Belt-Its really a game

Saturday, July 23, 2011

OK...friends...I am going to tell you about a very fun game that we played while at the orphanage...its wild and crazy and beyond our understanding of fun in the U.S.  But I just have to tell you about it!  On our 2nd day at the orphanage (remember this was when we met our new Scottish friends), we were outside playing with the kids...and we asked one of the girls from Stella's House to teach us a Moldovan game.  We had discussed learning a Moldovan game and playing it with the kids...and then teaching them an "American" game.  Well...the young lady began telling us about a game called Belt.  (CAUTION-This game, like many games in Moldova, requires physical contact...this one just includes physical contact with a belt...the Americans did NOT make up this game...it is a REAL game that the kids in orphanages in Moldova enjoy playing...so don't be scared or offended by it).  I have a video for you to watch!  I have tried to post it several times...I will keep trying...my computer and the blogger website just did not want that video to post...I will try again!  Wow...I digress in a big way.  Back to the story of Belt!
OK...so we are all standing around as the game is explained to us...our mouths are agape...because it all sounds quite ludicrous.  When she is finished explaining it, I ask..."Did you just make that up?"  That's how crazy it sounded to all of us!  So here is the break down of the rules of Belt.  You stand in a circle that is two people deep.  So essentially there is an outer circle and then an inner circle that stands right in front of the outer circle.  One person has a belt (YES-a belt that you wear) and they run around the outer circle and chase the person who is "it".  Guess how they tag the person who is it?  They get them with the belt!  (Originally I wrote whip...but I thought that might scare you all away).  When you get "tagged"/spanked with the belt the person throws the belt down and then the tagged person starts chasing them...at any time they can jump in front of someone in the inner circle and the person on the outer circle has to start running!  It is crazy.  Kids everywhere in Moldova play this game...luckily our friends reminded the kids to be gentle with the Americans:)  What you will not see on the video is me starting the game off with a spanking...and it just happened to be from the oldest boy at Cupcui...and he let me have it....Andrian LOVED all things athletic...he gave every physical activity his all...even jumping rope...so of COURSE he would give a game of belt his all...as crazy as it all sounds...this game was so fun...you can hear me laughing hysterically all through the video...Its REALLY long..but watch it...its funny.  The sweet voice you hear is my husband...he video taped it all.  We are hoping to have a BELT game day soon...who wants to join us? :)
After we played Belt...we taught them kick ball...it was kind of a dud after Belt...and to think we were worried that teaching them dodge ball would be too violent!  Hahaha!

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One Response to “Belt-Its really a game”

  1. Belt it does not sound too amusing to me I must say...so I may have to watch the video to wrap my brain around it.

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