Thick knife frome Bali/Lombok

[Ian]

Originally Posted by A. G. Maisey

... In Javanese society in particular, & in other Malay societies to perhaps a lesser extent, the answer to a question, or information given in general, will be what the giver of information either believes the recipient of information wishes to hear, or will be what he believes will please the recipient of information. Accuracy & truth are very much a secondary consideration.

This tendency was very much in presence during colonial times, & it makes reliance upon old sources of information doubtful, to the point where any info taken from an old source needs to be checked & cross checked before it can be accepted as being possibly accurate, & then only accurate for a given time & place.

We need to keep an open mind & to be quite flexible when dealing with what might be or what might not be correct.

How very true Alan. I have experienced this in several SE Asian countries. The desire to satisfy the thinking of foreigners, and not to contradict, is omnipresent.