Mountain Spirit's Blog

Daniel & Maria Sanchez, Huaraz, Peru

Bridging Cultures with Laughter in Peru
By Randall Richards
“Laugh Dancing” – I’m not sure if that’s the name, or if there even is a name, but I first saw it at our wedding reception last spring, when someone pulled this out of their bag of tricks. Laugh Dancing is a misnomer. Maybe it should be called “StoneFace Dancing” because while you’re dancing, the object is actually to not laugh, to keep a straight face. He who laughs first, loses the round. The object is to get the other person to crack up before you do – Great fun.
Then, add the international element, in this case, my godchild’s family in Huaraz, Peru, and  instantaneously, you’re breaking culture barriers with laughter.
For those too shy to dance, there’s also Laugh-Sitting, (or StoneFace sitting) where opponents face off, and stare each other down, till one starts smiling, after which it’s a slippery slope from there.

Below, the first clip is of Maria Sanchez Figeroa, my godchild’s grandmother, facing off with Amanda in the kitchen of Restaurant Salud y Vida. Instantly, this laughter, brought us one more step closer together in our 12-year friendship. The second clip is Amanda facing off with Elizabeth, a vegetarian cook in the restaurant.  Next, she finally wins a round against our godchild, Joseph Sanchez. Try it on your next trip.

Tags: Amanda Richards, Fun Games, Humor Therapy, Joseph Sanchez, Laugh Dancing, Laughter, Laughter bridging cultures, Party Game, Play, Randall Richards, Restaurant Salud y Vida, Smiles, Travel

This entry was posted on 20/10/2009 at 03:34 and is filed under 1- Video Posts, Focus on MSI People, Health, Mountain People, Peru, Traveling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.