February 2018

Insight Magazine

LE30

£2 US$2.5

February 2018

Volume 23 NO.2

Look sexy!

MADe iN

eGYPT

LOCAL PRODUCTS WE ADMIRE

Makeup that flirts for you

Mai OMar Fun,

Beauty

& FaBULOUS

flame?

Gorgeous

Seductive February2018

How To Rekindle THe

Love is ALive

Power CouPleS we Adore

Flirty

You Why

it’s time

to put yourself

first

A Valentine’s date crafted with passion.

At JW Marriott Cairo, we present our guests magical ‘feel good’ experiences with passion.

This February 14th, our culinary professionals will curate engaging 4-course set dinner menus, served at Cucina, JW’s Steakhouse, Plateau and Lemongrass. Savour a Valentine’s dinner buffet at Mirage Café.

La Patisserie is featuring heart shaped tarts to add to the delicious drama of the day.

Celebrate your love at Mandara Spa by gifting your partner a comforting Valentine offer.

We are elevating romantic entertaining to new heights.

JW Marriott Hotel® Cairo jwmarriottcairo.com

WHAT’S HOT ON OUR WEBSITE

INSIGHT-EGYPT.COM CELEBRETIES

JAMILA AWAD The Spunky Starlet

HAIFA WEHBE The Dazzling Diva

HANA SHIHA Reaching For The Stars

INTERVIEWS

AYMAN BAKY Founder Of Baky Hospitality

RAYA ABI-RACHED And Her Scoops Of Sucess

GIOVANNI Founder Of Pier 88

CHECK OUT ALL OUR NEWS AND INTERVIEWS ON INSIGHT MAGAZINE EGYPT INSIGHT_MAG

INSIGHTMAGEG @INSIGHTMAGEG

EDITOR’S NOTE As Cairo’s frosty night winds blow in a horizontal blur against the picturesque foggy streets, with reflections of the city sparkling upon the damp asphalt, it’s difficult not to cherish these memorable patterns of Egyptian winter. It’s the perfect weather for opulent fashion and the coziest occasion to celebrate our admiration for our loved ones, and for the intricate details that make Egypt irreplaceable.

This issue, (in)Sight is commemorating the month of love with listicles on how to spend an unforgettable Valentine’s; from prepping your hair and makeup, to suggestions on how to spend an unconventional date with your significant other.

We haven’t forgotten about those who self-sufficiently remain single, and we’ve got their backs with tips on self-love and embracing their uninvaded personal space. You’ll also love our long list of our favourite Egyptian brands, some of which have gone international, to celebrate how far our local products have made it thus far.

Hani Osama

Our exclusive interviews this month include the brilliant-minded producer, Hani Osama, who has greatly contributed to the recent renovation of Egyptian television and cinema; Meryem Refaie, the Moroccan beauty icon who now has a fashion line specialised in caftans; Marsellio, the virtuoso violinist who’s famous for covering popular hits from different cultures into mellifluous violin tunes; Dina El Selmy, the etiquette expert who’ll give you some tips on proper date-night behaviour; and Paul Thomas Anderson with some background on his latest film ‘Phantom Thread.’

Our breathtaking cover girl this issue is the talented Mai Omar, who has opened up to us on how her journey began and how she landed the roles that made her the star she is today.

On a side note, Valentine’s isn’t just about flamboyant public expressions of romance and overpriced teddy bears; don’t forget to make everyone you care for feel special this month and all year-round, and make sure you show Egyptian local brands the love and support they deserve. Happy Valentine’s!

The Editor: Nahed G. Yowakim (n.george@insight-egypt.com / 010-0102-3105) Managing Director: Nancy G Yowakim (ngyowakim@gmail.com) Editor-in-chief : Maged Atteya (mag.insight@gmail.com) EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT (pr.insight.egypt@gmail.com / 010-6587-1116) Senior Editor: Eylul Ener Sub Editor: Mayar El-Shamy Editorial Executive: Dina Fawzy Senior Graphic Designer/ Social Media: Dalia Ali Hegazy Graphic Designer/ Social Media: Aya Moustafa Photographers: Mahmoud Ashour/ Khaled Fadda Event Photographers: Atef Naguib & Sayed Ahmed ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT (adverts.insight@gmail.com / 010-6007-3537) ADMIN & DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT (magz.insight@gmail.com / 010-6587-1115) Admin Assistants: Nermine Hany / Ali Trablsi Published Monthly By: Insight Publishing House Limited, UK P.O. Box 362 Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

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Interview

Mai Omar

©2018. All rights reserved. (In)sight Magazine is a registered trademark.

Copyright here and abroad of all editorial content is held by the publishers: (In)sight Publishing House Limited, UK. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden save with the permission in writing of the publishers.

YOU BR I NG THE LOV E ... W E HAV E THE “ VALEN - DI NE”

16 SARAY EL GEZIRA ST., PO BOX 33 ZAMALEK, CAIRO 11211, EGYPT. T: 00. 202.27.28.3000 CAIROMARRIOTTHOTEL.COM ARABIC.MARRIOTT.COM

Delicious temptation will lure lovers this Valentine’s with the promise of a night of starry-eyed affection.

If the exotic appeals, Torii teases with a Japanese twist to a dream evening with lobster and tenderloin. In the beguiling Saraya Gallery and captivating Ristorante Tuscany, candlelit tables and roses set the scene for romance and exquisite cuisine ... the perfect match.

Delight in the amuse-bouche, seafood platter with caviar dressing, consommé, fish or steak. But save room for our signature pistachio chocolate dacquoise ... because on Valentine’s night everyone should share love, devotion and wonderful food.

CONTENTS Insight Exclusive: ani sama eryem efaie arsellio ina l elmi Paul Thomas nderson

ussein bdeldayem eana haaban herine amdy yman agih onia hira i ahmoud ayed ega ara l endy

Cover Story: • Mai Omar

Fun, Flirty & Fabulous

Life As We Know It: ind ope in the torm ow to ope with osing a Pet ow to mbrace our ear of ommitment hy our elationship s raining ou

Love, Self-love and Valentine’s

ays to mbrace eing ingle inding appiness in a ong-term elationship ow to be elf-sufficient ow to in an lpha oman’s eart ove dvice ot to ollow ur avourite elebrity ove tories

Health & Self-care

et a alon Pedicure at ome imple ealthy nac s to Ta e verywhere The Perfect iet for outhful in inter in are ssentials

Fashion Forward, Beauty Brief

Hey, It’s Okay To be Single on Valentine’s..

lamorous oo for an nforgettable alentine’s ight ensual liss ust-have Products for alentine’s ay

HOW TO EMBRACE YOUR FEAR OF

Whenever we are about to encounter a serious commitment, our favourite alibis go something along the lines of “I’m not the one” or “we don’t know each other very well”. It’s like once we hear the word ‘commitment’, we chicken out and mess things up out of an unjustifiable fear. Yet, we always continue pursuing true love, marrying ‘the one’, and starting a family. To stop these fears from getting in the way of a happy relationship, here are some tips to help control your anxieties.

COMMITMENT

By: Dina Fawzy

HAVE A SELF-TALK

Have a little discussion with yourself.

Search deep into yourself for the fears that hold your relationship back, and the reasons behind them. Ask yourself whether you really love this person or if you just like their attention. You need to figure out your problem before you deal with it.

NAME YOUR FEARS

You will never be able to calm your fears, unless you know exactly what you are anxious about. hether it is fear of being left alone, fear of failure, fear of change, fear of losing your freedom or fear of the unknown, you have to overcome it.

SHARE YOUR FEARS WITH YOUR PARTNER

fter pu ling out your fears, if you can uiet them down by voicing them to your partner, then break the silence and tell them, or tell a close friend. Many of the issues you have are due to having unanswered questions to which your partner may have a suitable interpretation.

STOP THINKING OF YOUR OLD EXPERIENCES on’t let your past relationships get in the way. Be aware that it is totally common to experience an unhealthy relationship, and to even get deceived or be disappointed by your most love ones. ence, don’t let nostalgia of the past ruin your life, and have the gut to start over.

CUT-OFF THE COMPARISON

top comparing what you have with what others have or what you were supposed to have. Be convinced that we enjoy different lives and that od gives us what suits us best. omparing everything 6 insight

is an act of jealousy, which will turn your life to hell and ma e you satisfied with nothing.

THROW AWAY UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

The myth of having a perfect relationship and the charming prince on his white horse is farthest from the truth. You will get hurt, and feel pain this is inevitable in any relationship. Yet, you can always set it straight. ust be down to earth and accept that reality doesn’t always satisfy our fantasies.

SPEND TIME WITH COUPLES IN A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP

pending time with a couple who love each other and work on solving their problems will motivate you to start developing a positive perspective about relationships.

Try to keep yourself away from unhealthy relationships and people who have commitment issues.

DON’T THINK OF IT AS A TRAP

All of us are terrified of the idea of losing our freedom to

someone who holds sway over our decisions and actions. Think of it as a mutual partnership, where each of you share everything and call the shots together. t is not a trap it is the ideal union where promises are fulfilled.

Before trying any of the above, make sure you are going to commit to the one you really love. Sometimes, when you start a relationship with someone, you subconsciously ignore all of your fears and make your first step.

Don’t force yourself to start a relationship with someone based on shallow reasons. Always go with whom your heart feels secure.

Love

Advice NOT TO FOLLOW

Even though we live in the age of science and technology, there are still many topics that we as humans know little about. One of these topics is love, which is considered by many to be the most intimate feeling a human could have with another, while others think it’s a mere chemical reaction sparked at just the right time. Considering how little our knowledge is, many people tend to give advice coming from their limited or vast experience, but what they fail to see is that even the most experienced person in human relations could fail to fix a relationship between two people simply because each person’s approach to intimacy is different, especially with the existence of too many variables that need to be solved in order to understand all the aspects of said relationship. This is not an attempt to denounce professional counselling, for instance, but lots of “advice” people give us can be a load of bologna that was perpetuated through media and romance chick flicks. Here’s what not to believe if you ever ask for someone’s insights.

LOVE SHOULD BE UNCONDITIONAL

This one is actually a little tricky considering not all of us share the same definition of “unconditional”. If by unconditional we mean “loving a person no matter what they do or say”, then that’s a big fat no, and for many reasons, the most important of which being that we should not offer infinite sacrifices based on the image of someone ingrained in our heads rather than who they are now; people are prone to change. A person could change many of their ideas or beliefs in a single moment, and there are no guarantees regarding this. Should we have that much belief in a person, then we’re giving them the key not just to hurting ourselves, but to hurting others as well.

ONLY LOVE MATTERS

It’s true that no relationship could survive and thrive between two people without love; however, love alone is not enough.

There are many things to consider when assessing whether or not we should go on with our relationships, and surely love is one of them, but how much are you willing to sacrifice for this relationship to live? And most importantly, are you hurting people with your relationship including yourself? And if you are, then is it really worth it? On the other hand, we should never forget that even if all the perfect qualities we’re looking for in a partner exist in a person, but at the same time we don’t feel genuine feelings towards them, then that’s a relationship doomed to fail from the beginning.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PLAY HARD TO GET

Playing hard to get is one of the things that could easily be a huge turn off for people. Sure, it’s good for us to not confess exactly how we’re feeling right off the bat, especially if we haven’t assessed the situation clearly and whether we really want to have a relationship with this person or not. But at the same time, playing hard to get could sometimes make us lose a person who would have been really perfect for us because to them, it can come off as disrespectful and immature.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS PRESSURE YOUR PARTNER ABOUT MARRIAGE

Although many of us have certain beliefs regarding relationships and how they should end up with marriage, it’s also important to bear in mind that there are crucial steps each couple should take before moving on to this grand finale.

Also, some people simply have many issues prohibiting them from taking this step, such as a fear of commitment. If they’re suffering from such problems and they’re willing to fix them, then pressuring them wouldn’t be helpful at all. Instead, we should just do our best to help them overcome their fears, and be supportive until they feel they’re ready.

Sensual Bliss

Must-have Products for

Valentine’s Day

While some might worry about how a Valentine’s dinner date will go, others just want an excuse to spoil themselves in the makeup art they’ve been dying to try for a red-hued day. Here are our picks for a sensually stunning look this Valentine’s.

L’Oreal Paris Ideal Moisture

NYX Powder Blush ‘Red’

MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation

Sigma Gel Eyeliner

MAC Ruby woo lip pencil

8 insight

Ma Mo ybelli n de rn M e Eye eta sha L’Oreal Paris do llic w s True Match Lumi Liquid

Highlighter

Fatma ElAbbassy ri Ma ri Faebook: Fatma Elabbassy MUA Instagram: makeupmemoirbyfatma Email: spanishfatma@hotmail.com

Maybelline Waterproof Gel pencil

NYX

ra

asca

ye M

E$ Doll

A Glamorous Look for an

UNFORGETTABLE

Valentine’s Night

Since makeup has the power to transform a look from blah to fabulous within seconds, Maria Eskander gives us some tips and names the top brands she uses to help us get the perfect look for a glamorous Valentine’s.

The talented makeup artist guides us through one of her makeup routines from her skin prepping techniques until the last spritz of her setting spray. day before your big day, apply Tea Tree Skin Clearing Clay Mask from The ody hop on your face for minutes before rinsing it off. ou can use a mixture of honey and yoghurt instead, since it’s suitable for all s in types. This will moisturise and brighten the face. few hours before ma eup application, cleanse your pores with La RochePosay Effaclar for oily s in, then to ma e sure that the face is perfectly clear use ioderma’s Sebium H2O, followed by the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Toner. fter that, sprit your face with La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water as it moisturises the s in, lightens it up, and prepares it for ma eup.

or eyeshadow, recommend using the Makeup Revolution Essential Shimmers palette, applying the light gold hue in the inner corner of your eye, and dar gold directly on the eyelid.

Then, you can apply one any of M ’s nude colours on the eyelid as well, blush shades can also be used as an eyeshadow because they are very light and non-glittery. To highlight the eyelids, you can use a creamy, shimmery lipstic in a hue similar to the eyeshadow shade you’re using.

To top your eyema up off, use Wet N Wild Mega Length Waterproof Mascara. personally buy my lashes from an online aceboo group called The Lash Shop.

ext, use the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Daily Solution Serum because it is good for oily s in and tightens your s in pores.

recommend using Lord & Berry 701 Smudgeproof Eye Pencil, with a a ia Beverly Hills Dipbrow for eyebrows, ephora’s Better Than Sex mascara, and M ’s Pro Longwear Concealer.

To moisturise, apply La Roche-Posay Effaclar H for oily s in. t is recommended to wait a few seconds between each and every step of the abovementioned to give the s in a chance to absorb the ingredients of these products.

fter that, blend in your Makeup Forever HD foundation over your face, before using a a ia r i Contour Cream Kit.

ow for the ma eup stage, start with Ma a r a i a rim r

our next step is using M r contour palette, blush powder, and highlighter. ou can mix Essence’s Dare to Wear’s red lipstic , with a r a red shade, and Nivea Beaute Colour Passion’s shimmery red lipstic . inally, apply Studio Finishing Powder by Nyx, which is translucent, before using the same brand’s setting spray as a final step.

Maria Eskander ri Ma ri Faebook: Makeupbymariaeskander Instagram: makeupbymariaeskander Email: mariaeskander91@gmail.com

10 insight

Love is in the air

Power Couples

We Adore

dy

Ayman Wagih and Sherine Ham

Mahmoud Za

yed and Soni

a Shirazi

yem Hussein Abdelda ban aa and Deana Sh

ove is the essence of life, but it’s managing to have a successful career alongside a happy relationship that can be the real challenge. To celebrate Valentine season, we have gone deep in some of our favourite power couple’s lives to inspire lovebirds and hopeless romantics out there. Dina Fawzy has asked some of our favourite power couples some questions we were most curious about, here’s what they said..

Vega and Yara El-Gend

y

Hussein Abdeldayem

&

Deana Shaaban

Hussein and Deana talk about their marriage in brutal honesty.

How did you first meet?

Deana: We met at an activation, which Hussein was hosting for a new t-shirt brand he launched.

What is the most embarrassing thing you have said or done around each other?

Deana: The concept of embarrassing doesn’t really exist in our relationship.

We have a comfortable, organic relationship that allows us to be ourselves.

Hussein: There is no reason for me to be embarrassed around her.

What is the strangest gift you ever bought one another?

Deana: Hussein once went on a trip to the US and came back with an obscene amount of lip balm and hair bands for me, I was wondering if there was message he was trying to hint [laughs].

Hussein: She went to England and came back with a super long iPhone charger for me because, well, everyone needs one in their home.

If you could describe one another in one or a few words, what would that be?

Deana: “Compassionate.” I think Hussein has a kindness and compassion that I have yet to see from any man I have ever met.

Hussein: Life, she is life.

What is one thing that you hate, but do it only for one another?

Deana: We have a policy: if we don’t like something, we don’t do it. We do only things we mutually enjoy, and if there’s something we don’t like, we’re very understanding about it.

Hussein: There is nothing I hate that I feel the need to do for Deana.

What’s the secret to a good relationship?

Deana Communication; to leave nothing unspoken, because when you’re Deana: old and wrinkly, this is all you will have: the ability to enjoy each other’s company and conversation.

Hussein: Communication, and not having an ego.

What’s the most awkward situation you ever had together?

Deana I was once introducing Hussein to a friend of mine whom he didn’t Deana: remember, so I tried to help out by describing him as someone’s wife.

Meanwhile, my friend was standing there with his new girlfriend, and everyone had a clear idea of what was going on except me!

Hussein: Nothing, we can’t be awkward around each other.

What’s a habit that drives you crazy about him? How do you handle it?

Deana: Hussein is always cracking jokes. Even when I’m having a freak-out about something, he manages to always put a happy spin on it. While it initially irritates me, I am able to take a step back and realise that I’d rather have someone who is able to help me get some perspective with humour than someone who will freak out with me.

Hussein: Nothing drives me crazy about her.

Who is usually the first one to make up after a fight?

Deana It’s usually mutual. I believe that there has to Deana: be a balance in order to have a happy relationship.

Hussein: e both ma e up after a fight. i e said before, no ego gets to either of us.

If you’re in the doghouse, what’s the fastest way that gets you out?

Deana: A quick apology and a huge bear hug!

There is just about nothing that a warm hug can’t solve.

12 insight

Vega

& Yara El-Gendy

Vega and Yara El-Gendy talk to us about their irresistible playfulness.

How did you first meet?

Vega: We met at work about 8 years ago, and we’ve become very close since.

What is the most embarrassing thing you have said or done around each other?

Yara: I literally trip and fall all the time. It’s practically impossible for me to look graceful at home.

What was your most memorable trip together?

Yara: Our honeymoon! So many random things happened during that trip.

What is the strangest gift you ever bought one another?

Vega: We made an agreement when we got married to simply tell each other what it is that we want in order to avoid such things, and to make our lives easier. However, Yara once got me a drill and household tools!

If you could describe each other in one or a few words, what would that be?

Yara: My baby.

Tarek: El negma (the star).

What is one thing that you hate, but do it only for one anoth er?

Yara: He hates washing the dishes, but ends up doing it for me!

Vega: I know she hates picking up my stuff from around the house, but she continues to do that.

What’s the secret to a good relationship?

Yara: Being best friends.

What’s the most awkward situation you ever had together?

Yara: When we were in Thailand, we both got severely sun burnt. We were flaming red and our s in was peeling in big chun s. People everywhere ept staring at us!

What’s the worst thing you did to your in laws?

Vega: We constantly give them all the stuff we don’t need anymore, I'm sure they feel like we are using their house as a storage space.

What’s a habit that drives you crazy about him? How do you handle it?

Yara: He throws a lot of his things around the house, especially when it has just been cleaned and organised. My solution is piling them up and placing them in the most annoying place in his studio, so he has no choice but to sort them out.

Vega: Taking more than half of the bed space [Laughs].

Who is usually the first one to make up after a fight?

Yara: No one. We just annoy each other until one of us gives in.

If you’re in the doghouse, what’s the fastest way that gets you out?

Vega: I run!

Yara: Jokingly annoying him until he laughs.

&

Ayman Wagih Sherine Hamdy The stunning pair spill the beans about their unconventional communication.

How did you first meet?

Ayman: We met a very long time ago when we both used to model and were chosen to be featured on a magazine cover.

What was your most memorable trip together?

Sherine: This is a tough one! We’ve had many memorable trips together, but if we have to choose just one, it would be Marbella, Spain 2011.

If you could describe each other in one or a few words, what would that be?

Sherine: Gada3.

Ayman: A very accurate person.

What is one thing that you hate but do it only for one anoth er?

Sherine: I hate doing all the bank work when needed, but I do it on behalf of him anyway.

Ayman: I don’t eat sushi and I hate going to sushi restaurants, but I go with her because she loves it.

What’s the secret to a good relationship?

Communication, for sure.

What’s the most awkward situation you ever had together?

Sherine: When we were engaged, it was a few days before Valentine’s Day, and I told Ayman I was studying at a friend’s place, while he told me that he was going to the car wash. I was actually at a gift shop wrapping his gift. It was very crowded and I accidently dropped his gift while wrapping it, and as I was picking it up someone’s hand was lifting it with me. I looked up, and it was Ayman, who was also there buying me a present!

What’s the worst thing you’ve done to your in laws?

Sherine: When we were engaged, I was at my in laws’ house and my father in-law asked me to pass him his bohemian ashtray, which I accidentally dropped and watched shatter to a million pieces right in front of the whole family.

Ayman: We were barbecuing with Sherine’s family in Ain Sokhna and I wanted to show off my skills, so I decided to throw some gas on the coal to help it light faster, but I ended up setting all of my in laws’ garden bushes on fire.

What’s a habit that drives you crazy about him?

Sherine: His short temper.

Ayman: Her messy dressing room.

Who is usually the first one to make up after a fight?

Ayman: Sherine is.

If you’re in the doghouse, what’s the fast est way that gets you out?

Sherine: I would apologise, but if that doesn’t work, I play it cool as if nothing happened.

Ayman: I make jokes in hopes of making her laugh; if it doesn’t work, I tickle her to make sure she laughs.

14 insight

& Sonia Shirazi

Mahmoud Zayed

The fitness couple tell us about their understanding mannerisms and mutual appreciation of one another.

How did you first meet?

Mahmoud: We met at the gym, and the funny part is neither of us had planned to wor in the fitness field.

What is the most embarrassing thing you have done around each other?

Sonia: t our first date, ate more than him, and it was totally embarrassing. e then realised how much we love eating together.

What was your most memorable trip together?

Sonia: ur honeymoon in the was ama ing because we have satisfied our needs of food, shopping, and fitness conventions.

What is the strangest gift you ever bought one another?

Mahmoud: once bought her fancy sports headphones, and ended up using it myself.

If you could describe each other in one or a few words, what would that be?

Sonia: The best leader.

Mahmoud: mbitious.

What is one thing that you hate, but do it only for one anoth er?

Sonia: watch football matches with him. tried to play it on Play tation as well, but failed.

Mahmoud: try to tal profusely with her.

What’s the secret to a good relationship?

Mahmoud: Patience, having common interests, travelling together, trying to be mature enough, understanding one another, and having your own space.

What’s the most awkward situation you ever had together?

Sonia: We were at a shop in the USA, and we assumed the salesperson was merican. e thought he was lying about something, so told my husband in rabic that thin he’s lying, and he responded in rabic that he wasn’t. t was so embarrassing, yet funny.

What’s a habit that drives you crazy about him?

Sonia: e plays Play tation all the time, which drives me cra y. handle it by sitting beside him and chatting.

Who is usually the first one to make up after a fight?

Sonia: ometimes do, other times he does.

If you’re in the doghouse, what’s the fastest way that gets you out?

Sonia: surprise him with his favourite protein bar.

Mahmoud: buy her utella.

Our Favourite Celebrity

Love Stories For better and worse, in sickness and in health, the world’s most popular celebrity couples have kept their vows and set out their ever-charming love stories. None of us can deny our obsession with celebrity couples and gossip. We love following up on their recent events: who got married, who’s in love, and who got separated…it’s all just much lighter than political updates.

Since these celebrity love stories inspire us and reaffirm our faith in true love, here is our list of the most glamorous celebrity matches.

By: Dina Fawzy

Nour El-Sherif & Poussi

Their peerless love story lasted for more than 33 years on the screen and behind the scenes. The adorable couple have fallen in love with each other at first sight, and stood against the whole world to ic off their marriage ourney. They have gone through a lot together, and even though they bro e it off for a while, l- herif got bac to his angelic beloved, Poussi, to spend his last days in her arms.

Ahmed Helmy & Mona Zaki

elmy and a i never fail to ama e us with their fashionable style and humorous souls at every occasion. The ultimate corpio pair are our ideal epitome of a successful couple who support and understand each other as well as endlessly strive for improving their career. They are also nown to be tight-lipped when it comes to their personal life, the matter of which provides them a peaceful personal life with their three adorable children.

Mohamed Mohsen & Hiba Majdi

The youngest on our list have had their love spar ed in the arena lately while they were performing the ‘ ne Thousands and ne ights’ play. espite facing many challenges li e the death of a di’s mother, the charming pair held their small wedding ceremony, which was full of love and amusement. They recently had a baby girl, ahb, to complete their on-of-a- ind love fairytale.

16 insight

Amr Youssef & Kinda Alloush

Yet another love story that went viral on social media and left the audiences aw-dropped. The fabulous match fell in love behind the scenes and threw a legendary wedding over the ban s on the ile in the ex uisite swan. lloush’s wedding dress was simple, yet fashionable and distinctive. ntil now, the couple are madly in love and continue to participate in many creative advertisements we love.

Amir Al Yamani & Hanan Metaweh This is the story of a year-long friendship that turned into a glamorous love story. The couple were friends for over a year, and one day l amani confessed his love to etaweh and as ed her to marry him. lthough etaweh had second thoughts at ďŹ rst, she ultimately said yes and they threw one of the memorable weddings of the year. The adorable couple are totally mad about each other, and they miss no chance to post their cheerful photos on social media platforms.

Omar Sharif & Faten Hamama

Their story will always be worth mentioning whenever we tac le the theme of love. The pair warmed our heart with their unmatched romance ever since their love story started with a iss. amama then got divorced from her ex-husband, and harif converted to slam and changed his name to be able to crown their love story with marriage. nfortunately, their marriage came to an end, but their love never did, since harif never got married after her.

Hassan El Raddad & Emy Samir Ghanem

fter a long-term relationship under the radar, l addad and hanem surprised the audience with their announcement that they are going to get married. They have participated in a lot of movies together, where we all loved them as a charming match. The super cool pair held their wedding by the sea with some of their best friends and renowned actors.

Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively

They’re a perfect match. The two stunning pairs are madly in love, and their hilarious trolling on social media ma es us burst out in laughter. ollywood’s most attractive couple ill it every time they show up on the red carpet in head-turning fashion. They have been married for over five years, and have two charming daughters. The hot couple are clearly meant for each other, since they can’t eep their eyes off one another at any event.

Zayn Malik & Gigi Hadid

ollywood youngest hot couple have exceeded everyone’s expectations. The former one direction singer and the international model fell in love with adid three years bac , and the couple ic ed it off since. esides a string of intimate photos on nstagram, the pair acted together in a music video, and appeared in two ogue photo shoots. ecently, ayn has had his girlfriend’s eyes tattooed over his chest and posted a video on his birthday where he showed off the tattoo to express his endless love to her.

Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis

The couple met on the set of ‘That ‘ s how’ in , and years later, they got married and now share two ids together. They are obviously the female and male versions of one another, and have declared that they still live in the honeymoon phase until today. They give hope to all the desperate hearts out there that real love exists and soul mates can be found.

Justin Theroux & Jennifer Aniston

The power couple had tied the nots and recited their vows three years ago in the spacious bac yard of their home in os ngeles. uest were invited to Theroux’s birthday party and they were surprised it was niston and Theroux’s wedding. The adorable pair are fabulously made for each other, and every time we see them on the red carpet, we’re ama ed us by their uni ue outfits. They are the fulfilling relationship that everyone see s.

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Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

ur list would ma e no sense without including this outstanding couple. Prince arry bro e the convention and got engaged to an merican former actress for the sa e of amour. n the other hand, the radiant ar le made her part of sacrificing and declared that she will not act again. The glamorous couple have strongly faced all the drawbac s in the way of being together, and have had one of the most remar able and romantic engagements we’ve seen.

Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez

mong many brea ups and ma eups, ieber and ome have finally re indled their relationship and are now living one of the most romantic love stories. ut of seven years of ups and downs in their relationship, their feelings remained and drove them to starting over. espite the disapproval of ome ’s family over her decision to get bac with ieber, their photos on nstagram reveal how happy they are together.

Ian Somerhalder & Nikki Reed

The affectionate couple’s love story is a little bit complicated, since they were already friends when omerhalder was in a relationship with ina obrev, and eed was married to Paul c onald. fter a year of omerhalder’s brea up with obrev and eed’s divorce, they brought their relationship into light. The adorable pairs are over-the-moon in love, and have a beautiful daughter they named odhi.

Liam Hemsworth & Miley Cyrus

hen two people are connected with genuine love, no circumstances can ever eep them apart iam emsworth and iley yrus’s incredible love story is one for ages. They first met on the set of the movie ‘The ast ong’, when they were very young and in love. Their relationship had a lot of ups and downs, but their true love was able to win at the end, as they are now engaged and have been living it up since.

Christian Louboutain

Chanel

Victoria’s Secret

Little Liffner

Etro

Really

Gifts for Her

What She Boucheron

WANTS Victoria’s Secret

You might think you know what your friend or partner wants, but end up getting too personalised in your choice, and seeing her never use what you bought. Women aren’t as hard to impress as some may think, and that’s something you won’t have to worry about if you go with these picks.

Anastasia

Victoria’s Secret

Fendi

Sherif Elkady Stylist

Saint Laurent

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Vetements

Mobile: 01200463326 Instagram: sherif.alkadi Facebook: sherif alkadi E-mail: sherif.alkady2016@aol.com

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Marsellio

The New-AgeViolin Virtuoso With his light-up violin and confident strides towards his audience, Marsellio never fails to paint colourful emotions with his mellifluous tunes. The virtuoso is famous for covering popular songs from a myriad of cultures, and adding the signature tonal lustre he’s most loved for. Marsellio talks to Mayar El-Shamy about how he started, his journey to becoming a soloist, and gives advice to aspiring young musicians.

What age were you when you r ar i r i a a

That's actually a funny story. It was around fifteen years bac , believe. was ten years old at the time, and my music teacher as ed me to oin the school band. never really considered such a possibility, and had no idea why she approached me. remember thin ing to myself, me musician thin ll pass laughs . ut ended up being on board with the idea, ust out of curiosity, and guess at the age of ten there isn t much to be done anyway. hen oined the team, my teacher insisted play the violin, even when told her preferred to play the piano or guitar. he said, one day, you ll be a commemorated violinist, and convinced me to proceed with the violin. used to only practise at school during music class, and would snea to the music room whenever got the chance. Two years into it, my father surprised me my own violin, and that was when started practising intensely.

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ot really. wasn t a very social child, which drove me to spending around five hours practising the violin every single day. fell in love with the tunes, and felt euphoric whenever saw improvement, or mastered certain musical oeuvres which thought would be impossible to perfect. never really loo ed at it as practising, it was more of a relationship. t the end of the day, it was my comfort one. watched a ton of online tutorials, and a year after got my first violin, had already mastered classics by o art, ivaldi, eethoven and so on. veryone at school was very surprised, and it gave me the motivation to eep going. started 22 insight

oining bands, and we performed at a lot of locations. e got featured on television shows a few times, too This ourney introduced me to new people, techni ues and genres of music. The young boy listening to music in his room and practising violin was now learning from real life experience.

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urprisingly, m actually the only musician in the family.

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m actually an lectronics and

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thin it was very gradual, and it sometimes still ama es me how a simple hobby has transformed into the career it is today. still can t find the right words to explain how that ma es me feel, but it s extremely exhilarating.

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ommunications engineer. haven t yet decided whether m going to pursue a career in engineering, or eep doing what love. ne thing m sure of though is that music is my passion it continues to grow on me, and d definitely choose it over anything. mean, what s better than ma ing music and ma ing people happy for a living

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don t thin there is a simple answer to that uestion, but if m not wor ing, m probably exploring music and practising.

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es, play the piano and string instruments li e oud, guitar including bass, acoustic and electric- and andolin to name a few.

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tend to explore and listen to various genres because there is always something out there to learn something new from. had a very eclectic musical ourney varying from lassical, etal, a and lues to riental, eep ouse, Techno, inimal you name it.

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t was a time when was exposed to a lot of great professionals, who taught me a lot more than could ever imagine. t was hard for me to eep up though because was in college and had to balance out both lives. tudying engineering and being part of an rchestra wasn t a wal in the par . ne day, a friend of mine as ed me to oin him for a performance at this nightclub, and decided to tag along. t was a new experience, which thin mar ed

the beginning of a new path. felt li e was ma ing people happy with my music. remember it was a bit dar , and couldn t really see the faces of the people who were dancing, but there was this inexplicable vibe. t was intense enough to almost numb my body. ust felt ecstatic, and felt so connected with the music and my violin that started improvising.

That was the first time played solo, so that explains the excitement. The owner of the club then saw me and offered me a ob, and this is how my career as a soloist began.

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do worry a bit much before concerts and gigs. ’m the ind of person who double chec s everything, but once start playing the violin, one out and forget the outer world. t s ust me and my violin.

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Tomaso lbinoni s ‘ dagio’, especially the version by avid arrett, who is, by the way, my idol and inspiration. thin he is one of the greatest violinists around.

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believe that there are extremely talented people in gypt, and hope that they get a chance to be heard.

The music industry focuses more on the mainstream, and there is an absence of eccentricity out of a fear of having that decrease profit. n other words, d love to see underground artists get a national reach and actually become an addition to the music scene rather than change it. omeone needs to ta e a leap of faith in our unexplored talents, and show them off to the world to sha e things up a little.

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ll be wor ing on an album of my own, and perhaps travel to get exposed to new musical cultures and learn more.

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cannot describe my techni ues verbally, but can say that the violin is a very delicate instrument. eaning, meticulous techni ues that include the way you hold it, if not done correctly early on, can be difficult to ad ust to after a while. ou should wor on your muscle memory from the start, so ma e sure your muscles are memorising the right techni ues before it s hard to go bac . To do that, you need to see professional advice, and try to cherry pic the videos you learn from because people on the internet are not always doing things right. ost importantly, you need to practise, practise, and always practise

What to Do with Your Partner This

Valentine’s Valentine’s is that day of the year when most of us choose to make the best out of the time we spend with our significant other, but that’s before we face the problem of trying to make it as unique as possible and not yet another dinner date. You don’t need to be doing anything super extraordinary or ridiculously romantic. You can either enjoy being lazy, or go on an adventure with the person you love the most. Below is a list of seven unconventional things you can do this valentine’s to strengthen your relationship with your partner, while also trying something new and exciting.

Go on an adventure

Other than how much fun you can have with good company, going on a trip with your partner can reignite many aspects of a relationship that you might have lost because of your daily routines. You don’t have to conform to those deluxe packages they reserve for couples, but consider going hiking or cycling around Sinai. It’s a much better option to pick places that you’ve never been before, as well as those that would encourage you to do some physical activities.

Buy a video game

Bearing in mind how many of us spend most of our free time playing video games, it’s never too bad of an idea to buy a game that we can play with our significant other ven though video games don’t sound like the most romantic idea of all, it’s still a fun activity you can bond with the love of your life doing.

Gamers usually have different preferences when it comes to video game partnering, so if you get a little too excited or find yourself throwing your controlling across the room when you lose, while your partner is calmer, you may want stick with solo-playing.

Seclude yourselves

Valentine’s would be just like any other day if we actually fail to ma e our significant other feel how special they are to

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us. Sometimes, the only convenient way to do so is for us to spend the day away, as involving others too much in your relationship could also lead to drifting apart without noticing. There are many places you could visit in order to spend time alone as any two in a relationship would, whether that be the comfort of your own home or a more expensive hotel stay.

Visit the place you’ve first met

The place you’ve first laid your eyes on your significant other is usually uite memorable for both of you. Whether it’s a certain restaurant or a random meeting place, it will always reignite certain feelings for the both of you to establish it as something special in your heart, even if you end up standing there in silence, recollecting memories of the first time you’ve met.

Give back to society

This might be the most unconventional on the list, but it might also be the least selfish. hy don’t we ever spend our Valentine’s doing some charity work?

Sure, Valentine’s is all about the love we share with our partners; however, should we find a way to actually strengthen our relationship while also helping those in need, then there shouldn’t be any reason why we don’t do exactly that.

Vow to never celebrate Valentine’s again…

nly to ma e our significant other feel special on a daily basis, rather than needing an annual celebration to do so. It could prove to be the hardest one on the list to achieve, but if this doesn’t guarantee us an everlasting relationship with our partner, then nothing would.

Because after all, who wouldn’t want to feel like the most loved person on the planet every day? Further, it is believed that even though this day is supposed to commemorate Saint Valentine, who died a martyr, the celebration is being exploited by corporations to ma e profit on a day when our focus should be those we care about, not how much we can impress them by what we buy for them.

Pamper Yourselves

Although this is most likely not something a man would conventionally enjoy, when done occasionally, it can prove to be a lot more fun than doing the same with your girlfriends. You can spend a day at the spa together to enjoy couple massages and pedicures with one another, or do exactly that at home. Shave his face, give him a clay mask, and have him do your hair afterwards. You might think gyptian men aren’t comfortable with being groomed lest they be deemed girly, but you’ll find out that it’s only because they have no idea what to do, and that’s where you can come handy.

How to Win an

AlphA WomAn’s

HEART

Our current time is probably one of the best times regarding the widespread of public consciousness towards social issues. One of the most important social issues that rose in the 20th century is the equality between both men and women, which led to the rise of many social movements, also known as feminism. This awareness has also affected many of the millennials growing up, especially with social media paving the way for many ideas that weren’t popular enough to reach a huge variety of people all over the world. Women especially were affected by such ideas and have grown up to be more independent of men and others in general, thus becoming what we now colloquially refer to as ‘alpha women’. Many men who believe in progressive ideas have become allies to women seeking their full rights, unlike those who are still sceptical of feminism and see the moment as a threat –this article is geared towards the latter.

Below is a list of qualities men could actually work on having to win over an alpha woman’s heart.

By: Bahey Khashana

BE HONEST

Alpha women can spot a liar really easily. Why? Simply because they’ve seen enough men already who would play tricks to be with them, only to see them for who they truly are later on. Whatever values you have in life and whatever it is you want from an alpha woman, make sure you are honest about it.

BE COURAGEOUS

Alpha women usually hold certain values that most members of our society don’t believe in and end up fighting against them as a result. Further, alpha women stand up for their beliefs. If you can’t do the same, then it would probably be a huge turn off for her, so make sure you try and develop such qualities before approaching her.

HOLD PROGRESSIVE VALUES TOWARDS SOCIAL ISSUES

Alpha women hold progressive values in their social sphere, considering they want to take full control over their lives, while most societies are quite patriarchal. If you’re still holding on to your

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conservative or reactionary ideas, then it wouldn’t be such a great idea to approach an alpha woman to begin with, seeing as the only thing you’ll probably win is rejection.

FIGHT FOR HER THE SAME WAY SHE WOULD FIGHT FOR YOU

lpha women are fighters. They are always fighting for something, whether it be their beliefs or their careers. Should you get into a relationship with one, know for sure that you’re almost near the top of the list of things she’d fight for, and if you wouldn’t do the same, know that she will drop you off that list completely.

PICK HER UP WHEN SHE'S DOWN

Even though alpha women are some of the toughest people you might know, they’re still human after all, and

each person, no matter how strong end up having periods of their lives in which they simply feel down. If there’s a time an alpha woman would want you to be there for her, this would be the one. If you succeed at doing so, you’ll probably win a partner for life who wouldn’t hesitate for a second to give away everything she has for you. Should you fail though, then that’s probably the end of your relationship.

ALWAYS COMMUNICATE WITH HER

If there’s one common thing about alpha women, it’s intelligence. Even though smart people could sometimes end up thinking they’re superior to others, most alpha women champion equality above everything else,Whatever it is you’ll argue about with them, they’ll definitely offer a rational debate. Therefore, communication is always the key for reaching out to alpha women.

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ai

OMAR FUN, FLIRTY

&

FABULOUS

After just five years in the spotlight, the gorgeous Mai Omar was awarded the ‘Best Youth Actress’ title for her incredible talents on the screen. The beauty icon’s fashionable looks are as diverse as her roles, which have ranged from an underprivileged nurse in the psychological series ‘Hikayet Hayat’ (The Story of Hayat) and an innocent face in the action-thriller series ‘Al Ostoura’ (The Legend), to a housewife faking amnesia in the comedy flick ‘Rayah El Madam’ (Reassure Your Wife). In each of her roles, Mai has never failed to light up the screen with her dazzling performance, and has successfully marked her acting journey with impressive leaps. The down-to-earth star opens up to Dina Fawzy on how she landed her roles, names some of the actors she would like to work with, and gives a sneak peek on her upcoming projects.

ou have become one of the most sought-after actresses in Egypt despite taking up this career just a few years ago. How did you skyrocket to stardom so quickly?

Acting has been my dream ever since I was a kid. I've always set my heart on becoming an actress with the opportunity to delve into the fathoms of various characters and experience many different lives. I have majored in Mass Communication, but got to join several acting classes and participated in many plays in the university theatre. After graduating, I started working in advertising, but acting remained my passion, so I decided to quit my job and make my dream come true. I started taking acting more seriously by enrolling in acting courses and working on my skills as an actress. I was then offered a role in ‘The Story of Hayat’ and it all started from there.

You have recently received ‘Best Youth Actress’ award in Dear Guest Awards.

How does this make you feel?

It always feels great to be awarded for your efforts. It's one of the best feelings that an actor could ever feel; to have your work appreciated. It gives you a confidence boost and pushes you to go beyond the extra mile to prove your worthiness, hone your skills, and

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take steps forward in your career.

Your first role in ‘The Story of Hayat’ was completely different from your character. How did you prepare for it?

I love roles that are different from who I am. It gives me the chance to imagine, and live a new lifestyle that I've never before experienced. I’ve focused my attention on taking acting courses just to work on my character as Walaa. My husband has also helped me out a lot to prepare for this role, since he was the director of the series.

What was it like to work with the iconic Adel Emam?

No words can describe my love and respect for the brilliant star that is Adel Emam. I got to learn a lot from him; he showed me what a real star is. I now realise, after working with him, how he has reached this level of success throughout his acting journey, since he’s a really passionate actor who loves the film industry beyond words. I was very lucky to get this unique opportunity to work with him.

Your career really took off since your role in ‘The Legend’. What made your role as Shahd appealing to you?

Shahd is my favourite role until now because I was baffled by her character at the beginning. I hate playing

weak characters and Shahd seemed to be a wimp and an irresolute woman, the matter of which gave me second thoughts about the role. But then I thought, “why not? Why do I see her deep love as a weakness?” So I decided to play this role and see things from her perspective.

Which one of your roles would you say has resonated with you the most?

That film had one of my favourite crews that I really enjoyed working with. The whole team, starting from the production team and the director, to my colleagues Ahmed Fahmy and Akram Hosny, were like a big family to me. We all took pleasure in shooting this TV series.

It felt like we were experiencing a new adventure everyday especially because we were portraying different characters and stories each episode. t was definitely a challenge, but I seek diversity in my roles because I believe that your audience will get bored if you just play the expected role over and over again. I’m very happy and grateful for the success of ‘Reassure Your Wife’.

What shall we expect to see next from Mai Omar?

You played a comedy role in ‘Reassure Your Wife’. Did you find it challenging?

None of my roles relate to me.

Most of them were far from my real character, which is why I got a kick out of performing them. I think it’s very boring when an actor gets assigned a role that’s similar to their character.

You won’t be seeing me in any Ramadan TV series this year, as I’m pregnant with my second baby. But perhaps expect a film by the end of this year!

What kind of mother are you? Too strict or too cool?

I usually try to be strict, but it always ends up the other way around [laughs].

Raising a kid is one of the toughest jobs a woman has to do!

How did you land your role in ‘Tsbah Ala Khir’ (Goodnight)?

I was actually offered this role just two days before shooting! Another actress for whom they had the role planned turned it down before it was offered to me. I believe that it’s the most challenging role I’ve played so far.

Any actors you’d like to work with?

I’m still at the beginning of my journey, and there are many stars that I aspire to work with including Yousra and Yehia El-Fakharany.

Photography: Khaled Fadda Stylist: Abier Ansary Hair: Ashour Makeup: Ahmed Abdel Razik

Paul Thomas Anderson On Directing ‘Phantom Thread’ and His Future Plans in Cinema When it comes to films that scope out of convention, Paul Thomas Anderson never disappoints.

‘Phantom Thread’, a gothic romance, is of the highest rated films of last year, with an air unlike any other films we’ve seen from Anderson. The renowned director talks to us about his latest film and a bit about his future plans.

‘Phantom Thread’ is a very difr m a a r r m i r i a r

It’s a push, but it’s an organic push. I’ve had an instinct for a while to return to a kind of romance story. And I’ve always

thought I’d love to make a story with a woman as the protagonist, you know?

Lord knows there are enough good actresses out there. I had a particular Joan Fontaine thing at that time. A couple of years ago, I could not get enough Joan Fontaine. I guess you’re either a Joan man or an Olivia de Havilland man,

and I’m camp Joan.

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They’re there. Top of the list are the ones we all know – the ‘Vertigos’ and ‘Rebeccas’, right? Then you get maybe into the ‘Suspicions’ and stuff like that.

But digging around, there was a lot of stuff I’d never heard of – ‘Dragonwyck’ was an interesting one. It was actually kind of nice for me to discover some I hadn’t heard of before. The internet is a glorious place. You really start going down rabbit holes and having a good time doing it.

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oads of it now at first hand. wouldn’t call myself an artist, and movies about artists are tricky – moments of inspiration are usually pretty corny. But I needed a character that was self-consumed. There are a few different fields you could go to.

It could have been a doctor. The idea of making him a fashion designer seemed like a smart one – it could get you into a world that was very glamorous and controlled. You can recognise a lot of similarities between being a film director and being a fashion designer, I suppose ultimately you are making something that people are going to pay cold hard cash for and go and see. So you’re doing it for yourself but you’re not, are you?

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For a number of reasons. Number one is that I don’t speak English, I speak American [laughs], so I needed help in

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that department, from the silliest things like having a character say they’re “mad” as opposed to “angry”. He was incredibly helpful for me understanding class, which is completely foreign to me.

Well, not completely, but it is distant. And I think we knew on a practical level that we weren’t getting any younger, and for me to go away and write a movie alone in a room and then to show it to him would have been counter-productive.

That would have left him twiddling his thumbs for a year, and I’d have been lonely! So it was ‘Let’s just get this going together’, and that just means constantly being in touch with each other, whether that’s once a week or three times a week, or a couple of weeks off going to your separate corners, then coming back with new material to present. And all the while that’s happening, informing each other about your new discoveries in terms of the research.

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I knew Lesley from Mike Leigh stuff. But Daniel was the one who suggested esley first. reat idea. There are so many good actresses of that age, and I’m glad that we went with Lesley, but there are so many good ones. When it comes to ic y, the mission was finding an actress that, ideally, no one had seen before, and who is beautiful without being ‘current fashion model’ beautiful – try to avoid pouty lips and that ind of thing. saw a film called ‘The Chambermaid’, which she was very good in. But more to the point, we did the traditional thing of actresses making audition tapes and coming in. Early on, it was clear – bingo. And meeting with her made it no contest.

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Certainly I would do it again, but also I wouldn’t want to miss out on the joys and opportunities that can come with collaborating with a really great cinematographer. There’s too much you can get out of that. I’d love to have the opportunity to work with somebody like Bob Richardson or Chivo Emmanuel Lubezki or Roger Deakins. I don’t know if they’d want to work with me.

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Film distributed by Four Star Films Egypt.

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it is. Worst case scenario is that it just turns into bad BBC where it’s claustrophobic to the point of choking. Unpleasant.

There’s only so many places you can go.

When you shoot outside, where do you put the camera? You can very easily

scratch your head and say, “I have no f ing idea. ut inside a good eorgian townhouse, you’d have to be a fool to blow it. They can be so gorgeous. We had a fantastic skylight coming down those stairs. It’s not the easiest thing in the world shooting inside an actual eorgian townhouse in the middle of London. What you’re supposed to do is build a set, but that seemed crazy to us and not really our style. It was limiting in terms of what you can do, and hanging lights.

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There was never any one big idea that we aimed towards. It was a trial and error thing. Yeah, there are photographs you see of the period – there are a billion

fashion photographs – but they are generally gorgeous, full-stop. That didn’t seem instinctually right somehow. We tested all different things. ‘What does this look like if it’s a bit grainy, a bit muckedup? What are the practical concerns of shooting in tight locations with very low light?’ It was such trial and error, and then suddenly coming across something that just felt right. Soft and painterly. And seeing the costumes Mark Bridges was coming up with, what they lent themselves too. lot of the gothic romance films we’re talking about are black-and-white.

You can’t really light it like a black-andwhite film. That’s ust going to be ugly. o miles of testing and then finally agreeing on what looked elegant. There’s also a bit of a natural rub against what you see a lot on television these days, which is an over amount of clarity, a kind of jacked-up.

HANI

OSAMA The Avante-Garde

Filmmaker Ever since the acclaimed film production company, ‘The Producers’, was launched, mainstream taste of the Egyptian audience in television and cinema has been incontestably refined, where their demands have surpassed an affinity for mere entertainment to include thoughtprovoking content and top-notch direction. Hani Osama, who has co-founded the company with Hadi El Bagoury, has since raised the bar sky-high with his eccentric films and TV series on some of the most controversial social taboos. Some of his masterpieces include ‘Lamoakhza’ (Excuse My French) and ‘Sheikh Jackson’. The pioneering filmmaker talks to (in)sight’s Rania Badr about his journey in the industry so far, and some of his future projects.

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ou’re now inarguably a mma i icon in the Middle East. How did it all begin?

TV commercials have always fascinated me as a kid, and that has driven me to direct a few advertisements when I was still in school.

Eventually, I felt more drawn to the happenings behind the camera. I realised how it was a much more crucial step to the outcome, so that’s when I decided to shift to production. I began producing commercials before I graduated from university, got acquainted with directors like Hadi El Bagoury and worked with him for a while before founding our production company ‘The Producers’, which has been around for 18 years.

The focus of ‘The Producers’ at the ar a a mm r ia correct?

Yeah, we started producing commercials and music videos, which we still continue to make, but it was around eight years ago when we decided to expand. ur first deviation from this was ‘Ard Khas’ (Private Screening). It was Hadi’s idea, and I think it was unconventional to the public to shoot a series using cinematic techniques. We had been making commercials for years now, so quality is always a result we don’t actively work on it comes naturally at this point. We thought, “why not produce a drama with the same quality?” And this marks the start of our journey.

And that’s when ‘Wahed Sahih’ (A Whole One) and ‘Excuse My French’ followed?

Hadi was the one who directed ‘A Whole One’. ‘Excuse My French’ was our first pro ect together in cinema with the producer, Mohamed Hefzy. We then produced the TV series ‘Zarf Eswed’ (The Black Envelope).

ma i r r m a ri a the difference between the two?

You’re right, it’s unusual, especially because we also produce TV commercials. I’d say what’s common between the two processes is how much attention we pay to quality, whether it’s a short

a

a r

r

r i

r

When a project is more compact, that gives you the chance to perfect the most intricate details, and that’s what ma es films my passion. Then again, some projects can only be rendered into TV series like ‘Sabea Gar’ (The Seventh Neighbour) and ‘Ana Shahira’ (I am Shahira), and this also includes our upcoming projects, which will comprise multiple seasons. Yet, I’d say cinema is my number one passion.

The eccentricity of ‘The Seventh i r m a a ri a r a r i r

The subject it held was what intrigued me the most. ‘The Seventh Neighbour’ was not just an intangible concept; Heba Yousry, Ayten Amin and Nadine Khan had already screen-written some of the episodes. Sure, you can vaguely talk about the story of the protagonists that takes place in an apartment building, and it sounds interesting on the surface, but when you read the script meticulously, you’ll either be more intrigued or decide that it’s not your cup of tea. The details Heba employed in her writing, and in the dialogues, were extremely tempting to me. The nature of the series compels you to go beyond commercial boundaries, and yet, the core subject caters to mainstream audience. So I realised I can create a commercial project without the mainstream elements that an audience might expect.

Personally, I love to venture when I sense a certain project has potential, and I’m thankful that it worked out in my favour.

The series introduced new faces i r a a ar a The three directors saw that the nature of the film did not necessarily urge you to hire certain actors, and yet, we still casted stars, but we also introduced

fresh faces. I love working with stars, and ‘Hepta’ along with ‘Sheikh Jackson’ would bear witness for that, but I also have a penchant for diversifying the cast when I have the chance, to make that sort of balance between stars and new faces.

a ri i a a aim Seventh Neighbour’ received

“

dapting novels into films and series is not a new experience to us. What makes ‘I Am Shahira’ different is that it’s two volumes, each told from a different perspective. So it’s new to us in the sense that it’s a 60-episode series, but it’s divided into two parts, each pertaining to a different perspective. That’s what drew in –the way it’s told from the point of view of the woman and then the man’s.

r r a i r a a ri a air a a i ama a What encouraged this idea? i

I welcome all kinds of criticism, and it is never met with a biased attitude on my part.

Differing opinions still have a point of view that I respect.

“

pro ect, li e a film, or a longer one, li e a series. In technical terms, the disparity is huge, but this is what they both have in common.

I knew it would succeed, but not like this. ometimes you only produce a film because it matches your interests and you don’t expect it to be a box-office hit, but drama is almost always produced for business purposes, so I wouldn’t have worked on it had I suspected it would be unsuccessful.

What’s next for the series?

Season two will be aired this month and the third will be aired around October or November, and we will do our best to always air two seasons per year of ‘The Seventh Neighbour’ at these timings.

m a ira i a r i a a a series…

i

a

I had worked on multiple series in Ramadan including ‘the Black Envelope’ and ‘Le’bet Iblees’ (The Devil’s Game), but there was always the risk of having your series overlooked among so many others. I believe ‘The Black Envelope’ deserved more credit than it received.

It makes no sense to be absent from the screen for eleven months of the year, when you have the chance to air your work at a time when it can be appreciated. When I started making 60-episode TV series, I decided to air my work off-season, and I knew that others would follow, they were just waiting for someone to give the first cue. ‘ l Tofan’ The lood , which was also a great success, had aired alongside ‘The Seveth Neighbour’, and I think this emphasised the importance of screening TV series off-season.

i a a r m ri a r ama a

ar

rma

r i

It’s plausible. The subject of the series can impel you to reconsider when you decide to air it, and this also goes with films. ome movies have a winter air to them, which cannot be screened in the summer. imilarly, some flic s are only suitable with Eid. The idea of genres befitting a particular season is not foreign in the industry, but then the problem of not having any season in Egypt besides that of Ramadan arises. When great works become available all-year-round, that’s when we can begin considering this idea thoroughly.

a a m a i ia r to reduce their budget during ama a i a

It’s a great step that had to be taken, although don’t believe it suffices. t’s not just prices that play into this, but also quality. Parallel to this, we must continue introducing new faces to the industry, not just actors, but the whole crew team, décor experts..etc. This will automatically help you create works at a lower cost, rather than be stuck with big names that become an obstacle when you want to produce something on a budget.

i ri i a ar scales in the industry is logical or r ma i

t’s definitely problematic. rama production has always been the medium through which stars are made. The next step for them is cinema. But if you hire a celebrity, who demands millions, and assign them a single role in a series, you’re practically deteriorating the natural cycle of drama production for everyone else. It’s okay for movie stars to participate in TV series, but they must also abide by the rules of the industry, not bring their own rules to it.

a ar

i ai i a

m m i i

a

r

r ia ar m

The film is over three years old, and this ranges from the moment Amr Salama told Mohamed Hefzy and I about the idea. We were so excited and started working on it, but had a production break for a while and resumed a year later. o when it was finally screened, it

36 insight

was like a long and arduous birth of a project we’ve been working on for so long.

The international feedback we received was totally unexpected but well-appreciated. Getting nominated for an Oscar really raised the bar for my expectations as well. Sure, eventually it wasn’t short-listed as we had expected, but still the buzz it created on an international level was fulfilling. t’s a film really en oyed ma ing.

“

Drama production has always been the medium through which stars are made. The next step for them is cinema.

i m a a

i

a m

am a

i m

ri i i

Personally, I welcome all kinds of criticism, and it is never met with a biased attitude on my part. Differing opinions still have a point of view that I respect.

But when it comes accusations of blasphemy… none of us had this intention, and the film does not depict religion in a disrespectful way. I don’t even consider this criticism, see it as an attempt to fish for people’s attention, so I shrug it off.

What can you unleash to us a r a i i a r a m a Ma m i

Ahmed Mourad has begun screenwriting, and as soon as Marwan Hamed is done with ‘Torab Al Mas’ (Diamond Dust), we’ll be set. We have a plan to start doing preparations in March, so we can begin shooting by the end of the year. The initial plan is to have it screened in the summer of 2019.

Anything you can tell us about a m

We cannot decide before we have the script ready. Even the elements of production and pre-production including the location of the set will all be based on the script, so nothing is final until then.

Would you introduce new faces i Ma m i

Potentially. We have high expectations for the film, so believe hiring fresh faces would be a great addition.

‘The Producers’ has been around r ar a a i r i ar

It feels much shorter. There have been ups and down. I still have ideas I have yet to crystallize regarding content. I’m also looking forward to the shift in the television industry from traditional drama to modern series that will be available on digital platforms li e etflix and the like, and this will surely affect genres and their consumption. I’m already working on two projects, one is a novel by Mohamed Sadek - the writer of ‘Hepta’who is working on the script of his book ‘Anta’ (You) himself. The other project will be directed by Ahmed Khaled and written by Mahmoud Desouky. I’m very excited to see the outcomes of these projects when they air, but I’m not rushing them until everything on paper is final.

What’s up Egypt ?

Conrad Cairo celebrates Valentine’s Day Celebrate the day of romance and love at Conrad Cairo where Cupid is preparing special festivities at your favourite venues. A unique opportunity to celebrate the special day the Chinese way as this year both alentine and the lunar hinese ew ear celebrations fall within the same wee . The amala estaurant is host-ing five hefs from far-away China who have prepared a multiple course Chinese set menu with specialities from China’s various provinces. The set-menu includes a complimentary glass of local spar-kling wine or a sparkling mocktail accompanied by Ghada on the Pan-Pipes.

JW Marriott Cairo Crafts Valentine’s Dates with Passion e indle the flames of your love and party with passion with your partner at the lavish ambiance of the JW Marriott Cairo. The staff presents guests magical ‘feel good’ experiences with passion.

The culinary professionals will curate engaging four-course set dinner menus, served at Cucina, JW’s Steakhouse, Plateau and Lemongrass. Guests may also savour a Valentine’s dinner buffet at Mirage Café, and to top it off, La Patisserie is featuring heart-shaped tarts to add to the delicious drama of the day. Add a little delight to your Valentine’s Day by indulging in their special Valentine’s offer valid throughout the month of ebruary at andara pa.

Le Meridien Heliopolis offers Discounts for Lovebirds St. Valentine’s tradition of courtly love is celebrated at Le Meridien eliopolis every year on ebruary. orget about the typical box of chocolates and bouquet of red roses, and get ready for a romantic day out at the hotel’s Marcopolo restaurant, which grants guests a discount. or hopeless romantics who wish to surprise their beloved partners, the hotel has tailor-made a honeymoon A Valentine’s date overnight stay offering a 10% discount on room accommodation, crafted with passion. where guests can enjoy an unforgettable Valentine’s night in one of the most glamorous Athotels in Cairo.

JW Marriott Cairo, we present our guests magical ‘feel good’ experiences with passion.

This February 14th, our culinary professionals will curate engaging 4-course set dinner menus, served at Cucina, JW’s Steakhouse, Plateau and Lemongrass. Savour a Valentine’s dinner buffet at Mirage Café.

La Patisserie is featuring heart shaped tarts to add to the delicious drama of the day.

Celebrate your love at Mandara Spa by gifting your partner a comforting Valentine offer.

We are elevating romantic entertaining to new heights.

Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel celebrates Valentine’s Spoil your loved one on Valentine’s Day at Cairo’s hidden gem, Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel, where you can indulge your better half in a charming ambiance with a scrumptious dinner buffet at itron, or hinoix, the hotel’s hinese restaurant with its inspired set menu, complemented with live entertainment. Guests can enjoy a alentine’s party filled with divine romance at intage ar and ounge, not to mention satisfy their sweet tooth by mouth-watering Valentine’s Day cakes from En Passant.

JW Marriott Hotel® Cairo jwmarriottcairo.com

Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah’s Magnifique Romance n oy magical moments during alentine’s ay at ofitel l e irah. hare special time together, savor intimate dinners, and take sunset strolls and moonlight walks in their Promenade. Delight in the luminous glow at Le uplex bar anipuri ndian restaurant, explore the oroccan delights at a Palmeraie or relax near the soothing acu i with one hour massage for two at P . iscover their agnifi ue alentines pac ages at e ec or asa ia talian restaurant and experience ofitel’s perfect setting for romantic memories that will last forever.

38 insight

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SIMPLE Healthy Snacks YOU CAN TAKE EVERYWHERE We all have been there: being hungry and grabbing the first nasty snack you reach which, in most cases, makes you even hungrier. Whether at work, college, or school, we should always take a break to have a delicious and nutritious snack, to energise our minds and keep our bellies full. It’s natural to face the problem of preparing a healthy, yet easily portable snack and to try to avoid turning to junk food and sweets. Here are some of the healthiest to-go snacks you can take with you wherever you go.

Hey,

It’s Ok

To still have your Christmas deco-

rations up because every day is Christmas in your heart.

To

dress in last season’s fashion and refuse to do any shopping for winter clothes until the end of the season, when your favourite shops offer clearance discounts.

For

your holidays to be spent under your blankets, with a cup of hot chocolate, because no way in hell are you going out in this weather!

To celebrate the 14th of February the

apanese ay y st ffing y chicken nuggets.

r face

it

To have spent years being single, and fail

to see all the hype about romance.

To

spend the night running to the loo every ten minutes, because your love of staying hydrated and this cold season are not getting along.

y a t n f c c ate es f r y r significant t er t at eing y rse f To impatiently wait for Valentine’s Day because that’s when all your favourite hotels and spas offer the best discounts.

To avoid stepping outside your

To unashamedly wait for your best friend

To

house during Valentine’s because seeing vey vey c p es triggers a gag re e

42 insight

t s er y in ers n t e t eca se you cannot get enough of sappy love.

Why Your

RELATIONSHIP Is Draining You

Long-term love stories may seem like a dream come true... all until they do and you’re perplexed as to why your life feels like it is being leeched to the core of an irremediable void that cannot be filled. At some point in our lives, it seems like all we need is to be loved and appreciated, and when we finally have that, the spark only proves to be ephemeral. When this temporary feeling of fulfilment begins to decline, we come to think that maybe we’re falling out of love, but that’s not always the case. Feeling burdened by your relationship usually means quite the opposite; you have been trying to make ends meet for far too long to no avail and to the point of psychological fatigue. Here’s why your relationship has become overwhelming: By: Mayar El-Shamy You’re not self-sufficient

Some people seek romance as if it will be the elixir to turn their life around and give it meaning, and it does just that for long enough to be believable, but as soon as the initial spark wears off, the sugar coating that conceals this purposeless regime is eventually peeled.

Those who are driven by such a mind-set usually find fulfilment in the novelty of a relationship, rather than the romance itself. So if you do not approach your partner with self-sufficiency if your life feels empty and desperately needs to be spiced up with romance, it does not mean you’re a “hopeless romantic”, it just means you’re hopeless. You need to anchor your life to a real purpose that isn’t geared towards someone, but something that you can achieve and maintain through hard work. When you base your happiness on someone’s choice to be with you, that’s when you run into the dangers of losing your reason to live if that person leaves, or a less dangerous circumstance of losing interest when the novelty of your relationship inevitably spoils.

You’re trying to ‘fix’ them when you need to work on yourself

Other times, people just long to be needed.

They seek damaged romantic partners like a mission to be a hero for those whose lives have become undone. Both deliberately seeking someone damaged to attempt to fix them and unintentionally falling for someone broken can be emotionally dangerous, but for different reasons. The former means it’s you who needs some professional psychological attention. Usually, people have been wronged multiple times throughout their lives just want to make sure others don’t go through the same

experience, and so they make sure to give their partner the love they never themselves had, when what they should be seeking is closure through the right treatment. The latter case is dangerous because it’s simply emotionally draining. You begin to prioritise your partner’s feelings over your own, which can reverse this damage in the long run.

What the two cases have in common is that, eventually, you get tired of attending the demands of others and ignoring your own.

Your relationship is missing effort from one or both sides

It takes two to tango, so when you’re the only one who’s actively working on keeping your relationship bearable, it doesn’t only drain you, but compels you to question whether your feelings are mutual. ome partners are more selfish by nature, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t love you, it does mean their capacity for loving someone is far less deep than yours, which is where the problem comes in. Your feelings may be vaguely reciprocal, but one party can feel less strongly than the other out of sheer nature. That’s something some people are willing to handle, but you need to bear in mind that it doesn’t just result in being less verbally expressive about romance, but is accompanied by a wea er will to sacrifice and wor on making the relationship work. Sometimes it’s because they are emotionally premature, whether for valid reasons or out of choice, but it’s not obligatory for you to pick up the broken pieces if it’s starting to take a

toll on your psyche and mental health.

You’re growing

ou might find yourself fretting over growing apart from someone you have always seen as the love of your life, but it may also be a result of developing as a person, and growing out of phases and into new ones. This is what makes highschool-sweetheart love so hard to maintain one of you usually changes over time and realises you’re no longer the perfect fit you always have been. ther times, this realisation is in and of itself a phase, and that’s what I’m referring to here. This is common in one’s late teens and early twenties, usually when you’ve enrolled in a college that’s changing your perspective of everything around you, or generally being enlightened about perspectives you never knew existed, the beginnings of which can make you question everything about your life. I’m not saying your scepticism is invalid, but it should be given time to be affirmed, rather than have it immediately affect your judgement on the people around you.

6

Ways to EmbracE bEing

Single

44 insight

Even though most people do end up finding someone they’ll most likely spend the rest of their lives with, it’s still kind of hard for any of us to embrace the idea of being single without any inner conflict convincing us otherwise. The question still remains, is there anything inherently wrong with being single or with wanting to stay single? Finding more comfort in being a loner can, in fact, be one of the best phases we go through, whether we decide to postpone our quest to finding the perfect partner, or just decide to stay single for good. Below is a list of six things to consider when you’re single.

1 2 3

Think of it as a preparation phase

There’s no such thing as a flawless lover. f you now deem yourself the perfect partner who has ust been cursed by society’s corrupt ways of brainwashing the minds of others, you need to reconsider your position and uiet down your ego. o matter how well we thin we’re doing, it’s never too late to start wor ing on self-improvement, not ust for our future partners, but for ourselves as well.

Embrace the pros of being single

Thin of all the extra time you have, which you can spend on bettering yourself, or simply ust use it ic bac and relax. f you want to spend many nights-out, have fun with your friends, focus on your growing career, or do whatever it is you want to do, then now is surely the right time to do so fter all, the freedom itself will give you a sort of high you can only en oy when you’re not bound by the expectations of a relationship.

Know that everything happens at the right time

There are always many shots for us to get involved with the wrong person simply because we were desperate for love. This might be one of the hardest situations that people can find themselves in being in a relationship with someone who has genuine feelings for you, while you realise you only got caught up in the relationship for the sa e of romance. ou don’t need to rush anything, so if you’ve been single for a while, ust wait your turn.

Realise that society pressures us into being in relationships

4

hether it’s our parents, peers, or even media outlets everyone and everything seems to be pressuring us into see ing some sort of an ‘other half’ as if we’re born incomplete until we start a family. ut before putting yourself out there, you need to ma e sure you actually want to be in a relationship, and not doing so to fit in and go with the flow. ou might not find an answer to this uestion even after you’ve already gotten involved with someone. owever, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a thought.

Realise the cons of being in a relationship

5

hen we’re single and loo ing for a partner, we usually tend to see those in relationships as being in some sort of heaven. They’re happy all the time, and seem to be living life to the fullest. The truth is as far as it can be from this though, and you could always verify this by as ing those in relationships about how stressful things could be at certain times, and for various reasons.

Adopt a pet

6

There’s no better way to find your other half than adopting an animal that needs you better than some mummy’s boy hungry for your attention. The only boy you need is the one covered in fur that purrs on your chest when you’re trying to get some sleep, and boops your nose at six in the morning to feed him. o es aside, animals do give you that fulfilling feeling everyone loo s for, and you won’t have to worry about mutuality in this case.

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DINA EL SELMY

The Master

of Manners In a step ahead towards a more genteel society, and a world full of decent manners, Dina El Selmy, the stunning etiquette consultant, sets out the proper behaviour for everyday life and different occasions to help us feel poised and graceful. We have all experienced situations when we wanted to behave appropriately and respectably, but didn’t know what to say or how to act. It doesn’t come with intuition or common sense, but by learning from the experts. Thus, Dina organises ‘Urban Contemporary Etiquette’ programs to gear us towards success, and a more civilised community. The etiquette expert talks to (in)Sight’s Dina Fawzy about her personal life, how she started her business, and gives us some tips.

W

hat can you tell us about yourself?

What sparked you interest in etiquette?

Contemporary Etiquette’ programs and to turn this into a real, valuable business. ew months after being certified as a consultant in the field, have launched a lifestyle eti uette event and was amazed by the responses and support I received from people, brands, and the media. My husband’s ongoing motivation is also one of the main reasons behind this kick off.

How did you start your business in Egypt?

I was lucky to have the chance to tutor such innocent beautiful souls. It is one of the biggest challenges I have faced.

It all started when I watched a talk show about business etiquette on CNN. My mindset has changed completely since I implemented those few tips. I felt more confident and positive, which made me curious to now more about the field.

It took years of hard work, determination, and perseverance to conduct ‘ rban 48 insight

“

“

I’m a mum and a wife.

I enjoy my job as an etiquette consultant, as it has changed my life to the better.

In your opinion, does learning universal etiquette improve our lives?

You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you don’t practise a proper code of behaviour, the chances of maximizing success can be zero. There’s always an inner conflict between how much we should follow our instincts of social conventions, and how much we should yield to certain behavioural guidelines. But at times like ours, the tendency is to tilt towards etiquette, since conventions are changing fast and there’s no consensus about them anyway. The risk in following your instincts range from offending someone to sabotaging your own social success.

How can one make a

I would follow four basic rules: . top using overused social scripts such as those pertaining to small-talk about the weather; instead, use context cues, which can include anything to do with food or drink; for instance, you can ask if they have tried the new espresso. . void irrelevant uestions and umping from topic to topic.

3. Clean your talk from the 7 Nos: gossip, udging, negativity, complaining, excuses, exaggeration, and dogmatism. . how people some love.

What are some of the most common business or social blunders people do nowadays?

That would be face-to-mobile communication instead of face-to-face communication. There’s nothing worse than continuing to talk to someone who is not even loo ing at you.

How can one politely decline an invitation?

Let the person know whether or not you can accept the invitation as soon as possible. Remember to thank the person for inviting you, and avoid fa ing excuses. e honest and don’t over-explain. Try to make it another time, and you can send a gift if it is a ceremony.

Tell us some tips for giving gifts.

Getting a gift for someone you barely know is tricky. Whether it’s a client, a colleague or a manager –it’s safest to stick to office-related things rather than turning to personalised gifts. Timing is another important factor. ometimes giving a gift before a request or a task may be considered as a bribe or a way to force the person to do something. Generally, you should avoid spending much on someone's gift because this may embarrass them. The gift should be nicely wrapped, and remember to remove the price tag and include a card, preferably a handmade one.

What are some etiquette manners that romantic partners should bear in mind?

Don’t talk about intimate details when others are around, even your closest friends and family members. t s never funny sharing things like, “she's a horrible cook”. It may cause an unexpected embarrassment for the other person. A woman should walk on the man’s right side because it’s the honorary side, or the protective side. hen dining, if the table has both a bench and a chair, the

lady should always be seated on the comfy bench.

There are also three common dinner date faux pas I’d like to address, these include going to the bathroom after the plates have been cleared, as this gives the impression that you expect your date to pay the bill. Another is continuing to offer to pay the chec even after your date assured you that he’ll take care of it this ma es the situation even more awkward. Lastly, splitting the bill is an awful thing to do because this means you don’t want to see that person again.

“

You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you don’t practice a proper code of behaviour, the chances of maximizing success can be zero.

“

conversation pleasant and professional?

feel comfortable enough to socialise with their classmates, and enhance their ability to be better leaders. Still, parents should know that your child mirrors you; the way you talk, eat, and act.

How would you advise dealing with a negative coworker? f a cowor er’s constant negativity tends to bring everyone down with them, you should not try to fix or change them. nderstand them, but don’t let them affect you, and keep your distance. You can also assign them new tas s to find their spark.

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your work?

It is always challenging to establish an urban phenomenon as a business. oreover, faux pas are not acceptable from an etiquette consultant, since you have to maintain your image. The rewarding aspects are when people tell me that I have changed their lives to the better.

Do you have experience teaching children these codes of behaviour? Tell us about your experience. es, was luc y to have the chance to tutor such innocent beautiful souls.

It is one of the biggest challenges I have faced, since parents give me the responsibility to fine-tune their children at a crucial stage. very child deserves the best start in life, and etiquette will give them confidence, enable them to

Dos:

ap ins belong to laps. your glass ipe your mouth before drin ing to eep neat. use, apply f you are confused about which utensil to on the outthe outside-in rule, where you use utensils rd. side first and wor your way inwa eep your phone in your poc et.

Don’ts:r ta e leftovers home with you when on a on’t eve date or a business dinner. d at the on’t use your toothpic it is not welcome table. e placed on t ta e half bites. at all what you hav on your fork or spoon. bally on’t push your plate as a way to non-ver ng. eati ed finish announce that you have

Instagram: @Dinaelselmy Facebook: Etiquette by Dina

MERYEMREFAIE On Her Fashion Line

hic hic outure’

Combining contemporary fashion with the traditional elegance of Moroccan culture, Meryem Refaie has become one of the most promising talents in the Middle East’s fashion design scene. The Moroccan icon’s caftan clothing line, ‘Chic Chic Couture’, brings to life a range of modern Moroccan caftans exclusively for those who don’t like to go unnoticed. Meryem meticulously studies every detail about the fashion industry to hone her skills and endlessly surpass the expectations of her customers. The winner of Miss Universe of the World 2016 shares with us her experience in the ‘Le Festival International Art du Caftan’ and her upcoming projects. By: Dina Fawzy

You recently attended and participated in �e second edition of ‘Le Festival International Art du Caftan’.. Te� us about your experience.

I participated in the festival with seven other fashion designers. Many celebrities attended the event including the renowned Moroccan singer, Dounia Batma. I really enjoyed this matchless experience, and will definitely participate a second time next year.

You were crowned Miss Universe of �e W�ld in 2016. How did �at make you f�l?

I’m very proud to be a Moroccan Miss Universe of the World. It was a great experience to represent women of the Arab world, especially Moroccan women.

What first sparked your interest in fashion?

I have been interested in fashion since I was a little kid. I love fashion because I feel it is an extension to my personality, through which can reflect my thoughts.

I decided to create my own fashion line, ‘Chic Chic Couture’, which offers sumptuous designs of traditional caftans.

I’m very proud and passionate about my Moroccan roots.

Why only caftans?

The line’s current focus is only on traditional caftans because that’s what I specialised in when I studied fashion. I wanted to share my passion about traditional Moroccan attire with women around the globe. Caftans are now actually becoming modernised as part of the international fashion scene.

Have you considered extending your line to include designing casual � evening wear?

Honestly, I’m thinking about starting to 50 insight

design evening dresses. I’m still doing my research about this because I don’t like to start something without fully understanding every detail about it, but I’m considering taking this step very soon.

What would you like to improve � add to �e field of fashion today?

I want to improve myself and my skills.

I want to learn more, and continue to take my career to the next level. I would like to add a level of richness to my clothing line.

As a h�se lover and generous philan�ropist, how far do you �ink we sti� n�d to go in terms of animal welfare?

I’m an animal lover in general. I love horses specifically, because have been an e uestrian since was five. thin horses are among the most innocent and beautiful creatures ever created.

There are still many basic rights that are yet to be granted to animals, including having specialised shelters, and generally being treated more mercifully.

Have you met any cha�enges you �ink have hindered your success so far?

I have been in the fashion design business for nearly two years, and I haven’t encountered any challenges or difficulties so far, which I’m very thankful for.

What is next f� Meryem Refaie?

I’m participating in a renowned fashion show in Abu Dhabi, where I will showcase my new collection with many talented Moroccan fashion designers. In March, I will be launching another fashion show, and we plan to have many famous singers and celebrities as hosts including Samira Said, Wael Kfoury, and Fares Karam.

LOCAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS

for Flawless Skin

& Hair

While the media tries to compel us to be dependent on imported foreign brands, we sometimes miss their local counterparts that don’t only make great alternatives, but have gone so far to prove to be gentler on sensitive skin and scalps and are, most importantly, cruelty-free. Check them out!

Elixir

Areej

Nefertari

Elixir

Scrubby Bubby

Sesame

Raw African

Eden Greens

Eden Greens

Butler

Raw African

Urban Ducks

Nefertari

Black Lotus

Urban Ducks

The Perfect Diet for N I K S L U F H T YOU There’s no shortage in pricey imported skin products we all get to overpay for, but no matter how popular and effective these products are, we cannot ignore the fact that they might be giving us instant results only for a short period of time, while damaging it in the long run, all due to the ridiculous amount chemicals in them. On another note, it’s not just external products that contribute to the way you look, you’d be surprised that it’s mostly diet that can significantly either help improve the way we look, or completely deteriorate it. Here’s what you need to add to your diet for continuous collagen production. By: Mayar El-Shamy

Olive Oil

Even though olive oil is mostly used in hair products, sometimes even in its raw form, it has also been proven to be one of the best food supplements to combat any signs of aging. The main reason for this is that about three quarters of the fats in olive oil are unsaturated fats, which help boost collagen production in your skin, and thus prevents any early sagging of it. Another reason is that olive oil is filled with antioxidants, which renew your cells inside and out.

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Tomatoes

Considering many of us would love some sun rays in these chilly days, we should also take our precautions as UV rays have been proven to be some of the biggest factors that contribute to permanent and irreversible skin damage. Even though they could provide our skin with Vitamin D, which is quite essential for our wellbeing, they could also cause permanent skin discolouration or in some cases, cancer. One of the best foods that can help us fight against those negative effects are tomatoes, which dermatologists swear by, believing that they aid in protecting our skin from sun burns by over 33%.

Dark Chocolate

Who says that the healthiest food for us has to taste like under cooked hospital food? Dark Chocolate has been proven time and time again to be some of the most powerful superfoods that can work to ameliorate your overall health, but the higher the cocoa content, the stronger the caffeine, so be careful not to consume some right before bed. In a study, chocolate was found to combat depression

by helping the human brain release serotonin –the same hormone that makes us fall in love. It’s also believed to help improve our body’s blood circulation while keeping our skin hydrated.

Green Tea

Green tea is pretty famous for giving metabolism a boost when it’s lacking, and thus helping us lose weight. But green tea’s benefits go much further than just that, as the rich antioxidants from a single tea bag can also help in ironing out any existing lines and preventing any more from making premature appearance. Two cups a day will help any digestive problems, cleanse your system, as well as help prevent sun damage. One thing you need to avoid is consuming it on an empty stomach, since some believe it’s a bit corrosive.

Walnuts

Walnuts are yet another type of food popular for their high content in antioxidants and healthy fats. Walnuts also contains omega 3 fatty acids, which help fight dry s in. eep a bowl around your work space for a healthy snack that can also boost your concentration

level, or add a handful of walnuts to your breakfast. They’re also a great laxative, so make sure you don’t overeat them, else you’re looking at frequent trips to the bathroom every five minutes.

Almond Milk

Almond milk is quite in our list so far for a simple reason, it isn’t just healthy to consume in and of itself, but makes a brilliant replacement for something that’s been taking a toll on your skin your whole life -dairy milk. As delicious as it might be, dairy milk has been proven to be a highly inflammatory food that could aggravate acne and increase wrinkles. a e sure you buy fortified almond mil for added benefits.

Oysters

For all the sea food lovers who are looking to have dewy skin, oysters might be your best bet. They’re rich in zinc, another nutrient that’s essential for the rejuvenation of the skin. Sea food in general is known is keep the skin hydrated with its fatty oils, as well as provide your body with the much needed omega-3 daily intake your body might be lacking if you’re not big on fish. void tuna, as it’s also high in mercury. Go for oyster snacks or fish fillet.

Coffee

Most of us can’t even begin our day without a good cup of java, but it’s more than just a good source of caffeine. A recent study has proven that those who drink at least one cup of coffee a day, have 11% less chance of getting skin cancer. Coffee beans are rich in antioxidants, so they’re a great cancer-fighting superfood that also help keep your skin tight and prevent any folds in the long run. deally, you can drin coffee first thing in the morning, and a cup or two of green tea for the rest of the day.

Vetiveres by Arquiste for Women & Men

Pure Vanilla by LaVanila

Rain by TerraNova

Love Coconut by Honore Des Pres

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ra r i Women & Men

a i

a

r

Dimanche by Strange Invisible for Women & Men

ra i ia Ma

Fragrances

Our Favourite Cruelty-Free

We may think our favourite designer perfumes smell so luxurious until we find out they’ve been unethically and brutally tested on innocent animals of various kinds, including abducted domestic pets, for the sake of vanity. The good news is, you don’t have to abandon sumptuous scents altogether for the greater good, just know which brands to pick out. Worry not, for we’ve selected our favourite organic fragrances, which are both eco-friendly and cruelty-free!

Binturong by Auphorie for Women

Pedicure E M O H AT

Get a Salon-Grade

Personally speaking, toes are usually the last parts of my body I think about pampering, all until months of neglect take a noticeably visible toll on my nails and heels. With the change of seasons, it’s completely normal for your soles to suffer chafing, top that off with ten hours of daily enclosure in leather boots, and that’s a sure way to start shedding dead skin like grated cheese. There’s no need to spend hundreds on a salon visit, everything you need is in your kitchen cabinet.

one final rub

ith a foot file or a pumice stone, massage your soles gently in a slow, circular motion making sure to focus on the heels and balls of your feet. ever be too rough on your skin at this phase, because your dead skin has already been separated from your dermis, but needs one final touch with a few stro es of a file or a scrub. To use a homemade scrub, mix some granulated sugar with lemon juice and gently rub the mixture on affected areas for a few minutes before rinsing off in your bowl.

Get your toe-tampering supplies ready

By: Mayar El-Shamy

Prepare your foot soak

Throw in some baking soda, salt and a few drops of any essential oil of your choice in a container that can fit both of your feet.

Alternatively, a stronger ingredient would be quarter a cup of apple cider vinegar for deep cleansing and odour relief. Pour in hot, but not boiling water and stir until your salts are barely visible. oa in your feet for at least ten minutes when the temperature is as hot as you can endure for best results.

Exfoliate

With lemon wedges kept handy next to the bowl of your homemade concoction, whenever the water feels cool, start rubbing the tip of your toes and your heels with the citrus fruit for a few minutes before moving on to the next foot. The mild acidity of the wedges will help loosen any remaining dead skin on your feet and also work to whiten and brighten your nails, getting rid of any yellow tints in your nails and bringing out the pin s in your s in.

After you’ve soaked your feet and exfoliated, your nails will be tender enough to be easily cut and shaped without damaging your eratin layers.

Use clippers, not scissors, to clip your nails short enough for them not to push against the tip of your shoes, but make sure you don’t cut it too far bac . iling is not essential, but helps shape your nails the way you want them to. ost importantly, do not use any metal tools to clean underneath your nails, as this separates the cuticle from your skin and wea ens protein layers.

Massage

A pedicure doesn’t have to be limited to s in and nail care. Throw in some marbles in your bowl and roll your feet back and forth on them for an easy, deep massage that de-stresses the balls of your feet. ut, of course, you could also do so manually with your fingers if you prefer, and make sure your pressure isn’t too light in order to loosen up any tensed tendons and ease foot ache after a long day. The steam of your hot water will also complement the massage, so make sure your mixture is nice and warm.

Polish and paint your nails

When your toes are nice and dry, they’ll be ready for what you’ve been waiting for since step one. se an easy-peel polish barrier li e i uid Palisade and leave it to dry before applying the nail polish of your choice to avoid any irreversible mess. f you don’t have that at hand, you can always use plastic tape around your nails instead. fter application, you may achieve a matte look without mattifying polish by hovering your nails through the steam of a boiling pot of water for a minute or two while it dries.

Preppy Planners for a More Productive Routine

J editions

The perfect set of stationery is never complete without elegant planners that appetise your productiveness and keep things organised. As we’re well aware of how finicky some can be when it comes to desk accessories, we’ve made sure to only include top-notch Egyptian brands that cater to a variety of tastes. Below are some of our favourite picks!

Noota

Simple Things

Nootah

My Way Craft Studio

Nootah

Space

J editions

Simple Things

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My Way Craft Studio

Noota

Alluring Accessories MUST-HAVE

You could put together the most glamorous outfit, and it still wouldn’t be done justice without the perfect accessory to top it off. Not everyone accessorises the same way, so we made sure to include a diverse set to suit everyone’s style. Enjoy!

Simpilicity

Sabara

Nile Eyewear Nile Eyewear Habiba Allam

Pompoms

Azraq w Buny

Sandbox

Sandbox

Sami Amin Abboud

Azraq w Buny

Sami Amin

l

o o e e ff e

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If there’s one thing we should all learn and strive to achieve, it would be selflove. Considering every action we take comes from our true selves, if we don’t believe in our abilities enough to actually feel dependable, we’ll never succeed in pursuing happiness. Self-love goes far beyond our own joy, too. If we fail to love ourselves, then how would we be able to love anyone else? Self-sufficiency is not a difficult task, you’ll just need to do the following.. m A ms A

o s

Making mistakes in part of being human.

It’s true that there are those who make much less mistakes than others simply because of the fact that they spend much of their time analysing every situation and reassessing many of their stances in life; however, it’s also important to remember that it’s okay to screw up from time to time, and to own up to whatever consequences we have to face as long as we do our best to fix the situation, and do our best not to have it recur a second time. This is your chance to learn and to develop, so don’t waste your time dwelling over the emotional impact it has on you or your ego.

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sh o W h lo

s l

If we ask anyone whether they favour those who put themselves or others first, they’d surely pick the latter. There’s also no doubt that those who more willingly ma e such sacrifices ma e this world a better place, but this should never get in the way of seeking what is best for you.

If you ever value someone so much that you put their needs before yours, to the point that it’s damaging you and your mental wellbeing, that’s where you’ve crossed the line. To love yourself is to do what best serves you without hurting others. eing sacrificial is a great uality that you should only grant to specific people, but even then, it should never become the norm. Otherwise, what was first considered an act of selflessness, will be overlooked as usual duties you’ve assigned yourself.

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s l om Al sm

It’s true that materialism can be the gateway to divert our attention from selfharm; however, in the world we live in, materialistic needs (or wants in this case) can only be achievable through compromising our health, time, and even relationships with others. Thus materialism has become more of a plague simply because of how easy it is for us to lose ourselves to it. Don’t overwork yourself in an attempt to reach apparent “success” accessories, which are only overpriced goods you don’t need.

p A o

o o

n s WAn s

This is also closely related to freeing yourself from materialism. There are many things that we actually need in our lives, and most of them are related to certain emotions or values. As for the things we want, they’re mostly things that we can continue living without and would still be able to find happiness. hen comparing both your previously mentioned needs and wants, you’ll also find that you’re re uired to ma e huge sacrifices to achieve your wants; in contrast with needs, which usually require you to be merely be an empathetic human being.

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lAWs

hen we say no one’s perfect, we also want to make sure you understand that no one is close to perfection either. veryone has plenty of flaws, be those visible or not. And the only approach towards this lies in a few simple steps. The first step is accepting your defects rather than denying them. The second step is

to try to change any of these flaws only if they are changeable. Personality can be improved, but obsession with altering your appearance by going under the knife can become problematic with time.

s

h s o o s l

s on

If there’s truly one person we can be sure we’ll be spending the rest of our lives with, then that would be ourselves.

You should be less focused on others and more on yourself, and that doesn’t only count when it comes to flaws, but self-appreciation as well. If you’re having a hard time loving yourself, that’s a clear sign that your intuition is guiding you towards self-improvement. See what you hate about yourself the most, and work on either making up for them with other, better aspects, or healing any crystallised emotions by sitting with yourself, and seeking closure.

Winter Skin Care Essentials

The chilly winter days should always entail a skin regimen boost, else you’re looking at some long weeks of endless chafing. The humidity of summer can actually help our skin remain supple, and with the drop of the temperature, and consequently moisture, the nuisance of skin irritation will inevitably commence if you fail to shield yourself with balm and home remedies. Here’s what you can use:

1

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By: Mayar El-Shamy

Fresh papaya Although a bit on the pricey side in Egypt, you’ll only need to use one fruit every two weeks. Rich in anti-oxidants including Vitamin A and C, the enzymes of the fruit act as both an anti-aging treatment and a mild exfoliant. Cut the fruit in quarters before rubbing one refrigerated wedge directly on your body. Leave the uice on your s in for at least five minutes before rinsing off with only lu ewarm water. Make sure you cover any remaining quarters of your papaya with plastic wrap before storing in a cool environment.

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Yoghurt, Honey & Lavender Oil hile papaya is good at scraping off any chafing dead s in, it’s yoghurt that will moisturise your dermis from the inside out. The lactic acid found in dairy products help dissolve any dirt in your pores before tightening them, while honey will lock in the moisture your skin is thirsty for in the colder days.

Essential oils are only optional, where a few drops can be used to conceal the unappealing scent of this home remedy. If you favour a more cakey consistency, you can opt for powdered milk as an alternative to yoghurt or simply add a few more teaspoons of honey to your mixture.

Glycerin

Your skin problems might be a few drops of glycerin away.

Respectable brands like Glysolid can work wonders for all skin types, but may also feel a bit heavy when used on your face and neck. A reasonable alternative would be glycerin drops, which is far more reasonably priced and widely available. You can add a few drops to your daily night cream, or add some to a bottle of rosewater and spritz affected areas before bed.

We stress on using it only during the night time because it has been reported to irritate the skin when exposed to sunlight immediately after application.

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Sunflower oil

Probably the last thing you consider using on your skin, but your cooking oil surprisingly works as a brilliant emollient when applied a few minutes before bed time. Not any cooking oil will give you this effect, but this wor s as inexpensive sunflowers extract that reaps the nutritious, fatty-oiled benefits of the plant to help ease skin irritation and keep it hydrated during the night. Apply a teaspoon of the oil on wet skin and lather down to your neck. Wait a few moments before patting your face clean with a warm and wet, but not dripping, tablecloth.

Strawberries and cream

This will be the most difficult to resist nibbling away, but it’ll all be worth it when you see the makeover it can give your skin if used consistently. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, which is known to easily relieve dryness and redness. The lactic acid in the cream will also help tighten your pores and brighten your skin a few shades, as it works to fade away tan lines and hyper pigmentation. Just mash yourself a couple of strawberries and add either cream or yoghurt to thicken your paste. If you want your mixture to moisturise more than cleanse and exfoliate, you can add a teaspoon or two of honey.

What’s up Egypt ?

ARDIC launches its Newest and Distinctive Marketing Campaign: “El Giran walla El Makan” In consonance with its determined strategies of lucratively completing 1807 residential units, ARDIC for Real Estate Development and Investment announces selling more than 55% of Zizinia Al Mostakbal units. Subsequently, the company’s startling announcement came right after the launch of its newest creative marketing campaign that mainly highlighted the subliminal dichotomy of “El Giran walla El Makan” when taking a purchasing decision and ensuring that they are positively correlated with clients’ needs, plans and ambitions. Breaking the norm of the usual elegant facades being used by all real estate and the dreamy life pictured, the artwork of the campaign strikes the audience with its audacity, novelty, and humor.

Braun introduces Epilation as the most discussed Hair Removal Method or the first time in gypt, an extensive social listening exercise was commissioned by Braun to understand women’s habits on hair removal. The listening exercise targeted all governorates, and included the processing of group and private conversations on social media. The total conversations generated over the period of the study was around 14.7 billion. Out of the total conversations, fashion and beauty combined with hair removal occupied 35% share of voice, generating 5.2 million conversations. indings of the research revealed that hair removal conversations owned 1.9M of the 5.2M conversations contributing to 57% share among fashion and beauty topics.

OPPO kicks off 2018 with the F5 6GB Red Edition and F5 Youth PP the selfie expert and leader launched the series recently a phone that features A.I. Beauty recognition Technology for natural selfies with ull-screen display for an immersive visual experience. ince its release, the managed to be the tal of the town, due to its . . technology, performance, and more importantly, its price and sleek design. ith PP ’s constant efforts to over exceed their customer’s expectations, they released the limited edition ed dition and the outh granting their young customers who loves fashion a wide range of new attractive colors which are Red, Black and Gold.

Sonesta Hotel, Tower & Casino Cairo appoints Erik Huyer New General Manager Sonesta Middle East Hotels and Resorts Management, LLC has recently announced the appointment of Erik Huyer as General Manager of Sonesta Hotel, Towers & Casino Cairo. An Australian national of Dutch heritage, Erik began his career in hospitality with ilton in ustralia as the chain’s first management trainee and later spent 10 years working at hotels in Sydney and Melbourne before moving to Auckland, New Zealand. After several years in Asia and Australia, Erik moved to the Middle East in hotel leadership roles in Bahrain, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

Radisson Blu Hotel opens its Filini Restaurant t the ilini ar estaurant, eliopolis, guests can en oy simple and authentic talian flavors presented in a classic style. vibrant, contemporary atmosphere with stylish décor, modern music and an open kitchen allows guests to feel right at home. Serves simply cooked Italian food crafted from carefully chosen ingredients. Indulge in a purely Italian menu that includes pastas, pizzas, steak, risottos, salads and decadent desserts.

Their accommodating wine list features selections from across Italy and includes affordable classics and exclusive wine varietal. They capture the depth and character of the Italian coffee culture with the beverage card, which also includes everything from dry martinis to Italian mineral water.

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What’s up Egypt ?

Find Hope in the

STORM Conrad Cairo celebrates Valentine’s Day

Celebrate the day of romance and love at Conrad Cairo where Cupid is preparing special festivities at your favourite venues. A unique opportunity to celebrate the special day the Chinese way as this year both alentine and the lunar hinese ew ear celebrations fall within the same wee . The amala estaurant is host-ing five hefs from far-away China who have prepared a multiple course Chinese set menu with specialities from China’s various provinces. The set-menu includes a complimentary glass of local spar-kling wine or a sparkling mocktail accompanied by Ghada on the Pan-Pipes.

It’s normal to go through hardships, experience heartbreaks, reach your utmost states of desperation, JW Marriott Cairo Crafts Dates with and feel the agony of a disappointed soul, butValentine’s life goes on and does not comePassion to an end for anyone or e indle the flames yourstronger love and party with your anything.

We of grow afterwith eachpassion and every drawback that we stumble upon. We crawl out of the partner at the lavish ambiance of the JW Marriott Cairo. The staff darkness, with serendipity glimmering at the end of the tunnel. Throughout an endless cycle of thick presents guests magical ‘feel good’ experiences with passion.

The culinary professionals will curate four-course set and fabulously shine. Read on some tips to see the and thin, we survive, make engaging remarkable memories dinner menus, served at Cucina, JW’s Steakhouse, Plateau and better side of the and abeValentine’s remindeddinner that buffet hope can Lemongrass.

Guests mayworld, also savour at always spring eternal in your bosom.

Mirage Café, and to top it off, La Patisserie is featuring heart-shaped tarts to add to the delicious drama of the day. Add a little delight to your Valentine’s Day by indulging in their special Valentine’s offer valid throughout the month of ebruary at andara pa.

By: Dina Fawzy

THE GLASS IS ALWAYS YOUR HARDSHIPS CAN BE LEARN YOUR LESSONS Right at the centre of every misfortune, Le Meridien Heliopolis Discounts for Lovebirds HALF FULL A SIGNoffers OF SOMETHING there is a lesson to learn, and a message

Till hell freezes over, good experiences follows the bad, and the other way round. Don’t get trapped in a gloomy perspective of life; rather, see the bigger picture and search for the silver lining in every circumstance. The glass is never empty, but we might see it that way when we get blinded by the feeling of resentment and the burden of grudges, which ignite our fury. Continue believing in the hope that can get us back on our feet when we are weighed down by life difficulties.

Instead of weeping over your bad to realise. Regardless of how much you luck, think of what you have done thatof courtly are love troubled by the difficulties around St. Valentine’s tradition is celebrated at Le Meridien pushed you to be in this situation.

It could you, you need to have a firm faith that eliopolis every year on ebruary. orget about the typical box of be a hint to what you needand to fix, a habitof red they will come to an end, that they chocolates bouquet roses, and get ready forand a romanthat you have to a at change you Marcopolo will helprestaurant, you flourishwhich and improve ticquit, day or out the hotel’s grants your have to undertake.

Come updiscount. with solu-or hopeless powerromantics of endurance.

Stop to over-victimisguests a who wish surprise tions to repair what broken partners, and help the hotel ing has yourself and transfer this suffering to their isbeloved tailor-made a honeymoon A Valentine’s you start over vigorously motive that willdate help put you back on overnightand staypassionateoffering a 10% a discount on room accommodation, crafted passion. ly. Just go deepwhere in contemplating and an unforgettable your feet,with and have the night gut toinface guests can enjoy Valentine’s one the analysing the details events to find Athotels world with a fearless heart. of theof most glamorous in Cairo.

JW Marriott Cairo, we present our guests magical ‘feel good’ experiences with passion.

This February 14th, our culinary professionals will curate engaging 4-course set dinner menus, the source of the problem and begin to served at Cucina, JW’s Steakhouse, Plateau and Lemongrass. Savour a Valentine’s dinner buffet at Mirage Café.

La Patisserie is featuring heart shaped tarts to add to the delicious drama of the day. draw up an adjustment plan to controlCelebrate your love at Mandara Spa by gifting your partner a comforting Valentine offer. isromantic about so expect to WeLife are elevating entertainingbalance, to new heights. the damages.

Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel celebrateshave Valentine’s these moments that will bring

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

out the worst of you, and those of Spoil your loved one on Valentine’s Day at Cairo’s hidden gem, which overflow with happiness.

Whenever you feelMirage like you have nobody Renaissance Cairo City Hotel, where you can indulge your or nothing your spirit, try to be with a scrumptious dinner buffet Remember that you will never reach better half intoalift charming ambiance grateful things you already have;restaurant with its inspired set greatness unless you work for it, at itron, for or the hinoix, the hotel’s hinese from acomplemented wellbeing you overlook, to the menu, with live entertainment.

Guests can enjoy a and become fervently ready to have fancy blouse youfilled have bought alentine’s party with divinelast romance at intage ar and ounge, the determination to stand out in week.

You maysatisfy underestimate value not to mention their sweetthe tooth by mouth-watering Valentine’s the crowd. Seek hope in everything of the littlefrom things have, ignoring the Day cakes Enyou Passant. in life, and take on an optimistic fact that many aspire to have them. perspective.

Have no doubt that the universe blesses each of us with unique gifts, alongside examining our patience and stamina by the hard knocks we face in life. n oy magical moments during alentine’s ay at ofitel l e irah. hare special time together, savor intimate dinners, and take sunset strolls and moonlight walks in their Promenade. Delight in the luminous glow at Le uplex bar anipuri ndian restaurant, explore the oroccan delights at a Palmeraie or relax near the soothing acu i with one hour massage for two at P . iscover their agnifi ue alentines pac ages at e ec or asa ia talian restaurant and experience ofitel’s perfect setting for romantic memories that will last forever.

JW Marriott Hotel® Cairo jwmarriottcairo.com

Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah’s Magnifique Romance

Happiness

FINDING IN Long-term Relationships Many of us millennials in our prime find ourselves suffering from the same predicament: we just can’t make a long-term relationship work. The answer should not throw the blame on anyone, be that you or your ex-partners, unless one of you was conspicuously and inarguably abusive. Otherwise, there are quite common habits you might be involuntarily doing to destroy a perfectly happy relationship. If the below habits are any familiar, you have your answer.

You have set unrealistic standards to yourself

This is one huge problem that has a myriad of aspects tied to it. Social media has allowed us to follow hundreds of millions of people around the world who are just one click away from us. This has

caused us to always question our partners, our physical appearance, and our happiness, and whether they’re good enough. Those we see on social media, posing perfectly and only choosing to show us the silver lining of their lifestyles have become a dangerous standard. Of course, they’re only perfect until we get closer to them and realise there’s more to them than just their photogenic looks we see in the pictures they post, and how cool or sweet they seem to be when interacting with others.

This problem probably has two solutions: either realising that no one is perfect, whether it’s our partners or those we see on the internet, or coming into terms with the fact that you’re clearly not searching for a real long-term relationship, only arm candy to show off to others.

You cannot stop comparing what you have with others Another result of social media is constantly competing with others. Whereas only seeing the positives of someone’s life can be a good

thing because it spreads positivity, which is much needed in this dark age, the negative comes in many forms. The most common is actually thinking life can be flawless, and so this ma es you feel as if you are somehow failing at life. This also touches our relationships, considering it’s so easy to find a romantic couple on the internet who have somehow managed to concoct the quintessential relationship, where all they do is consistently tell each other lovey dovey nonsense and they don’t even seem to be suffering financially in any shape or form. The solution to this problem is pretty close to that of the first you need to understand that even those people you idolise do not have perfect lives, and neither should you.

You’re running away from your problems

There’s nothing easier than breaking up with your partner once a problem that we can’t manage to solve on the spot arises. There is absolutely no relationship with only ups and no downs, no matter how rich or smart a couple might be, there will always be things you disagree on or things that grind your gears –it can all reach a middle ground if you put the effort into it, what wouldn’t be solvable is this inherent belief that the ideal relationship is one where you would never have to face a single issue. You do not need to find an argument-free relationship, you only need a partner with whom you can argue without screaming at the top of your lungs to no avail.

You’re there for them through thick…and thick

You have approached the relationship thin ing you’ll be as sacrificial as it will take you, but you ended up only blind chasing ecstasy no matter what the price might be, and it’s usually related to some obsession with materialism. You’re willing to be there for your partner…so long as he has his car, a flat in a nice neighbourhood and showers you in gifts whenever he has some extra cash up his sleeve. This will always prevent you from finding happiness in any relationship, and if financial stability is a crucial standard to you, you might want to achieve that on your end first instead of trying to find it in others.