It would seem that the most important thing about public rules here in Malaysia is that they should be ignored at all costs, except of course when they should be obeyed. The biggest challenge is of course knowing what rules should be ignored and rules should be obeyed and that can only be learned through experience. Consistency is not important, neither is parity. Rules are often far more serious than that, except of course when they are not important and can be ignored.
Today Lawrences had a day out at the seaside by driving to the area of coastline near Morib. Going to the seaside is quite a mission at the best of times and takes particular planning when the temperature is tropical and it is also the rainy season. Dealing with the latter was easy: we simply decided that if it rained we would get wet. Done. The heat, and in particular the sun and possible paddles in the sea needed more thinking abut including plenty of sun cream and swimming t-shirts. Then there is the issue of what is de rigeur when approaching the beach in non tourist beach areas.
Our main concern was soon swept aside when we noticed that the tide was very much out at Morib, and if it had been in there would have been little of the golden stuff to frolic on anyway. Instead the children enjoyed flying a cheap kite and playing with a cheap and cheerful rentable bubble making kit. Just the kind of thing you expect to find at the seaside.
Needing cooling off we later drove 5km southward along the coast in search of better beach options and found the GOLD COAST Morib Resort and Water Park. Offering slides into a small complex alf water pools it seemed to be just the place for five hot Lawrences. Waving a smiling we drove past security guards whose main job appeared to be to complicate traffic flow and found a place to park down one side of the seven storey building before decamping and setting off to buy tickets.
Buying the tickets was easy, understanding the rules of the place was a bit less straightforward though. Fortunately we have lived here for almost three years and so know that the default setting for detailed rules is, if in doubt, take your shoes off and ignore the rules, just like everybody else. While we didn’t sit at the side of the pools and join the many families eating food (despite rules to the contrary) nor did we all don everyday clothes instead of the must be worn swimming attire (lots of folk were in everyday leisure clothes) and we also carefully ignored the sign that said no swimming we did rather fall foul of a curious t-shirt rule, that was not advertised anywhere, but was almost rigorously enforced.
One of the covered water tubes was policed by a very large Indian bloke who made sure that everyone who was covered by this unwritten rule obeyed it. Seemingly everyone, when sliding down the tube had remove their t-shirt. No explanation as to why this was was offered but everyone had to follow it. There were certain exceptions though. Men didn’t have to remove their t-shirts completely, they could simply take their arms out and then wear their shirt like a necklace. If the t-shirt was a swimming approved t-shit that was fine, or if it was worn by a woman that was also fine and did not need removing and there was also the option, as I discovered, of removing only one arm from one’s shirt and still being passed as safe to slide. Quite why this rule had been introduced was anyone’s guess as headscarf wearing women shot down the tube without the need to uncover as did a bloke wearing glasses, but no shirt, was passed a fit to slide, despite another sign banning the wearing of glasses.
Anyway a fun time was had by all, we weren’t asked to leave and various smokers watched on all puffing away merrily despite the no smoking policy.