And if I Lose?

The losers of this game modeling the frog dance.The great and famous papaya salad song modeled for you by losers (yet dear friends of mine).

The key to many group games here is humiliation. With various games involving amazing acts of coordination, quick reflexes, and Thai comprehension, I inevitably lose. For example, the game of flying animals. If the leader says the name of an animal that flies, clap twice. If the animal doesn't fly, don't clap. Upon losing, I am told to go sit in the middle of the circle. After a sufficient number of victims have been picked out of the original group, all attention falls on us. We are all told to stand up together, and to dance and sing a familiar humiliating song. The choices include the frog dance, the chicken on a skewer dance, and my personal favorite, the papaya salad dance. After enough laughing and clapping, the "best performer" is voted on to sit down while the rest of the losers dance for everyone one more time. Surprisingly, I have grown to love losing and being in the middle.