{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1526754,
        "msgid": "disinterested-or-lazy-1447893297",
        "date": "1997-03-12 00:00:00",
        "title": "Disinterested or lazy",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Disinterested or lazy I agree with G.S. Edwin (Sunday, March 9) that the phrase \"It's so easy\" is not usually very constructive. However, in the case of the Indonesian language, it is perfectly true. Any foreigner who is still unable to hold a simple conversation in Indonesian within six months of arriving must either be half- witted, lazy, or plain disinterested. Or maybe all three.",
        "content": "<p>Disinterested or lazy<\/p>\n<p>I agree with G.S. Edwin (Sunday, March 9) that the phrase<br>\n\"It's so easy\" is not usually very constructive. However, in the<br>\ncase of the Indonesian language, it is perfectly true. Any<br>\nforeigner who is still unable to hold a simple conversation in<br>\nIndonesian within six months of arriving must either be half-<br>\nwitted, lazy, or plain disinterested. Or maybe all three.<\/p>\n<p>I suspect that many expatriates, especially the ones who live<br>\nin a perpetual state of semi-paranoia in big villas behind barbed<br>\nwire fences in Pondok Indah and Kemang, and who count their maids<br>\nand their drivers as their closest Indonesian friends, fall into<br>\nthe \"disinterested\" category. Why bother? After all, they're not<br>\nhere to promote social awareness or make significant<br>\ncontributions to the welfare of the people in whose country they<br>\nreside; they're here to bank their \"hardship\" allowances and live<br>\nlike the kings they think they are.<\/p>\n<p>What's the point in learning the local language? They rarely<br>\ncome into contact with Indonesians anyway, except the plumber,<br>\nthe electrician and the odd taxi driver. And if they do have the<br>\noccasional communication problem, they can always write a letter<br>\nto the newspaper implying how stupid the Indonesians are.<\/p>\n<p>BEN DOWSON<\/p>\n<p>Jakarta<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/disinterested-or-lazy-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}