who have little or no contact with the sea.

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TV todayTVRI 6:00 a.m. TVRI News 6:25 Morning News 6:45 Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 7:15 Healthy and Fit 7:30 Children's Program: Arena 123 8:00 TV Series: Brudy and Family 8:30 Performances: Warna Warni 9:00 People and Events 9:30 Talk Show: Etika 10:00 TVRI News 10:30 ...

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Of greed and other family values JAKARTA (JP): Sita came from a typical upper middle-class family. Her brothers and sisters went to university overseas, their privileged education paid for by the wealth their parents acquired during Indonesia's development years in the 1970s.

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Revamped Gigi thanks heavens for new band membersBy Helly Minarti JAKARTA (JP): A typical rock venue, dimly lit and with a hazy fog of smoke enveloping its denizens. A thin, long-haired young man bounds on stage and pumps himself up to sing.

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Moslem women find unity in their faith as SistersBy Natasha Sky JAKARTA (JP): Amid myriad faces and accents, a group of women has learned to put superficial differences aside. Intelligent, faithful and devoted, they are united in one belief -- Islam.

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New subscription rateTo meet with increasing production costs, The Jakarta Post will apply a new monthly subscription rate of Rp 22,000 as of Sept. 1, 1997. The new unregistered mailing rate will be Rp 66,000 for a three-month subscription.

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Smoke disrupts Yogya flights YOGYAKARTA, C. Java (JP): Flights to and from Yogyakarta's Adisucipto airport were disrupted Friday and yesterday morning due to poor visibility caused by thick smoke, Antara said.

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'Murder at 1600' is a stock plot-driven filmBy Laksmi Pamuntjak-Djohan JAKARTA (JP): "Are you a Republican or a Democrat?" asks U.S. National Security Adviser Alvin Jordan (Alan Alda, Everyone says I love you) to homicide detective Harlan Regis (Wesley Snipes, Dead Zone).

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Exhibition turns JCC into jewelry centerBy Yenni Kwok JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's booming economy has lured the world's precious jewelry and watch businesses to try to tempt the country's well-heeled into buying their status symbols.

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Bemusing business of business cardsBy Myra Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): The man made a deep bow while presenting his name card to me with both hands. An unconventional way of introducing oneself, but for a person who has difficulty hearing and remembering foreign names, it is a good solution.

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