Weekend

Well, I was out and about once again this weekend. Saturday arvo was the main event. To kick off, I checked out a wine and cheese afternoon (note to self: wine and cheese afternoons are weird; wine and cheese only works after dark) at the Palm Spring estate bar, Jack’s Place. I know I’ve mentioned Palm Spring before, but to recap, it’s worthy of mention in that it’s this weird housing estate in the middle of Dili, built for malae. It looks like a Brisbane suburb (a flat one, anyway, without trees) and houses rent for a cool $7000 USD per month. Definitely not volunteer territory.

Anyway, after sampling some very nice New Zealand wine and absolutely magnificent cheese (which I could probably buy at the supermarket in Australia, but man, we’re deprived here ok), I tootled off around the corner to the new AusAID Counsellor’s place to meet about 50 other people for Hash.

What is Hash?

Hash is the Dili Puddle Jumpers Hash Club, or, a group of people who get together each week for a run and some social drinking. There are hash groups all around the world. (I note their website describes them as ‘a group of drinkers with a running problem’.) I’d heard mixed reports: some people love the group, some people found the Aussie boys’ drinking club culture a bit much.

Overall I had a good time; there was a ‘walk’ option for people like me who value their knees, and a few people I know from choir and work were there, so I chatted to them and got introduced to some other people.

I did find the ritualised and forced sculling of drinks a bit much, mainly because it went on for so long. I suppose it’s kind of funny to get new recruits (i.e. me) to scull a drink (luckily they are kind and don’t mind sculling of soft drink if you don’t do beer), and to mete out a scull as a ‘punishment’. However I do think the atmosphere would be nicer if it really was just standing around, chatting and having a social drink afterwards.

I’m not able to go every week, partly because we seem to have more work events on Saturdays at the moment and partly because I don’t have a car. I went this week purely because it was within taxi distance. I think every few weeks will be just enough to enjoy it when I do go.