The Hash (Your weekly source of pervy old men)
Like to combine exercise and beer? If you’re looking for something to do on the weekend, you may want to consider the Hash. If you are unaware, the Hash House Harriers (the Hash) is a group that was started by some Brits in Malaysia who for unfathomable reasons decided to go for a run and finish it off with a beer. And, because they were Brits (and probably went to some nobby boarding school) they threw in a few bawdy songs along the way. Fast forward a bazillion years later and the Hash is a world wide phenomenon. If you ever wondered what people who went to nice schools do on the weekend once they become grown-ups, the answer is apparently they join the Hash. In Hanoi the Hash runs once a week. Also, the classily named Pussy Hash runs once a month during the week and is basically the ladies run (although anybody can go) and seems to be more about exercise than singing and drinking. On Saturdays the “normal” Hash runs (although what’s normal about a bunch of middle aged men who all have “cock” somewhere in their nickname escapes us), departing from outside either the American Club or JoJo’s on Hai Ba Trung in the afternoon. Not being particularly athletic, we have never run with the Hash, but we imagine that it’s quite similar to the chase scenes in an episode of Benny Hill (though sadly without chase music and nobody wears a dirndl) However, we have been to the Christmas Hash Bash,and we have to say that despite the proliferation of grey haired men and matrimonial-hungry Vietnamese women it was tremendous fun (in a disturbing geriatric boarding school way) we even took our Mum! Although there are a lot of people who sneer at the Hash as being pathetic and creepy (not unlike an episode of Benny Hill), there is something endearing about it (again not unlike Benny Hill) and it’s a great way to meet new people if you have just arrived in town. For more information check out www.hanoih3.com
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