I went Ten Pin bowling at a recent staff outing at the Singapore Recreation Club. As readers will note from the poise demonstrated in the photograph, this was definitely my first attempt at the sport.
In the past I have turned my hand to the more gentile Gallic version of "Boules" (or "Petanque" if you prefer). I bought a set of boules back from New Caledonia in the early 1980's and used to play in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens during lunch break, with colleagues from the then Robert McDougall Art Gallery.
A pre-requisite of boules is a glass or two of red wine and a baguette loaf of bread.
No such cultural enhancements with the US version of bowling. All that is required for bowling is a nifty pair of bowling shoes which one can hire and the ability to heft a large composite plastic ball.
I was not alone in discovering that the selection of too small a bowling ball can mean that one's thumb remains semi-permanently jammed in the finger hole.
Despite all such tricks for beginners I have to say that the outing was a lot of fun. I even managed a respectable score in the second game having 'got my eye in'. Even more pleasing was that the following day I suffered no aches or pains from muscles not used to such exertion.
It was somewhat gratifying to learn that a number of my much younger Singapore colleagues were still suffering from sore limbs three days later!
In the past I have turned my hand to the more gentile Gallic version of "Boules" (or "Petanque" if you prefer). I bought a set of boules back from New Caledonia in the early 1980's and used to play in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens during lunch break, with colleagues from the then Robert McDougall Art Gallery.
A pre-requisite of boules is a glass or two of red wine and a baguette loaf of bread.
No such cultural enhancements with the US version of bowling. All that is required for bowling is a nifty pair of bowling shoes which one can hire and the ability to heft a large composite plastic ball.
I was not alone in discovering that the selection of too small a bowling ball can mean that one's thumb remains semi-permanently jammed in the finger hole.
Despite all such tricks for beginners I have to say that the outing was a lot of fun. I even managed a respectable score in the second game having 'got my eye in'. Even more pleasing was that the following day I suffered no aches or pains from muscles not used to such exertion.
It was somewhat gratifying to learn that a number of my much younger Singapore colleagues were still suffering from sore limbs three days later!
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