Splish Splash

I went swimming at the Sarawak club on Wednesday which was an interesting experience.
Before leaving for the pool I checked with Shirlina that it would be alright if I just wore a bikini as I didn't want to offend anyone. Bear in mind that Kuching is a predominantly Muslim city. I was assured that it would be fine and kept repeating this to myself as I walked to the pool, pasty skin glowing in the afternoon sun and turning heads of the comparatively demurely closed women in the changing room.
No matter, once I was in the water I was sure that I would blend in better. It was not to be.
For one I forgot to take out my contact lenses so it was a toss up between swimming along with my head above the water or closing my eyes and weaving madly all over the pool. My sense of direction is decidedly less than stellar. 
Couple that with only bringing a rather impractical bikini with me. As I pushed off from the wall of the pool I realised that the top could have probably fitted me a little better as it fell off. Tightening the straps I valiantly swam forth once more, crossing back and forth across the pool as I tried to avoid people coming towards me. Everyone else was wearing goggles and I wanted to preserve whatever remnants of dignity I had left. Abandoning breaststroke (no pun intended), I thought maybe freestyle was the way to go. This was even more problematic as I turned to take a breath and one side of my top decided that my armpit was in dire need of support. Resorting to backstroke at least spared me memories of my streaking days, though it did mean the old lady by the side of the pool could catch my eye as she glared dissapprovingly at me. 


The sad thing is I didn't really care that I may have caused any young men swimming towards me to think impure thoughts. I was more worried by the fact that everyone would have thought I couldn't swim as I kept having to stop on my way down the pool to reassess my modesty situation.