If you are a millennial, this post is especially for you.
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Welcome back to Being Girly. I know the last post was a little too much for some people to handle, but then, it is way better for each of us to stay in the loop. Talking about menstrual health lightly should not gross you out. If it does, then take each milestone at a time. You will get there.
Today, I am feeling rather nostalgic. So this post will definitely not ruin your appetite. It will take you back in time though.
When you were a kid, there were probably games you grew up playing, especially if you went to public schools (like I did) and private schools that had kids who knew how to have a good time in the field by turning their environment into their very own world of games.
See, a lot of kids today don't know what 'msongesho' is, or don't understand how balls could be made of plastic paper and sisal rope (and still hurt when you got hit. I got hit by away balls all the time. Ugh) because plastic bags have been outlawed in Kenya.
On their behalf, and because Min Yoongi got me feeling the blues and throwbacks, I decided it would be fun to pen something about these games. Are you ready?
Here we go!
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1. 'Kati'
Literally translated from Kiswahili to English, this game means 'middle.'
There were usually three or more players, two who threw the ball back and forth, and one who was in the middle, avoiding being hit by the other two.
Most times, this game was fun when played by more than three people because then there would be a division of the people into two teams. If there were ten players, then four of them would catch the ball. the remaining six would be in the middle. Sometimes, these roles would change. Most times, this group of ten kids would divide into two subgroups of five each, and select two people from each sub group who they though would play catch with.
This was easy if the number of players were an even number. If the number of players was an odd value, for example, nine or eleven, then there would be someone bestowed on the title 'fair' who was the worst at the game.
Any time a new team came in, the 'fair' would be the first to get hit. Then once they were out, the rest of the players would get into the middle one by one and try to achieve a high score. The best players did not play catch... Or sometimes they did.
If an entire class of, say twenty girls wanted to play, then there would be Twp catchers and the rest of the eighteen would jump into the middle and try to avoid getting hit. This was usually very exciting. Cheers were what these players fed on, and most times, the sight of them playing brought everyone to watch.
2. 'Rounder'
This was probably inspired by either baseball or cricket, but drew its roots from 'kati'. There were 'homeruns' and everyone got a chance to get into the middle, sometimes in twos, sometimes in threes, sometimes in fives even!
So, this game was also probably a type of 'kati' that allowed for more players. There were four corner stones drawn up before the game began. The players would start from the middle and run to the corners if the ball went out of range, or if the person in the middle was a hard target to hit. If the catchers threw the ball at you while you were on the run to one of the corners, you were to duck or side step it.
If you got hit, you were out until your team became catchers.
It also had a 'fair' sometimes.
3. 'Msomgesho'
Isimu jamii allows this term to be used.
I don't really think there is another Kiswahili word that can make it more grammatical, but 'Msongesho' meant 'Move.'
Two teams drew up a table on the ground using either stick on the soil or chalk on a pavement. The players then each had stones that they threw into the table and moved with their feet.
The table would be divided into either six or eight boxes. Each player was to do six or eight circuits. A circuit basically meant that you threw the stone to a box and went till the last box (either six or eight) without stepping on the borders of the table.
Once someone completed these first six or eight circuits, then they could throw their stone background and claim a box as their "home" or safe place to rest their feet or switch when they got tired. The number of "homes" one got was determined by the number of successful circuits one completed.
Woe onto the opposed if the other team won adjacent boxes along the line to the rest point. Good luck jumping over two or three 'homes' without stepping on the lines!
4. 'In-sa-pout'
I wrote that in the way it was pronounced.
This game relied on either woolen knitting thread or rubber strips. This game could be played by up to ten people. What happened was that two people stood on opposite ends of a long piece of thread whose ends were tied together.
There were levels to this game for the players who would jump in and jump out then in then out. It started from the ankles sometimes, or the knees, then progressed upto the armpits. Whoever broke the thread was out.
A lot of girls played this game and those who wore skirts or had extra sweaters were especially lucky. They could use them to lower one side of the string then both sides when jumping out.
Once one successfully completed the knees, hips, waist and armpits, then the next level was using one part of the body for the players at the opposite sides. If the game started with two legs, then the next level would have one leg. At the waist the players would turn to the side, and this would be repeated when they got to the armpits.
Once this level was completed, there would be both legs again then one would jump in such a way as to have one side of the string between their legs, before shifting to the other side of the string. This would be done two, then three then five times with the changes happening after the knees, hips, waist and armpits were completed. There was a time people went up to ten before jumping in then out.
Other levels included fishy where the string formed an 'x' in the middle and lifting the string with your leg to jump in.
5. Jump Rope
This clearly does not need a translation.
Having a jump rope as a girl made you very popular.
If there were three players, then two would either take the stance of 'kati' or 'rounder' at opposite ends with the third player in the middle. Sometimes the players were more than three, so the x-2 players would take to the middle. Whoever tripped was out.
There seemed to be a 'fish' level to this game where the ones holding each end would sway the rope from side to side.
Actually, now that I remember, this game was called 'kamba' in my boarding school. This roughly translated into 'rope.'
One of the songs sang during jump rope included 'old mother harbour.'
6. 'Chako'
Translated as 'yours', this game involved tapping people and yelling 'chako'.
It is closely related to "you're it!" The 'chako' was almost like a contagious disease passed around by the tap of one's hand on someone else's body.
7. 'Cha Mama'
Also called 'cha kalongolo' or 'kalongo', this game was played by three or more players. Two kids became the parents, while the rest could be the uncle and aunt with kids and nephews and nieces.
It was basically a role playing game that involved mum and dad coming home to take care of the kids.
Sometimes two kids would play parents to dolls. Food would be "cooked" and "served" and the kids would "eat." I can't remember what else we did, but it was always GE (General Exhibition).
8. Hand Games
When I say this, I mean those GE's where people tapped on each other's hands and sang songs like 'consultation' and what not. Exactly like how Kurt Schneider and his friends do with their covers.
I was never good at this game.
9. Group singing games
'Kitambaa changu kimepotea' and the 'I sent a letter to my father' were the most common singing games. The first means 'I lost my handkerchief' and the person singing would go on the outside border of the circle people were sitting in, and say 'si wewe' meaning 'not you' before randomly choosing someone and taking off.
The aim was to make it back to the spot the person running in the opposite direction would have taken, and sitting down before they arrived. We learnt sliding skills from this game.
The other was called 'consultation' where the leader would ask everyone to give examples of flowers, names of countries, types of shoes, subjects etc.
Another game that was commonly played was 'skamaress' or 'kamaress' where people would sing someone's name and invite them to dance. This person would choose a style to dance to before returning to their spot in the circle.
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That was a lot to write about! However, there are many more games that I can't even describe like 'skiddie' where we slid on the floor using our socks, or down a slope on the lid of a bucket, or a piece of wood. There was also 'imitation', 'wrestling', 'stoppie' or 'stopper' where people froze, there was football of course, and there were other singing games that I can't possibly mention because of the time.
I wonder which of these games were your childhood favourites?
Maybe you can leave a comment below. That will be much appreciated.
Meanwhile, I am off to eat lunch because I am starving! Good day!
