Selangor Scotsman June 2011

The Selangor Scotsman

THE

SELANGOR SCOTSMAN The Journal of the Selangor St Andrew’s Society / www.ssas-online.com

CHIEFTAIN Johan Murison chieftain@ssas-online.com

VICE-CHIEFTAIN Ali King Hon Sec John Thomson secretary@ssas-online.com

Hon Treasurer Hector Ingram COMMITTEE Ilona Russell Yvanka Jeffery Jeff Ross Lorna Mair Bernie Williams Elaine Cameron Zoe Shuttleworth Newsletter Patrick Russell newsletter@ssas-online.com

Dance Convenor Richard Thompson Alice Smith School Rep

Chieftains Chatter - June 2011 Busy! Busy! Busy! Is all I could say since our last newsletter with lots of activities, functions both in and around the society so this is without doubt a Bumper Edition for you all to savour.

We have also had some key additions to the committee and I would like to welcome Elaine Cameron who has been extensively involved with Jakarta St. Andrew’s Society, not least as past Chieftain. We look forward to benefiting from her experience. Also Zoe Shuttleworth has joined our merry band and will be assisting us on our website. So do visit the website in the next few months to see some changes.

There was our New Members Night on the 14th of May at J&R’s in Damansara where the fine fare of bangers and mash went down a treat and our new members had the opportunity to meet the committee and fellow members of the society. It was a good social gathering and lots of banter and catching up on the society’s planned events.

A new addition to our calendar this year was our Society Dive Adventure in Palau Tenggol on the 29th April to the 2nd of May, which is located 40 minutes by boat from Dungun in Terengganu.

This was a great family outing for our members and the kids, where our first “PADI Bubble Maker” Kieran Mair officially joined the diving community. “Well Done Kieran!

It is also a great pleasure to report that our golf team stood up to the challenge again and won the Inter-Society Golf Tournament on the 15th of May at Bukit Unggul Golf & Country Club. More details are contained in the newsletter of this outstanding achievement.

Lastly but definitely not least, our Bags of Rock concert on the 28th of May, which also featured comedians Craig Hill and Daniel Sloss, was a great night of entertainment and social gathering.

A big thank you has to go out to our sponsors, committee members and our members of the society who supported this event.

We still have a number of events and social gatherings planed for the rest of the year with the Welcome Back Night on the 1st of October, Great British Ball on the 22nd of October (get your tickets as they are selling fast), our Society Whisky Tasting Night on the 5th of November, and the Annual Celebration on 3rd December 2011.

Hope to see abody at the next shindig, so till anither time Yours Aye, Johan

Yvanka Jeffery

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Resident Past Chieftains        

Stewart Forbes (87) Tristan Russell (89) Patrick Russell (97, 04) Roger McGowan (05) John Thomson (06) Hector Ingram (07) Paul Henderson (09) Richard Thompson (10)

Newsletter sponsor -

Tel: 603 9222 9688 Fax: 603 9222 9788 www.asiantigers-malaysia.com

The Selangor Scotsman Society Social and New Members Night – Jarrod & Rawlins, Damansara

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The Selangor Scotsman The Kandahar Reel: No body armour, Or Helmets Required

SSAS Programme of Events 2011-2012 Date Sat 1 oct Sat Oct 22

Event

Format

Welcome Back Nicht Great British Ball

Casual evening of eatin', drinkin' and chattin' Formal dress code / Formal set dinner / Overseas entertainers / Modern dancing to live band.

Casual evening of whisky tasting with supper Members and invited guests / Formal dress code and formal set dinner / Traditional St. Andrew’s Day format / Scottish Country Dancing Details to come Long weekend trip - TBC

Sat Nov 05

Whisky Tasting

Sat Dec 03

St. Andrew’s Day Annual Celebration

Jan 2012 2012

Burns Nt E Malaysia Highland Weekend KL Highland gathering

May 2012

Traditional Highland Games – TBC

Message from the Dance Convenor - tel We are running Scottish Country Dancing sessions at the function room on the Ground Floor at 8 Persiaran Hampshire ( Hampshire Park ) every 2nd Monday at 8.00pm - starting on Monday the 4th April 2011.

(P. Hampshire is on the road behind the Corus Hotel just off Jalan Ampang and opposite the Citibank Building ). There is usually some canned ice tea from Boh provided and we generally bring nibbles to share. Feel free to bring beer or wine if it suits you.

Look forward to seeing you there.

– Richard Thompson Page 3 of 19

Venue Venue and date TBD Shangri-La Hotel, KL

By Emma Cowing / April 26, 2011 / http://www.hmforces.co.uk/news/articles/7159-kandahar-reel-no-body-armouror-helmets-required Take your partners please for the Kandahar Reel. No body armour, helmets or desert boots required.

Hilton Hotel, KL Sentral (provisional booking)

A dance created by two Black Watch officers while serving on the front line in Afghanistan has become one of the most popular reels on the Scottish circuit. The Kandahar Reel, whose moves simulate the rotor blades of a Chinook helicopter, was created during a six-month tour of the country by the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2009.

TBA Kelabit Highlands TBC TBC

Its unique patterns have now been performed in dance halls across the country as well as in Caledonian Societies and Highland games across the US. It has even been performed for Prince Charles and may be showcased at the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh later this year.

To be decided

The Reel was invented in the confines of a dusty army tent by Black Watch captains Andy and Rob Colquhoun, cousins who, knowing their friends back at home would be attending balls and dancing reels while they were patrolling the Afghan city of Kandahar, decided to use their spare time to invent their own manoeuvres.

The men took their inspiration from the Reel of the 51st, named after the officers of the 51st Highland Division who were captured at St- Valery in France in 1940 and imprisoned near Salzburg. To keep spirits up, Lieutenant Jimmy Atkinson of the 7th Battalion the Sutherland Highlanders invented a reel that traced out a St Andrews Cross.

“The Reel of the 51st was our inspiration,” said Andy. “We have both been reeling since we were young and were very aware of the story. During our predeployment training for operations in Afghanistan, I began to wonder whether it might be possible to write a lively modern reel to immortalise our own campaign,” said Rob Colquhoun. www.ssas-online.com

The Selangor Scotsman Andy Colquhoun added: "We would come in from working at ten o’clock in the evening and try to fit in a couple of hours; bizarrely, we thought of it as a way to relax. Over a couple of weeks we had three or four sessions of jumping around in a tent and devised the guts of the reel then. Lots of the stuff we wrote was useless, but eventually the whole thing fell into place; we had cracked it."

The Kandahar Reel simulates the rotor blades of Chinook helicopters , the work horse of the British Army in Afghanistan and often used to transport soldiers around the country, and also Black Hawk helicopters, which are often used for airlifting casualties.

Rob said: “The reel starts off traditionally with meeting and creating the team, before helping them aboard the Chinook in a pick-up chain. This finishes as two couples spin to start the engines and four couples reach hands across, creating the two rotor blades for the ‘insertion Chinook’. After this we reference the single-rotor Black Hawk helicopters, before another double-rotor ‘extraction Chinook’.”

Five Black Watch soldiers lost their lives during the tour of Afghanistan, with 30 wounded in action and a further 51 evacuated back to the UK. At the end of the tour, a group of soldiers performed it at the Black Watch homecoming ball at their barracks at Fort George in Inverness.

“The hierarchy picked up on it and when our Royal Colonel, Prince Charles, was coming up, we were told to perform it for him,” said Andy. “It was an utter nightmare for 12 male officers to perform in front of Prince Charles, 500 Jocks and their wives.”Despite the nerves, however, the dance soon became popular in the reeling world.

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The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) officially adopted it and produced a booklet with instructions on how to dance it, with half the profits going to the ABF soldiers’ charity. The booklet has already raised just under £2,000.

“The reel is quite a vigorous one,” said Elizabeth Foster, executive officer of the RSCDS . “What makes it unusual is that it was developed by men in action, and was being danced in that way. Sometimes Scottish country dancing can be looked upon as something for women, not men.

This is a very good example of just what the reel can offer men as well as women.”

Roy Robertson, director of ABF the soldiers’ charity in Scotland, said he was delighted at the support the Reel has given the charity, and hoped to get it performed at this year’s Military Tattoo.

“We support soldiers and ex-soldiers and their families in time of need. They don’t have to have fought in Afghanistan or Iraq; we’ve still got a few from the Second World War. The Kandahar Reel is a wonderful thing to have to help raise funds.”

The Reel continues to go from strength to strength, with plans for a “128th-some” on 30 July in Dunbar at the end of a charity event. It was also performed en masse at the Skye Ball last September.

“To see 200 people doing it was the biggest moment, the crown jewel,” said Andy Colquhoun. Rob added: “Some of our brave young soldiers suffered injuries that they’ll bear for the rest of their lives; others saw more in six months than they would have wanted to in a lifetime. Still others will never return to Scotland. This is why we hope that the Kandahar Reel will be danced in the spirit in which it was intended and with the memory of our killed and wounded Scottish soldiers very much in mind.”

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The Selangor Scotsman Official Opening of The Centre of Special Children Society of Ampang by HRH The Sultan of Selangor The society was privileged to be invited to the recent official opening ceremony of the new centre for the Special Children Society of Ampang by his royal highness the Sultan of Selangor.

The furniture has brought with it practical assistance to both children and staff.

After the official opening ceremony HRH and guests took a tour of the new facilities.

Previously located in a housing area in Ampang they have now moved to their own building at 386 Jalan 3, Taman Ampang Utama.

Here they have completed extensive renovation of the new facilities to accommodate both the wellbeing and educational requirements of physically challenged children with learning disabilities.

Included in the centre is a new stimulation room, which provides the necessary tools to help overcome some of the difficulties some of the children face.

It was a very proud moment for both the parents and staff of the centre and one could tell it was also a very happy day for all the 60 children and adults who attend the centre.

Each year the St Andrew’s Society disperses excess funds as part of our commitment to charitable good causes - and our goal is to have maximum impact.

Bright new facilities and equipment providing a welcoming environment for the children

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With the society providing both new school tables and chairs for the centre we have done that.

This was followed by a performance of the children for HRH and guests that was clearly full of smiling and happy faces.

It is commendable to all the staff of the centre, committee members and parents for their dedicated commitment to achieving this milestone.

And also to all the contributing sponsors and fund risers who made this dream come true with “A Home of Their Own” If you would like to volunteer assistance in helping with the centre’s activities or fund raising please contact the President of the Society Christine Wong on +6012228719 -

Johan Murison

www.ssas-online.com

Official opening plaque signed by HRH the Sultan of Selangor

One of the new class rooms with the tables and chairs provided by SSAS

The Selangor Scotsman Society Drive Trip – Pulau Tenggol With the car all packed for a long weekend and two very excited kids we set off from KL to Terengganu. After 4 Hours of “Are we there yets?” we eventually arrived at Ulek Bay Resort which would be our home for the next three nights, and which proved to be an ideal base whilst we enjoyed our diving trips off the coast of the beautiful island of Pulau Tenggol.

Car by car, each family joining this fun packed weekend began to arrive in time for us to sit down and enjoy our evening meal together, allowing us the opportunity to quiz our Dive master Yanni as to what we could expect to see during the next two days diving the shores of the island. Avoiding temptation to sit up all night chattering and having more than a few beverages, we pulled ourselves away and retired for the night in preparation for the fun filled next few days in ahead of us.

We paddled through the tepid water up to the fine sandy beach. Immediately the kids spotted a couple of tree swings which they never stopped playing with when they were out of the water, while the rest of us headed the few extra meters to the Dive Shop. Split into two groups, juniors and the oldies, we were kitted up, briefed on the impending dive, and ready to go.

Over the next two days we clocked up 4 wonderful dives with the last one being the full group of the Scuba Haggis SSASS divers attempting to get a group photo with us all facing in the same direction! Not an easy task 20 feet under, I tell you!! And let’s no forget to mention our new certified Bubblemaker who had 45 minutes bottom time along with a very big smile when Johan presented him with his award at dinner time.

Our first day diving arrived. After waiting nearly 2 years to be old enough, our very enthusiastic 8 year old was finally of the age when he could take his Bubblemakers PADI course! With the Dive resort on the island being able to offer this course we had one happy wee lad eager to get on the boat over to Pulau Tenggol.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end as they say, and Monday was here before we knew it. It was time to leave the tranquillity of Terengganu and head back to the Big City. A good time was had by all the Scuba Haggis Team and even the non-divers amongst us managed to have a fantastic long weekend, enjoying the beach, snorkelling off the boat, the food and of course the socializing after a hard days diving around the resort pool.

Setting off from the resort by minibus we headed to the jetty where our boat was ready and waiting to ferry us over to the Dive Resort.

Before we knew it we were slowing down to the beautiful views of Paula Tenggol and the crystal clear waters that surrounded it. If this was what we could see from up here what were the delights waiting for us below?

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Huge thanks to Johan and Yanni for organizing such a well planned, great weekend. I do have one question however…….where do we sign up for the next SASS dive trip? – Lorna Mair www.ssas-online.com

The Selangor Scotsman Pix Johan / Yanni / Patrick

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The Selangor Scotsman TREKKING ADVENTURE IN THE LANGTANG VALLEY IN NEPAL IN APRIL 2011

By Roger McGowan – Past Chieftain

‘Relax Roger’, I told myself, ‘there was no satellite navigation in 1992 - with today’s technology that type of accident is impossible.’ Even so, I only started to breath easily after the wheels finally touched the ground.

It all started in January 2011 with an email from Andrew Barber: I’m putting together a group to trek the Langtang Valley in Nepal, do you want to join us?

Andrew and I were well prepared for the immigration formalities having printed the visa forms from the Nepalese Immigration website before departing KL. We also had the required US$25 fee and passport photograph, so we quickly passed through immigration and within 10 minutes we were on our way to the hotel in a taxi – a broken down old mini bus.

I stared at the email for a minute and then said to myself, ‘What the hell’, typed I’m on and pressed SEND before I could change my mind.

That was to be the start of a three months period of preparation and an amazing adventure into the Himalayas.

I’d trekked in Nepal before – in 1983 when I was a fitter, younger and a regular jogger. Now, 28 years later with a dodgy knee and no longer jogging, I’d really have to work hard to prepare myself for this trip.

The first thing I did was buy a pair of boots; I left the labels on and tested them for an hour on a treadmill – they were agony. I took them back and the shop happily exchanged them for another pair which, after testing, was fairly comfortable. I then started serious training on the jungle paths around Mont Kiara where I hiked up and down the steep hills for an hour most afternoons.

In April 2011 Andrew and I flew into Kathmandu on Thai Airways.

Being an ex pilot I’m always aware of the various noises an airplane makes during its approach. On hearing the undercarriage being lowered while we were still at 15,000 feet, I knew that once we’d cleared the surrounding mountains, we were in for a steep descent.

We decided to stay two days at the Kathmandu Hyatt before the trek while we waited for the other two in our group - Erik Fearn who was flying in on a later flight from Malaysia and Alan Cassels who was flying in from England. The extra time in Kathmandu would also give us time to arrange porters, a four-wheel drive vehicle and trekking passes.

DAY 1 (20 April 2011) The alarm went off unnecessarily at 5.30am – I’d been awake since 2am contemplating the next seven days! After a light breakfast I met Alan and Andrew in the hotel lobby. Erik arrived from his hotel in town in the Toyota four-wheel drive along with our four porters.

By 7.45am we were heading slowly out of Kathmandu in heavy traffic with dust and diesel fumes penetrating inside the Toyota even with the windows closed. The traffic chaos was partly caused by long lines of cars and motorbikes queuing at empty petrol stations - I’d read in the morning’s newspaper that Nepal could no longer afford to import fuel at the current World price. Luckily, tourist vehicles could still get supplies through the black market.

Finally we reach the foothills of the Himalayas with deep terraced valleys and lush green rice fields glistening in the bright morning sunshine. We stopped a few times to take in the views and drink tea with the friendly locals.

And then I remembered the Thai Airways Airbus crash at Kathmandu in 1992. Details of the accident report flashed through my mind - a cloudy day - pilot descended too early - confusion over the distance to the navigation beacon - airplane ploughed into a snow-covered mountain - no one survived.

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The journey to the start of the Langtang valley was tortuously slow taking nearly seven hours. Our Toyota, laden with 9 passengers and luggage, whined and skidded as it toiled up the steep unmade www.ssas-online.com

The Selangor Scotsman roads until eventually we reach the town of Shyophru Besi at 1460 meters - an ugly grey town of crude shop-houses and half built guesthouses; heavy Chinese trucks honked their way along the main street towards Tibet.

We parked on the far side of town by a river and the porters unloaded the bags and strapped them to their backs with a band across their foreheads to distribute the weight. I carried a light backpack for a water bottle and my camera; I also had two poles to help steady myself on the steep rocky paths.

After crossing a footbridge, we set out in warm sunshine up a steep path in the narrow valley; there was a constant gushing from a fast moving river below. The views were stunning - tree lined lower hills were framed below towering snowcovered peaks in the distance.

After so many hours being cramped in the Toyota the initial climb was tough, my thigh muscles burned and I concentrated on each step. Sweat pored off me and my heart pounded as I gasped for air – and this was only the first day!

Andrew was annoyingly perky and kept saying, ‘Isn’t this great, I can feel the pounds shed off me’ - while he munched chocolate bars. I mumbled between gasps, ‘What have I let myself in for’.

We eventually split up in order to walk at our own pace, the porters keeping an eye on us at the rear with our age they probably expected us all to collapse after a few hours.

After three and half hours we reached Bamboo Lodge, where we would spend the first night. We shared tiny rooms with two wooden beds, a thin foam mattress and no electricity. Andrew muttered, ‘If this was a prison cell I’d complain to the Home Office.’

different countries and we were soon chatting and laughing and telling each other anecdotes of previous adventures.

Alan impressed us all by talking in Dutch to one of the hikers while Erik explained, a little too graphically, how he would avoid having to use the outside toilet with a plastic water bottle.

By 8pm everyone was suppressing yawns, the conversation petered out and people drifted off . I clambered into my sleeping bag and promptly fell into a deep sleep. I woke up at 1am freezing cold and fumbled around in my bag to put on all my spare clothing. The lightweight sleeping bag I’d been ‘expertly’ advised to buy was totally useless.

DAY 2 By 6am everyone was standing around in the cold air hunched over hot mugs of tea. As soon as I set off I was faced with a steep uphill path. Within minutes I was shedding clothing and was soon down to a tee shirt. The early stiffness in my leg muscles eased and I started to enjoy the fresh cool air and the sound of the gushing river echoing in the valley. After an hour we stopped for breakfast of porridge and honey at a delightful teahouse where a white monkey with black face sat picking fruit in a nearby tree.

Shortly we were off again climbing through beautiful rhododendron trees covered in red, pink and white flowers giving a splash of colour to the dark green valley. The everpresent white snow covered mountains seemed to get closer and more spectacular with every minute of walking.

The sun’s rays were soon rising up the valley slopes and dusk brought the air temperature rapidly down to zero. My dinner of dhal baht and momo (rice, The valley became wider and vegetables and dhal with steamed dumplings) was served in a dark smoky room the walking easier but as we with a wood-burning stove. It was like a medieval scene, faces of other trekkers climbed higher the thin air made appeared out of the gloom lit by flames from the fire. They were from many Page 9 of 19 www.ssas-online.com

The Selangor Scotsman breathing more laboured. At the entrance to the Langtang National Park soldiers checked our trekking passes and entered our names in a register.

We reached Kyanjin Ganda, our final destination, at 3pm and took the first guesthouse we came across - it was called Mountain View and looked comfortable enough. I had another solar heated shower that barely seeped enough tepid water to get wet. At 4000meters, a freezing wind was blowing up the valley and whistling through the buildings. The rising air caused clouds to form and by evening it started snowing.

We reached Ghodatabela at 3.30pm and decided to stay the night in a small guesthouse. All the guesthouses had the same 6’ by 5’ bedrooms with two wooded beds, a worn out foam mattress, a bed sheet and pillow. There was an outside solar shower that dribbled tepid water – it was better taken before the sun went down and air temperature dropped below zero.

That evening we had dinner around a fire in a smoky room.

The talk was mainly about our various aches and pains and how it had all been worth it just to see the amazing views of the day. I managed to get a yak hair filled quilt, which, although a little dirty, would at least keep me warm.

When I lay down I could feel each of the wooden boards under the thin foam mattress.

The lounge had a welcoming fire and we met some Israeli trekkers who had just celebrated Passover. They generously offered us some of their bread that they had carried up the mountain for the occasion. I was starting to tire of dhal bath and momo but there wasn’t much else on the menu so I had another plate full before heading to my room to keep warm under the yak filled quilt. Alan and Andrew were feeling the effects of altitude sickness and had lost their appetite.

DAY 4 I awoke at 5.30am after very little sleep. Erik was walking around outside wrapped up against the freezing morning air. I went to the kitchen where the porters were huddled around the wood burning cooking range while the landlady prepared breakfast for the guests.

DAY 3 I’d had little sleep on a very uncomfortable bed and spent most of the night reading by the light of a torch strapped to my head. At 6am I climbed out of bed to join the others drinking tea in the yard, the early morning cold crisp air wiped away any feelings of tiredness. While I sipped the hot tea I could see a wild deer foraging in the bushes high above the guesthouse.

We set off in bright sunshine; the path went into a steep climb and I could feel the altitude. My heart pounded and after a few steps I was out of breath. The scenery was now even more spectacular as the full size of the mountains, soaring up to 8000meters, became apparent. Golden eagles winged in the thermal up-currents as the sun started to warm the exposed rocks. There was no sound apart from the occasional rumble of a distant avalanche.

We stopped for breakfast in Langtang, a village of about 20 guesthouses. We were above the tree - line and the valley had flattened into wide grasslands of grazing yak. Eating porridge with honey and chopped apple and drinking coffee in the sun with my feet up was heaven.

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After a delicious bowl of hot porridge and honey with tea, I set off with the others on a walk to the end of the Langtang valley. The walking was easy which allowed us time to marvel at views of the towering mountains. Pristine snow and blue glaciers sparkled in the bright sunshine.

After 3 hours we stopped and sat behind a rock to shelter from the biting wind while the porters pored us tea from a flask. We decided not to continue to the glacier at the end of the valley, as it would have meant another two hours walking. The walk back down the valley was bitterly cold and we arrived in Kyanjin Ganda in heavy snow at 3pm. The snow continued falling for the rest of the day so after a bowl of sherpa stew (vegetable soup) I sat close to a wood burning stove and chatted to a couple from Leicestershire who were experts on the bird life in Nepal.

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The Selangor Scotsman DAY 5 after my first good nights sleep, at 6am I went to the kitchen where Alan and Andrew were already drinking tea and discussing their altitude sickness. Alan was suffering from a severe headache and had had no sleep, Andrew was also affected and they both decided to head off immediately to a lower altitude. As we had planned to climb a nearby 5000 meter peak and spend one more night in Kyanjin Ganda, we decided to split up. Erik and I would attempt the peak while Alan and Andrew would return down the valley.

DAY 6 Daybreak and another sleepless night - I climbed out of bed and walked down to the river to watch the sun rise as I waited for the others to emerge. Tired, aching, and unshaven with the smell of wood smoke in all my clothes, I was starting to yearn for the comforts of civilized life. I sat dreaming of a hot shower, clean sheets and a western sit-down toilet. There was still another six hours before we would reach a hotel in Shyophru Besi - my memories of the town had changed from it being a hellhole to being paradise.

After breakfast we said our goodbyes before Erik and I started the climb with two porters. The path was very steep with snow lying in patches under foot. After one and half hours tough climbing we reached a ridge at 4500meters - the peak seemed no closer and clouds were forming above us. As I climbed higher into the rarefied air my lungs gasped for air and heart raced after just a few steps. Out of interest I checked my heart rate – it was 180 beats per minute.

After a cup of tea we set off down the valley. The weather had changed markedly since the start of our trek. Suddenly the valley had filled with haze - probably from burning rice fields all across Nepal - and the sky was no longer the bright blue we had seen a week ago.

We stopped many times as Andrew and I were feeling the effect on our knees of the constant stepping down hill.

Eventually, in the distance I saw the outskirts of Shyphru Besi – still another hour’s walk away, but a welcome sight nonethe-less. Distance and time take on a completely different meaning when walking is your only means of transport.

We stopped for a rest and looking at the clouds rapidly building decided not to risk a descent in driving snow. We photographed the amazing views of the surrounding peaks, walked back to the guesthouse for coffee and then descended down the valley to try to catch Alan and Andrew.

Stopping briefly for lunch at Langtang we kept up a brisk pace. My boots were starting to give me trouble with the constant downhill walk forcing my toes forward into the front of the boots. I solved the problem by changing to a pair of trainers.

Finally I reached the town where Erik and Alan were already waiting, Andrew arrived about 10 minutes after me; we shook hands, took the obligatory final group photo and walked to the best hotel in Shyphru Besi. The Buddha Hotel probably rated a half star on an international scale but to us it felt like The Dorchester.

At 5pm we caught up with Alan and Andrew at a guesthouse in Lama. With the climb in the morning, we had been going for nine hours – I was exhausted. That evening we had dinner in a hot, airless dingy room with about 20 other trekkers. I sat quietly forcing myself to stay awake while the others engaged in lively conversation with two Australian girls, Jenny who was a nurse and Kylie a librarian. I soon realized we had spent too long away from female company when someone asked Janice if she had brought her nurses uniform with her! At 8.30pm exhaustion finally consumed me and I sneaked off to my tiny room with its hard but welcoming bed.

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After a rest on a clean bed, a hot shower and a shave we met in the evening for an Everest beer in the hotel garden.

Reflecting on the previous six days we all agreed the trip had been a tremendous success and we would do it all again sometime. As the beer flowed we even talked about taking on a higher trek using climbing ropes and crampons. I said I’d definitely return but as for climbing with ropes, I’d leave that decision until after the alcohol-induced euphoria had worn off.

-

Roger McGowan

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The Selangor Scotsman The 2011 Inter-society Golf Match Bukit Unggul Golf & Country Club held on 15th May 2011

This event continues to thrive, particularly because of our sponsors. This year we had polo-shirts provided by Transpo and George & Dragon.

The four novelty prizes for nearest the pin (NTP), longest drive (LD) and nearest the Line (NTL) were provided by the Old Club House.

Expatriate Lifestyle provided the Uisge Beatha for the yellow ball team but sadly not a Scot amongst those winners.

The annual inter-society golf match was once again played at Bukit Unggul GC. This is a challenging layout that sits in a jungle bowl about 35 minutes from KL. There seems to be a localised microclimate in operation there, because whilst all around us there was inclement weather, we managed to play an un-interrupted 18 holes.

There was a shotgun start at 1.45pm and things started very promptly! The competition is team play based on system 36 scoring with novelty holes, a yellow ball competition and “Beat the Pro”.

Some people believe that the yellow ball is cunningly designed to mess with the heads of the players and give them something else to worry about in addition to scoring for their society team.

In reality it fosters a team spirit inside the flight as you put aside your inter-society rivalries.

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Check out the snazzy trews the pro was wearing! You wanted to be colour-blind………….

Guinness Anchor and F&N kindly provided Tiger Beer (or aiming fluid as it became known), and 100plus. The Asian Senior Masters provided a Pro-Am slot for best player on the day. And finally, 360 Financial provided the Pro with the nifty trousers, golf towels and additional cash sponsorship of RM2,500. Thank-you one and all.

Things got off to a friendly start at 1.45pm and continued in that vein throughout the afternoon. There will be a prize provided however, for anyone that can ll us what the Scots boys were discussing in their pre-event “teamtalk”()??

In all we had 79 players turn up for the event and all teams had at least 15 players with the top 12 scoring for the team. Bukit Unggul is a challenging layout with the added complication of wild

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The Selangor Scotsman board damage to the course to be navigated.

Kevan).

Maybe we should offer to bring another “team” down on the 12th of August for a different kind of shotgun start and sort them out once and for all? It would certainly bring a whole new meaning to the question; “How many shots am I getting on this hole partner?”.

My team did manage to bring its yellow ball home but despite a heroic 10 on our last hole from a certain Scottish publishing mogul we missed the first prize by 5 shots!

The yellow balls started to get lost almost immediately. There were likely stories over dinner about teams losing them deliberately to take the pressure off.

Mmm, tall tales and excuses me thinks.

The best golfer on the day was Sean Niven who even managed an eagle whilst playing with the yellow ball.

The ladies took a more stoic view of the proceedings and decided to turn their back on the cameraman but at least one of these gals won big on NTP at hole 2—answers on a postcard please?

And now for the main event, the teams all did very well but winning by 20 points from St Georges was the St Andrews Society. In third place were St Patricks with St David’s and Manza in fourth and fifth spots.

Its actually a pity more of the blokes weren’t photographed from a similar angle…..

The winning team gets the honour of organising the tournament in 2012, as well as donating the surplus funds generated on the day to their chosen charity. This year there will be some RM6,000 to donate.

But there is a selection of the likely lads who played the game and won (mostly)…….

The photographs were kindly provided by Graham Paling of Expatriate Lifestyle and Rob Waller; http://robwallerphotography.com -

Hector Ingram

And now to the prize winners on the day. There were NTP prizes for Georgina Smith, Mary Collier, Kevan Bartley and Dave Perrau. The NTL was won by Martyn Grange and LD by Scott Williams. The yellow ball prize was won by a threesome consisting of Jon Rollins, Ben Mather and that man Kevan Bartley again (well done Page 13 of 19

Not sure what this picture is telling us, other than sight of either fairway and green are extremely conspicuous by their absence.

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The Selangor Scotsman BAGS OF ROCK! – with Craig Hill & Daniel Slossar There was an electric atmosphere in the lobby of the Hilton hotel as herds of kilted Scotsman made their way up to the Bags of Rock function, accompanied by their glamorous partners.

Hill – kicked things off in style. We were dazzled with some very camp dancing, and then entertained to the point of tears with some great comedy and antics.

A few eyebrows were raised, but Craig seemed to get away with it. I am sure he always does.

Fingers were pointed by locals and tourists alike, as much speculation took place over this migration of skirt-wearing hairy men into the bowels of the hotel.

Between the 2 comedians (Daniel and Craig) we were left to feel extremely old and most definitely heterosexual.

The guests were greeted by live pipers and more importantly pretty girls with large trays of booze! The party had started!

A rowdy raffle ensued, and then the music began as Bags of Rock entertained us with a medley of eclectic tunes, all with a quirky Scottish angle. GREAT!

350 people mingled in the ballroom lobby, sating their thirsty palates, with much anticipation for the evening ahead.

A star-studded line up was on offer, and the volume of noise grew to a crescendo as Hector tried in vain to get the guests into the ballroom.

An impromptu Auld Lang Syne rounded off the evening, and left us all wanting more… sadly no encore ensued, but at least we had the Champions League Football Final to look forward to later that evening/morning.

The function room was exquisitely decorated, and during a fantastic meal we were entertained with beautiful pictures of Scotland on a large screen.

Perhaps Scotland could have done better than Manchester United… who knows?!

Thanks to all of the organising committee for a great job done, and thanks to everyone for attending and making it a great party! See you next year.

Remarkably all of these photos portrayed the various Scottish tourist destinations in brilliant sunshine. Dodgy!

-

After much food and wine, the entertainment started, and our MC and lead comedian for the night – Mr Craig

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Jeff Ross

The Selangor Scotsman

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The Selangor Scotsman

HINGING OOT RA WINDAE WI YON BBC – Scots News Snippets http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/default.stm Celebration for Edinburgh's One O'Clock Gun anniversary

Calton Hill and drops at exactly One O'Clock. Together, the One O'Clock Gun and the time-ball provide a time signal for shipping in the Firth of Forth and the Port of Leith.

The gun was originally a 64-pounder cannon mounted on the Half-Moon Battery. It is now a L118 Light Gun. Edinburgh tram staff face redundancy

A re-enactment of the 1861 gun firing at Edinburgh Castle has taken place to mark the 150th anniversary of the city's One O'Clock Gun. The celebrations began at noon with the firing of the present day gun following at 1300 BST. The gun is fired daily, apart from on Sundays, from the castle.

It was first fired from the historic setting in the capital on 7 June 1861, and has continued ever since, except during the two world wars.

George Grubb, Edinburgh's Lord Provost, said: "Edinburgh's One O'Clock Gun is famous all over the world and this 150th anniversary is a very special milestone for the city. "People have been setting their clocks, and even ships' clocks, by the gun's firing for generations."

The gun is timed to coincide with the time-ball, a large white ball which is raised above the Nelson Monument on

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scheme has been launched within TIE. "

identical each month.

In recent weeks a number of officials have left the company running the trams project. Mandy Haeburn-Little is to step down from her post as TIE director of communications and customers services in July, after two years in the post. Richard Jeffrey, 44, the chief executive has also left, having worked for the company for two years.

The previous chief executive, Willie Gallagher, also resigned after two years.

Journalists at the paper claim the cuts will turn it into little more than a Scottish edition of the Daily Mirror - a charge denied by the company.

Daily Record job cuts shock

Some staff at the company responsible for the Edinburgh Trams project could lose their jobs, it has emerged. TIE has confirmed that a voluntary redundancy scheme has been launched at the firm, which has 60 full-time staff.

The announcement follows a dispute between TIE and its contractors Bilfinger Berger, which has halted work on the ÂŁ545m project. Tram work on Princes Street is now due to re-start in September.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Trams said: "We can confirm that in line with the next stage of the revised governance process, a voluntary redundancy

The Sunday Mail sold about 365,000 each month during the first four months of the year, again showing a high degree of stability. In May it sold just under 362,000.

Sales of popular Sunday papers often fall at the end of the football season.

However, the Mail did see a decline compared with May last year when its circulation was 389,218.

Meanwhile, Scotland's main quality papers got a boost last month - possibly because of the closing stages of the election campaign and the aftermath of the result - although the underlying annual trend remained downwards.

The Record and its sister title, the Sunday Mail, announced plans on Wednesday to cut 90 jobs - more than a third of editorial staff.

Sales of the Daily Record have remained stable in recent months, according to the latest circulation figures. The paper sold an average of 311,500 copies each day last month - a drop of 17,000 on May last year. This was only 1,000 down on the figures for February, March and April, which were virtually

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The Herald saw its sales rise above 50,000 again to 50,435. In April it dipped below the milestone figure for the first time in living memory.

However, its sales last month were still the second lowest in modern times and significantly down on May last year, when it sold 54,943.

The Sunday Herald - which made national headlines after it revealed the identity of the footballer who had taken out a super injunction - got a big lift. Its

The Selangor Scotsman average sale reached 32,292 compared with 29,578 in April. However, its sales have still dropped some 10,000 since its relaunch as a news magazine in January.

Last week the papers' publishers drew attention to research suggesting the number of people reading the papers had actually increased healthily. These figures are compiled in a different way to the sales figures.

The Scotsman's circulation last month was 41,271 - up from 40,524 in April.

But, as with its Glasgow rival, this is believed to be the paper's secondlowest sales figure in modern times and well down last May's 45,352. Scotland on Sunday sold 54,260 copes a week against 50,626 in April and 57,057 last May. The challenge for all these titles is to try to make sure last month's boost was not merely a blip. The summer months are traditionally challenging for all titles because of the holiday period and the lack of football.

Ednburgh set for Scotland's first Waldorf Astoria Scotland's first Waldorf Astoria is to open next year following an overhaul of a landmark Edinburgh hotel. The Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh is to be rebranded as a Waldorf Astoria hotel on completion of a multi-million pound investment programme.

Hilton Worldwide said a total of £24m Page 17 of 19

would be spent on converting the Caledonian by the summer of 2012. The 241-room property, which stands on Princes Street, will be known as The Caledonian, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

founded the Stagecoach group with his sister Ann Gloag in 1980. The firm is now one of the world's biggest transport companies.

Laureate earlier this week, receives an MBE for services to literature. An MBE was also awarded to Edinburgh- based writer Kate Atkinson, who penned bestsellers such as Behind The Scenes At The Museum and Case Histories, which has just been televised on BBC One. Professor Sally Macintyre, director of the Social and Public Health Science Unit at Glasgow University is being made a dame for her services to sciences.

The opening next year will mark the debut of the 127-year-old luxury brand name in Scotland. A total of £10m has already been spent on enhancing the hotel with a further £14m planned as part of the conversion process.

Hilton said there would be a number of "additions and improvements" to the hotel's facilities and services including the public spaces, rooms, spa and restaurant.

Queen's Birthday Honours list Transport tycoon Brian Souter has been given a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. The founder of Perth-based Stagecoach is being recognised for his services to transport and the voluntary sector. Souter, 57,

In 1992 he, and his wife, also set up the Souter Charitable Trust. The long time supporter of the SNP said his knighthood would not have been achieved without the support of those who work alongside him.

Former Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini is being made a dame. She was the first woman and first solicitor to hold the post, appointed to it in 2006. A central theme of her time in office was the reform of rape law in Scotland. She championed the new Sexual Offences Act and set up the National Sex Crimes Unit to investigate and prosecute Scotland's most serious sex offences.

Aberdeen-born actor and writer Graeme Garden, who was in The Goodies, receives an OBE for services to light entertainment.

Among other people honoured are Dr John Robert Brown, chairman of the Roslin Foundation in Midlothian, who is awarded an CBE for services to sciences and Professor Mona Siddiqui, director of the Centre for the Study of Islam at the University of Glasgow, who receives an OBE for services to inter-faith relations.

Scottish Power drops plan to cut River Doon water level

Scotland's top doctor, chief medical officer Dr Harry Burns, and Aberdeenborn racehorse trainer Henry Cecil are are also being knighted.

Two Scottish-based authors, Julia Donaldson and Kate Atkinson, are also being honoured. Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson, who was named Children's

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Scottish Power has abandoned controversial proposals to cut the water

The Selangor Scotsman level in the River Doon. A coalition of groups opposed the plan amid fears it could threaten jobs and salmon stocks in the Ayrshire river.

The utility said it had dropped the plan after a consultation had revealed "the strength of feeling around wider impacts of our proposals". The company still plans to go ahead, if approval is given, with plans to increase water levels on the River Dee. Scottish Power had said it wanted to divert water from the Doon to the River Dee to comply with European Union water rules. It also claimed the move would benefit the ecology of both rivers, which are part of the Galloway hydro electric scheme.

Hundreds of jobs go at Haldanes

600 people. It is understood four stores may be sold off and the remaining will close on 14 June.

the first major museum to open in Glasgow since The Burrell Collection in 1983

Haldanes was launched less than two years ago and was the first new supermarket chain in the UK for 27 years. Haldanes bought most of its stores from the Co-operative group, which was forced to sell some shops by the Office of Fair Trading following its acquisition of Somerfield.

She describes the Glasgow museum as "a sophisticated shed" but its column free interiors and pleated roof provide more than storage. She admits she'd been to Glasgow before, more than 20 years ago, when a visit to pick up a prize and give a lecture, ended with a tour of the city's nightclubs.

Last month Haldanes said it had started legal proceedings against the Co-op because it claimed it had "breached key terms of the agreement".

The building's steel clad exterior and industrial setting has led to much discussion about whether it's "the Guggenheim of the north" - a reference to the iconic Frank Gehry building which helped change Bilbao's fortunes.

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Zaha Hadid recently visited the Riverside Museum in Glasgow - her first major commission to be built in the UK, and

Big cat may have attacked Sutherland sheep, police say

A spokeswoman said: "Police are looking into the possibility that the sheep may have been attacked by a large cat, due to the nature of the injuries."

Glasgow’s Riverside Museum architect visits 'sophisticated shed'

The supermarket chain Haldanes has told workers that it is to close most of its stores with the loss of hundreds of jobs. The group has 26 shops in the UK, 13 of them in Scotland and it employs

Nevertheless, the new museum is likely to bring additional attention to a city prepared to commission such a bold design.

Police are investigating reports a large cat attacked and killed sheep and lambs in a part of the Scottish Highlands.

Northern Constabulary said the incidents were reported on 4 and 9 June in Sutherland's Edderton Hill area.

Haldanes said if it had been aware of the trading performance of these shops, it would not have bought them. The Coop has denied all the charges against it and revealed it had taken action against Haldanes for non-payment of rent.

Haldanes was the first new supermarket chain to open in the UK for 27 years

city of culture in 1990 - and according to a recent report now employs more people in the cultural sector than it ever did in the shipbuilding trade.

Onlookers are quick to point out that Glasgow had already tapped into that effect - thanks to its reign as European

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Last year, a "very large black cat" was seen near Aviemore. Police appealed to hillwalkers to report sightings of the animal after it was seen by a member of the public in woodland at Inshriach, Kincraig.

The Selangor Scotsman The GBB – 22 Oct 2011

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