What NOT to Miss on the East Side in December 2021

Wondering what’s new on the eastside of Cairo? Tati Hafez takes us on a quick tour of all the new spots, shops and services available to East Siders!

Boho Pink – Cozy leg warmers and more

A passion to accessorize turned into a business when Boho Pink came to life. Find the coziest winter accessories like hard-to-find finger gloves and back-in-fashion leg warmers. The collection comes in a variety of colors to brighten your winter days.

Telephone: +20112 9800897

Facebook and Instagram: @bohopink

Mindwell – Your wellness assistant

Our calendar has daily readings, quotes and illustrations to give you the right push, affirmation, and inspiration for the day. They are not dated so you can keep using them throughout the years. You can buy the calendar separately or as a set with the writing pad, which comes together in a box together. Mindwell’s gratitude starter pack is a great way to begin the new year. Expect delivery within 2 to 3 days.

Facebook and Instagram: @mindwell.eg

Steamulation Hub

Maadi has a new family destination located in a cheerful and colorful villa. Steamulation Hub is a STEAM-inspired center offering a learning journey for the whole family. The center offers pre-school from 3 months to 4 years, enrichment programs for 4 to 16 years-old like coding, robotics and visual arts. Check out the seasonal camps, as well as the parenting classes.

Address: 28 Street 79, Maadi

Telephone: +201288587717

Instagram: @steamulationhub  

On The Edge Card Games – Are you ready for the challenge?

On The EDGE is the biggest and most complete trivia card game designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Including quiz questions on media, sports, geography, dares and act-outs. Neatly packed into different categories, you can build your own stack of themes. Check out additional categories like Friends, Food, Marvel, and Harry Potter.

Telephone: +201098444916

Instagram: @edgecardgame

Animal Flow: The New Full Body Workout

5 Facts About Geriatric Nutrition You Didn’t Know

As we get older, our bodies change, and so do our health requirements. For example, our digestive system slows down, which means that fruits, veggies and grains that are high in fiber should be a daily part of our diet. nutrition

That doesn’t mean more calories, it just means sufficient nutrients. Some older adults may even need more protein. Here are things to keep in mind to stay healthy as you age:

1. Eat foods that give you lots of nutrients without a lot of extra calories, such as
  • Fruits and vegetables (choose different types with bright colors)
  • Whole grains, like oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice
  • Fat-free or low-fat milk and cheese, or soy or rice milk that has added vitamin D and calcium
  • Seafood, lean meats, poultry, and eggs
  • Beans, nuts, and seeds
2. Avoid empty calories.

These are foods with lots of calories but few nutrients, such as chips, candy, baked goods, soda, and alcohol. nutrition

3. Pick foods that are low in cholesterol and fat.

You especially want to try to avoid saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are usually fats that come from animals. Trans fats are processed fats in stick margarine and vegetable shortening. You may find them in some store-bought baked goods and fried foods at some fast-food restaurants.

4. Drink enough liquids, so you don’t get dehydrated.

Some people lose their sense of thirst as they age. And certain medicines might make it even more important to have plenty of fluids. nutrition

5. Maintain a healthy weight.

Extra weight increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Use the BMI (body mass index) calculator to find out what you should weigh for your height. Get to your healthy weight and stay there by eating right and keeping active. Replace sugary drinks with water, which is calorie-free! nutrition

The Surprising Benefits of Dancing You Didn’t Know About

This article was brought to you by Tabibi 24/7, Cairo’s leading Family Medicine & Pediatrics group practice. Tabibi operates 24/7 and offers its services at the comfort of your own home or in one of its clinics.

Comfort Soup for the Soul: Crave’s Onion Soup

Is there anything more comforting on a chilly day than a hot bowl of French onion soup? Especially with a thick slice of toasted bread loaded with melty Gruyere cheese and lots of caramelized onion. Mmm! Try Crave’s recipe. onion soup

The best cheese to use for French onion soup

Gruyere and Parmesan are the classics for French onion soup. However, if you don’t have them, try these alternatives.

  • Gouda
  • Swiss
  • Fontina
  • Mozzarella

SERVINGS 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
  • 6 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced root to stem (about 10 cups of sliced onions total)
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 slices (1 inch thick) French bread or baguette
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere
  • Sprinkling of Parmesan
Preparation:
  1. Caramelize the onions: In a 5 to 6 quart thick-bottomed pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and toss to coat with the olive oil. Cook the onions, stirring often, until they have softened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the butter and cook, stirring often, until the onions start to brown, about 15 more minutes. Sprinkle with sugar (to help with the caramelization) and 1 teaspoon of salt. Continue to cook until the onions are well browned, about 10 to 15 more minutes.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.
  4. Add the stock and thyme, cover the pot and lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes.
  5. Season to taste with more salt and add freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Toast the French bread slices: While the soup is simmering, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. onion soup
  7. Brush both sides of the French bread or baguette slices lightly with olive oil (you’ll end up using about a tablespoon and a half of olive oil for this).
  8. Put in the oven and toast until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
  9. Turn the bread over and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere cheese and Parmesan. Return to oven when it’s close to serving time and bake until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
  10. To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and transfer one cheesy toast onto the top of each bowl of soup. onion soup

Alternatively, you can use individual oven-proof bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350° F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. onion soup

5 Easy Ways to Make Soups to Keep you Warm this Winter

Preserving Cairo’s Architectural Heritage in Downtown Cairo

Downtown Cairo

The heart of Cairo is so much more than bricks and mortar. It houses iconic architectural gems that have borne witness to historic moments over 150 years of Egyptian life. With new developments springing up around the metropolis, it had seemed possible that these treasures might fall by the wayside and be left to crumble into distant memory.

Until Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment stepped in. Formed by a group of architects and business entrepreneurs with a passion for Cairo’s legacy, and a mission of restoring neglected buildings to their former glory. Downtown Cairo

Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment aims to reinvent interior spaces to reflect the spirit of the buildings while providing distinctive, functional areas for commercial and entertainment use.

Offices, galleries, cafés and restaurants will restore the unique energy and soul that coursed through the veins of Cairo’s Downtown, creating a dynamic hub for the city’s residents and visitors alike. Downtown Cairo

La Viennoise is but one of the familiar and much-loved buildings in the city center. Standing on the intersection of 7 Champollion Street and 11 Mahmoud Bassiouni, the stunning 125-year-old building captures the essence of the Italian renaissance style of architecture. Downtown Cairo

La Viennoise builds on its rich history by transforming into a destination in itself, where facilities range from retail outlets, commercial spaces and food and beverage venues to a boutique hotel and cultural hubs, all in the heart of Downtown Cairo.

Al Ismaelia For Real Estate Investment Provides a New Experience of Downtown Cairo

Diwan Bookstore’s January Recommendations

Here are 5 reads we can all sink our teeth into in 2022. From exploring emotions to embarking on a personal transformation, these books by Diwan Bookstore will give us a lot to think about in the New Year.

1. Atlas of the Heart

By Berne Brown

In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human.

As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection.

2. Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation

By Daniel J. Siegel

Through his synthesis of a broad range of scientific research with applications to everyday life, Dr. Siegel has developed novel approaches that have helped hundreds of patients. His first book will help all of us understand the potential we have to create our own lives. Showing us mindsight in action, Dr. Siegel describes real cases and success stories.

3. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

By Adam Grant

This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more – it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it.

The best-selling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking; learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life.

4. The Comfort Book

By Matt Haig

“It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learnt while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard.”

The Comfort Book is Haig’s life raft. It’s a collection of notes, lists, and stories written over a span of several years that originally served as gentle reminders to Haig’s future self that things are not always as dark as they may seem.

Incorporating a diverse array of sources from across the world, history, science, and his own experiences, Haig offers warmth and reassurance, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of existence.

5. Man’s Search for Meaning

By Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor Frankl’s riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his insightful exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946.

At the heart of Frankl’s theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for “meaning”) is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but rather the discovery and pursuit of what the individual finds meaningful.

Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl’s classic work continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living, in spite of all obstacles.

Diwan: Great Reads to Keep You Cozy on Your Couch this Winter

Digitizing the Payment Process: Hany Soliman Introduces PayTabs Egypt

PayTabs

Have you wondered how much time your business invests each month, processing cash payments? Time is money, and having a structured business is the ultimate goal. The key is to work smart rather than hard. PayTabs

Learn more about PayTabs’ payment gateway platform and how they’ve made payment processing simple and effective. We chat with Hany Soliman, General Manager of Paytabs Egypt to find out more:

In a nutshell, what is PayTabs?

PayTabs Egypt is part of global fintech company that has been in the market for 7 years. The company was founded in Saudi Arabia, and rapidly expanded across the GCC and Levant regions, most recently, Egypt and North Africa. PayTabs Egypt launched in 2019 as a joint venture between PayTabs Global and EFG Hermes.

PayTabs has established promising potential partnerships, in collaboration with startups, entrepreneurs and leading banks to pave the way for growth as a payment solution company with a full stack of products to serve multiple industries. PayTabs

One of the main drivers for PayTabs to begin innovating and creating new products and solutions to help merchants and businesses accept online cashless payments was the situation caused by the pandemic. This motivation to always innovate is a factor in our receiving the Best E-Payment Award 2021 from Entrepreneur Middle East.

What advantages does PayTabs payment gateway have over other types of transactions?

Our advantage is being able to offer several payment options to companies, which enables them to receive online payments via various options ranging from debit cards, credit cards, wallets and installment options like the “buy now, pay later” schemes. PayTabs also facilitates ecommerce merchants offering online payment and installment options to their shoppers, allowing them to increase their sales and grow their business.

One challenge we often face in the Egyptian market is the lack of literacy, but I believe a lot of players in this domain have seen an evolvement due to Covid-19 and the increase in online commercial offers, like e-commerce or social commerce groups on Facebook and Instagram. These merchants have started capitalizing on the tools available in the market to facilitate their payments.

That’s why we tend to position PayTabs as a payment solutions company, we are not only a payment service provider. To clarify the difference, we create new solutions and products to target specific business segments and industries to serve our customers better. PayTabs

Is PayTabs primarily B2B, or can private individuals benefit from using it as well?

The PayTabs business model is B2B, however, given that we avail the proper channels for consumers who are purchasing products or services from our client base, then it is more a B2B/B2C model – offering the technology and the infrastructure for the merchant to accept payments online via different payment methods from consumers using our PayLinks, QR Codes, PayTabs payment gateway for card acceptance, and BNPL schemes. For SMB’s PayTabs allows accessibility, in addition to affordability.

How useful is PayTabs to small independent startups and online businesses?

At PayTabs we have concentrated on coming up with a standard, unified business proposition that would serve the mass better, and of course, that would bring them the right tools and solutions to digitize their payments and to facilitate cashless transactions.

One of the important initiatives launched in the Egyptian market is that banks and regulators have started availing payment tools and solutions for freelancers without requesting conventional documents that were previously required such as the commercial register and tax cards, for example. PayTabs

Right now, we can support freelancers with their IDs and bank accounts, offering them access to our payment portal and business manager dashboard. It is crucial for us to reach out to all segments in the market to avail PayTabs’ user-friendly, seamless and technically sound integration process that is backed by strong customer and technical support to solve any issues that our merchants might face.

I would highlight three main points as to how useful our tools are to small businesses. The first is how easy it is for our program to be integrated, especially into new apps that entrepreneurs and startups are introducing into the market. The second point would be the tools they can use, especially small startups.

Lastly, one of our possible future approaches will be PT Touch – the Soft point of sale (POS) replacing conventional hardware devices, by having a POS capability on smart phones and thereby being equipped to accept all contactless cards.

How do you see the future of the trend towards a ‘cashless’ society, where everything is handled digitally?

We are observing many payment methods and apps facilitating payments in the market. I would say that the future will see more usage of QR codes, and simple payment tools and apps that will distributed to every small and micro-businesses. PayTabs

I don’t see payments as being a product, but more of an enabler that allows new ideas and new approaches to be rolled out in the market, facilitating transactions between the businesses and their customers.

6 Egyptian Eco-Friendly Startups to Put on Your Radar

Educatly: Making Quality Education More Accessible

Educatly

Competing for places in prestigious educational institutions across the globe has become a nightmare for many students. We sat with Abdelrahman Ayman, Co-Founder of Educatly, to learn what solutions are at hand.

What services does Educatly offer?

Educatly is making educational opportunities accessible and transparent for everyone, everywhere. We are building for education what LinkedIn built for jobs; the world’s largest educational network with over 160,000 educational programs and +100,000 scholarships across the globe.

Students can search, apply and find support for educational opportunities worldwide. Our SaaS model benefits both students and educational institutions in a multitude of ways.

For students, Educatly
  • Is an AI-powered smart recommendations engine for better decision-making and higher acceptance rates.
  • Verify their academic history, leveraging blockchain technology.
  • Connects students with professors, student ambassadors and agents.
For Educational institutions, Educatly
  • Provides program-listing and application management all-in-one.
  • Showcases the learning environment of the various institutions and promotes their programs.
  • Accesses an international student pool from 80+ countries, at minimum cost.
  • Ensure credible student academic records and expands their gain from student academic record verifications.
What difference can professional assistance make to a student in terms of finding university placement?

Students are overwhelmed and lack easily accessible information on the opportunities relevant to them. In worldwide research conducted by UNESCO, 90% of students said they don’t know which school to go to, or search online for while pursuing higher education.

While 93% find it difficult to access all the needed information to reach a decision. Our job is to streamline and facilitate that process.

What advice would you give any student aiming to study overseas?

Earning a graduate degree abroad is an exciting journey, but requires proper planning. If you determine that this route is right for you after weighing the pros and cons, make sure to do your research before selecting the perfect course of study. Once the wheels of your graduate education are in motion, you are guaranteed a wild and seriously fulfilling ride!

Does holding a foreign degree improve someone’s chances in the job market?

It does if done right, and I’ll list below some of the potential upsides for holding a foreign degree:

  • You’ll have a perfect opportunity for language learning.
  • Your degree could come at a lower cost.
  • You can engage in international networking by studying your subject at the source.
  • Higher education abroad can help amplify personal growth.
  • In today’s globalized world, international work and study experiences are great assets to get noticed on the global job market. As a result, HR managers actually scan CVs for international experiences.
  • The skills developed while studying abroad are usually helpful in landing a job. You will stand out from the crowd and get ahead of other applicants on the international job market.
Which courses and subjects are trending at present?

Our most popular subject over the last year has been computer science and information systems, which is perhaps to be expected given its status as one of the fastest-growing subjects around the world. If you want to work on technology that has the potential to change the world, from artificial intelligence to big data, then this is the subject for you.

It wasn’t too surprising to see Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at the top of last year’s subject ranking, one of six North American universities in the top 10.

This was followed by engineering and technology subject area, which covers six different branches of engineering as well as computer science. The full list of engineering and technology subjects is as follows:

  • Computer Science & Information Systems
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil & Structural Engineering
  • Electrical & Electronic Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mineral & Mining Engineering
  • Petroleum Engineering

Last into the top three is business and management studies, which generated a lot of interest among our students as a potential subject to study.

How much has Covid-19 affected your operations? Do you anticipate a surge in online learning options?

Universities and college campuses are places where students live and study in close proximity to each other. They are also buzzing cultural hubs where students are brought together from nations around the world. Recently, the foundations of this unique ecosystem have been impacted significantly by the rapid spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, creating uncertainty regarding the implications for higher education.

The most effective tool in keeping student retention and maintaining access to learning has been online courses. Universities across the world, have adjusted their programs in response to the spread of the coronavirus.

We helped a lot of schools navigate the crisis by digitally enabling and streamlining their admissions operations, so from our side, we’ve seen an actual increased demand for our services. We anticipate that this trend will become an integral part of our new norm beyond this covid crisis. Virtual classrooms, online learning solutions, and hybrid learning experiences are here to stay with massive growth expectations.

What are your thoughts on the upsurge in new universities being established across Egypt?

We are extremely excited about this. Building a state-of-the-art educational eco-system sits currently at a high priority within the country’s 2030 direction, making it an emerging attractive destination for overseas students as well as local students pursuing high-quality higher education degrees.

For overseas students, studying in Egypt provides them with the opportunity to learn about different facets of Middle Eastern culture, including political, historical, and economic. Students studying in Egypt get to explore a culture very distinct to their own. Bridging north-east Africa and the Middle Eastern region, and with a Mediterranean coastline, Egypt provides a unique blend of African, Arabic and Mediterranean cultures and traditions.

Learn How to Pick a Career with Career 180

Pole Fit: Why is Pole Fitness the Perfect Sport For You?

Pole Fit

Pole fitness is a fitness trend that has been catching on like wildfire across the globe. It’s a great way to tone and strengthen and have a bit of fun too! Although dancing on a pole has long been seen as a more erotic and seductive form of dancing; it has nonetheless slowly become quite popular for its proven results and great impact on mood and self-confidence. Pole Fit

After being introduced to pole fitness in the UK in 2010, Manar ElMokadm, who goes by Mint, became an instructor in the UK for about two years before returning to Egypt to share her newfound passion for the pole. We talked to Mint about Pole Fit Egypt, and how she pioneered bringing this form of fitness to women here in Egypt.

By Farah ElAbd

What is Pole Fit Egypt?

Pole Fit Egypt is the first aerial and pole fitness school in Egypt, offering classes to women of all ages and backgrounds.

What prompted you to launch it here?

I had moved back to Egypt from the UK after finishing my university degree, and I was already a pole instructor for about two years in the UK before I returned to Egypt.

So when I moved back, a lot of my friends started asking me to teach them, and then they started bringing their friends and their friends started bringing their friends, and so on. It was then I realized, I better open up a studio and start to do this thing properly!

What are the physical and mental benefits of pole and aerial sports?

Pole and aerial sports obviously do the basic things that this type of training typically does: increases your strength, increases your flexibility, increases your coordination, and improves the relationship between the mind and the body.

But the special factor about pole and aerial sports in comparison to other types of activities or types of arts is the fact that there are a lot of mental challenges that you go through. So, there are certain moves and specific tricks in particular that can actually be very scary.

Pole fitness helps you believe in yourself; believe that you can hang upside down and be very strong in that move, and get over that fear. And so, getting over your fear physically translates into your life in different ways, and it translates into your life mentally; you become stronger. You feel more confident, sexy, and powerful.

Who can do Pole Fit?

Pole Fit Egypt is open to all females. We have studios in Garden City, Sheikh Zayed, New Cairo, and we have an online studio as well. Our youngest student was as young as six-years-old, and the eldest we have taught is 62, so it’s open to all ages, all levels of fitness, and all shapes and sizes. I would say anybody who doesn’t have a serious structural injury can definitely come and pole with us!

What obstacles do you think are still facing the pole industry in Egypt?

The one obstacle I find exclusive to the pole industry in Egypt is that we don’t have an abundance of instructors to pick from because pole has only been in Egypt for 9 years, that’s when we first opened up. Pole Fit

But that’s still a quite young industry, and most of the instructors in Egypt are still young and don’t have an insane amount of experience, so I’d say one of the biggest struggles of teaching pole in Egypt is that you don’t necessarily have a lot of instructors with a lot of experience.

How have you seen pole change people who practice it?

I have seen people change ridiculously through pole, and actually, that’s the reason why I’m in this industry, I’m not in this industry to make the women of Cairo acrobats. There are many women who discover their strength through pole, there are many women who discover the beauty of their true nature through pole, and there are many women who go through lots of healing through pole.

We’ve had women who came to us to get over breakups, we’ve had women who’ve come to us to get over grief after losing people in their lives, and we’ve had cancer patients who have come to us to connect again with the feminine parts of themselves which was a relationship that was fractured during their chemo treatments and breast removals.

We’ve had students who came to make peace with their bodies, and since pole doesn’t need you to be any specific shape, size, or fitness level to practice pole, a lot of body image work gets done, so this question really explains everything we do.

Pole teaches you how to appreciate what your body can do as it is, rather than work out to judge how your body looks like.

To what extent can people with physical injuries practice pole?

There are many different types of pole. People with injuries can certainly practice pole choreography, or pole in the form of dance for sure. The tricks and acrobats, however, the pole tricks, would have to be adapted to those people. Pole Fit

It depends on the injury really; some people with certain injuries would be able to practice specific tricks and avoid other ones, so it really depends; it’s very tailored depending on the person. People with injuries that are not mild, like more severe injuries, would definitely train with a personal trainer who tailors the class specific to their injury.

As it says on your website, “You don’t need to be fit to join Pole Fit,” how can different body types practice Pole Fit?

Let me say this, if you had to be fit to join us I would be out of a job by now, there’s no way I would still be in business 10 years later. Because let’s be frank, we’ve taught 6000 women in Cairo, and I can assure you that these 6000 women are definitely not ex-gymnasts or professional athletes.

So you don’t have to be fit to join us because it’s our job to get you where you need to be to become an excellent, well-rounded pole dancer.

We have coordination and strength classes to get you stronger to be able to practice more advanced moves, and also to protect your body from injuries. We also offer flexibility classes that are specifically tailored to get the type of flexibility that a pole dancer would need on the pole.

Padel: Egypt’s Next Booming Sport

23 Most Interesting Things We’ve Heard From Celebrities in 2021

2021 was a year full of surprises on a personal and global level. We dug deep with over 30 Egyptian celebrities in 2021 who shared some unexpected personal things. Let’s explore some of the more unexpected things celebrities have told us over the course of a very interesting year.

By Mariam Elhamy

“I feel that a lot of times when men do something, their end goal is not necessarily to be happy, on the contrary, it’s to make others happy; not just out of responsibility but of course, passion and will are included.” – Youssef Othman

“You’re never the same person after the loss of a loved one, but you just learn to adapt and live with it. Being around my family helped.” – Nahed El Sebai

“Yasser Galal was throwing sand at me and the funny thing is that right before we started shooting, I had told him to do whatever he wants. I said just do it. I’m fine with whatever you do” – Alaa Arafa

“I get cute messages like people wanting to marry me, but I get a lot of weird messages too.” – Nicolas Mouawad

“Even if you’re unhappy, you have to push it away because your audience, who loves you, doesn’t need to see your sad side.” – Asma Abulyazeid

“I was writing my own songs and singing them but my voice was terrible.” – Osama Elhady 

“ I love Mona Zaki. She helped me so much, even during the audition process she would correct my Arabic. If you had seen me the first day, my Arabic was really terrible!” – Adam El Sharkawy

“Your demons, negative thoughts, negative patterns, etc. are all very useful and insightful to use in acting. Being connected gives you very clear use of everything you don’t like about yourself, and you have a channel to release anything painful or uncomfortable. That’s a big luxury.” – Aly Kassem

“I know how much this character has affected people. Especially older people, now when I go to the hairdresser, older ladies look at me disgustingly and I want to tell them, guys it’s Cynthia, not Nadeen, separation!” – Cynthia Khalifeh

“I believe that an actor reflects his character on any role he plays. Starting with when he works on and studies the script, till the moment he acts it out in the scene. An actor’s personal experience always shows in his eyes.” – Mohamed Hatem

“My social circle has really gotten small, especially before Ramadan, as we are finishing filming the series, I know I am not able to manage work and social obligations.” – Youssef Othman

“It is totally normal for a writer to get inspired by the people he or she meets and draw things from. Whether it’s a tiny detail or a phrase, I always pick up things from the people around me.” – Hani Sarhan

“As every ambitious woman, I had no time for children and felt they required a great deal of work. But the moment I gave birth to my daughter Nourhan, it completely changed me. My children became my priority, and I forgot a great deal about myself. Then later on, I was able to re-accommodate my ambitions within the remaining space I had for myself following the needs of my son and daughter.” – Esaad Younis

“Being a singer and an artist helps in the organization of GFF, of course, but there are others who are taking care of that part. I do listen to some of the proposals that we get at GFF. Sometimes I don’t like them, and sometimes I say no, but it is not only about me.” – Bushra Rozza 

“My material comes from my friends and the people around me, and of course, everything I’ve ever read or seen. Being a social butterfly, I easily learn the pattern of how certain people act or behave.” – Tamer Habib

“We’re surrounded by many beautiful ladies who are probably talented but don’t push themselves to play unconventional roles. Nobody looks good when they’re depressed, tired, sad or in a breakup, so I like actors who are not afraid to do that on the screen.” – Cynthia Khalifeh

“I sometimes felt that I was too Egyptian to be British and too British to be Egyptian, but in my core and in my heart I feel very Egyptian. My parents couldn’t be more Egyptian, and I have come to embrace having those two kinds of cultures combining together. I get to pick the best out of both.” – Amir El Masry 

“I do not understand people who suggest we stay in our lanes. At the end of the day, we are human beings and even if we chose certain careers if we are talking about issues that affect our or other people’s safety, or our right to have an equal shot at life or any sort of discrimination, why would I not have an opinion about that?” – Rosaline Elbay

“I do what I feel. Even if my brain says no but my heart wants it, I just do it. I’m a bit impulsive, reckless and more than a bit insane. My mother and I are very different and we still have a lot of differences, even though she is the person I love the most in my life.” – Rania Youssef

“Everyone walks on the red carpet, we went there and we sat because we were so tired. Asala even took her heels off and was making jokes the whole time. Saying things like, imagine if I broke up with you right now in front of everyone. We are just regular people who were put in the wrong place. Nothing is perfect and we show that, we love being real to ourselves.” – Anas Marwah and Asala Maleh

“We men have the capacity of doing nothing, of just being in the zone of nothing! Which is a curse and a blessing.” – Karim Kassem

“In our family, we support a woman being free and making her own choices.” – May Elghety

“I would love to live in India. The country and its people are a lot like me. They respect animals, most of them are vegetarian, so I always find something to eat, and they have a certain rawness, they are not pretentious, they even walk barefoot. They take care of themselves without knowing it. They’re very real. I love India very much and I feel like I was supposed to be there and I came here by mistake” – Jala Hesham

 

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