When the country locked down in April of last year and even when they reopened the bowling alleys were not going to be a priority for things people are allowed to to, things didn't look good for our bowling league. We went from 3 original members to 5 and later had so many people that the lanes we go to had to reserve the entire bowling alley just for us for several hours every Thursday. At one point we turned up there and had nearly 40 participants which meant the 12-lane alley was getting a bit more crowded than we like it to be.
During the 8 months that our lanes were closed, 75% of our members moved away. Some did so because they had to due to visa reasons, other for the holidays, and others because they though the covid restrictions would be easier in other countries (Pro Tip: The restrictions are not easier elsewhere and everyone who left for this reason regrets it). Our DUMBO numbers dropped down to near nothing so when we had our first official meetup last week I was delighted when 15 people turned up.
Most of the people were first timers and that is fine and almost none of them are any good at bowling which is also fine. DUMBO isn't about bowling excellence, it is about getting together with friends, maybe make a few new friends, and then spend the rest of the day drinking beer.
This was also our first time back at our old lanes. If you follow my stuff you know that the other lanes we discovered is technologically superior, far more comfortable, and overall just a better bowling alley. The only two problems is that it is much further away from where we live and also that they don't have big enough holes in most of the bowling balls to accommodate our hands.
So we have decided that even with its tech shortcomings that this is where we are going to have our meeting every week and it is a good thing too because if all 15 of those people had turned up at the other lanes, 12 of us would need to share bowling balls because of the size issues. Our original lanes and the ones in the pictures are dated and have a 1970's feel to them, most of the cupholders are broken, the pins are often misracked and you have to use the call button because the machine just decides to stop giving the balls back and stuff like this, but we'll get over it.
One kind of tragic thing that happened this past Thursday that we all knew was coming was that it was the final week of one of DUMBO's founders, graciously known as "Crap Hat." He, myself, and one other person are considered the "founding fathers" of the group and that's because we are. It was us that decided to make this a weekly thing that grew into a rather large group of dedicated members.
He is leaving the country and is actually in the airport right now as I type this. He and his missus are heading back to Thailand because they prefer it there and honestly, I can't really argue with that. Other than the economics I prefer Thailand over Vietnam as well. Bon Voyage, Crap Hat. You will be missed that is for sure.
Our numbers are meant to grow again this upcoming Thursday as word travels quickly about how much fun it is. I'm not sure if I necessarily want it to grow really big again but so be it!