The Mirage of Joy

JANUARY 2017 - 15 L.E.,VOLUME 12, ISSUE 4 WWW.IDENTITY-MAG.COM

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Wardrobe Update 2017

Capture the Moment, Don’t Save it!

Fashion Finds

Love

Hairstyles ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!

the

Mirage of Joy NEW YEAR NEW MUSIC

the fusionist

Hisham Kharma

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IDENTITY January 2017

volume 12 issue 04

Founder & Managing Editor ROLA KAMEL Editor-in-Chief NAWAL ISMAIL Copy-Editor AMINA EL FAYOUMY Junior Editors ALIA EL SAADY FARAH KHEDRE NOUR YOUNIS Freelance Writer AMINA ELGHANDOUR TARA SHEHATA

M

y father has always told me “Be true to yourself, no matter what”. As I set to embark on the new year, I find myself constantly being reminded by his wise words and asking myself every single day where have I strayed.

Dealing with people has become extremely energy draining. I now tend to be more flexible and accepting of things I would have never otherwise given my consent, because of all the difficult challenges we are facing to keep businesses afloat. Becoming true to myself, in itself, has become a tricky challenge.

My New Year resolution is to be happy, enough compromises.

Rola Kamel Identity Magazine was founded in 2005 by Rola Kamel to enhance every aspect of a woman’s life style, helping our female readers to discover and improve their own identities.

The subscription rate to Identity is 180 L.E. for one year (12 issues) by Al Ahram, Tel: 02-27703190 Distribution by AL AHRAM Website Company: QPIX SOLUTIONS Printing House: INTERNATIONAL PRINTING HOUSE (IPH) Contact us at: 26A Montazah St., Zamalek, Cairo-Egypt. Tel: 0227361187 Mobile: 0122-9401071 email: sendus@identity-mag.com www.identity-mag.com

IDENTITYMAGEG

4 January 2017

Relationship Expert MARWA RAKHA Fashion Expert NAHED KAZZIHA Senior Graphic Designer ALIA EL ABD Junior Graphic Designer SANDY SAIED Marketing & Advertising Manager RIHAM YEHIA Digital Marketing Manager STEVE NABEEL Social Media Executive YOUSSEF ALI Video Editor OMAR AHMED Identity Magazine Distributors ASHRAF FOUAD ESSAM IBRAHIM

IDENTITYcontents

the fusionist see page 28

JOY

6 Q&A 8 Big Night, Small Purse 10 Tick Tock 13 How People Define Happiness 14 The Illusion of Happiness 15 Coffee! The All-Natural-Cure-All

STYLE 16 18 20 22 24

Beauty Benefits of Coconut Oil Hairstyles for Every Occasion Ready for a Night Out Back to Work Nab the Look

STUCK IN A RUT page 12 6 January 2017

IN DEPTH

36 The Search for Happiness 40 Eleven Ways to Make You Happy 44 Self-Help Books?

46 Why Can’t We Capture The Moment?

48 Happiness through Magic 50 The Cure to Your Jinx

OUT & ABOUT 52 56 58 60

Advertorial Snaps Press Releases Horoscopes

THE SADNESS OF GIVING BACK page 42

Q&A Identity

The Hottest Huawei Hits of 2016

Huawei Consumer Business Group is slowly but surely taking over the world with its integration into almost every aspect you can think of. Be it Fashion, Sports, Film, Art, and Photography, Huawei are present making Grade A contributions. The global tech giant values fashion, sports, and cultural creations the same way it does innovation and puts in grave efforts producing cutting edge, quirky and relevant pieces of technology that match a multitude of different personalities.

In the spirit of the new year, our team thought about taking up a new habit; the habit of asking personal questions to get to know each other better. In the process, you, our readers, will get more familiar with the people behind the words we sure hope you enjoy reading every issue. Happy New Year!

Q: What keeps you going?

A’s: “Life has many ups and downs, neither up nor down for long. I had a mission when I first started this magazine, and believe it or not, it’s the only thing that keeps me going. It takes up all of my energy, frustration, joy and fulfillment. It completes me, leaving no time to feel sorry for myself or anything around me.” Rola

Amina Khalil dazzles in a Norine Farah creation, holding the new P9 smartphone inspired by Huawei’s new colors

Huawei has sponsored many high end fashion activities such Cairo Fashion Festival. Launching two of the season’s hottest colors, season 7 was themed in Huawei’s new P9 red and blue colors.

“Many things, but other people keep me going. The people I don’t want to let down, the people I help draw a smile on their face.” Steve “My mom.” Alia A.

Kinda Alloush was Huawei’s star Guest of honor at Season 6 of Cairo fashion Festival

“I think it’s mostly the people I care about. They help me go the extra mile.” Alia S.

The time when Huawei launched an exclusive photography competition on its social media pages under the title “Huawei Captures Egypt.”

“I like to think it’s determination or wanting to achieve my dreams so much, but as the time passed by, I realised it was a mixture of fear of failure and believing so hard in what I want to do.” Nour

“My failures.” Riham 8 January 2017

In early February, the great Pyramids of Giza, hosted the launch of electronic wonders, Mate 8 and Huawei watch. The event was complete with acrobats, music and a special performance by legendary pianist and composer, Omar Khairat.

And in May, the P9 coengineered with Leica, launch took place at the Nile Ritz-Carlton. The event was extravagant and beautifully set, topped off with a star performance by Nicole Saba.

Or the time when Huawei had the first dress inspired by their Mate 8 smartphone, created especially for them, by super talented fashion designer Norine Farah

“The hope that someday I’ll make a difference.” Youssef “Me. I keep myself going. I’m not who I want to be yet, and this keeps me going. I know I’m not done. There are days when I don’t know what I want to be or who I want to be, but I make small adjustments everyday. I take small steps to figure out who I want to become. I also know that I don’t have to have a clear-vision right now; I just need to keep going. I recognise what makes me happy and what doesn’t. I realise when I’m let down or when I let others down. I either recreate and repeat or learn and move forward.” Farah Khedre

The time when Huawei became the latest and most prominent addition to Al Ahly football club, building emotional connections between Huawei and Al Ahly fans.

Last but not least, when Khaled Fadda was the first professional photographer in Egypt to use a smartphone to capture a photoshoot of stunning actress Dorra Zarrouk, using the mate 8.

Huawei sponsored one of the premieres of the best movies of the year ‘30 years ago’. The Huawei P9, was the official sponsor for the movie and played an important role in several scenes of the movie.

Huawei is taking over our lives and literally taking over the world, meshing different aspects and segments, ultimately building a better connected world. There you have it! Huawei’s hottest 2016 moments.

IDENTITYstyle

Zara Okhtein

Edie Parker

BIG NIGHT, Small Purse

by Nahed Kazziha

Sometimes the biggest nights call for the tiniest of clutches. Honestly, the last thing you want to do during your soiree is lug around a gigantic hobo.

Going hands-free is also an option, but certainly not for the faint of heart. The golden mean is finding the perfect little purse to fit in your bare essentials: keys, cash, lipstick and ID. No more, no less. Keep your belongings close by without compromising on style and add that adorable accent to your outfit.

Sarah’s Bag

Mango

Nathalie Trad

Dolce & Gabbana

Sara Battaglia

Bottega Veneta

10 January 2017

Jimmy Choo

Alexander McQueen

IDENTITYstyle

Zadig & Voltaire

Casio G Shock Toywatch

Nixon

Best of Instagram

Larsson & Jennings

TICK TOCK

Bvlgari

Photography: Ahmed Kadry, Model: Farida ElKattan

by Nahed Kazziha

In our fast-paced world, it is near impossible to survive without timepieces.

But would a true fashion-girl rely on her iPhone to tell time? Never! From the functional to the delicate, wristwatches are not limited to practical sartor. Your choice of watch speaks leaps and bounds about your personality. So, adorn your wrist with the most useful accessory of all time (pun intended) to stay fashionably punctual.

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Cartier Gucci

IDENTITYadvice nor backward. Stagnation and feeling stuck are the destiny of any relationship that lasts for too long without a purpose. It’s normal for people to feel bored, lost, uncertain and zombie-like: unalive and undead!

A relationship, like human beings, grows physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Physical growth is the easiest to spot; moving from casual dating to exclusivity, then from exclusivity to commitment, then engagement, then marriage, then wanting to have kids together, then actually having kids and raising them, and finally merging the physical growth of your relationship with the physical growth of the kids and its stages. If you decide not to have kids, the major investment will be in the emotional and spiritual aspects.

Emotional growth is about the depth of your interdependence. In the beginning, you like one another and you are both keen on showing the best of yourselves. You then begin an intense sharing and opening up phase where you share your past experiences, fears and thoughts; followed by a phase

by Marwa Rakha of total comfort where you are comfortable sharing Dear Marwa, anything with your partner. You accept your partner’s flaws and acknowledge that you need that person in Lately, I’ve been having mixed feelings towards my your life just as much as he needs you in his. Your love relationship. I’ve been dating my long time boyfriend now is no longer a luxury; it’s a bond that keeps you for 3 years now and we’re definitely long past the together and allows you to forgive the flaws. honeymoon phase. At first, I had come to terms with the loss of romance in our relationship because Finally, spiritual growth is an aspect of a truly mature it was replaced with more important things like relationship. You two have found a common purpose, comfort and security. Which I can wholeheartedly other than kids, to wake up to! You have a common affirm are a lot better than the uncertainty involved “raison d’être” and you have fully committed to that in the current modern dating age. My only issue is mission. I have seen couples who have grown spiritually to unite and help street children; others have worked that I find myself comparing my relationship to my on education. Some have made it their goal to work friends’ relationships and constantly asking myself: with children with learning disabilities, while others Am I happy? The problem is, I don’t really know if have created literacy-friendly places (bookshops that I am. I can say that I’m content with the way things actually help you enjoy reading). are, but I believe the “happiness” wore off a long time ago. Is there any way I can possibly stop the The only way out of your rut is a push towards change comparisons and be as happy as I used to be? in the direction of relationship growth. If you choose to leave, you will eventually start a new relationship and after a few years you will feel stagnant again. If you look Sincerely, at your partner now, and you do not see the future Unhappy in Love growth, then before you end the relationship, discuss Dear Unhappy in Love, this article with him and see how he feels about your future together. If the two of you cannot see the future, Stagnation is a relationship’s worst enemy! You are then it’s best to end this relationship amiably. stuck in a rut and you are neither moving forward

STUCK IN A RUT

14 January 2017

How People Define HAPPINESS

by Tara Shehata

The term ‘Happiness’ varies from one person to another. We all go seeking it, never fully understanding what it truly means. We’ve made it seem like a utopic far, far away land, always ahead of us, somehow intangible, yet still within our reach. Here are 10 people from different socioeconomic backgrounds who’ve shared with us what happiness means to them: “Happy is he who starts a project. Happy is he who finds that his life is worth living. Happy is he who has an idea and has the capacity to execute it. Happy is he who has a successful married life.

Happy is life in itself.” - 3am Reda, driver.

“All days, thank God” - Nasser, driver.

“Happiness is a really profound state of being. It’s peace.

It’s being fulfilled and feeling like you’ve done your duty “Happiness, simply put, is when life seems to be going and what you needed to do. It’s being at peace with well for you, nothing more than that.” - Saada, cook. yourself and with the universe around you. It’s being in harmony with the world and with the whole universe, “Happiness is making your dreams come true. It’s no matter what that means to you.” - Mona, teacher. knowing what you want in life, and actually doing it.

Whatever you love, it’s about making it come true and “Happiness is bits and pieces. It’s not a permanent state living it.”- Hassan, kiosk keeper. of being. It’s more like excerpts of your life. Moments you cherish. Like that time your boyfriend told you he “What’s happiness? Chocolate is happiness. Food is loved you, or that time you danced with your dad at happiness.” - Sara, student. a party, or that time you hugged someone you had missed for such a long time. It’s just bits from our lives.

“Happiness is having someone by your side through Moments that we’d never trade for anything. That’s thick and thin.” - Yomna, student. happiness I think.” - Farida, writer.

“Happiness is just being happy in everything and From 20 year olds to 60 year olds, the term “happiness” anything, in your house or with your kids. Happiness is remains uncertain. It tends to fluctuate around notions having your mind, body and soul at ease and in peace.” of satisfaction, peace and harmony. Although people of - 3am Ramadan, concierge. different socio-economic classes didn’t seem to have entirely different stances on what happiness is, but “It’s to see you. Happiness is having your mind at rest it’s clearly perceptible that those of a more modest and to stop worrying too much. It’s to be satisfied and background gave simpler and more humble meanings content with yourself and your surroundings.” to the term ‘Happiness’.

- Mina, lawyer.

January 2017 15

IDENTITYjoy

The Illusion of Happiness

Coffee!

by Alia Elsaady

A lot of people talk about how they found their “happiness”. There are motivational speeches, books and even films about how you can reach the ever elusive goal to “be happy”. But if you ask someone about how they are and they state that they’re “happy”, it’s probably not the case. At times, we tend to forget that happiness is just an emotion and not a state of being. Which brings us to the bold and arguably controversial point that: Happy people are lying! When we see or hear that someone is happy, it’s probably more to do with what we see at face value and less to do with how they actually are. Here are a few reasons why we should rethink everything when it comes to these so-called happy people: WE DON’T REALLY SEE EVERYTHING When you reach the decision on whether or not someone is truly happy, it’s usually based off on two things: what you see and what you hear. If you ask someone how they’re doing and they say they’re happy, it might not be the case. Real people can’t just be happy all the time; everyone is burdened with problems and things that affect them. And in that sense, happiness isn’t synonymous with constant smiling and joyfulness. So when someone says they’re happy, rethink what they said before you start thinking of how great their life must be.

Another way you might find out whether someone’s supposedly happy is through observation; you might see a photo on social media or spot the person in public.

But appearances can truly be deceiving, so be careful of making assumptions about people without getting their full story.

OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HAPPINESS VARIES You need to really sit down and think about what happiness means to you. For some, it might mean a stable relationship, a fulfilling job or a lot of money and possessions. It might even be the whole package! But the truth is, someone might have the whole package and still not be happy. As said before, everyone has troubles and problems that only they can see and owning or having material things might not be affecting 16 January 2017

The All-natural cure-all

By Alia El Saady

C

offee is a wondrous drink that gives us the energy to jumpstart our day. When consumed, this black beverage can turn your average joe into a superhero in a matter of minutes. It truly has magic powers.

But with 400 billion cups consumed each year, we have to ask what makes coffee so special? We believe there’s more to this beverage than the caffeine energy kick.

their happiness level in the slightest. At the end of the day, our perception of what it takes to be happy varies from person to person.

OUR PERCEPTIONS ARE CONSTRUCTED When you think about it, our ideas on what we need to be happy are constructed by society and the media.

Society has told us that all happy people are married for example, and the media has shown us that we need certain material goods to be as happy as the people in an advertisement or poster. Happiness has become a construct that has made people believe they need certain things in order to feel truly fulfilled. But we need to realize that all these things aren’t the doorway to happiness, and that there’s more to it than that.

MINIMIZES RISK OF DIABETES A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health on 7629 participants with type 2 diabetes, increasing the coffee intake of a specific sample by a cup a day for a period of four years, concluded that those who increased their coffee intake were actually less at risk of a diabetic attack than their counterparts who hadn’t increased their daily intake at all.

Caffeine also has the ability to break down body fat into fatty acids that the body can use as fuel. Along with giving you energy, caffeine can actually enhance your physical ability so that your body can endure and do more than it normally would.

PROTECTS THE LIVER Many common liver diseases can lead to a condition named cirrhosis where the liver is replaced with scar AIDS IN FAT BURNING tissue. A study conducted by the American Medical Caffeine can be found in most fat burning supplements Association found that if you drink 4 or more cups per and there is a reason for that. Caffeine is one of the day, you reduce your risk of cirrhosis by 80%. very few natural substances that has been known to burn fats. It can even increase the metabolic rate CAN AFFECT HAPPINESS LEVELS from 3-11 % as suggested by the American Journal of Caffeine has the capacity to boost your mood and Clinical Nutrition. Your metabolism is your body’s way significantly reduce the risk of depression because of of shedding calories and fats, and with steady intake of its ability to affect cognition. In a 2011 Harvard study, women who drank 4 cups of coffee per day had a 20% coffee, you can speed up this process. lower risk of depression. So if you usually feel better INCREASES PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE after you’ve had your morning cup of joe, then it’s Coffee releases Adrenaline into the blood which allows probably because of that! the body to prepare itself for intense physical exertion.

January 2017 17

IDENTITYbeauty

SKIN CARE Shaving Balm When you shave your legs, you’re also exposing your skin to dryness and weathering which might be bad in the long run. Rub coconut oil on your legs before you shave, and then start shaving with the razor. The nature of the oil itself allows for it not to clog up your razor or your pores while also giving you the moisture you need post the clean shave. You’ll actually find that your skin is much softer than it usually is when you use shaving cream or soap.

Acne Treatment:

BEAUTY BENEFITS OF

COCONUT OIL

by Alia El Saady

Coconut oil is one of nature’s many gifts to us. It has so many different uses and should be a staple beauty item on your dresser. Before you splurge on beauty items at your local make-up store, head on down to the super market and buy you a jar of this miracle oil.

Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial capabilities. It is able to penetrate into the skin without clogging pores and neutralizes inflammation while killing off germs. Because of the protective properties in the oil, spreading it on the skin creates a tiny film that protects your face from the harmful effects of the environment. The most effective method for using coconut oil to treat acne is to apply it directly to the skin and allow it to soak in.

Eye Make-up Remover: Another great function for coconut oil is that it acts as an awesome eye makeup remover which is good because you won’t have to tug and rub. It truly works wonders. And because it’s also a great moisturizer, it serves as the perfect treatment for your eyes after a long day of heavy mascara application. Just apply a little dab on a cotton swab and rub gently on your eyelids. The reason coconut oil works so well at taking off eye makeup is because it’s able to break up the water resistant substances used in eye shadow and mascara. And works doubly well because it keeps your skin soft too!

DENTAL CARE

HAIR CARE Leave in Treatment

Oil pulling

If you feel like your long locks have lost their luster, then maybe you need to do some deep conditioning. And there’s no better leave in treatment than coconut oil. All you’ll need for this nourishing treatment is a towel and a little bit of patience. Apply the coconut oil to your hair after you shower while your hair is still damp. Comb it in to your hair, taking care to evenly spread the oil on your scalp. Cover your hair with a towel and leave the coconut oil to work its magic overnight. Rinse out with a gentle shampoo. You’ll find that the coconut oil has conditioned your hair from end to end. But that’s not all, coconut oil is particularly special because it reduces protein loss in hair and as a result prevents dryness. And because of the low molecular weight of the lauric acid in coconut oil, it actually gets into the hair shaft working its nourishing magic for perfectly lush locks.

Coconut oil pulling is one of the best ways to remove bacteria and promote healthy gums. Oil pulling works in the same way that soap does when cleaning dirty dishes; it literally sucks the dirt out. Oil pulling creates a clean oral environment that allows for better prevention of cavities and disease. To oil pull, start the process in the morning by swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil around in your mouth for 15-20 mins. Spit oil and rinse with warm water and brush your teeth as normal after.

Hair Detangler:

Conditioning Wood

There are lots of ways to combat frizz and detangle hair. And coconut oil works best, because it’s able to nourish the hair while allowing for minimal unruliness and making it more manageable. Start with completely wet hair and add some oil to help comb through the coils without having to harm your hair.

Because of the nature of the viscosity of the coconut oil, it promotes the integrity and shine of wooden surfaces and utensils. The oil will also protect the utensil from the environment and any weathering that might occur with time. After cleaning the surface or utensil, polish the wood with coconut oil by massaging it into the wood and letting it seep in.

Dandruff Treatment: You can put down the Head and Shoulders and grab your handy jar of coconut oil when faced with dreaded dandruff. Apply to your scalp before you shower and rinse off. The way the coconut oil works on your scalp has to do with the anti fungal and antimicrobial properties of the oil that target the root cause of dandruff. But also because coconut oil is a natural moisturizer, it is a lot gentler than chemical shampoo and hair treatments.

18 January 2017

HOUSEHOLD CARE

Silencing Squeaks Coconut oil has lubricating properties, which means that it’s great in silencing squeaky hinges. If a hinge is making a particularly discomforting noise, rub a small amount of coconut oil on the hinge to lubricate it and finally quiet the disturbance.

IDENTITYbeauty

HAIRSTYLES

for every occasion

1 2 3

By Tara Shehata

FESTIVAL VIBE

Created by Jeanie Syfu, this hairstyle definitely shouts the new and the confident. All you need to do is blow dry your hair and divide it into two sections. Fish-tale each side and let loose a few hairs to carry that messy, yet beautiful air. Two elastics would be necessary to secure it at the bottom! And that’s it!

SEXY PONYTAIL High ponytails always scream sexiness and femininity. To pull this off, you’ll have to spray your hair at the roots, and then brush it all towards the top back of your head.

Add a strong elastic to keep the ponytail up high and then straighten the hair at the back!

THE TWIST

This one says elegance and delicacy! It’s quite simple: Blow dry, straighten your hair and brush it all towards the back.

Then, part a little bit of hair from both your side temples and slowly put them on top of each other, at the centre rear of your head. Secure them with bobby pins, and place them under your hair so that it doesn’t show. Et voila!

20 January 2017

OUTSIDE THE LINES Instead of taming down your curls, why not let them loose and even give them a bit more volume? For naturally straight hair, a hair curler will be necessary. Apply volume sprays to pull off this out-of-the-box look. We recommend the Tresemmé Thermal Creations Volumising Mousse.

4 5 6

THE BALLERINA

For this chignon, all you have to do is apply a little bit of gel onto the hair to keep it all together. We recommend the DevaCurl Light Defining Gel. Create a simple chignon by brushing your hair toward the top back of your head, making a bun and putting on an elastic. To add a bit of edginess to it, leave a strand at the front!

THE ARTIST

This one’s quite easy; it gives out hipster and artistic vibes. Pull your hair into a low ponytail and make a braid. After securing it with an elastic at the bottom, fold the braid backwards into two and attach it to the low back of your head by using a bobby pin, an elastic or just your hair itself!

January 2017 21

IDENTITYbeauty

READY FOR A NIGHT OUT

by Alia El Saady

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow

If you truly want to master a look, you need to use the right products and follow the right steps. It’s not enough to buy sophisticated makeup and then not know how to use it! To truly perfect a look, you need to go through it step by step, taking care to use all the necessary products and layering them in the right order and shape to form the look you desire. Identity has provided these step by step guides to act as a cheat sheet for when you need to get a professional look with the top notch products!

Rimmel Natural Bronzer

THE SMOKEY EYE The Smokey eye is a timeless look that a lot of people tend to skip, because they believe it’s too difficult to create. Instead, they end up looking less sexy and a lot like a panda bear with black eyeshadow. But with this guide, the smoldering Smokey eye won’t be hard to master. All you have to do is follow these six simple steps to create your glamorous look.

STEP 1: Start with a neutral eyeshadow base to make the makeup last.

Benefit Watt’s Up Cream Highlighter

POUTY LIPS Lip liners were once an archaic product of the past.

But now, they’ve been widely popularized by icons like Jennifer Lopez and Kylie Jenner. This season is about faking natural pouty looking lips without any of the harsh lines. And although you might think that contouring is specifically meant for your face, there are ways that you can contour your lips to achieve an overall pouty plump lipped look.

E.L.F Plum Purple Cream Eye Shadow

STEP 2: Over that, apply a shimmery bone shadow to add light to the eyes.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

STEP 1 : Choose a liner two shades darker than your lipstick and draw an M along the top of your lip, another M on the center of your bottom lip and a sideways V on the outer corners of your mouth.

STEP 3: Brush on a lavender shadow, taking care to brush it more intensely at the lash line and blend it toward the brow bone.

STEP 4: Using a liner brush, line the eyes with plum shadow.

STEP 2 : Apply your lipstick. We liked the nude look, so we used Mac Crème D’Nude.

STEP 5: Go over that with a black eyeliner pencil to add drama to the eyes.

Mac Plush pro longwear eyeshadow

22 January 2017

STEP 3 : Tap a cream highlighter on your Cupid’s bow and sweep some bronzer beneath your lower lip. The shadow underneath your lip and the brightness on your Cupid’s bow will give the illusion of fuller lips.

STEP 6: Two coats of black mascara on both upper and lower lashes finishes the look.

Maybelline Colossal Kajal

Mac Creme d Nude

January 2017 23 Nyx Retractable Lip Liner

IDENTITYstyle

Back to

Work

by Nahed Kazziha

Zara

Bid the holiday season adieu. Farewell winter breaks. Goodbye yuletide festivities. Hello deep, cool winter.

Time to buckle down and get through that backlog of work that has been piling up over the last few weeks.

Coming back refreshed from your seasonal escapades, now is the time to give your wardrobe a quick jolt with doses of energetic color accents, calming neutrals and winter darks that command serious. So, working girl, feast your eyes on office apropos ensembles that will keep you from getting buried under piles of paperwork and ahead of the fashion curve.

Monse Barbara Casasola

Michael Michael Kors

Balenciaga

Prada Moschino

Alexander McQueen

Barbara Casasola

Louboutin

Balmain

Ann Demeulemeester

Sonia Rykiel

Mary Katrantzou

Jil Sander

Etoile Isabel Marant Altuzarra Zara Zara Zara

Bottega Veneta

Bally

24 January 2017

Mansur Gavriel

Haider Ackermann

Roger Vivier

MR by Man Repeller

Vince

Chanel

Chloe

January 2017 25

IDENTITYstyle

Nab The Look

Christian Dior

by Nahed Kazziha

Keep au courant and draw inspiration from street style pros. Score the trendiest looks to stay warm this winter, without entirely breaking the bank (OK, a little indulgence never hurt!). Whether you opt for winter brights, moto-inspired leather or laid back comfort, strut your style down the street while looking your best.

Maison Margiela

GRAPHIC

Zara

Lower the amp on leather by combining it with a playful graphic sweatshirt for good measure.

Bershka

H&M

New Look

BALLET GRUNGE

Strike the perfect balance between delicate and edgy with extra yards of ballerina tulle.

Mango

Mango Celine Banana Republic

COLORBLOCK H&M

Skillfully mix up colour and texture for an intriguing weekend casual look.

Zara

26 January 2017

Gianvito Rossi

Dr Martens

Alexander Wang

January 2017 27

IDENTITYstyle

Gucci

Proenza Schouler

Lanvin Zara

H&M

Topshop

ALL BLACK EVERYTHING

CHECKED OUT Jonathan Simkhai

Layer the favourite cold weather staple over some culottes for a new approach to plaid

Make your presence known in an all-black ensemble that screams sophistication

Wal G

Beaut

Massimo Dutti

JUMPSTART

Jumpstart your wardrobe by repurposing your onesie for a cool winter day

Thierry Lasry

Topshop

Asos Stella McCartney

DKNY

ATHLEISURE Fresh and athletic, pair some sport-luxe trousers with soft accents

28 January 2017

Chanel

Etoile Isabel Marant

Bershka

Russell & Bromley

See by Chloe

January 2017 29

IDENTITYinterview

the fusionist

Hisham Kharma Art Direction & Styling: Nesma El-Shazly Photography: Ahmed Kadry

30 January 2017

January 2017 31

IDENTITYinterview

S

ix years ago, the first album of Egyptian Artist Hisham Kharma was released and remained a best seller in Virgin Megastores for five years. Afterwards, he collaborated with Sony’s Arabesque and we were rewarded with his second album. Sunset on the Nile, his third album, highlighted his love for chill-out music and cultural fusion through art.

This year, Kharma released his fourth album, Al-Yaqeen, and our only complaint is that we want more. We have known him as the self-taught musician, the star who is involved in music production as well as humanitarian initiatives. However, we don’t seem to know enough about him to satisfy our curiosity. The young fusionist talks to us about his new album and opens up about the man behind the artist.

Al Yaqeen simply tells my life story. I’ve lived most of my life dealing with music as just a hobby or a side thing, and that goes back to maybe the cultural and social pressure that music is not a real profession and not as financially rewarding as other jobs. Although I was successful in my 15 year career and lived 6 years of them across three foreign countries, I never felt complete. Something was missing- music. So when I decided to take the leap of faith, I realized that the only thing that kept me from not giving up on that dream was Al Yaqeen.

5- Your first album was released in 2010, the second in 2015 and the third in 2016. Can we assume you will be hopefully making an album every year?

1- Who is Hisham Kharma, apart from being the First Voyage was a trial album to see whether the humanitarian and musical artist? How would you market will connect with my music or not. The plan was describe Kharma the person? put on hold because of the revolution, and because I hadn’t taken the decision to pursue that professionally A person who loves to explore and keep experimenting yet. But now, the decision is taken so hopefully I will be and trying out new things. Loves collaborating and releasing a couple of singles and collaborations sooner dealing with talented and like minded people. Always than a year as well. trying to balance between the wisdom of an adult and the randomness of a kid. Free soul, daydreamer and hates labels.

6- How different was your experience recording Al Yaqeen than your experience during first voyage?

2- When did your love for music begin?

It started when I was 9. My school teacher spotted my passion in class, told my parents and they instantly bought me a small piano. Ever since, it has been my main passion, self-healing practice and escape.

3- How do you manage your time between being involved in humanitarian work and your passion for music?

First Voyage, you were all on your own. I had minimal resources from a team of musicians, partners to market for it on a bigger scale, an artist management team to work with and believers in my vision. For Al Yaqeen, everything was well thought of. It took us almost 5 years of planning and 2 years of execution. It was also complimented with a live show which took the music experience to a whole new level. I also believe the market is now more open to music and new ideas than it was before the revolution.

I believe, with some planning, if you wisely put your 7- Do you expect it to be a hit after it was number 1 skills into work while collaborating and partnering with in Virgin Stores immediately after its release? people who complement you, you can achieve anything.

Frankly, I’m very grateful because what happened exceeded my expectations. I knew I had something 4- The inspiration behind first voyage was the passion new to offer, but never knew it will be appreciated for fusing different cultures together; what is your by this huge number of people and this big crowd of inspiration behind Al Yaqeen? different age groups and psychographics.

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8- Given your love for performing live and the fact that your live performances are a huge success, why don’t you do it more often?

I think 2017 will have more performances. As I mentioned, everything was accurately planned. You are introducing a somehow new genre to the market, so I didn’t want to overdo it. It was a trial and error phase; every live show is a learning experience.

9- What was the hardest song you had to work on for this album?

Probably Eclipse, because it depends heavily on solos done by musicians. It’s not a line that I wrote and they had to record; we kept experimenting until we reached solos that we were happy with. I would also say “Soulmate”, because 5 days before sending the Master CD for printing, the file disappeared! I had to rebuild it from scratch in 3 days! –The lesson was to constantly backup your work.

10- You once stated that you like to mix humanitarian work with art, can you explain that?

Everyone wants to make a difference and help or engage in charity or humanitarian work, but I believe charity work could be better promoted instead of the very serious or straight forward approach of “We want your money”. I think art, with all its forms, can be a good vehicle or tool to communicate serious messages but in a more light-hearted way. When we worked on “Shoof b’albak” for Ahl Masr for example, we all agreed that we want to shed the light on burn victims in a different way so people could really grasp the magnitude of their tragedy. I truly believe this is what made the huge difference.

11- In a 2015 interview, you stated that one of your hopes for the future is to collaborate with more musicians. Which artists would you hope to collaborate with in the future and why?

It’s en endless list of talented artists, but let’s say I’m more interested now in collaborating with talented people who do weird stuff, play a rare instrument, play an instrument differently or have any kind of unconventional talent that can somehow be integrated in the show.

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For more Kharma music, check: Facebook.com/HishamKharma Soundcloud.com/HishamKharma Youtube.com/HishamKharma, Instagram.com/HishamKharma www.HishamKharma.com

36 January 2017

IDENTITYindepth

The Search for

HAPPINESS

By Tara Shehata

U

nhappy people dwell in the material realm.

They believe that the key to happiness is acquiring new things, moving away or trying different things. Most people remain unhappy, because their concept of happiness is jaded and unrealistic. They are always thinking about ways to achieve that happiness. It is usually at the forefront of their thoughts. Their next purchase, relationship or paycheck won’t pave the way to a happy life. In that sense, individuals who limit their happiness to certain things are holding themselves back from truly experiencing joy.

It is often said that happiness is not a destination, but rather a way of life. While this is true, the manner in which you live your life could also be letting all kinds of feelings drive you to reach your endpoint.

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WHERE HAPPINESS COMES FROM Where does the term ‘Happiness’ come from? What are its roots?

Travelling all the way back to ancient Greece, the word ‘Happy’ was associated and linked to the word ‘luck’. Hap, in old English, means chance or luck. Thus, ‘happiness’ didn’t seem to be something within our human control according to this definition. Happiness wasn’t within our force. It was something dictated by destiny, fate and fortune.We couldn’t create it ourselves; it was something that perhaps, luckily, happened to us.

According to Socrates, happiness is an unconditional good, since it is what all people desire and is always our end goal. He claims that happiness does not lie in external things, but rather in how those things are used. “Since all of us desire to be happy, and since we evidently become so on account of our use – that is our good use – of other things, and since knowledge is what provides this goodness of use and also good fortune, every man must, as seems plausible, prepare himself by every means for this: To be as wise as possible. Right?”

All in all, Socrates believes that happiness depends on wisdom. In order for someone to become happy, they must learn how to be wise first.

WHY WE LOOK FOR IT One thing’s for sure, most of us are constantly looking for happiness, as though it is the only condition under which one can survive this life. People regard it as vitally important and as everyone’s ultimate destination.

And perhaps that is because we think our lives would 40 January 2017

be blissful once we reach that perfect, pure stage of absolute happiness. Perhaps, as human beings, we long to erase all our worries and reach a level of pure sanctity, of utter satisfaction, in which we no longer feel the need to desire anything new. Some philosophers such Epicurus called that level ‘Ataraxia’. It’s a Greek term used by Pyrrho and subsequently Epicurus for a lucid state of robust equanimity [calmness], characterized by ongoing freedom from distress and worry. Thus, some philosophers believe that it’s nothing but our humanistic instinct to keep on desiring and achieving our desires, longing to reach this ‘Ataraxia’ which can be defined as happiness, calmness, in which we no longer worry or desire anything else. Of course, however, the whole concept of the ‘Ataraxia’ is unrealistic. No one can ever reach that level, since we’re programmed as humans to keep on desiring new things every day. Thus, we’d never reach a level in which we are absolutely satisfied. Thus, absolute happiness is unrealistic.

IS THERE MORE TO LIFE THAN BEING HAPPY? Why do people assume that if you’re not happy, then surely you must be unhappy? Somehow people assume that you’re either happy or just plain miserable. It’s a set binary you can’t escape: Misery or Joy. However, that logic doesn’t sound reasonable whatsoever. There’s so much more to life than to be happy or sad. There’s so much in between that we, as humans, experience.

For one, there’s being interested and curious. For instance, Einstein who helped us learn so much more about the world we live in wasn’t necessarily happy, but he was interested. He was curious, and doesn’t that matter just as much?

You can be fascinated and isn’t that one of life’s beautiful wonders? You don’t necessarily have to be happy in order to be fascinated. The sun setting on the horizon will always be beautiful, even if things aren’t great back home and if you don’t feel particularly happy.

Being challenged is another thing life has to offer that doesn’t fall under either happiness or misery. Life offers us many challenges that should be appreciated in and of themselves, regardless of anything else. Sometimes, life is worth it. Just because you get to experience different things, you feel challenged and you’re inspired to overcome these challenges. You don’t have to be reaching out for happiness; you’re allowed to solely appreciate life’s challenges on their own.

”

Happiness is the end goal, the cherry on the top, the prize at the end of the race, but we’re not all going to win, are we? So why are we all directing our energy to desiring and searching for happiness? In our endless chase after it, we find ourselves anything but happy. The search for happiness has been around since ancient times. People all over the world have been searching for it in faith, religion, sex, alcohol, other people, antireligion, etc. Yet, happiness will never look the same on everyone because it’s elusive. The key to reaching it is to understand ourselves. We need to understand our deepest desires and needs in order to be able to fulfill them. We should let all kinds of feelings drive us to reach our endpoint. Joy, anger, confusion, jealousy, revulsion are all emotions that we should paint our canvas with.

Somehow people assume that you’re either happy or just plain miserable.

It’s a set binary you can’t escape: Misery or Joy. However, that logic doesn’t sound reasonable whatsoever.

”

Happiness is a fluctuating term, whose meaning is definitely relative, depending on the person defining it and the period in which it was used. It was thought to be luck, fortune and fate in ancient Greece. However, nowadays, it’s more of a term we use to express a sort of euphoric feeling we all long for. Many have thought it to be complete satisfaction, but as human beings, can we ever truly stop desiring other things and look with satisfying eyes at our lives? On the one hand, regardless of our desiring instincts, we can learn to tell ourselves that we are satisfied, even if our hearts wish for more,

and we can fool our way into absolute happiness. On the other hand, we can learn to appreciate life for what it is and to stop thinking that happiness should be our ultimate goal. Instead of solely wishing to attain happiness, we should learn to appreciate other feelings such as being interested, curious, fascinated and challenged. Life has so much to offer, and the Happy or Miserable binary isn’t what life is all about. Stop searching for Happiness.

January 2017 41

IDENTITYindepth So what will actually make us happy? Nobody really knows. Of course, making someone happy will make you happy. But it will only make you happy temporarily until the feeling of self-accomplishment goes away and you’re left wondering how to make yourself happy again. And this is not real happiness, because happiness is a one-way street. Once you go happy, you can never go back. Nobody should declare to have found the key to happiness, but these are 11 unconventional ways to turn your life around.

6.

CHOOSE THE BEST UNHAPPINESS There are situations in life when you know you won’t win and no good outcome will come of it. You have to choose your own particular unhappiness carefully when that happens. Just because there is no good outcome, doesn’t mean you don’t get to pick the best of the worst.

7.

BE HONEST Try your best not to lie, even a small lie. There is no such thing as a small lie or a white lie. Lying takes its toll on people, because it makes you feel like you have DOCUMENT THE MOMENTS YOU MOST something to hide or it’s not okay to feel like that or be this way. Whatever you do, whatever you say, own it! If FEEL HAPPY If we remember to write down the moments we most you don’t want to tell the truth, then simply say that felt happy, it will be easier for us to pinpoint what you’d rather not answer. Be a person who is unafraid actually makes us happy. We will get to figure out what to present a candid version of themselves to the world. was common between all these moments. Write down TRAVEL OFTEN whom you were with, what you were wearing, where It doesn’t have to be to the destination of your you were, what the conversation was about, what happened that day, how you were feeling and why you dreams or to places that you can barely afford. It doesn’t even have to be outside the country. Just take the time were feeling it. And then recreate and repeat. to discover the country you are already in. And if you RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU HAVE FOR can’t experience new places, then find one place where you feel at peace and go there as often as you could.

WHAT IT IS This includes tragedy, heartache and loneliness. Don’t TIME OFF just recognize the positive things in your life. You should Once a week, schedule some alone time. And if admit the negatives as well, because the more you are in sync with what makes you sad, the more you will be you can’t unchain yourself from all your commitments, then make it once a month. You need to rewind and able to change it. be able to ponder your life in peace without any STOP COMPARING YOUR LIFE TO background noise.

OTHERS FINISHING YOUR TASKS Stop looking at the lives of people around you and To-do lists and itineraries are underrated. It think that this is how you should live yours. Happiness feels rewarding when you check off the day’s tasks one is not the same to everyone and not everyone will be happy the same way. If you keep comparing your life to after the other. The key, however, is to avoid wishful others, you will never have the time to figure out what thinking. Set convincing expectations for yourself and don’t try to fit everything in one day. happy looks for you.

1.

8.

2.

11

WAYS TO MAKE YOU HAPPY

by Farah Khedre

Happiness. It’s such an ambiguous concept. Many have claimed to know the key to happiness or asserted they found an unlocked door and stepped through. A lot of self-guide books, online publications, magazines, articles, whatever it is, you name it, have complied various lists of sure-fire things to do to make you happy.

These lists always include charity, giving back, exercising, spending time with family/friends, etc. But they also include abstruse things such as: avoid regrets, live in the moment and the like. These things won’t make you happy because regret comes hand in hand with living. And sometimes all you need to do is remember the past so you wouldn’t repeat it.

42 January 2017

3.

4.

9.

10.

11.

STOP OBSESSING OVER BEING HAPPY PLAN YOUR DAY This obsession will only drive you insane.

Upon starting a new day, take 10 minutes to know what you want to accomplish today. Start small and set Happiness doesn’t have to be in the next step or the realistic expectations for yourself so you wouldn’t get one that follows it. Happiness is right here within you, but you have to reach out for it by taking small steps disappointed. everyday.

BUT BE OPEN FOR SPONTANEITY Planning your day gives it structure, but it’s also necessary to leave some things to chance. If you found your day plan changing, consider the possibility that it might be changing to the better.

5.

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IDENTITYindepth

THE SADNESS OF GIVING BACK

by Alia El Saady

Charity is something that many of us practice. It plays upon the most basic of human emotions: sympathy.

It is the ability to express sorrow at someone else’s misfortune. And from that expression, we find the motivation to give back, to help those in need and to ease their misfortune through the smallest acts of kindness. For many, an act of charity makes a person feel better. It fills one with warmth. But there are other dimensions to that feeling.

Finding the Middle Ground

It’s clear that giving back isn’t a simple task. For one thing, the exposure it creates leaves an open wound within you that you’ll either have to choose to ignore or tend to with no hope of it healing any time soon.

Because the more we give out to charity, the more we become aware of the problems that exist in our society.

There is more to giving back than that rush of And although this moves us to act more, to be kinder happiness we get from indulging in a kind act. There and to give more, we find ourselves by the same token is a sadness to giving back. Because when we give caught in this loop of helping as much as we can and back, we’re exposed to a different facet of life that feeling drained because that help may not be enough. we’re not really used to seeing. We see another form of hardship, another kind of problem, another form Our need to fix the world on the long term outshines of misfortune than the kind we’re likely to see in our need to fix or work on helping people in the now. our social sphere. And that only makes things even A small contribution we make might not be enough to more difficult. Because giving back is supposed end world hunger, or poverty or even achieve world to be a positive act, but instead it reveals negative peace. And therein lies the problem, the futility of the pursuit of this ideal. But perhaps we aren’t meant for undertones to the harsh realities of life. these loftier goals. Perhaps helping a person in need is not the way to ending world poverty. Perhaps it is Generous Professions, Depressing Outcomes about bringing a glimmer of hope to a person’s life, or it’s about connecting with your fellowman. Whatever This sadness is something that can even take effect the reason, we should not stop acts of charity solely in the long term. Many of those who give back on a due to the futility of the outcome. regular basis have experienced bouts of depression.

Christopher Willard, a clinical psychologist at Tufts Why We Shouldn’t Ignore the Sadness University, states that the amount of stress health care workers are exposed to can be enough to trigger With that in mind, we should use this feeling of futility depressive states. “Every day they are seeing sickness, not as a means to discourage us but as way to motivate trauma, and death and dealing with family members us. The world might be a sad place as Willard suggests, of patients,” Willard says. “It can shade one’s outlook but if we continue to act as though nothing will ever on the whole that the world is a sadder place.” Social make it better then it won’t get better. And although workers and those who work for the welfare of the we can’t directly see the results of our charitable acts poor and needy also find themselves caught in this in the grand scheme of things, they are still significant. spiral. It reaches a point where giving becomes totally Everything we do has a ripple effect; a small act of draining. kindness doesn’t end at the source.

When you’re dealing with children or families that are truly suffering, you expose yourself to a whole other dimension of stress. Willard says the reasoning behind this is “Because social workers work with people who are so needy, it can be hard to not sacrifice too much to the job. I see that happen a lot with social workers and other caring professions, and they get really burned out pretty quickly.” In addition, 11 % of individuals who work in nursing homes reported experiencing bouts of depression. It’s clear that there are negative emotions

44 January 2017

associated with charity, and that it isn’t as emotionally gratifying as it might seem.

So before we dismiss ourselves we should think twice, because a helping hand does more than just give you an emotional pay-off. It has real world significance. And once you realize you are making an impact however small, you learn to appreciate your little contribution to making the world a better place. A little goes a long way is not just a saying, and exposure to that sadness will help you come to terms with the harsh realities of the world in the long run.

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Self-Help Books?

by Farah Khedre

T

he self-help industry is a multi-billion dollar business. It is genius, I assume, because people are desperate for guidance. Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual, and therefore, each individual is left to his/her own devices. Despite the rebellious nature of human beings, deep in our roots, we wish that life came with a set of rules that told us how to navigate this world. Selfhelp books have capitalized off this growing self-consciousness and confusion people are suffering from. They fill bookstores and an abundance of them are always in the best-selling section. Millions of people have claimed that it changed their lives, but it still lacks a certain credibility with most. Authors of self-help books assert that they are passing on to you legitimate life advice, but are they really?

46 January 2017

Self-help books aren’t magic. As a genre, self-help can be incredibly helpful if used correctly. The truth is, selfhelp books won’t help you get all of the things you’ve ever wanted in your life. Reading them alone won’t assist you in gaining more popularity or achieving success overnight. Aside from talking the talk, you will actually have to walk the walk. In order to actually be successful, you will have to work relentlessly hard to achieve your goal. Anyone can write a book about how to be positive, but that doesn’t mean that they know how to actually implement what they’re saying.

No book is going to turn your life around unless you correlate it to you personally and pinpoint how you can apply what you read to improve your life. If you want real life lasting change, then be persistent and unyielding in working hard to get what you want.

oversimplify reality in a way that makes you think the author must be out of this world to even suggest such a model. I cannot stress this point enough, but people are different.Their experiences, surroundings, circumstances and personalities are not the same. Therefore, what worked for the author won’t necessarily work for every reader. And that is exactly what the authors of self-help books make you feel like: “If it worked for me, it will work for you as well”. Not that it’s not the case, it’s because the readers probably belong to a lower social class and are trying to make ends meet. They were not given the same advantages, and thus, can’t all be billionaires.

Self-help books make you unhappier. These books are often heavily crammed with a handful of remarks about how everyone should follow their dreams and pursue Self-help books are marketed in a false way. I understand their passion. While I’m a big believer in pursuing one’s the concept of advertising and marketing and that it all passion, not everyone is meant to be a big star. Some boils down to profit motive in the end. But self-help people have families that they need to take care of, books are marketed as if they are the and so will take on a job they are not answer, as if the words inside will change necessarily crazy about. That doesn’t your life the minute you finish the book make the person any lesser than those The keys to cover to cover. Titles such as “How to who followed their dreams. It only happiness, Win Friends and Influence People” means that this person’s circumstances success, popularity and “How to Stop Worrying and weren’t on his/her side. Reading self-help or fame won’t books that urge you to drop whatever Start Living” really just sell themselves, because who wouldn’t want to expand ever change yet, you’re doing and chase your dreams their acquaintance zone and have a will only make you miserable, because publishers keep positive effect on people? This creates you will feel like you’re wasting your life publishing new away. There are thousands of people unrealistic expectations and lets people down. They are marketed as if they are self-help books pacing in restless circles because they creating real change, while in reality, they are not passionate about what they’re every week. are nothing but the perception of real doing, but that’s just life. It happens and change. it will continue to happen.

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IDENTITYindepth

Self-help books are redundant. I have it on good authority that only a handful of self-help books are filled with words that might actually help. The rest, however, are filled with empty promises or unneeded advice. People keep coming out with more and more self-help books as if the keys to making friends or maintaining balance keep changing. “In order to attract positive things in your life, you need to think positive thoughts.” Really? As if I didn’t know that already. From now on, I’ll only think positive thoughts. The keys to happiness, success, popularity, fame, acceptance, approval, accomplishment, etc. won’t ever change, yet publishers keep publishing new self-help books every week. They are all passing on the same common sense recommendations, but using different words.

”

Self-help books are contradicting. All self-help books start by assuring you that YOU are the creator of your own fate, and that you are the master of your own life and don’t need anyone’s help. This means that it’s a solo journey and that no one else can give you the key to shaping your life. It’s ironic and contradicting, because they tell you that you don’t need someone else’s advice to turn your life around and then proceed to list down all the ways you have been living your life wrong.

In the end, obtaining knowledge is never a waste of time, but you should always apply what you learn and mold it to fit your own personal circumstances and situations. If you rely on self-help books to start a business or gain friends, you should stop. Instead, try things out for yourself and write your own self-help Self-help books are unrealistic. They are full of make- book that will let you know what works for you and believe examples and suggestions that seem just too what doesn’t. imaginary and far-fetched. The models they propose January 2017 47

IDENTITYindepth

Why Can’t We Capture The Moment?

MODERN LIFE HAS GOTTEN US SO BUSY ALL THE TIME Modern life is a demanding life, and most of the time, we’re so busy and yet feel so unaccomplished because we’re filling ourselves with all the wrong things. We use a lot of energy and end up feeling emptier and less comfortable than ever. In other words, we are sabotaging our own lives and don’t even know it. Stop and ask yourself if you’re busy or productive, because the two are not synonyms despite popular opinion. The busier life gets, the more we need stillness in our lives, which is why it’s important to slow down. Some would suggest that you need to take a deep breath, but it doesn’t work. At least for me, it doesn’t. In my opinion, something different will work for each individual because we’re not all the same. At the end of every day, I ask myself “what did I learn today?” And if the answer is “nothing new”, then I couldn’t have been productive. We strive to be productive because we want to learn new things along the way, and if we’re not learning, then we must be filling ourselves up with the wrong things.

Find what will work for you and repeat it daily.

by Farah Khedre

Life unfolds in the present. Yet, we all let the present slip away like water through our fingers, allowing the current moment to rush past us unnoticed. We squander many moments of our lives in pursuit of better moments.

WE’RE TOO BUSY FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE/ PAST We are always worrying about tomorrow, consumed by thoughts about what would happen 5 minutes from now. Our focus is always centred on everything but the present moment. At work, we daydream about the weekend, and on the weekends, we stress over how much needs to get done when we get back. And when we’re not dwelling on the future, we’re nostalgic for the past. We often look back to the best moments of our lives and feel sad, because we have this notion that the rest of our life can in no way live up to it.

When that happens, be grateful. It means you’ve lived.

It also means that you can have other moments like it.

Don’t live in the past for too long. We rush through thought after thought when we should be savouring moment after moment. Buddhists claim that it’s because “our monkey minds are vaulting from thought to thought like monkeys swinging from tree to tree”.

There is no sure-fire way we can follow that will allow us to focus on what we have in the present moment.

Nevertheless, if you find thoughts about the future and 48 January 2017

reminiscences of the past swimming through your head at a moment you should be enjoying, you should ask yourself a simple question. Can I put these reflections on hold? Press pause and stand still. This won’t stop recurring because it’s a human condition. But what you can do is practice constant vigilance, as Alastor Moody would say! Remember to ask yourself if these thoughts can wait until you’re done with whatever you’re doing.

Save these unwanted thoughts for bedtime. After all, this is what bedtime is for, to reflect on your life and to remember the most significant thoughts you had during the day.

WE’RE TOO CONCERNED WITH CAPTURING THE MOMENT ON DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA Literally and technically, we CAN capture the moment.

Figuratively, however, we are starting to forget how.

We all took capturing the moment too seriously and are all now competing for best and happiest captured moment ever. The thing is, you probably won’t have pictures of the happiest moments of your life. I certainly

YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THIS MOMENT AGAIN

don’t. That doesn’t make me remember them any less.

In contrary, I think these are the moments I remember most. I can tell how I felt, what I was wearing, what was the weather like and whom I was with. I remember all the intricate details, because I don’t need a photograph to remind me of a time I was happy and neither do you.

Pictures are great, but I assure you that you don’t have pictures of the happiest moment of your life because you weren’t concerned with taking a picture then. You were busy living the moment. Nowadays, we all suffer from a condition called camera anxiety. We see friends we haven’t met up with in so long or a beautiful sunset and immediately get the urge to hold up our phones and capture it on screen. Does having it on screen make it more special? My guess is that it doesn’t.

There are moments in your life where you will look back to and sigh so heavily.You will close your eyes and try to travel back in time so you would look the way you looked and feel the way you felt once more. The sad truth is, you will never live that moment again. The best moments of our lives often come unannounced and unplanned. Why is it that we’re always so busy planning and running around in order to live a happy life? Yes, planning a life is necessary, but don’t get too consumed with the planning that you forget the living part of the process. Don’t be disappointed that everyday of your life isn’t an adventure, because nobody’s is. Every moment won’t be a bungee jump or a perfect kiss. Yet, every moment is important because it leads to the moment after it. Accepting that would be the ultimate acknowledgment that life is indeed worth living, and every moment is indeed worth capturing.

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IDENTITYindepth

but was rather reinvented. Some concepts that were scientific in nature can ‘arguably’ fall under the category of magic, like hypnotism (18th century), and occultism and astrology that remained acceptable pathways to hidden knowledge. Even today, the ‘new age’, where many argue that a shift in our consciousness has occurred, there is a mounting belief in the power of the subconscious mind and positivity in affecting the material reality.

The Pursuit of

HAPPINESS through Magic

by Amina El Ghandour

The pursuit of happiness takes many forms; magic is a common one. We want things, events and feelings to be happy. By nature, we desire constantly and when the desire becomes too strong that we believe our happiness relies on it - magic becomes a potential solution; ‘magic’ can basically give hope to desires beyond our reach. But magic is elusive and can take many forms. ‘Unfamiliar’ practices can be deemed as magic, but so is the power of prayer magic, good faith, positivity etc. Magic changed forms throughout time, but there is a reason why it has never failed to exist as an integral part of the human experience.

DEFINING MAGIC

sort of higher knowledge, some sort of art, accessible to a few like temple priests. However, superstition (superstitio) was shunned as ignorant and common.

Abrahamic religions redefined magic. Early Jewish texts associate magic with demonic forces or fallen angels and contrasted it to miracles. As Christianity spread, the Church further imposed this perception. Magic was demonic while miracles were divine. Towards the end of the Middles Ages, magic became associated with heresy – and a long process of defining and redefining led to the notorious witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Magic is one of those elusive concepts that are hard to pin down to a single definition. The word magic came from the East, referring to the practices of Eastern priests whom the Greeks named magoi. The Greeks had more specific terms for magical practices then: nekuomanteia (necromancy) for the ability to communicate with the dead, pharmaka for drugs, spells and potions, and goetes for sorcerers, the masters of illusions. By the time of the Roman era, the term magic (mageia or magia) expanded to include a wide range of special practices. During Greek and Roman times, some degree of magic was tolerated and perceived as some As the scientific era took over, magic did not vanish, 50 January 2017

ceased. This was shortly followed or complemented by the age of Enlightenment. But magic persisted nevertheless. Some areas of magic were annexed by science; hypnosis, astrology, occultism for example, were reshaped in more scientific guises. Psychiatry, a product of the 19th century, has come with plausible explanations to behaviours that were considered demonic in the past.

However, science and capabilities of the mind proved inadequate to the human experience. In the mid-19th Magic is elusive, but stripped down to its core, it century at the peak of scientific activity, industrialization is a mean to possess power that is beyond the and mechanization, intellectual voices revived some limits of our world. form of ‘magic’, most noted here is W.B. Yeats’s essay on magic in 1901. ‘Modern spiritualism’ became a new THE NEED FOR MAGIC realm of study engulfing some of both the scientific and religious realms. By The 20th century, artistic and Magic existed as early as human communities, intellectual movements sought spirituality to transform simply because we need to believe in a power human consciousness. As nature ceased to be a threat, beyond us and beyond the rational world. our inner selves now needed the attention - to heal.

Through magical practices, we try to harness this power and employ it to fulfill our wishes.

Magic never ceased to exist as part of the human experience, because the need for it never ceased and Magic and magical rituals have always been in shall never cease. demand, and constantly reshaped with new belief systems and changes in living patterns. THE STORY OF MAGIC AND US In early communities, nature was heeded with and deemed as a powerful force that The story of magic is as old as that of human societies. had to be subdued with rituals and sacrifices. We yearn for power. We wish to control in order As civilizations formed and cults evolved, this to remain safe, cope with hardships, fulfil wishes and power was transferred to the pagan priests. ultimately - be happy. We seek magic when the obvious Abrahamic religions have not come short of and logical means fail us. We seek it as refusal to give magical offerings either. Miracles replaced magic in the up on our wishes or put our insecurities to rest by Judeo-Christian tradition and were strictly the gifts of ourselves. Life can be harsh and we need to believe in saints and confessors. In Islam, holy people too, awleya- a power beyond us, one which we can harness and use possess special abilities or karamat.Talisman and amulets to bend life to our desires. used for healing and protection have been recovered from all three religions, and probably still used to the There is nothing wrong with desires or the belief in day by some. Even in its most orthodox form, religions power beyond our world; the real problem is in giving offer magic – prayer, for example, is believed to defy up on living and living in a state of waiting. We should be happy here and now. If magic exists, it exists within logic and achieve wonders. us, in our choice to be happy- for in that choice lies the With Protestantism, much of the Western world real power. When you choose to be happy or in more witnessed what scholars refer to as an era of realistic terms, content, you are then alive and able to ‘disenchantment’, where the magical aspects of religion savor every little moment of joy despite challenges and associated with saints and their cults supposedly unfulfilled desires.

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IDENTITYindepth

THE CURE TO YOUR JINX

by Farah Khedre

People often shy away from sharing happy news with others, because they’re afraid others will jinx them.

For example, I have some friends who don’t like posting a lot of happy pictures on social media because they fear people’s envy. While this is not necessarily true, it’s also not completely untrue. Have you ever had happy news and were ecstatic to share it with the world and then decided not to? Maybe you wanted to keep it to yourself because it was personal. Or maybe you thought sharing your happy news would make it seem “less” happy. The truth is, there are keys to sharing your happiness with others that you must learn.

These are ways to cure and get ride of your you go. You might enthusiastically share big news with a couple of close friends, and although they will say all jinx forever:

the right things and display all the right emotions, inside they might be burning up. And instead of feeling happy If you Have Happy News, Share it, but Don’t for you, the green-eyed monster will take them over. It is paramount to your own happiness to share the right Flaunt it The way you present your happy news makes a news with the right people. big difference. For example, you just paid the last installment for your new villa and can’t wait to gather You Don’t Have to Tell Everyone That all your neighbors to tell them about it. How do you you’re Happy present your news? Do you go on and on about how massive your new house is and how you’re going to Occasionally, people’s reactions to your news will just furnish it with ravishing and luxurious antiques? Do you make you less excited about what you were gushing share in intricate details how the new neighborhood about 5 seconds earlier. It doesn’t necessarily mean that is way fancier than the one you currently live in? Or they weren’t happy for you, but people’s perspectives do you share it in a modest way that lets them know differ. They won’t perceive your news the same way you’re excited about moving, but that you’ll miss having you will. Sometimes, the rest of the world is just not as eager to hear your news as much as you would like to them as neighbors? share it. That is a form of jinxing your own happiness through other people. You don’t need to persuade Differentiate Between People who are anyone to adopt your beliefs or scold anyone who Happy for your Happiness and People who doesn’t think like you. When people are happy, they don’t have to tell anyone about it. They’re just happy. are Happy for your Sadness We all have a selfish side that we’re not highly proud of! Not everyone who loves you will always be happy Be Happy for People for you. Your best friends will always support you no What goes around comes around! Ask yourself matter what, even if their own life is going downhill.

But, not all of your close friends will cheer you on as if you have ever had the evil eye for someone before.

1.

3.

2.

4.

52 January 2017

It happens sometimes when people tell you happy news and you’d find yourself boiling on the inside with jealousy, because you wish you were the one with the raise or the new apartment. Beware of your own feelings towards others, because karma will get you like she gets everyone.

6.

Seek your Own Internal Validation First and Foremost The most important thing to remember is to seek your own stamp of approval before you go around sharing your happy news. Most of us share our happy news when we indirectly need to be told that we’re doing okay. We share our good news, because sometimes we like it when we hear the words “Congratulations, Be Kind Even When They Aren’t you deserve it.” We don’t always feel like we do in fact When you’re kind no matter what, people will be deserve it. This is why you need to seek your internal obliged to like you. Not that you will be forcing them validation first and foremost. to, but because they won’t be able to have any negative feelings towards you. Even if they’re jealous or want what you have, they won’t be able to help wishing you the best.

5.

IDENTITYout&about

A Spectacular Cigar Night to Open the 1897 Bar at Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski held a spectacular cocktail reception for cigar lovers among top bankers and businessmen, who were the highlight of the economic scene in Cairo. Welcoming the guests was Mr. Gerhard Mitrovits, the general manager of Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski.

54 January 2017

Cairo Festival City Mall – Inside Egypt’s biggest shopping festival Cairo Festival City Mall just wrapped up the 2016 November shopping festival. The shopping extravaganza is just the latest in a long line of successful events that the mall has hosted over the past months.

Focusing on glamour and the festive theme of Las Vegas, the shopping festival offered a range of glitzy prizes to lucky shoppers, including 2 trips to Las Vegas and 2 diamond rings.

January 2017 55

IDENTITYout&about

Wadi Food Hosts and Celebrates Egypt’s First Ever Olive Harvest Festival

Hilton Celebrates the New Year with Cherished Media Partners Bidding farewell to 2016 and welcoming 2017 couldn’t have been more exciting than at Hilton’s celebration dinner held at the luxurious Conrad Cairo. Hilton’s senior management, led by Christian Muhr, Vice President of Operations for Egypt & Levant, welcomed Egypt’s prominent media figures to commemorate a promisingly challenging year. During the dinner, held at Kamala restaurant, attendees enjoyed the live Jazz music performance as they got to indulge themselves with the eclectic food and beverage assortments offered by each of Conrad Cairo’s renowned restaurants and Cairo’s best chefs.

The Festival Demonstrates Olive Handpick in Wadi Farms and Extracting the Finest Extra Virgin Olive Oil Wadi Food, the leading Egyptian agribusiness company, celebrated the launch of Egypt’s first ever olive harvest festival under the slogan “From Trees to Press”, which refers to Wadi Food’s ownership of the entire process from cultivating the best olive trees all the way to the production of the finest Egyptian olive oils. The festive celebration was held at Wadi Food’s Farms located at km 54 on the Cairo-Alex Desert Road.

The New Lip Innovation- Juicy Shaker and Lancome Experts Will Take your Personal Style to the Next Level Lancôme surprised its fans by launching one of the most innovative lip products, JUICY SHAKER, at Lancôme Lounge in “WOJOOH” City Stars.

“Lancôme Lounge” hosted its guests to discover the new generation of lip oil in the presence of Lancôme fans and experts, including the trendsetter HADIA GHALEB and the talented & professional make-up artist Sally Rashid, who offered make-up sessions, application techniques with step-by-step instruction on how to contour your makeup to look younger, protect your skin, and ultimately to appear healthy and feel special.

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January 2017 57

IDENTITYout&about

Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Ramses Hilton Over 300 guests gathered at the Ramses Hilton’s lobby to celebrate and mark the start of the festive season. Soha El Torgoman, the Hotel General Manager started the event with a welcome speech followed by the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony alongside the choir performance by the children from Misr Language Schools’ American division.

Semiramis Intercontinental Cairo Hosts the Ultimate Beauty Show, Organized by DG Beauty Semiramis InterContinental Cairo hosted Cairo’s most-talked about beauty event, The Ultimate Beauty Show by DG Beauty, which featured an exclusive fashion show,

by Charbel Zoe. Showcasing his designs for the first time in Cairo, the celebrity designer displayed 30 of his most recent designs on the catwalk.

British Airways plans to operate full schedule on Christmas Day and Boxing Day British Airways planned to run a full schedule on Christmas Day and Boxing Day despite proposed industrial action by Unite.

Alex Cruz, British Airways CEO and chairman, said: “We are making sure that this attempt to ruin Christmas for thousands of our customers fails. Over the weekend we have been working on detailed contingency plans to ensure that we are able to operate our normal flight programme from all our airports on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Jude Benhalim showcased her latest collection “URBAN REBEL” with a stimulating artistic experience at COLAB

OPPO Makes its Debut Appearance in Cairo ICT 2016 to Showcase Its Latest Smartphones

Nissan Launches Its New Qashqai in Egypt

Sunday night witnessed the launching event of Jude Benhalim’s latest collection “Urban Rebel” at Apartment 7 design studio COLAB. Inspired by all things metropolitan, both the collection and event channelled the rhythmic pulses of city life. The setting at Apartment 7 was inspirational and ideally captured Jude’s Urban Rebel spirit, with sound and light integration that stimulated

Stemming from its keen interest in being part of key regional events, OPPO, the ever-evolving smartphone brand. OPPO’s participation comes in light of its willingness to connect with various visitors of the expo so that it can showcase its latest smartphones recently launched in the Egyptian market, including the F series phones, renowned for their outstanding camera features and selfie qualities.

Nissan Motor Egypt announced the launch of the 2017 Qashqai in the Egyptian market. The new model, Qashqai J11 is a true example of an ideal SUV vehicle that can surpass consumer expectations in performance, convenience and abidance to the needs of a family vehicle. With new high-tech features, a dynamic exterior and an innovative interior design, the J11 model will thrill all car enthusiasts upon its introduction.

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Global Customer Appreciation Week for Marriott International at Cairo, Egypt Global Customer Appreciation Week (GCAW) is the annual activity by Marriott International to reinforce relationships with existing customers and establish connections with new ones. In #GCAW2016 , sales and marketing representatives from all Marriott & Starwood properties in Egypt came together with the Global Sales Office in to highlight #MarriottSaysThx to all customers around the world.

January 2017 59

IDENTITYout&about

AINHOA with the AUCians For the first time, AIHNOA was among the AUCians celebrating Christmas with them at The Main Christmas Carnival at the AUC Main Campus EL Tahrir. AINHOA Luxury Diamond was relished to join that event to be among the AUCians Alumni and staff to enjoy Christmas at The Main Christmas Carnival.

Careem Closes First Tranche in $500 Million Funding Round Led

by Rakuten and Saudi Telecom Company First close of $350m will create a million jobs, expand services geographically, and fund research and development Careem, the leading ride-hailing service in the Middle East and North Africa, announced a first close in its $500 million funding round.

Mercedes-Benz Egypt Mechatronic Academy celebrates second graduation ceremony The one of a kind Mercedes-Benz vocational training academy aims to develop to the local automotive sector The success story of the MercedesBenz Mechatronic Academy continues as Mercedes-Benz Egypt together with invited guests of honour celebrate the graduation of the second group of students from the Academy.

In continuation of its ambitious exporting strategy New exporting opportunities for General Motors Egypt in Ghana, Vietnam and South Africa “General Motors Egypt” collaborated with “MCV” to produce and export mini busses to Ghana in addition to exporting local spare parts to Vietnam and South Africa.

Electrolux Egypt launches Zanussi “Family Care Plus” New Automatic Washing Machines range

IL Loft Launches Their Revamped New Menu Il Loft officially launched its new menu at Il Loft’s flagship store located in Arkan Plaza. Members of the press and selected food enthusiasts were the first to indulge in a plethora of divine dishes.

Electrolux Egypt, the regional manufacturing leader in household appliances launched a new automatic washing machines range “Family Care Plus” under the brand name “Zanussi”. The new range is manufactured at the company’s industrial complex in 10th of Ramadan city, demonstrating Electrolux commitment to deliver Best in Class Consumer Experience and ultimate care to consumers in Egypt and the region.

AMAN for E-Payments, a new edifice in the world of digital financial technology in the Egyptian market Raya Holding started actual operation of “AMAN” for E-Payments across all governorates.

Aiming to restore a sense of nationalistic excitement and joy to Egyptian football Coca-Cola launched a new campaign to support Egyptian football fans. Launching a hashtag under the name “# ‫”تيرشتك_علمك‬ (your shirt is your flag) on social media. Swapping club and national team’ shirts with Egypt’s shirt.

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AccorHotels expands in Egypt with four new hotel projects on the Mediterranean’s North Coast AccorHotels, the world’s leading hotel operator, announced the signing of four new hotel management agreements with ARCO, one of the foremost developers in high quality mixeduse real estate developments and integrated communities. The new developments in Egypt’s North Coast, slated to open by 2022, include the Fairmont Fuka Bay, Swissôtel Fuka Bay, Novotel Al Alamein City, and ibis Styles Al Alamein City. The addition of these hotel projects increases AccorHotels’ operational and development pipeline to 31 hotels in Egypt.

Safir Hotel Cairo Hosted His Excellency Minister of Planning and Administrative Reform Safir Hotel Cairo hosted the His Excellency Dr. Ashraf El Arabi, Minister of Planning and Administrative Reform, during his presence as a speaker in Rotary Giza Metropolitan Meeting under the title of ” the Political and Economic changes after the revolution and the Governorate plan to deal with ( 2030 project) “. in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Medhat El Meligi, President of Rotary Giza Metropolitan Club and Rotary members.

With a volume of investments up to 500 million pounds Metawee’ Group to launch “Headquarter business” the Administrative Project in Al Tagmou’ Al Khames

Nox – The Goddess of the Nile

Metawee’ Group for Tourism and real estate investments has announced a new plan to expand the company’s activities and access new markets through a launch of new project in Al Tagmou’ Al Khames with a total investment up to 500 million Egyptian pounds in the Egyptian real estate market.

The capital’s newest cosmopolitan destination has finally opened its doors to welcome Egypt’s top movers and shakers. Nox is the new gem located on top of the historical Nile Ritz Carlton Cairo.

The Nile Ritz Carlton, Cairo opened new cosmopolitan attraction

Radisson Blu Heliopolis Hosts a Cooking Class Event with Chef Hadeel ”Healthy Diet is an easy life style” was the Philosophy of the cooking event hosted by Radisson Blu Heliopolis, Chef Headeel presented the cooking class on December 10th from 11am-2pm.

The event took place in the ball room & by the pool where everyone enjoyed their morning coffee & tea with a variety of snacks.

January 2017 61

IDENTITYsigns

TAURUS

Your relationship might go through some hardships, but on the other hand you will find yourself very motivated to finish all the work you have been cramming.

GEMINI

Learn to balance work with play. You could get a raise or score your dream job, so it might be the right time to start working on your time management skills.

CANCER

Your loyalty will serve you very well in keeping your relationship steady, but watch out because it might lead you to fall back on your job.

LEO

This month, you’ll literally have it all. Work will run smoothly, and you’ll finally go on the getaway vacation you’ve been planning for a while with your partner.

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

Your creativity will do wonders on you. You’ll advance at a more frequent rate at your work and you’ll finally know how to capture your dream partner’s heart!

Strengths Responsible, disciplined, self-restrained, effective.

LIBRA

December 22 - January 20

Weaknesses Unforgiving, condescending, pessimistic.

Most Compatible with Aries, Leo, Libra and Aquarius Love: If you are already in a relationship, it will continue to be steady through the month, as long as you accept both your faults and your partner’s faults. As for those who are not in a relationship, you might not be one to throw your emotions to the wind, but that is exactly what you need to do to find a romantic companion.

Career: Your career will be the centre of your life this month. You will be working harder than usual which will sometimes make you very nervous, but it’ll also make you more creative at work.

ARIES

It will be a hard time for you; you’ll be desperate to form some kind of connection with your partner. Don’t worry though, it’s just a storm and it shall pass.

SCORPIO

The passion you have for your job will make you excel on every project you work on.You might lose your energy at times, but you will learn to get back on your feet.

SAGITTARIUS

It’s time to stop being faithful and forgiving. If your relationship has not been working out for a while, then maybe it’s time for you to look for something new.

CAPRICORN

A prosperous career and love life await you this month if you work on yourself and learn to adapt quicker.

AQUARIUS

You’ll finally get the acknowledgment you needed to keep going. So hang in there, your hard work will pay off!

PISCES

Your child at heart spirit will make you finally get your This can be a rather frustrating month, and you must dream partner. Others will find your beautiful spirit be patient and organized in order to achieve what you irresistible and can’t help but fall in love with you! aim for.

62 January 2017

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UAE Gift Card