Cross-cultural Fun

In case anyone out there is  wondering, if you find yourself with a half-dozen young African doctors-in-training coming over for dinner, the hand-down (literally) best entertainment is Speed Uno.  I think Lydia Herron introduced us to this version of the game, which includes lots of switching of hands, changing of the order of turns, and enough random off-balance special-case scenarios to keep everyone on their toes.  And the ever-popular rule that whenever a 5 is played, all players slap their hands into a pile in the center, with the last person on top having to draw five cards.  Through obscure machinations an OB-GYN doctor who teaches at Mbarara University ( the second major medical school in the country, after Makerere) arranged for six young med students who are just completing their studies and awaiting placements in internships to spend a month or two in Bundibugyo!  We invited them to come for dinner, to talk about their lives, their goals, what it means to serve in a remote place.  They were personable and confident young men, comfortable with each other, friendly, from several corners of Uganda.  After eating we introduced them to Speed Uno, and that broke any residual barriers of reticence as they laughed and teased each other and tried to win.  We gave them “The Purpose Driven Life” to structure their 40 days in Bundibugyo around seeking God.  Don’t know what will come of any of this . . . We certainly need doctors, so if any sense a calling to return we’d be thrilled.  But in the meantime we had a rare evening of riotous cross-cultural card-playing fun.