As arranged by Murugan of the Malaysian Hash Council, Killer Tony, Sexy Chan, Sweet Young Thing (SYT), Capt. Tay, Hawaii Goh, Nancy, Helen, Baby Elephant, my partner and I from Malacca Hash House Harriers (MH3) left Malacca for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in the early hours of 5th March 2009. Whilst there, we met a lot of familiar faces who were also heading for Angeles City to attend the event. Among them were Gorilla and partner from Ipoh Gorilla Hash, Wong Yong Lim of Perth Hash, and Cocker, Bombastic and Lim Pang Wu of Malacca Hash. As usual, greetings were exchanged.
The direct Air Asia flight from KLIA to Diosdado Magapagal International Airport, Angeles City took 3 ˝ hours. As arranged by Bombastic, we checked into Blue Nile Executive Hotel at the red light street of Fields Avenue, Balibago which is some 30 minutes’ drive away. Soon after that we went to the nearby registration centre at Wild Orchid Resort where each of us was given a beautiful goodies bag containing among others 2 T-shirts, a magazine, hash logos and 5 free-drink tokens. For the purpose of identification, we were each tagged with a red and blue wristband for Grand Master and ordinary hasher respectively.
The programme of the day was Red Dress Run which was flagged-off at the nearby SM Mall at 4.00 pm through the busy city streets guided by traffic policemen on motor-cycles. It was participated by quite a big pack of enthusiastic hashers wearing red dress which attracted the attention of curious onlookers. As we were not prepared, none of us took part.
On the following day, there were no day programmes. As such, all the 8 of us from Malacca Hash took a sight-seeing tour to the nearby Manila city which I last visited for 1 month in Mid 1980 to attend the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP)-sponsored Aviation Security Course at its Civil Aviation Training Centre while I was one of the few Senior Malaysian Police Officers on secondment to Malaysian Civil Aviation Department to set up its Airport Security. Of course, I was taken aback to see its vast changes and development.
The programme for the night was Welcome Street Party at Fields Avenue which saw 2 stages being put up at both ends of the avenue with a live band in attendance each. Avid hashers were seen dancing wildly to the tune of music. Several drinking and food stalls were set up. The foods were on us. Only free drinks were given in exchange of the 5 given tokens. It was crowded by a big pack of hashers and non-hashers. Among them were Cocker, Vibrator, Govind, Bombastic, James Bond, Kachang Panjang, Gerald, Antique Lim, Lim Pang Wu, Killer Tony, Sexy Chan, Helen, Baby Elephant, SYT, Capt. Tay, Garfield, my partner and I from the Malacca Hashes, Gorilla and partner from Ipoh Gorilla Hash, Brigadier General (Retired) Dato’ Soon Lian Cheng from Damansara Hash, Murugan from Malaysian Hash Council, Pilemon and Doraemo from Padang Hash, and Poedi Widya Karsa Halim and partner from Malang Hash, Indonesia. It ended at around midnight.
The main running event began on 7th March. After the breakfast, I took a 15-minute walk to the nearby SM Mall to catch a bus to the Expo Centre. Whilst there, I met Brigadier General (Retired) Dato’ Soon Lian Cheng. We then took a bus to the said Expo Centre which is some 20-minutes’ drive away. It was crowded with a huge pack of enthusiastic hashers who were walking around a fleet of buses choosing and looking forward for a suitable and enjoyable run site. In all there were 12 runs which were made up of Ball Breaker, Long, Medium, Short and Old Farts Runs. As oldies, I chose Run No.3 which was a hilly Medium Run of 8 km set by La Union Hash. It attracted a busload of some 40 hashers.
It was a hot, dry and sunny day with the temperature of some 36 degrees C. The run site was at Porac near the Subic Highway which is some 1 hour’s drive away. It was the same run site with the Ball Breaker Run which attracted a busload of energetic runners who started the run earlier. The run was flagged-off by its hare at 2.00 pm hardly10 minutes after our arrival and after a short and sweet briefing by its hare. As I could not get any food from the Expo Centre as well as the run site, I started the run without lunch other than a few cans of soft drinks and bottles of water provided by the organizer. It also happened to a number of other runners who went for the run with their breakfast only.
The running trail was marked by paper and white powder. It headed northwest on a wide sandy road and uphill for some 15 minutes before hitting the first and only simple false trail at a narrow path. Its connecting paper was found a short while later some 100 metres away on the right of the back trail. It continued to move forward, left, right and centre, up and down two hills, across a fruit plantation cum vegetable farm, a few farmhouses and two streams for another 25 minutes before hitting the first simple check at a T-junction. Its connecting paper was found a short distance ahead. It then continued to zigzag ahead downhill and uphill for another 20 minutes where it hit a farmhouse and turned right downhill for a short distance before hitting the second and last tough check at a ditch. A spread-out search of some 10 minutes led to the finding of its connecting paper some 150 metres away on the left of the back trail which led to the home trail. From then on, it was another some 25 minutes trudge across the undulating terrains, a mango plantation and a farm house before arriving back at the run site at 3.35 pm where the hares and cold San Miguel beer were waiting. The 5 of us were the first to arrive back. On the way, we met 2 hares sitting under a tree guiding us to the hilly home trail on the left and non-hilly home trail on the right. Most of us chose the non-hilly home trail as we were too exhausted to take the challenge.
It was quite a tough, hilly run of some 8 km under the hot sun which made us panting and sweating profusely. More runners trickled in as time passed by. The last runners were back some 30 minutes later.
Hash circle was conducted by the hare. It saw a number of sinners being put on-ice and on-downed on San Miguel beer.
The evening party of the day was held at Expo Centre. It was crowded with a huge pack of hungry hashers when we arrived there at 6.40 pm. Some of them were enjoying their food and drinks, whereas a big number of us were queuing up at a few outlets to have the food served. By the time when I reached there quite a long while later, I just managed to get a small scoop of plain local food with some gravy as other food were running out. Pity those behind me who were left with no food.
The programme of the night started with presentation of local dance on a stage. It was followed by the presentation of acts by the 3 bidders of The 13th Pan Asia Hash 2011 namely, Bandung Hash of Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpur Aman Hash and Malacca Hash of Malaysia to the thunderous applause of the hashers. Most of us left the Expo Centre early after that, as we were hungry and exhausted.
On 8th March 2009 at 10.00 am, a GM Meeting was held in open space at the Expo Centre. It was well-attended by a big pack of GMs from the various hashing chapters. The result of voting saw Bandung Hash obtaining 94 votes by head counts against Malacca Hash’s 92 votes. As such, the coming 13th Pan Asia Hash 2011 will be held in Bandung, Indonesia set on 11th November 2011. Congratulations! Knowing Bandung which is a cooling tourist resort with fine run sites, friendly people, good food and good drinks, do not hesitate to register it, fellow hashers! See you there! As for Malacca Hash, please do not be disheartened, as failure is the steppingstone to success. Please continue to bid for it by putting in more efforts. Success will be yours one day. So feel free to vote for it, fellow hashers! You are sure to enjoy with fond memory the wonderful hashing in this Unesco-bestowed World Heritage venue with beautiful scenery, fine weather, friendly people, fine run sites, good food and good drinks.
The last running event was held in the same afternoon. Unlike the previous day, I went for the run this time with my partner Wonder Woman. From Expo Centre, we took the bus for Run No. 10 which was made up of a Medium Run and a Short Run set by Malaysian Hash Council at Baliti Pond. The journey took some 1 hour. On the way, for the purpose of filling our stomach, we stopped over at a small town for our lunch.
It was a sunny and hot Sunday. The run was participated by some 30 hashers. Among them was Poedi Widya Karsa Halim, a devoted hasher from Malang, Indonesia whom I used to meet at most of the international hashing events since umpteen years ago. It started at 2.20 pm after a short briefing by the hare. It was a simple run of some 5 km. The paper went up a gentle slope on the wide track through a fruit plantation cum vegetable farm for some 35 minutes before hitting the first and only simple check at a junction. Its connecting paper was found on the right a short distance away which led to the home trail down slope. On the way, while passing by a few farmhouses, we could see the nearby Subic Highway. We arrived back at the run site at 3.25 pm after a sweaty stroll. The last 2 runners were back some 20 minutes later. Like the previous day, it was followed by a hash circle which saw a few sinners including myself being put on ice and on-downed for being one of the GMs from Malacca Hash.
The Evening Party of the night was held at the Expo Centre with a smaller crowd. Unlike the previous night, more delicious local food and drinks were provided and served. However, as we were leaving for our home-sweet-home early the next day, we did not stay long until the end of its programmes which included the Drinking Competition.
It was quite a well-organized Pan Asia Hash with good runs and fun. However, improvement could be made on food, drinks, voting system and transport from the hotel to the run sites. A big salute to its organizing committee for its good efforts well tried!
On! On!
Scribe: Drug Buster
Date: 20th March 2009
