2021 07-15 Kabul Beauty School. Hosted by Lauren

  Well who knew that we'd all like Afghani food. The New Safron Kabob House worked out great. Basically we were the only ones there for the longest time.

The food was really good and so was the service. A couple of us had Mantoo which is dumpling with beef and there was Balano (an Afghani calzone of potato's and leaks) And there were soups and bread etc etc.

I missed my favorite photographer Elly and I was off my game but did get a picture of us at the table.  Thank you everyone who made it out and missed those of you who didn't make it.  Next time.

The mother of a friend of Lauren's had read this book and suggested it. Lauren was thinking it would be a light summer read. LOL

Everyone had a nice time Thursday and we all agreed we loved the book. 

When Kabul if there was a party the men partied on one floor and the ladies on the another or were separated by a curtain. There was no dating only arranged marriages. The girls had to endure beatings sometimes by the husband and the mother in law would make her be a slave. But under that burqa the ladies were anything but boring. They're make up and dress would make them look like a drag queen. Especially the brides. And the ceremony of preparing a girl for her wedding. OUCH! 

We were all amazed at the culture as was Debbie but she never showed fear. Maybe she was too naïve at the time. 

Debbie solicited for donations from every where and stored them up until she had enough to open a school. This is her story of her journey being a western woman living in Afghanistan. She was not the first to open and operate such a school but she shared her story in this book. Some of the students shared their stories too. Debbie Rodriguez wanted to empower the ladies of Kabul and teach them the proper way to apply makeup and how to perm, cut and style hair. The ladies could then open their own beauty salons to earn money to support themselves and their family. There became a fine line between teacher and being a friend. 

One student couldn't come to the school until her husband could come and check out the school and Debbie. They stayed with Debbie and Sam in the guest house. One night the husband started beating his wife so Debbie called Sam at work to come home to stop it. Debbie asked Sam if they could break the husbands legs once Sam got the man away from the wife. LOL

Her students even arranged a marriage with an Afghan man to help Debbie save her reputation and harassment by other men. Sam lived with Debbie but at sometime he got his other wife pregnant. A wife Debbie didn't know about but knew. Sam was lacking in the western ways of how to treat a woman with affection but he did treat well and protect her. 

Sam started following the example of their western friends of how to treat a woman.so If the friend held his wife's hand, Sam would hold Debbie's.. One time after being teased he ignored the husband. Then when the wife sat on his husbands lap, Sam got up and sat in Debbie's. 

So several people next to choose weren't at the meeting and Barbara announced a book which we had already read called Born in Crime.. That was Cheryl's choice back in 2018.  Sorry Barbara

So the next person to announce a book was Brenda. Her book choice was "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner. Next meeting is September 16th a Thursday. Location to be announced at a later date.

Next to Choose:   Pam, Sandy, Susan, Suzanne, Tamica, Barbara, Carla

Until next time....Reading one book is like eating one potato chip. ~Diane Duane