Spand or Spandi, Henna, and Kohl

Let no one be discouraged by the belief that there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence... Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation...It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man (or a woman) stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he (or she) sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
-Robert Francis Kennedy, speech at Day of Affirmation, University of Capetown, South Africa
-
The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.
-Robert Louis Stevenson, (attributed)
-
I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.
-Jerome K. Jerome, "Three Men in a Boat", 1889British humor writer (1859 - 1927) -
People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up.
-Ogden NashUS humorist & poet (1902 - 1971)
-
It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one's dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent.
-W. Somerset Maugham, 'Of Human Bondage', 1915 English dramatist & novelist (1874 - 1965)
-
I thought that it would be fun if I found the answers to some of my unanswered questions about Kabul. Why are kids walking around with cans of smoke and why do some of the men, women, and children have eyeliner and color all over their hands.
-

-

-
Wahidullah is eleven years old. He is one of many children out every day peddling spand to people stuck in traffic. Spand is an herb found in markets across Afghanistan. When it burns, the smoke is believed to ward off misfortune. No one seems to know when or where this belief originated, but the practice is thought to have begun in the early days of Afghan tribalism. Spand is often burned after a premonition or following a funeral. The spandi, the sellers of spand who roam the streets of Kabul, are not qualified spiritual practitioners. They are children who are in desperate need of money to take home to their families.
-
After his father died of a heart attack, Wahidullah had to provide for his family at the age of seven. He shares a two-room rental house with his mother and four younger siblings, and the family live without heat, electricity or running water. For the last four years he has been selling spand on the streets, working before and after school and on holidays. On a given day he might earn 10 to 70 Afghanis (about 23¢ to $1.50).
-
When Wahidullah is not out selling spand, he is at home studying. He is at the top of his class in school and has a keen interest in poetry. If he continues to excel in school he may eventually enter medical school, which is currently paid for by the state. But it is uncertain whether he will be able to meet the increasing demands of school if he has to spend most of his spare time earning a living in the heavy traffic of Kabul.
—Brent Lewin
-

-
HENNA Staining the nails, skin and hair with henna is the favorite way of enhancing beauty amongst women in the Middle East. It is used as both a hair treatment as well as a dye to make decorative designs on the skin. Henna cosmetics are made from the Egyptian evergreen plant, Lawsonia inermis, whose shoots and leaves yield an extract which is mixed with catechu, an astringent substance obtained from various trees and shrubs. Arabians crush dried berries from this plant to obtain a red powder.
-
Black henna (saumer) is reserved for the soles of the feet and hands while red henna is used for the tips of the fingers and toes. It involves the additional use of another paste made from powdered lime (nura) and powdered crystal amoniac (shanadah). The orange markings then turn black and then remain on the skin for about twenty or thirty days. Both red and black henna can commonly be purchased from international grocery stores.
-
The application of henna is a ritual which may take up to 6 hours. After all ingredients are mixed and designs applied the person shouldn't disturb painted areas for 6 hours or more, depending upon the richess of color and how long you want the design to stay on. This recipe was given by a Moroccan woman for henna application:(1) Purchase fresh red powder henna (Afshan or Sadaq brands boxed and wrapped. 2) one cup brewed black tea, allowed to sit overnight, 3) 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice from a lemon which sat in the sun 12 hours or more, 4) blass bowl, not ceramic, 5) mixing spoon, 6) Rose and Orange water to wash hands and feet before application. For application, the traditional N. African tool is a Mishwak pick, but you can also use cake decorators, stencils from craft shops (taped to body first). There may also be available for purchase henna pens from Pakistan.
-
KOHL Kohl (khur, kuhl, kahal, or kohol) is a black substance used by the women of the Arabian Peninsula as eyeliner and eyeshadow. Apart from making the eyes look brighter and larger, kohl was once believed to have value as a protection against eye disease. It's blackness also controls the sun's glare in the desert, and thus it is used by both men and women of the desert.
Kohl is powdered antimony, a brittle metallic elementary body of bright bluish-white colour and flaky crystalline texture. Artemis imports, a belly dance mail-order supply house, sells both light and darker grades of kohl of fine quality. It can also be found at middle eastern grocery stores, but beware of any powder which does not appear to be very finely and consistently ground. The "kohl" pencils used in modern makeup are a completely different item and should not be applied in the manner the powder is applied, next to the eye.
-
To apply kohl you need: 1) a small stick or large toothpick which has both ends rounded off. Place this in olive oil overnight so that it soaks into the wood. You may also use the olive oil to clean your stick after use. 2) a packet of kohl powder. IMPORTANT: If you wear contact lenses you must apply kohl BEFORE inserting lenses. (Mandatory legal disclaimer: In my experience this has not damaged my gas-permeable contact lenses, however I accept no liability if somehow you feel that it has damaged yours.) To proceed with application: pick up stick in right hand to apply to right eye. Dip tip of stick into kohl powder. Hold stick parallel to eye, and starting at the inner point of the eye, run it between the eyelids ACTUALLY TOUCHING THE EYE. (It doesn't hurt, really.) Re-powder stick, pick up in left hand and repeat on the other side. You may also enhance your eyebrows, or draw points off the end of your eyes.
-
You will feel when it is in the correct location, and you will have your eyelids nicely black around the roots of the eyelashes with no white skin showing. Kohl is water-proof but not "spit-proof", which is a great atribute in hot climates. A tiny amount of power will last you a couple of years, and it's much healthier for your eye than commercial cosmetics which you wouldn't dare put into your eye. Excess powder will gather at the corner of the eyes and you can remove it. It is much less artificial looking than painting a line outside the lids with commercial eyeliners; people will notice your eyes, but they won't be quite sure why.
-By Me'ira the JOYFUL DANCER
-
Thanks for reading.