|
|
Scribe For Run No: 1704 at Bertam Ulu
Scribe by Drug Buster
on 21st August, 2007.
Date: 22nd August 2007
Rehashed Run No: 1704; Hare: Janet Si; Date: 21st August, 2007; Venue: Taman Bertam Impian, Bertam Ulu.
Janet Si is a devoted veteran hasher whom I have known for umpteen years. In spite of her busy work, she used to attend the run regularly as a walker rather than a runner. As scheduled on rotation, yesterday was her run at the popular runsite of Bertam Ulu which attracted a big turnout.
It was a fine Tuesday afternoon. As enthusiastic hashers who looked forward for a good sweat-out, my partner and I arrived early at the runsite at 5.00 pm. Not surprisingly, we met another earlier bird there. He was none other than avid and devoted hasher Dr. Pandirajah. We congratulated each other for maintaining our time at the previous week’s Annual 10 Km Run for which he clocked a creditable 45 minutes and I clocked 53.03 minutes. Of course it did not apply to my partner who started the run as early bird, followed the wrong trail with 6 other runners and returned to the runsite as a pillion rider on a motor-cycle ridden by a kind-hearted villager at 7.40 pm when the sky was dark.
It was at 5.25 pm that the impatience got the better of us. Armed with a GPS given by GM Cocker one month ago for the second time as mentioned in my last scribe for Run No. 1702 dated 14-8-2007, my partner and I started the run as early birds by following the paper northward on a laterite road across a drain. A short distance away, it turned left into a matured oil palm plantation. After zigzagging through it for some 35 minutes, it went upslope, turned left into a rubber plantation, downhill on a bushy and undulating terrain before crossing a small stream and hitting the first and the only difficult check at the foot of another hill. A spread-out search was conducted with no effect. It was then that we were being joined by a big pack of scheduled runners. Among them were Dr. Pandirajah, Pecker and Joseph. Its connecting paper was found by a front runner some 20 minutes later some 100 meters ahead on a hill-slope in a rubber plantation beside an orchard. It then continued to ascend uphill for some 200 meters before descending downhill to its foot on the other side. After a short stroll on the flat terrace, out of our expectation the paper proceeded up and down another tough hill again and a deep ditch which made us panting and sweating profusely. To our relief, that was the last hill we encountered. From then on, it was another some 3 km jog cum walk through the milder terrains of rubber, oil palm and fruit plantation which was fruiting and a couple of ditches more before arriving back at the runsite at 7.30 pm. On the way, we were being overtaken by a big pack of energetic runners who included Dennis the Menace, Vibrator, Biggles, Rubbish Bui, GM Cocker, Strawberry, SYT, Helen, Nancy and Hawaii Goh. Dennis the Menace looked fresh after returning from his working trip in Brisbane, Australia.
It was a tough hilly run of some 7 km set by the hare with the assistance of co-hares Horlick and Sleeping Beauty without reccee which took them 3 hours to complete. According to Horlick, there was a second check in an oil palm plantation after the first check which might have been found and joined by the front runner. The last runners were only back at 8.10 pm when the sky was dark. They were none other than Websitekang, Ramli and Carol the Twin Towers. Of course it was a great relief to Dennis the Menace who was seen smiling after seeing his other half Carol the Twin Towers back in one piece in the good hands of Websitekang and Ramli.
Hash circle was well-attended. It was conducted by GM Cocker. Except the hare who was absent, all the other sinners were put on ice and on-downed.
On On was held at the nearby ever-popular Soon Feng Restaurant in Cheng Baru. It was well-attended with 5 tables fully occupied. A 7-course delicious Chinese dinner was served. It was partly subsidized by the hare. The hare and a big number of sinners were on-downed. They included me who, as an old cock, was slow in learning how to operate the given GPS.
It was a marvelous night with good food, good drink and good fun. The pack had only begun to disperse at 10.45 pm. Thank you, hare! And a big thank you to Band Boy, Carol the Twin Towers and Vibrator for giving me the newspaper cutting of my recent Malacca Historical Run with my partner. I will keep them as souvenirs.
On! On!
Scribe: Drug Buster
Date: 22nd August, 2007.
|
|
Accompanying Co-hare To Set A Run With GPS
GPS is an advanced electronic equipment which could assist hasher in laying a good run. It was first introduced to MH3 by GM Cocker a couple of years ago. Since then, it has been widely used by him, Killer Tony and Dennis the Menace whenever they set a run. In spite of that, as an old cock who used to set runs with sense of direction, I was still in the dark of its usage.
It was not until 3 weeks ago when I was given a cute GPS by the kind-hearted GM Cocker. To learn its sophisticated operation, I was asked to accompany him to set a run as co-hare for hare Dr. Pandiyarajah who was away on duty. Of course, I was delighted to do so.
As appointed, we met at Cheng Baru at 2.30 pm before proceeding to Taman Paya Rumput Indah housing estate which is situated some 15 km north of Malacca city. Accompanying me was my partner who understandably wanted to assure that I would not be led astray by GM Cocker. On the way, GM Cocker put up 2 signages to guide the runners to the runsite.
It was a hot afternoon. After teaching and showing me how to operate the GPS and equipping ourselves with one GPS each and some white papers, we set out to lay the run at 3.00 pm. We followed the wide laterite road to the west into an oil palm plantation for a short distance before turning left to the south. Along the way, we marked the trail with white papers for the runner.
The first simple check was placed at a T-junction after 15 minutes walk. Its connecting paper was placed some 100 meters ahead. It then proceeded onward towards Tun Fatimah Stadium for a short distance before turning left eastward and northward and right eastward again for another 15 minutes before placing the first and only simple false trail near a kampong road. Its connecting paper was placed in front of the vacant estate quarters some 100 meters on the right of the back trail.
The connecting paper then continued to be placed northward through the bushy oil palm plantation along a deep ditch for some 10 minutes before crossing it and hitting Kampong Paya Rumput village and across a bridge where the second and last simple check was placed on a tarred road. Its connecting paper was placed on the left some 100 meters away. Whilst there, we met some kampong boys who appeared curious to see us walking and throwing paper on the road. We told them that it was a hash run trail and requested them not remove them for which we believed they listened.
From then on, it was another some one hour’s walk on the home trail through the said village, up a small hill, across a fence into a rubber estate and an oil palm plantation before ascending a steep and bushy slope to the runsite. The time then was 4.55 pm and the distance was 6.8 km as recorded by GPS. The entire trail was set with the guidance of GPS under the supervision of GM Cocker. As such, it is indisputable that GPS is a very useful electronic equipment which could be used to assist the hare in setting a good run and the runner in enjoying it with no fear of getting lost. However, as an old cock who is slow in learning and fast in forgetting, I will have to devote more time in practising it in the coming runs with the hope of mastering it in the shortest period of time.
The run was well-attended by some 60 hashers who included a number of guests. It was at 6.00 pm that they started the run after a short and sweet warm-up exercise. The first runner Ranger was back after 48 minutes and the last runners were back at 7.30 pm when the sky was still bright. They appeared to have enjoyed the run.
Hash circle was conducted by GM Cocker. As usual, all the sinners were put on ice and on-downed. It was then announced by Bombastic, GM of Malacca Full Moon Hash, that the Malacca Hash Joint Run this year would be held in Durian Tunggal on 17th November with the damage of RM 20.00 each. Participants are asked to register early.
On On was held at the nearby Xiang Hao Restaurant in Cheng Baru. A total of 6 tables were fully occupied. A 6-course delicious Chinese dinner was served with 4 bottles of beer for each table. They were on the hare. Another on-downed session was held for the sinners. The pack had only started to disperse at 10.30 pm. Thanks, hare!
See you at the coming Annual 10 Km Run at Bukit Katil at 6.00 pm today. Sorry to say that we have to miss Dennis the Menace, as he will be away on mission in Brisbane, Australia. Don’t worry, we will enjoy the run on his behalf!
On! On!
Scribe: Drug Buster
Date: 14th August, 2007.
