Water, water everywhere

Floods rush in and the people rush out, forced to flee their homes. It's that time of year again.

No part of Jakarta -- from West to East, South to North -- has been spared the inundation, causing some 12,000 hapless people, or over 1,000 families, to take whatever they can and head to dry ground.

Traffic woes have been exacerbated by the flooding, with some roads impassable and others reduced to a snail's pace as drivers try their best to find alternative routes.

Flooding is a perennial visitor, but nothing effective has been implemented to make its stay as short as possible. When the water comes to town, most Jakarta residents can only pray that their home will stay high and dry.

-- JP