Rainy Day

So today was my p-day and we had a great zone activity where we played badminton.  Naturally I won, and was crowned badminton champion.  It was a competitive last match, but my competitive nature kicked into gear and there is that.  Anyway, the excitement of the day came after we played.  We were all getting ready to head back when it started to rain, really hard.  Within 10 minutes the streets were an inch in water.  We were waiting it out but it wasn't looking like it was getting any better, so we just got on our bikes and left.  We are a 40 minute bike ride from our house... it was brutal.  By the time we started biking the water level was up to our feet on our bikes.  But the story gets better.  About 10 minutes into biking it starts to thunder and lighting.  As we were pulling out of a stop light, a massive thunderbolt strikes, and I thought I was going to die, because it was so close.  You could feel your hairs rise!  Anyway, the thunder was so loud that all the cars in the parking lot next to the road started going off, it was great!  It never stopped raining as we biked home, in fact it got stronger.  And every time I heard thunder, I thought I was going to die.  The water eventually got too deep for motorcycles, and then for cars.  Lucky us, we had our bikes.  It’s probably the only time I have ever been thankful to have a bike rather than a motorcycle.  Everyday I curse every motorized vehicle that passes me, as I struggle with every hill in this massive sauna called Malaysia.  Riding bikes for 2-4 hours a day is really fun.  Being so sweaty you look like you are wet is really fun.  No one we ever meet has air conditioning, so sometimes we take refuge in the ATM rooms until the police officer tries to tell us to go... but can't speak English.  So we play dumb and stay a few more minutes, it’s actually quite funny, playing the white-man-card is very effective.  Although, I am getting dark enough now that sometimes people think that I’m a native... good thing my companion is the whitest person I’ve ever met :)   Anyway, it was the most enjoyable bike ride I have ever had in my entire life, I was wet, actually felt cold, and the fastest on the road :)  Oh, and the cemetery next to our house flooded, it looks really creepy. And the last 10 minutes of the bike ride I may or may not have taken my shirt off.  I got a lot of strange looks, but I never felt more free, and cold, absolute bliss.