Reporters on the Job

SWEATSHOP DEFINED: It was an oppressive 110 degrees F. outside on the day the Monitor's Scott Baldauf visited a small embroidery workshop in the Lajput Nagar neighborhood of New Delhi for today's story (page 1). "I quickly realized why these places are called sweatshops. The electricity had been shut off for more than an hour, but the factory owner had turned on a small generator to keep the fans blowing on the 20 young men seated on the floor, working," says Scott. "They were sewing buttons and sequins into the hems of high-fashion saris and skirts. I expected the heat to slow these boys down. Instead, they barely raised their heads to answer my questions. The reason: They are paid by the piece. Complaining - or talking to inquisitive strangers - is a luxury they cannot afford."

DODGING APES: The Monitor's Danna Harman wasn't prepared for her first meeting with the bonobos in a Congo jungle sanctuary (this page). Sure, she was advised not to wear any clothing that she was particularly fond of - the apes have a tendency to rip clothing. Danna admits that "I'm not big on hugging animals." But the bonobos won her over.

In fact, not even a black eye was enough to dim her enthusiasm for the encounter. "They are extremely playful and strong. They literally jump out of the trees and into your arms," she says. At one point, she tried to snap a photo of an ape in a tree. "This one bonobo leapt right at the camera and gave me a shiner - and a great shot of a crazed ape mid-air - as a souvenir of his affection. But I really enjoyed the whole experience."

David Clark Scott World Editor

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: Indonesians paid tribute to the nation's founding President Sukarno yesterday on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The celebrations occur as Sukarno's eldest daughter, Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri, may be just months away from taking power. Sukarno was hailed the man who forged the country's independence in 1945 after 300 years of Dutch rule. At left, an Irian Jayan pays tribute.

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