Special Occasion: Geoff Robb's retirement run
Venue: Sungei Tekali
Hare: Geoff Robb
Scribe: Sen Soon Mun
After laying off for almost 5 months, the ex-GM was quite excited to run again. What better run to restart than the farewell run by Geoff Rob. Parking at the run site located deep in the village of Sungai Tekali was quite a challenge with only dirt lanes and a small open space to contend with. Some had to park half a kilometre before the run site and some veteran hashers (who had set the run here before or know the area well) demanded to know why the parking site was not at an open space a kilometre back. "We are looking at a toilet seat run here!" they hissed.
We started with a steep climb of about 500 metres and a check at the top. It took the front runners (what's new!) a while to break the check. When the ex-GM reached the top, he went down a rubber tree track to the left and came to a cliff with an open trail below. Sensing that this could lead to something, he and another hasher went down the trail and from a distant saw what was hash paper. On-On was called immediately and off we went up again along a nice trail and into the woods and a banana orchard. We went over a couple of fences and at the third fence, a check was placed. Driven by the confidence of breaking the first check, the ex-GM went forward while the other front runners did a back check. A back check it was and we went down hill to another check that the ex-GM did not remember much. It was quite hazy and blur. However, at one of the checks, we came upon a film crew in a wide open space that was shooting a scene for a local drama. As the hashers fanned out to try and break the check, the ex-GM asked the crew if they saw a couple of Mat Sallehs went by. They nodded quickly and pointed at a path that led to a rubber plantation. Life is easy if help is always on hand!!
After another kilometre of good running, a split was marked where the long run was labelled the "SLOG RUN" while the short run was called "NORMAL RUN". The hare had warned us that the SLOG RUN will be tough and no messing around there if one is not fit enough. Having just started to run again, the ex-GM did the sensible thing and went for the NORMAL RUN. It wasn't much of a run. There were hills that went on for a long long while and at the top of the last hill, we skirted round the hill top for almost half an hour. As the ex-GM trashed and trudged along the dense jungle with poisonous thorns and pricks menacingly dangling overhead, a slight feeling that he may be lost (despite the hash paper!) began to creep in. The great thirst (it was a very hot day after all) must be blamed for this silly concern!! With less than a kilometre before the jungle trail ended, the ex-GM bumped into the hare who was coming up the opposite direction. "Have you see Bob?" he asked. "No," the ex-GM answered. "I was alone the whole time," he added.
With exhaustion and thirst almost over-powering the ex-GM, his spirits began to lift up when the trail opened up to a beautiful valley with manicured slopes of orchards and rubber plantations in the distance. He could smell home now with cold beer and a nice shower waiting for him. However, his happiness was short-lived when the hare told him that there is a last check! OMG! With no mood to break that check, the ex-GM begged the hare to tell him where the connecting trail was. The ex-GM must have looked rather pathetic for the hare willingly pointed him the home trail.
Before we set off, the ex-GM asked Fierce-Gay Boy to scribe the SLOG RUN, to which he gladly agreed. He then went to South Africa with his sweetheart a few days ago and is not expected to be back until the end of April. Not wanting to wait for him to submit his portion lest the ex-GM is punished, this scribe report will have to be without the SLOG RUN. All the ex-GM know about the SLOG RUN was there was this freaking hill that is the mother-of-all-hills!!
The circle was called at close to half 7 and in the darkness of the jungle with only a small white light, the new GM conducted the proceedings with 3 witches and a perverted hasher being charged for their misdemeanours. And after a year of clean language at the circle, profanities came back with a vengeance. A few more charges went by and just before half 8, we left for the OnOn at Shirley's.
The ex-GM did not go for the OnOn. The run was judged a T-shirt run. Thanks to Geoff Rob for a good evening and may your retirement be an enjoyable one.