Yesterday it rained heavily all over Jakarta area. I remember that it started to rain after me and my colleagues just got back from lunch. The rain was a heavy one and after half an hour or so, the street in front of my office building got swamped by rain water. Fortunately we all took a cab and manage to get back without getting wet.

It continued to rain for the better part of the afternoon. Thankfully it stopped when I went back home after work. It started raining again just as I arrived home. I was lucky I guess, considering that the traffic was jam packed more than usual. You can always guess that after a heavy rain like that, the traffic will surely got worse. Read the rest of this entry »

I know from first-hand experience that riding a motorcycle through the smog and dust ridden traffic in Jakarta is by no means a clean business. I make sure that I always wear chest protector, jacket, helmet and handkerchief or specialized mask to keep the pollution away. Even after those protective measures, I always feel that somehow it is not enough.

Although Jakarta is not the most polluted city in the world but I feel that as if it is on its way to the top. Perhaps it was the volume of vehicle that goes through its streets every day or the fact that the public transport, such as the buses and the micro buses haven’t been properly maintained and taken care of. Read the rest of this entry »

Riding a motorcycle through Jakarta’s vehicle laden street is absolutely not good for your health. Especially considering that there are many unseen dangers waiting to befall you if you are careless. I especially dislike how those drivers and riders lacked proper street manners.

One of the most annoying traits is how people in Jakarta tend to make a turn without ever using their turning light. They didn’t even think twice about making a turn not from the left most lane. When you combine those two traits, it even becomes more endangering. Read the rest of this entry »

I have been riding a motorcycle for more than ten years since my early university days. Back then I was reckless and I’ve had my share of accidents. It was nothing serious usually, just some cuts and bruises. The worst thing that happened to me was a dislocated finger. It hurts so much and I still had to ride several kilometers to get to the hospital,

Anyway, I tried to ride carefully now knowing how dangerous it is to ride a motorcycle recklessly, but I realized that there are other dangers besides riding recklessly. One of those dangers is the polluted air in and around Jakarta, especially during the morning and evening rush hours. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t really know but I feel like this is not the first time I use that sentence as a base for a blog post’s title. Anyway, the weather is really strange lately. It rained daily early this week, although these last two days is quite dry. I remember it rained so heavily last Wednesday there are traffic jams everywhere because some parts of Jakarta got flooded.

I remember that it took me around 1 and a half hour to get home from the office where it usually took just around 40 minutes. Some of my friends even said that it took them more than 3 hours to get home. I don’t find it that surprising anymore because I experienced the traffic jams and the flooded areas myself. Read the rest of this entry »