hashing away

I was first introduced to 'hashing' when I took part in one that was organised by one of my company's agency. If you've never heard of it, read on to get an inkling of what it's all about.

Travelling by a chartered bus which was not even half-filled (!), i arrived at the destination, Setia Alam Eco Park at about 3pm. Having no idea what I was getting myself into, I went in just a T-shirt, shorts and my usual walking shoes. Bold move.  

Others came more appropriately dressed in long trackpants while sassy June wore her bandanna the 'Karate Kid' style.

Yin, Ngow Yong & June

Choy Phyll is proudly showing us her AXA green umbrella-in-a-bottle.

Ivy, Ngow Yong, me, Choy Phyll and Yin

Somehow I can't pull off the cute look!
Fine, I'll return to the paddy-fields.... (I blame my attire though).

Having a bash before the start of hash.

Moon taking a shot at lifting weights.
That's Mark's water tumbler, by the way.

OOOfpHH!

Mr Gerard, the very-serious-looking organizer gave us the rules of the hash and time to report back to the station.

All eagerly rushing to the starting point of the hash, which happens to be a forest reserve in the middle of an estate.
Fashion-conscious June has switched from a bandanna to her canvas hat!

What was at first walking on flat ground, had people dropping jaws next, when they saw this huuuuge hill they had to scale with nothing but their bare hands.  My initial thought was 'can those smaller kids make it ah?' Apparently, due to the lack of information on the difficulty level of this activity, some parents brought their young kids. And I mean, reaaally young k...like 7 or 8 years old! 

Not that I doubt they can complete the hash (the teamwork we portray is remarkable!) but it's the poor parents (and the 'dan lain- lain' meaning us) who had to listen to the whining and tantrums of those struggling kids who I bet were wishing they could grow their legs longer.

There was still some good distance to walk still, before reaching the palm estate.

Not even half way done, and we were already out of breath.....

This was about the most scenic view we got from the height we were at, before heading into the forest.

Yup, that's where we were heading to - right through that oil palm estate. Snakes, anyone?

This is the reason why I should have worn my long track bottom here.

Thank God this wasn't mine. Some earlier soul had lost his sole.

I'm so glad Tan and his belly came along to this hash. Way to go!

Call me crazy but I actually enjoyed all the crawling under and over fallen tree trunks, dragging our feet in the mud, hanging onto tree branches and giant roots. Just give me the proper shoes to do all that.

THIS I'm not so fond of... Awful pokey plant in the jungle that gives no support watsoever.

M-U-D..!! Ewwwck!
Makes me shoes go schiok schiok walking in them.

After almost 2 hours, we had conquered the forest and were back in the open. Feels great to have the setting sun beaming its rays at me....so refreshing!

For some reason, I went into the forest with my usual gang but came out of it with another bunch! lol.
Wherever they dropped off during the trail, I'm glad we all made it out in one piece!

Here we are making our way out, with tired feet and parched throats. The exit seemed too far away.

Back at the station, since there were no toilet facilities around (!), the only place to change into our dry custom-designed shirts was this tiny tent.

Ta-daaah...me in the BIGGEST smallest t-shirt I could find. What's in Choy Phyll's hands behind me, I can't tell...

Replenish not with 100+, but ice-cold BEER!

Ivy shows just what you should NOT be wearing when hashing - posh sandals with perfectly pedicured and polished nails. 

Spotted...activity going on behind the bushes..........!

Don't worry, it's just the satay-man doing what he does best. Smelled so blardy good, when can we eat...!!

Second sighting of food - Nasi Lemak with Chicken, Mutton, Clams and Bean dessert.
But goodness, that table looks like its legs are gonna give way anytime.
Seriously, our dinner greatly depends on what's on that table. 

Apparently beer-drinking was D tradition and highlight of all the events sponsored by this agent. People ended up being called to join in a beer drinking competition. (Luckily I escaped).
Gee, dun these people know they are not supposed to drink on an empty tummy?

The sun was setting fast by the time we started queuing for our hard-earned meal;

and it was already pitch dark by the time we reached the mee soto van.

No one really cared that there were no lighting around us. We ate everything we could (not) see on our plate.
 We were famished, everything also ate till finish.

I absolutely could not see what was on my plate, hence I couldn't get a proper shot of my dinner here. 

Spooky background eh?

 

So, do you now know what is hashing all about?

It's basically an exhilaratingly fun combination of running, climbing, orienteering, exploring and then partying, all in search of a good workout, camaraderie and great times. Hashing actually began in Kuala Lumpur itself, in 1938 by this group of British officials. 

Well I think it's a great weekend effort to get away from work-related stress,  and is both physically and mentally challenging. 

And the best reward at the end of the day?

B-E-E-R