The Dilemma of Turtles

I saw some turtles hanging out in an open (private) pond on my run route this evening. I caught a glimpse of what I thought was a turtle shell breaking the surface of the water as I jogged past when suddenly a curious head popped out and made me miss a step and almost break my head. At first I thought I was hallucinating - turtles don't hang out in open ponds in Bukit Damansara on my running route - but I slowed down on my second lap just to be sure, and lo behold, there are turtles hanging out in an open pond in Bukit Damansara on my running route.

I found it rather interesting - this pond appeared to be a private one, i.e. it was part of the house to which the pond was attached to, even if the house was perched on higher ground some 15 feet up. There was no glass enclosure or fence of any type, so I could've sat down on the edge and done some turtle feeding had I wanted to. I could've sat down and taken a turtle if I'd wanted to, but hey, I respect turtles and their space (not to mention their owners).

So I kept running, thinking about the three or so turtles I'd seen (probably napping) in the pond and wondering what was keeping them in the pond in the first place - there are sewers all around with drains abt five feet away from the pond, i.e. freedom! Then I came to the conclusions 1) they're being fed on a daily basis so why ruin a good thing, right, 2) maybe they're weighing their options and trying to make their own decisions, you never know what turtles are thinking, 3) maybe some of them are scared of change, 4) walls are not easy to climb, especially for turtles and 5) their legs are too short.

So I had this amazing epiphany while I was running, and realized it sort of reminded me of the current political situation in Malaysia (in extremely layman terms, mind you, as I've no mind for politics). You've got this pond with turtles minding their own business who get fed on a daily basis and have all the basic things a turtle would need (food, lots of water and an intact shell). Who knows what the owners are doing, right, as long as the pond keeps working and the turtles can still swim?

Then some of the turtles realize even with food and stuff they're still stuck in this same pond and the waters getting kinda murky and hey, maybe the owners aren't cleaning the pond as frequently as they were. Some want to get out and see what the sewers are like - maybe they're cleaner, or they might stink to high heaven, but hey we gotta see what else is out there - while others sorta like being fed on a daily basis and trust the owners will clean the darn pond sooner or later.

So the ones that wanna get out start trying to figure out how to scale the wall with their short legs while the ones that like what they've got wait for the next feeding, sit on a rock to show the pond is dirty and needs cleaning, and take a nap. Some of the turtles of opposing opinions start biting each other, cuz that's what turtles do when they feel mean.

The wall however, as the turtles will find, is kinda tall (for a turtle) and slippery (especially for someone with short legs) so you know, sometimes its one step forward and two steps back, sometimes it's one step forward and you manage to cling on with hope for the sewers. The owners though are still there with their sponges and pails, maybe one of them will get the message and start cleaning up the pond before it's too late for all the turtles.

And thus is the dilemma of the turtles in the pond. I hope they don't forget they're all turtles in there.

Then I hit a hill and proceeded to get whipped by the incline so I lost my train of thought.

I will mention however that I don't think turtles look anything like Malaysians, unless they are Malaysian turtles.

This is why I never took Political Science.

P.S. The turtle pictured, although probably of a similar species, is not related to the Bukit Damansara turtles - God bless 'em - at least not insofar that I know. He was chilling out at Zoo Negara about a year ago when I asked for a picture, and he obliged by posing like a pro.