Tell It To The Marines

For the second week in succession the run, supposedly in a part of Kam Tin that isn’t Nobble Park, was rained off. Golden Balls got a 6pm phone call from a more than usually stressed-sounding Big Moany: “It’s hopeless. Trail’s being washed out as I lay it.” “You’ll just have to live hare it then, won’t you,” came the equally stressed reply from GB, who was desperately trying to finish his work in time to keep his appointment with a gang of newbie hashers and bring them to the much talked-up run.

Five minutes later, Big Moany was back on the blower. “Can’t do it. Run’s at Nobble Park. Oh bloody hell, I’ve just upset a bag of flour in the car.”

GB was not sympathetic.

And yet, an hour later, under a sky remarkable for it’s lack of moisture or anything resembling rain, more than a dozen hashers and protohashers descended upon the “pagoda” round the corner from Big Moany’s gaff. Fartypants and Walky Talky with Dylan, Dram, Ah Duck, Liberace, Catch Of The Day, Mango Groove, Eunuch, Golden Balls, One Eyed Jack and a trio of strangely young-looking men peered at each other through the sodium glare of the streetlight. The three young men had taken a taxi all the way from the Hyatt at Chinese University, and were marines, or sailors, or both – two medics and a PTI. They looked impressively fit and…young. Tim, Levan and Doc Lick-a-lot (an Okinawa hasher) were about to be introduced to hashing, Northern-style.

The run was of necessity not very long, but it was quite clever, disorientingly so. At one point Fartypants was encountered running the wrong way along Kam Sheung Road: “I used to live on this road but I’ve no idea where I am!” There was even a short shiggy section to muddy the shoes, and various bits through mazy villages and along broad, sweeping nullah roads. The pack soon fractured into two chunks, Ah Duck, Liberace, Catch Of The Day, Mango Groove and Eunuch getting a jump on the rest, with Mango romping home first (a factoid he was not going to let anybody forget). As most of the second group came home in a clump a disgraceful sprint ensued, with Tim holding off a surprisingly nimble One Eyed Jack ahead of Doc and Walky Talky. The shortcutting Dram strode in last. Justice.

The usual makeshift circle ensued and then it was off to the Kam Tin daipaidongs for most of the pack. The three visitors were heard to enquire where the action is in Sha Tin. How on Earth they ended up there is anybody’s guess, but as we dispersed into the night COTD was seen giving her number to them so she could show them Wanchai the following night. Hope they got out alive.