OCTOBER 2013 - 15 L.E. VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 WWW.IDENTITY-MAG.COM
30+
FEEL THE CHANGE
FASHION PLAYFUL ITEMS
&
Uplifting Music Fix Up Your Home Look At The Bright Side Things To Avoid... The Fake Makeover
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK REPORT
the
POSITIVE ISSUE SPREAD theLOVE
“... BEING UNHAPPY CAN ALSO SERVE AS AN INDICATION THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.” SEE PAGE 30
Bringing the GLK closer to you The New GLK 250 hits Egypt The bold essence of the GLK is no surprise, but the new GLK 250 with its 2.0l engine will fulfill all your desires. Beneath the iconic design is a powerful engine that generates an output of 211 hp and boasts 350 Nm of torque, making it the best performing car in its class by far. With great power comes great responsibility, which is why we spared no expense in economic efficiency and high-tech safety systems. The newest edition to the GLK family, GLK 250 is indeed closer to you. For more information, visit your nearest authorized dealership or www.mercedes-benz.com.eg
A Daimler Brand
www.facebook.com/ MercedesBenzEgypt
Mercedes-Benz Egypt S.A.E
Sales Network Cairo National Automotive: 1025, Corniche El Nile, Fom El Khalig. Tel: 01220090030 Ring Road, 3rd District, New Cairo. Tel.: 01220090040 Giza National Automotive: 1, Tahrir St., Dokki. Tel: 01200007711 134, El Nile St., Agouza. Tel: 37492567
After Sales Network Pyramids Heights, Km 22 , Cairo – Alex Desert Road , Pyramids Heights complex Tel: 35362700/1, Hotline: 16890 Alexandria National Automotive: Cairo – Alexandria Agricultural Rd., Semouha.Tel: (03) 4248745 91, 26 July St., El Raml Area. Tel: (03) 4833333
Cairo National Automotive: 1025, Corniche El Nile, Fom El Khalig. Tel: 23640180 Ring Road, 3rd District, New Cairo. Tel.: 01276401000 Giza National Automotive: 1, Tahrir St., Dokki. Tel: 33368208 Pyramids Heights, Km 22 , Cairo – Alex Desert Road , Pyramids Heights complex Tel: 35362700/1, Hotline : 16890
Alexandria National Automotive: Cairo – Alexandria Agricultural Rd., Semouha. Tel: (03) 4288820 German Auto Service: Km 18, Cairo-Ismaillia Road. Tel: 26982286 Engineering Car Co. Pyramids (ECCP): Smart Village Road, Abou Rawash, off Cairo-Alex Desert Road Tel: 35390925
Edit or’s
IDENTITY’S EDITOR’S NOTE
NOTE
Celebrating our 8th anniversary A BIG FAT THANK YOU GOES TO:
Amr Alim, Sundos El Ayoub, Kegham, Farah El Sayed, Markiz, Bosaina, Ahmed Mobarez, Adel Mobarez, Khaled Fadda, Hussein Shaaban, Tommy, Emad Kassem, Ghufran Katatney, Mahmoud Abd El Salam, Mostafa Mazhar, Soha Khoury Mahmoud Rashad, Zeinab Khashab, Sara Boulos, Soraya Shawky, Rafy, Nour Elsayed, Nadine Elsherif, Doaa Farag, Deena El Gammal, Sara El Kerdany, Nesma El Shazly, Amany Shawky, Yasmina Samir, Adora Spencer, Nermine Nour, Mariam Shouman, Ghalia, Nevine Abaza, Rania Said, Sherine abdel moniem, Rehab Hassan, Reem El Bersi, Sherif Moody, Farah Hosny, Marwa Rakha, Bonnie Settlage, Akram Alnagdy, Eman Hashim, &
Mohamed khedr.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST MY PRECIOUS TEAM: Riham Yehia, Sandra Rizk, Mohamed Maher, Ahmed Hassan, Nourhan Yehia, Ashraf Fouad, Essam Ibrahim & Samir Awad.
Rola Kamel
OCTOBER 2013 - 15 L.E. VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1 WWW.IDENTITY-MAG.COM
30+
FEEL THE CHANGE
On The Cover Photographer: Hatem Saleh Model: Sofia Bogush Fashion Styling: Sandra Rizk Make-up Artist: Diana Richy Hair Dresser Rafy from Mohamed Alsagheer Beauty Salons Cover Design: Mohamed Maher
FASHION PLAYFUL ITEMS
&
Uplifting Music Fix Up Your Home Look At The Bright Side Things To Avoid... The Fake Makeover
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK REPORT
the
POSITIVE ISSUE SPREAD theLOVE
“... BEING UNHAPPY CAN ALSO SERVE AS AN INDICATION THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.” SEE PAGE 32
Managing Editor Rola Kamel Editor-In-Chief Nawal Ismail Senior Editor Sandra Rizk Associate Editor Ahmed Hassan Clinical Psychologist Bonnie Settlage Relationship Expert Marwa Rakha Contributing Writers Marwa Rakha & Nevine A. Abaza Opinion Column Ahmed Hassan & Mohamed Maher Photographer Hatem Saleh Cover Model Sofia Bogush Fashion Styling Sandra Rizk Make-up Artist Diana Richy Hair Dresser Rafy from Mohamed Alsagheer Beauty Salons Graphic Designer Mohamed Maher Marketing and Advertising Manager Riham Yehia Marketing Coordinator Nourhan Yehia Website Company Gazayerli Group Egypt Distribution Companies Sky Net & Al Ahram Identity Magazine Distributors Ashraf Fouad & Essam Ibrahim Printing House Sahara Printing company Identity Magazine was founded in 2005 by Rola Kamel to enhance every aspect of a woman’s life style helping our female readers to discover and improve their own identities. Published by Beezarre Publishing Ltd. Themistokli Dervi, 6 Papyros Building, 4th Floor, Flat/Office D5 – P.c 1066, Nicosia, Cyprus. The Subscription rate to Identity is 180 L.E. for one year (12 issues) by Al Ahram, Tel: 02-27703190 Contact us at: 26A Montazah St., Zamalek, Cairo-Egypt. Tel: 02-27361187 Mobile: 0122-9401071 email: sendus@identity-mag.com www.identity-mag.com
IdentityMagEg
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IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
@identity_mag
IdentityMagEg
PROUD SPONSOR OF
IDENTITY’S CONTENTS
Contents OCTOBER 2013
Identity’s Favourites 6 Check out what our team picked out for you this month! Identity Tips We bring you tips and bits on how to, well, do anything! 10 LOOK at the bright side 12 Simple Home Decoartion Ideas 14 Uplifting music 16 8 things to avoid to be happy 18 Boys vs Girls methods Identity’s Glamour Our fashion experts bring you the latest fashion and beauty updates, news and tips. Beauty 20 The fake make over 21 Feel the change Fashion 22 NYFW s/s’14 report 24 Fashionably playful
34
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
24
FASHIONABLY PLAYFUL
Identity’s Street Talk 26 How Egyptians survive ‘El Nakad’ Identity’s Piece of Writing 28 A Peace of The Present! 30 Go Ahead & Be Unhappy 32 Rose Coloured Glasses Identity’s High Fashion 34 The Butterfly Effect: Fluttering Symmetry Identity’s Interviews 44 Amina Khalil: Identity 46 Ramez youssef: Optimism 48 Shady Ahmed: Joy & Music 50 Laila Kenawy & Omar Hosny: Good Deeds 6
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
Identity’s Reviews 52 ‘2 Officers’ By Essam Youssef Identity’s City Buzz
56 Cairo’s Hottest Trends Identity’s Ay Kalam Sarcastic facts, Egyptian stories, jokes, and anything that will fix your mood! 60 Confession Session
Enjoy an array of sushi delights prepared by Chef Sherwin Only L.E. 145 Dusit Thani LakeView - Cairo, El-Tesseen St., New Cairo Tel.: +202 26140000
IDENTITY’S FAVOURITES
Rola Kamel (Managing Editor) Travel & Music with a beat
Sandra Rizk (Senior Editor) Beach & Friends
Identity’s
favourite
MOOD ELeVATORS Mohamed Maher (Graphic Designer) Cruising at night with my friends
Ahmed Hassan (Associate Editor) Shopping & My FAB4
HAPPINESS
is OVERRATED
I was smiling yesterday, I am By: Mohamed Maher @MoeMSamed smiling today and I will smile tomorrow. Simply because life is too short and hard to let people get to me. That’s why anyone who has a continuous smile on his face conceals a toughness that is almost frightening. We all have issues but there is no need to put our toxic shit on others. Life is hard (it’s not like that’s new information) and people with their issues make it even harder. Of course you met them, and if you haven’t you will meet them. People like this lead a sad and hard life because they feel like you have a happy life and their lives are not. The truth is happiness doesn’t exist with huge supply in this world. Happiness is something you get out of the moments in life, believe me, so put on a big fat smile on your face; even if you walk away from them or stay with them, it is your call. No one can force anyone to do anything but it only takes a split second to smile and forget anything that happened. It works perfectly well specially with those people I just talked about. Sometimes we get tired of smiling and the pain is not just inside but even our mouths and cheekbones hurt too! Sometimes there are a lot of situations that happen and really the only reaction you should do is spit on them instead of smile! And nobody gets out of this situation unless both parties ignore each other. Anyway If you’re reading this... Congratulations! you’re alive. If that’s not something to smile about, then I don’t know what is.
We should all learn to smile more often. 8
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
IDENTITY’S FAVOURITES
NEVER SETTLE
Nourhan Yehia (Marketing Coordinator) Exploring new places & Sunrise
Riham Yehia (Marketing and Advertising Manager) Going out with great company & Any change of scenery
Identity’s
favourite
MOOD ELeVATORS
OUR GUILTY RES PLEASU
Riham Yehia (Marketing and Advertising Manager) Pasta
Nourhan Yehia (Marketing Coordinator) Salt
Rola Kamel (Managing Editor) Burberry bags
Mohamed Maher (Graphic Designer) Nutella Sandra Rizk (Senior Editor) Big Mac
Ahmed Hassan (Associate Editor) Funky Sunglasses 10
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
I had already written a different intro but By: Ahmed Hassan @MrTooFab it felt too negative for a positive issue! I’ll skip the drama and get to the point. Life sucks. I know you might be thinking is that the positive message? Well yeah! If we just give in to the fact that life has its ups and downs and not everything will go as planned, everything will fall into place. I’m not saying that you just let life beat you down; on the contrary, I want you to beat life up and demand everything you want. If you get it all then you are real lucky or a real hard worker who planned and paved his way and if you don’t, then try again and approach everything differently. You’ll be surprised at how fast your life can change if you take a step and move towards the desired destination. Take chances! They will open up so many doors for you. Don’t give up on your dreams and pursue them, maybe you will realize them or maybe you will discover a new passion that you will pursue instead. Isn’t it better than just settling with what you got? NEVER settle. You only get to live once, if you don’t dictate the terms of the life you desire, how will you get it? Be grateful, for everything that happens in your life. Whether bad or good, you will learn and grow and eventually know better and be better! Grow. We don’t live alone, we live in a society full of people with real problems and different lives and different ways. It’s all exciting and it will help you find yourself and grow as a person more than any self help book you buy. Experience all that life has to offer and try not to say ‘NO’ every once in a while. It will really help you see a different perspective and enjoy something you would normally never do. Be yourself, be you. You weren’t born on this earth to be another copy or to follow a flock. Always remember that rules of society or judgment were created by humans who make mistakes too and no they don’t know better. Finally, praise yourself for every accomplishment no matter how small or how many people belittle it. I found that to be the hardest, but I will work on it and I hope you will too.
LOOK
IDENTITY’S TIPS
AT THE
BRIGHT SIDE By: Ahmed Hassan
EGYPT’S POLITICAL SITUATION We all feel the negative after-effects of the revolution but if anything this is a time for hope and new beginnings! We have managed to remove not one but TWO corrupt political systems and proved that Egyptians are a force to be reckoned with. You are in the middle of great change and it’s only a reason to be motivated for a better future. NEWS IS DEPRESSING Well perhaps that’s the news you read! Any news cast delivers good as well as bad news, it just seems that the worse a story is the more it attracts our attention and we end up feeling depressed. Let’s try to change the “OMG! A plane accident?! I’m never flying again” to noticing “hundreds of thousands of plane flights land safely each year” the one accident fades in comparison doesn’t it? Yes it’s tragic but the point here is that there’s always a bright side.
CAN’T GET IN THAT PARTY? It’s a chance to use that time to do something different. Take your friends and do something spontaneous! Have your own party on the beach, meet new people or discover a new place. The night might not run as expected but the adventure of it will leave better memories than partying all night and barely remembering anything the next day.
AT TIMES WE CAN GET SO CAUGHT UP IN OUR EVERYDAY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS AND PROBLEMS THAT WE FORGET THE GOOD THINGS IN OUR LIVES. HERE ARE SOME SITUATIONS WITH A “HALF FULL GLASS” SIDE THAT YOU USUALLY NEVER NOTICE… FEEL LIKE YOUR LIFE IS STALE? We all feel this from time to time. Like our life reached a stagnant phase that just doesn’t seem to change. You’re not the only one and it doesn’t mean you lead a boring life, it could actually mean you have reached a stability you never had. If you need a change take a step and go sign up for those dance classes or piano lessons or maybe pack up and leave for an ‘unplanned’ adventurous vacation. 12
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
STUCK IN TRAFFIC? Hey! It’s free ‘me’ time you get before getting to your destination. Listen to your favourite music, contemplate life decisions, make those phone calls you’ve been putting off and finally count your blessings that you are in a car while others are commuting in a much crowded, sweat filled means of transportation.
IDENTITY’S TIPS
FIX UP
Home
YOUR By: Ahmed Hassan
QUICK AND EASY MAKE OVER OPTIONS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE MOOD AT HOME!
DIY key holder: Turn old frames into beautiful key holder by adding small hooks inside the frame and hanging it near the door.
Turn a vintage suitcase into a medicine cabinet. Every guest will talk about this unique piece. Instead of steel or metal towel holders, go for an island cabin look by using bamboo or wooden boxes as towel holders. Some people go years without changing the shower curtain. It’s depressing. Change your shower curtain with a more modern and uplifting one and it will change the entire shower experience.
A lot of white space around your wall mounted TV screen? Frame it! It will give it an artistic look and the frame will hide any wires. Ever wondered what to do with old perfume bottles? Use them as a flower vase for a beautiful decorative touch.
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IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
IDENTITY’S TIPS
UPLIFTING
MUSIC FREE YOUR SOUL… By: Sandra Rizk
IT’S A WELL-KNOWN FACT THAT MUSIC HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON THE WAY WE FEEL. THAT’S WHY MOST OF THE ILLUMINATI MEMBERS ARE SINGERS AND ARTISTS SO THAT THEY SEND MESSAGES THEY WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW. WHAT? ILLUMINATI? FORGET WHAT I JUST SAID, JUST FOCUS ON THIS UPLIFTING LIST OF SONGS THAT WILL PUT YOU IN THE HAPPIEST MOOD. 1. Life is Wonderful- Jason Mraz 2. Big Jet Plane- Angus and Julia
Stone 3. Hey There Delilah- Plain White T’s 4. You Make Me High- Jason Mraz 5. Loving Every MinuteLighthouse Family 6. Fly Me To The Moon- Frank Sinatra 7. Ayo Technology- Milow 8. Yours to Hold- Skillet 9. You Bring Me Joy- Amelia Lily 10. What A Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrong 11. You Give Me SomethingJames Morrison 12. After Tonight- Justin Nozuka 13. Je Veux- Zaz 14. I Will Survive- Gloria Gaynor 15. Counting Stars- OneRepublic 16
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
16. You’re Beautiful- James Blunt 17. Bubbly- Colbie Caillat 18. Marry Me- Train 19. She Will Be Loved- Maroon 5 20. Unwritten- Natasha
Bedingfield 21. You Found Me- The Fray 22. You and Me- Lifehouse 23. Fix You- Coldplay 24. That’s Life- Frank Sinatra 25. Hall Of Fame- The Script 26. One in a Million- Bosson 27. I Believe I Can Fly- R Kelly 28. As Long As You Love MeBackStreet Boys 29. Feeling Good- Michael Buble 30. Pocketful Of SunshineNatasha Bedingfield 31. Singing in the Rain- Gene Kelly 32. La Vie En Rose- Mireille Mathieu
33. Les Filles De Mon Pays- Enrico Macias 34. Don’t Worry, Be Happy- Bob Marley 35. Lucky- Jason Mraz fts. Colbie Caillat 36. Just The Two Of Us- Grover Washington 37. Everything- Michael Buble 38. Dancing In The MoonlightToploader 39. Fighter- Christina Aguilera 40. Kiss Me- Sixpense None The Richer 41. Happy Together- The Turtles 42. Girls Just Wanna Have FunCyndi Lauper 43. One Moment in TimeWhitney Houston 44. Summer of 69- Bryan Adams 45. Fame- Irene Cara 46. Sweet Home Allabama- Kids Rock
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IDENTITY’S TIPS
THINGS TOAVOID... TO BE HAPPY!
By: Sandra Rizk
AVOID the need to always be right! Whenever you feel the urge to jump into a fight with someone, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer.
AVOID Complaining! You have to understand that nothing in the world can make you unhappy unless you allow it to. Talking about it and complaining will only keep it in your mind and will help you stay miserable. Let go.
AVOID Competing! You have to realise that the world has enough for everyone. Competing with someone will only distract you from focusing on yourself and achieving your goal. It will make you a hater.
AVOID Blame! Give up on the need to put the blame on others for what you do and don’t do. Start taking responsibility for your life and actions, that’s when you can really learn from your mistakes. AVOID Social Networks! Stop spending most of your life on Facebook or Twitter or any other social crap. Instead, take that time to find new passions that will nurture you. 18
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
AVOID the Past! You have to accept the fact that the present and the future are all that matter. I know it’s hard, especially if you’ve been through some bad stuff before, but letting go is the key to being happy.
AVOID Negativity! Stop being around negative people, they will only bring you down. Start hanging out with people who appreciate what you do and encourage you to become better.
AVOID the need to impress others! The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people drawn to you, effortlessly. Then you can really know if the people around you like you for who you truly are.
IDENTITY’S TIPS
vs.
Boys’ METHODS
I can’t call myself a relationship expert - yet - but I claim that I have enough experience and have been through a lot of situations that put me in a position to tell other guys what “Not” to do when they start dating…
I will never be a relationship expert. I believe I will always be learning new things about relationships as long as I’m still breathing. I’m just a normal girl who wants to have an honest partner that doesn’t hide stuff from me. So when I read Karim’s advice to the boys, I had to say something from a girl’s point of you.
By: Karim Abdel Fattah
By: Sandra Rizk
1 2 3
DO NOT give her your Facebook password.
DO NOT send requests for adding/following her, let her be the one to ask for it. You don’t. “The Hard To Get” theory.
News Flash: Playing hard to get is our thing! Don’t try to steal it from us, it won’t work, love! Again, there shouldn’t be anything you don’t want her to see. And the real advice here is, pick a girl who won’t check your phone when you’re not around.
DO NOT allow the chance to talk to her mom over the phone - even just to say hi - because this means you’re being dragged into the “soon-to-be-thefiance” zone.
That depends on the mother, the girl you are dating, and their beliefs in marriage. If you’re dating a girl from an open minded family, chances are they don’t give a shit about marriage; they only care about their daughter’s happiness and career.
DO NOT tell her everything about you so that you stay mysterious to her. This will make her more attracted to you and always wanting to know more. Trust me on this one!
And when we find out you’ve been dating 8 sluts before and that you used to pick up trashy girls online, we shouldn’t get mad about them either, right? Not telling us stuff about you will make us think you have a terrible history.
DO NOT reveal your financial statement to her ever! Always make her feel that you have less than what you actually have.
Even better, do not date a girl who’s after your money w khalas.
If you don’t like something about her physical appearance or fashion style and want her to change it, DO NOT say it to her face… she won’t do it. Just seize the opportunity when you’re with her to look at any other girl and talk about her style.
Mmm that’s actually right. If she’s smart she’ll understand what you’re doing. But you’ll also be taking the risk of her being jealous of this girl you’re pointing at and start a fight with “Do you think she’s better than me?? Then go date her then!”
DO NOT go through any marriagerelated topics, or go with her to a friend’s wedding, and deviously avoid these “what do you have on mind for the future?” conversations.
Oh no no no no! Avoiding the topic will give us the feeling that you are just playing around and that you don’t want anything serious! Instead, tell us where you’re at, how you feel, even if you want to get married 10 years from now, or if you don’t even believe in marriage. Just Let us know where you’re at, and then you’ll know whether we feel the same way or not, and the topic will be closed for good.
6
7 8
9 you Do r not? o ee uld try r g a sho wo or u o t Y ast ese at le of th e thre tips!
Ummm… Unless she’s a crazy maniac who will write statuses on your behalf, there shouldn’t be anything to be afraid of. The good advice would be not to have anything to hide from her.
In a restaurant, DO NOT leave your cell phone on the table, or always lock it with an unpredictable password.
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Girls’ METHODS
DO NOT introduce her to your family so quick, not even to your sister. Take your time to get to know her as slowly as possible.
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
I agree with this one. Introducing us to the family is a big step to us, when it probably doesn’t mean anything to you. So, yeah.
N re wh ally ot , y co I le that mm ft t ’s en hese ts! xx
IDENTITY’S BEAUTY MAKEOVER TIPS
THE FAKE Makeover SOMETIMES WE NEED A CHANGE WITHOUT ACTUALLY CHANGING ANYTHING. HAVING A HAIRCUT OR A BOOB SURGERY CAN END UP BECOMING YOUR BIGGEST REGRET. BUT HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS, YOU CAN FAKE ANYTHING YOU WANT. FROM EYE BROWS FILLING TO BIGGER LIPS, HERE ARE SOME TIPS AND IDEAS THAT COULD HELP YOU OUT.
THAT VACATION GLOW You can still look this good without the sun — it’s better for your skin! -Spray on some sun. A faux tan from a bottle, a booth, or a pro looks better than the real thing. -Highlight a few sections of hair around your face in spots where the sun would naturally lighten strands. Go just one or two shades lighter than your base colour. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure in a tropical-punch shade to make your skin tone pop! A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP EFFECT You can look fresh even after that late party last night. -Plump up your skin with a moisture mask, tired skin is dehydrated. -Invest in a great under eye concealer, which doesn’t crease and has a wide colour range. -Apply a cream-colored liner inside the rims of your eyes to make the white parts look brighter and more open. -Enlist eye drops. The basic ones get the job done, not only lubricate and get rid of the redness, they also soothe and cool. They’re like breath mints for your eyes (in a good way). 22
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
C-CUP CLEAVAGE APPEARANCE Who doesn’t want a bit of Peek-A-Boo! -Apply foundation one shade darker than your skin tone just above the crease of your breasts. Blend it upward in the shape of a V, creating an arch over the top of each breast, and then blend it down in between them. Finish with a highlighting cream applied on top of each breast. -Get a pair of gel inserts that can be stuffed into any bra. SHINY HAIR For, on the spot, healthy-looking hair: -Cover split ends with a small drop of your regular conditioner. Apply to dry hair. -Dye your hair a few shades darker. Dark hair reflects light better, which gives the required shine. -Tame fine flyaway hairs with a damp dryer sheet. Hairspray can take away shine.
Feel
IDENTITY’S BEAUTY MAKEOVER TIPS
THE
CHANGE
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOUR HAIRSTYLE WILL REMAIN THE UTMOST MAKEOVER. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LOOK 180 DEGREES. SO PUT SOME EFFORT IN CHOOSING YOUR LOOK, IT WILL GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE YOU NEED. HERE ARE 4 EASY WAYS TO TRANSFORM YOUR LOOK. PICK ACCORDING TO YOUR FACE STRUCTURE AND EASE.
THE WET LOOK “It’s sexy, shiny and gives off a very nonchalant vibe.” If straight-outtathe-shower isn’t your scene, try it delicately twisted, parted on the side and gently waved or neatly combed.
SIDE FAUX BANG Why commit to a full-on bang when a simple part can give you a believable and beautiful effect: creating the low side part and sweeping the hair over the forehead gives the tom-boyish style a feminine feel. For thicker hair bobby pins tucked behind the ears will hold chunky sections of hair in place.
BIG BOUNCE Nothing says sexy more than hair volume! For a tumble of soft, fluffy curls that can look sophisticated, girlish, or retro, work mousse through air-dried hair. Wrap one-inch sections around a slim curling iron— stopping a few inches from your part—then mist curls with hairspray.
MESSY LOW PONYS Ponytails are still positioned at the nape to emphasize their sleekness; staying put but textures differed from spring: Pieces can be pulled down around the face or tucked behind the ears to emphasize the style’s haphazard ease or can be swept back and sharply parted. IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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NY FAshion IDENTITY’S FASHION REPORT & CRITIQUE
WEEK S/S 2014 By: Sandra Rizk
ALEXANDER WANG Wang’s Spring Collection is out of this world! Think back to school, cheerleaders, tennis players, school parties… When Wang was asked about his spring clothes he explained that it’s the nostalgia he feels for a time when fashion was really fun, when there was wit and humour, and it wasn’t so serious. Translating the bold block letters of his logo into guipure lace, jacquards, and stamped leather was a cocky move, to be sure, but nothing wrong with that, right? 24
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
ALTUZARRA This collection put the emphasis on effortlessness. The show was all about three-quarter-length skirts and dresses with thigh-high slits, which combines sexy and sophisticated all at once. Altuzarra embraces separates, each and every one is thoughtfully considered.
CUSHNIE ET OSHS The brand’s vocabulary of cut-outs and skin-tightness is indescribable. The looks were sexy in a very high-end way, very slick girls, very slick.
MONIQUE L’HUILLIER I’m not sure about this one. Bold colours, lace, ombré print, sequins, a bit 2011 don’t you think? She didn’t really bring anything new to the table, yet there are some designs that are incredibly pretty. “Women have busy lives. Their clothes need to be real,” said Monique L’huillier at her studio the day before her show. But there’s nothing simple about the collection since she extends a level of handicraft to her pieces that makes even romper feel like an occasion.
a
HERVÉ LÉGER This label is basically synonymous with body-con dresses. Backstage before the show, Lubov said she and Max wanted to focus on separates, and they nailed it! The zippers, the pins, the curtains fringe, the leather, everything was just, perfect!
JIL STUART Jil spent her summer in Patmos, where she found herself thinking about rock stars’ girlfriends, particularly ones from the seventies, on holiday, and then they go back to the city and put on a leather skirt. With that in mind, Stuart came up with a modern-day, cool carefree girl look by day, and at night, she’d slip into a flirty mesh baby doll, smudge her eyes with kohl, and bound out for a concert or a party. IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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IDENTITY’S FASHION
fashionably
playful Valentino Cocktail Dress
By: Ahmed Hassan
BE A LITTLE NAUGHTY AND DEFY THE RULES OF WINTER COLOURS BY BRINGING MORE LIFE TO IT. SO WHAT?! YOU LIVE IN EGYPT, WINTER IS PRACTICALLY ONE MONTH. ENOUGH WITH DEPRESSING COLOURS, TIME TO COLOUR UP YOUR LIFE! WEAR A VIBRANT OUTFIT, WALK DOWN THE STREET AND WATCH THE ENERGY OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS CHANGE!
Marina Fossati Necklace
Run off to a tropical atmosphere, relax and release tension in: PARADISE BLUE
Shellys London Jurova Platform Loafers
Burberry
Marc By Marc Jacobs Bracelet
Kenneth Jay Lane Necklace
Marc by Marc Jacobs Cross Body Bag YES shoes Roberto Botella Sandals
Tommy Hilfiger Diane Von Furstenberg Wallet
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IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
Issa Silk Dress
Jozica Earrings Channel optimism, happiness and confidence in none other than CANARY YELLOW
Delfina Delettrez
Stella McCartney Leggings
Eugenia Kim Emma Wide Brim Fedora
Tory Burch Drop Earrings Playfully show off your energetic character and sexuality in: SCARLET RED
Jonathan Adler Scarf COURRÈGES Cape Jacket
YSL Clutch
I Love Candy Pin
Marc by Marc Jacobs Biker Boot
Jennyfer Sweet Kisses Tank Top
Hermès Bracelet
a d d A h of toucnality perso
Forever 21 Quirky Foods Top
Paris Printed T Shirt
Uncle Sam Patch
Femme Ribbon HeadBand
Jennyfer Tiger Print Beanie
Forever 21 Crop Top Jennyfer Pink American Tank Top
Love & Beauty Dancing Queen Nail Polish
Uroco Kimono Clutch
Wear items that reflect your past, your mood or even your dreams!
Contrast Studded iPhone Case
Erdem Floral Shorts
N2 Lolipop Earrings Jennyfer American Pride Back Bag IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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IDENTITY’S STREET TALK
HOW
EGYPTIANS SURVIVE
EL NAKAD“”النكد
By: Sandra Rizk
28
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
“Stay in my lovely bubble aham 7aga, wab3ed men el talk shows coz they are too depressing and too negative. Oh, and always have faith!”
–Leilla Fahmy, 22.
“When the curfew was at 7, I watch shows online, movies. Spend time with the family which didn’t happen a lot before. I actually love the curfew; I feel like it’s a form of discipline and time management.
-Amina Elshazly, 24.
Travel during weekends.”
“I work out before work, go to work and sleep early hahaha. So basically I adapt my day according to the curfew. I don’t watch the TV Hahaha so I keep myself outside the loop!”
–Hana Hammouda, 24.
“Well, in order to avoid shitty news I avoid Facebook, as Egyptians tend to over dose, over analyse stuff and everyone thinks he is a political analyst, I stopped checking twitter and I only check Instagram as it has happy images on it. When I want to check the news I do it on my terms once a day and I open the credible news websites only.”
“I book a hotel room for a night. Watch movies and TV shows. Wake up early in the morning have breakfast then spend the whole day at the spa and pool, then go home and sleep early to go to work. That’s my escape plan!”
–Nadine El Molla, 25.
–Anonymous.
“I haven’t been leaving the house much as of late, soon after walking out the door I’m often struck by deep sense of paranoia and anxiety. So mostly I’ve been suppressing these pernicious thoughts by hiding under my bed
– Wally Mowafi, 26.
in the fatal position.”
“Since I’m stuck in Cairo during the week because of work, I keep my day busy by working out very early in the morning, go to work, meet my friends and by 9 I start feeling sleepy. Every Sunday I look forward for the weekend to get out of “I survive what’s going on in Cairo by keeping myself busy at the gym, work and doing other activities I wouldn’t do normally like go to the club, horseback riding and similar stuff. But I have a rule after 10 pm no news whatsoever and I just dive into my movies and shows that are basically what’s keeping me sane these days!”
–Hassan Gabr, 32.
Cairo.”
–Natalie Sirkedjian, 28.
“These hard times will pass whether I like it or not! Why not add a little soundtrack to it! I know it’s very cliché and all but MUSIC IS ALWAYS THE
-Taimour Othman, 28
ANSWER!”
“I try to live normally and ask god to end these hard days.”
–Mark Chalhoub, 24. “Travel, shopping, great food accompanied with great friends and the blind belief that things will just get better.”
-Ahmed Hassan, 22 IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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A PEACE OF THE PRESENT! By: Marwa Rakha
“If you are DEPRESSED, you are living in the PAST; If you are ANXIOUS, you are living in the FUTURE; If you are at PEACE, you are living in the PRESENT!” 30
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-Lao Tzu
The series of revolutions, frequent ousting of presidents, and a lot of bloodshed in between have led me to voluntarily put on a pair of horse blinders that totally block the distracting events that aim at ruining the peace of my present moment. I do not want to look at the ugliness behind and around me and I do not want politics to rob me of my present. Looking back at the emotional roller coaster that has taken most Egyptians for a nauseous 3 year ride, reminiscing on the ship-wrecked hopes and aspirations for a better country for us and for our kids, and thinking of the loss that we have all experienced on one level or the other with the death of all those young ones – the ones who were killed in clashes or the ones whose lives were taken in blind revenge! Looking back at all this heartache is just depressing! Thinking of the future has acquired a Halloweenish feel to it; thinking of the future involves thinking of dead bodies, ghosts, haunted houses, witches, evil spells, and a predominant sense of fear and anxiety. Which door to open and which door to close; who to vote for and who to vote against; what to embrace and what to reject; who to believe and what to discredit; what does the future hide behind this monstrous mist? If you feel the same way … if you are tired of being depressed and anxious … listen to Lao Tzu and live in peace … live the present. There are a few things that could ruin what could have been a beautiful moment … here are a few things to avoid: Twitter – eliminate twitter or limit your timeline to quotes, movie stars, and unpoliticized individuals; I personally follow a bunch of American and Australian mothers who only blog and tweet about their kids and how to have more fun with them every day. Facebook – avoid Facebook unless you are posting funny pictures and inspirational quotes! I personally only use Facebook to share great adventures with Adam (my edible baby) TV – National Geographic is really cool! News alerts – please unsubscribe from all news alerts! If something terrible happens, you will find out! Trust me! You will find out! Political disputes – why do people waste their energy on such aimless discussions! Talk about work, love, and travels … and kids! There are a few other things that I have done to make the present more beautiful!
Adam … my God-sent Adam! Bless his lovely little hands! Everything about a baby is heartwarming … he has opened my eyes to an undiscovered treasure of a well-kept secret called “now”! Adam does not care about tomorrow yet! He does not care about yesterday either! He is only interested in what we are doing right now! If I mention the farm, he wants to go now! If I mention my father, he wants to call him right now, and if he sees a picture of my aunt, he wants her to come over this very moment! It has become my job to make his every waking minute pleasurable and by doing so, I have succeeded in finding peace! Every moment is an experience in itself! This is the lesson that baby Adam has taught me! Eating is an experience, cooking is an experience, shopping is an experience, mall-hopping is an experience, bathing is an experience, taking a walk is an experience, every game is an experience, taking the car out is an experience, etc. We are not automated automatons; why do we act like ones? Why do we operate in check-list mode? Children have so much wisdom to teach us – adults! Children stop and listen! They stop and watch! They stop to feel and touch! They take their time to taste and savour They stop and inhale the different aromas of life … and what do we do? Ignorantly and arrogantly, we urge them to hurry up! We want to rush them through the present into the future and at times we want to ground them in a past moment instead of letting them grow into their own present. This is the answer to your question my dear reader! If you want to find peace … live in the present! Learn from an infant following a sunbeam with his eyes before his hands could reach out and touch the particles of coloured dust in the ceiling! Learn from a toddler who is totally absorbed in an experiment of his own creation! Learn from a child who is integrating into nature! As adults, our only escape from the misery of our current time is to regain the wisdom we once had when we were children; we were wise enough to let go of yesterday’s pains and we had no interest in the day after today! Let’s regress back into childhood! Let’s embrace nature with the passion that we once had as blossoming youngsters! Let’s laugh, run, joke, and have fun with our loved ones – not for the fear of losing them but because we truly want to enjoy our time! We need a paradigm shift from inhibition to liberation; from constant worrying about one thing or another to cherishing the precious moments and creating happy memories; from zooming into the sad events taking place in Egypt these days to faith, gratitude, and optimism! Let’s grab a peace of our present. IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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&
GO AHEAD BE UNHAPPY, BUT DON’T GET DEPRESSED
P
By: Dr. Bonnie Settlage - Clinical Psychologist
ain and unhappiness have gotten a bad reputation. But the truth is that we wouldn’t do very well without them. If you didn’t feel pain, what would keep you from accidently burning your hand on a hot stove or running a race with a sprained ankle? While more complex, being unhappy can also serve as an indication that something needs to change. For example, if a wife sought out treatment because her marriage was riddled with deceit, betrayal, and abuse, prescribing anti-depressants might indeed make her life more tolerable, but should she be made to feel happy or complacent in this type of relationship? Ultimately, might this not be doing more harm than good? Wouldn’t it be better for her to leave, or at least attempt to change the relationship? The idea is that a certain amount of distress is good when there is a larger problem because discontent can motivate change.
the world. Depression does not motivate change. If the cause of your depression is your genetic makeup, the political climate, or the loss of a loved one – it doesn’t matter. It knocks the vitality out of you. In a very dangerous environment, depression may keep you safe. It will keep you from doing anything bold that might endanger you, but it also keeps you from doing much of anything else.
Independent of political views, many people in Egypt are feeling disheartened, frustrated, and emotionally exhausted. Some are traumatized, anxious, and depressed. For most, this does not indicate something wrong within the individual, but instead is an understandable and sensitive reaction to the recent social-political climate and events. Even if you did not lose a loved one in the recent violence, almost everyone was affected by the curfew, economic instability, wide-spread anxiety about the future, and strain in previously comfortable relationships due to passionately opposing opinions.
I know, your grandmother and every other article you have read has told you these things. But really, it does make a difference. Often you will feel it right away.
Is it justified, even potentially beneficial that many people are currently unhappy? Probably so. Most want peace, freedom, and stability and achieving those things will require change from the current state. Is it understandable why some might develop clinical depression? Yes. Is it beneficial? No. Some of the well-researched hallmarks of clinical depression are feelings of hopelessness and a lack of desire and motivation as well as an inability to function well in 32
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So, go ahead and be unhappy. For most of us, our emotions are usually a good compass we should pay attention to. Depression is different. If the abused wife, in the example above, was clinically depressed, treating her depression through medication or talk therapy, might be a good idea as a first step. She is not likely to take many risks or make many changes until she feels better. So, here are some combating depression:
recommendations
for
1. Food, Sleep, Sun, Exercise
Exercise: If you are usually sedentary, do some form of exercise that makes you short of breath for 1015 minutes, even 5 minutes will help. Turn on some music and dance in your room. Go for a brisk walk. Whatever… It changes your neurochemistry, and you will feel better immediately afterwards. Food: If you are very depressed, you may not have much of an appetite. Use this as an opportunity to eat the stuff everyone has been telling you to eat, since you don’t really care or have cravings. Try to eat at least two meals a day with protein and healthy fats. Some of the best proteins for depressed mood are fish and nuts. Beans are also good, but the fat in the fish and nuts seem to be especially beneficial to mood. If you are depressed and eating too much, at least try to minimize sugar and processed carbs – they don’t help.
Sun: Sunlight helps us to process nutrients we need that are related to mood among other things. It also helps us to regulate our sleep. The darker your complexion, or if you wear sunscreen, the more sunlight you will need. You don’t have to get it all at once. Most Egyptians should aim for about half an hour a day. Sleep: Get enough. For most adults that is around 7-8 hours give or take an hour. If you have trouble sleeping, the exercise, food, and sun will help. If you are still tossing and turning, look into sleep hygiene and guided relaxation. There are plenty of sources on the web. If you really try them, they do help! If you are sleeping too much, that’s a bit trickier, because sleep has become your escape. You need to find something that you look forward to in the morning and calm those anxieties about what the day holds. Set very small goals for yourself in the beginning. For example: “ I will get up at 8am, and make myself coffee, and if I feel like going back to bed after that I can. “ 2. Gratitude
“... BEING UNHAPPY CAN ALSO SERVE AS AN INDICATION THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.”
If you are feeling miserable and someone tells you to “be grateful for what you have,” I think entertaining fantasies of kicking that person in the teeth is an understandable reaction. But, there is actually good research to support the idea that reminding ourselves on a regular basis of the things we are grateful for does make us happier. Try it, it works.
to focus on the negative and scary. We are animals, and paying attention to threats is our natural tendency. However, in our complex society (that evolved much quicker than our species) being optimistic has shown to have very beneficial outcomes. So, go ahead and allow yourself to see the good and hope for the best.
Think of 5 things you are grateful for: this should be totally personal, and they can be big or small. The important part is that you locate those things in yourself and your life and you genuinely rejoice in them. (e.g. I have a best friend who breaks into my flat and drops off home-made meals because she knows I am stressed and don’t have time to cook. Or, thank goodness, I have such a sweet grandmother who is still alive).
3. Observe
You usually have to practice this regularly for it to be effective in the long-term. Every day, list the three best things that happened to you. Research shows that if you do this, you will feel better. (e.g. One of my students told me she missed me! I finished that deadline with 5 minutes to spare! My hibiscus bloomed today!) It works because it is reframing our experience to pay attention to the positive. We have a tendency
Observe yourself as an object of curiosity. What upsets you? Who upsets you? What is it about the other person that is upsetting to you? What is it about you that causes you to be upset? Develop an observer part of yourself. The observer does not judge, but is always curious and watching. Nothing offends the observer. The observer wouldn’t be a good observer if they were offended. They just watch and observe and are curious. If you develop a good internal observer, you will learn a lot about yourself, a lot about others, and you will be able to manage your emotions better. If you are severely depressed, and find that all of these suggestions seem impossible, get some professional help. This is just an article in a magazine. Depression is one of the most treatable disorders and you can be helped. IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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RoSE COLOURED GLASSES By: Ahmed Hassan
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Talking to many people about positivity and optimism is usually met with sarcastic and cynical comments. Not to mention the necessary additional line of how life is not fair and that the more you grow, the more you understand that it’s full of disappointments. Well I beg to differ. I’m not the most optimistic person on earth and I don’t live in a bubble. I do however believe that life is full of a whole range of events that are bound to cause happiness or sadness or anger! This way of thinking is not a “perfect” view of how life is, if anything, it’s actually realistic. Those who seem to think they have the world “figured out” actually think they have a “perfect” view of it. Maybe not in the sense that the world is flawless but that their view is perfectly accurate of how flawed this world is. As a hopeful, driven and ambitious individual, I have always been baffled by how people just let their lives be; accepting any circumstances, giving in to them instead of changing them to the better. This is not coming from a person who has his rose coloured glasses on all the time, believe me, they were shattered a long time ago. Why do some people always wait for something to happen or for someone to do something so they can start doing it, in other words, follow. I see it every day, all around me, people driving bad because
Giving in to circumstances is never the answer, if anything, it is the worst possible thing anyone can do. It’s like you tear your freewill apart and just go on auto-pilot. In this situation, repeating the same mistakes and facing the same let downs is evident. That entangles the wheel of advancement or development and keeps us stuck in the same phase for a long time. In the end, we blame each other for not being civilized. NEWSFLASH: you only have yourself to blame. If you don’t start with yourself, don’t expect others to start as well. Let’s take our daily routine of going through traffic to get to our destinations. Starting at how you parked your car last night under that ‘do not park’ sign and then cursing whoever parked next to your car, not allowing you to move it. You drive away after a while, thinking how stupid and uncivilized people have become. You finish your cigarette pack on your way to work and carelessly throw away the empty pack because you don’t want your car to be full of rubbish; of course, justifying your action by blaming the government for not providing trash cans in the street. You get bored of waiting for the light to turn green, so you look around and decide to go ahead since the streets are empty anyway, other cars will follow and you won’t be the only one at fault. As you speed your way through the barely empty streets
“It’s like you tear your freewill apart and just go on auto-pilot.”
everyone else is, slacking at work because others are doing the same and the list goes on. The thing is I don’t think they were like this always; any child growing up is always full of enthusiasm and the willingness to explore and create! You can’t wait to become an adult, work and be independent and when you get to that stage you turn into a corporate zombie or a complete vegetable. Is it that they all just gave up? Did they give in to constant disappointments and let downs? Were they broken down by others’ negative views of everything? Well whatever the reason may be, it seems that we (Egyptians, as a lot) always wait for something to happen rather than doing it ourselves. The previous generation waited years and years to over throw a corrupt political system and when it happened some of them participated while others withdrew and longed for days of stability. Younger generations, now, giving up on their dreams and hopes because of the negativity that surrounds them; whether from people or the entire situation the country is going through has put them in a careless, discouraged state. What is really sad though is that some of them don’t want to lift themselves up from that state or even start working and improve their lives and they end up repeating just one sentence “Heya gat 3alaya”.
of Cairo, you are suddenly met with a parked microbus dropping passengers in the middle of the road. You hit the brakes, do the usual cursing and hand gesturing, thinking to yourself how they should never be allowed to drive since they break the rules. You finally arrive at your destination, after finishing 5 phone calls, replying to several messages, tweeting and checking instagram along the way. You can’t find a parking spot, so you park your car next to another car, leaving only one lane for cars to drive through. You get to work and start discussing with your coworkers how this country will never be better and that people need to change! After all, you seem to be the only one with a civilized attitude left. If you relate to any part of the previous story, then you need to just stop. I relate to some parts of it and as I write this, I feel guilty. I think to myself, no, ‘heya fe3lan gat 3alaya’. If I stop the bad habits that have been passed down from one Egyptian to the other, then it’s one more person trying to do the right thing. What if each of us does the same? Don’t you think it will make a difference? I may have taken my rose coloured glasses off but I still see that this is possible. We can be so much better, if only we start by ourselves. IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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IDENTITY’S HIGH FASIHON
Beige dress by Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna from Villa Baboushka, Black & Gold Chain Bracelet from Boutique 51 36
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BUTTERFLY EF F ECT FLUTTERING SYMMETRY Photographer Hatem Saleh Model Sofia Bogush Fashion Styling Sandra Rizk Assisted by Ahmed Hassan Make-up Artist Diana Richy Hair Dresser Rafy from Mohamed Alsagheer Beauty Salons Special Thanks to Boutique 51 & Villa Baboushka
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Dress by Christos Costarellos & Necklace from Villa Baboushka, Ankle Boots by Suecomma Bonnie from Boutique 51
Long white dress & Earrings by Sandra Rizk, Diamond belt by Nanni from Boutique 51
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Olive dress and chains necklace by Sandra Rizk, gold bracelets & rings by Private Suite from Boutique 51, shoes by Suecomma Bonnie from Boutique 51
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Black tights from Zara, gold & black vintage top Stylist’s own
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Kai Aakmann dress and Jlynch belt both available at Boutique 51
“WITHOUT REFLECTION, WE GO BLINDLY ON OUR WAY, CREATING MORE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, AND FAILING TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING USEFUL.” CONSEQUENCES, AND FAILING TO CREATING MORE UNINTENDED GO BLINDLY ON OUR WAY, “WITHOUT REFLECTION, WE
-Margaret J. Wheatley
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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Interviewed by: Sandra Rizk
IDENTITY’S INTERVIEWS
AMINA KHALIL
THE Girl WHO SPREADS
h
IDENTITY!
aving your own identity in a fake world might be the hardest thing anyone can do right now. People need to understand that being someone else will not lead them anywhere and will slowly kill their identity. Amina Khalil, isn’t just an actress or a singer, she’s become an inspiration. Her Ramadan ad “Ana Keda” where she was talking about how people wanted to change her and asked her if she is willing to do any plastic surgeries and she refused, was a big hit! Her being herself, is what identifies Amina today. Tell us more about yourself… I love the film industry. All parts of it, production, acting, directing, and technical work, all of it. I get this buzz when I’m on location so I devoted my life to being a part of that world. Music is my hobby. I work on it in my free time. I love traveling and feeding my adventurous side. I’m a proud Scorpio. And I love seafood.
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Interesting... Tell us, how were you chosen for Sprite’s Ramadan ad “Ana Keda”? The whole Sprite story is actually quite funny. Once upon a time I worked for the agency that handles the Coca-Cola Atlantic accounts. When my boss hired me I remember him saying “You should be an actress. Why the hell do you want to work for me?” I persisted that advertising was what I wanted. Two weeks later I quit that job and decided to continue pursuing acting. Four years later, he called me and told me they wanted me for Sprite! I walked into the same office, but this time on the other side of the table. We laughed about it. Wow that is funny! Good thing you went with your guts then… How did people react to the ad? The same way people react to anything. Some like it, some don’t. I personally love it because it was so much fun shooting it, definitely one of the best experiences of my career.
your choices; what you say, how you look, even your facebook status, whatever the means just get it out there and don’t be afraid to be different. Don’t try to be different for the sake of being rebellious, because then you’d be trying and it won’t be genuine. Do what feels right in your gut. Great advice! How do you start your day every day? With a cup of coffee. Then I deal with the world. Do you think it’s hard for Egyptians to be themselves with everything happening now? No political leader/party should be able to dictate whether I can or cannot be myself. Each person is who he is. I think this is the most time they need to be themselves. I think we need to respect the culture we live in. Amina while shooting her Sprite ad “Ana Keda”
In a field where everyone is acting, how do keep your own identity alive? Dr Seuss said something very wise: “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” And that pretty much sums up my motto. You just need to be true to yourself and never pretend to be something you’re not. It’s easy to see through “fake” people because their attitude feels so phoney. Take your own decisions and be responsible for them. Be courageous enough to stand up for what you believe in. And be connected within yourself to hear your instincts. That’s motivating! Did you always have that confidence in yourself? Or did it come by time? What’s more important than confidence, is for you to believe in yourself. Confidence is just the result of that. What advice would you give to people to have their own identity and to be unique? Don’t hold back in expressing yourself. Through
You’re right. How do you want to see Egypt today? And what are the things you wish to disappear? I want to see Egypt a lot safer than where we are today. What inspires you to be yourself? Anything can inspire you so long as you are really open to it. I’m blessed to have a few phenomenal women in my life who are ranging from 19 to 73 and I learn from each and every one of them. All my experiences, whether good or bad, I learn from and when you learn about yourself, you can be truer to who you really are and establish your own original identity.
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Interviewed by: Sandra Rizk
IDENTITY’S INTERVIEWS
RAMEZ YOUSSEF THE GUY WHO SPREADS
OPTIMISM!
O
ne thing all Egyptians need now, one thing the whole word is living on… Optimism! Some of you may know this guy from his online show “Mish Impossible” on “disalata. com” channel, or from his stand-up comedy nights all over the city, or even from his day time job as a light engineer in Philips, but for those who don’t know him, Ramez Youssef is the most optimistic guy you will ever get to meet! Born and raised in Cairo, 48
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Ramez’s love for his country grows every day. It’s not that he’s not aware of everything going on; it’s just that he believes in having faith in God and everything will be just fine. He wanted people to feel the same way he does so badly, that he went down the streets of Cairo with a megaphone, and kept screaming “Tafa2alo tafa2alo” and started giving apples away to people that are smiling! Crazy much? You haven’t seen it all yet. Here are Ramez’s thoughts and words about why he feels that way…
Ramez encouraging people to stay optimistic in his “Tafa2ol” episode.
How did you come up with the idea of giving apples away to smiling people in the street? What was the concept behind it? Believe it or not, this was not planned at all. We barely even write a script when shooting a Mish Impossible episode. We just go down the streets and do whatever comes to mind. We came up with this simple idea to make people smile in a time when a smile in the street was a very rare thing to find. Surprisingly, this episode went very big and had more than 300,000 views on YouTube. The feedbacks were just amazing and people started doing the same concept in schools and universities. This episode is what’s making me going up till now. Wow! And how were people responding to your “Tafa2ol” episode? The response was beyond amazing!! In the darkest and saddest days of Egypt when no one had any hope what so ever, people found a tiny seed of positivity to hold on to. People’s feedback and the positive energy we got from this episode were incredible, that we started a positive online vibe. Pages and groups started contacting us for similar ideas and projects and until now people still tell me “ezayak ya motafa2l :)”. Haha okay ya motafa2el :) Tell us, How do you start your day every day? With taba2 fool like any normal Egyptian guy… Just kidding :). I always tend to start my day by spreading any positive message, a story that will make people smile or even just a quote. I believe that what u feed is what u gain at the end. So if u feed burgers and pizzas, you’ll get fat... If u feed sad and dark movies, you’ll become Ikhwan :D But I feed myself positivity to keep living in this negative atmosphere we’re living in. Let me quote here “Optimism is a happiness magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.” That’s really motivating. What do you think people should do to stay optimistic? Watch less talk shows, and take only 5 minutes of your day to check twitter to get your dose of news. The rest of your day should be between food, sports, books and some silly movies while lying on a comfy couch :)
That will probably make us optimistic and fat! Haha kidding. Do you think it’s hard for Egyptians to still have faith with everything happening now? Of course it’s hard, but this is what faith is all about. Faith is about believing in what you don’t see or expect and i’ll quote here “Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe”. So have faith and count your blessings before asking for more, then good things will happen to you eventually.. I know this might sound so abstract but it’s true... I’ve tried it, and God, it’s working :) Good advice! What plans do you have for the future? I don’t have any plans since I don’t like plans. I just seize each and every opportunity that shows up and only God knows where they will take me. I love risks, and I believe keeping my life as random as it is now is what makes it more interesting and exciting. The only thing I know for sure is that I want to be filthy rich! :D Well, we wish you all the best! How do you want to see Egypt today? And what are the things you wish to disappear? I’ll answer those 2 questions with one answer. What I really want to see now is a real revolution in our education system. Without a good learning system, this country has no hope what so ever. Ignorance is Egypt’s biggest and strongest enemy and before thinking of anything else, we have to defeat this monster then build a right based generation who will rise up with Egypt. What are your thoughts on 30th of June Revolution and how the MBs responded to it? Honestly, what happened was a must! But being right or wrong it’s a different story. Let me quote from Ikhwana “elghaya tobarer el waseela“ .. The main aim of the 30th of June revolution was to save Egypt from a bigger catastrophe. There might have been a lot of wrong stuff done by the army which in my humble opinion wasn’t the best thing to do, but I’ve learned in the past 3 years that usually ana batla3 msh fahem ay 7aga! They know better and God bless them if what they did was right and God forgive them if what they did was wrong :). Regarding the MBs respond, I think it was very normal maybe even less than what I’ve expected Kaman. Imagine u got a poor “kola” guy from the streets and made him the GM of a big company with all the benefits that come with it; cars, big salary, fancy house and everything. All of a sudden, he wakes up one day and finds them all gone. All that Luxury gone! So their respond was more than normal in my opinion, and God help them to face reality and become a good part of the Egyptian people once again. Last but not least, what inspires you to stay positive and to think positively? A very simple quote: “happiness is just an attitude… if u want to be happy, just be” IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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Interviewed by: Sandra Rizk
IDENTITY’S INTERVIEWS
SHADY AHMED THE GUY WHO
&
SPREADS
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JOY MUSIC!
e all know how music can affect the way we feel and who we are. One song can automatically put you in a great mood without even knowing it. With everything the country is going through, sometimes we just need to escape from all the politics, the traffic, and the drama by losing ourselves in music. We couldn’t find anyone better to do this inspiring interview with than Shady Ahmed. Shady is a singer and songwriter from Cairo, who’s been making music for the last ten years. This young inspiring man doesn’t just make music, but he lives on music. He’s the only musician in the country who sings in the streets just to make people happy and put them in a better mood. Shady released his first album
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last year called “Life is Hard for Those Who Dream” which is available on iTunes and CDbaby. We got the amazing chance to have a little chit-chat with the musician to get to know him more… What inspired you to go down to the streets and start singing? It was 2009; I had a very important show coming up. It was going to be the first time I play my music with a band. After creating the event and promoting for it online, I wanted to take it to the street. That’s when I decided to do some street singing, but I never expected to love it as much as I did. But the concept of street singing is not really popular in Egypt… Why do you think that is? I don’t think there’s any specific reason for it, it’s just not part of our culture. That doesn’t mean that people don’t enjoy it. We as Egyptians created
the concept of civilization and we’ve exported a lot to the world when it comes to the way they live. Other societies had their own ways of expressing art, like street performances, we always had the theatre. Yeah, that’s true. And how do people respond to your street performances? They embrace it with love. Even those who don’t understand what I’m singing about are always quick to try to help in any way they can. Some offer to get me some water, others offer me a seat. What started out as a marketing strategy for me, ended up being a life changing experience. I got to know so much about the people of my country by playing in the street. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with Egyptians all over again.
the first thing I always do is listen to some music. I depend on music in the morning like some people depend on coffee. Do you believe Music has a big impact on the way we feel? Yes it does, of course. The way it works is not something I can explain, nor can anyone I guess… except maybe a neurologist, it’s just something that happens. Music has the power to access parts of your brain as well as your heart. It’s an elusive and seductive power that I am happy to allow to fully take over. Do you think it’s hard for Egyptians to still have faith with everything happening now? It’s hard for everyone around the world right now, things have never been so unstable globally and no one knows where they’re headed. I still believe that if we locate the problems, we can start fixing them. And I know for a fact that all Egyptians know exactly what our major problems are. You’re absolutely right. So what plans do you have for the future? Same as when I started. Make music, play music and just be happy by making people happy. The collective sharing nature of music is the most beautiful thing in the world and I feel blessed to have been able to give and receive that kind of love through music. Well, we wish you all the luck in the world. How do you want to see Egypt today? And what are the things you wish to disappear? Egypt has always been my home, I’m one of those people you laugh at when they start speaking about it because you start thinking they’re in denial. I’m not. I’m fully aware of all the challenges that we face daily, and I know that that’s exactly what they are…challenges. And as all challenges go, it pushed the whole society to become better and raise above all the hardship.
Shady singing in the streets of Maadi.
That’s very inspiring. How do you start your day every day? This is a total cliché, since I’m a musician, but
That’s an interesting way to look at things. What are your thoughts on 30th of June Revolution and how the MBs responded to it? Being a musician, I feel that my thoughts on these matters are personal and would rather keep them to myself. Especially since they don’t reflect my music. I believe in the January 25th revolution and think we still have a long way to go ahead of us to achieve what we originally set out for.
Okay… One final question, what inspires you to keep singing? The joy it brings. I don’t ever wanna stop. IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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Interviewed by: Sandra Rizk
IDENTITY’S INTERVIEWS
LAILA KENAWY & OMAR HOSNY THE PEOPLE WHO SPREAD
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GOOD DEEDS!
n these hard times we are going through, some people are going through a much much harder time every day. Some people do not eat for days, some women get raped until they die, and some villages still don’t have water nor electricity. If each one of us keeps thinking about our own problems, the world will never find peace. That’s why we are thankful to have young people like Laila Kenawy and Omar Hosny who are willing to do all they can to change what they can change! Laila studied agricultural business while Omar did his BSc in electronics and telecommunications engineering. Laila works as a Product Development Officer for a UN project and is a member of Rotaract Cairo Royal (Community Service Club) while Omar works as a renewable energy advisor with the German Development Cooperation in Egypt. But the one thing that unites them both is their need to help people. Their latest project was “Tanweer Heiz” where they installed solar home systems in a village that had no access to electrical power. Can you imagine how these people feel now? We had the privilege to talk to them and find out more about what they do…
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Laila working on “Tanweer El Heiz” What kinds of activities do you do? Laila: We focus on four areas of service mainly, community service, professional development, international understanding and peace promotion, and club services. Omar: I always had a passion for the desert and travelling to remote areas in Egypt discovering Mother Nature and learning about the cultures of the indigenous people living in those serine parts of Egypt that very few Egyptians know anything about. What projects did you work on this year? Laila: This year we worked on a multitude of projects, our biggest project was Tanweer el Heiz where we installed solar home systems in a remote village in Bahareya Oasis, we have also focused on several Ramadan projects such as preparing Sohour Meals for security guards and policemen, who are not able to leave their posts to get a meal after fetar. In addition, we have organized an Egypt trip, promoting tourism, inviting other Rotaractors from around the world and showing them our beautiful country. We also organize orphans’ days on a
regular basis, with the aim of learning while having fun. Omar: “Tanweer el Heiz” which is a solar rural electrification project for a village “El Heiz” located in the western desert of Egypt around 450 Kms south – west of Cairo. How do you feel when you see people smiling and happy because of Omar you? working on Laila: It’s a “Tanweer pure bliss; there El Heiz” is no feeling in the world that beats the smile of a child or an elderly, sincerely happy and thankful. It is the driver to do more. Omar: I think that we -The more fortunate members of the society- are indebted to the rest of the society who did not have access to the same sort of life we did. To answer the question, I think there is no better feeling in the world than to see the smile on the face of a child or an old guy resulting from something I contributed to in any way shape or form.
more in the area of sustainable development especially for rural communities and of course building myself a descent career that would allow me to do whatever developmental work I’d like to keep doing. How do you want to see Egypt today? And what are the things you wish to disappear? Laila: I want to see an Egypt, where people sit in the metro and read, where girls walk down the streets and are not bothered by anyone, where the youth is empowered and integrated into the job market, and the elderly and less fortunate embraced by a strong social safety net, where politics is a race to serve the people not to gain power. Omar: I wish for Egypt to become a safe, clean, and developed country and I think that young educated Egyptians can accomplish that.. we just need time. What inspires you to keep helping people? Laila: It’s the people’s smiles and the pure conviction that it is a major purpose of life. Omar: The feeling of inner peace and the smile you see on their faces :) Tell us about “Tanweer El Heiz” Project... Both: Initiated by Omar Hosny, who had just graduated from his Master in Renewable Energy, and presented to Rotaract Cairo Royal, the project started as a dream with merely a concept note to document it. It aimed at installing solar home systems in a remote village called El Heiz, in Bahareya, which had no access to electrical power. And thank God, it all fell into place and we managed to provide more than 35 households and two mosques with enough energy to light their homes, run some fans and operate fridges.
Do you think it’s hard for Egyptians to have humanity with everything happening now? Laila: Not at all, it is the only way to overcome it. Omar: No I don’t... I think Egyptians are the kindest people ever!
How long did it take you guys to collect everything you need and were people helpful? Both: We were very blessed in that regards, we got our first major check from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, around 3 months after initiating the project. A month later we had the first houses lit, and then it just started rolling, receiving funds from Piraeus Bank, Amaak Petroleum, the Rotary Foundations as well as many individual donations. Our supplier BIC and the Bahnas family were very generous with discounts and technical assistance during installation and Fresh gave us great discounts for the installed freezers. People were excited to help, to see youth building the country, we had more volunteers than we needed, and people were helping with spreading the word and linking us to various stakeholders
What plans do you have for the future? Laila: With the security issue at hand and the curfew in place, we are currently planning to provide a girls orphanage with a library, that will include Arabic and English books as well as a digital library and an audio library. Omar: I could answer this question in 3 or 4 pages but to keep it short I would say: Doing more and
Are you planning on installing solar home systems in other villages? Both: We aren’t done with Heiz yet, the village has over 500 houses, and the plan was to finish the whole village as a model for others to replicate. We should be starting in a couple of months the second phase of our project, bringing light to another 25 homes at El Heiz.
What do you think people should do to help each other? Laila: I think it is our instinct to help each other, and we do it best when we work together, capitalizing on each individual’s strength, while learning from one another. Omar: I think each and every person can find something even if it’s very tiny or small to help others.... My dad always used to tell me that giving someone a fishing rod and teaching them how to fish is always much better than giving them a fish which basically goes back to SUSTAINABILITY.
IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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IDENTITY’S REVIEWS
The good,
ssam Youssef, born in Cairo, 1965 and a graduate of the Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, comes from a family of acclaimed literary figures. Youssef’s realistic novel “1/4 Gram” was an honest true account on Egypt’s drug world. Here is an insider’s look on what makes him a special writer. How did you start your career? I started off as an executive in automotive companies. I established a company for environment for 7 years that specialized in car emissions. In 2005 I started writing and in 2007 I established Montana Studios for film production. Did you always dream of becoming a writer? It never even crossed my mind that I would become a writer one day. I always knew that I wanted to write a book about drugs. I didn’t know if I would be able to write it or no. When I started, the inspiration kicked in and wrote 20 pages on first trial! Funny enough, I started writing ‘2 Officers’ back in 2007. I left it though and wrote ‘¼ Gram’. I wrote ‘¼ Gram’ with passion and was very confident it would boom. I was sure of my writing and my friends gave me positive feedback. I never thought it would succeed as it did though. How did the success of ‘¼ Gram’ affect your writing? It affected it a lot. It was not a game anymore. I had to take into consideration all the feedback I got, good and bad. I wanted to avoid all the mistakes I did. I wanted my style to be sophisticated; a transition from amateur to professional. It took me relentless effort to master the plot and characters. I wrote and rewrote to perfect. I noticed that my mistake count really decreased and the feedback from people who read both books was that my writing technique has improved tremendously. Do you get offended when you receive negative feedback? Not at all! My father always told me that no one throws rocks on empty trees. People throw rocks at fruitful trees so they get fruits out of them. It’s normal. I don’t get upset at all when I read a bad review. I like to read them and take people’s points of views into consideration. I hear everyone’s opinion but in the end, I do what I feel right for my vision. Were both books based on true stories? Yes, they are based on true stories. I witnessed ‘¼ Gram’ myself and as for ‘2 Officers’, I saw it as it happened to a friend when I was really young. When I grew up, I started digging back in search of all the details that happened. I wanted to bring the story into words.
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Interviewed by: Ahmed Hassan
Due to the book’s revealing nature of police officers and their corruption, did you face any problems publishing it? Not at all, after the revolution, the space for freedom and democracy is larger than it used to be. Even the way people think has changed. Why do you think many Egyptians have such a negative perception of police officers? We only meet cops when there is a problem, and both parties involved want the cop to take their side. The cop on the other hand just wants to deliver justice and apply the law. People end up leaving hating him for doing his job. It’s natural that there are good people and bad people, no matter what their profession is. We only see the bad cop and this book sheds the light on the contrast between the good and the bad as well as how they deal with each other, not just with the rest of the people. How do you grasp the characteristics and traits of the characters in your books? Part of being a writer is observing people. It’s the art of studying human beings and portraying life through words. I always take time to observe those around me everywhere I go. This is why when people read the book, they enjoy those tiny details that make characters complete. Do you feel that writers in Egypt get the same propaganda and recognition as anywhere else in the world? The problem with the media is that they keep feeding you the same content and people. You find the same person everywhere till you get bored of him. I think it’s very important that the media should shed some light on people who are not very well known. For example, the CEO of a major company, writers, businessmen; all sorts of people from different walks of life should be put in the spotlight. What do you think of positivity? We can’t just be positive just for the sake of a concept. You need to work to be positive. What’s your next step? I have a third novel in mind that I believe will be very interesting. It’s about women. Since you own your own production company, do you have any plans to turn your books to the silver screen? ‘¼ Gram’ will be executed soon and as for ‘2 Officers’ it will also be produced into a movie but not under my production company.
THE BAD
& the writer!
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ssam Youssef did it again!! In just three weeks, his second novel “2 Officers” hits number one in all major bookstores. Like 1/4 Gram, the novel is based on a true story, where the events take place in 2003. With an interesting plot revolving around corruption, lust for power and money. The main scenes of “2 Officers” are just thrilling enough to keep you going till you reach the end cover, discovering that hours have passed and you are still holding the book.
for his soldiers and is also very loyal to his friends. Sherif, married Perry, who is pretty and comes from an extremely wealthy family. He wears a white suit, lives in Maadi, and would do anything to please himself, his ego and pride. Sherif is nouveau riche and has no financial problems, but is never satisfied. What did Sherif do to members of Walid’s family? Can Walid forgive Sherif? Is power and money over laws and right? For him who has money, the hunger for power is deadlyLet alone the combination of power and money.
In “2 Officers” Essam Youssef took us for a new ride, but this time away from drugs and into the world of the Ministry of Interior. He explored the lives of two conflicting police officers in love, life and work.
These answers and more are just a glimpse of what you will enjoy while reading “2 Officers”, with lots of emotions, deep conversations, struggle and suspense, the novel is as exciting as the ratings are on Goodreads, even more than those of 1/4 Gram. We bet Essam Youssef didn’t expect this!
Throughout the novel, the interesting episodes about the corruption of many who serve in the Ministry of Interior are as interesting, vivid and real as the events that constitute the main plot that brings together Walid and Sherif, two categorically Egyptian officers, who symbolize the good and the evil. Fate plays a role in bringing the two officers together, in a deep twist and massive confrontation. Walid, who is married to his first and only lover Maha, is a good cop, wearing a black suit, chasing criminals and drug dealers in the Upper Egyptian Governorate of Minya. Walid loves his work, is a leader who is always there
Don’t miss reading this book; go grab your copy now! Bookseller’s say, “The novel is flying off the shelves”, and the 2nd edition is out already. And guess what, 1/4 Gram has once again jumped to the 4th position on the chart, even after five years of its release. Many nice comments and reviews are already written on both facebook and Goodreads; Colonel Ayman Al Dabaa wrote on facebook, “This novel is written by a Police Officer. Thumbs Up”. IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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IDENTITY’S CAIRO’S HAPPENINGS
Cairo’s Happenings Give your clothes straight pleats and even crisp finish Our quality laundry products preserve colors and brighten whites and of course our professional team will remember your personal preferences. Whether you like your shirts folded or on hangers, light starch, heavy starch or no starch at all. Your wedding gown, tuxedo, silk tie, branded scarf…etc, are of your most precious possessions, as such delicate garments should be treated with special care, just hand them to the experts at Dusit, and enjoy 30 Minutes free parking along with a very special discount at Dusit Gourmet.
Book your Eid Vacation at Coral Beach Rotana Resort – Hurghada! Come and join us for the best Eid Vacation in the heart of glamorous Red Sea at Coral Beach Rotana Resort – Hurghada. It’s not just the spectacular Eid feeling at the resort, but the way of the warm atmosphere all. Ask about Eid special rates and offers at the Coral Beach Rotana Resort – Hurghada this year and book your All Inclusive Accommodation now. www.rotana.com Start At Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences What a romantic beginning would be better than an elegant wedding by the Nile? Hilton Zamalek‘s team will be honored to take care of your important event details, whether you select one of our exclusive venues, an open air magical night on the pool deck overlooking the magnificent Nile river for up to 120 invitees , or celebrate in a warm romantic indoor venue up to 70 with spectacular panoramic view of the Nile. 56
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Eid El Adha at the Cairo Marriott Hotel Ready to enjoy the Eid break with the fun, the sun and the perfect weather without leaving Cairo; The Cairo Marriott Hotel and Omar Khayyam Casino is the place for you, your friends and family to experience Eid El Adha the royal way. This is the treat that you deserve to celebrate this very special holiday. Leave the bustling noise and traffic of the city to the island of Zamalek in the center of the city yet with the flair of a resort destination. El Gouna Marina chosen Best Touristic Port 2013 The Maritime Transport Sector (MTS) of the Ministry of Transport, has selected El Gouna Marina as the Best Specialized Touristic Port for 2013 , in celebration of World Maritime Day. El Gouna Marina was defined for its particular appearance, in addition to its commitment to all safety, security, and maritime environment standards. El Gouna Marina is considered one of Orascom Development’s most prominent projects.
The World’s Slimmest Smartphone, HUAWEI Ascend P6 is NOW in Egypt At 6.18mm slim, the HUAWEI Ascend P6 is impossibly beautiful and always intuitive Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the official launch of the HUAWEI Ascend P6, the world’s slimmest smartphone measuring 6.18mm in Egypt. Huawei unveiled their slimmest phone in the press conference took place in Dusit Thani – Cairo in the presence of Huawei Ascend P6 launch Partners; Mobinil, Jumia and Delta Group. Ariel Did It Once Again And Launched “Ariel Pods” - The Biggest Laundry Detergent Breakthrough In A Generation In an attempt to transform the detergent industry and remain the leading detergent in the Egyptian market, Ariel unveiled its breakthrough innovation “Ariel PODs” which utilizes the most advanced technology in removing the toughest stains from the most difficult fabrics combining power and performance in a POD and bringing a new approach to cleaning the family’s clothes brilliantly and in a very simple way.
The Only Smartphone with a True Optical Zoom Lens!
About KidZania® Cairo KidZania® Cairo is the 15th location for KidZania® worldwide. To date, KidZania® has hosted more than 25 million children at its signature real-life, kid-sized city edutainment experiences. KidZania® is now in 12 countries around the world, including Mexico, Portugal, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, UAE, Chile, Thailand, Kuwait, India and, most recently, Egypt.
Did you ever hold your Samsung phone and think to yourself “this is an awesome smartphone, I only wish it had a professional camera attached so I would have everything I ever wanted in one device?” Samsung heard our thoughts and as usual; they were able to come up with a cutting-edge smartphone/camera in one device. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom comes with a point-and-shoot 16 Mega pixel rear camera shape and 10x optical zoom as well as a 4.3 inch qHD sAMOLED screen with advanced controls/modes that are easy to use. Its top-notch image quality, optical zoom, and a tripod mount make it the most flexible smartphone camera there is. Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) also helps keep the device fresh and connected. The Galaxy S4 Zoom is the device for you if you’d like a flexible two-in-one camera/smartphone. In fact, its image quality is on par with a good point-and-shoot camera and its optical zoom makes it a more accommodating camera than any other smartphone.
Celebrate Eid al Adha with Sheraton Miramar If you are seeking hot sun, warm seas, diverse landscapes, and lots of the stunning sea views, then Sheraton Miramar would be the perfect choice on the beautiful red sea. Enjoy and relax by one of its pools or beaches with the mix of warm hospitality and great food as Sheraton Miramar’s chefs have been busy creating a variety of culinary delights inviting you to dine at one of our special restaurants: oriental 1001, which is located on a separate island and offers authentic Arabic mezzah, charcoal grilled specialties, oriental desserts, wood fired Arabic bread oven and oriental entertainment during dinner time. Sherif Sheashaa won the Diamond Leadership Award for the JW Marriott Cairo. The aim of this award is to recognize the leaders who showed exemplary leadership and management excellence alike, and made contributions super for the labour market, which helps to distinguish the hotel.
The digital camera features include the Zoom Ring, optical image stabilization, full HD video recording, built in flash, focus assist lamp, as well as manual controls. The phone also features a large 2330 mAh battery, 8 GB of built in memory, a miscroSIM slot and a microSD slot (up to 64GB) for memory expansion. The Galaxy S4 Zooms allows you to easily connect to social networking applications; such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc., through Wi-Fi or your mobile phone network, as well as edit photos, GPS tag them, or even transfer them to other devices using NFC. Samsung flagship innovative device also features the new Samsung Hub, a one-stop destination for all of the latest music, videos, books and games, while it also allows you to search, download and enjoy your favorite entertainment at the touch of a button. Key Features •16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 1.9 MP front Camera •10x optical zoom lens •Optical image stabilization •4.3inch touch-screen sAMOLED •Full HD video •ISO100 to ISO3200 •Manual controls • Smart Modes like HDR / Panoramic shooting/ Kids mode/ Action Freeze •Zoom Ring •Photo Suggest •S - Travel •WatchON IDENTITY OCTOBER 2013
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IDENTITY’S CITY BUZZ
CITY BUZZ
Cakes & Bakes Shop: Their Cupcakes are handcrafted from the finest ingredients, including sweet cream butter, bittersweet chocolate, pure vanilla and tasty flavours, topped with sprinkles, rich chocolate sprinkles, and fresh special fruits. Cakes & Bakes aim to deliver happiness with each piece.Their inspiration comes from each and every customer to fulfill their demands. Simply, their cupcakes will engage all your senses. Delivery is available for all areas in Cairo. For orders call Cakes & Bakes at 01006196666 and check their Facebook page cakesbakesshop Elegant Touch: Specialized in Home Improvement. All what u need for your home; accessories, decoration, elegant decorating tips and ideas! Elegant Touch provide items that are both elegant and of high quality to add an extra touch to your home. Their mission is to deliver the best trendy and fashionable yet comfortable home improvements to make your home a dream come true. Comfortable and reflective of your individual taste. Contact Elegant Touch at 01000714144 or visit their Facebook page at ElegantTouchPage
WE LOVE MONSOON’S SEQUIN COLLECTION
Available at their stores: City Stars, City Centre, Mall of Arabia and Sun City
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Ishtar by Rasha Shanab: A trendy, elegant and unique collection that is both practical and simple. Shanab’s summer collection highlighted the spirit of summer by choosing vibrant colours that influence and reflect different moods. For that Ishtar summer collection features a kaleidoscope of colour schemes and detailed fashionable designs. Ishtar also incorporates the spirit of beautiful beaches with details like Hawaiian prints and fringes embedded in the designs. Every woman has her own beauty; Ishtar designs feature simple designs that fit every style without compromising comfort. Ishtar is a versatile brand, meaning that any given item can be worn in different ways and still look stunning. Visit Ishtar deisgns Facebook page at ishtarfashionhouse SheDesigns: The sophisticated, slim and sleek designs by Shereen Begermy make every piece unique and fun. The latest SS’13 collection is full of colour & contrast of sophistication and sleekness. It includes blazers, pants and comfy jumpsuits. The fabric materials used are specially picked by the designer from different countries combining both style and comfort. Currently working on her FW 13/14 collection which will deliver everything SheDesigns stands for: elegance, uniqueness and comfort. Visit her Facebook page at Shereen.Begermy Nounette: Right In the heart of Heliopolis you’ll find a unique place which offers anything that will satisfy your sweet tooth. With a wide variety of bakery items and desserts Nounette specializes in high quality products from the creativity of the cake’s shape to the exciting new flavours. You can also come grab a drink and a scrumptious meal in Nounette’s outdoor cafe. Contact them at 02/22912830 or 01277447552. Address: 4 street mahad el Sahary next to hotel baron, Heliopolis Cairo, Egypt.
Mercedes-Benz launches the new GLK250 for the First Time in Egypt New engine combining performance and Economic fuel consumption brings the GLK250 Closer to you As part of its continuous series of successes, Mercedes-Benz Egypt has launched the four wheel drive GLK250 for the first time in Egypt in two different models, the Premium and Luxury models. These new models join the GLK-Class lineup, which has proven its leadership in the Egyptian market. The GLK250 features impressive, fuel-economical performance thanks to its new 2000 CC engine, the highest performing in its class putting out 211 hp and pushing the car to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
Engine and performance... the true meaning of power and fuel economy The GLK250 features a completely new engine that is the perfect expression of the vehicle’s concept, combining powerful performance with a low emissions rate and low fuel consumption. The 2000CC engine produces 211 hp and 350 Nm of torque, accelerating the car from standing to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds, the fastest in its class. As for fuel economy, the GLK250 is also a leader in its class consuming just 7.7 liters per 100 km, thanks to a host of BlueEFFICIENCY measures and the ECO Start/Stop function, which stops and starts the engine and helps cut both fuel consumption and Carbon Dioxide emissions. The GLK250 is fitted with a seven speed automatic transmission 7G-TRONIC PLUS, guaranteeing a smooth ride.
Exterior design… creatively reflecting the sports car concept The GLK250 was designed to be unique and unmatched, with sporty lines that reflect its strong character and bravely break away from the design patterns established in the motoring world. Featuring a vibrant, strong presence that is brought to life brilliantly with the front and rear bumpers, LED daytime running lights and tinted rear windows, the GLK250 has a character that is evident from the moment you lay eyes on it.
Interior design... limitless luxury
Effective systems… for safer driving
Upon entering the GLK250 Premium, you are immediately greeted by the aesthetic beauty of the control panels and dashboard, which feature a creative design and luxurious details and accessories, while the Napa leather-encased multifunction steering wheel and the circular air vents bring out the car’s sporty nature. The GLK250 Luxury includes additions such as a rearview camera and an electric panoramic sunroof, as well as being equipped with the new multimedia COMAND Online system, which provides an integrated navigation system on a large color screen in addition to enabling internet surfing.
The new GLK250 seeks to give driving pleasure coupled with a sense of luxury and safety, and has been fitted with numerous safety systems including BAS, which maximizes braking strength in emergency braking situations, ATTENTION ASSIST, which notifies the driver in cases of driving while drowsy, and ILS, which provides maximum safety while driving in low-light situations by illuminating or dimming sections of the road according to incoming traffic and driver activity. The GLK250 also comes fitted with ACTIVE PARKING ASSIST, which enables the driver to automatically park the car and includes a rear-view camera to simplify the parking process in case of any blind spots.
IDENTITY’S COVERAGE
SONESTA HOTEL TOWER & CASINO CAIRO –DAY USE PARTY Sonesta Hotel, Tower & Casino – Cairo had hosted it’s top accounts representatives with their families for a day around the pool where everyone enjoyed the sunny weather along with the Fresh summer breeze and a mouthwatering barbeque . Followed by a “Cocktail Reception” late at night accompanied with music of the entertaining band.
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Confession Session!
IDENTITY’S AY KALAM
We all have this one thing that we are addicted to...
By: Sandra Rizk
CONFESSIONS OF AN INSTAGRAM ADDICT: 1.I immediately check my phone as soon as I wake up to see if anyone uploaded any photos after I went to bed. 2.Picking a filter is the most stressful part of my day. 3.I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know what my friends were eating for every meal. 4.I may have accidentally liked a photo uploaded “56w” ago while stalking someone and freaked out! 5.I may have deleted a photo or two because it didn’t get enough likes. 6.I tend to overreact when I accidentally post a photo before I meant to. 7.My friends hate going on trips with me because I want to stop every five minutes to take a picture. 8.My friends and family start to get concerned if I haven’t Instagrammed anything in a few days. 62
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CONFESSIONS OF A “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.” COMEDY SERIES ADDICT: 1.I can tell seasons apart based on the character’s hairstyles. 2.I can’t go to sleep without watching at least two episodes. 3.I can quote every line without hesitation, no matter how complex it may be. (Monica: They don’t know, that we know, that they know we know) 4.When referring to the love of my life, I use this term “You’re my lobster” 5.…and whenever I move furniture, I scream “PIVOT!!!” 6.When someone talks smack about Friends, or say they’ve never watched an episode, I genuinely feel insulted. 7.I also know how to perform Monica and Ross’s “The Routine” dance. 8.I gradually become like the characters over time… without noticing.
CONFESSION OF A SMARTPHONE ADDICT: 1.I get slightly panicky when my phone is out of my line of sight. 2.…And ridiculously panicked when I accidentally leave it AT HOME. 3.I sleep with my phone on my bed next to me. 4.I justify being on my phone all the time because I “might miss a work email.” 5.A cracked screen would never stand in my way. 6.At least once a week I freak out that I can’t find my phone, and then realize it’s in my hand. 7.I insist that I can do two things at once, text and walk, text and listen! But we all know that I cannot. 8.I don’t mind getting to a place before my friend does because I will lose myself in my phone until they get there.
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Sheraton Showroom
. St
Sheraton Building Elmosheer Ahmed Ismail st. Phone +2 02 26968700 Fax +2 02 22681298