My N.o. Xlpode Expired

wore

time watching them. They came at night each dragging a cart with the conquests of the day: clothes, pieces of useless appliances and other discarded things. Under the old corrugated warehouse fire was lit in a drum ... and began to play. The game board consisted of eight containers of yogurt from sewn line and eight equal odds that at breakneck speed filled and emptied with dried chickpeas. I lost my shyness and asked, and he told me who played Awale.

I looked for information. Three immigrants: two African and an Asian, knew how to play the game more played in the world, and particularly Manqala their mode of Oware. Manqalas seems that the first date of the seventh century after Christ, and have been located in the Gulf of Guinea. From there the game spread across Africa and today there are many variations of the game, which is explained by the transmission of oral play without fixed instructions from tribe to tribe. Biodiversión against monodiversión .

were Arab traders who frequented the West African coast who introduced the Manqala in the Middle East and from there, following the trade routes spread throughout Asia. With the "slave markets" also reached the American coast. The game quickly gained many followers because "forces you to think," he said. It is known that the Warriors were playing Oware Ghana just before going to war to test their intelligence and mental abilities. And if the king died, organized a items Awale, who won just be the successor. Hosts and intellectual monarchies. Even some say that these boards were initiated accounting systems. Did Gates copied to your spreadsheets?

instruments to play are simple and easy to African families find themselves Oware made: a piece of carved wood and seeds collected. O my friends, with a recycled version. Games unbreakable, without batteries or cables. The object is to go collecting the seeds we have planted ourselves in the wells and end-of course-with the bag bigger than your opponent. To play, one thing after is important to have all 64 cards the same. Chickpeas or any kind of seed that can not be distinguished, no white and black-and so does not belong to any player. They know, as people who are at the camp, "the seeds are who need them" Ban patents for seeds and genetically modified seeds.

The game plan is clear: "Sow properly if you want to reap as it should be" while respecting two rules sacred. First, "we can not eliminate the opponent" as if it were also destroy the land he cultivates. Who did by mistake, lose the game. "Whoever destroys the land of harvest, may not reap any more "Awale players say it directly to agribusiness, which seems not to know anything about sustainability. Second, "one can not starve the enemy." If our opponent is seeded, we must cede ours so you can keep playing. "Solidarity and brotherhood? 'You eat it and count twenty'. 'Checkmate'. 'Go to Jail, and if you want to be free to pay 50euros box' ... and other expressions are common in our games. White against Black, who previously reached wins, who collects the most money wins ... could be mirrors of racism, rush or hoarding behaviors that could classify as game-speak-as belonging to a model of capitalist life.

The Oware, I am told by the fire, learns in less than five minutes. A good method to retrieve attitudes of coexistence, respect, solidarity and "how not-fun and laughter. No fun no revolution.