Knee Slap Laughter

One night, about half way through the trip, we were lounging and conversing on the mats before our 11 pm dinner time. Our language barrier only brought us so far. We had run out of things to say when mama Maria decided that she wanted to play a game with us. Until this point, she had shown herself to be a more stoic, reserved, quiet, respectful, and serious host mother. So to our surprise we very quickly followed her nonverbal orders to assemble ourselves into a circle, criss cross apple sauce style. We had no idea what to expect from our serious host mother. We were looking around at each other in anticipation when suddenly mama Maria slapped the knee of Hayley. And I mean pretty hard slap. We looked a her in astonishment, as if everything we believed about her to be lie. She put up her hands to gesture "it wasn't me" and pointed to blame the next person to the right of Hayley. Was this the game or was something else going on that we didn't all somehow didn't know about? Slowly we learned that the slapping of knees went in a circle. Each person slapped the persons knee next to them in an effort to create laughter or maybe a yelp of pain. Whoever made a sound was person was out of the game, which mama Maria fiercely called out without hesitation. The game was winding down until she called over Fatuma, an older woman who was helping the mama Maria host our group. From first observations, Fatuma was a respected elder and even more serious. It blew our minds when Fatuma entered the circle upon marias call. Slaps went around the circle as usual until it was Hayley's turn to slap Fatuma. We were all cringing at the thought Fatuma had to be slapped! To our horror, Hayley did indeed slap fatuma's knee. It had to be done. as quickly as the slap happened, Fatuma slapped the next knee and pointed displace the blame. Out by out, Fatuma created the most laughs through her non-joking manner. Fatuma was stone cold killer at this slapping game. She was unbeatable! Fatuma was all in one the silliest elder who never broke a smile.
After we laughed so hard we hurt, I realized that games in America are the same as games in Algeria. But more so, I realized the people who were hosting us were the same as us. Person by person, slap by slap, out by out, I was more and more blown away that people from different such cultures, religions, upbringings and thousands of miles apart share the same joy of laughter and incorrect assumptions.
-Missy