Xmas Spirit Has Officially Arrived

As you may already know, about 95% of Thais are Buddhist and the remaining are Muslim, neither of which celebrate Christmas. This is somewhat distressing, not only for having to work on December 25th but also for spending my first Christmas away from family. On the positive side, New Year's is absolutely huge in Thailand with celebrations continuing for the two weeks before and after January 1st.  However, this does not explain the Christmas lights strung copiously nor the tropical Christmas trees lining the streets...

Anyway, as I was completing some shopping for my upcoming beach getaway, I discovered a cute little path running beside a river that goes right through town. I realized that Hat Yai is becoming more and more hospitable the more I explore the vast city. Also congenial are the Hash House Harriers (H3), a non-competitive social drinking club that organizes a Hash Run every Sunday evening. This has been international for 75 years, but if unfamiliar the 'hares' set out ten minutes before the 'hounds' who follow a paper trail the hares have left for five to ten kilometres. Trails may pass through any sort of terrain and hashers may run through back alleyways, residential areas, city streets, forests, swamps, or shopping malls and may climb fences, ford streams, explore storm drains or scale cliffs in their pursuit of the hare. The trail often includes false trails, short cuts, dead ends, and splits. These features are designed to keep the pack together regardless of fitness level or running speed, as front-runners are forced to slow down to find the "true" trail, allowing stragglers to catch up. Members often describe their group as "a drinking club with a running problem," indicating that the social element of an event is as important, if not more so, than any athleticism involved. Members are typically given a "hash name," usually in deference to a particularly notorious escapade, a personality trait, or their physical appearance. I have yet to learn my hash name as I have yet to attend a hash run, but this will require me to find an old pair of running shoes (not my expensive Reebok ZigTechs) because hashers who wear new shoes to an event are commonly required to drink beer from that shoe. Maybe I'll stumble upon a pair in Krabi, Ko Phi Phi or Koh Lanta next week... somebody must have ditched their sneakers when they got to the beach right?
Not sure if I'll have internet on any of the islands, but if I do then expect some spectacular photos of my next ten days!