Raye's First Hash

After 27 years of marriage, at age 55, Raye is no longer a "virgin". That's what hashers call someone who hasn't run a hash before. Raye completed the hash and has the t-shirt to prove it. And she wants to do it again!

She wasn't originally planning to participate, just come and watch. Then she was introduced to "Black Horse" (Janet), a Chinese national who has been living in Singapore for 2 years. She explained that she walks (doesn't run) the hash trail. The short-option trail was estimated to be about an hour's walk, so Raye decided she'd give it a go.

It started off nicely enough: down a paved road, leading away from the picnic pavilion at Sengkang Riverside Park. But a quick right turn had us going north under the Tampines freeway and we were off into the woods, threading our way between the trees and vines.

And then it got interesting.

The hares (the people who lay the trail using flour and toilet paper to mark the way) decided we needed to cool off. And so the trail lead right into a stream and out on the other side. It was only thigh-deep for the most part, but the bottom was sticky muddy, and especially so at the banks. The mud was surprisingly deep; you sank into it up to your calves.

It took a team effort to get everyone down into the water and doubly so when getting out on out the other side. There's no chance of being left behind; the run has "sweepers" who know the trail and make sure they are the last to finish. You also hear people calling "RU" (are you on the trail?) and "ON-ON" (I'm on the trail.)

Unfortunately, the mud was so sticky, two of the hashers had the soles of the shoes separate from the tops. Raye's new friend, Black Horse, was one of those so afflicted. Some trail ingenuity kept things together for the rest of the hash.

They called it "the bionic shoe".

On the run, you see a very different side of Singapore. The runs are in the still-undeveloped parts of the island. The trail led us through jungle, and along fences that mark the border of military installations. We went across streams using logs as bridges and (on the long trail) a bridge made of 2 bamboo sticks lashed together. We saw and actually ran through through some the homes which we guessed are used by some of the "off the books" laborers.

We were on the trail for about 90 minutes and got back as the sun was setting. After the hash comes The Circle, the equivalent of a college fraternity or sorority party where some people give everyone else a hard time about things that happened on the run. Raye got called into the circle twice: once because it was her first hash, the second time for helping Janet with her shoe. And yes, beer is involved.

This was the Singapore Sunday Hash's 400th run so instead of going to a HDB hawker center for dinner afterwards (called the "On On On"), the organizers arranged for a buffet dinner of great Indian & local foods. We also received goodie bags containing a variety of promotional items, include a 400th run commemorative t-shirt.

The next run will be in two weeks. Raye and I are planning to be there. And, according to the slogan of the Sunday Hash, "our next run could be good."

Sure & Begorrah - Meh?

They say on March 17, the whole world is Irish. We can report that this saying extends all the way to Singapore. And of course, where there is St. Patrick's day, the Guinness cannot be far behind.

St. Patrick's Day arrived while our friends Susan & Ed Hurley were visiting us. They were able to sneak away because their younger 15-year-old son was traveling to Rome over Spring break. It was a fast visit; they arrived Sunday at noon and left Thursday around 11:30 pm. Even, so we were able to pack in a full dose of Singaporean experiences.

Including the St. Patrick's Day Parade. We stumbled upon this on Sunday afternoon as we were walking along the Singapore River. There were perhaps 20-25 groups marching in the parade and the variety was remarkable. There were traditional marching bands. But then there was this group marching in full Star Wars costumes. And the Chinese girls' bagpipe group.

Of course there was plenty of green to be seen. But news to Paul was the large number of people wearing orange. Turns out that Irish Catholics are the ones who wear green and Irish Protestants wear orange. (Clearly our living in Chicago and Boston had given us a monochromatic perspective.) And this being Singapore -- where Chinese, Malays, Indians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Caucasians, and everyone gets along (the government makes this a national priority) -- the Greens and Organges were parading together... along with Darth Vader.

Unfortunately, the luck of the Irish was not in full measure on Sunday. The tropical skies decided to remind everyone that Singapore was originally a rain forest. So we did not stick around, threading our way back using the five foot way that protects pedestrians from the elements (and thanking Sir Stamford Raffles for his architectural foresight).

On Tuesday, Raye, Susan and Ed, visited the Dubliner, the Irish pub closest to our place for a pint and to take in the spirit of the holiday with the local denizens. We then adjourned for the Newton Hawker Center where there was no corned beef and cabbage (nor green beer) to be found. However, we were able to feast on several local foods and enjoy a pleasant evening together among the crowds that are always present at this popular spot.