CAMPUS November

NOVEMBER 2011

DEDICATED TO FREE MEDIA

Happy

Eid...

In this issue

Features 12 The Egyptian Media 16 What T.V. Never Told You 22 Voting For Dummies

Underscore 26 Confessions of a Gambler 30 It’s Time to Leave This Sh*thole

Opinionated 32 Living Alone Doesn’t Mean I’m a Whore 34 Censorship: Uncensored 36 Between the God Complex and the Human Complex 42 Eye Candy

Center Stage 44 Alaa Khaled: Interview

The Gay Section 46 Kefaya Nakad!

Patterns 48 Trends 50 Dina Said: Interview 54 Made In Egypt

The Green Passport 56 Land of The Crazy Thai

Speakers 58 Underground Music Federation

Balls 60 Red Bull Breaking It Down

Chairman Shady Sherif

Editor-in-Chief Louis Greiss

Creative Director Leila Tapozada

Editors

Wessam Sherif Yasmine Zohdi

Junior Editor

Youssef Saad Eldin

Fashion Editor Asma El Husseini

Media Executive

NOVEMBER 2011

Zeina El Alfy Ghada Zayed Ismaeel Khoudeir

Financial Manager Ehab A. Aziz

Chief Accountant Sherif El Haggar

Accountant Ahmed Serag

Office Manager Sylvia Peter

Office Assistants Ibrahim Mansour Mohamed Eid

IT Manager Ahmed Saher

Production Executive Manager Sherif Mahmoud Mahmoud El Araby

Distribution Manager Shazly Eid

Distribution

Abdelhamed Fathy Ashraf Ramadan Gamal Moustafa Ramy Afifi Ragab Fathy Aly Afifi Aly Fawzy Waleed Gilani Abdel Aziz Abdel Rahman Mahmoud Samir

Art Director Ahmed Saad

Graphic Designers Bassem Raafat Nora El Gazzar Muhammed Abdelaal

Writers & Contributors Ahmed Amin Hend Ghorab May Kamel Sherif Alaa Suzy Joseph Yasser Abbas

Cover Credits

Muhammed Abdelaal

CTP & Printing

Sahara Printing Company

Campus Magazine's Address 24 Abdelmenim Riyad St. Mohandiseen Tel: 3749 8730/3 Fax: 3749 8736

Emails

mail@core-publications.net info@core-publications.net customerservice@core-publications.net sales@core-publications.net

Heliopolis

69, Adidas(elmarghany), Africana Café C&CO (horeya st), Blue Brry (ard elgolf ) , Café Mo, Cairo International Airport, Chess, , Coffee Roastery, Colors, Compu Me,Cat, Diwan Bookstore, Desire, Einstein,Euro Deli, EveryMans Bookstore,Farah Café , Flower Market, Function, Gelateria Roma Cafe, Gravity, Harris Café, Gudy, Gallery Bel3araby (elnozha st.) ,House café , Hope Flowers, Hot Pink, Khodier, IIPennello Ceramic Café, Kan Zaman Restauran, Linea, Liquid, , Maestro Music, Makani Cafe, McDonalds, Mobil Mart(elnozha-eldaery), Musicana, Munchies Café, No Name, Nuts @ Nuts, Occo, Oro Café, Pottery Café,Quicksilver, Ro 8,Schatz Café, Smart Gym, Shell Mart elnozha, STR8 , Spicy, Taurus, TresBon , Up 2 Date, Viking Cafe, Wabi Sabi, Why, World Gym, Zein Café.

Nasr City

2 Play (City Stars), Adidas(Genina mall-City star), Aroma Lounge (City Stars), Calvin Klein Jeans, Casper & Gambini’s, Cat,C & Co(city star),Esprit(city star), Farah Café(Genina mall), Glatteria Roma Café(city star), Gudy Kenoz Restaurant, ISI (City Stars),Legourmet marche café(city star),Madas , McDonalds (Abbas el Akkad), Musicana, My Day cafe, Quicksilver(city center), Renaissance (Wonderland, Genina Mall, Tiba Mall), Ravin ,Spicy (City Center Genina Mall) , Virgin Megastore .

Mohandiseen

4Get -Me -Not!, Adidas & Timberland(lebnan st,shehab st-Gezert alarab st), Alcott, Beau jardin café ,Café Mo, Café Nour, Cedars café , C& Co, Ciccio café , Chess, Cilantro,Mohamed El Sagheer, Miss Coco, Cocolina, Dar albalsam Book store ,Diwan, Eventya Flowers , Harrod, Hot pink, Laguna Café, L`aroma Cafe, Makani, Marsh Café, McDonalds, Mori suchi , Multi stores, Non bookstore, Oxygen, Pasqua Café’, Quick, Quicksilver, Renaissance library, Ricky’s Diner, Royal Nails, Reblay , Safari Café, Samia Alouba, Silviana heach (Gezert alarab) Solitaire café , Show Room , Second Cup Cafe, Spectra café , Spicy, Sports Café , Tommy & Hilfiger , Tornado Cafe, Toscanini café, Café, Volume One, Zarina , zein café . Zee Lounge café .

Downtown & Mokattam

AUC bookstore, Beymen ,Botry café, CIC (Markaz El Soura El Mooasra),Cilantro, French Cultural Center, Lehnert & Landrok Bookshop, Main, Maktabet El Balad, McDonalds (Tahrir), Sixteen, Ravin, Cinema Renaissance (Nile City), Jungle Café,

Dokki

Beanos café(maka st), Coffee Roastry(nadi elsaid-maka st), International Cultural Center, Mr. Joe, Makani café , Momento Café, Orange café, Quick24 , Quick seliver , Retro Café, Renaissance Cairo Sheraton, Spicy, Tabasco Café(mesdak-oman sq), Zein Café, Zarina .

Zamalek

Alakhbar Bookstore, Arabica café, AUC bookstore, Bean bar, Cilantro, Cocolina , Crave Café, Diwan, Einstein Café, Euro Deli, FDA, 69, Gardenia Flowers, Goal café, Googan Bookstore,Joffrey’s Café, Kodak exepres , Latverna Café, L’aubergine, Makani café Medza Luna, Mobil Mart, Mohamed El Sagheer, Mori Sushi, Munchies Café,Oringett café , Pizza Tabasco, Quick 24,Ravin, Romanci Bookshop,Segafredo Cafe , Sequoia Timberland, Zamalek bookshop. Van Gogh Bookshop .

Maadi

Adidas(Grand mall),adam bookstore, Arthur Murray, Bakier Stationary, Bander Café, Benz Café, Books & Books , Beta Bookshop , Renaissance Cinema (Maadi Bander), Beano’s Café (9 st., Grand mall) , Beau Jardin Café, Bookspot, Caj, Campus Euro Deli, Cat, Chilis, Coffee Roastery, Greco Café , Costa Café (9 st.) , Drink Shop, El Shader Café, Dunes Lounge, Emad Beuty Centre, Ghazala Stationary, Glassdeco, Green Mill, Gudy, Kotob Khan, Makani Cafe, McDonalds, Mediterraneo Restaurants, Quicksilver, Renaissance library, Rigoletto , Samia Alouba, Second cup(9 st.) ,Shell Shop Degla , Show room, Spectra café ,The Bakiry Café , Temberland , Volume One.

October City

Beau jardin café café mo, Melounge café , McDonalds, Maxicana café , Morisuchi café Renaissance 6 October , Safary café , Second cup , Shell Shop, Solitaire , Sans soucis café , Traionon café .

Giza & Haram

Dar El Shorouk bookshop, Maxicana café ,Polo Shop , Renaissance Cairo Mall

Alexandria

24Seven Café, Adidas & Timberland (Syria st, City Center), Banna Stationary, Cilantro (Kafr Abdo, City Center), Coffee Roastery, Costa Café (City Ctr), Deekom, Delight (Gleem – smouha – foud st.), Faces (City Center), Guess (City Center), Magrabi (City Ctr), Mazaya (City Ctr), McDonalds (Miami-Semouha), Quiksilver (City Center), The Sixties café , Tamarin Center, Rapo Gift Shop.

Tanta

Axon (Saeed Branch , el bahr st.) Pizza station ( tanta club , El Helw st.) La plato café.

© Toiminen © Antton

SEE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION AT www.quIkSILvER-SkATEbOARdINg.COm

EDITOR’S NOTE

6 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

Mall of Arabia / Alexandria City Centre 03 3970235 City Stars 02 24802915 / Jazeerat Al Arab 02 33448087

EDITOR’S NOTE

Remember that date?

If you do not, allow me to remind you. That was the day I came closest to losing my faith in this country.

Last year’s notorious parliamentary elections.

In case you don’t know, elections this year are set to take place on November 28th as well.

I have thought long and hard about what to write this month. It feels like I have so much and yet nothing at all to say at the same time. For seriously, what can I possibly write? When protesters have been brutally killed on one of the darkest, most terrifying nights this country has ever witnessed? When one of the most honest, most prominent media personalities has suspended his immensely popular show as a reaction to increasing restrictions, months after a magnanimous revolution – the first demand of which was freedom? When the first – supposedly – free and fair elections I ever experience are about to take place, yet everyone is experiencing a compelling state of fear instead of the sense of accomplishment we’d expected to feel when that day finally arrived?

That’s when I remembered an article I had written exactly one year ago; in November 2010. It was called “When Watchdogs Stop Barking”. Parliamentary elections were set to take place by the end of the month, and all forms of media in the country were suffering from a disgraceful Government crackdown.

I had hoped that one year – and one hell of a revolution – later, I’d have something more positive to say about the state of media in this country. Unfortunately, though, that’s not the case. And that’s why I couldn’t find anything more adequate but to share part of that article with you.

“October 2010: media crackdown; coming after Amr Adeeb’s Al Qahera Al Yom had stopped airing, Alaa Al-Aswany’s column in Al-Shorouq had suddenly disappeared, and 12 satellite – mostly Islamic – channels had been shut down on grounds of ‘preserving religious harmony’. El-Baradei tells German and Austrian news agencies he won’t be running in next year’s presidential elections, but has been banned from making any appearances on Egyptian television or giving any statements to Egyptian papers for months.

And as Copts complain about their parliamentary candidates’ names being passed over, Muslim Brotherhood supporters are being shot at by the police in Alexandria and opposition party campaigners are being arrested, Mona El-Shazli discusses the 3eed movie season on Al 3ashera Masa2an, and Gamal Mubarak sings praises of the NDP on Masr El-Naharda. ommunication and public opinion everywhere in the world, is the media’s responsibility to act as ‘watchdogs’. And watchdogs, being the protectors they are, are supposed to bark when they foresee trouble. They are supposed to provide citizens with correct information and guide them to make solid and enlightened decisions. They are supposed to identify problems and uncover truths. They are supposed to protect the civic and political rights one of the ministers or the President himself. They are the agenda-setters; the collective conscience; the formulators of public opinion. They are the nation’s pulse.

Chain your watchdogs – muzzle them; silence them one after the other…and the result is a nation without a pulse.

A nation that is lifeless.

November 28th marks the start of highly anticipated parliamentary elections. And the world is watching. We can’t keep playing dumb, watching international media discuss internal complications we are too afraid to confront ourselves. Local media that are blind, deaf and mute – that’s what we can’t afford.

I can still spot a few watchdogs that have not yet been muzzled, and those few have a responsibility to bark out their rejection, a responsibility that is now bigger than ever before.”

Never had the future of Egypt seemed bleaker than it did that moment the results of the election came out and every single one of us knew they were forged, yet remained silent. I remember thinking that a population who turned a blind eye to that perhaps didn’t really deserve better. Yet I survived the despair, and managed to keep my faith intact. And I was rewarded. Two months later, January 25th happened.

Today, too, I refuse to lose my faith. Today, there are a million more reasons to believe than there were last year. Today we have a chance to actually make it work, and we’re prepared to give it our all. Today, many things – including polluted and restricted media conditions – remain the same… only we are different. And there’s no way we’re ever going back to how we used to be.

8 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

ATTACK OF THE EVIL-MA

ASPIRO-BOT

[ FEATURE ]

EGYPTIAN MEDIA:

FEEDING

YOU BULLSH*T S

I

N

C

E

GOD KNOWS WHEN.

By May Kamel

ّ‫ و ي‬,‫كله ثقافة و علوم و فنون‬ !‫مسل كامن زي السيام‬

That’s how Egyptian television promoted itself in 1960, and boy were they true to their mission over these 51 years - and God knows how many more to come. Think they screwed us over? Think again. Their message was clear; they had nothing significant to offer so they cheaply claimed to be as entertaining as the movies. 3addahom el 3eib.

The Egyptian media scene is a mess. Period. Both state-run and private audible, visible and readable media don’t rise to the height of being called media to begin with. What adds insult to injury is the fact that even after the revolution, nothing has changed and media is still holding on to its role as the new-age opium of the people very dearly.

In our lifetime, most of us, if not all, have had their shares and probably other creatures’ shares of media blackouts. Since it’s all said and done, why don’t we try to find a trend in there? Maybe, ha?

Being too powerful of a tool, local and global media have often been abused to maneuver the thoughts of the public and direct them towards certain beliefs that serve different agendas. In some other incidents, the eye-opening, informative role of the media has been suppressed by the ruling system. Be it this or that, the outcome is never what was initially sought after.

Taken down to its roots, the freedom of speech is “the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression” as per Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

12 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

Freedom of Speech 101

Media is a classic example of freedom of speech; in fact, successful media is founded on freedom. Yet, truth be told, this is a far stretch from what we experience today. Media gradually lost its constructive, unbiased, eye-opening role to the masses.

facts so horribly that it jeopardized the Arabic bond between us and Algeria. If you hate them all that much for hidden political agendas or whatsoever reason, at least let us in on it instead of tricking us into months-long disputes. Fada7touna. Shokran.

The Media That Was

Mind you, those two events are just the classics. But if we dig deeper and recall, we’ll actually find out that the truth has never been told.

Not once. Not even something close to it. In fact, it was always a top priority to conceal the truth to the extent that we were almost living a virtual life compared to what was really going on. Even though it was inevitable to conceal some scandals like the sinking of Al Salam Ferry, the stealing of Van Gogh’s The Poppy Flowers or the dumping of Avian flu-positive chicken in the Nile, the coverage was tacky, tailored and overall stinking of shameless manipulation.

Fact: the Egyptian media had witnessed a golden era of free speech and transparency during the monarchy reign, so much that it was actually praised for being a pioneer, dependable, and a reflection of the truth, at least within the Middle East. A case in point is how true Rose El Youssef newspaper was to its mission in 1948 when it reported the factual reason for Egypt’s defeat in the Arab-Israeli war, a product of King Farouk’s alleged corruption. Despite being in times of severe political oppression and actually being under occupation, the Egyptian media remained unbiased.

Nasser: because who loves a loser And then came the 1952 revolution, and along came Gamal Abdel Nasser with an era of provocative suppression of freedom of speech.

Yes, exactly… the Six-Day War or ‫النكسة‬, depends on which side you’re standing really, all thanks to the media. Falsehood after falsehood, state-owned radio stations broadcasted “unprecedented wins” by our army despite the fact that on ground, we were being thrown back. It even claimed that “86 Israeli planes were attacked and destroyed”! Six days later, Egyptians realized the scope of their losses in what I can’t describe in better words than “7araka bee2a” from President Nasser.

Sadat: the illusion of freedom Sadat basically inherited Nasser’s mess. In search of a quick fix, he had to put an end to political conflicts and his corrective measures were suppression and media control. He arrested all the opposing forces among the leading class. To balance it out, Sadat tried to introduce a number of economic reforms and limited political formality that allows for public participation but within the borders that he drew. In short, he rushed into liberalizing the economy, but never really liberalized freedom of expression. In fact, his freeing of the Islamists as a pseudo-political gesture was the one thing that actually backfired.

Mubarak: photoshop is a way of life The plan there was really straightforward. Revive the role of media as the opium of the people. Distract them from whatever is going on the ground by feeding them with futile, convoluted news that will eventually make them snap! Newspapers with titles that never change? Khoood. Shallow TV programs that keep the viewers trapped in a parallel life that is not even happening around them? Khoood. Private satellite channels that pull fake laudable acts of trying to “expose” corruption and promote reform? La2 keda hat 7aga tesheel feeha ba2a!

Among the media crimes we witnessed in that era, those are two pivotal events that shall forever tarnish the name of this system.

Mubarak’s photoshopped “leading” role in resolving the Arab/ Israeli dispute. Al Ahram Newspaper, for some cosmic reason, saw it was crucial for us to see Mubarak leading instead of President Obama and so they retouched the picture accordingly. There might not be any political depth to this move; it’s rather an act of desperation. Got the whole world slamming us with jokes. Fada7touna. Shokran.

Omdurman. I die a little bit inside when I recall that day of the World Cup Qualifiers. Then and there, the Egyptian media manipulated

But even nine months into post-revolution reform, media continues to play it dirty. The coverage of the Maspero events on October 9th brought back memories that we thought would be long gone with the fall of the regime. The same treachery tone was broadcasted and sectarianism was actually being promoted! SHAME. We Are Not Alone Although it’s not an excuse for what we have been going through, but media blackouts are not restricted to us only. Absolutely not.

In fact, blackouts are apparently all what there is in most of the leading countries. For a few cases in point, we have the media bans of southern Japan during the droppings of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the media blackouts in totalitarian states like China that frequently take place when embarrassing events transpire, and the lack of independent media correspondence from Iraq during the Persian Gulf War. Iran, North Korea, Israel… you name it. Modern-day blackouts would be basically about total omission of revolutions of the Arab Spring, like Syria’s enshrining of Bashar and turning a blind eye on the crimes he commits against humanity every single day, all the way to Libya’s state TV’s rejection of the UN’s Security Council ruling that approved military interference to protect civilians.

Fresh from the streets of the world In similar shameful events on the other side of the world and right as we speak, most Americans are being kept in the dark about the US Day of Rage by the corporate cable news giants at CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC who have imposed a de facto blackout on the Occupy Wall Street protest.

Even though estimates have varied from hundreds to as many as 50,000 protesters flooding into Manhattan and others cities to take part in events around the country to, “nonviolently disrupt the disloyal, incompetent, and corrupt special interests which have usurped the States’ civil and military power, spawning a host of threats to liberty, lives and national security,” the three cable news networks have devoted no airtime to the story.

Let There Be Light Hate it all you want, but 2011 has brought enough turbulence to the political scene in the world that it would be no stretch if we find ourselves in need to redraw the maps all over again. Social media is now taking the lead and people will no longer be silenced.

Dear leaders of the world, we’re going to let you in on everything. There is Twitter, there is Facebook and there is YouTube. Citizen journalism proved more reliable than your sorry excuses for media institutes.

Reform is in order and media shall not manipulate the masses anymore. No more opium for the people! C

13

WHAT TV DIDN’T TELL YOU

FEATURE

By Anonymous

It was a typical Sunday afternoon. I was on my way back home after a long day at work thinking about how nice it would be to take a nap. I ought to mention that I live in Maspero, a few buildings down from the Radio & TV building.

I arrived home at around 5 pm to find a group of protestors in front of the TV building by the entrance to my building’s parking garage. This was expected, as a sit-in was planned to take place from 5 till 8 pm that day, demanding, among other things, speedy prosecution for those responsible for the multiple attacks on churches all over Egypt.

16 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

The Maspero Massacre Not seeing anything out of the ordinary - you see I’ve become quite accustomed to these types of protests - I decided to take that nap. I awoke at about 6:15 pm to the sound of my mother barging into my room screaming “They’re killing us! Wake up, they’re killing us!” Halfasleep and not realizing the gravity of what I was about to witness, I ran to the balcony overlooking the Corniche.

It took me a few minutes to realize that the warzone I was seeing was the street I grew up on. The usually busy, loud street with the breath-taking view of the Nile had been transformed into a battlefield.

Vertically divided, the army was stationed on the right side all the way to the TV building, while on the left the protestors gathered, trying to make sense of what was happening around them. My mom directed my attention to a few bodies that were strewn across the street. The army had opened fire on the protestors and the sound of the shots was chilling. The body count was rising by the minute. I could see a couple of army armored vehicles driving into the crowd and running people over. The armored vehicles would zig-zag onto the protestors’ “side” then retreat back to the army’s station and this went on for quite a while. Amid the sounds of gunfire, people screaming for their lives on the street, the cries of the wounded, the horrified residents and witnesses of the scene were shouting at the tops of their lungs from their balconies “Kefaya!! Kefaya keda haram 3aleiko!” (Enough! That’s enough have mercy!)

The Media Turned A Blind Eye Not knowing what to think or do I ran into my room and turned on the TV. I started flipping through news channels hoping to find any decent coverage of what was happening. I was shocked when all I could see was footage of the Nile. For some unknown and very disturbing reason, the news cameras were focusing either on the river or on the protestors “attacking” the army with sticks and stones. The truth is they were only trying to defend themselves while the army was viciously hunting them down as if they were prey.

cars towed away and the army was nowhere to be seen. I guess Hollywood wasn’t exaggerating after all!

The Use of Thugs Central Security Forces (CSF) arrived on the scene reinforced with Boulak thugs. The remaining protestors were trying to flee for their lives running in all directions. The CSF quickly created a line across the street from the Corniche to the buildings. There was no way in or out. CSF generals gathered the thugs around them, giving them concrete directions and instructions on what to do. The human blockade of officers would open and close to allow the thugs to go through to attack and capture any remaining protestors in the area.

What had started as a warzone was now transformed into a Jihadi mission. We fell asleep to chants such as “Islameya Islameya, ya nasara Islameya!” and “La Elaha illa Allah!”

The Morning After We woke up to find that CSF had dispersed and left the street in control of the thugs who created a sort of “traffic” check point. Any “non-Islamic” car passing through was stopped, the driver pulled out and beaten up by the crowd of eager thugs. This went on all morning until CSF ordered the thugs to leave and all that remained was a deserted warzone.

I am still struggling to get my head around that day and don’t believe that I will ever get over it. The experience was beyond traumatic and my heart is heavy with what this day reflects about the future of my beloved country. C *The author chose to remain anonymous due to concerns about his/ her safety due to giving an eyewitness account.

In an attempt to protect themselves, the protestors started pushing parked cars onto the street to create some sort of blockade or barrier between them and the army. Within minutes the protestors set fire to some of the cars. I’ve been trying to understand why they did this and my guess is it must’ve been due to a mixture of fear, bewilderment, excessive adrenaline and a genuine fear for their lives. It was at this point that the army decided that live ammunition was not enough and resorted to throwing the oh-so-popular-and-probably-expired teargas.

The smoke of the burning cars along with the teargas had become so heavy that we had to close the windows. My phone was ringing off the hook with people calling to inquire about what was going on.

Apparently media was pleading with the general public to ‘protect the army’. Ironic, isn’t it?! Unable to find a camera with a decent flash, I was left with no choice but to call various TV stations to give them my report. I failed to get through to any of the major stations and the ones that I did reach showed no interest in hearing my account and hung up.

My mom and I started packing with no clear plan as to how we would manage to get out of the house. All the bawabs (porters) from our building and the neighboring buildings were climbing up to the roofs to determine the extent of the damage - had any of the buildings caught fire? Looking through the window we were relieved to see that a fire engine had arrived. Within minutes all evidence of the massacre was wiped out; fires were put out, dead bodies removed, most of the burnt

17

18 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

19

PRESS RELEASE

Egypt’s

Hisham Kharma

featured in Sony Music’s Arabesque Collection!

Arabesque, by definition, is a form of art consisting of surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns, often combined with other elements. Musicologists around the world use the term to define genres of music that are influenced by the melodies and rhythms of the Arab world. No region is as rich in its culture and heritage as the Middle East, or as vibrant in its ways.

A new initiative by Sony Music Entertainment Middle East, Arabesque is a platform for gifted artists who truly represent this part of the world; the hidden gems that we all seek. The first three releases of the collection are works of the world-renowned Yanni – An Evening In Athens, the legendary Turkish Maestro, Can Atilla – Nights in Istanbul, and buzz worthy Egyptian fusionist Hisham Kharma – Sunset On The Nile, all released on October 25. These albums are an intoxicating journey that is a must-have for everybody’s collection, and the most beautiful souvenir of the Middle East. Enjoy your enchanting experience!

Cairo 360 Takes the Capital by the Handheld Media Republic Launches Cairo 360 iPhone Application Rejoice, everyone! The Cairo 360 iPhone app is now available on the iTunes App Store!

This sleek, and easy-to-use App makes your browsing through Cairo’s leading online guide even easier, giving iPhone users instant access to the latest news and reviews of the Capital’s restaurants, cafés, shops, health & fitness spots and nightlife, as well as the best arts & culture events, the latest films showing in the nearest cinemas and much more.

A comprehensive calendar of cultural and social events will tell you exactly what’s happening in Cairo and where. Even better, you can save your favourite restaurant, nightspots, shops and much more to your favourites list, allowing you to find their latest reviews and events instantly.

Feeling a little adventurous? Discover an alternative option to your usual hangouts in the city by clicking the ‘Random’ button, which will suggest new or random places where you can dine, drink, dance, or even catch a bit of culture at one of the city’s many spots, completely at random.

In addition to this, users will also have access to up to date cinema listings and film reviews where they will get the inside scoop on upcoming films. Other entertainment categories featured include locally available music, DVDs and books. iPad, Blackberry, Android, and various other platform applications are also in pipeline for the coming months, and are expected to be announced very soon.

20 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

‫السادة الصيادلة‪،‬‬ ‫تعلـن شركـة جالكسـو سميثكـالين كونسيومر هيـلث‬ ‫كـير المحـدودة عن تـوافـر مستحضـري بـانـادول‬ ‫وبـانـادول اكسـترا لدى شركـات التوزيع الكبرى‪.‬‬

‫تصنيع شركـة اإلسكندريـة لألدويــة والصنـاعــات الكيماويــة بتصريح‬ ‫من شركـة جالكسـو سميثكـالين كونسيـومـر هيلث كـير المحـدودة‪ ،‬ايـرلنـدا‪.‬‬ ‫‪PANADOL is a registered trade mark of the GlaxoSmithKline Group of Companies.‬‬ ‫‪For full prescribing information please write to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, PO Box 23816, Dubai, UAE.‬‬

FEATURE

G N I T VO

By Youssef Saad Eldin

Fellow citizens, rejoice! It is election-season, and we’ve got ourselves one seriously complicated electoral system. Keep in mind that it’s pretty much normal if you don’t have the slightest clue about what’s going to happen, because pretty much everyone I know doesn’t!

It’s important to point out that because of the complexity of the Egyptian electoral system, not everything will be covered in here, but you’ll find the basic stuff you need to know.

• The People’s Assembly will have 498 members; all of which to be elected by the good people of Egypt.

• Candidates run for the parliament under one of the following classifications: 3omal (labor), fala7een (farmers), or fe2at (assorted professionals). This is simply to classify members of the People’s Assembly into the different sects of society.

• At least 50% of the 498 members should be either 3omal or fala7een; courtesy of president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

• Candidates run in the elections through one of two different types of elections; fardi (individual candidates) or ka2ema (electoral lists) which will be explained in details.

• 2/3 of the members are to be elected through the ka2ema system, and the remaining 1/3 through the fardi system.

• It’s completely up to the candidates to decide whether to run through the ka2ema system or fardi system (usually it depends on political calculations such as political alliances and candidates’ popularity).

That being said, it’s important to clear out the difference between the ka2ema and fardi systems.

• Candidates running through the fardi system depend on simple majority, meaning that each da2era (district) will have a number of candidates running for elections on behalf of el da2era. If any candidate manages to get 50% + 1 of the total number of people who voted in that district, he/she simply wins. Each district should have 2 representatives in the People’s Assembly voted for through the fardi system. So you’ll be voting for 2 candidates (excluding the whole ka2ema deal).

• The ka2ema (electoral list) however is a bit different. In the list system, candidates don’t run individually; instead a number of candidates (for example 8) run together on behalf of a bigger district (one that contains several smaller districts). The number of seats each list gets is proportional to the number of votes it gets.

For example, if there are 3 lists running in a big district of 10 seats in the People’s Assembly, and this district has a population of 100 voters: through simple math, you’ll find out that 100 voters and 10 seats mean that each 10 votes count for a seat.

Meaning that if the first list gets 60 votes, the second gets 30 votes and the last gets 10 votes, then the 6 candidates from the first ka2ema, 3 from the second, and 1 from the last will have seats in the People’s Assembly.

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To sum it up, each voter will vote using 2 different ballots; the first one is for the fardi candidates, where you will vote for 2 candidates (At least one of them must be 3omal or fala7een; you can’t vote for two fe2at!). The second ballot is for the electoral list, where you will tick the list you want to vote for.

On a more practical note, here are some tips for all the good citizens out there, who wish to exercise their political rights and go vote: • Log onto http://www.elections2011.eg and check in your national ID number to find out which district you belong to, and the polling station (lagna etekhabeya) you should head to. If you go to a wrong polling station you won’t be able to vote.

• Go as early as possible, the earlier you go, the less crowded it will be. (No one likes to stand in a line for a long time) • You have to bring your national ID; not your passport even if you have the ID number on the passport!

• When you enter the polling station, your ID will be checked and you’ll receive two distinguished ballots (one for the fardi and the other for the ka2ema) • While marking your fardi ballot make sure to vote for 2 candidates and that at least one of them is either fala7een or 3omal. (If you don’t; your vote will not count) • In the ka2ema ballot, choose only one list.

• You’ll go behind the voting booth/curtains (as part of the secrecy of voting).

• Cast the ballot and dip your finger in the ink.

• Take a picture with your finger and post it on Facebook, because that’s not lame at all.

Last but not least; who to vote for?

When it comes to fardi, you just have to ask around about the candidates; make sure they’re not felool, evil business men, serial killers, or any of that usual sh*t.

As for the lists; there are way too many to put into this article, but the main ones are: •El Kotla el Masreya, which consists of several political parties such as: El Masry El Democraty El Egtema3y, El Masreyeen El Ahrar and El Tagamoa’ •El Ta7alof El Democraty, which mainly consists of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party “El Horeya w El 3adala” alongside a number of small parties. Needless to say, this ka2ema clearly belongs to “el tayar al deny” •El Thawra Mostamera, which consists of several political parties such as Masr El Horreya and El Ta7alof El Sha3by El Eshteraky, and movements like 2e2telaf Shabab El Thawra.

•Some political parties such as El Wafd, El Wasat, and El Adl are making lists of their own; with no political alliances with other parties.

•El Nour party, one of the biggest Salafi parties, is also making a list of its own, and like most of the other parties, some of its members are running fardi, not on the party’s list.

Keep in mind that those political alliances are pretty fragile and are not even based on the same ideologies; some of the alliances are between both leftist and liberal parties. It may very well be that by the time you read this article, those alliances would have shifted around. If those lists are to be classified, then it could simply be into religious parties and civil parties, and sometimes the two types ally for the sake of political maneuvers.

Bottom line is, do your homework, ask around about all the candidates/ parties, and vote for whoever you think will be the best to represent you. What really matters is you being a good citizen and voting!

23

PRESS RELEASE

‫ إبدأ‬ with Google Empowers Egyptian

Google announced ‫ إبدأ‬with Google, a new competition, in partnership with Science Age Society and Innoventures. ‫ إبدأ‬with Google will seek to find the country’s most talented Egyptian entrepreneurs and award them with 1.2 million EGP in seed capital to bring their business ideas to the market. The concept of ‫ إبدأ‬with Google is to inspire entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and become contributors to the society using technology as a catalyst for growth and economic prosperity.

During the eight-month project, Egyptian entrepreneurs will go through a process of screening and selection based on a specific set of criteria laid out by an independent judging panel of experts from various fields of businesses. The entrepreneurs will also receive mentoring and coaching from industry professionals, executives and established entrepreneurs who will provide them with necessary trainings that will help them succeed.

Entrepreneurs

The program is being executed by Science Age Society (SAS), a local NGO, and Innoventures, a local tech incubator. SAS and Innoventures will board on a roadshow through 10 cities to spread awareness and most importantly, to receive applications.

Entrepreneurs can submit tech business ideas in several areas including cloud computing, digital advertising, E-commerce as well as mobile applications, location based applications, SMEs enablement and Arabic content.

The top 200 applicants, who will be announced in November, will participate

in a three day workshop on entrpreneurship and innovation by Googlers who will fly in from around the world to provide coaching and training.

Over time, the entrepreneurs will participate in competition rounds and will have to present actual prototypes and business concepts to a panel of expert judges.

For more information about “‫ إبدأ‬ with Google” visit our website: http://startwithgoogle.com

Launches the Sportage and the All New Picanto!

EIT, the sole Kia agent in Egypt, held an official press conference last month to announce the launch of the Kia Sportage equipped with a 1.6 L engine, as well as the all new Kia Picanto. The press conference was followed by a test drive for the two new models.

It is also worth mentioning that Mr. H.J.Ryu (General Manager for Middle East & Africa Operations) came especially from Kia Motors Corporation to share this important day with EIT. Mr. Khaled Youssef, Head of the Automotive Devision in EIT, stressed on the importance of having a wide range of lineup to suite all Kia customers, starting from economical cars equipped with basic features, to fully loaded cars that compete with luxury segments. He also stressed on the importance of buying Kia models imported through local agent (EIT), which guarantees a better performance of the product as well as a five-year warranty.

Following the speeches, the attendees were presented a detailed explanation of the two new cars, then watched the cars displayed and enjoyed test driving the different categories of the new Sportage and the new Picanto.

It is worth mentioning that the new Sportage is equipped with a 1.6L GDI engine delivering 140 HP with 6-speed automatic transmission. EIT introduced 3 categories of the Sportage for more freedom of choice to customers.

As for the Picanto, it is equipped with a 1.2L engine, delivering 87 HP. It is available in both manual and automatic transmission and in four different categories.

24 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

] UNDERSCORE ]

CONFESSIONS OF A GAMBLER! THE ULTIMATE MIND-FU*K

By Sherif Alaa

IT WAS AN UNUSUALLY SUNNY DAY IN A VERY SMALL EUROPEAN CITY. I FINISHED MY DINNER AT THE HOTEL RESTAURANT AND DECIDED TO TAKE A NAP BEFORE EXPLORING THE TINY CITY. ON MY WAY TO MY ROOM, I PASSED BY THE HOTEL’S CASINO WHICH WAS ALMOST EMPTY AT THAT VERY EARLY HOUR OF THE EVENING.

26 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

The journey begins!

I decided to explore the very fancy and cheerful place. “Wow! The lights, the music, the setting and the waitresses look gorgeous. I have to take a look,” I said to myself. While hanging out and trying to get acquainted with the games, I decided to try American roulette; player-friendly, quick and you can gamble for as low as 25 cents. So, I purchased a 5 euro ticket. “If I lose, it’s nothing; if I win, it’s cool!”

I convinced myself. In less than 20 seconds I won 5 euros. “Now we’re talking!”

The happy, greedy me cheered. My friends called me and told me to meet them at the lobby in 20 minutes, so I spent that time winning and met them with a total lot of 50 euros and a wide grin!

From that moment on, even after I left the casino, all I could see was numbers, money and the roulette ball; I realized that my mind was still with the roulette machine. So I decided to go back to the casino and reclaim those lost bits of my mind. I went back to the hotel at midnight with a strategy: “I won 50, I’ll risk 25 of them; if I win, that would be great, if I lose then I’m still a winner.” Unfortunately however, things didn’t go as quite as planned: I lost the money. But I said to myself, “Isn’t that the point of gambling? You can’t win forever and you can’t lose forever!”

euros! “Woohoo! I got my bloody money back and won some more!”

I happily went to bed and with some good cash too!

And that’s it, happily ever after; good wins, evil loses!

Not really.

I woke up in the morning feeling like Hercules; I spent a wonderful day, paid back the 50 euros I had borrowed earlier and decided to take a break from gambling that night.

The next day however, I was back in my favorite spot at the casino. I decided to risk only 100 euros of my spoils, but guess what? It all went down the drain and I lost all my money again! All of it! Big surprise, right?

That was my first, and hopefully last, casino experience. For the first time I realized that cliché of gamblers depicted in Hollywood or Egyptian movies was not an exaggeration. I felt that if I was with my family I could’ve borrowed till I ran their life savings dry, even if I was winning! I tried how it feels to be addicted to something, and trust me, it’s bad! The funny yet saddening thing is, it all started with 5 lousy euros!

In a casino, your money is not actually yours till you leave… the freaking country!

Decisions, decisions Going against my strategy, I tried my luck with the other 25 euros to get the first 25 euros back, and guess what? I lost again! Yet once again, the rookie gambler in me went like, “Wait! I won 50 then lost them, so technically I didn’t lose. I’m just back to square one, which means that I can start gambling all over again.” Good decision, right? No. I went on a losing streak, losing one euro of my hard-earned money after the other; I lost 500 euros (yes FIVE HUNDRED!), which counts for all the money I brought with me from Egypt. All I had left were the 20 euros that I had kept in the hotel room for “emergencies”. I was a total bum at that point.

And to add insult to injury, I borrowed 50 euros from someone I had met for the first time! Bum, I tell ya! By 3:00 a.m. I was back in my room with an empty wallet and a fu*ked up state of mind. I could barely move; all the lights were turned off and my heart was beating as slow as a snail, or maybe it was because I was unbelievably depressed.

I went to bed sadder than an orphan puppy, and I thought to myself “why the f*ck did I do that to myself? Why the hell did I go there?! And what the hell was I thinking when I put all my bloody money in that stupid and evil machine?!”

I woke up at 8:00 in the morning with a gazillion roulette dreams (more of nightmares) and the worst hangover even though I didn’t drink that night!

All I had in mind was “VENDETTA!” and tons of questions regarding how I’m going to spend 4 more nights in Europe with only 20 euros. “Thank God I already paid for my hotel stay and the ticket back to Cairo!” was what I had in mind.

Happily ever after?

I knew that 20 Euros were not even enough for a decent dinner and a Coke, and that my last chance was to play roulette again. “Maybe I can earn 100 euros that could help me finish my visit without starving to death. If I lose my last 20 euros it wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway!” It felt like I was hanging on to the last thread of hope.

I took a shower, bought my last pack of cigarettes, got some munchies and headed to the casino in cold blood with a fake smile. In no time I won 200 euros and without even thinking I hysterically pressed the cashout button and got the hell out of there!

And then I had fun with that money during the rest of my stay, right? No. I headed back to my room, put 150 euros in the drawer and went back to the casino with 50, and after 8 hours of wins and losses, I won 700

27

PRESS RELEASE

UMF (Underground Music Federation) Throws Launch Concert

UMF (UNDERGROUND MUSIC FEDERATION) IS AN IDEA THAT HAS BECOME AN ESTABLISHMENT, AIMING TO ACT AS A PLATFORM FOR UNDERGROUND MUSICIANS IN EGYPT. It all started with the website, UMF-live.com, which was launched in June. Ever since then many bands have went on to join UMF’s online community, topping it off with impressive performances in the concert held on October 14th at the Gezira Youth Center.

Starting at 4 pm and lasting all day long until midnight, the concert marked the launch of UMF’s on-ground events.

The lineup featured diverse bands with different musical backgrounds, the likes of Cairokee, Salalem, Fo2 El Sotou7, and rock acts like Egoz and Simplexity. Other remarkable talents were Ahmed El Haggar and Shady Ahmed as well. Such a rich combination ensured each and every one in the audience found a taste of the kind of music they like.

Albums of participating artists like Salalem were also sold on the premises, so everyone who enjoyed the performances could go buy the band’s CD right afterwards.

UMF look like they’re off to a great start, and they promise this is only the first on a long series of concerts they have planned ahead.

NATURAL MOVEMENT. PERFECTED. Helps Athletes with the Launch of RealFlex Footwear In recent years, two new categories have emerged in the running and training footwear market: barefoot and extreme lightweight, “minimalist” footwear. Today, Reebok introduces RealFlex, a running and training shoe that delivers on the promise of both of these categories. RealFlex is truly the best of both worlds – it’s natural movement. Perfected.

RealFlex features 76 independent “sensors” on the bottom of the shoe strategically positioned to adapt to all training surfaces. These “sensors” work together throughout an athlete’s stride, promoting natural movement and flexibility, while protecting them from the elements associated with barefoot running. The result is a shoe that delivers all the benefits of barefoot running with the protection of a traditional athletic shoe.

With its minimalist construction on the upper, RealFlex delivers a “sock like” feel to the athlete. When combined with the 76 “sensors” on the bottom of the shoe, RealFlex promotes and enhances natural movement in a way that allows the athlete to move the way nature intended.

Whether it’s ZigTech, EasyTone or RealFlex, Reebok has products that leave no doubt about the benefit.

RealFlex is available for men and women in three distinct colorways. For men, it is offered in Steel/Excellent Red; Black/Pure Sliver/Buff Blue; Black/Carbon/White; Black/Pure Silver/Sushi Green and Steel/White/ Black. For women, RealFlex is offered in Steel/Overtly Pink; and Steel/Sushi Green/White.

28 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

UNDERSCORE

It’s time for us to leave this shithole!

Asl el sha3b el masry da ebn w****a!

By Ahmed Amin

30 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

A sentence we’ve heard so many times, especially after every revolution-related altercation of any sort; from the “baltageya” conundrum to the people debating a certain issue. There seems to be this wide base of youth in our Egyptian society who view leaving as the best option for them and when asked they say “the grass must be greener on the other side”.

I understand to an extent what they’re saying; basically, some people just can’t keep up with the high price tag on “freedom”. Some people just can’t wrap their heads around the sectarian clashes, the reality of how “one track” our Egyptian minds are and the extent to which we don’t accept others or the unknown.

there are those who pursue an academic career or were presented with a good opportunity academically; this group I understand and strongly encourage. There’s nothing wrong with taking part in a more advanced educational system, learning what you can from it, becoming good at what you do then coming back to help your country rise, nor is there anything wrong with staying abroad if you’re too committed to your academic career. I understand and support both scenarios.

What I don’t understand is people who want to leave for the sake of leaving, for the sake of more economic prosperity and more open societies.

Homma we7na!

Take the “elite” richer social classes for example, who are always making fun of, and at times, abusing the poorer social classes whether through Facebook groups like “El Sarsageya” and taking complete liberty to post these people’s private images coupled by the most inconsiderate, condescending, abusive comments. Not to mention making fun of their culture if their “sha3bi music” gets played at a decent venue.

“For those of you who want to go to America to wash dishes and pump gas, just go already, we’re better off without you!”

Liberals also would jump to silly conclusions about Salafis/Islamists, barraging them with condescending accusations and always claiming that they “know” more and they’re “more cultured” while they say Islamists approach life with a sheep-in-a-herd mentality. We’ve all seen these social/ demographic group wars and no matter who’s side you’re on, you’ll always hear a “f*ck it I’m leaving. Things are shitty here and they’ll never get better”.

Basically, how on earth do you see more opportunity in a collapsed economy than you see in a country that has a monopolistic mob governing, with the main offenders going to jail one by one? After the 2008 Economic Crisis, natives of the countries you’re dreaming of are suffering from recession and the highest unemployment rates yet. But somehow, you still think there’s more opportunity there than in your own country that is undergoing major positive reforms?

There’s no way that you can think that going to America on the long run a better idea than staying in Egypt at this point in time. Sure, they have a better and more organized economy but it’s also extremely competitive and volatile. For those of you who just want to go to America to wash dishes and pump gas, just go already, we’re better off without you!

Why stay?

Have you ever noticed that basically all of these problems are caused by – wait for it – *drum roll* YOU!

For others who have ambition, now is the time to start investing in Egypt. You have a potential customer base of 85 million and a chance to recreate things that might seem old or worn out in the West, because we’re still developing and progressing, so we’re a couple of steps behind. What works here can be viewed as “last year’s thing” there.

For some odd reason Egyptians are taking a 3rd person approach to Egypt. Basically we’re all waiting for someone –perhaps Superman – to fix things and call us to come and enjoy it. I can’t believe how naive some of these arguments are, as if “them” or the “other” controls everything and has made life so unbearable for you, so there’s no way around it but to leave.

We are an emerging country, a third world country. We can only go up from here, and if you happen to be smart and have an idea or two to apply, you’ll benefit from low local competition, very cheap resources, ousting of major corrupt market leaders and strong public approval and support for youth. You get the picture I’m sure; I don’t need to give you more reasons.

“They’re too powerful/too many; the only way out is to leave!” - A rather ludicrous approach don’t you think? No matter what we’re dealing with, we’re all just victims and did not take part in the deterioration of the Egyptian living standard; basically a claim that I am an angel and that “they” are the devil.

What I’m trying to say is, this new generation can have a new dream, a new option. You don’t need to just zombie your way into the stereotypical “Hamam fe Amsterdam” thinking spiral. This time there’s the big possibility of success in your own hometown, in your own country. Try it first, you won’t lose a thing and if it still doesn’t work out for you, then move on.

No one ever acknowledges that they do as much damage as the groups they always blame. The liberals are just as uptight and unfair and illogical as the Salafis and the Church is just as passive in taking a stance as the Muslim Brotherhood.

That was the social aspect of things.

Career!

The economic aspect is much more logical; some young men and women just view this country to be hopeless for their careers and advancement, so they view the West (America & Europe) as a getaway and a fresh beginning.

This sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? It is, because we all studied this at school and it’s called “brain-drain”. There’s two parts to that;

I know that “it’s not as fast” as you want it to be and there still will be a period of turbulence before things reach real stability. But hey, if you get started now you’ll have the advantage of being a trendsetter, a local innovator/entrepreneur that can then grow to be a global innovator/entrepreneur.

You won’t just go to America and become the next Steve Jobs, but if you stay in Egypt the odds of that happening are on your side; you can be the next big thing in Egypt much easier than abroad. Just give it a chance, don’t be one-track-minded and just bear with the hardship, ride out the storm and remember that it can’t get worse here, that’s for sure.

31

[ OPINIONATED ]

By Leila Tapozada

I basically just summarized the whole point of this article in the title. But if you want to get into more detail, yalla warana eih.

Judgments made about girls living alone are just a few more stereotypes thrown onto the towering stereotype heap that is our country.

Ask your average Egyptian, and he/she will probably tell you that a youngish girl living alone is probably loose, promiscuous, has no familial values and has guys coming and going at all hours of the day and night. And I’m sure that there are girls who live alone who are slutty; but there’s also girls who live with their parents, have an 11.30 pm curfew and still manage to be ginormous whore-bags.

32 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

Why would a girl live alone in the first place?

The double-edged weapon (which I wish I had in my house)

Most people, when they stumble upon the anomaly of a young girl living alone in this country, automatically ask why. Where are her parents?

Why isn’t she living with her parents? Do her parents not care enough about her? What’s this girl’s deal, exactly? And in other words: why is she f*cking around with societal norms?

Being under society’s microscope and living under others’ assumption that I’m promiscuous is obviously the most annoying aspect of living alone. Which is mainly why I wanted to write this article, to urge people to shut up already and try to open their minds a bit. But at the same time, living alone isn’t all no curfews and roses. Quick list of pros and cons:

Most of the girls I know who live alone do so because their parents live abroad, and the girl is here for either university or work. I’m a rarer case – my dad lives in Cairo, but I just prefer to live by myself. I’m lucky that a) I’m financially independent enough that I can rent my own place and pay my own bills, and b) that my parents are liberal and don’t mind at all.

So it’s really a simple equation actually. But, of course, I’ve been forced to explain my lifestyle choices to people whose business it is nothing of, and whose minds are so small that you would assume they could wrap the idea easily enough around their heads, but sadly, no.

Pros: -independence -you’re completely in charge of your life, you make your own rules -you have your own haven where no one can bother you -privacy - whether alone or with your significant other

There’s no red light above my door Somehow, somewhere, the idea of girls living alone got to be equated with one thing in the minds of Egyptians: S-E-X. Older generations frown upon the idea of a young girl living unsupervised, while guys just picture it as a place where the girl must bang all night long, because that’s what THEY would do.

Guys are not subtle either. They’ll ask when you’re going to invite them over. They make up excuses of why they should just hang around at the girl’s place, all in hope that she’ll give up a piece of ass (because if she’s not going to, why the hell is she even living alone?)

Then there’s the bawab and the neighbors. If you’re a young girl living by yourself, you can be sure you and whoever you have over is going to be eye-balled from here to kingdom come. Once I had friends over, and my boyfriend was one of the first people over. When my best friend came later, the bawab asked her: “el walad eli tela3 dah – dah wa7ed arebha?” To which she replied, “Ah tab3an ya 3am Ismail!”

Sometimes I feel like I walk around with a label plastered on my forehead.

Another female friend of mine who lives alone would actually lie about it when talking to people, because she was afraid of the social stigma.

But why is there even a social stigma?! Is the only thing that keeps us from having sex like bunnies the fact that we sleep in the room next to our parents? What happened to our supposed moral and religious beliefs? Or does living alone automatically mean I have neither?

And the sad part is, it’s not even limited to young unmarried girls in their twenties like me. Divorced women are sometimes forced to move back in with their parents because the same judgment and assumptions are forced upon them as well! Why the hell society would care where a perfectly respectable 49-year-old divorcee mother lives or who she invites over is completely baffling to me. Is the only thing that protects us women from social scrutiny our parents or husbands?

-it teaches you how to completely rely on yourself – when your washing machine floods at one a.m. it’s going to be YOU who has to deal with it Cons: -SOCIETY! -safety. Let’s be honest, these are turbulent times and you’re an easier target if you’re alone. Many times I wished I had some sort of weapon in case some bastard got any ideas and broke in -loneliness – when all your friends are busy and you have no one at home to talk to -responsibility and possible financial stress Whichever way you weigh it though, living alone would win every single time. I’m a total advocate for the idea that everyone – guys and girls alike – should get the opportunity to live alone and try their hand at being totally independent at some point before they get married. God knows it could actually HELP a lot of marriages, because a lot of people waltz from their parents’ house into their marital house expecting things to be exactly the same. Think again, my friend. Being your own maid, cook, driver, plumber and electrician is no easy feat, especially when you’re completely footing the bill. But it’s so worth it.

I’m concluding this article like I started it. Living alone doesn’t make someone a whore. Only BEING a whore makes someone a whore. So let’s be more encouraging to those who strike out on their own instead of censuring them. C

33

OPINIONATED

CENSORSHIP:

By Yasmine Zohdi “THE ONLY VALID CENSORSHIP OF IDEAS IS THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE NOT TO LISTEN.” –TOMMY SMOTHERS TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU THAT CENSORSHIP AT ITS STRICTEST FORM IS STILL ALIVE AND KICKING AFTER PEOPLE ACTUALLY DIED FOR FREEDOM, FOR I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE. AND THAT’S INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT SEEMS ALL WE DID IS REPLACE MUBARAK WITH 18 EQUALLY REPRESSIVE ARMY GENERALS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE VERY CONCEPT OF CENSORSHIP ITSELF. Why do magazines have to pass censorship before going to print in the first place? Why do books, films and music albums have to be approved by censors before they see the light? I actually happen to find censorship offensive. Who are the censors, and what makes them more qualified than any of us to decide what it is society should read, watch or listen to? To decide what we can or can’t handle?

Censorship and Democracy? Not a Likely Combination.

If we break it down, we’ll find that there are two kinds of censorship: political censorship and moral censorship.

There are a million reasons why political censorship is unacceptable. In case of the press, in addition to stifling opinions, it tends to blind people and keep the truth from them – defying the values of freedom of expression as well as the free dissemination of information to the public - two main pillars for any democratic society, cancelling the role of the press in monitoring the government (i.e., acting as watchdogs). Egypt has been governed by authoritarian systems for years, throughout which political censorship in the press has been a major tool for the ruling regime to maintain a tight grip over public opinion. They even succeeded in establishing a strict form of selfcensorship within journalists and writers, where they would subconsciously censor themselves out of fear of meeting the same fate that others who were not as prudent had (Ibrahim Eissa and Abdel Halim Qandil are famous examples).

Political censorship in works of art is equally wrong. Art belongs to the people; never to be politicized, no matter how political the work of art itself is.

And in countries like ours, when you make art that disregards the oppression people have been suffering for decades, you work ends up lacking honesty and depth. The corrupt regime ruling Egypt had become too much a part of everything; weaved through our very existence, a reality we deal with daily.

Ignoring it makes any work of art feel fake and incomplete.

We Don’t Need a Moral Guardian A couple of months ago, we had an article about subliminal techniques used in advertising removed for including pictures that contain some sexual insinuations. Although the content was too graphic, the whole article was censored and, as a result, a valuable message was kept from the public.

The censors thought people might be offended by the images, and yes, some people might have, but there’s a bigger picture here. Would you rather protect your delicate senses than learn valuable information? I honestly don’t see the logic.

34 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

I understand that we are a conservative society and I have the deepest respect for tradition. However, I never saw that as justification for stifling an artist or denying people their right to experience something and make their own judgment. For example, what puts the censor in the moral place of judging whether or not society should watch a specific love scene in a certain movie? And based on whose standards do they decide what is acceptable and what isn’t? Why should a citizen who is supposedly my equal act as my moral guardian? The argument that a love scene in a movie might promote the idea of premarital sex is not valid either, because art does not promote and does not preach. Art is in essence a reflection of the society and the time in which it was produced. Give me a society without sexual, religious and political issues and I’ll give you a movie, a book or a song devoid of the same.

UNCENSORED Censorship Does Not Guarantee Faith Moral censorship often takes a religious dimension; Al-Azhar sometimes has to approve books before they are published and films before they are shown in cinemas. In this case, they cut out anything that might be offensive to Islam. For example, in 1959, Naguib Mahfouz had published his masterpiece Awlad Haretna (Children of Gebelawi) in the form of a series in Al-Ahram. However, it received sharp criticism from religious authorities for its resemblance to stories from the Qur’an and he was banned from issuing it in the form of a book. It wasn’t until a few years back that this internationally acclaimed novel was allowed to make an appearance in Egyptian bookstores. Of course I do not condone such a move. Not only because I don’t think the novel offends religion in any way, but because even if it did…

If you are a Muslim whose faith is shaken by a book, then it was not strong enough to begin with. We need to train ourselves on how to keep our beliefs intact even when we’re faced with opposing ideas, because in the end, that ability is all that matters.

“There is a fine line between censorship and good taste and moral responsibility.” –Steven Spielberg

I’m not saying children should grow up watching people mindlessly screwing or blowing each other up on TV, but censorship is not the only way to prevent that. Ever heard of something called age rating? Just rate every movie, and make it the parents’ responsibility not to let their children watch it. And anyone else who is offended has the freedom not to watch it as well.

When you remove censorship, you are in fact training journalists, artists and other media people to become more morally responsible of what they produce. We are a more or less traditional society, so censorship or not, if the public finds something to be too extreme, they will willingly turn against it. And that’s OK, because in that case they’ll be doing it by choice; they’ll be deciding for themselves. But I simply don’t believe any sort of political, moral or religious code is reason enough to deprive people from watching a beautifully made Oscar winning movie like Schindler’s List (it was banned in 1993 because of its highly compassionate portrayal of the Holocaust), or enjoying a highly stimulating film like The Devil’s Advocate (it was screened briefly in 1997 without Arabic subtitles during Al Pacino’s final speech, before the censors cracked down and banned it completely).

Face the Truth The sad thing is, censorship in our country is not practiced only by the Government; we practice it before anyone else. It’s become a trait, a habit.

It starts at home, as early as the day your parents teach you that certain things are not acceptable in public and you start censoring your behaviour accordingly, and grows with you. If we give out a survey right now, asking people about their stand on censorship, the majority will vote for it. When the office of Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr was broken into by military police a couple of months back, an Egyptian citizen called on Al-Jazeera, dissing the channel for their coverage of current events in Egypt and claiming it tarnishes the country’s reputation. Which means this man would rather stay in the dark than face the truth of what is happening.

We cannot keep shielding ourselves from things that are different or unfamiliar, things that are shocking, things that scare us or make us feel uncomfortable, because we are afraid of their effect on us. We need to be exposed, to everything. We need to broaden our horizons, widen our perspectives. We need to see the reality of things, not only what we want to see. We need to learn how others view us, even if it isn’t pleasant. We need to develop the sense of responsibility that enables us to make our own choices, filter what we want to watch, read or listen to for ourselves rather than have some higher authority do it for us. We might react a bit violently in the beginning, but eventually, though, the shock will subside, and we will adjust. American judge Potter Stewart once said he believes censorship only proves a society’s “lack of confidence in itself”. Well, if we don’t have confidence in our ability to handle freedom, how do we expect to ever be truly free?

PS: If you disagree with me, please feel free to send your opinion. I promise, we will not censor you.

35

OPINIONATED

Between the Human Complex and the God Complex (this is not an article about god)

By Youssef Saad Eldin

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T KNOW, A PERSON WHO HAS A GOD COMPLEX DOESN’T ACTUALLY THINK HE’S GOD; THAT’S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CRAZY! A PERSON WHO SUFFERS FROM A GOD COMPLEX SIMPLY THINKS TOO MUCH OF HIMSELF… A BIT TOO MUCH. IN ARABIC MANY PEOPLE REFER TO IT AS “GONOON EL 3AZAMA”.

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“

Why is it when you see your ex with their new girlfriend/ boyfriend you immediately start comparing yourself to them?

And correct me if I’m wrong, but you always seem to win that competition

The other type are pretty much normal people, if not less; they have absolutely nothing special about them except for the same feeling of supremacy, only it’s an unjustified one.

However, I’ve come to notice that unless you have serious self-esteem issues, you must have some sort of God complex… we all do! Before you jump at my throat, and ask me to tell you where I got my lame-ass psychology degree (one that I don’t have), hear me out.

Why is it when you see your ex with their new girlfriend/ boyfriend you immediately start comparing yourself to them? And correct me if I’m wrong, but you always seem to win that competition. For example, if the new guy is richer than you, then it’s his family who is rich, but you make your own money, and in the case he makes more money than you, then you’re better looking, and if not then you have a better personality… maybe funnier. And when it all goes down the crapper and he beats you in all that, then you’ll probably resort to the good old “he must be lousy in bed” card!

Why is it that 99% of all the people I know complain about their bosses?

Are all bosses in fact assholes or maybe… just maybe, some people are simply lazy incompetent employees? Don’t try to convince me that all your acquaintances are la crème de la crème of Egypt’s labor force!

I do know for a fact that some of the people I know are pretty much worthless, they just don’t seem to accept it.

Why is it that if you’re waiting for a promotion, and then this other dude comes and takes it from you, it’s because he’s a kiss-ass or if it’s a girl, it’s because she flirts with the boss all the time? Couldn’t either of them have simply got it because they are in fact better than you!

This whole thing could even touch upon something as simple as driving.

In most cases, when someone cuts you off, he doesn’t see it. He must justify it to himself by reasons like “some other asshole” was cutting him off from the other side or something. And in the likely event that this little maneuver turns into an accident, his argument will probably be “El sabr 7elw” or “shayefny dakhel yeb2a tehady”, while if it was the other way around, it would’ve still been your fault.

Here lies the God Complex within most of us; almost all of the people I know have never ever admitted that someone is better than them.

Don’t get fooled for the good old “yeah, X is much smarter than I am” because at the very same moment someone says that, he’s thinking of a million other things that he’s better than X in. So fact remains, we always seem to refuse the fact that someone is actually a better human being;

“

People who suffer from a God Complex are classified into two groups: the first one are people who are actually brilliant at certain stuff, and therefore think they are better than everybody else, and see themselves superior to other human beings; more worthy of life.

that someone is of more value to humanity, and in simpler words, more worthy of life.

I’m not quite sure if what I just described could be classified as a God Complex; I think it’s more of a Human Complex (a term that I just came up with).

I think the main reason behind this Human Complex most of us suffer, is the way we grew up; all the stories that have been read to us while we were kids, all the cartoons we’ve watched, or even the history lessons we were taught. The one thing all those things shared was a lack of objectivity; everything was black and white. The very real shade of grey that covers every decision you make was missing.

Think about it, the famous story of the three pigs and a wolf; it always tell you how the “evil wolf” tries to eat the pigs, and never says anything about how hungry the wolf was, and that in order for it to survive it needs to eat the pigs.

When we got a bit older, we started watching Disney movies, and one of their most common features was the evil witch or the villain; Jafar from Aladdin, the Queen from Snow White, and Scar from Lion King, were all a true manifestation of pure evilness. A form of evil that only exists in literature; the most evil person in reality is never evil in that sense.

Nobody thinks to himself “Yes, I’m evil and I will conquer the world”. Hitler didn’t wake up each morning and say “let’s kill us some Jews”. If Hitler was in fact evil then he never realized it; he must’ve had an explanation to satisfy his own twisted sense of morality.

In history books (and I mean the lame-ass ones we studied at school), we were taught how great the Ancient Egyptians were; how they conquered countries and formed huge empires, and how evil and immoral the British were for conquering Egypt!

This form of contradiction, one that we grew up to, made us miss how contradicting it is, made us all lose our objectivity; it’s okay if you do it, but when someone else does it, it’s wrong. When you add that to the previously mentioned cartoons, and their portrayal of pure evilness you get yourself one messed up generation.

This is not something that is limited to our generation; before there were cartoons there were only children’s books, and before those were available there were the stories that grandparents told. The result is that human beings lost their sense of objectivity, they lost any sense of selfawareness and this is the cause of why nobody ever sees if they’re evil, incompetent, lazy, or simply bad drivers!

Perhaps I’m wrong about the reasons; perhaps it’s simply human nature, but at the end of the day, like any other human being, I know I’m right; we all suffer a Human Complex.

39

OPINIONATED

Trapped in a Jewelry Box

By Suzy Joseph

Galy 3arees “Ma3lesh, she wants to finish her PhD before she gets married!”

I overheard my mom blurting that apologetic statement over the phone to an elderly relative who calls every now and then to check if my 26-year-old self is still unmarried. The lovely lady, who is located on the family tree as my late granny’s sister, had once took the liberty of finding me a suitor and was very offended when my dad had told her he need not ask me because I would without a flicker of doubt reject his conventional ass.

“Power isn’t just about sexuality” my dad to ask for my hand in marriage. Very excited to be the medium in such a happy affair, the neighbour paid a visit to my parents informing them of the honorable intentions of the stranger who had seen me in the lift once, asked about my family and was certain he wanted to be my husband.

About a month ago, one of my dad’s best friends had also taken on the role of the matchmaker. He got me a 3arees and, I fathom, spent a lot of time trying to convince my dad to speak to me about it. My dad called me while he was at work and said he wanted to “chat”. To be honest, I thought someone died; he never takes a break from work to “chat”. Although he told me that he already knew my answer, he thought it was the right thing to inform me, out of “honesty”, that is. A few days later, the suitor in question sent me a friend request on facebook, lured by my dad’s friend, I only suppose, to try and seduce me.

Holy Matrimony The thing is, I’m not against marriage, nor am I against all those kind people who mean well. I’m just against the idea that people around me find it necessary I get married, to total strangers. And no I won’t sit down among my family and the suitor’s to get “acquainted”, be on our best behavior, and discuss where we’re going to live and who’s buying my bed and couch. I still don’t believe people do that. Why would people want others interfering in their lives to that extent? Wouldn’t that bother them? I know it bothers me!

Finally, a few months ago, right before I moved out of my parents’ place to my own, some random guy, whom I do not even know, informed my parents’ very cool neighbour, that he wanted to meet

I find it very insulting that a person who has seen me once in a lift wanted to make me his wife! If he fancied me, he should have asked me out for coffee and actually TALKED to me first, trying

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to know whether we’d get along. If so we’d start dating, and if we’re both ready for it, take the final step of holy matrimony.

But no, till this day, women are treated as property bargained about with parents; pieces of meat.

With the Boyfriend Even if you happen to be a female and manage to get into a “liberal” relationship outside the context of marriage in Egypt, you’ll remain trapped in what I call the “jewelry box” for so many reasons. To begin with, most Egyptian men pretend to be open-minded when they are absolutely not. Judging from experience, Egyptian men allow themselves freedoms they don’t tolerate in a female. For example, how many non-virgin Egyptian men, who had slept around quite a lot, would marry non-virgin females?

I’ll leave the answer to you to figure out. It’s not about morality anymore, but about social codes that remain stubbornly doublestandard.

Power isn’t just about sexuality but the whole dynamics of male-female relationships. How many men would support a woman build a career the way females support their men?

How many men would take a woman in her actual brain size without pretending to be any less to massage their egos?

The only successful females I know of in Egypt manage to manipulate their men acting they’re less than they are to gain their men’s love.

Sometimes it’s essential to sport the Nancy Agram attitude, pretending to be childish when you certainly aren’t.

I was once having a conversation with a male friend who started to talk about a female friend of his whom he adored.

When I asked him about the reason why he never dated her, he confessed that she was “way too strong”. His girlfriend, on the other hand, managed to win his heart by being “subtly strong”; she could convince him to do anything using her “cuteness” and childish attitude. He would be surprised to know that it hurts his girlfriend, who also happens to be a friend of mine, to put herself in that pretty little box. “Painful and insulting” were the exact words.

battle that shouldn’t have been mine. I get sworn at and called names, random strangers name various parts of my body as if they are insults, and I used to be groped and touched when I was an unsuspecting teenager.

Before I started driving, around two years ago, right after I came back from the UK, I used to take taxis. I remember one taxi driver didn’t want to stop when I had reached my destination telling me if I was his wife, he wouldn’t have let me outside the house. I had to be very rude and standoffish for him to release me. It was actually worse with a friend of mine, whom the taxi driver locked in the cab and started masturbating, she had to run away for her life while the car was still moving.

Accordingly, I developed vulgar skills to know how to scare harassers away. I react, so violently I sometimes scare myself in the process. But I refuse to be a victim, I won’t be stared at without staring back, I choose to hold the gaze. I feel exposed when objectified by random strangers, unless the person is my partner and objectifying is a mutual act; only then would it be fair.

Break Free Whether among family members, with a partner or on the street, Egyptian females have got A LOT to put up with. They’ve got to be stifled, repressed, demeaned, harassed, or protected and hidden away like pearls in pretty little boxes. Well, it’s about time they break free of all the chains that tie them to unhappiness. It’s true I want a man’s love, but I’ll never stop loving and respecting myself to get it, I should remain a strong rival; a free entity won over by no one but an equal. C

On the Streets All the above doesn’t differ at all from the harassment females suffer on Egyptian streets. I get sexually harassed by school kids, teenagers, working-class men of all ages, taxi drivers, random middle-class men in groups or alone, and some upper-middle class men who, on some occasions, have followed me home, not to mention police and army officers, who are supposed to protect me, and – I almost forgot - a few teachers when I was at school.

The moment I step outside my house, I prepare myself for a

41

[ EYE CANDY ]

Memes (we really don’t know how to pronounce it) are hillarious illuatrations that depict people’s reactions based on different situations. They are so funny in fact that they have become an online sensation. So, after putting our twist on them, we’ve decided to share some of the funniest memes with you!

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43

[ CENTER STAGE ]

And

Alaa Wins the Audi!

Alaa Khaled, winner of the Audi A1 Competition, tells CAMPUS all about it!

Remember that dude in the Audi video that spread all over the internet last month? We bet you do, it was the talk of the town, especially after he actually won the car. Yes, his name is Alaa Khaled and he is in fact quite talented. When we heard that Alaa won the Audi A1, his video having got the biggest number of votes in the competition Audi had held, we were thrilled. Not only because we loved his video like everyone did, but also because Alaa used to work in Campus as a graphic designer a couple of years ago, so we consider him one of our own. We had a chat with Alaa about his winning video, his relationship with Bassem Youssef, and – of course – the Audi!

How did you get first find out about the competition?

I was checking my Facebook when I found a link posted by a guy I know encouraging people to vote for him on Audi’s competition. I knew the guy well so I told him that I voted for him, but I had gotten an idea myself and started writing a list of what I could do for my own video. Bear in mind that I never considered signing up for any competition of the sort because I always thought that whoever wins is usually someone who knows the organizers or something, and I’ve always hated it when people sent me links going “vote for me, vote for me!”.

But when I found out that some of my school friends were involved I decided to give it a shot myself, but I took it from a different angle. I decided to make fun of participants in these vote-based competitions that overwhelm you with pleads to vote for them! I never intended to make fun of the people in the competition itself at all, but apparently that’s how they perceived it!

How did the idea come about?

I simply started jotting down some points and the ideas started flowing. Then I sat with my fiancé, Yuka, and my friend Nadia Khairy, and we started brainstorming till we created a script.

How long did it take you to film the video?

Three days.

What was it like filming it? Did you encounter any remarkable situations?

Plenty! During the shooting of the “vote for 3ela2” scene in Wadi Degla, there were a bunch of workers on the street who actually stopped what they were doing and stood there watching us. Also, do you know that the bawab that we featured in the video actually owns a laptop and a golden retriever, and is an avid youtuber?

How did you convince all these random people to participate in your video?

I simply asked them to help out and they agreed!

Well, speaking of people who stared, tell us about the metro scene.

I initially wanted to shoot in a bus, but the drivers were on a strike that day, so we decided

44 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

to shoot in the metro, although I was arrested

by State Security while taking pictures for CAMPUS in the metro a few years ago.

But why would they arrest you for taking pictures there?

Apparently, you need to have a permission to shoot there, so when we went this time we hid the camera just in case. The funniest part was people’s reactions; nobody even spoke to us about what we were doing but you can clearly see them laughing at us in the video!

How did you manage to include Bassem Youssef in the video?

I work as a director of photography in Bassem Youssef’s show, so I thought why not include him? So, I called him and he was more than helpful and told me to come over on the same day and we made the shoot!

Some people say that Bassem was the reason you won.

Of course, Bassem Youssef is one of the main reasons I won! I had gotten 1300 votes before Bassem posted my video, but after he did they rocketed up to 7000! Bassem was one of the fist people I shared the video with when we were in the car on our way to the shooting location of ‘Al Barnameg’, and he automatically shared it without me even asking!

It is also noteworthy that my friends had a huge role in spreading my video online; they were all extremely supportive.

Some of the contestants were upset that you featured Bassem Youssef because they thought it was unfair.

Well, if I were in their place I’d also be slightly upset. Nevertheless, there were other contestants that featured celebrities such as Medhat Shalaby and Osama Mounir!

Thank you very much Alaa and Mabrook!

Thank you for talking to me, and thanks to everyone who supported me or gave me their vote, I truly appreciate it, and I promise you a ride! C

[ THE GAY SECTION ]

Kefaya Nakad!

By Wessam Sherif

I never thought the day would come where I’d actually write about relationships, but whaddya know? Here I am. But make no mistake, I will not write one of them lame he’s-just-not-intoyou pieces. On the contrary, it is the complete opposite and will most definitely be influenced by the orchestral music I listened to while writing.

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As of recent, I have discovered that relationships have become synonymous to conflict. Scratch that, worse yet; relationships are defined by the conflict they entail. It’s almost as if, if you’re not in a nerve-wrecking continuous conflict, you’re in no relationship. Have you noticed, through your own experience or others’, that when asked about your conflict-free relationship, you don’t really speak about it, but when asked about a troublesome one, you can talk for days on end?

7-A bad mood is no excuse for douchebaggery, PMS is the only exception.

You’ll take no more than 10 minutes to sum up your relationship, no matter how good you have it, but will infinitely scrutinize when it takes a wrong turn. This is applicable to both guys and girls by the way, only with guys there’s a lot less tears, and (hopefully) less whining. Why the hell, though?

9-Please, no Facebook statuses or tweets, may it be direct or indirect. Aside from the fact that it’s plain childish, you really annoy the hell out of your FB friends and you most certainly contaminate your followers’ timeline.

I don’t know, and I honestly don’t care.

What I do care about however, is that this crap stops!

From a guy’s perspective, ma7adesh bey7eb el nakad, and frittering over your problems non-stop is considered nakad, especially if you’re doing it with your “significant other”. So, here are a number of tips to help end this whole never-ending cycle of nakad, because God knows the world will be a much better place without it. This sort of a fightmanagement crash course.

1-When there’s a problem, do NOT recount all the details of the unfortunate incident recalling who said what and who did what. You both already know what happened, but you’ll say different stories and are both unwilling to drop your own and believe the other story. So, telling the tale all over again is just obnoxious and time consuming.

You know what you could talk about though; why and only why, you’re freaking upset! And then find the cheesy solution of your choice.

2-This one is directed at girls. Don’t expect nor ask the guy to make it right instantly! How the hell can a man do that? You know, by doing that, you’re just confusing us; our brains don’t compute really what to do other than throwing in a hug or something. And really, has a guy out there ever succeeded in “making things right” right away?! And if there is, I’m more than willing to take him as my mentor. Or you know what? Does it always have to be made right? Can’t you move on and rise above or something? Most guys do that all the time, they just don’t tell you.

8-Don’t fight over something that happened 2 years ago. I mean if something far, far back still upsets you, that is just too bad. You could’ve handled it then and you missed your chance. The present is not the past’s dumpster.

10-Going existential should only be done when there’s a truly dire problem. But going all “why are we here?” just because you couldn’t go to the movies makes no sense and blows things out of proportion really. Also, the second the fight goes there, you’re both mind-fu*ed.

11-No trick, leading or vague statements! Take this as an example: “I don’t want to fight!”

“Yes, me neither” “Of course you’d say that; you don’t even care!”

“FFFFUUU” And this is where I conclude my advice-rant. Nevertheless, I’d like to note that some of the aforementioned tips might prove to be only theoretical, because I have thus far failed to successfully apply them all. Proceed from here at your own risk. Also, this fight-manifesto is a result of years and years of dating and is not based on only one of my relationships. I want to live. C ‫والله املوفق‬

3-Ok this one is crucial, and I do mean crucial. If you guys don’t get the chance to actually end the fight because one of you had to leave, or the nekady acted like they’re cool khalas (we’ll talk about that later), don’t freaking text them a God damn essay 4 hours later about why you’re still upset, and how disappointed you are. When I get these kinds of texts I die a little inside.

4-Don’t fight with the person in your head and then get super angry at them for it. That’s just dumb. Also, don’t fight with the person based on your freaking assumptions and paranoias! Something along the lines of “you recommended the chicken Caesar salad because you think I’m fat” is a no no. Fight based on things you can either see, hear, or in a number of very weird cases, smell and taste.

5-This one also goes out to all the girls out there. When we’re with the guys, do leave us alone. I mean we don’t disturb you during your group makeovers, or if you’re a feminist, during your life-long independent career trip (do3aba sari3a 3al mashy keda).

6-If you want to fight, fight. Don’t keep it in for fear of seeming vulnerable and insecure doing it, or because you expect the other person to know on their own (that is some annoying crap by the way).

And when the fight approaches its ending, when asked whether you’re ok or not, be honest; there’s not one reason to say “la2 ana kowayesa begad”. I mean you will fight about later and you know it, so just end it then and there.

47

] PATTERNS ]

WINTER ESSENTIALS

As soon as winter approaches, we start to not only unpack our winter clothes from last season, but enthusiastically Google what’s hot and what’s not. We order from our favourite online stores, we go to CityStars, or to our favorite stores elswewhere to fill up our closets with our favorite winter essentials. Here are this season’s top picks.

French Connection

H&M

H&M

HERS

M&S

Zara Zara

asos.com

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River Island, Accessories Hero Shots

Urban Outfiters

Asos, asos.com

Republic, Soul Cal Deluxe Baseball Jacket

Zara

H&M

HIS Austin Reed

49

PATTERNS

A CHITCHAT WITH THE FASHION DESIGNER WHO DOESN’T ASPIRE TO BE IN VOGUE OR IN SELFRIDGES, BUT IN YOUR GRANDKIDS’ WARDROBE.

By Hend Ghorab

OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS UP AND COMING EGYPTIAN FASHION DESIGNERS WHO MAKE US ALL VERY PROUD. BUT THERE’S ONE THAT HAS BROUGHT A WHOLE NEW “COUTURE” TWIST TO IT, AND THAT IS DINA SAID. WHAT DIFFERENTIATES DINA’S LINE, NANA’S CLOSET, FROM ALL THE OTHER DESIGNERS IS ITS EXCLUSIVITY. THE FACT THAT HER PIECES ARE LIMITED AND HANDMADE, ALLOWS HER TO TAKE THE TIME TO BRING TO EGYPT ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ONLY UNIQUE BUT ALSO FLAWLESSLY FINISHED. IN THIS BRIEF INTERVIEW, I TALK WITH DINA ABOUT NANA’S CLOSET, THE CHALLENGES OF BEING A FASHION DESIGNER IN EGYPT, HER EXPERIENCE IN LONDON FASHION WEEK OF 2011, AND MANY OTHER THINGS.

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So where did the name Nana’s Closet come from?

I’m really attracted to items that have a value for money, items that you inherited from your grandma, and items that you will pass on to your children. I take clothes and accessories from my grandmother and they are still applicable, fashionable, and in great quality! I would love it if in 50 years, one of my customers passes on an item from Nana’s Closet to her grandchildren and they find it hip.

Other than your grandmother, who or what else inspires you?

I get inspiration from random things; even a mistakes.

Like in the workshop something can begin as a haphazard mistake then later evolve into an idea that I love. The overall woman that amuses me though is the androgynous women. Yes, my answer is not original, better yet it’s overdone. But for me I see it in a completely different way, I see that we live in a country where I am not comfortable walking around in my feminine clothes, whether it’s a pretty dress or a fedora. In reality you don’t care about judgment in your own direct social circle, but that all changes when you’re walking in the street because you’re normal average Joe will judge. And that leaves you wishing to be that fly on the wall. That’s where it came from. I’m attracted to that woman, who’s taken seriously in the street, who looks elegant and chic, yet still retains the womanly vibe.

Who do you target with your line?

People who are looking for something very special, I am not a mass producer. My customer is a customer who is seeks quality and for uniqueness; a luxury brand that is affordable. Ultimately, though, it’s my clothes that pick their customer, not the person that picks the clothes. I am not saying that I am doing something that’s never been done, but my clothes are intricate, different, they cannot be labeled under one genre of clothing. Therefore I can say that there is no “target group” per se; I have women who are 20, 40 and 60 buying my stuff, but it’s always a daring woman in all those age groups.

What is it that made you pursue fashion designing?

I actually never thought I would end up taking this path.

I actually studied marketing! But since I was 13, I always knew exactly what style I wanted and how I wanted it to look on me…and it was in my junior college year that I knew fashion was my passion. It’s weird, it just silently happened. Prior to being a designer I tried a lot of managerial positions in the fashion industry. For example, while working with Zara as brand manager I would e-mail them and say tweak this and tweak that. The next thing I know I quit my job and began designing. I even worked for Mobaco; I did basics. The process of design and seeing something transform from 2D into 3D always intrigued me. I love how fashion impacts you emotionally and psychologically. It’s amazing how something so small as putting on a specific garment can change your mood, or even the times you dress according to your mood; it’s really interesting how that works.

Where do you see Nana’s Closet in 5 years?

Ultimately I would love to go global. I would still want to do it in a way where it is very exclusive and not massproduced. I don’t want to be a pop brand; I want to be a stable and respected brand. I don’t inspire to merely be on the cover of vogue or department stores. My ultimate goal is to continue doing something I really love and be

respected in industry. I am working to be in underground boutiques that only certain people know about, the ones you have to look for. I don’t want to be in-your-face all the time. I don’t want to be the kind of brand that becomes a product, you know? Such lines have lost their “it” factor; when you wear them you feel like you’re wearing “fastfood clothes”. What matters to me most is maintaining that personal interaction with my customers; them coming in and sitting down for coffee, hearing their story as they try on things and we play around with the fabrics.

What obstacles do you face in the Egyptian Fashion Industry?

It’s really difficult for small companies to sustain a business here. It’s either you’re a big weight, ordering thousands of meters of fabric, a big plot of land, or you somehow find yourself in the shadows. Also it becomes hard to find textiles that are interesting and innovate, I have to always create ways to layer and embellish, and it allows me to be creative but simultaneously limits me.

Finally, there is the horror of paperwork and registration, and all the bureaucratic bullshit. All the legalities slow down your business. I constantly fight these obstacles, because to me the whole purpose of this brand is I want it made in Egypt, I want it a fully Egyptian brand form A-Z.

What was your London Fashion Week experience like?

That was amazing! I received an e-mail from the organizers stating they had seen my clothes on a blog and found them very interesting, and that they wanted me to participate in the LFW, given that it targeted emerging designers. In a heartbeat I said yes, because this is exactly what I needed. You see, Nana’s Closet was founded two years ago and has grown tremendously ever since, and because of that I want to keep moving forward. Showcasing my new line in LFW alone is a great step for me, even if nothing comes out of it. I would even gain publicity in Cairo given that people in Egypt are always impressed when someone receives international recognition. Even though I don’t agree with that way of thinking, but hey, it’s working in my favor! (laughs) Plus, I wanted to see how things work abroad. There isn’t much of a fashion field in Egypt; it’s still new. I needed to learn the ropes correctly and I wanted to know how to interact with all types of buyers.

What is your favorite memory from London Fashion Week 2011?

Walking out at the end of the fashion show, and hearing the applause backstage when the models are still onstage. It is insane. Knowing the audience is made of up fashion professionals and getting a reaction like that was surreal. Knowing that all these people like what is in your head is indescribable. From a fashion designer’s point of view, a reaction like that calms down the typical self-critical designer for about 10 minutes, and that’s a lot of time.

What advice would you give someone wanting to become a fashion designer in Egypt?

Do not romanticize the job. It’s a commitment, and it takes over your life...I mean, it’s 10.30 pm and I just got back from work! And you have people who work for you; you need to be aware of the whole process; the design aspect eventually becomes only 20 percent of the whole job. And there is usually no break; I work Fridays. But for all that sacrifice, if you’re doing what you love, you’re good at it, and believe in yourself, you’ll truly succeed in this profession.

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Electrum Records Throws Second Annual Fashion Overdose Event!

This year, Electrum Records made a comeback with its second annual Fashion Overdose party. It was hosted in El Gouna at the spectacular KITEBORDING CLUB on August 31st. This Eid was no ordinary holiday; guests were first struck by an exclusive fashion show tailored by the latest collection from Massimo Dutti, Salsa, Bershka and Stradivarius, then the crowd danced the night away with an extraordinary lineup including Fahmy and Samba, Carlos Gallardo and the legendary vocalist, Peyton. The Event was

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Made in Egypt

PATTERNS

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Check out the must-grabs for the Fall/ Winter of 2011 from your local designer Nothing is more Egyptian and comfortable than the Amira El Helaly handpainted t-shirt: EGP 450

Rock in your comfortable Drama Queen purple kaftan: EGP 1280

Dala3 your iPad with Karma From Egypt Colourful Khayameya iPad cover: EGP 200 Funk up on your LBD with AMINA K fringed elastic belt with white pompoms and gold tone buttons: EGP 270

Bring back the Ying Yang with Tash Ying Yang stud earrings in black and white: EGP 450

The oversized Nihal Basha ‘Set El Kol’ satchel never goes out of style: EGP 420

Bling with D Jewellery statement turquoise ring: EGP 400

Dazzle up with DINZ sequinned ‘sirwal’ pants in black: EGP 1250

Sip on your hot chocolate in your Joud ‘El Kahwa Mazag’ tray and four cup set: EGP 300

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]THE GREEN PASSPORT]

By Yasser Abbas

“Thailand is the capital of happy-ending massages” M, KSA “I know that all the Japs here go to Thailand for the weekend for erotic massages” M, Japan “Go have yourself a massage” My mom!

“You have to watch the Ping Pong show, you get to throw ping pong balls at the go-go dancers and they love it” R, Bulgaria “Thailand is so dangerous, don’t go with a stranger and take good care of yourself!” A, Egypt “I have been around the world, and my friend I can assure you, no place is as crazy as Thailand” L, France

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I was totally against the idea of a vacation in the Far East; an area that was never on my to-do list, a low-budget honeymoon destination. That’s how I used to view it. But not anymore…

We were actually on a small budget and with only 24 hours for visa arrangements, so we decided to go to Thailand. Travelling from Saudi, we discovered that Saudis are generally prohibited from visiting Thailand without permission from the government as a result of a diplomatic crisis between the two kingdoms that goes 20 years back.

Having booked everything online –a cheap air ticket (cheaper than a ticket to Cairo!) and a 4 star hotel for $40 per person per night- we discovered that the stereotype is correct:Thailand is cheap.

saw the weirdest things happening. I saw people doing things I never thought one could do. Tourists filled the place and were watching a show that I consider to be an assault on human rights. Actually it wasn’t guests throwing ping pong balls at the dancers; it was the other way round. Well, to make it somewhat clearer, they don’t throw the balls at the audience with their hands, feet or mouths. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

I can’t describe what I saw there and unfortunately I couldn’t even take photos because using mobile phones is strictly prohibited there, even for texting.

We didn’t feel comfortable at all; we didn’t even find it enjoyable, especially when I later discovered that these women are trafficked from poorer neighboring countries and are sort of enslaved and forced to do these shows. This is a business that human rights organizations are highly concerned about and it takes place only in Thailand!

My first impressions are usually wrong, so I had to wait until we reached the hotel (‘Baiyoke Sky’), the tallest hotel in Bangkok. Was it a Don’t go to those shows, they’re not worth watching, and going there coincidence that we came from the Gulf, where everyone is obsessed supports that crime. with the tallest, longest and highest? Perhaps.

Ironically though, the hotel’s ceiling was so low that Next day we went to Siam square to do some I felt gigantic, and I’m short!

It wasn’t guests throwing shopping, and we fell in love with the Thai people that day. A smiling happy poor nation; ping pong balls at the The hotel was in a very strategic location, and they welcome you with a big smile and a dancers; it was the there were shops everywhere, so we went to “hellooo siiiiiiiiiiiiiir” and best of all, they don’t check the area and see how shopping could go. nag so they don’t get on your nerves. And other way round. They

when you buy something from them, they hold don’t throw the balls at I noticed that the area was full of women; women their palms together below their chins nod and buying, women selling, women eating and women say: “Kop kon kaaaaaaaa”, a sincere “thank the audience with their just walking around. Amr, my friend, asked me: “Is you” that really does leave you with a wide hands, feet or mouths. it just me, or do you also feel this is a womansmile.

I’ll leave the rest to your market?”

They show you how grateful they are that you imagination.

But it wasn’t, it was just the fact that women came to their country and they all want you to (referred to as ‘ladies’ by Thai people) outnumber come back next year. They’re usually surprised men and they are very outgoing and independent. Thai people are very to hear it’s your first time in Thailand so they become even more proud of their ladies. generous. The Thai are good tourist magnets, and we couldn’t help but draw comparisons with tourism back home, where there is a difference Anyhow, I had some Thai food, which was very non-delicious. I ordered between Khaw San road and Khan el Khalili, between the sincere Thai corn-fed stir-fried chicken which totally tasted like something else. The thank you, and the sincere “give me dollar”. one thing I couldn’t resist having almost daily was the famous Tom-yum soup; it’s so delicious you shouldn’t miss it. The city also smelled weird Nino came over next day, and asked if we want to go for a massage. we actually had to run through the hotel lobby to avoid the stench!

“Body to body?” he asked. “What is that?! Thai massage you mean?” I replied, and he said “Yes yes, good massage, Thailand.” So we went to Later at night, as soon as we stepped out of the hotel this guy came to check it out; Nino was no stranger anymore. us, and said: “Massage?” I said yeah, where? He took us aside looking behind his back in a make-sure-no-one-is-watching way, and showed us We stepped inside that place, welcomed by men in smoking black suits, pictures of some hot Thai ladies, and said: “Body-to-body massage, very escorting us into the canvas, a big glass window showing Thai ladies goooooood!” in full makeup carrying numbers, waving and smiling at you in a slutty inviting way. It’s almost like Amsterdam’s red light district!

“Do not go with strangers!” - We followed the advice and took a cab right away.

Amr was like, “I feel like I’m in the movie Taken!”, and I told him that the only difference is that those are not trafficked women; these are the The taxi driver started talking about the “lady in Thailand, very pride of Thai ladies… goooooood” and suggested that we stop at a place where we could check out some ladies. So, not only are they proud of their ladies, they I asked the guy “Why would I have to choose a lady to do a massage?” advertise them as well! Anyhow, we still chose to follow the warning, and He said, “My feeeend, 2000 baht ($50), massage, body to body, happy respectfully declined. ending, pom pom, everything!”

So, we reached the famous Khaw San road; a Khan El Khalili look-alike shopping avenue where people sell all types of clothes.

I was offered more than a 100 tailor-made suits during the trip, and I noticed that most shops had the “made to order” sign; they can sell you anything in wholesale, made for you in 24 hours! Made in Thailand.

The moment came when a tuk tuk driver came and said: “Ping pong show?” A friend had already told me about it and suggested that I check it out... “You throw ping pong balls at the go-go dancers, they love that.”

So I took the advice and went with Nino (the tuk tuk driver who later became our personal driver) to that “ping pong” place.

I paid about $10 for entrance and a drink, and once I stepped inside I

I said, “My feeeeend, we only want Thai massage, no extras, no pom pom, how much?” He replied, “It’s a package my feeeend, all together, 2000 baht!”

We took Nino outside and asked whether that was the only way to get a massage in Thailand, and he told us that we can get a non-erotic massage in other decent places but we thought it was too late anyway.

So the first two days were intense, and shocking. My first impression of Bangkok was “a crazy city, with crazy people who live in a kingdom far far away.”

We took an Air Asia flight to Phuket where we spent the rest of the week checking James Bond island and discovering the adyboys… but that’s another story!

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[ SPEAKERS ]

The Underground Music Federation (UMF):

TAKING THE UNDERGOUND MUSIC SCENE TO THE NEXT LEVEL! If you are a hardcore music fan, you’re probably familiar with the underground music scene in Egypt, and know that we have hidden world-class talents that the public is yet to discover. You have also probably noticed the lack of support these underground musicians get – especially if you’re a musician yourself. They face many barriers which affect their progression and development as artists, including the absence of producers willing to take them on, the ability to reach the mainstream, whose taste has been affected by years upon years of mediocre commercial music, introducing their new and diverse music genres to the Egyptian market, and the availability of professional venues where they can perform live. All of these challenges combined have contributed to create minimal awareness levels about such talents.

In the past few years, however, Egypt has witnessed an evolution in music where many potential local talents managed to craft spectacular music and gather considerable fan bases. Many bands have emerged and made an impression, fusing different genres and styles of music, creating unique originals instead of simply performing covers for the work of other well-known artists. Yet such bands remained struggling for a chance to be heard.

And that’s where the concept of UMF (Underground Music Federation) came from. The idea first came to Muhammad El-Ayat (founder and creative director) after a prolonged music experience where he had faced the same problems and barriers. “I used to play the guitar in a number of bands, yet we never managed to make it anywhere,” Muhammad says, “I was waiting and hoping for the day where change could occur that might take the underground music scene to a more professional level, but I found no signs or hope. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I thought why not use my experience and passion for music in helping all those creative talents who can’t find a chance?”

UMF-LIVE.COM: EGYPT’S FIRST OFFICIAL UNDERGROUND MUSIC WEBSITE The website was originally designed to showcase Egypt’s best underground music talents in one place; an online hub that hosts the best musicians, where they could be easily accessed by their fans. UMF-LIVE.COM was launched on June 15th 2011. One after the other, artists joined the website, where each of them had their own profile, complete with a biography, pictures, videos, social gadgets, news and events and online distribution for their albums and music. “Basically anyone can join, but we have our own team who filter the requests based on only one standard: Quality. The quality of the music itself, and the quality of the sound,” Muhammad told us. “And of course all the music has to be original, not covers.”

By now, many professional underground bands and artists have joined UMF; Cairokee, Salalem, Uss W Laz2, Hany Mustafa, Shady Ahmed and Massar Egabri are only a few.

THE LAUNCH CONCERT UMF’s on-ground events launched with a concert held on October 14th in Gezira Youth Center, where many artists who had joined the federation gave brilliant performances. The lineup was made of Cairokee, Salalem, Simplexity, Egoz, Fo2 El Sotou7, Ahmed El Haggar and Shady Ahmed. “Due to some special circumstances the number of attendees was not as big as we’d hoped; but everyone who attended was satisfied and really enjoyed the music,” says Muhammad.

He added that this is the only the first in a series of concerts they plan to hold in the future.

“We plan to hold 3 huge concerts yearly, in addition to a number of mini-events in all the regular venues like Geneina Theatre and Cairo Jazz Club throughout the year,” THE FUTURE “The website and the events we organize are not our sole plans,” Muhammad clarified.

“We plan to engage in album production and distribution for underground artists, because they’ve always had trouble finding someone willing to take that risk,” “We also plan to produce music videos for a select number of bands, and we already have a collection of those featured on the website,” Muhammad informed us.

“UMF started as an idea that I brought to life with a small sum of money of my own in the beginning, now we have sponsors as big as Virgin Megastores and Coca Cola,” Muhammad says, “I have hope that we will only keep growing, especially now that the revolution has given some artists a bigger chance and people are finally beginning to value the underground talents this country enjoys.” C

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]

Three Days of Nonstop Energy

BALLS

]

CAMPUS covers the Red Bull Breaking finals held in Jordan!

Red Bull + One Hell of a Breakdancing Show = Double Energy Boost!

On our first day, we took the bus to the archeological city of Jerash, where the highly anticipated breakdancing event was set to take place later that evening in the beautiful old Roman Amphitheatre. I was offered my first can of Red Bull for the day on the bus and I was already feeling energized and ready for the long day ahead.

By Yasmine Zohdi

I LOVE TRAVELLING. I HAVE A LIST OF ALL THE COUNTRIES I WANT TO VISIT, AND, FOR SOME REASON, JORDAN HAD ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THEM. SO WHEN I WAS TOLD THERE’S A CHANCE TO GO TO AMMAN FOR THREE DAYS TO COVER THE 2011 RED BULL BREAKING EVENT, I WAS SUPER EXCITED. ALTHOUGH WE WERE OFF TO A ROUGH START (OUR FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED ON THE DAY THAT THE CAIRO AIRPORT TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS DECIDED TO GO ON STRIKE AND WE HAD TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT AND BACK 3 TIMES IN ONE DAY, TAKING OFF THE NEXT MORNING INSTEAD), THE TRIP WAS ACTUALLY ONE TO BE REMEMBERED.

The theatre

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Upon arriving to Jerash, we had lunch in a spacious, sunlit Lebanese restaurant overlooking the mountain then headed downtown. After an hour of strolling around the old market and endless bargaining with the vendors, we began our journey uphill among the ancient ruins towards the theatre, starting at the Southern gate of the old Roman city. By the time we made it up it had gotten dark and the place had begun to fill up. The setting was breathtaking and Red Bull was being handed out to everyone, further increasing the excitement that was in the air as we waited for the B-Boys to make their appearance.

Red Bull Breaking had already started a few months back, where a breakdancing competition had taken place in each of the participating Arab countries, picking two B-boys from each (a winner and a runner-up) to participate in the final held in Jerash. The Egyptian B-Boys who had made it were B-Boy Klash (winner) and B-Boy Alex (runner-up), and let me tell you, Klash was so good that everyone – even the Jordanians – were betting on him.

The competition was based on one-on-one battles, where each B-boy would try to surpass the other’s skill and impress the judges (3 of the

Jerash

That night we went to a lounge/bar that had just opened up and was creating a buzz, called “The Seven Barrels”. It was actually a pretty nice place, and further testimony that nightlife in Amman does exist – and a vibrant one at that - contrary to what many people think.

The Dead Sea – Nature at Its Most Magical For me, the Dead Sea was the highlight of the trip. It’s a one hour drive from Amman, and you can either book day-use in one of the many hotels along the beach or be smart and do what we did: spend your day at O-Beach - a beautiful place directly overlooking the sea, complete with swimming pools, changing rooms and excellent service - for a much smaller price.

The sea itself is an experience not to be missed – due to the high levels of salt in the water, it keeps you floating on the surface, so it’s ideal for relaxing (and tanning in the process). You can also cover yourself in the famous Dead Sea mud, which is great for your skin, and dip back into the water to rinse it off. Trust me; the ensuing feeling of smoothness is just great.

Left to right: B-boy Klash, Judge Lilo, B-boy Waleed

Sadly, that was our last day in Jordan, so by sundown we were on our way to the airport. Unexpectedly I was feeling sad about it, I’d had a great time and there was more of the city I wanted to see! I plan to go again, though, whenever I get the chance…and I advise you to do the same.

world’s top B-boys) with daring moves and cutting edge techniques. It was thrilling to watch those boys do their thing on the stage and drive the 4,000 people strong crowd crazy with their moves. Not a hip-hop person at all myself, I really never thought I could enjoy breakdancing so much!

To top it all off, our young, mind-blowingly skilled B-boy, Klash, managed to make it to the semi-finals. And, after knocking out Oman’s B-boy Phase, he was on to the final against Jordan’s B-boy Waleed.

Fueled with unthinkable amounts of Red Bull and excitement over Klash making it to the finals, we – the Egyptians in the place – were cheering like crazy. That final battle was incredibly entertaining to watch, but a very tough call for the judges. After one heated conversation that bordered on 15 minutes, Jordan’s B-boy Waleed was announced winner (to our disappointment, of course) becoming the Arab and Middle East ambassador to the finals of the Red Bull BC One – where the world’s most accomplished B-boys will be competing – held in Moscow on November 26th.

Back in Amman, it was a party all night long at a tiny, trendy club called “Cube”, where Red Bull threw a more than adequate after-party. More Red Bull, more energy, more fun which unfortunately meant I was horribly late to bed. Luckily, though, I knew I could count on another Red Bull to keep me awake throughout the next day.

Amman: One Big, Beautiful Compound On our second day in Amman, our new, wonderful friends from Red Bull Jordan picked us up at the hotel and took us on a tour around town. I watched the city unfold through the windows. Everything looked peaceful and neat. The mountain range – which I was told turns gloriously green as winter approaches, the little houses – all the same creamy colour and the same height, the quiet streets – almost empty that early in the morning, all made me feel the city was actually one big compound.

We took a walk along the famous Rainbow Street, a beautiful pedestrian road lined with quaint little houses, cafés and souvenir shops. After that we headed to their “West El Balad”, which didn’t really differ from our own, except that while in Cairo you’re constantly assaulted by noise, in Amman you never even hear a car honk, and people actually manage to have conversations without the whole street hearing what they’re saying.

For lunch, we went to their most well-known ‘Mansaf’ place. What’s ‘Mansaf’? Oh, well, unfortunately, you can’t really describe ‘Mansaf’. You need to try it yourself to get what the hype is all about. Suffice it say it’s their trademark meal, like ‘Koshary’ for us, and it’s YUMMY. Just don’t expect to be able to eat anything else for the rest of the day; it totally fills you up.

The Dead Sea SPOTLIGHT: B-BOY KLASH 17-year-old Ahmed Antar, a.k.a B-boy Klash, is Egypt’s local champion and the Red Bull Breaking 2011 runner-up. He has been breakdancing for ten years now, and currently gives breakdancing classes to kids. Klash is a member in breakdancing team, Alex Crew, who had participated in Arab’s Got Talent. He thinks there are great prospects for breakdancing in Egypt, if officials only started treating it as a serious sport. “There isn’t one city in Egypt where you won’t find one B-boy or more. We have so many talents, we just need more chances.” Red Bull Breaking was Klash’s first championship, and he plans to apply again next year.

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SH*T JUST GOT REAL CAMPUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN FOR ITS CREATIVE, DARING AND CONTROVERSIAL

COVERS. AND YOU KNOW

WHAT, WE’VE DECIDED TO LET

YOU GUYS TAKE CHARGE OF

HOW THE FIRST COVER OF

2012 WILL TURN OUT!

AND YES, THIS IS A

COMPETITION! HERE’S WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN:

• SEND YOUR COVER DESIGN TO EDITOR@CAMPUS-MAG.NET • THE DESIGN CAN BE ANYTHING: AN ILLUSTRATION, AN AWESOME QUOTE, A PICTURE...ANYTHING! • WE’LL POST THE COVERS ON OUR FAN PAGE AND TWITTER ACOUNT • THE COVERS WILL BE VOTED ON BY THE READERS! • THE COVER THAT GETS THE MOST VOTES, WILL BECOME CAMPUS’ JANUARY 2012 COVER! 62 NOVEMBER 2011 CAMPUS

@CampusMagLive Campus Mag

THE REST IS TOTALLY UP TO YOU! IT’S YOUR JOB TO GET AS MANY VOTES FOR YOUR DESIGN AS POSSIBLE!

VOTING WILL END ON THE 20TH OF DECEMBER!

SO THE EARLIER YOU SEND YOUR DESIGN THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES ARE!

GOOD LUCK! 63

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