Will I make it home before the rain?

Chances are if you actually think you need to ask the question, the answer is probably no. Especially here in Jakarta.
Still, it is a question asked by millions here everyday. As they don their helmets and put the key in the ignition ready to battle the mayhem that is Jakarta traffic.
I too have recently joined these millions, although I confess only as an ojek passenger. At first its a great feeling to be in amongst the locals as they make the daily trip to work, but very quickly the heat of being so close to some many hot engines, the fumes that rise up underneath your helmet and the sheer boredom of sitting still for so long can really get to you.
So to make things a little more interesting I have started making little bets with myself. At what point on the way home will the rain begin? It may be the dry season, but afternoon downpours still bring excitement to the trip home! There is something very different about tropical rain, the raindrops seem 10 times bigger than in other parts of the world. One single drop can completely saturate half your arm! Ok, slight exaggeration, but not by much.
Last week as I put my helmet on and glanced up at the sky, I figured I would be lucky to make it 100 metres before the giant raindrops hit. And yes I won that bet. At first it feels refreshing, a cool down from the humidity, but with so much rain falling so quickly the streets can very easily turn to rivers. (And this is no exaggeration!)
The majority pull off to the side of the road to break out the wet weather gear or to wait out the storm under a nice dry shop front or bus stop, but not us, we plowed ahead, I would rather just get home.
Having lived here for over 3 years now I am used to being wet through on a regular basis, but when you are moving along on the back of a motorbike the rain can actually make you cold - something I am certainly not very familiar with. Normally you try to avoid the splashes from other bikes and cars, but I found myself hoping to be splashed by others passing by. I was already wet and the water being splashed up was actually warm after being heated by the hot road surface. Strange feeling; cold water hitting from above, warm water from below.
However, my adventurous journey home was still not over. With so much rain in so little time the roads, in parts, had really become temporary rivers. It is actually quite fun to drive through them and I couldn't help but smile, although in the back of my mind I was thinking about the thousands of potholes which cover the roads and how long it would be before we hit one!
As we drew closer to home my confidence grew, there would be no flying over the top or skidding sideways on this occasion. The last little stretch was quite humorous as we hit the oncoming waves, yes waves, left my cars going in the opposite direction. It was like watching a speed boat fly across a lake and know that the resulting waves were going to crash over you.
Thankfully I made it home in one piece, just completely saturated and in need of a warm shower. But I have to laugh and honestly say I enjoyed it! Some people may say it is mad to travel by ojek, (especially in a downpour), and on some occasions I'd agree. But if you are going to live overseas, experience it!