What a hash - posted from Rebak

Being in need of exercise, apart from our regular swimming, we took up a suggestion to go along to one of the meets of the Langkawi Beach Hash House Harriers.  For those who have not come across the concept the HHH are active internationally and describe themselves as a "drinking club with a running problem".  We found out what that meant on our first outing a couple of weeks ago.  After a fairly leisurely walk/jog through the countryside a circle was formed and those who had transgressed the "rules" had to drink a glass of beer while having ice cold water poured over their head.  Susan's transgression was having taken a wrong turning, Richard's appeared to be standing next to her.  Richard then got another dose as he had difficulty getting the beer down in the alloted time as Susan had added hers to his  As "virgins" we also had another dousing. Others got wet for sitting on the "eskie" (Oz for cool box) containing the beer or for carrying on a private conversation.  The whole group then repaired to a beach restaurant for fish and chips washed down with more beer and wine.

Last Friday we surprised everyone by turning up again!  As it was raining fewer people were "executed".  Susan may have thought she would get off lightly by volunteering to be executioner (i.e. the pourer of the iced water), but she was the first.  On this event she had led 2 others astray - only one on the first outing.

If (when) we go again we will be "named" - which will entail us giving a potted biography and the group thinking up a suitably rude name by which we will be known for evermore at any HHH we turn up to.  2 people have been named at the events we have been to - one became Diamond Dickie and the other, who admitted that one of his given names was Everard, got that negated despite being accompanied by a 9-month old  infant.

UK Trip - Posted from Rebak, Langkawi

No blog for a while as we've been in the UK for 6 weeks, visiting children, grandchildren, 101 year old Mum X and a few friends! The time fled by, boat parts, of course,were ordered and the weather was warm for the country with only two days rain.

The grandchildren have grown and the dogs have been walked and our eldest son Nik celebrated his 40th birthday. Us oldies have had apps lessons from Joshua aged 11, an update on brownies in the 21 century from  Louisa (Nik's wife), and the experience of how to juggle nursery care for two with careers from Catharine and Steve. These memories will be treasured for another year. The photos are developed and placed in the large side wall frame in the galley, so we can smile at them all while cooking.

Most interesting visit has to be the Falkirk Wheel - an aesthetically pleasing and extraordinary sight. It is the only rotating boat lift in the world and links the Forth and Clyde Canal to the Union. The giant wheel rotates through 180 degrees in 5 1/2 minutes, lifting through 24m, and uses only the power to boil 8 kettles of water! An amazing engineering feat.