The expat community here consists primarily of retired folk. Not surprisingly, that means most of us are well into our “golden” years. I’d estimate that at 65, I’m the median age amongst my peers. And with an older population, we are frequently reminded of the inevitability of death. I’ve heard of two foreigners that I didn’t know personally dying here this week. All we can do is keep on living as best as we are able until time runs out. That’s my plan anyway.
It appears that is exactly what Derek did. I met Derek (Derelick) through the Hash, and he was also well known in the bar community. We spent an enjoyable couple of hours drinking and chatting on the Kokomo’s floating bar earlier this year. Regular readers may recall that since the pandemic we have frequently used his palatial house on Rizal Extension as our Hash On-Home. In fact, we were just there three weeks ago. That turns out to have been the last time I saw Derek alive. HIs domestic helper posted this morning that Derek had a heart attack and died last night.
I don’t know the specifics of Derek’s story, but he always impressed me as a man who lived life on his own terms. He was a medical professional and spent most of his career working overseas. I understand he spent a lot of time in Thailand and I believe his last job before retiring a couple of years ago was in Dubai. His health has not been so good for several months, but he seemed resilient and was back to the life he loved between bouts of whatever it was that ailed him. I remember seeing his posts on Facebook this past Saturday about his barhop adventure, and another friend said they were together drinking and chatting on Sunday night. Well, Derek, you lived your life with gusto right up to the end. We should all be so lucky!
We had our usual Hash yesterday and Leech My Nuggets was the Hare. He laid down this challenge on the Subic Hash Facebook page:
Leech my Pussy and I are the hares; sign up at VFW from 2.00 PM; trail marked from VFW, starts 2.30 PM …… short (5.5 KM) and sweet, so surely the Sick, Lame & Insane can do it without to many short-cuts
That last reference was aimed at our “sane” group of Hashers. Call us what you will (and the “sick, lame, and insane” name is in jest, just Hash talk) but we far outnumber the hardcore group. Still, 5.5 is a short trail, especially for Leech. I started out with every intention of completing the entire path as he intended It may have been short, but it wasn’t easy. Two decent climbs on the first half left me gasping and thirsty. It was then that I discovered I had somehow forgotten to pack water. Prudence dictated that I forgo the final (and hardest) climb. But I really, really wanted to do it. Promise!
And life goes on. For some of us at least. We will all miss you, Derek.
RIP, Derek. (Or party hearty, as you suggest.)
Great pics as always. Those climbs look horrible, even after all the stairs work I’ve done. That one muddy slope (the 13th image) looks as if it’d collapse under my weight. Those’re some dangerous routes.
I thought maybe I’d fucked up (again) when I said party hardy rather than hearty. I was too lazy to check when I wrote it, but in my mind “hardy” seemed my apt. Then I see your comment with “hearty” and I’m thinking, damn it! Turns out we are both right, at least according to Merriam-Webster:
“Party hearty is the original idiom used to describe someone capable of partying for a long time and having fun. Soon after the phrase was coined, it was misheard as party hardy which implies the same thing. ‘Hearty’ itself refers to good health and ability, while ‘hardy’ implies a boldness or capability to withstand tough conditions.”
The trail was dryer than it looks for the most part. The diciest part of the trail was the downhill in the 5th Hash photo, a slip there would have sent you down a steep embankment…
“misheard”
That’s how these fuck-ups happen. Like a friend of mine who wrote “kerfluffle,” which made me pause. I looked up “kerFUFFle,” and sure enough, “kerFLUFFle” is considered a legitimate alternative. But language often changes because someone mishears something, then that mistake propagates and becomes the rule. It’s happening right now with the word “overarching.” Increasingly, I’m hearing people mispronounce it as “overarcing.” Soon, “overarcing” will be a legitimate alternative. I don’t like it, but that’s how language often works. Same with people who say “homogenous” when they mean “homoGENEous.” “Homogenous” is now considered a legitimate alternative spelling and pronunciation. Or the changing pronunciation of “aFOREmentioned” (correct) to “AFFERmentioned” (currently still considered incorrect).
I’m sticking with “party hearty.” “Hardy” has to do with endurance, and if you need to endure a party, you’re not partying.
I’m switching to “hearty” from now on, too. More apt for sure.
Pingback: The rest of the day | Long Time Gone