World Hash Events: December 2013

[Haz]

Hello hashers,

Over 800 hashers from around the world are packing their bags and returning to the womb over the next couple weeks (and that includes me too). That's right, back to Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of this sport we call Hashing. If you have not looked at the collective history of the Hash House Harriers before, or not recently, some new information has been discovered, take a look. http://gotothehash.net/history/hhhhistory.html

Nov 9
75th Anniversary
Hosted by Mother Hash in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This event is FREE to all Men's hash club members in Malaysia, and free to the first 300 male hashers coming from other countries.
http://www.motherhash.com/

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A new website has been created by Ra (half-mind.com) to capture the story of how each individual hash club got started. Check it out at http://hhh-history.com/

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In the Spot Light - Seoul

Seoul is located roughly 30 miles south of the DMZ, and 125 miles south-east of Pyongyang, the capitol of North Korea. As far as anyone knows, there has never been a hash in North Korea, but there certainly has been hashing all over the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. There are currently 3 weekly, 3 monthly, and a couple grab-ass occasional hash clubs running in the greater Seoul area, but the hash first arrived in Seoul in 1972, when Ian Young arrived from Hong Kong. Hashing had only been around Hong Kong since 1970, so it was just beginning to spread out beyond the immediate boarders of Malaysia, and out into the World at that time. So, on 11 Jun 1972, aided by Robbie Douglas and Tony Parry, a new hash was born that now has a long and steeped history accumulated through over 2200 weekly trails over the past 40 plus years. When I ran with the Seoul Men's Hash (1997-2000), we ran on Wednesday evenings in the summer and Saturday afternoons in the Winter. Due to shifting interests over the past couple of years, and many of the long time hashers retiring and moving away, the numbers have dwindled and they run on Saturday afternoons year round now, but hashing is still vibrant and strong in Seoul.

I don't think I am betraying any secrets here, so let me give you a rare glimpse inside the Seoul Men's Hash from my own experience. We would meet at many different locations throughout the city, but my favorites were those remote areas north of the city. Due to the heavy traffic, it could often take us over an hour to drive just 15-20 miles, but it was well worth it. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Seoul was a blessing, if only for a few hours every week. Normally only one hare was required to set the trail, occasionally two, but never more than that. Most trails were prelaid, but a few of us still strapped on the old flour bag and with a 12-15 minute head start would take off into the rice patties or up the side of a mountain to lead the pack on a 8-12 Km trail. In the Seoul Hash, the HonSec is the heavy, the man with the say-so. He keeps the roster and signs up the hares, collects the money, writes the hash trash, and most importantly . . . names all hashers. The GM and JM are figure heads that lead the circle, which were always conducted around a fire, both in the summer and winter. The mismanagement also include the position of Hash Horn, that carried the bugle out on trail to call to the pack once checks had been broken and trail has been found. There were no whistles allowed, and no marking of checks, it was each man for himself outside of the horn or the call of On-On. Completing well over 100 runs with the SH3 during my time there, I enjoyed some of the best trails and hash camaraderie you can imagine.

Much clamber has been made about male only hashes in recent years, but not having the unmentionables around can be a much more relaxing and entertaining circle. Speaking of the circle, after eating whatever the hare brought for us in the hash tin, we gathered 'round the fire with one of a wide selection of imported beers in hand, and awaited the pronouncement of the GM (or the JM only in the his absence). Around the circle, only the GM may speak freely, if a hasher wanted to speak he must first raise his mug over his head and be acknowledged by the GM. Depending on the number of hashers present, each one would be brought up one at a time for a splash (down-down) from the honored bed pan, inscribed with the names of all former GMs. Each hasher would be required to entertain the assembled pack with a song or a joke. The first would be the hare, to record comments about the trail and also to identify who the "Wingee" (FRB) was for the day's trail. Next would be the Wingee, and then the rest of the circle would be called on based on the GM's discretion. I learned many a new song, and also introduced many a new song in those circles. After an hour or so, or whatever length of time it took to satisfy the GM that all had been heard, he would call on a hasher to ask what direction they would like to go, which led into the final song of the night . . . and it was NOT swing low. After the hash, many of us would often reassemble at the Mug Club in Itaewon for another beer or two before heading home. That's all your going to get folks, if you want more, you will have to buy me a beer and get the details in person. On-On.

For information on hashing in Seoul and throughout South Korea, see http://gotothehash.net/korea/h3insk.html

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If you have any hasher friends that would like to subscribe to this rag, let them know they can sign up by sending an email to gotothehas...@googlegroups.com

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And now for something completely different . . .

Problem . . . If you have ever had a hard time commuting to work in the morning, think about this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkWPDYFsynw

Resolution . . . And the solution to being pushed in by the platform attendants is . . . http://safeshare.tv/w/vwncRciSFb

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2 regos for Interhash 2014 in Hainan for sale. Both bought for US$126.30 each. Contact Mike "Past Master" Wallace at wall...@tiscali.co.uk

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For your planning pleasure, here is a list of the worldwide hash events available in December 2013. You can also see all the known events taking place the next 2 years at http://gotothehash.net/hashevents.html

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Dec 6-8
Diamond Jubilee
Hosted by the Royal Selangor Club H3 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
http://www.rschhhdiamondrun2013.com/

Dec 6-8
Tampa Nekkid - No Place Like Foam
Hosted by the Tampa H3 in Land O'Lakes, FL, USA.
http://tbh3.gotothehash.net/tampanekkid.html

Dec 6-8
2000th Run
Hosted by the Wellington H3 in Wellington, New Zealand.
http://www.nzhhh.co.nz/events/events/wlg2000.pdf

Dec 12-15
Anthrax 2013
Hosted by the Chicago H3 in Chicago, IL, USA.
http://www.chicagohash.com/all-events-runs/anthrax-2013/

Dec 14-15
Holiday Weekend Hash
Hosted by a collective of Hash Chapters in Ankara, Turkey.
http://ankarahhh.org/announcement.htm
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ankarahashhauseharriers/

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Here is the small print . . . At no time did I splash the Wingee (no pun intended) during the production of this rag.

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Hashing is fun! See you on trail some day . . . :O)

On-On,
Hazukashii
http://GoToTheHash.net

[Hazukashii]

Hello hashers,

Looking ahead to August, you have many options including Swiss Nash Hash hosted by the Swiss Franc HH Harriettes in Saignelégier, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom Nash Hash hosted by the Oxford H3 near Oxford, UK. You can also choose to journey to 25th Anniversary celebrations in India and Vietnam. And if one trip to India is not enough, you can also attend the Monsoon Maelstrom in Dourada, India. For your planning pleasure, see the whole list of worldwide hash events available in August 2015 at http://gotothehash.net/e/hashevents15-08.html

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In the Spotlight - Jakarta
By Ed "Hazukashii" Howell

Jakarta is the capital city of an island nation made up of over 17,000 separate land masses, with about 6000 being inhabited with the wonderful culture of Indonesia. Jakarta is the largest city and is located on the main island of Java, where, as you would expect, lives a thriving hash house harriers culture. The first hash club in Indonesia was the Jakarta H3 founded by Jeremy “Burong” Pidgeon and Gordon "Bent One" Benton on 22 Mar 1971. I had the opportunity to chat with Gordon a couple years ago, and he was happy to reveal the amazing history of the Jakarta H3.

According to Gordon, in those early days, hashing was very austere with only paper used to mark the trail, and there were no arrows, checks, or falsies; the trail just ended and the pack had to look around to find which new direction it went. The terms Front Running Bastard (FRB) and Dead F*cking Last (DFL) were not used at that point, but the last one to complete the trail did receive special attention. They did in fact use the sometimes derogatory term of Short Cutting Bastard (SCB), an art that can be as rewarding as it can be detrimental to the timely finishing of a trail.

When the Jakarta hash first started running, the hash was not viewed well by the local people, as they initially thought that the Dutch had returned. After that was dispelled, there was concern about the pack running through the crops, damaging mud walls and rice paddies. Fortunately, after a period of time and reparations, and teaching the hashers to tread lightly, the local people became familiar with the calls of on-on and the sight of paper. Gordon said that the local farmers eventually got used to seeing hashers, so much so that sometimes the kids would move the paper to change the trail. There was a hash horn used at the Jakarta H3, and you could hear the terms ‘On-On’ and ‘Are You’ between fellow hashers to help navigate through the jungle.

In the humble fashion that many hash clubs begin, there were only 7 or 8 on that first trail in 1971. It did not take long for the pack to grow to over 100 through word of mouth, and advertising through hash T-shirts sponsored by ICI, Shell, and eventually as part of the special relationship that soon developed with the local distributor of Anchor Beer. The distributor would dispatch a truck to the run site each week that would bring beer and soft drinks, as well as lights for the circle. Speaking of lights and circles, it is believed the circle originated in Jakarta, but not necessarily for fellowship among hashers and the issuance of down-downs, but merely to create a type of barrier between the hashers and the local people that would become very curious of what was taking place.

As time went on, the circle slowly became more entrenched in the weekly activity and could often last up to two hours, with regular down-downs and the singing of songs. It was a requirement for the hare to write his own song each week and to entertain the pack with it. As in many parts of the world where hash trails go, many of the jungle routes were single file foot paths, so various rules came into existence. One such rule created to avoid knocking each other down, was to never pass a hasher who appears to be, or at least 'thinks he is running' the trail.

This next piece of history is open for dispute, but it is quite possible that hash names were also originated in Jakarta. In order to get the word out, some hashes would mail out the weekly hash trash to members, but the mail system in Jakarta was not timely enough to deliver them on time for the next weeks run, so the trash was printed and placed in a handful of local establishments so the members could pick them up (Note: this method was still in use in Seoul when I arrived there in 1997). As this allowed anyone who passed by the opportunity to read what was going on within the hash, the use of real names was soon abandoned to avoid any conflict with employers or the general public at large.

By the time Gordon left Jakarta in 1980, Jakarta was believed to be one of the largest hash clubs in the world. So, having completed his mission to bring the hash to Indonesia, Gordon next headed off to Singapore to begin a decade of running with Father Hash. Having been firmly established, and becoming one of the most popular hash clubs in the world, building on the success of Hong Kong in 1978 and Mother Hash in 1980, the Jakarta H3 with Hash Master Ron "The Penguin" Strachan, stepped up to host the third biennial Interhash in 1982.

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And now for something completely different . . .

A friend of mine recently admitted to being addicted to brake fluid. When I quizzed him on it he reckoned he could stop any time.

I went to the cemetery yesterday to lay some flowers on a grave. As I was standing there I noticed 4 grave diggers walking about with a coffin...
3 hours later and they're still walking about with it... I thought to myself, these blokes have lost the plot.

My son's been asking me for a pet spider for his birthday, so I went to our local pet shop and they were £70. To hell with that I thought, I can get one cheaper off the web.

Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarfs are not happy. (Trivia Quiz . . . anyone know who Bashful is?)

And . . . who could forget these lesser known versions of Murphy's Law?

1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

2. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

3. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

4. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

5. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

6. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

7. Flashlight: A metal tube used to store dead batteries.

8. The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.

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Hash Boy say come check out my latest adventure. The just released HASHGLOB® Summer 2015 H3 Gift Catalog #52 is available here at http://pinky.org/hashboy/strips/hb52page.html

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Here is the small print . . . No trails were needlessly disturbed by the children during the production of this hash rag.

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Hashing is fun! See you on trail some day . . . :O)

On-On,
Hazukashii
http://GoToTheHash.net

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