My cross-cultural travels as i reach the important Cross Roads in these journeys, the intersection of my personal and professional life and perspectives with these amazing locations and people. I am forever changed and hope to leave a part of myself here, as i carry the people and places i experience with me.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
The Hash
Ok, so this post is for the lighter side of things. There is a group of internationals here in Kabul who go on weekly hikes either in the city or the surrounding areas. This group is loosely associated with the World Hash House Harriers (HHH). So, i went last week with a couple of my colleagues from work, Joyce and Rebecca. The main difficulty was finding the house in town from where we were to start the Hash. A handful of hearty souls actually chose to run this predetermined course - rain, mud, snow, and open sewers be damned! I did not run. I enjoyed the leisure stroll through the city, looking for the 'hash' marks on the ground - those chalk markings that would indicate whether you were on the right path or on a alternate route. I found many alternate routes, let me tell you. But the stroll was interesting as we walked, the local people asked us what was happening, all the while thinking to themselves, i'm sure, that we were a bunch of crazy Westerners out running/walking in the mud and rain. And of course they were right. The 'Hash view', the one scenic point during each walk that is designated a viewing spot, was very nice, on top of a hill, near a burial ground, overlooking a section of the city. From here you could see the many brown, dusty buildings sprawled out into the distance, eventually fading into a veil of misty rain and low lying smog. As we make our way along the path, the small children would shout 'hey mister! one dollar!'. They have learned to spot foreigners and ask for a dollar. After a two hour walk, we made it back to the Hash House, where we became part of a ritual i had not witnessed before. All new runners/hikers had to stand in the middle of a circle of the remaining hashers, and drink down a beer (water for the teetotalers) while the group sang bawdy songs. When you have completed your fifth hash, you receive a hash nickname....and with this group (predominantly Aussies) it wasn't going to be your regular pet nicknames. Three guys received their hash names this day, had a raw egg broken over their heads and drank down a beer while we all sang off key. All in all, a charming day.
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2 comments:
sounds like fun. can't wait to hear what bawdy songs they sing to you and what nickname they christen you with! any chance that you'll try to "go native" with your dress so you don't fall prey to all the children wanting your money? btw, i thought you were writing about another type of hash altogether.
cool! Yeah, so what's your nickname?
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