STAR SPINNING!!!

I promise there is an explanation behind the absurdity of my face here. Please, read on.

Between my sometimes intense personality and the lessons and challenges of my time in Africa, you might worry that I don’t think much about having fun. But that’s not true! And this week I want to share briefly some photos and captions that prove I care about more than learning and being serious. Sometimes I’m as goofy as I was when I left high school. Humility combined with immaturity is an important part of college, I think.

Case in point: star spinning, which is the most fun you can possibly have with only stars and flashlights. Basically, you stare at a star directly above you while spinning really fast for 30 seconds. Then you stop spinning and someone shines a flashlight in your eyes. You become so disoriented that you instantly fall over and have no concept of balance. It’s pretty hilarious.

(Star spinning unhinged reality for me in this moment. It was beautiful.)

Now, I would say “try this at home,” but I might then be liable if you twisted your arm after falling over. So don’t try it at home. Try it in Uganda. That’s one thing that you don’t have to worry about in Africa: liability. Outside of America, you find that people don’t really care what you do.

Christians who want to have fun within such a loose environment – without getting drunk in pubs every night – have to find some respectable way to entertain themselves. “Meaningful conversations” only go so far. Eventually, everyone just wants to see people fall over and lose control of their bodies and minds. And I realize that sounds very similar to what happens in those pubs I just condemned, but I swear it’s different!

(See how happy they are? How can you go wrong with expressions like those?)

First of all, with star spinning you’re getting exercise, and you aren’t going to throw up or get alcohol poisoning. Good, harmless fun. It’s also very beautiful, as you can see roughly five million-trillion more stars in the sky when you’re not surrounded by city lights. Moral of the story: another great adventure in Uganda that you should come try for yourself.

(Sam couldn't handle it.)

(But I'll be back for more...)