Just a glimpse...

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Do you REALLY think that these "Mis-pricongs" are an accident ???

Great to see Arjan Phil back among us --- you were missed !

[sejintenej]

Ordinary "cheap" button mushrooms in pre-packs (sensible size - not even half a kilo! and full price, undiscounted) at about £1,80 per kilo but the same mushrooms loose were about £6 per kilo.

Do you REALLY think that these "Mis-pricongs" are an accident ???

IMHO not a chance. I had already had a moan to this shop about a different price label and had been told that any change in the label had to be approved by their Legal Department. Ergo the legal department had approved the price labels.

[Ajarn Philip]

Today's glimpse: foul weather, still cold. Emerged hobbit-like from my burrow today after 5 days translating Banking Insurance policies. Can't say I enjoyed it, but if there's anything you want to know about Infidelity and Wrongful Acts, then I'm you're man...

More flooding in parts of Thailand, earthquakes on the Thailand/Burmas/Laos border, irradiated fish from Japan.

Cor blimey.

[jhopgood]

Cor blimey.

I haven't seen that expression written down since I was in Junior school and I used it in some exercise where our comments were written on the blackboard.
Stopped using it after I thought that it was the origin of my myopia.

[Ajarn Philip]

Cor blimey.

I haven't seen that expression written down since I was in Junior school and I used it in some exercise where our comments were written on the blackboard.
Stopped using it after I thought that it was the origin of my myopia.

Tsk, you mean nobody ever told you...?

[Ajarn Philip]

I remember being a regular on the Hash in Islamabad a disturbingly long time ago. Everyone was allotted a nickname, and a Dutch friend of mine named 'Cor naturally 'became "Cor Blimey". He was also responsible for introducing me to Old Genever...

[Katharine]

Phil, Islamabad's hash was started by two friends of ours, they hadn't had one before. It was the first I came across, they had them at each of our later postings.

[kerrensimmonds]

Katharine.. are we talking about substances on the edge of legality. What does 'Hash' mean here? Blimey.. I can't believe such of you!!
In terms of Phil , now, I hope that he is safe and dry and hopefully not vulnerable to the current weather conditions. I hope that he and Mrs. Ajarn have substantial wellies.... I heard a report on Radio 4 this morning about tourists trapped in Thailand, and it sounded dire.

[Katharine]

Hash is perfectly legal Kerren! It is a form of cross country paper chase as a prelude to drinking. It is short for Hash House Harriers. It has its own lingo, I haven't done it for years, and can't remember all the details, sorry!

[kerrensimmonds]

Phew! I was seriously worried......

[Ajarn Philip]

The Hash House Harriers: Wiki says -

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hash House Harriers is a decentralized organization with each chapter, sometimes called a kennel, individually managed with no uniting organizational hierarchy (although the locations of national and international gatherings are decided by a meeting involving representatives from a number of hashes). A chapter's management is typically known as the MisManagement and consists of individuals with various duties and titles. There are more than 1,700 chapters spanning all seven continents. Most major cities are home to at least one chapter. Chapters typically contain between 20-100 members, usually mixed-sex, with some metropolitan area Hashes drawing more than 1,000 hashers to an event.

Hashing originated in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, then in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia), when a group of British colonial officers and expatriates began meeting on Monday evenings to run, in a fashion patterned after the traditional British Paper Chase or "Hare and Hounds", to rid themselves of the excesses of the previous weekend. The original members included, Albert Stephen (A.S.) Ignatius "G" Gispert, Cecil Lee, Frederick "Horse" Thomson, Ronald "Torch" Bennett and John Woodrow. A. S. Gispert is recognised as the Father of Hashing, and All-Around Grand Master-Hasher.[citation needed]

After meeting for some months, they were informed by the Registrar of Societies that as a "group," they would require a Constitution and an official name. A. S. Gispert suggested the name "Hash House Harriers" after the Selangor Club Annex, where the men were billeted, known as the "Hash House" for its notoriously monotonous food. Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and finding the trail, harriers reaching the end of the trail would be rewarded with beer, ginger beer and cigarettes.

The Constitution of the Hash House Harriers is recorded on a club registration card dated 1950:

To promote physical fitness among our members
To get rid of weekend hangovers
To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel
Hashing died out during World War II after the invasion of Malaya, but was re-started after the war by most of the original group, minus A. S. Gispert, who was killed on 11 February 1942 in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, an event commemorated by many chapters by an annual Gispert Memorial Run held on this day.

Apart from a "one-off" chapter formed on the Italian Riviera by Gus Mackie, growth of Hashing remained small until 1962, when Ian Cumming founded a chapter in Singapore. The idea then spread through the Far East, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and North America, booming in popularity during the mid-1970s.

At present, there are almost two thousand chapters in all parts of the world, with members distributing newsletters, directories, and magazines and organizing regional and world Hashing events. As of 2003, there are even two organized chapters operating in Antarctica.

Most chapters gather on a weekly or monthly basis, though some events occur sporadically, e.g. February 29th, Friday the 13th, or a full moon.

At a Hash, one or more members (Hares) lay a trail, which is then followed by the remainder of the group (the Pack or Hounds). The trail often includes false trails, short cuts, dead ends, and splits. These features are designed to keep the pack together regardless of fitness level or running speed, as front-runners are forced to slow down to find the "true" trail, allowing stragglers to catch up.

Members often describe their group as "a drinking club with a running problem," indicating that the social element of an event is as important, if not more so, than any athleticism involved. Beer remains an integral part of a Hash, though the balance between running and drinking differs between chapters, with some groups placing more focus on socializing and others on running.

Generally, Hash events are open to the public and require no reservation or membership, but some may require a small fee, referred to as hashcash, to cover the costs incurred, such as food or drink.

The end of a trail is an opportunity to socialize, have a drink and observe any traditions of the individual chapter (see Traditions). When the Hash officially ends, many members may continue socializing at an On-After, On-Down, On-On-On, or Hash Bash, an event held at a nearby house, pub, or restaurant.

Special events
The first Red Dress Run in South America, held in Chaclacayo, Perú.In addition to regularly-scheduled Hashes, a chapter may also organize other events or themed runs.

A common special event is the Red Dress Run, and is held annually by individual chapters. According to hasher lore, a newcomer in San Diego was invited to a hash; unbeknownst to her it was a running group, and she attended the run in a red dress instead of running clothes. After being mocked for wearing such an outfit she ran the trail anyway. Other hashers began wearing red dresses as a joke and the tradition soon became an annual event that spread across the world. The point of the run is that all participants (both sexes) don red dresses of various sorts. The Red Dress Run is typically the largest event organized by a chapter in a given year, with attendance topping 2,000 in San Diego, and 600 in Washington, D.C.. The largest Red Dress Run event is currently in New Orleans, with approximately 8,000[2] officially registered participants for RDR 2010.[3] It is estimated more than 10,000 people in red dresses were in the French Quarter for RDR 2010 but not all had registered.

Most chapters count the number of runs it has organized and uses round figures - run no. 100, 200, 777, 1000 etc. - as an opportunity for arranging a weekend with several runs and nightly celebrations.

Beer obviously plays quite a serious role in events, usually, but not exclusively, consumed after the event at the Tubs. (I'm taking aboutthe late 80s) This depends on climate of course - I doubt whether Norwegian Hashes indulge - but the Tubs are large tin bathtubs full of ice and cans of beer. CBs (Cheating B***ards) and others guilty of offences real or imagined would be "iced" - they had to sit on a large block of ice.

Silly, juvenile and a lot of fun. I still have my leaving certificate somewhere. Torture, threats, bribes - nothing would persuade me to reveal my Hash name.

[Ajarn Philip]

[Ajarn Philip]

A sad glimpse today. Remember the above photos, posted a couple of years ago? The black pup was Phad Thai and the older dog was Kol Wett (Breton for 'scrounger' apparently!). Phad Thai grew and grew and grew, and early last year, when I was at my weakest, we had to find a new home for her. She was a tad over-enthusiastic (still under a year old) and every time she jumped up to say hi, she'd knock me over and think we were having great fun!! Bee told me she (the dog...) was shot last week for killing a farmer's champion fighting cock. I hope it was delicious.
Kol Wett (known to all but my Breton neighbour as 'Cobweb') disappeared overnight on Chinese New Year. Fireworks. Looked high and low, but nowhere to be seen.

[jhopgood]

Hash is perfectly legal Kerren! It is a form of cross country paper chase as a prelude to drinking. It is short for Hash House Harriers. It has its own lingo, I haven't done it for years, and can't remember all the details, sorry!

If you want more details, I started Hashing in 1979 in Costa Rica, then ran in Madrid, (where I was Hash Cash), Guatemala, (GMH and RA), founded the Hash in Buenos Aires in 1993, have a Hash name of "Hopeless", (for obvious reasons), and last ran a Hash in Benissa in February.
I could go "On ON", but it would get tedious.
More information at http://www.gthhh.com

[Katharine]

Phil, such sad news about Kol Wett. I know just how enthusiastic Chinese New Year fireworks can be. It is now part of our family legend that the first time we were living in a Chinese quarter, the boys, then about 4 & 5, charged out of their bedroom screaming "The Chinese are attacking us"!

Thanks for that Wiki about Hash. I am interested that back then Malaya had a Registrar of Societies, I had assumed Malaysia's one dated from later. I had been told it was to ensure there were no communist infiltrators. As the Inner Wheel Secretary I had to submit our AGM minutes to the Registrar each year. They were read too, I had referred to the President as Grace, but she signed her name as Elizabeth (Don't ask!) He did ask, I think Grace/Elizabeth had to be interviewed, before he would allow us to continue for another year. Any changes to the Constitution had to be submitted for approval, and as the amount of subscription had to be in the Constitution, you might have to submit this annually. However, there were some ways around such red tape ....