Skin.

What a sight to see!

It’s summer, and everyone here is baring skin. My friend calls it “an excessive reaction to the sun, wrought by winter oppressiveness”.  I’d like to hear him tell that to those girls over there, strewn across the grassy city parks like monsoon mushrooms in their bikinis, dreaming of sand on their cheeks and salty sea smells.  I’d like to hear him tell that to those other girls over there, bouncing around the city in skin-tight skimpy jogging wear.  They’re having so much fun they wouldn’t care less.  I must admit I started feeling rather stuffy in my jeans.

Of course, I didn’t bring my beach-wear. As the same friend confirms when the first thing he asked me was, “have you brought your switer?” (that’s how Indonesians pronounce sweater), we pack to prepare for the unfamiliar, that being cold and unpredictable weather.  We could well call our actions an excessive reaction to the future cold because I sure as hell packed a lot of switers.  Which aren’t much use at this time of the year.

So I embarked on what I would call “reactionary shopping”, which is the sort a girl does when a girl attempts to Go With The Trend.  But since I’m no longer a teenage trend-hopper and I was brought up to be a politely-dressed girl, my choices turned out to be conservative after all.  But just because I can, I went jogging bra-less the other day.  Obviously no one noticed, but shocking isn’t it.  I might fancy calling it an excessive reaction to liberation. =D