The other day, I noticed something in the toilet of the library that shocked me. After casually relieving myself of some biological wastes, like what many humans do;I walked out of the cubicle to wash my hands, like the hygienic lil cutie pie I am. While washing my hands, in the reflection of the mirror, I noticed that water was splashing from the bottom of a cubicle door in very unnaturally large forces, producing too much noise for simple relieving biological transactions. A woman walked out, looking like she just showered. I just froze for a minute and smiled at her when I realized she must think I'm crazy for staring.
Ok, to clarify. I often see women showering in public toilets. Especially in my work place. Routinely, after evening shifts, there's a woman that showers in the toilet of my workplace in a traditional Malay sarong. The same sort that her mother or grandmother probably wore when they showered in the river back in their day. Sometimes, I see a younger woman showering her daughter. It's sad but true. They probably do that to save a few extra ringgits from their monthly water bill or they probably don't even have a sanitized water source compared to the public restrooms of their workplace to take very basic refreshing baths in. So, I have absolutely no reason to be shocked to see another woman looking like she just showered in a public restroom.
But i was.
And for the past week or so, while at work, in class etc. , my mind has been replaying that specific scenario over and over again. I think what struck me is that. . . I was in a university campus, in a solemn, proper prace like a library. In comparison to my workplace (Carrefour), which you'd expect to see all classes of people roaming about. I didn't expect to see that in an educational environment.
I don't know what to think of it. I don't know what should be done. I just know this: It's not a way to live. I've seen ladies looking in disgust or getting mad when they observe ''public bathers''. I understand both parties concerns.
On-looker ladies that observe in disgust :
1. They've waited substantial amount of time in line for someone to shower in an inappropriate shower place.
2. When there's a kid involved, they're probably thinking things like "No money, no make babies lah."
3. Or they're thinking "Great, now the toilet is wet and disgusting. As if the stench isn't bad enough."
'Public bathers':
"This is life."
Maybe I might carry around some of my favourite fruity/vanilla/floral flavoured scrubs for the next time I see such a thing... Might share my favourite bath things.. Or experience taking a public bath myself if ever I'm in a rush..
Some time in early March, I saw this man in KL. I was really embarassed to take this picture. He's probably more embarassed to have been recorded in carbon. I asked for permission anyways.. and there's a message behind it. And if you see this guy, buy him a drink or a meal.
I don't have a pic of women showering in rivers in their traditional sarong to share. But I'm sure you can imagine it. I'm sure it's quite an elegant sight.
When the mothers or grandmothers of women in the village allowed their daughters to leave for the city in search for a 'better life'. I don't think they thought their daughters would still don the same traditional sarongs to shower, what more in public toilets. Not even a rich river.
Food for thought,
Sofia.

















