Scribe For Run No: 1695
Scribe by Drug Buster
on 19th June, 2007 at Serkam Estate, Serkam.
Date: 20-06-2007
Rehashed Run No: 1695; Hares: Alex Tiew/Rena Tay; Date: 19th June, 2007; Venue: Serkam Estate, Serkam.
Alex Tiew and Rena Tay is a pair of young harrier and harriet who have just joined the crazy MH3 recently. Like other new hashers, they are seen to have enjoyed hashing tremendously.
As announced on the last hashing day, yesterday was their turn as hares for the run. As they were virgin hares, it was expected to draw a big pack of itchy hashers who were anxious to taste their virginity.
Serkam Estate is an oil palm plantation situated some 30 km south-east of Malacca city. It is a virgin runsite to MH3. On our arrival there early, there was already a big crowd. Among them were Dr. Pandirajah, Rubbish Bui, Dr. Lingkun, Banker Yong and Bombastic. More trickled in as time passed by. They included Kiasu Lee who brought along Agnes, Tok Ai Lian and a harriet guest and John Marshall and partner Mary Josephine. Although Killer Tony’s Volvo car was there, he was no where to be seen. Undoubtedly he must have left the runsite early to assist the hares to set the run. That made our balls shrinking as he is known to set long and tough run without reccee.
It was 5.25 pm with bright sky. In anticipation of a long run and not wanting to be left behind and get lost, Dr. Lingkun, Bombastic, my partner and I started the run as early birds by following the paper which led east on a laterite road into a matured oil palm plantation. We were being closely followed by Agnes, Tok Ai Lian and the said harriet guest. As usual, while enjoying our brisk walk, we engaged ourselves in chit-chatting. Bombastic told me that he would be leaving for an invitation hash run in Padang, Indonesia on the coming Friday with 2 fellow hashers for 4 days. Hopefully they do not forget to come back in one piece. Some 30 minutes later, the paper hit the first simple check at a cross junction which was found by Dr. Lingkun a short distance ahead a few minutes later. As usual, as early birds, we did not join the paper.
The paper then led south-east across a stream for some 20 minutes before hitting the second check at another cross junction. It was another simple check found by my partner some 100 meters ahead a few minutes later.
The paper continued to head south-east for a short distance before turning south. After traveling for another 20 minutes in the well-kept oil palm plantation, it hit the third simple check on a laterite path. Its connecting paper was found by me on the right some 150 meters away a few minutes later. It then proceeded westward across a stream for another 20 minutes before hitting the fourth tricky check across a wide and deep ditch which made crossing difficult. While looking for an alternate way to cross it, I found a paper trail leading to the left parallel to the said ditch. After following it for some 100 meters, it hit the fifth check. A thorough search for its connecting paper was then conducted in the surrounding area for some 10 minutes to no avail. On making my way back to the fifth and fourth checks, I heard the shouts of ‘On On!’ On arrival there, I saw scheduled front runner Ranger jumping across the said ditch to the fourth check. He was followed by Dr. Lingkun, Tok Ai Lian, Agnes and the said harriet guest who slid down on their bottoms and climbed up the ditch. However, Bombastic, my partner and I chose to cross it by crawling on a bunch of slippery and thorny stems of fallen oil palm leaves which caused slight injury to my partner’s left palm. Surprisingly, there was no necessity for us to search for its connecting paper as it was connected to the check.
From then on, the paper continued to meander through the oil palm plantation for some 15 minutes where we were being caught up by Rubbish Bui and overtaken by energetic scheduled runner Dennis the Menace. It then entered a huge mixed fruit farm of durian, rambutan, jackfruit, papaya and mango with fragrant smell before turning left into a banana farm. By then the sky had begun to fall dark making it difficult for us to trace the home trail paper. Luckily I had brought along a torch light which was of great help. With the use of it, we continued following the paper through the last stretch of oil palm plantation arriving back at the runsite at 7.55 pm where we were each given a beautiful black T-shirt by the hares for our good efforts in completing the run. As there was still quite a big number of runners who included John Marshall, Carol the Twin Towers, Biggles, Dr. Dave, Hawaii Goh, Nancy, Helen, Peter Looi, SYT, Capt. Tay and a Korean guest have not returned, a few of us headed by Dennis the Menace and co-hare Killer Tony conducted a search with the use of torch lights on foot and by car. We managed to find John Marshall, Carol the Twin Towers and Dr. Dave at the nearby oil palm plantation and led them back at 8.45 pm. We were relieved to find John Marshall, who was said to have been injured during a fall, was found to be fine. Late starter Biggles returned by herself some 20 minutes later. On being asked how she managed to follow the paper trail when it was dark without the use of a torch light, she said she bent her body down with her head closed to the ground while walking all the way out. What a good idea! But luckily there was no Baii following behind, otherwise she was going to face a big problem! As for Hawaii Goh, Nancy, Helen, Peter Looi, SYT, Capt. Tay and the said Korean guest, they were being picked up by cars by Killer Tony and Hotlink at Jasin Toll Plaza, Lipat Kajang a few km away and returned to the runsite at 10.05 pm. It seemed they went astray at the said banana plantation by turning right instead of left. They appeared exhausted.
It was a long run which took my partner and I, the 2 old cocks, 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete. According to energetic front runner Dennis the Menace who completed the run in l hour and 20 minutes, its distance was assessed to be around 13 km. However, according to co-hare Killer Tony who took 2 hours and 30 minutes to set it with the hares, the distance was 10.7 km as measured by his GPS. Whatever it is, it was quite a well-set run through the flat terrain of well-kept oil palm and fruit plantations.
For the first time in MH3 history, due to the late hours, there was no hash circle at the runsite. The On On was held at a Nyonya restaurant in downtown Melaka Raya. It was well-attended with 4 tables fully occupied. For a change, a 6-course delicious Nyonya dinner was served. An on-downed session was then held for the hares and the sinners. The dinner was on the hares. The crowd had only started to disperse at around mid-night. Thanks, hares.
See you at my coming joint run with my partner at Krubong on 26th June, 2007.
On! On!
Scribe: Drug Buster
Date: 20th June, 2007.
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