LAZY NATIVES ? IT"S GOT MORE TO DO WITH NATURE & NURTURE

  

It had been noted from the earliest of visitors to the Malay and Indonesian archipelagos that the locals / natives tend to be "lazy" or rather a very relaxed lot....at least from their understanding of what being industrious is. Working half buried in mud under the hot sun however does not count as hard work BTW according to such "outsiders".

Blessed with good weather all year round it is true that we cannot compare the "brown peoples" here (whom we in Malaysia call Malays) with other more unfortunate peoples who live in other harsher weather zones even today.

Hey come on....take a tapioca stick and just poke it into the ground....then sit back and relax, manja with your wife or sing or play the seruling and in a few months you have your ubi kayu.....FOC. Kangkong is

an example of another food that grows by itself....you just have to pick it like numerous other things that can grow around the house or hut.....even eat it as "ulam" uncooked. An abundance and an amazing variety of fruits also can be grown" around the house....no need to water or do anything....

Plant rice (in those days) and just sit somewhere doing whatever pleases you....6 months later you have your rice that lasts you for the a whole year or more. Fish is plentiful in the padi fields, streams and numerous rivers and sea. Just pick whatever grows around the house and eat them cooked or raw. Rear some chicken, ducks, goats, cows etc for protein.

So you see, its not being lazy. It's just that the pressing need to toil and labour 365 days for survival just is/was not there. BTW, this the also the culture of tropical islanders.....semua kaki "relax bro" types. Unlike those who came from harsher backgrounds (some even starving ones) natives are thus seen as being lazy, unwilling to work or use energy, idle, indolent, slothful, work-shy, shiftless, loafing, inactive, inert, sluggish, lethargic, languorous, listless, torpid, enervated, slow-moving, slow, heavy, dull, plodding etc.....but they can work hard and be diligent too....it's circumstances or rather choice and the will.