Emporium Blog

Many apartments/condominiums have a private pool. Malaysia is among the few countries in the world where you can find people swimming with clothes on. Although there is a dress code to adhere to, people are simply not civilized enough to follow it.

Recently, dress codes in private pools at apartments/condominiums have been relaxed to allow for additional modesty. Many pool operators allow people to swim fully clothed if they can prove that they have a second set of clothes that are only for use in the pool, and if they are willing to go through the showers in this second set of clothes prior to entering the pool. I would understand and fully agree if this applies to women, but that is a man in the pool.

In more developed countries, private pools simply do not allow clothed swimming for hygienic reasons. I would never go into a pool if I see someone there fully clothed. Maybe that’s the reason why I have not swim in a pool for a long time.

Malaysia is notorious for it’s dirty toilets or rather lack of them. I live in a high rise apartment, or condominium. Malaysian in general loves to refer to apartments as condominiums, maybe because the word exudes a certain luxury ring to it. Don’t be mislead.

Basically condominium means a large property complex that is divided into individual units and sold. Ownership usually includes a non-exclusive interest in certain “common properties” controlled by the condominium management.

After years of living in such property complex, I am sad to say that people at some of these places is not ready for communal living yet.

Back to the question: Where to Pee?
Answer:
1) Beneath the staircase.
2) Inside the lift.
3) Aim so that it just misses the urinal in the common toilet.
4) On the wall, inside the community hall.
5) In the swimming pool.

Dogs? No, I meant humans, really.

Things changed. The weekends used to be party time for me. Used to spend my weekends drinking with, smoking at and dancing with strangers. Not anymore. The weekends are now more relaxed, leisurely and often with the company of my wife and close friends. Sundays are homey days when I sleep most of the day and followed later by dinner with the parents and siblings.

Age catching up, hell no, I believe in living life to the fullest. The days of foolish endeavours are gone. This is call planning, organizing and picking up loose ends. Yes, one can do that with one’s life.

Watching movies at the cinema on weekends is a sort of get-away from reality for me. I watch movies with passion, go into the scenes, imagine I am a part of the movie. Afterall, the tickets do not come cheap, might as well dig into it. Popcorns and drinks add to the sum. Parking ticket and petrol are expenses too. Well, hobbies don’t come cheap. People say watching movies is the cheapest hobby yet. Me? I don’t think watching movies qualifies as a hobby. Ah, whatever.

This is the first post. A blog to let the world know why it is miserable living in Malaysia. There are things that can be better. I feel more miserable as the time passes by. I am born, raised and educated in Malaysia. It is a great country to live in, just that things has been going downhill everywhere I look. Maybe I am contradicting myself, maybe I am not.

To break the ice, let’s talk about the weather. The temperature has been rising. Whether it’s global warming or el-nino or the tsunami, I’ve got no idea. I still remember not quite long ago, when I am in school, during Geography lessons, the mean temperature for Malaysia used to be 27 degrees Celcius. Now, it’s almost always 37 degrees Celcius in the open.

Electricity bills has been rising due to the temperature. I switch on the air-conditioning at home for as long as I am at home now. It’s either this, or the water bills for shower. Both ways I lose.