MARCH 2020 - 20LE, WWW.IDENTITY-MAG.COM
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Minute Recipes FOR MOMS What’s New in Makeup
Rock Your Maternity Wardrobe
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FASHION FOR THE OFFICE
Single Moms and Dating
Reem Mostafa A Woman of Many Talents
MOTHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE
VERO. Design by Duravit Not without reason is the Vero ceramic series a modern design classic that has now been a Duravit bestseller for more than a decade: its consistently rectangular design is not only elegant but also timeless. For more info please visit our showrooms in Sheraton +2 02 26968700, Designopolis +2 02 38572041 or +2 0238572042, Sharm El Sheikh +2 06 93664162, or visit www.duravit.com.eg
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ASIAN FUSION... SHARE DELICIOUSNESS AT TO R I I . Mysterious, exotic and fun too... Torii’s re-styled Japanese menu brings a modern twist. ‘Ebi Furai’ and ‘Thai Papaya Salad’... ‘sharing’ dishes with Prime Sirloin Steak, shrimps and prawns... soups, salads, sauces, spices and herbs. Don’t miss the mouthwatering sushi and sashimi “All-You-Can-Eat” feast every Monday and Friday. Take front row seats for the shimmering blades and flaring flames of teppanyaki with sea bass, tenderloin beef and lobster tail. Eat, talk, share, relax... have fun!
16 S A R AY E L G E Z I R A S T. , P O B OX 33 Z A M A L E K , C A I R O 11211 , E GY P T. T: 0 0 . 2 0 2 . 27. 2 8 . 3 0 0 0 C A I R O M A R R I OT T H OT E L .C O M
A R A B I C . M A R R I OT T.C O M /C A I E G
identity
LETTER
letter
from the editor
T
his month the world honors our gender in more ways than one and marks the occasions of International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day. As we celebrate both occasions, our March issue focuses on successful female professionals who have excelled in their respective fields, a selection of empowering books every woman should read at some point in her life, in addition to feminist fashion and workwear. Moms; working or stay-at-home, single or married, as well as moms-to-be will also enjoy our extensive coverage of motherhood as we dissect the hardest job in the world in terms of fashion, relationships, Mother’s Day gift guide and even recipes! As usual, our editorial team didn’t forget to highlight the latest trends in hair, makeup and fashion for your reading pleasure. Happy Women’s & Mother’ Day everyone!
Rola Kamel
Identity Magazine was founded in 2005 by Rola Kamel to enhance every aspect of a woman’s lifestyle, 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 is 240 L.E./year (12 issues) through Al Ahram, Tel: 02-27703190 Distribution by AL AHRAM Website: QPIX SOLUTIONS 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
4 March 2020
identity
MASTHEAD
MARCH 2020
Founder & Managing Editor Rola Kamel Editor-in-Chief Nawal Ismail Art Director Alia El Abd Senior Graphic Designer Sandy Saied Copy-Editor Amina El Fayoumy Staff Writers Aya Aboshady Nanise Mohamed Nada Abd ElKader Freelance Writer Joanna Neve Relationship Expert Marwa Rakha Food Writer Soha Darwish Marketing & Advertising Manager Riham Yehia Digital Marketing Manager Youssef Ali Sales Mohamed Magdy Social Media Specialist Fatma Ayman Video Editor Ahmed Mostafa Identity Magazine Distributor Ashraf Fouad 6 March 2020
R AV I S H YO U R S E L F IN DELIGHT Ever wondered what exceptional Italian cuisine in an iconic setting is like? Alfredo Restaurant has got the answer. Savor sumptuous – mouthwatering menu ranging from the famed wood fire Napolitano pizza to creatively prepared chicken, beef and salmon dishes. To complete the perfect dinner scene, indulge in the Italian atmosphere with live music by the magical guitar melodies. Book your unforgettable dining experience in a delightful ambience. Open for lunch and dinner.
6 . P Y R A M I D S R OA D, P.O. B OX 12 5 5 6 , G I Z A , C A I R O, E GY P T T: 0 0 . 2 0 2 . 33 .77. 3222 M : 0 0 . 2 01 . 0 6 . 8 8 . 177 27 M A R R I OT T M E N A H O U S EC A I R O.C O M A R A B I C . M A R R I OT T.C O M
identity
CONTENTS
8 Editor’s Picks 10 The Marriage Dilemma: “Mr. Right” Vs. “The Love of Your Life” 11 Unusual Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Photography: Lobna Derbala Retoucher: Mohamed Elsayed Stylist: Yasmine Ali El Din MUA: Dana Khedr Hair Stylist: Youssef Al Ashkar
12 Trendiest Haircuts and Dyes for Every Woman Out There! 14 New Makeup Trends and Products! 16 Workplace Fashion 18 Iconic Celebrity Maternity Looks 22 Feminist Fashion 24 Reem Mostafa: A Woman of Many Talents 30 Women to Follow in 2020 34 Can a Single Mom find another Chance at Love? 36 Careersforher: Women Supporting Women! 38 A Q&A with “I Make This” Group Founder and Moderator Rania Atef 40 How to Have a Healtheir Relationship 42 Twenty Minute Meals for Working Mums 44 Six Books Every Woman Should Read 46 Top Four Female Only Trips 48 Winter Getaways 50 Mother’s Day Special Outings 52 Advertorial 54 Press Releases 62 Horoscopes
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Reem Mostafa
A Woman of Many Talents
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8 March 2020
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WITH FULL ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY ROBERT ZIEGLER
18TH APRIL 2020
FOR BOOKINGS
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PRADA SIDONIE TWO TONE LEATHER BELT BAG
ROXANNE ASSOULIN TERRAZZO - FIVE ENAMEL AND GOLD PLATED BRACELETS
Verdict: The hottest bag design for this season. You can wear it as both a waist bag and a crossbody bag.
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MARC JACOBS GLAM GLITTER LIQUID EYESHADOW COPPERAZI 86
Verdict: Add some shimmer to your makeup look with this new liquid eye shadow. A little glitter is needed!
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10 March 2020
Verdict: A great statement piece. Add it to any outfit and it will instantly make it pop!
4 Picks 6 7
editor’s
GIANVITO ROSSI IRIDESCENT PERSPEX AND LEATHER PUMPS
Verdict: The ultimate party shoes for this season. The pointedtoe and radiant colors also give it an urban classy vibe.
CULT GAIA ARIA GOLD TONE RESIN EARRINGS Verdict: These are designed to elevate your outfits. Especially with the sophisticated color and details.
GLOSSIER CLOUD PAINT BLUSH - DUSK
YSL BLACK OPIUM Verdict: This is one of our favorite perfumes of all time. Wear it on a night out and feel like a star!
Verdict: A perfect choice for looking both natural and glowy. Ditch your old powder one and opt for the new trend!
As the only Manufacturer of Sterilized Tissue, Fine Hygienic Holding Awarded “ STERILIZED BRAND OF THE DECADE 2020 ”
Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH), one of the world’s leading Wellness Groups and manufacturer of hygienic products, has been awarded the highly coveted “Sterilized Brand of the Decade Award” in 2020, by the Family Hygiene Institute (FHI). FHI operates under the auspices of the Medical Wellness Association (MWA), which is a globally recognized collection of the finest doctors and wellness professionals with the express purpose to promote proven global hygiene practices, especially for families. The prestigious Sterilized Brand of the Decade Award was presented to FHH in recognition of their unique, sterilization technology through which they manufacture the only sterilized tissue in the world. Fine’s patented SteriPro technology ensures a fully sterile and hygienic production environment, guaranteeing that the first hand to touch the product is the consumer’s and reducing the risk of exposure to germs and viruses. The patented technology utilizes ultraviolet light to destroy bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms, producing a 99% sanitized product. This precision and consistency is what has made Fine a trusted brand throughout all its markets, and vindicates FHI’s decision to present them with this award. The award is especially notable in light of the growing Coronavirus epidemic, which has spread throughout the world, as the use of Fine sterilized tissues actively helps against the spread of the virus from person to person. The sterilization
method Fine use not only ensures that customers receive a fully sterile product, but also provides the benefit of killing germs, bacteria and viruses, effectively limiting the spread of sickness. Noting that the three key entry points for germs into the human body is eyes, nose, and mouth and that tissue products touch them intimately. FHH CEO, James Michael Lafferty, commented, “It’s an incredible honor for FHH to be selected from among the leading hygienic products. Fine has always been a visionary group, from the beginning we have sought to continuously stay ahead through innovation, improvement and the desire to create superior products that provide not only good value to consumers, but also improve lives. Dr Breuleux, FHI founder noted “it was astounding that few tissue companies take the effort to sterilize their products. The intuitive conclusion being that nearly all tissues could potentially represent a hazard to health, which is why it is so remarkable that Fine, a regional company, has been doing such sterilization for the past decade; this factor made the group the easy choice for the award. FHH has built a reputation for providing trusted hygienic products made with the highest possible standards. This award serves as a testament to Fine’s dedication to delivering only the finest quality hygienic products, and to the meticulous attention to detail that characterizes its manufacturing process.
is rich, handsome, religious, comes from a socially renowned status, and above all else, he loves you. Of course, your family and friends persistently push you to marry him for obvious financial security and social status. You think about it, and ask yourself whether you will be happy or not. You take your time, days or even months thinking about him until you finally make your decision. You eventually say “No”, because there is no chemistry between you and convince yourself that the guy is perfect, but just not for you.
THE MARRIAGE DILEMMA: “MR. RIGHT” VS. “THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE” By Engy El Refaee In marriage, you either follow your heart or your mind, and in both cases the decision is never easy. The “right one” is so right and the one “you love” is your significant other. So what do you do?
THE ONE YOU LOVE This is the love of your life, you have been together for so many years, and it’s time to take one step further and get married. Throughout your relationship, you have truly enjoyed your time together until he surprises you with his proposal. The guy meets your father, and proposes for marriage! This is quite a shock for you. Instead of feeling genuinely thrilled, you feel anxious and hesitant because you feel “it’s getting serious now”. You should have been happy of course, but unfortunately, this is not the case. You start to feel a bit weird about your feelings towards him especially that you have previously refused the ‘right one’ because there was no chemistry. Now you fear getting married to the love of your life, because you have ‘issues’ with him.
Some people would advise you to follow your mind and marry the “right” one, because “love” begins after marriage anyway. This might not be necessarily true though. Others might advise you to follow your heart and marry the love of your life, the man you are madly in love with.
Or frankly speaking, he is the one who’s got ‘issues’, and you have known it for many years but hardly tried to face them! You love him, but you are still not convinced! Something has kept you worried throughout the relationship! What will you do now? Remember there is no perfection, and this is no easy choice.
This seems pretty great but you are nevertheless skeptical of his social, financial, or religious situation. Is one choice ultimately better than the other? Well, maybe yes, maybe not. But as a rule of thumb, no one gets everything in life, because there is no perfection by default.
Getting married is a huge step; deciding to spend the rest of your life with ONE person for richer or poorer, for better for worse, in sickness and in health till death do you part should never be a rushed hasty decision.
THE RIGHT ONE The right one is that one you have most probably met at a formal event, whether your best friend’s wedding, or a random conference at work. The guy has got everything going for him, really. He 12 March 2020
True, you should trust your heart and follow your instincts but never without using your common sense and the sound judgment of your mind. Remember that whatever you decide will impact your life forever and you cannot afford to mess that up. Life doesn’t always give us second chances.
Unusual
MOTHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE! by Nanise Mohamed Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and by now you must be racking your brains on what kind of gift to get the QUEEN of your life. Mothers are the leading ladies all year round, but on this particular day, we shouldn’t miss the chance to express our neverending gratitude to those capeless superheroines. On that note, let’s explore some thoughtful gifts ideas.
HEALTH & BEAUTY Mothers often forget about pampering themselves. And we are strong believers that self-care gifts are probably the best choice. Be that a foot or neck massager, floating bath lights or even a bottle of their favorite fancy perfume.
PERSONALIZED GIFTS Nothings says “I care” more than a specially personalized gift. How about customizing a silver pendant with both your pictures on it? Maybe even a bath robe with her initials on? She will sure love those.
UNUSUAL GIFTS If you’re bored with all the overdone Mother’s Day gift ideas, why not opt for something a little unusual? You could buy her one of those super cool flamingo slippers or the quirky eye-protecting onion glasses!
HOME GIFTS Okay now for the fun part. Although we know that most moms appreciate personal gifts, some just love thoughtful presents for the house as well. Experiment with customized neon lights for her bedroom, cute little cushions with her favorite quotes or even a smartphone projector for her favorite movies!
Trendiest
HAIRCUTS AND DYES FOR EVERY WOMAN OUT THERE! by Aya Aboshady
F
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SHORT BANGS Let’s be real, cutting your hair short is risky, getting bangs is even riskier! However, what’s life without a little risk? A lot of women get pretty tired of their long hair that they often resort to cutting it short and also getting bangs. And let us tell you, it’s always a stylish look, indeed!
or 2020, we aren’t recommending just any hairstyle! Because we know how much women love experimenting with their hair every now and then, we decided to bring you a list of the trendiest haircuts and hair dyes that you could easily pull off and simply feel like a rockstar anytime of the year!
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OMBRÉ This style is basically all about your natural hair, but lighter. The Ombré look was trendy in the mid 2000s. However, it was back in the game once again in the late 2010s and here we are in a new decade, and it looks like it’s not going anywhere. We just have to tell you no matter what your hair color, the Ombré look never goes out of style!
14 March 2020
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MIDDLE-PARTED ONE LENGTH That’s an easy choice for women with really long hair. Because instead of thinking it’s boring and contemplating cutting your hair, sometimes you’ve got to take a leap of faith and let it grow to a onelength style and part it from the middle in order to get that glamorous Kim Kardashian look!
3 CRAZY-COLORED DIP DYES Dip dyes have been so in for a while now! However, just when we thought they might be making an exit, they came back stronger than ever before. A lot of young and older women, including celebrities, are now sporting fun colorful dip dyes. Pink, Aqua, Dark Blue...You choose the color that best suits your personality!
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MID-LENGTH LAYERED WAVES Layered waves have been so trendy since 2019; it’s not even a joke! Especially on women with medium length-hair, like Taylor Swift for example. If you have shoulder length hair or even a bit longer, don’t hesitate giving your waves a layered haircut!
GOING ALL RED - SILVER - PURPLE Whether you have short or long hair, you can never go wrong with dying all of it! That being said, every woman who ends up making this decision needs to begin by choosing the color that suits her most. And in 2019, we’ve seen a lot of women who went either all red, icy silver or purple and rocked it!
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NEW MAKEUP TRENDS AND PRODUCTS! by Aya Aboshady
The beauty industry is ever evolving. Every single year, month and sometimes even day, a new makeup trend becomes all the rage or a new product is released! As you might already know, the world celebrates the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th; that’s why we decided to gift all the beautiful ladies out there a list of all the latest makeup trends and products they should know about!
#1 THE CLASSIC BOLD LIP If there’s one thing us, women, should always be aware of, it’s that a classic bold lip just never goes out of style! Especially if the color falls between the coral and deep reds. It’s true that there were times when nude lips were always the way to go. But since 2019, the red shades made a strong comeback, and let us tell you that it’ll be a long time until they disappear again. 16 March 2020
#2 JILL STUART ROUGE TINT-IN-DREAM Speaking of lipstick and deep red shades, we need to gush about Jill Stuart’s latest release and it’s the Rouge Tint-In Dream in the shade “I’ll Be”. Applying this creamy formula on your lips feels like a literal dream and needless to say, this specific shade is just gorgeous!
#3 THE EXTRA HIGHLIGHTER There’s hardly any woman out there who isn’t into using a highlighter. Sometimes, we even like to take it to the next level! Which is why going extra with highlighters has been a trend for a while now and like the rest on this list, it isn’t going anywhere soon.
#4 RITUEL DE FILLE METAMORPHIC HIGHLIGHTERS With Rituel De Fille Metamorphic Highlighters, your skin won’t just be extremely glowy; your face will also be very radiant with the metallic liquid creamy formula in the shade “The Sorcerer”. We already know this will be part of your everyday routine!
#6 STILA BLUE REALM VELVET EYESHADOW PALETTE
#5 THE COLORFUL AND GLITTERY SHADOWS Colorful eyes and shimmery lids are so in right now, it’s insane! Having brighter and glossier eyes makes the whole look you’re creating ten times better and more glamorous. Which is why a lot of women are holding onto their glittery shadows even in the new decade.
This Stila palette is what shimmer dreams are made of! Its gorgeous blue, rose and gold tones are going to help you create the most awesome eye-looks with the most creamy easy to blend formula!
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Workplace
FASHION By Joanna Neve
For those of us who work in offices, choosing a business attire can be a bit tricky. We want to look professional, but also feel comfortable and confident. Many women just buy the same plain black trousers and white shirt every time, but it’s actually very easy to style a more unique suit. There are also plenty of modest skirts and dresses that are perfect for the workplace – it doesn’t have to be a suit. To make things easy, we’ve compiled the outfits from Mango, Zara and Marks & Spencer only, so you can get three new outfits in just a few shops. We’ve also chosen one green outfit and two light pink ones, so you can see how easy it is to dress differently in the same colour if you have a favourite!
Dazzling Green Look
MANGO
18 March 2020
This green suit is the perfect look for all kinds of workplaces. The blazer jacket is lightweight and the trousers are adjustable with a draw string, so it’s super comfortable. Pair it with a small texturized brown bag and matching brown shoes - you don’t need high heels for an outfit to look smart. The tones of simple gold earrings work well too, so keep accessories and makeup plain. This outfit will work wonders, trust us!
Light Pink Looks
MARKS & SPENCER
This style is really beautiful, and would suit most women. Swap the typical plain white shirt for a pink blouse instead, and get rid of the plain black suit jacket for a pink one instead.Complete the look with a circular shaped bag, this will help make the look just that little bit different to the usual office outfit and might help make you feel more confident in the workplace too! Marks & Spencer are amazing for work shoes as they offer medium height heels, which are of course so much more practical than really high ones, yet they still look good.
ZARA By pairing a pleated skirt and plain white shirt with white boots, this outfit from Zara shows how adding different or unique shoes can really alter a look quickly. As long as the overall look is formal, most offices let you experiment with the finishing touches as you like. Maybe it’s time to buy some work boots? The look would go well with a long white jacket and golden accessories. We really like these flowery earrings from Zara. They’re feminine and flowing, but not too big that they’ll be annoying at work.
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Iconic Celebrity MATERNITY LOOKS By Joanna Neve Finding clothes during pregnancy is a frustrating task, especially when nothing seems to fit right. It becomes harder if you’re looking for something to wear to a formal event. Maternity sections normally consist of just strechy jeans and oversized shirts, but pregnant women still have formal events - weddings, birthdays and gatherings don’t magically disappear for pregnancy! Hence, we’ve compiled some formal maternity looks inspired by Anne Hathaway, Jenna Dewan and Meghan Markle. This trio is perfect for fashion inspiration since each wore many stunning maternity outfits, even towards the end.
Everyone was shocked when Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum split after 9 years of marriage, but it seems good things were in store all along. Soon after the break-up, she met Steve Kazee and they’ve since welcomed their first baby together.
Quiz
H&M Zara
20 March 2020
Mango
RADIANT SAPPHIRE LOOK Although we don’t all attend awards ceremonies, we can take inspiration from this dazzling blue dress Jenna Dewan wore mid-pregnancy. This Quiz dress fits well, and flowy materials are comfortable when the bump gets large. The outfit can be made more modest by adding a black jacket. Alternatively, wear an undershirt so you can still see the unique shoulder design. Add Mango’s blue and gold statement earrings, a feminine necklace and a black side H&M bag, which can be turned into a clutch bag. Small heels are perfect for staying comfortable, so why not try these texturized ones from Zara?
Mango
Jenna Dewan
Anne Hathaway
Welcoming baby number two towards the end of last year, Anne Hathaway has provided so many iconic mater-nity outfit inspirations for us. She always looks so energetic and healthy, and we loved all the pink and red tones she wore during her pregnancy. Blossom colours look so stunning on pregnant women!
STUNNING RED LOOK
M&S
Mango
H&M
Mango
Mango
Zara
This oversized dress is really simple, yet looks great. With stretchy material and no waist band, it’s a piece which can be worn at almost any stage of pregnancy – which is why a style like this is a must-have for any woman’s maternity wardrobe. To get the look, this very similar red dress is perfect! Just add chunky red heels from Marks & Spencer, a black jacket from Mango and H&M’s black side bag. Make the look extra special by adding a matching red headband and red tone necklace from Zara too – then you’ll be good to go!
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Meghan Markle
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle welcomed a baby with Prince Harry last year and she didn’t disappoint with her maternity looks. We shouldn’t be surprised though… she does have a full-time personal stylist! SOPHISTICATED IN CREAM All white is a bit daunting for some to try, but Meghan shows us how it’s done.The stretchiness of turtlenecks is perfect for the third trimester of pregnancy, as it’s a material which just keeps on stretching. Banana Republic sell an almost identical turtleneck maternity dress, and you can get the matching jacket from Zara, and cream heels from Marks & Spencer. Simplicity is key here, so add just a small handbag and no accessories. Oh, and try not to get it dirty!
H&M
Zara
Banana Republic
Mango
M&S
22 March 2020
ELEGANT BLUE LOOK
H&M
M&S
M&S
M&S
H&M
Have you ever seen a skirt this bright? We are absolutely in love with this entire look and the brightness really does deflect from the bump – you almost can’t tell that she’s pregnant in this outfit! It’s certainly not as bright, but the next best thing is this pleated blue skirt from Marks & Spencer. Pair it with a sophisticated black clutch from H&M and these stunning short heels from Mango, which have a stunning pearly silver base. Of course, the look isn’t finished without some pearl earrings and a pearl drop necklace too. You’ll dazzle the room in this look!
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Feminist Fashion By Joanna Neve
With International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day taking place this month, it’s the perfect time to reflect upon some well known and prominent feminists. Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson and Beyoncé are all well known for their views on women’s empowerment, and yet they’re all so different. Each of them has her own character and style, which makes them seem so confident and unique. In a world of similarity and conformity, maybe we could take some inspiration from these women and develop our own look. When you look and feel like yourself, that’s when you’re most confident!
Emma Watson
Known for her role in Harry Potter and Disney’s recent adaption of Beauty and the Beast, Emma Watson is a very famous actress who has really come into her own character over time. She’s openly criticised the sexualisation of women in the film industry and has spoken about women’s rights at the UN too. She said, “We need to live in a culture that values and respects and looks up to and idolizes women as much as men.” In terms of style, Emma Watson doesn’t conform to what’s going on in fashion. She’s often spotted wearing a full suit, and has some in funky colours. She’s also been photographed in dresses which aren’t typically feminine, showing that you can wear skirts and dresses without looking overly ‘girly’. If we had to take some inspiration from Emma’s style, it’s probably that you can wear whatever you want. If that’s a masculine suit then so what. 24 March 2020
Beyoncé
Unofficially referred to as Queen B, there’s no doubt that Beyoncé has a strong sense of self and shows her own character. The film ‘Homecoming’ revealed the immense preparation put into her ground-breaking 2018 Coachella festival performance, all whilst recovering from the birth of her twins! Her music often drops subtle references to feminist thoughts, and her song ‘Flawless’ even gives a clear definition, “feminist: the person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes”. We can take some serious style inspiration from Beyoncé too, with many of her special event outfits designed in a way to present her as bold, confident and powerful. A top pick is the bright red dress and headpiece she wore whilst heavily pregnant to an awards night. If that doesn’t inspire us to dress bold, then what will? Paparazzi often capture her wearing colourful outfits and huge sunglasses. She wears what she wants and isn’t afraid to stand out. Credit to that.
Angelina Jolie
Triple Golden Award winner Angelina Jolie is a powerful character in the film industry, taking impressive characters in films like Maleficent, where she literally had horns. Aside from her professional work, she’s also well known for her humanitarian and charitable work. She’s regarded by many as a feminist idol, talking openly about her double mastectomy and the removal of her ovaries, as well as encouraging hundreds to adopt children like she did. She argues femininity can be expressed in different ways, and offers powerful words to express ourselves in a way that’s true for us individually: “There’s nothing more attractive than someone being fully themselves, without inhibition, in whatever form that takes. We all recognize it when we see it — those women whose beauty is their spirit, and their inability to be anything other than true to themselves.”
So, the message from some of our feminist celebrities is to be true to yourself and dress in your own style, how you want. Take inspiration from fashion trends, but don’t feel you need to stick to them! March 2020 25
Reem Mostafa A Woman of Many Talents Interview by Aya Aboshady
Photographer: LOBNA DERBALA Retoucher: MOHAMED ELSAYED Stylist: YASMINE ALI EL DIN Makeup Artist: DANA KHEDR Hair Stylist: YOUSSEF AL ASHKAR
From “Heba Regl El-Ghorab” to “Naseebi W Esmetek: Mara Wahed Libraly” and her fan-favorite role as ‘Shahitaz El-Ola’ in the hit comedy show “El-Waseya”’; Reem Moustafa is a talented actress who’s always looking to portray new characters. Starring in the first WATCH IT production - airing soon, her first action role in “Shadid El-Khotoura” is already expected to stun everyone. Identity had the chance to talk with Reem and discuss her upcoming projects, daily hobbies, what goes on behind the scenes, and much more!
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1. Tell us about “Shadid El-Khotoura”, how excited are you for the first Watch It Production and what should we expect from it? Who are the cast?
Dhafer El-Abdin, Zaki Fatin Abdelwahab, Yosra ElLozy, Mohamed Mamdouh, Mohamed Lotfy and many more!
First of all, I’m very happy to be taking part in the first WATCH IT production, especially that I know for a fact they want to take this platform to a whole new level. The challenge of “Shadid El-Khotoura” is another reason I’m super excited and optimistic about it!
The only reason I was worried about this movie is that my character is, somehow, a villain. I was really worried about people hating her. But when I talked to director Ahmed Nader Galal about it, all my worries immediately vanished into thin air. He simply asked me ‘Has anyone ever hated Mahmoud ElMeligy or Tawfik El-De’n?’ I also that this character is so unlike anything I’ve ever done before.
This is the first time ever for me to play a role within the action genre. It was a very different experience; I haven’t portrayed this type of character before. Even my appearance in it is so different; I often like to work on projects that challenge my capabilities and nature. Ahmed El-Awady and I are the lead characters in the series and we’re also joined by Reyad El-Kholi, Hamza El-Aly, Hosny Shetta, Mahmoud Hegazi, Hadi El-Gayar and many more! The series is seven episodes and it’s supposed to be split into three parts. 2. How did you prepare for your action role in “Shadid El-Khotoura”? And did you do your own fight scenes or were they stunts? It was definitely not at all easy. The preparation was insane. I literally trained every day for over a month, even on set and in between scenes. It was the first time for me to try and do actual fight scenes. And I do train and go to the gym every now and then, but I never trained like that before. However, I really enjoyed training in order to make this character come to life. Also, all those fight scenes actually helped me get rid of so much negative energy! As for the stunts, of course there were some. But I still chose to do all my scenes by myself, even the dangerous ones. That’s how much I wanted everything to seem so real and honest. And of course, I fell and took a few strong blows but thankfully, it all passed. 3. A lot of people are anticipating Ahmed ElSaqa’s long awaited film “El-3ankabout”. How was shooting that movie like? I was offered a role in “El-3ankabout”and when I received the script, I simply couldn’t say no. You’re talking about a production that involves huge names like Ahmed Nader Galal, whom I’ve always wanted to work with. As well as Ahmed El-Saqa, Mona Zaki, 28 March 2020
On top of that, working with Ahmed El-Saqa has been a real gift. He’s such a decent human being. There’s barely any day that passes by on set without him personally greeting everyone. It almost felt like he was thanking us for being there. Of course everyone else was amazing too! Overall, the work environment made me very happy. I remember feeling excited going to set every day and leaving there feeling content and relaxed. 4. Your role as ‘Shahitaz El-Ola’ in “El-Waseya”’ was so unique that it stuck with so many viewers. Talk to us about working on this series and how that unique character came to life! Before “El-Waseya”, those who knew me well always advised me to try and take on a comedy role. Especially since most people often associate blondes with poor sense of humor. So I wanted to change that stereotype. Also, before this series, I did “Ehdi ya Madam” - which was also a comedy, but not as direct or as obvious as “El-Waseya”. “El-Waseya” was so challenging. And I was pretty scared of portraying that comedy role, because it’s very hard to change the audience’s opinion once they form one about you in a specific genre. That being said, it quickly became super special to me and it remains so close to my heart to this very day; mainly because I solely worked on every detail that has to do with ‘Shahitaz’. From her clothes and hairstyles to her attitude, body language and facial expressions; I created the character completely on my own. Even our director Khaled El-Halafawy was shocked at the character’s appearance on the first day of shooting! That’s why the Best Comedian Award that I received from Dear Guest for that role will always remain one of the closest to my heart.
March 2020 29
5. Out of all the stars you’ve worked with, who are your favorites on set and who are the ones you really want to work with in the future but still haven’t gotten the chance? I will have to say Adel Emam, of course! Words will never be enough to describe that man, honestly. Working with him was a gift. And also Marwan Hamed, whom I really wish to work with again. As well as the perfectionist Ahmed Nader Galal, no questions asked. As for those I would really want to work with; I would have to say Karim Abdelaziz and Sherif Arafa. 6. Speaking of Marwan Hamed; talk to us about “Noktet Talaki”, the documentary that was shown in the World Youth Forum, Sharm El-Sheikh - the one where you were the only female featured in the unique project. Shooting that documentary was so tiring; we did 6-months worth of work and shoots in only two weeks. I wasn’t sleeping for days, especially when we shot on top of Mount Saint Catherine. But it was so worth it in the end! The experience itself is priceless. Working on this documentary was a real pleasure; everything in it was so real. People only got to see 25 minutes of it, but the content was much larger. It could’ve easily fit in a three-hour movie. 7. What’s the character you’re still yet to portray on screen but really want to? I really wanted to portray a historical character or partake in a historical series/movie. And thankfully, I was actually offered such a role in Amr Youssef’s “Khaled Ibn El-Walid”. However, I’m still reading the script and we still don’t know whether or not it’ll catch the Ramadan 2020 season. I would also really like to play a similar role to Soad Hosny’s in “Be’er El-Herman”. Such an interesting and complex character! 8. Away of acting and your field of work, what are your hobbies? I love photography and I really enjoy editing pictures. I even worked on a cover shoot for Egyptian photographer Khaled Fadda, and it got published. Another hobby of mine would definitely have to be dancing. I could stay in front of the TV watching dance shows for hours. I used to take dance classes, but not anymore because acting is taking up most of my time. But I’m surely planning on strengthening my dancing skills very soon! 30 March 2020
“
This is the first time ever for me to play a role within the action genre. It was a very different experience; I haven’t portrayed this type of character before.
“
March 2020 31
WOMEN TO FOLLOW IN 2020 by Aya Aboshady, Nada Abdelkader & Nanise Mohamed Some days, we wake up feeling like we need a little more. A little more inspiration, some courage, and heaps of ambition. We’re sure you’ve felt like you need some of that too and this is why we’ve brought you stories full of all these ingredients and much more.
Marianne Khoury Last year a lot of women emerged in the Egyptian entertainment scene, making 2019, evidently, the year of women. Super talented actresses, singers, models, athletes and writers have surfaced and made the entire female gender in Egypt proud. While most of them are, relatively, young fresh faces, we can’t overlook the comeback of one directing veteran that is Marianne Khoury. Marianne Khoury, aged 62, is an Alexandrian-born filmmaker, director and distributor. She is the niece of the late directing legend Youssif Chahine. She collaborated with her late uncle on his films for a time period that spanned over three decades in movies like “Eskendrya Kaman W Kaman” and “El Youm El Sades” Khoury earned a degree in economics from both Cairo and Oxford Universities. But since the love for cinema basically runs in the whole family, it wasn’t long until she pursued her true passion and followed in the footsteps of her senior family members. Khoury produced and co-produced more than 30 award-winning films and documentaries. Some of them are “Araq El Balah”, “Zaman Laura” and “Zelal” which received critical acclaim and was an official entry in the Venice Film Festival and a winner of the FIPRESCI award at the Dubai Film Festival. However, it’s her 2019 feature film “Let’s Talk” that really made her shine this year and reminded everyone of “Aflam Masr El Alameya” like the 32 March 2020
power production company it is. In the movie, we see no acting and no set. The movie is more of a documentary that was first meant to be about the life of Iris, Marianne’s mother and Youssef Chahine’s sister; but at the end it turned out to be the story of all the women in that family. From the younger generation to the elder. It turned out to be the story of all Egyptian women. Marianne has masterfully managed to turn simple live events into a universal story about love, family and loss. More importantly, through the way the film traced back the women in Chahine’s family, it ended up drawing beautiful portraits of Egypt from the past to the present. At the end, we would like to thank Marianne for sharing something so personal and for making it about everyone, too. We hope she continues making great movies.
Logina Salah
Beauty seldom, if ever, has one specific appearance. It’s an everchanging ideal, something that we can now clearly witness through the many body positivity campaigns that are trying to change the country’s age old perceptions. Beauty no longer means skinny or light-skinned—beauty has many shapes and forms and one of them is embodied through Logina Salah. You might be familiar with Logina Salah through Facebook and other social media and news outlets because she recently broke barriers after being assigned as an Abu Dhabi TV news reporter. Before we can get to that happy ending, though, let’s go back in time just a little bit. Logina grew up as a fairly normal girl from Alexandria, whose day centered around school and sports practices at the club until one fateful day. At eight years old, Logina contracted psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that meant her immune system was now attacking mal and healthy cells and tissues alike. After the rash that came with Logina’s psoriasis faded, her skin was left decorated with white spots that kept spreading everywhere, eventually signaling the vitiligo Logina now knows all too well. Because of the times, it’s safe to say that kids weren’t the most aware or kind to Logina during school, where she was subjected to all kinds of bullying incidents. Some children and their parents wouldn’t even interact with her, fearing that her condition might be contagious.
school for makeup and cosmetics, where she became a licensed makeup artist and kicked off her journey into the professional makeup world. Logina’s career started smoothly, all except for one setback. When working with brides, she would never let the wedding photographers take photos during the makeup session, ashamed and uncomfortable with her own skin. All until two years ago when one of Logina’s friends convinced her to embrace her appearance and let photographers do their thing, assuring her that she has a unique look. Logina took this advice and hasn’t looked back since, and even stopped using makeup to hide her vitiligo. Two years later, with a YouTube channel, a few magazine covers, and a new job as a news reporter on Abu Dhabi TV, we can safely say that Logina doesn’t regret a thing. Currently, Logina busies her time with her career and family. She hopes to be an international public speaker and start her own makeup line in the future.
Because of her skin condition and the bullying that followed, Logina lost a good chunk of her self-confidence and turned to makeup in an effort to hide her vitiligo and blend in. And this is where the story gets interesting. If anything makes it clear that through the toughest times, there will always be a silver lining, it’s Logina’s story with makeup. True, she did turn to it as a way of hiding and blending in but as she learned more about makeup techniques and self-expression, Logina learned more about accepting herself. Her interests in beauty and makeup grew, naturally, making Logina turn down jobs in finance and banking—her college major—and travel to the United States to attend a New York-based
March 2020 33
Sandra Serag toxic relationship but ends up more tied down than ever before. After the big success of her first novella, exactly a year later, Serag released one of the most popular Arabic novels in the past couple of years titled “Ma La Nabouh Beh” (2018). It tells the tale of a young woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after leaving a toxic relationship and realizes that she needs to choose and love herself first before she can let anyone else do so. This story stuck with many and even though it was published in 2018, people still look for it, buy it and read it to this day. Last October, it reached the 23rd edition. While “Ila Ma La Nehaya” (2019), her third novel, reached its 18th edition in the same month.
With every Cairo International Book Fair, we witness the rise of new talented Egyptian writers; a lot of which are young female writers who continue to take the fair by storm one year after another. One young woman, in specific, has now released four very successful novels and she’s only 24 years old! Her name is Sandra Serag and her popularity is quite remarkable because the words she writes and the worlds she creates in her novels led a large number of readers to always tune in whenever she tweets something, let alone release a new book. Serag studies Psychology at Alexandria University and her passion for writing took her from writing online opinionated pieces on different social media platforms to having four bestsellers. In 2017, Serag got her first ever novella “Sa’ar7al” published by Dawen. The story revolves around a young girl who’s trying her best to escape a very 34 March 2020
“Ila Ma La Nehaya” is a mythical novel about an intense love story where reality is mixed with imagination. It also employs history and legend. And because it was such a different genre for readers these days, it got some great feedback right away on all social media platforms. That clearly shows how much young readers are captivated by Serag’s words and can hardly get enough that they go out every chance they get to lay their hands on her newest releases. The 24-year-old published her fourth and most recent book titled “Ma Rawah El-Bahr” (2020) last January, in time for the 56th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair. And needless to say, the book matched all expectations; the amount of people who showed up for the signing was only testament to its huge success. The book’s plot takes us through a rollercoaster of emotions and an intense and dramatic love story told by none other than the sea itself. Setting an example at 24, Sandra Serag is an inspiration who always presents us with something different, unique, artsy and full of love.
Menna Elkeiy If there’s one thing we’re pretty certain of, it’s this; young women are moving mountains all over the world now. Young Egyptian women in particular, are challenging so many stereotypes and are standing tall in the face of anyone who doubts them. Menna Adli El-Keiy is definitely one of those young Egyptian women. And her undeniable talent is just not recognized enough. So in celebration of International Women’s Day, we decided to remind you of Menna and the all wonderful things she does! Menna Adli El-Keiy is a 29 year old Egyptian freelance writer and lyricist who graduated from the American University in Cairo (AUC) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication. She’s also the daughter of Adli El-Keiy, one of ElAhly El-Masry’s legends, who’s currently also the contracting committee advisor responsible for some of the biggest transfer deals in the club’s history. Menna is a talented lyricist who worked on a large number of significant ad campaigns and advertisements that hit millions and millions of views on different platforms. We’re pretty sure you know at least 10 songs she’s written. The 29 year old’s song lyrics often turn from being part of TV and internet ads to actual hits people end up singing at the top of their lungs in cars and parties. Her works include writing the song lyrics for: • Etisalat Misr 2018 Ad “Akwa Kart F Masr” feat. Mohamed Ramadan. • Etisalat Misr 2018 Ad “Wes3et Menena” feat. Mohamed Ramadan, Samira Saeid, Ahmed Fahmi, Sherine Reda, Aly El-Haggar and Nelly Karim. • SWVL 2018 Ad “Welad El-Lazina” feat.
Mahmoud El-Esseily and Abdelbaset Hamouda. • 7UP Food Confusion Song 2019 feat. Ahmed Fahmy. • Orange Ramadan 2019 “Tefrek Ketir” feat. Tamer Hosny and Nancy Ajram. • Uber Egypt 2019 Ad “Teer Beena Ya 3am” feat. Cairokee and Abdelbaset Hamouda. So she pretty much worked on all your favorite ad campaigns over the last few years. All of those accomplishments and we’re nowhere near done. Menna has also written the lyrics for the opening song of Chico and Hesham Maged’s Ramadan 2019 TV series “El-Le3ba”. And was the mastermind behind the U-23 AFCON opening ceremony song feat. Sharmoofers and Nesma Mahgoub. It’s worth mentioning that Menna, the multi talented monster, is also a content developer and TV show programmer. She worked on the “Bibo” show that aired in 2017 on DMC about El-Ahly’s legend, Mahmoud El-Khatib. Her latest work is a collaboration with Wael Gassar on “Ghorbet Hob”, the opening song for Ahmed Salah Hosny’s newest TV series “Khetm El-Nemr”. March 2020 35
CAN A SINGLE MOM FIND ANOTHER
Chance At Love? by Marwa Rakha
Would a man be interested in a serious relationship with a single mother? How would he feel towards her children from the pervious marriage? How would her children feel about that “stranger” who is about to become a part of their lives? How would she feel about her new obligations towards that man? What if he is a father too? What if the man has never been married before? So many scenarios … so many questions … but the biggest question of all is: does a single mother truly have another chance at finding love? Those who say that her chances are very low base their conclusion on the fact that there are many eligible single ladies out there who are having difficulty finding Mr. Right. They say that men nowadays do not want to get married and that women have grown far more responsible than men. They also say that most men are conservative 36 March 2020
and would feel jealous of the ex-husband or intimidated by the thought of raising kids who are not their own. Then there are those who say that a divorced woman with or without kids has much higher chances at finding love and getting married as
opposed to a single bachelorette. They say that a single mother would not have high expectations or demands. She is more likely to be realistic and down to earth. She would do her best to make that second marriage work to avoid a second divorce. She would not mind a man with baggage; be it kids from another marriage, a first wife who would be kept in the dark, emotional instability, or whatever baggage that a single girl would not be open to. Putting aside all rational calculations, a single mother can indeed find love only if she is, deep down, open to the idea. If she truly needs a partner and is longing for sharing all the daily details with a man, if her masculine side has not overdeveloped during the struggles of her first marriage and through the process of divorce, if she could still trust her instincts and ability to choose a partner once again, if she has not lost faith in a man’s ability of being a responsible husband and father, if she is willing to fall in love without any inhibitions, if she is capable of giving that man companionship and love without damaging her children, if she is open to embracing his kids as though they were her own, if she is capable of merging within his family and integrating her kids with their step-grandparents – only then, she might find love again.
There is no one successful model, but there is one main ingredient to success; that is: being honest with oneself and with the other. A single mother whose heart is filled with love and gratitude, who is embracing life and all its possibilities, whose children are accepting of the idea of having a stepfather, will most likely find love again and create her own model of a successful second marriage. On the other hand, a woman who is just looking for a sponsor would most likely fail. She would most probably be used and abused. She would subject her children to unnecessary pain and heartache with every breakup. She would look for Mr. Right in the wrong places. She would drag herself and her kids on horrendous emotional rollercoasters. Dear single mom hoping to find love again, please be true to yourself, be clear about your needs and expectations, be certain of what you are willing to give to this new relationship, be realistic, be positive, be open, and be happy. Take your time and give your children time. Choose a decent person who is genuine and sincere. Avoid miserable men and freeloaders. Avoid conflicts. Have poise and grace. Have faith!
I have seen many single mothers who started afresh and have created beautiful families with maternal, paternal, and step grandparents. Some of those single mothers became happy second wives. Some got married to a single father. Some got married to a bachelor who has never been married. Some had new kids. Some built new homes. Some stayed in their homes and were happy in a living together apart relationship. March 2020 37
CAREERSFORHER: WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN!
by Aya Aboshady Founded by Hala Shalaby and Hala Tantawy, CareersForHer is a platform created by a number of experienced female professionals who seek to help women start, restart and rise in their careers and working lives through reskilling, coaching, training, mentoring and connecting them to potential employers, whether full-time or part time. Shalaby has over 20 years of experience in the field of Human Resources with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. She’s also the former Chief People Officer for Hassan Allam Holding. Tantawy, on the other hand, has 20 years of experience in the field of Events Planning and Conference Management. She also held a Deputy General Manager position in Event Egypt. Because we care about everything related to women and are passionate about always supporting them, we had the privilege to speak to Shalaby about CareersForHer and the idea behind the unique project! 1. What was the idea behind the initiative? From my experience in the corporate world, I realized that women continuously face ongoing challenges and barriers to achievement. And despite the changing trends, many women still 38 March 2020
leave their jobs due to raising a child or maternity leave, increased responsibilities‌etc. The reason could be different, but career takes a backseat in each case. For that reason, I decided to be committed to the cause of enabling women to achieve their potential.
Also, Hala Tantawy, Co Founder of CareersForHer took a six year career break when she had her two sons. During her personal journey, she became aware of the challenges women face when trying to re-enter the workforce. She then became committed to the cause of enabling women to restart and rise in their careers. 2. Can you tell us more about the Returnship program? The Returnship Program is a unique opportunity for experienced women to learn new skills, and transform their careers. It’s like an internship for experienced women looking to reenter the corporate market. It’s a 12- week program that provides the perfect opportunity for both job seekers and employers to get to know each other. It also aligns highly skilled candidates with businesses that have a project to be delivered. The program has been adopted by multinational companies in the United States, United Kingdom and the Middle East; that embraced the benefit of working with professional women who have taken a career break and are now ready to get back to their working lives. This paid returnship program will enable women to work on assignments that match their expertise, interests and abilities, and could lead to full-time employment. Additionally, during the returnship experience, they will have the opportunity to update their skills in a real work environment, and work alongside multidisciplinary teams. 3. Are there specific rules or restrictions for women who want to apply and seek a job opportunity through CareersForHer? How do they apply? Finding the right talent can sometimes be a challenge. However, “CareersForHer” is always searching for female professionals who are ready to work with corporate employers. As for the Returnship Program, candidates with a minimum of six years work experience and a career break of one year or more are eligible to apply. Candidates apply through our website: www. careersforher.com by registering, clicking on Returnship Program and uploading the CV.
4. Since you help women find job opportunities in corporates, are you partnering with specific ones? And are there any field restrictions? In the current world, there’s a need for collectively coming together to support our communities and economies irrespective of gender. Women can do pretty much anything they want. There are female professionals in the fields of construction, banking and in technology. However, companies need to treat diversity like a business priority. 5. Tell us more about the CareersForHer conference and career fair, what should we expect from it? Which employers are going to be there? We will organize the first conference and women’s career fair. The conference will be attended by a number of public figures as well as a diverse mix of organizations, whose top management and decision makers genuinely believe in gender diversity in the workplace. Also the career fair represents a great opportunity for employers to select and recruit from a professional female talent pool. It will be an exclusive face-to-face career fair to connect and engage women who are looking for jobs with an exciting and diverse mix of medium and largesized organizations. 6. Is CareersForHer only for women who have taken a break from work for any reason and want to get back to the field or is it for any woman at any age? It is for all women. “CareersForHer” is a platform created with the purpose of helping women start, restart and rise in their careers. The way we do it is hire the right female talent. We aim to connect female professionals who are ready to work with corporate employers to take them to the next level. We work with different companies to offer roles from all industries to allow females to find the perfect new role! 7. What is CareersForHer aiming for in the future? Our aim is to become the number one platform for supporting and enhancing women in business and enabling them to achieve their full potential. March 2020 39
A Q&A With “I MAKE THIS” Group Founder and Moderator RANIA ATEF by Nada Abdelkader
40 March 2020
The original concept behind a social media network is to connect people and innovate new ways of communication and sharing. You’ll find this idea on every social media platform, especially one like Facebook. When they first started out, Facebook groups were merely a means for large groups of friends to connect. Other times, it was just a way so likeminded people would find a safe space to discuss the interests they had in common. In recent years, though, Facebook groups grew and developed and birthed a new life of its own. Now, these groups serve for study groups, expat unions, and even for self-marketing and selling one’s own brand. Naturally, that last reason eventually led to the inception of the ‘I Make This’ group on Facebook, which has reached heights in such a short duration we just had to interview its founder, Rania Atef, about the group, its activities, members, and its next step. What inspired you to start this group? RA: I always saw how my friends, those with their own small projects would always ask us to share their work on Facebook and other social media so that more people would see it. This was an approach I, too, needed to use whenever I wanted to increase my exposure because Facebook ads just didn’t work that well anymore and most Facebook groups asked for a large sum to put an ad in. So, the idea came to me—if we’re always asking our friends to share our work so that their friends could see it, why don’t we just create a group of friends of friends so that we can all share our work to a bigger network? How did this all grow, though, and how did the rest of the members join in? RA: I started by only asking my friends who make stuff to invite their friends in and they were all rather enthusiastic about the idea, so we just started sharing what we all do. The products shared were all actually quite beautiful so after all the shares and interaction from the members and people who stumbled upon it, the group went viral! Everyone was excited about it, all inviting their friends and the growth was exponential. In one month, we had already exceeded the 100K mark!
Did you face any obstacles with the group and its founding? RA: Not really, no. The only obstacle in the beginning, I’d say, was explaining the rules to everyone that joined the group—how it works and the like. That’s because we had new members every day so some of them didn’t really understand how the process worked, at first. Of course, this is a minor issue compared to moderating the actual group, though. Well, what were the troubles with the moderating of this group? What worried you? RA: The number of posts submitted was much, much more than the number of hours available in a day! I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, but I also didn’t think it was right to share more than 30 posts a day to give each post enough time to be visible and get adequate engagement. Did anyone come forward with something that surprised you personally, in the group? RA: I was more surprised by the diversity of talents shown and the quality of work available out there. I was also proud that there seemed to be nothing that we couldn’t do or offer. I’d had some thoughts before, about how there were certain products that we could only find abroad, but that notion completely changed. On our group, I felt that nothing was out of limits or impossible. Sometimes, the merchandise available was even more creative than their equivalents abroad. So, do you hope to hold any future meetups or displays for your group members? RA: We are already planning for a huge “I Make This” bazar on the 20th of March of this year! We’re all super excited about it—it’s going to be unlike anything anyone’s ever seen before with all the skills and showcases that you’d ever want to see. How do you feel about the group’s rise, though? What do you feel it can offer to its members, other than sharing their talents, of course? RA: Oh, the group has massive potential! I’ve already created a sub-group that’s only for the project owners, I Make This Group Lab. It’s for the project owners to share their experiences, collaborate, and discuss their training needs which I hope to be able to provide as I’m now approached by many entities who want to provide support.
March 2020 41
How to Have
A HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIP By Amina Moustapha
Any living and breathing entity needs to be fed and nourished if it is to stay robust, same thing applies to relationships. Old or new, relationships need constant nutrients to grow; otherwise they would suffer and might as well die. So what are the sources of nutrients to a relationship? How can a relationship maintain life and better yet grow? The substance that provides nourishment to a relationship is emotions; they carry the heaviest load on establishing and promoting a relationship. But here comes another question, is all we want for our relationships to stay alive? I don’t think that’s true, or at least it is not right or the best option on the table. What’s wrong with aiming for an alive and also healthy relationship? So now we are not only on the hunt for nutrients, we are seeking to find the healthiest diet, and the keyword of our recipe is good deeds. In order to have a healthy relationship, you need to serve good deeds to your significant other and receive ones from them. Let’s get into the details of how to do that. EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE TO THEM The science of thankfulness is a growing field that is starting to show; the benefits of cultivating an attitude of gratitude are very real. This emotion of gratitude promotes good physical health and renders a relationship stronger. Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, head of the division of biologic psychology at Duke University Medical Center said: “If thankfulness were a drug, it would be the world’s bestselling product with a health maintenance indication for every major organ system.” Yet we often neglect this important emotion of thankfulness. Give voice to gratefulness in your relationship; make it as loud as you manage, notice the small things your partner does for you and never take them for granted. 42 March 2020
BE EMOTIONALLY GENEROUS Emotional generosity is a singular coalition of empathy and the readiness to feel what another person is going through and relate to them that you understand; it is the choice to set aside your own needs for someone else. Get rid of those chains that are locking your emotions and spend them with free-handedness. Don’t hold back your love, what use could your love be if you didn’t share it? Wrap your heart around the person you love. In their time of need, make them feel that what they are going through is the most important thing in the world for you. Make them feel your care and your concern deep down. ENCOURAGE GROWTH & CHANGE Your relationship should be your support system, your bank that provides practical or emotional support, and you should give that in return. If that isn’t the case, then there is something that needs to be repaired. In a healthy relationship, both partners are encouraged to grow and change. There is only one life to live and if you want your partner to stay the same, then let me break the news for you, you are going to have a very dull life. But on the other side, if you explore life to its fullness, encourage your partner to try something new, to explore hobbies and interests and meet new people, to accept change, then just as you let growth in your life, your relationship will grow stronger. DON’T FIX THEM, ACCEPT THEM One of the strongest and most common toxic foods to any relationship is the desire to change the person you love. Nobody is perfect, no one is flawless. It is hard to accept this reality, especially when we are talking about your significant other. You want them to be perfect, but people come with baggage. You have some, and so does your partner. Don’t let this fact make you feel stuck. Break through it, learn to take a detour and deal with it. Trying to fix someone would probably
lead them to take the stubbornness route and refuse the help, so all you can do is support them whenever they decided to change something about themselves. Yes, nobody is perfect, but the people we love should be perfect in our eyes. FORGIVE QUICKLY & TRULY Another poison to any relationship is bitterness; it has a nasty way of sneaking up on you, and once it spreads, once it gets into your bloodstream, then
you really have to watch it. So learn to let go, to move on. Whenever you have a fight, don’t worry about who wins or who loses, no one is keeping score. Learn from it; use it as a ladder to better the relationship. Once you do that, you will feel that the reason the fight was about is beneath you. Forgiveness is an antibiotic from resentment, from bitterness. The sooner you swallow the forgiveness pills, the quicker it will destroy those microorganisms of negative feelings. March 2020 43
20
MINUTE MEALS… for Working Mums
Tuna with Orzo Pasta
by Soha Darwish
I love ‘lesan asfour’ which turns out to be Orzo Pasta - a relatively new discovery for myself. I always stock but rarely use it and it’s mostly forgotten at the back of my pantry. Until the day came for a quick pasta dish and I thought, well it’s pasta after all. The outcome is a brilliant recipe that leaves you nourished and satisfied.
Food Writer & Critic - Menu Consultant Diploma in Food Journalism - London, UK
To be honest, I’m not comfortable with restricting these meals ‘for working mums’ only. I believe that in this fast-paced era we live in and with the astronomical number of after school activities, stay-at-home mums can be equally busy, and their struggles aren’t any less. These recipes are genuinely manifested during storms of panic attacks in the kitchen, when all odds were against me; time and scarcity of ingredients. Nevertheless, most of these recipes turn out to be a big success and are then added to our home staples. I secretly cherish them more as they carry those memories of how they came to life, I mean to our table – all while appearing to be calm and in control masking my inner turmoil. Another hidden reason for my discreet admiration is, that although healthy food was not high on the agenda in those moments of fluster – was just seeking an edible wholesome dish - yet the nutritious value of these meals is significantly high. 44 March 2020
(Lesan Asfour)
Serves 4
SHOPPING BASKET: 1 ½ cup orzo pasta (boiled for 5 mins then strained) – 1 medium onion, finely chopped – 1 tuna can, drained – a handful of black olives, pitted – 2 tbsp tomato paste – ½ tsp dried basil – ½ tsp dried oregano – 2 garlic cloves, minced – 2 tbsp olive oil – 1 tbsp lemon juice - salt & black pepper. STEPS: 1. Start by boiling the orzo pasta in salted water for 7 mins, then strain and keep aside. 2. Meanwhile, chop the onion and stir fry in oil until light golden colour, then add the garlic and tomato paste. 3. Season with salt & pepper, sprinkle with the dried herbs then stir in the tuna & olives. 4. Add 2 cups of water; bring to the boil and simmer for 3 mins then add the pasta. 5. Simmer until sauce is partially absorbed, while often stirring gently. 6. Remove from heat and serve immediately with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Happy food!
Chicken Bouchées Serves 4 to 6
A Super Quick Stir-Fry Serves 4
While stir fries are quick to cook, they still need a lot of prep. So, it was inevitable that my good old kitchen machine will be needed here. Again, turned out to be a great unintentional move to trick my kids into eating heaps of veggies without even noticing another reason to be chuffed about it! SHOPPING BASKET: 2 carrots - 1 medium onion – 2 courgettes – 250g chestnut mushrooms – 400g medium prawns, peeled and deveined – 200g rice noodles – 3 garlic cloves – 3 tbsp vegetable oil – ½ tsp ginger powder – ¼ cup soya sauce – 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional) – salt & black pepper. STEPS: 1. In the kitchen machine, blitz all the vegetables including garlic and onions; until roughly chopped. 2. Soak the noodles in a bowl of cold water for about 3-5 mins until it softens, then drain. 3. Heat the oil in a wok or a large pan, until you see smoke coming out. 4. Add all the chopped vegetables and stir fry with a splash of soya sauce until light golden colour and excess liquids dry out. 5. Add the ginger, season with salt and pepper and then stir in the drained noodles; until well mixed. 5. Add the rest of the soya sauce and the prawns, mix gently until prawns are pink and cooked. You can add more soya sauce if you like and a splash of sesame oil at the end (optional). 6. Remove from heat and serve immediately. You won the veggies battle this time!
Another unconventional meal that is embarrassingly easy to make yet the joy it brings to everyone is just immeasurable! My memories of bouchées go back to attending birthday parties in the 80s as a child. Apparently, it was trendy back then, yet they always had a special place in my heart - not just for nostalgic reasons – but because crispy puff pastry filled to the rim with creamy chicken is just heavenly. So, when I saw them in supermarkets as already-baked shells, it was a done deal for me to revive those memories. I simply filled them with my regular creamy chicken with peas recipe (that I would usually have with white rice) and served them with a leafy salad. SHOPPING BASKET: 500g chicken fillets, diced - 1 medium onion, grated – 200g chest-nut mushrooms (optional), sliced – 250g cream - 1 tbsp lemon juice – 2 handfuls frozen peas – 1 handful flour – 2 tbsp vegetable oil – 1 pack of ready-made Bouchée (6 pieces) – salt & black pepper. STEPS: 1. In a medium saucepan, sauté the grated onion in oil until light golden colour. 2. Add the chicken and sauté for 1 min, season, then sprinkle the flour and sauté. 3. Cover with cream, bring to the boil then add 1 cup of water and simmer for 10 mins. 4. Finally, add the lemon juice and frozen peas then remove from heat (to stop the peas from cooking and losing its sweetness and moist). 5. I prefer to put the bouchée shells in a heated oven for few minutes, then fill them up with the chicken mixture and serve along with the salad. Enjoy! March 2020 45
6
BOOKS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD READ by Nada Abdelkader
Books are often described by many as other worlds in which we can easily step in and out whenever we please. They’re said to add special powers to one’s skill set, like tolerance and keeping an open mind. Whether it’s fiction or otherwise, we can all agree on the importance of books in our lives as women, first and foremost. We’ve all read stories and other people’s experiences that made us think and grow out of our shells and into better versions of ourselves. As much as we’ve all read, however, there’s still a lot of work to be done. There are a lot of important books we should all be reading and if you’re unsure what those books are, you don’t need to worry. We’ve listed them down for you in honor of the female empowerment month – the six most important books every woman should read at some point in her life! THE CONFIDENCE CODE, CLAIRE SHIPMAN AND KATTY KAY Confidence, it’s said by many, is a currency we can never receive too much of. In a world where the competition rises by miles in both life and work, confidence is now even more coveted than we’d have thought possible. Co-authors Claire Shipman and Katty Kay clearly knew this too because they dedicated an entire book to tell you about the confidence code, how to crack it, and how to achieve it. Many of the women who had read this book attested that it helped them grow more as people and had, in fact, helped them in being more confident than they had thought possible. 46 March 2020
THE HANDMAID’S TALE, MARGARET ATWOOD You might be familiar with the show, The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, but the source material is arguably the superior version of this story. For one thing, it had come out at a time when it was desperately needed, the mid-eighties, and radically transformed the dialogue around women in the world. If given the opportunity, you need to read this novel. It’s a classic with perpetually relevant themes like female agency, feminism as a whole, equality and societal rebellion. It’s admittedly hard to read at certain points because of the graphic factor so pleasantly peppered in, but you’ll be happy to read it in the end because it will make you think about your own life and choices in a way you wouldn’t have done so before.
HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, ISABEL ALLENDE An important installment to a culture rich in magical realism and extraordinary ideas, House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende is considered by many to be on par with Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, for good reasons too. House of the Spirits tells a story of the generations of a family in which the main protagonists, the women, move everything around them with their ideas, hopes, and dreams. It’s safe to say that this masterpiece started a literary revolution for its time and has affected a number of readers to foray into similar books rich in detail and reality made magical.
TRICK MIRROR, JIA TOLENTINO BOSSYPANTS, TINA FEY Another important book about confidence, Bossypants is actually a read that grows more relevant by the day. It’s a dive into Tina Fey’s life as a working mom and all the obstacles that always come her way and how she defeats them (or tries to defeat them along the way). Naturally, in a life where many women struggle to achieve that perfect balance between professional and family lives, Bossypants will offer a meaningful lens into this long-running conundrum, as well as make sure you know that it’s all okay. We all get there at our own pace.
A collection of nine deeply personal essays by a journalist may not seem like that much of a great read, but Trick Mirror will surprise you. In her book of collected essays, Jia Tolentino dives into everything from heroines in literary fiction and how they had inspired us all to her reality TV self to being assertive in every facet of her life. It’s been credited by many as a refreshing take on topics that we’ve all known but hadn’t written that much about. One perk that you will find in Trick Mirror is that it’s just never boring and the existence of a unique personal voice will make it incredibly entertaining to read.
LITTLE WOMEN, LOUISA MAY ALCOTT A known classic with a number of movie and TV adaptations, Little Women is an ever-popular classic that just never gets old, which is why you shouldn’t be denying yourself the pleasure of reading it. The protagonists of Little Women are as different as they come and they’re all important; each with a unique point of view and way of living, each praised for her courage. In this book, you’ll follow a journey into family, courage, dreams, and ambitions and you’ll be left feeling every emotion there is to feel. March 2020 47
identity
TRAVEL
TOP 4
FEMALE ONLY TRIPS by Joanna Neve
I’ve been incredibly lucky to travel solo to some of the most amazing places, including a month in Thailand and nearly two months in Nepal, as well as many shorter trips in European cities. But travelling alone can be scary, especially as a woman. In recent years tour companies have spotted this problem and a few now offer women only tour groups – allowing solo and single women to still travel and see the world! As there are quite a few around, we’ve taken the time to sift through them and here are our top picks. Maybe International Women’s Day will inspire you to try one out? 1. THE WEEKEND TRAVELLER (Girls on Travel, girlsontravel.co.uk) Since Egypt is very close to Europe, this company might be a good choice for women fancying a little weekend away at some point, but not a long trip. They offer short city breaks across Europe, so book two days off work around the weekend and you’ll be able to fit a decent break in. In April they have two tours running, one to Istanbul and another to the Jersey Channel Islands – exciting!
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2. THE BEACH GAL (Goddess Retreats, goddessretreats.com) This company was founded by a woman frustrated with how Asian travel was centred exclusively on men. She wanted a safe space for women to get introduced to surfing, so she went out and made it herself! If you like the coast, the sea-breeze and surfing - then this is the tour for you! Think drinks on the beach, sunrise yoga and female surf instructors. What’s not to love?
3. PERFECT FOR HIJABI WOMEN (Intrepid’s Women Only Expeditions, intrepidtravel. com) This tour company offers female only tours to a huge variety of places, from India to Nepal and Turkey. They’ve carefully thought out travel as a Muslim woman, and offer tours catered for hijabi women who can otherwise feel quite left out by tour groups: “We believe travel is for everyone. But in some countries, there are things mixed-gender groups just can’t do. What if, as a female traveller in Iran, you could head down to the beauty salon with your female leader and get your hair done? The hijab comes off and there’s a real chance to connect. Or you might prefer to lace up your hiking boots and head off on a trek in Nepal, led by an all-female mountaineering crew. This limitededition series of expeditions is all about breaking down barriers, fostering discussion and creating immersive local experiences for women that are ordinarily off limits on our regular group departures”.
4. FOR FREE-SPIRITS (The Solo Female Traveller Net-work,thesolofemalet ravelernetwork.com) This one is a little unofficial but I think it’s definitely worth including. Add this group on Facebook and you’ll see thousands of female travellers from all over the world sharing tips, ideas and advice. It was actually this page which motivated me to backpack Asia two years ago – and I’ve not stopped travelling since! As the group is so large (200,000+), women often step in to help out in their home countries if another traveller is in trouble and it’s a great security network. They also offer a few ‘global meet ups’ which are quite expensive but definitely worth it. Their website is an amazing resource for female travel advice, and have even posted a solo-female guide for travelling in Egypt to encourage single women to travel here – their last meet up was actually in Cairo!
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Getaways
WINTER
SRI LANKA 11 DAYS/ 10 NIGHTS Departure: Upon request Starting from: EGP 41,592 For more information visit: www.memphistours.com
PACKAGE INCLUDES • Exclusive excursions to the cities of Colombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and many more with visits to Sri Lanka’s cultural sites like Polonnaruwa and Matale Spice Garden. • Includes a 10 night accommodation in five-star hotels and transportation via air-conditioned vehicles.
IRELAND 9 DAYS/ 8 NIGHTS Departure: June 18th Starting from: USD 1199 For more information visit: www.cosmosvacations.in 50 March 2020
PACKAGE INCLUDES • This Ireland tour includes visits to landmarks like Giant’s Causeway, Dingle Peninsula, Blasket Islands, as well as excursions to vibrant Irish cities like Dublin, Belfast, and Galway, among others. • Includes an 8 night accommodation in high-end hotels, Wi-Fi, transportation via air-conditioned train, three daily meals.
SPAIN 14 DAYS/ 13 NIGHTS Departure: Upon request Starting from: EGP 28779 For more information visit: www.cosmosvacations.in
PACKAGE INCLUDES • Visits to the Spanish cities of Madrid, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Pamplona, Barcelona, and many more where you will take in the sights of the Ebro River, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pillar, and the Sierra Nevada. • Includes a 13 night accommodation, transportation, Wi-Fi, and 5 daily meals.
PERU 8 DAYS/ 7 NIGHTS Departure: May 3rd Starting from: USD 2299 For more information visit: www.globusjourneys.in
PACKAGE INCLUDES • A tour throughout Peru and its mesmerizing cities, including Lima and Cusco. Visits to ancient Peruvian wonders like the Machu Picchu, a number of pre-Columbian ruins, and the Temple of Sacsayhuaman. • Includes a 7 night accommodation in high-end hotels, daily meals, and Wi-Fi. March 2020 51
identity
OUT&ABOUT
MOTHER’S DAY
Special Outings
52 March 2020
This mother’s day pamper your mom with Avec Amour lavish brunch at Le Meridien Cairo Airport! Mezzeh is presenting an elaborate display of numerous culinary stations, including BBQ, pasta, meat carving, desserts and more. Mum’s sweet tooth will be treated with a complementary box of (avec amour) signature chocolates while we keep your little ones entertained with special kid’s activities Families are invited to celebrate Mothers’ Day at EVOO , where all mums enjoy complimentary dining! Treat Your Mom to a Day of Indulgence at Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts Because she is the most important one in your life, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts invite you to celebrate your beloved mom this Mother’s Day in a more special way. Make her feels like a queen with a royalty like accommodation or a pampering treatment at the world-class Mivida Spa which offers a range of the most professional body and skin care services at our 5 star hotels. Exclusive Marriott Bonvoy Moments for Members at Sheraton Sharm El Sheikh Experience the Charm of Sharm with a Snorkel Trip and Beach Dinner + Two-Night Suite Stay at Sheraton Sharm Hotel
Get inspired by the wonders of the Red Sea, and indulge in the luxury of a Sea View Corner Suite at the Sheraton Sharm Hotel, Resort, Villas & Spa. Spend a relaxing time on the shores of the Red Sea, snorkeling around the coral reefs and experience a candlelit Egyptian Bedouin dinner on the beach. Treat your mother on her special day at Marriott Mena House, Cairo Treat your mother like the queen she is and enjoy one of our enchanting dining experiences. At the spectacular 139 Pavilion, you are sure to impress your mom with the Great Pyramids as the master scene and the culinary offers on display are just perfect. For a more authentic Indian delight and exotic menu, the famous Moghul Room with its contemporary setting will be something to re-member. Show your love to the special woman in your life at Hilton Cairo Heliopolis Mother’s Day is a perfect time to reward your beloved Mum for her love and care. Express your appreciation by pampering her with a special dining experience in any of Hilton Cairo Heliopolis restaurants with the best food offerings to make her special day most memorable. Mum eats free in a group of three paying persons. Celebrates this special occasion with lots of sweet treats exclusively for the Mums available at Le Marché.
Celebrating Women and Mothers in Style at Grand Nile Tower In honor of our beloved mothers everywhere, Mother’s Day is even more special this year at Grand Nile Tower as we also celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8). Enjoy exquisite dining experiences by the Nile River in addition to special spa offers for a well-deserved treat on this special day. Enjoy a memorable dinner by the Nile at the Revolving Restaurant, with stunning views of the capital city from highest revolving restaurant in the Middle East. Enjoy the panoramic view while listening to a selection of music chosen especially for this memorable day. Make mom feel special this Mother’s Day at Sonesta Hotel, Tower and Casino - Cairo Say Thank you to the most passionate person in your life and show your mom how much you appreciate her hard work and love by pampering her on that very special day. Treat her to a day of luxurious spa treatments or give her a precious gift of relaxation by surprising her with a superb massage treatment at Bien Vivre Health club. Enjoy a special discount of 20% for moms who will enroll at our health club during the month of March. Wine and dine your special lady out at one of our finest restaurants and her meal will be complimentary on us or invite your two special ladies and you’ll have a discount of 50% on each of their meals. March 2020 53
A ROYAL OSCARS VIEWING NIGHT at the Cairo Marriott Hotel
The Cairo Marriott Hotel is always a place honoring art, cinema and music. Verdi’s masterpiece Opera Aida was played live for the first time in the heart of El Gezira Palace and the palace has also witnessed a lot of celebrities and well known figures visiting the country. In order to keep this rit-ual, Cairo Marriott hosted celebrities for a one-night stay at the Palace for an exclusive Private Viewing of Oscars 2020; the 92nd Academy. During the show they have shared their expectations for the award winners and created critics towards the movies and celebrities nominated to win. The Oscars viewing night starred Asma Sherif Moneer, Mahmoud Hegazy, Sherif Noureldin, Ashraf Hamdi, Hend Abdelhalim, Youssef Othman, Asmaa Galal, Mariam El Khosht, Omar El Shenawy, Yara El Gendy and Huda El Mufti at Cairo Marriott’s royal suite; Empress Eugenie suite. A delectable dinner from different restaurants of 54 March 2020
the hotel was another highlight. When the time was set to start watching the Oscars competition vibes reached its peak and everyone was sitting anticipating and waiting for the winners to be announced. For more fun, popcorn buckets were exclusively pre-pared and branded for this special occasion. Everyone was enjoying his time, capturing the moment and celebrating this once a year ceremony. Celebrities’ shared their favorite moments of this unforgettable evening with friend and family on social media using the hashtag #OscarsAtCairoMarriott to keep it as an everlasting memory. At the Royal Suite where Richard Gere and Yanni stayed, Cairo Marriott decided to show the Oscars and make it a very special night to be remembered by celebrities and those who value cinema, music and art.
The Nile Ritz-Carlton Spa Celebrates Women’s Month With Exclusive Experiences In celebration of women’s month and mother’s day, The Nile Ritz-Carlton Spa invites women for a luxurious pampering experience with special offers available exclusively throughout the month of March 2020.
your experience by reserving a three month spa membership and enjoy a complimentary membership for your mother, sister, aunt or your favorite girlfriend. The spa membership offer is available from March 1 to May 31, 2020.
Treat the most important women in your life to a spectacular Mother’s Day at The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo. For all that she does, mom deserves to feel like a queen. Treat her to an exclusive spa day and give her plenty of time to be spoiled with soothing spa treatments. There is no better gift to your beloved mom than offering her a motherdaughter escape from the rigors of city life at The Nile Ritz-Carlton Spa.
Allow our knowledgeable spa team to guide you to a treatment that is ideally suited to your needs. Relax in the expert hands of our therapists who are ready to craft your ultimate spa experience. Choose from an array of massages, body treatments, facials or opt for unrivalled indulgence with our beauty therapies – the first of its kind in Cairo.
Reserve a treatment of your choice and enjoy a complimentary treatment for the special woman in your life from March 7th to 9th, 2020. Expand
Reservations can be made via email at rc.cairz. spa.reception@ritzcarlton.com or by phone at 02 25778899. March 2020 55
Soma Bay GOLF & GOURMET EVENT!
This February, Soma Bay witnessed the second edition of their annual Golf tournament. A golf competition that welcomes a number of International Golf players from all around the world, and that lasts for the time span of a week.
Thalasso spa and water sports centers. Soma Bay is just 4 hours from central Europe and a short drive from Hurghada International Airport. Moreover, the ancient sites of Luxor and the Nile Valley are a convenient 2 hour drive away.
During that one week, Soma Bay’s Cascades Golf Hotel and Spa offers the green land fields designed by world-class Golfer Garry Player and the hotel’s top-notch chefs; headed by the German culinary chef Auto Koch, offers an unparalleled array of carefully selected sets of menus.
Soma Bay includes 5 major hotels. Kempiniski, Robinson, Sheraton, Cascades and the Breakers. In addition to the hotels, the bay offers countless facilities that serves the entire peninsula. Ranging from a marina, Kite House, Dive Center, Gas Station, and a medical facility and so much more.
By the end of that week, The Cascades Hotel hosted a rather lavish closing ceremony for the tournament; where the 12 winners of the tournament received their awards and danced the night away. Soma Bay is a ten million square meter resort peninsula, found right in the heart of Egypt’s Red Sea. Made specifically to utilize Egypt’s sun and sea. The peninsula is a complete self-contained resort paradise that features endless sandy beaches and magical coral reefs. Soma Bay hosts is famed for its unrivalled resort hotels, residential properties, golf course, 56 March 2020
Other than the hotel services, Soma Bay offers massive ground for real-estate. With projects like Abu Soma Reef, Wadi Jebal, Marina residences, Golf Town Houses…etc!
Avec Amour Brunch: This is How Le Méridien Cairo Airport celebrated the season of romance! Because everything is better with a little amour, Le Méridien Cairo Airport marked the most romantic time of the year by unveiling (avec amour) brunch with a passionate Kickoff celebration that puts a light-hearted twist and whimsical touch of amour at Mezzeh. The series commenced with a massive celebration that took place on Friday the 7th of February, seeing a host of guests including bloggers, influencers, and media personnel, who enjoyed a colourful spectrum of delights complemented by the exclusive Avec Amour range of desserts, pastries, and chocolates. The brunch also included an endless flow of sparkling Kir Royale cocktails, adding a touch of glamour to the whole feast. Guests were invited also to spread a little extra dose of love and joy by writing an Anonymous love messages using avec amour post cards which were sent with a box of red roses to all guests spending Valentin’s night at the hotel. Yes we enjoyed Little moments of indulgence (avec amour).
March 2020 57
NEW YORKER IS COMING TO EGYPT! The international young fashion company NEW YORKER is going to celebrate its market entry in Egypt with a grand store opening in Cairo! Finally - NEW YORKER is coming to Egypt! The new store is opening in Cairo in Citystars Mall on February 20.2020. On about 900 m² of sales space, the fashion label will offer a wide range of the latest trends and fashion highlights. Based in Braunschweig, Germany, NEW YORKER is a successful player in the young fashion business with over 1,200 stores in 44 countries. In 40 years, the company has made it to one of the world’s largest fashion brands and now employs over 18,000 people. NEW YORKER stands for fashion, which reinvents itself every day. Whether casual street style or elegant party look – with NEW YORKER everyone finds the right outfit for the perfect appearance at a good price.
58 March 2020
FABRIKA X GHABOUR NOZHA-LAND LAUNCH GB Ghabour and Fabrika proudly announces the launch of their Nozha-land, Nasr City brand. The event took place on the 28th of January and witnessed the presence of Fabrika’s AVP, Mr Ahmed El Bazz. El Bazz proudly discussed how this branch is an important asset in the family of both Fabrika and Ghabour. The new branch, a showroom, is a new concept they wanted to utilize and experiment with especially to cover the colossal area of Nasr City. The main aim behind the showroom is meeting their clients down at the market. Where clients would be able to deal directly with the selling company and hence facilitating all aspects of the carbuying process; amongst the many other privileges this new branch has to offer. The cars on display are all owned by Fabrika and they come in both GB brands and non GB brands; with extended warranty, top-notch service and great prices.
An architectural masterpiece: Al-Borouj Misr developments launches the New Capital Business Center “6ixty Business Park” with Super star “Amr Diab”. Al-Borouj Misr developments announced the launch of “6ixty Business Park”, the one of a kind fully-fledged business center in the “financial district” in the New Capital, with a celebration featuring superstar Amr Diab.
A Cigar Night at Conrad Cairo Conrad Cairo held an elegant Cigar Night at Stage One Lounge for the Cigar lovers. The event was attended by the top VIP political and social figures in Egypt. The invited guests enjoyed the signature cocktails and the delicious food which being served in addition to the live entertainment, stylish décor and sophisticated mood lighting, all of which make this beautiful Cairo Lounge an outstanding night spot.
Sara Onsi, the Egyptian International fashion designer, just launched “ ”هيCollection ) which means HER in English) during Milan Fashion Week 2020. By showcasing her uniquely fashionable haute couture and prêt-à-Porter collections, after being the revelation in New York, London and Paris Fashion Week.
EIM re-launches Renault Megane 1.2 Turbo in Egyptian Market With a strategy aimed at providing the Egyptian local market with the latest French technologies and enhancing confidence in the brand, leading automotive company EIM announced plans to re-launch the four-door Megane 1.2 Turbo in Egypt. EIM’s latest addition to its diverse portfolio of cars comes with a dynamic design that is reflected in the exterior part of the car is characterized with elegance and smooth flow. The new Megane is expected to become one of the most competitive and selling cars in Egypt in the coming years.
Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa Recognized as the Best Luxury Wellness Spa in Egypt Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa is named the “Best Luxury Wellness Spa in Egypt” for 2019 by the International Spa Awards. The annual award is a notable achievement; granted to the most voted for facilities that meet the specific criteria of the comprehensive assessment by International Spa Awards.
Philip Morris International shares its transformational experience with world experts The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which took place last week, witnessed remarkable participation from global economic institutions and organizations, which have become key contributors to building and shaping the future.
Mazera: Tailored Assistance to Lavish Services Huawei launches HUAWEI Mate Xs - The king of foldable phones Entreprenelle and AVON organize “Stand4Her – The Green Challenge” competition to reduce the harm resulting from the single use of plastic Entreprenelle, the social development organization, organized the “Stand4Her – The Green Challenge” in collaboration with cosmetics giant ‘AVON’ to tackle Egypt’s environmental challenges associated with the single-use of plastic products. 60 March 2020
During a virtual press conference themed “TOGETHER, Connecting Possibilities,” Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) launched the HUAWEI Mate Xs, the next evolution of the revolutionary HUAWEI Mate X foldable handset. Packed full of Huawei’s newest technology, the HUAWEI Mate Xs is considered Huawei’s most high-end device featuring the Kirin 990 5G SoC and an improved Falcon Wing Design, delivering powerful performance and a seamless user experience across smartphone and tablet modes.
Believing that the luxuries of life can be delivered in a blink of an eye, Mazera opens its doors in Egypt, offering people the opportunity to have a number of splendour experiences through the company’s ser-vices. Mazera is the first full-service platform serving consumers with tailored high-end services set to match their individual demands in the most prestigious way. From travel assistance to personal stylists, Mazera welcomes its distinguished members to join its journey of elite lifestyle services, where members get to taste a new meaning of luxury.
USAID and PepsiCo Egypt Celebrate First Potato Harvest under New Partnership to Support Egyptian Farmers
TVs, phones, and a lot more: Samsung showcases what’s in store for the region at the MENA Forum 2020
Beni Suef – The U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and PepsiCo Egypt celebrated the first potato harvest under a new partnership to im-prove farmer livelihoods and increase transparency and sustainability in the potato supply chain. USAID Egypt Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin and PepsiCo Agriculture Team Lead Amr Ebrahim participated in the harvest event.
Samsung Electronics Middle East and North Africa (MENA) today shared its new lineup of advanced innovations at its latest MENA Forum in Malta, all of which have been designed with a human-centric approach to solve problems and enhance people’s lives. The MENA has emerged as key market and major hub for technology innovation having witnessed an extraordinary shift in all as-pects of the tech ecosystem, and the brand’s ‘Age of Experience’ product range will build and cre-ate new opportunities as it progresses.
realme Will Debut at MWC 2020 with Its First 5G Flagship Product—realme X50 Pro 5G realme, the fastest growing smartphone brand, officially announced today that it would hold the 5G new product launch event with the theme of “Speed of the Future” at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain at 9:30 am on February 24th (UTC+01:00). The first 5G flagship smartphone of realme, realme X50 Pro 5G, will debut on site.
SEAT Tops Volkswagen Group sales in Egypt for second consecutive year Kayan Egypt for Trading and Investment—Egypt’s official SEAT Importer—has re-leased the 2019 sales figures for the Spanish brand, and the local numbers are aston-ishing. Last year, SEAT Egypt achieved another record sales volume, up 101% to over 5,000 vehicles, leading Volkswagen Group’s growth in Egypt for the second consecutive year, and outperforming the German group’s other brands in the local market.
Uber collaborates with Mohamed Heneidi in UberBus ad Forbes Magazine chooses Chairman of Egytrans Abir Leheta as one of the 100 most powerful businesswomen in the Middle East
Comedian superstar Mohamed Heneidi relives his popular roles in his latest collaboration with Uber in their new ad, “Ewsal Mertah”, that showcases UberBus’ convenience for daily commuters.
Forbes Magazine nominated Chairman & CEO of Egytrans, one of the leading Transport and Logistics Companies in Egypt, Eng. Abir Leheta among the list of the 100 most powerful businesswomen in the Middle East for the year 2020.
Superstar Mohamed Heneidi stated that his collaboration with Uber stems from his encouragement to the UberBus idea, that will provide its users with safe and high quality service at the lowest costs. March 2020 61
Dino Activations announces Blue Man Group by Cirque du Soleil En-tertainment Group in Egypt for the first time. Internationally-renowned brand activation agency, Dino Activations, brings to Egypt for the first time ever Blue Man Group by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group – one of the most sought-after experiential performances around the world.
AUC CELEBRATES THE BEGINNING OF ITS SECOND CENTURY The American University in Cairo (AUC) celebrated this week the beginning of its new century at AUC New Cairo Campus. Established in 1919, AUC started its centennial celebrations in Febru-ary last year focusing on the University’s past and deeprooted history in Egypt and the region. This year, AUC is focusing on the future and its plans in the next 100 years with “Be the Future” as its overarching theme. 62 March 2020
Elsewedy Industrial Development and Elsewedy Electric Highlight Investment Opportunities in Egypt Elsewedy Industrial Development (SD), a leading regional industrial park developer, service pro-vider and subsidiary of Elsewedy Electric, kickstarted one of their biggest roadshows across Europe, in Paris, France on yestarday during the ‘French Egyptian Commercial and Industrial Day’.
Steigenberger ALDAU Resort Reaches a New Milestone with Receiving 100 Awards The leading hospitality property of ALDAU Development in Hurghada is filled with pride to an-nounce reaching such a great milestone in the beginning of 2020 and raising the number of awards received to a hundred awards! Based on guests’ feedback and satisfaction scores.
The Future Changes Shape: Express Yourself with Galaxy Z Flip 2020 Safer Internet Day: TikTok Launches In-App Safety Quiz to Raise Aware-ness on Online Safety and Spreading Positive Community Values To mark this year’s Safer Internet Day (SID), TikTok, the world’s leading short video platform, launched an in-app quiz to support the annual initiative promoting safer internet usage and provide its millions of users around the world with online safety tips.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip, a new, statement-making foldable smartphone. Galaxy Z Flip is bold and stylish – designed for those who see cutting-edge technology as a way to express themselves. Engineered with first-of-its-kind foldable glass, Galaxy Z Flip bends the laws of physics, and features a 6.7-inch display that folds into a stylish and compact form factor that fits in the palm of your hand.
Triple award: GROHE SmartControl faucets are the new darling in the kitchen Over 1,500 consumers and a 15-member jury of experts for the Kitchen Innovation Prize agree: GROHE Zedra SmartControl has been named “Kitchen Innovation of the Year® 2020” in the cat-egory “Kitchen Sinks and Fittings”.
For the first time in Egypt: Henkel to introduce Plastic Bank Ecosystems Initiative Henkel is proudly introducing *Plastic Bank Ecosystems to Egypt, for the very first time, as a result of its prosperous 5 years partnership with Plastic Bank - a social enterprise which aims to stop ocean plastic and provide opportunities for disenfranchised people in the communities in which it operates.
Hilton Cairo Zamalek Participates in the VeryNile Initiative Hilton Cairo Zamalek had the honor to host Her Excellency Minister of Environment Dr. Yasmine Fouad, the youthled initiative VeryNile, and the Zamalek Association in launching the initiative to ban single-use plastic bags from the island of Zamalek. “We’re proud to be partnering with VeryNile and the Zamalek Association, under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, to raise awareness of the harms caused by single-use plastic bags across Zamalek,” said Tarek Zaki, General Manager of Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences.
Jaz Hotel Group Celebrates Another Win Award season is just getting started, placing more and more medals of honor next to the Jaz name. All hard earned recognitions are from renowned travel review portals as a result of providing guests with unmatched holiday experiences across the Jaz Hotel Group portfolio. Amongst these prestigious awards is the TopHotels Award of Excellence, presented to two of Egypt’s magnificent destinations, Madinat Makadi and Sharm ElSheikh.
Egyptian Matchmaking App Harmonica Rebrands as Hawaya Cairo-based matchmaking app Harmonica today announced that it has rebranded itself as Hawaya. The new name is inspired by the word “Hawa” which means “Love” in Arabic, and better represents the brand’s values and connection with Muslim culture.
The Cairo Marriott Hotel Hosting El Nidaa First Gala Dinner The Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam had the pleasure to host El Nidaa Foundation 1st Gala Dinner at Aida Ballroom. Event was held under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and at-tended by over 300 guest. Proceeds of the event went to EL Nidaa Foundation project that is aim-ing to support Women in Upper Egypt. ENID or El Nidaa Foundation; The Egypt Network for Inte-grated Development is working as one of the UNDP projects aiming to support the community. March 2020 63
identity
SIGNS
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
STRENGTHS: Compassionate, artistic, intuitive. WEAKNESSES: Fearful, overly trusting, and sad. FRIENDSHIP: Pisces are quite sociable and they are often surrounded by a lot of people. Pisces are kind and selfless and always have people’s best interest in mind. The thing that makes their friendships last for life. MOST COMPATIBLE WITH IN FRIENDSHIP: Aries, Libra, Sagittarius, Leo, Cancer.
FRIENDSHIP COMPATIBILITY ARIES: Aries are easy-going and fearless. The thing that could seem weird to you, but you will definitely enjoy the differences in personality. You, Aries, will never know what hit you so just give in to those Adrenaline junkies and enjoy the ride. TAURUS: You and Taurus will probably have a long-lasting friendship. This personality knows how to keep the people around them grounded and down to earth. Also, they are great problem solvers. They will come in very handy whenever you are struggling with something. GEMINI: This friendship is always a struggle. Most of the time, you will find it hard to keep up with their emotional roller-coaster and you will find it easier to stop being friends. But, once you realize how much fun they are, you will change your mind. CANCER: This is a great friendship match. The Cancer friend in your life is your comfort zone. There’s this sort of telepathy connection between you two. They know when you’re feeling down and will always have your back. LEO: Having a friendship with a Leo can definitely be a challenge. You guys are basically counterparts. Leos crave attention and you want to hide from the lights. Once you make peace with your differences, you will be best buds! 64 March 2020
VIRGO: Another tricky friendship is that one you have with Virgos. However, their loyalty and honesty will make you put up with your opposing lifestyles. LIBRA: You and Libras probably won’t be best friends. You two bring out the worst in each other. We think, you will have better luck matching with other signs. SCORPIO: Amazing match. What you think of as your weak points are actually strong points in their opinion. Your sensitivity is something they appreciate, especially given the fact that they have difficulties in this specific area! SAGITTARIUS: Forming a friendship with Sagittarius can be hard for you. They are very outgoing and enthusiastic, something that could be uncomfortable for a chill person like you. CAPRICORN: Capricorns and Pisces are great matches. You two are very much alike, it’s a piece of cake kind of friendship. AQUARIUS: Your friendship with Aquarius is so much fun. You guys balance each other’s weak points and enjoy the organized fun you bring to the friendship. PISCES: Since you guys belong to the same sign, you have a lot in common. It will be like looking at your own mirror reflection. But, beware of the boredom!
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