PLN Revisited

PLN Revisited

I was amused to read Beatrix Noe's letter, which criticized Linda Hollands' story in The Jakarta Post on April 23, 1995. The comments I found to be the most absurd are as follows:

1. "It amazes me that there were no servants around to take care of people who come to the house." It amazes me that Ms. Noe seems to assume that everyone living in Jakarta has servants. I find it quite possible to live without domestic help.

2. "She has at least 17 days to pay her electricity bill and shouldn't put the burden on her husband." Why not? Do only women deserve to be burdened?

3. "As a housewife, she should at least take care of things around the house." I can't believe that such a statement actually came from a woman. Perhaps Linda Hollands also works outside of her home; it was not mentioned in the article.

4. "Indonesian men usually like to see a smile on a woman's face, even though he is just a laborer and she is not the prettiest".

The first part of this statement is sexist. How about "Indonesians like to see people smile?" "Just a laborer." So Ms. Noe is better than this man who is just a laborer? "She is not the prettiest." What kind of a statement is that? The letter written by Beatrix Noe makes no sense to me. It is devoid of any logic whatsoever, which reminds me of the article in the Post on Jan. 31, 1995: "Life in the midst of Jakarta's urban society lacks a basis in logic."

AMY ORAVEC

Jakarta