No, You!

Occasionally when a kid is taking themselves too seriously, I feel the need to stick my tongue out at them or make a funny face. Today, a kid stuck their hand out towards me and made a strange grabbing motion by clenching her fist. I thought she was just starting the game up herself, so we exchanged this gesture back and forth a few times. It wasn’t until later that I remembered reading in one of my books on Tanzanian culture that their gesture for “come here” is an upside-down version of the one I am used to. Apparently I had been engaging in a competition of: You come here! No, You come here! No, You come here!.......I hope she didn’t need me too badly!