No more excuses. Got papers to grade – backlog and this week’s assignment, not forgetting that there will be another assignment to be given next week too – a mid-year test to put together, and the SYF to think about. No more excuses: the tournament is OVER and maybe now I can get it out of my system.
Bowled a totally crappy first game, a score below 90 using a combination of 11 and 12 pound balls, trying to find one my fingers could get used to. Didn’t help that at the same time there was so much excitement and activity around me from all the beginners looking for bowling tips ‘cos they hadn’t come for training with us over the last few weeks. Expected this to happen, so I’m bouncing from one beginner to another correcting grip, demonstrating swing and encouraging them to ‘just roll it down the middle.’ And there I am rolling wildly left, right and hitting the occasional gutter. Thank goodness the first game was just a warm up and the score, pathetic that it was, was not counted.
Started the tournament stuffed full of Middle Eastern food from Café de Caire (how do you pronounce that?) on Arab Street. I had a Greek salad which was called an ‘Arabian salad’ on the menu. I’m a sucka for feta cheese. Followed that up with ‘foul’ (Arabian bread) with sausage and they were so generous with the foul I couldn’t finish it all. Thinking back, I should have brought the leftovers back for Cara to accompany the vegetarian kebab we ordered to go for her. She might have liked it, I don’t know. Anthony had his apricot flavoured sheesha and I think it was an afternoon well spent, even without the bowling to follow. Mei Lian, Jong Yann and Lawrence were supposed to join us but they decided that parking on Arab Street was impossible at lunchtime, so they went to Bugis Junction instead. Wonder what they had for lunch?
I changed into my Bermudas to be comfortable for the game, but I made the mistake of bringing my short Berms instead of my longer ones. Result: in the first game, given my knee bashing bowling style, I put a hole in my right knee in the first official game of the Tourney. The epidermis on my right knee sort of peeled off on a careless, violent throw. It wasn’t serious enough to sideline me but it was enough to remind me that every throw would cost me some >pain< from then on. Fortunately there was no bleeding else next year the College would classify bowling an extreme sport and we’d all have to pay insurance as well as lane fees.
Our closest competitors, Yee and John had to drop out of the Tourney because of unforeseen circumstances involving work, so erm… it was good news for us, I suppose? Mixed feelings about that. Not having to worry about Yee meant that our next closest competitor was one of the Bowling Club students. I don’t know his name, Tan something, but he was awesome. He clinched the highest individual pinfall and High-Score (201 pinfalls) awards. He and his partner came in third in the Tournament, so hats off to them both.
How did Anthony and I do this year?
Score, just for the record:
(3-game total)
Anthony: 449
Me: 447
Team Total: 896 :)

In the unforgettable lyrics of Queen:

We are the Champions – my friends
And we’ll keep on fighting till the end
We are the Champions
We are the Champions
No time for losers, ‘cos
We are the Champions
Of the World… (Queen. “We are the Champions.” 1977).

Team Pegasus Rules Nanyang bowling!!!