My MUSLIM Bathing suit

The Manado/Bunaken area is not Bali, most people wear shorts and a t-shirt to swim, they don't use a bathing suit, and they CERTAINLY don't wear bikinis! Only foreign women wear bikinis, and, well, that's because they're loose floozies (at least this is the impression all the Hollywood movies - the only experience of foreigners for most Indonesians - have given them). So, because I'm working with children, and want to respect the local culture (and maybe make them change their mind about stereo-typing all foreign women as sluts; hey, I'm no floozy!), and also because I want to respect the sun's power and capability of causing skin cancer (!), I decided to look for more modest and appropriate swim wear. I had been wearing shorts over my swim suit, but this still received many stares (probably they were just thinking, man that's a lotta WHITE!), and even though I was applying superfluous amounts of sunscreen, I was still winding up sun-burnt.

My search for a 'lycra' or 'rashguard' to wear with my shorts came up empty - no surf gear in Manado! But the search lead me to one of the most amusing encounters I've had so far in Indonesia.

I was at the Matahari, one of the 'modern' department stores in Manado, looking for a lycra. When I spotted a whole section of what I would call 'skin-suits', only not the price you would normally pay at a dive shop! There were ones with full sleeves or short sleeves, full legs or shorts (a few even came with caps!), in all variety of colours and patterns. I figured right away these were for the muslim population, but it suited my purpose just fine! I noticed the stares when I started looking through the rack in earnest. (But stares are normal, so I connected it with the fact that I 'shine' here (as Martin says), not with the fact that I was looking at muslim bathing suits).



When I found one that I liked (obviously NOT the one in the above picture) and asked the sales women if I might try it on, she looked at me in complete disbelief and the following conversation went something like this:

Sales Woman: "You can't buy that."

Me: (stunned silence... running through the possible reasons why not and coming up with nothing viable (maybe it's the last one and they need it for display?)) "... uuuh, why not?"

Sales Woman: "Well, it's for MUSLIMS."

Me: "Yeah, I know, but I like it and I'd like to buy it. Would you mind if I tried it on?" (I knew she'd never believe me if I just simply said I was Muslim, although it probably would have stopped her in her tracks!!!)

Sales Woman: "But it's a MUSLIM bathing suit!"

Me: "I know. But it's just exactly what I'm looking for, it will protect me from the sun, and I'd like to try it on, please." (I thought I might have her here, since all Indonesians hide from the sun in order stay as white (ie. beautiful) as possible.)

Sales Woman: (somewhat haughtily, while indicating where the fitting rooms were) "Well, if you think so."

Me: "Yes, thank you."

(I tried it on, it fit)

Me: (moving up to the cash register with the suit, where there was now a group of saleswomen waiting) "Perfect. Just this, thanks."

Sales Woman: "You're sure?"

Me: "Yes, Thank you very much. Have a great day!"

Sales Woman: (still in disbelief, I think) "Shalom"

Me: (with a little giggle) "Take care."