HASHING WE WOULD GO

If you can imagine Jalan Gadong leading to Jalan Tutong with no buildings or surfaced roads leading off it after the Gadong Power Station, that's what it was like in 1970 when I first went on a Hash.

Similarly there was no through road from Kota Batu to Jalan Muara and no trace of a main road now known as Jalan Kebangsaan. The roads through to Muara (Jalan Muara) and Berakas Camp were already there but only tracks leading off them on either side. I cannot make any comment on the numbers that attended the men's hash, but for the ladies there were only twelve to fifteen on an average run. This meant that with only two trails being laid each week the choice of new runs made it good hashing with plenty of virgin paths to be used if not abused.

On some runs the numbers dropped to as low as six, the main stays being Mrs Singh, Sue Feast, Margret Perfitt, Selenah Azia, Brenda Ray and I. These are the ones that immediately come to my mind. There may be others who will most probably also lay claim to fame and I apologise for lapse of memory. As an immediate follow up we started recruiting for new blood. This gives rise to a story when one of the regulars made an approach to a new arrival based in Bolkiah Camp. When asked if any ladies in the Camp would be interested in joining our 'Hash group' she looked somewhat surprised and said 'I didn't think smoking pot was legalised in Brunei". When explained the nature of a hash the interest stopped there. A familiar sight then which has since gone out of fashion (fortunately) was the arrival of husbands with children who were to come and act as nursemaids when mums were galloping through the jungle. This was the only ONON we enjoyed as there were no watering holes in the nature of Rais or Roberts or Tropicana or World Wide Club.

Our favourite running grounds were generally off Jalan Gadong, and the mode of dress always included slacks and woolly socks etc, as wherever we went we always seemed to encounter razor grass. There is still some around as no doubt some of you have noticed.

Like all clubs and friendly societies we've had our share of characters. One in particular stands out in my mind and that was an Aussie called Paula. Paula was a statuesque blonde who had the habit of transforming herself during the run. She would start off with shoulder length hair which seemed to disappear under a head band during the run and regain it's original length when she reappeared from the bushes. It was sometime before it was discovered that Paula sported a wig which she hung on a tree branch when entering, and stuck it. back on again when she came out.

The phrase 'beginners luck' you can hear mentioned quite often and so happened with our early days of hashing. A first timer on a hash (where the National Stadium now stands) happened to be the target of a small snake which fell on her. In arm waving panic she gave a shriek and knocked her spectacles off. Another hasher behind her accidentally trod on her spectacles by which time the snake had disappeared. Being specless and scared witless this was the first and last time we saw a prospective long term hasher.

Being in harmony (?) with the male hashers on the occasion of an anniversary run of theirs it was decided they would hold their OnOn at the old Royal Brunei Yacht Club. Ladies were not invited. However out of the kindness of our hearts and to show no ill feeling. we made them a cake, and delivered it to the Yacht Club as a token of our good will. Evidently their anniversary hash was enjoyable and all went well at the Yacht Club until several of the members sampled our presentation cake. It was not surprising as the beautifully iced and decorated cake was made from sawdust, grass, mud and other nasties. For several weeks after, this remained a very sore subject in many homesteads.

It wasn't long after this a joint run was organised. The same colour code was used, pink for the girls, blue for the boys. This was also held at Gadong. The cake incident was forgotten and forgiven. Or was it? The ladies set off in true form, the same then as we do now and all went well until we encountered a river with a log. and this was the only way to get across. It was not until the first five or six fast runners slipped off before it was realised that the log was heavily coated with grease. Some of you running today will remember that happening.

Possibly everyone who goes on the hash will have their own special memories, some more special than others. One of the more pleasant runs took place again at Gadong when we all went dressed up as tramps. Regrettably the photographs that were taken are not at hand but you can be assured with all the pictures were some stories. There were backless shorts. shortless fronts, and a female tramp flasher. It took some living down and we've often wondered how the 'observers' felt about it. At this time the numbers of hashers had risen to about 25. There were still no OnOn's and the running fee was only $1.00 a head. To give that evening a particular lift it was decided as a nice gesture to donate bars of soap, sweet smelling talc and toilette water to the best dressed tramp.

Unfortunately due to family commitments hashing days for me eased off in 1973. After which the family and I left the area. It was seven years later when I was invited to rejoin by Flora Winfield, who by then had become a keen hasher and one of the many, many addicted. Very few old faces were left but the runs were very much the same. It was an embarrassment having returned to the hash to have to reveal to husband that a group of us were left behind and stranded for over Forty minutes. When we eventually got out on a wrong trail we were confronted with a further problem as a son of us hashers had jumped on a bulldozer and started the engine. Great fun, only he couldn't switch it off, what the hell to do if it suddenly started moving - no way to stop it lah! One of us brighter ones got out the local village Headman who came to the rescue and turned the engine off. By this time all had been safely gathered in and we departed our various ways, some of us to Roberts which was my welcoming return to Brunei hashing.

It has never failed to amaze me for wherever I go you are sure to see T-shirts bearing signs and symbols of H H H. Hashers must number one of the largest spread groups in any of the world wide communities.

On the hash we are people together. Not professionals, or housewives or office cleaners or others. Just People. It was never meant to be a marathon or a one-upmanship job. Don't let it get to be that way. These days there are various venues for the ONON - to each their own.

Don't spoil a good run for the sake of nasties which from time to time develop. Let's go from strength to strength, keep hashing keep smiling.

ONON

Sally Oh Lee Wah