Nightlife back to normal

Nightlife back to normal

JAKARTA (JP): Nightlife in downtown Kota returned to normal on
Wednesday evening following a two-day closure called by the city
administration in recognition of the national week of mourning to
honor the late First Lady Tien Soeharto.

Thousands of people flocked to discotheques, nightclubs, pubs,
massage parlors and other amusement centers until early morning
as if they had been restrained from going to such places for
ages.

The majority of amusement centers in the city were closed for
four days as the city administration asked all amusement centers
not to open from April 27 to April 29 in observance of Idul Adha,
the Islamic Day of Sacrifice. On Sunday, when the first lady
passed away, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono announced a
national week of mourning. The city administration called on the
amusement centers to close on Monday and Tuesday to honor the
late first lady.

"But, the number of people are not as many as those seen on
normal days probably because they are not yet informed about the
end of the two-day closure," Deddy Hidayat, a Ratax taxi driver,
told The Jakarta Post yesterday morning.

A similar view was also found in various parts of South
Jakarta.

Additionally managers said that they were not sure of the
opening hours during this week. "I heard we have to close at 1:30
a.m, but I'm not sure," an official of a discotheque in West
Jakarta said. (bsr)