Sham Shui Po
Armistice Day Centenary
Hares - Octo & Tight Lips
Write-up - Castrato

LiT FB photos here

It was a great hash. A great run, super clever conception, wonderful and remarkably cheap bash. I sat there letting it all wash over me, which is unfortunate, because at the end I was volunteered to do the write up.

Hmmm ok... well it was a Sham Shui Po armistice run. So we were off twisting through the streets on and up into the hills up the Family Trail. At the end of that things took a dark turn, through a fence, up an endless shotcrete slope back to the top of the hill, then down dubious trails back into the black heart of the city. Black heart it was – a whistle-stop tour of the lonely and dispossessed. People sleeping in subways, abandoned grandparents, sad young men shooting up. It's all the things you don't normally see in Hong Kong.

Of course the clever – and intentional – contrast between the wholesome family trail and the lives of the more unfortunate was not all. We also saw the site of the WWII concentration camp in Hong Kong, the memorial to those who died there and a host of other things. I know there were a host of other things because Octopussy told us and I was thoroughly impressed. But I didn't know I was going to be doing the write up.

Mr Hopeless was on call for the down-downs. He wore a dapper if slightly odd beret, which might have been intended to be military but gave him the air of an old sea captain. Not a bad look but perhaps not quite was intended. The down-downs were brilliantly funny and punctuated by interjections from Indy. Not sure exactly what all the down downs were but certainly Emma and Sandra got them for hilariously inappropriate attempts at camouflage.

Here's the symbolism that was on the trail:
 - The hashers ran up two hills to symbolise 11. As the 11-11-2018 was armistice day.
 - Garden Hill symbolised Signal Hill
 - Hashers passed the first public housing estate in Shek Kip Mei. After the war Governments were called to house displaced people.
 - Hashers ran past a police station, sports ground, church and hospital - all present during the war to support the soldiers, injured and civilians.
 - The trail ran the perimeter of the former Prisoner of War Camp and ended up at the memorial plaque for the former prisoners.
 - In Sham Shui Po Park there were maple trees planted to commemorate the many Canadian Prisoners of War who died.
 - Afterwards the trail ran past the Food Angel a charity that distributes food to the needy. Food handouts were commonplace during and after the war.
 - Then the trail went under the subway near Nam Cheong MTR. Symbolising the filth and despair in the trenches and bomb shelters during the war.
 - Afterwards the runners headed to the waterfront (due to the land being reclaimed the beach where the prisoners were sent away to other countries or camps) to symbolise the beach where the prisoners were shipped to and from the Sham Shui Po camp.
 - Final run through the Nam Cheong Park a beautiful and clean family park which is separated by one street from the Tung Chau Street park where the homeless and drug addicts live. Showing the cost of war. Some families come through relatively unscathed, others are completely devastated. Some veterans of war often suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have become addicts to cope with their trauma.

Gin and Vomit sent this link that talks about Sham Shui Po POW camp during WWII

Down downs by Hopeless

The hares – Octopussy & Gin n Vomit

Lost hare at start - Gin n Vomit

Indy no DD but..... already behaving like Burning Lust and heckling / interfering

Returnee Pirelli

Birthday girl – Lost In Translation

Hannah Montana - hammered last night but both he and LIT run well tonight

Visitor – Tim Thane (SLOG) from H4

Hares Octopussy & Gin n Vomit 1111 run 100 years and poppies

Why Poppies ? Canadian Artillery officer poem Crackpot (H4 claim this is not true, but read on below!). This is the real reason behind poppies and their wearing on Armistice Day:

During the early days of the Second Battle of Ypres a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on 2 May, 1915 in the gun positions near Ypres. An exploding German artillery shell landed near him. He was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit as a friend of his, the Canadian military doctor and artillery commander Major John McCrae.

As the brigade doctor, John McCrae was asked to conduct the burial service for Alexis because the chaplain had been called away somewhere else on duty that evening. It is believed that later that evening, after the burial, John began the draft for his now famous poem “In Flanders Fields”.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
 Between the crosses, row on row,
 That mark our place; and in the sky
 The larks, still bravely singing, fly
 Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
 We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
 Loved and were loved, and now we lie
 In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
 To you from failing hands we throw
 The torch; be yours to hold it high.
 If ye break faith with us who die
 We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
 In Flanders fields.

Armistice Day.. Germans in, started it twice and lost

Japanese started 2.2 at Pearl Harbor - Hannah Montana

Dutch neutral in WW1 - Pig Fokker & Marcel

Run... who got lost? Blow My Tits & Pirelli

Pirelli - $2 MTR ride to finish

Leaving us and not at the run next week - Castrato and Pirelli

Noisy end of the table demanding “EXTRA RICE!” – Burning Lust, Wai Chee Kok & Southside Hash Toy

Octopussy talks us through the key locations, AFWD wins the quiz prize

Hopeless gets best dressed award

Lost and awarded German beer - Blow My Tits & Pirelli

Hopeless – to Lost In Translation for their matching Pink camouflage jackets – which is why so many Scots & Canadians bought it at Flanders Field.

Indy DDs

SLOG for his colourful shirt

All those who had relatives involved in the Great War “Even those on the other side” and calls in Crème Brulee

The hares Octopussy & Gin n Vomit – good job!

Esther cohare

AFWD to Gary Glitter – complaining that having lived in Asia for 20+ years he was struggling to fit into the UK life whilst spending 20 minutes using the hairdryer to dry his nuts in the changing rooms

AFWD to Marcel (yet to be named) - picking up some random underpants in the changing room

7.70km 61mins