Scribe For Run No: 1722
Scribe by Drug Buster
on 25th December, 2007 at Butterfly Farm, Air Keroh.
Date: 31-12-2007
Rehashed Run No: 1722; Hare/Occasion: Christmas Run; Date: 25th December, 2007; Venue: Butterfly Farm, Air Keroh.
Christmas, like other festivals such as Deepavali and Chinese New Year, is celebrated yearly by MH3 in the form of a run which is set on the first Tuesday after the festival which is MH3’s running day. It was of no exception this year except that the run was rarely set right on the Christmas day this year which fell on Tuesday. As expected, it attracted a big turnout who included a number of guests.
The venue is a popular hashing run-site with big parking space situated beside the Air Keroh Toll Plaza. It is covered with rubber, oil palm and fruit plantations with undergrowth, soggy and undulating terrain which offer a good run.
As usual, looking forward for a good sweat-out, my partner and I arrived at the run-site as early birds. Surprised to see an earlier bird Kacang Panjang with 2 charming harriets from Padang, Indonesia who were here on vacation. Three cars belonging to GM Cocker, Dennis the Menace and Killer Tony were also seen parked there. As their owners were nowhere to be seen, they must have left earlier to set the running trail.
It was a cloudy and cool afternoon. As oldies, my partner and I started the run as early birds and 5.15 pm by following the paper southward along the road and across the new Air Keroh – Jasin Highway into an oil palm plantation on a laterite road. Some 15 minutes later, it hit the first tough check at a T-junction. A spread-out search was conducted. By then we were being caught up by another early bird Tongkat Ali with the said 2 charming Padang harriets. After some 15 minutes spread-out check, its connecting paper was found by my partner some 200 meters away down slope on the right. It was then that it started to drizzle which made the ground wet and muddy. As usual, as early birds, we did not join the paper.
The paper continued to proceed further down slope across a drain and upslope into a rubber plantation. After trudging for some 10 minutes, it hit the second simple check on a laterite road. Its connecting paper was found by me a short while later on the right of the back trail.
The third check was a tricky one. It appeared on a path in a rubber plantation after some 15 minutes trudge. Luckily its connecting paper was found by my partner a short while later on a bushy path some 100 meters on the right of the back trail.
It was another 15 minutes trudge before exiting into a banana plantation where the fourth check appeared. It was then that we were caught up by frontrunner Ranger who did not follow the paper from the right. It was a difficult check. While conducting a spread-out search, we were joined by a big pack of scheduled runners. Its connecting paper was found some 15 minutes later about 200 meters away on the left by a scheduled runner.
The fifth and last check was set at a banana plantation about 10 minutes later. It was the toughest check. Another spread-out check was conducted. By then we were being joined by a bigger pack of runners. Among them were Dr. Pandirajah and Dr. Tan. After going round in circle for a while with no sign, some impatient runners decided to make a back trail. It was only after some 20 minutes exhaustive search that its connecting paper was finally found by me in the bush some 300 meters ahead. The time then was 7.10 pm when the sky began to turn dark. From then on, it was another 40 minutes of tiring trudge through the bushy secondary jungle with wild boars’ footprints, muddy drains and rubber plantation before arriving at a college on a tarred road and back to the run-site where the hash circle was in progress. We were the last runners to exit. It was a tough run of some 7 km. For our good support, we were each given a beautiful colourful T-shirt.
Hash circle was conducted by GM Cocker. It saw the hares, guests and sinners being put on ice and on-downed. It was then announced by GM Cocker that the coming run on 1-1-2008 of Hawaii Goh and partner Nancy would be held at Bertam Ulu which is another popular hashing run-site.
For the first time in MH3 history, on-on was held at the 5-star Equatorial Hotel in downtown Melaka Raya. It was well attended with 7 tables. Delicious buffet dinner was served with free-flowing cold beer, whiskey and wine. In attendance was a live band with hashers dancing wildly to the tune of music on the floor. Another on-down session was held for the Christian members and sinners. Lucky draws with gifts were held. However, as we were exhausted, we did not stay back until the party was over at around midnight.
It was a grand and memorable Christmas run. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
On On!
Scribe: Drug Buster
Date: 11th July, 2007.