“I don’t wear Sarong. You will never see me in a sarong except for today!” that was my sarong story which I wrote on a piece of paper for #KeretapiSarong.
RandomAlphabets had done it again bringing together random people for some random fun. The #KeretapiSarong is a Malaysian’s version of a modest Improv Everywhere’s ‘The No Pants Subway Ride’. Instead of taking of our pants we wear sarongs.
I don’t have any heartfelt sarong story like those stories reported on The Star, but I do have a #keretapiSarong story to tell. My story starts at KL Sentral, the meeting point for all the sarong-wearing-LRT-riding journey men and women.
A bunch of sarong wearing people storms KL Sentral. There were all kinds of sarongs being worn in all kinds of different ways. Some wear it normal, wrapped around the waist worn like a kilt for men, or as a skirt for women. Some just slings the Sarong over their shoulder. Some wear it over their head like a hood. Some cover their face in a ninja-like fashion with the sarong. Regardless of how we all wear the sarong, we were all ready for a day of sarong.
There we were split into group of ten people each. This is where I meet the rest of the group. My group consist of me, Nurul my fiancé, Suzana the ‘gadis ayu’, we were together with blazer wearing guy and his snow cap friend, a royal highness whom we all call ‘Tuanku’ just because he was wearing tanjak or tengkolok, a traditional Malay headgear essential part of the costume of sultans and high palace officials. He was together with his entourage of two bodyguards with sarongs over the shoulders and a photographer who automatically became the group photographer. Actually he’s the only one in the group with a DSLR.
(sorry I know I already asked for your names but I forgot which is which. If you are reading this do add me on Facebook!)
We met with our fearless leader Neesa (or was it Neena?). Together we were a group made up of random people with different backgrounds united with the sarong. We are ‘The Fellowship of the Sarong’ on and epic quest. Our mission is to get to KLCC riding on the LRT transit train while purposely stop at random stations along the way making our train ride a little bit longer than it should be.
As we were about to embark on this epic journey, the voice of Boromir echoes in my head, “One does not simply ride the LRT with sarongs.” At that moment I make a mental note that I should spend less time on 9gag reading memes.
While making my way to the LRT station inside KL Sentral, I saw and elderly malay male wearing a ‘ketayap’, a short rounded cap usually worn by some observant Muslim men. He also wears a white robe and a sarong on his waist.
“What a bunch of posers, I wear sarongs everyday no big deal.” That was most probably what on his mind. Maybe it was me that thought that, but I guess that today we are all posers. Sarong wearing posers and it’s all good.
We met a stormtrooper before boarding on our train. This of cause made all my Lord of The Rings references seems out of place. Nevertheless, we made the stormtrooper wear a sarong too!
We journeyed on in groups of tens towards stations after stations spreading some Sarong joy. We met with more sarong wearing folks along the way. In some stations we sing ‘Rasa Sayang’ to ukeleles with others. Some stations we dance to drums and other fun noise making music instruments. And other stations we just chill with others in our sarongs.
There was one station where we were the only group with sarong. We took that opportunity to ask our own ‘Tuanku’ to teach us how he made his ‘tanjak’ with the Sarong as we wait for the next train. This way we all can be royals.
We lost group members along the way and we found them back. We took on other ‘sarongers’ when they lost their group. It’s all good because by 6p.m. we were all at KLCC park ready for the grand finale, a huge photo shoot with everyone and their sarongs.
KLCC park was actually the last stop but nobody seems to be leaving. We were all hanging around chilling with our sarongs. The truth is that we all just wanted to have some harmless fun being silly and just hang around with each other. #KeretapiSarong was just an excuse for us.
That is what RandomAlphabets is good at, finding and creating excuses for fun like minded folks to have some random harmless silly fun. Those who participate had a good laugh while doing it. Those caught by surprise also had a good laugh watching. It gives all of us something to talk about the next day.
To know more about RandomAlphabets and check out all their past events head on over to their official website randomalphabets.com.
So that’s my KeretapiSarong story, what’s yours?
