Download Halfway Down an African Moon. Travels in Sub-Saharan Africa by Michael McKeown PDF

By Michael McKeown

'Half means Down an African Moon' is a distillation of trips made in sub Saharan Africa among 1972 and 2005. in the course of those trips, I got here to grasp an older Africa, of historical story-telling, wisdoms and straightforward courtesies dwelling on unchanged beside the virtually seismic political and social alterations that marked the post-Independence period. It took me a long time to grasp this and with it the futility of attempting to comprehend Africa via Western principles and beliefs. The perspectives, for instance, of a Lagos industry lady formed via a cosmology of tribal deities and ancestral spirits are a global clear of our personal ideals and production fantasy - regardless of the missionaries might imagine. one of many goals of this booklet is to transmit whatever of all this, in addition to the nice humour, tolerance and resilience of the folk I encountered, to the reader. the second one target is to focus on the destruction of natural world and its habitat that's reworking entire areas nearly past attractiveness and pushing...

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Extra resources for Halfway Down an African Moon. Travels in Sub-Saharan Africa

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On the way back, I passed a group of young boys playing football on a dusty, sloping pitch with a single, net-less goalpost and sagging crossbar. But no stadium anywhere could boast a backdrop to compare with this one. As I paused to watch, the ball was kicked in my direction and I returned it. At once there was a clamour for my services and in no time I was part of their game. Two of them, slightly older than the rest, kept up a running quiz about English football. Had I seen Beckham; was Christiano Ronaldo better than Ryan Giggs…?

He was cool and I immediately felt at ease. I asked him what he could tell me about the elephants. Did they exist or were they simply conjecture and hearsay, part of the seemingly endless mythology that has accumulated around the city? “Non. ” He stirred his coffee thoughtfully. “But now it is already the middle of July. ” He explained that every year, towards the end of June, the elephants began to move south towards the border with Burkina Faso in search of water. The distances were huge, well over eight hundred kilometres – the longest migratory circuit of elephants anywhere in the world.

Two of them, slightly older than the rest, kept up a running quiz about English football. Had I seen Beckham; was Christiano Ronaldo better than Ryan Giggs…? After five minutes or so of fielding questions, relating mainly to Manchester United, I explained that I was a Liverpool supporter and when they asked why, found myself embarking upon the long catechism that makes up the Anfield testament. By the time I had finished they had shifted their allegiance to Liverpool and I departed feeling like one of those early missionaries.

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