“New Realities We Build” is Calling Out to all Change Makers

May 21, 2020

This year we have seen so many changes with no end in sight, forcing us to part with some of the old norms and create new norms and realties. Though some of these changes might be very minor, others have taken a different magnitude. Leaving us wondering, are there others that have also paved the way for change? Inertia’s new campaign ‘New Realities We Build’ has shown us 3 examples of individuals who have done just that.

The campaign features 3 different people at different stages of life who are breaking the status quo and creating new realities.

The campaign starts with Nagwa Ghorab, the woman who didn’t see retirement as an end, but rather as the start of a new life goal: competing as a swimmer internationally and winning at the age of 73. Ghorab is an International Masters Team swimming champion, best known for her championships and recognition at her mature age, which assures us that age is just a number.

Next comes Sherif Hosny; a man who brought together a sustainability mindset with community service. He created farming models that help underprivileged communities grow vegetables on rooftops, thereby creating a steady income for marginalized families while simultaneously doing wonders for the environment.

Our third trailblazer breaking glass ceilings is young Farah Awadallah, who at the age of 23 broke with convention in what is known as the “king’s sport” and created the first Female Egyptian Polo team. The team has since competed in and won in multiple championships.

These individuals’ pioneering mindsets aren’t that much different from that of Inertia itself. The company was established in 2007 by two young entrepreneurs with a dream. They were told it couldn’t be done and to succeed, they had to follow the same formula as those that have come before; but they challenged that idea and persevered.

Now, Inertia has 9 distinctive developments across Cairo, the Red Sea and the North Coast with over 6.8 m² million meters of land; proving that every day comes with new possibilities and chances to new realities.

Detox Your Body with 6 Simple Detox Recipes

May 21, 2020

By: Mariam Elhamy

What’s the best solution for feeling bloated and having indigestion? Detox! It’s so healthy for you because it cleanses out your system, aids your digestion, boosts your energy, and helps you lose weight. It’s really the perfect combo so check out some of these detox water recipes and try them at home.

Cucumber Lemon Water

Lemon, mint and cucumber water is not only a delicious summer cooler, it will also help you detox and debloat at the same time. To make this quick drink, you would need 1-liter regular water, ½ a cucumber, 1 lemon, 4-5 mint leaves. Cut the cucumber and lemon into thin slices then crush the mint leaves and leave the water in the fridge overnight.

Strawberry Basil Water

This punchy infused water is very calming for the stomach and helps in flushing out the toxins. Add 8 fresh strawberries, 3 lemon wedges, ½ lemon juice, and a handful of basil leaves to 1-liter water. This detox water is loaded with health-enriched nutrients like vitamin C, antioxidants, and minerals like potassium.

Mango, Lemon, Pineapple Water

Enjoy a punch of taste and health in every gulp of this summery drink. Take 1-liter of water, add in ½ a cup mango and pineapple cubes, 3-4 lemon slices, mix and refrigerate. Mango helps in improving digestion and relieving stomach discomfort. Pineapple is a great source of Vitamin C, B6, Copper, Magnesium, Folate and Fibers.

Hibiscus, Basil, Mint Water

This drink will not only improve your digestion it will also help you relax. Stir the hibiscus, mint, and basil in water and refrigerate overnight. Strain and serve chilled with ice. This detox works as a stress reliever and muscle relaxer, it also reduces symptoms of bloating and gas. This infusion is ideal for anyone suffering from digestive discomfort and stress.

Basic Ginger and Lime Water

The most simple way to boost your immunity, detox and flush out toxins from your system, is with this infused lime and ginger water which helps in relieving bloating. All you need is 750 ml water, 5-6 lime slices, ½ teaspoon lime juice, ½ teaspoon ginger juice and 6-7 ginger slices and refrigerate overnight for the best benefits and the most freshness.

Spiced Detox Water

Enjoy a burst of flavors in every sip of this spiced detox water. Winter spices lovers are always excited about this drink! You will need 1 litre water, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon ginger, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 pinches of cinnamon powder and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (you can also use black pepper). Bring it to the boil then allow it cool and refrigerate. If you prefer, you can drink it hot or lukewarm. This detox helps in improving heart health, keeps the seasonal flu at bay and helps in building metabolism and immunity.

Diwan’s May Reads: Get Spiritual and Become a Better Cook

May 18, 2020

If you’re wondering when’s the best time to lose those extra few pounds you’ve put on, now it is. Read more about these diet, cooking and enlightening books to read for May.

Untethered Soul
By Michael A. Singer

This book will transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you. You’ll discover what you can do to put an end to the habitual thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization.

Heart of Sufism
By H. J. Witteveen

This is the first representative collection of the Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan’s teachings – making it the perfect book for anyone.

Each chapter includes a wealth of material taken from Inayat Khan’s work on a particular subject, such as Mysticism, Discipleship, Music, Children, or Divine Intimacy, followed by a selection of his short sayings and aphorisms on the same topic.

Essential Rumi
By Jalal Al-Din Rumi

Essential Rumi continues to be the bestselling of all Rumi books, and the definitive selection of his beautiful, mystical poetry. This revised and expanded edition includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks and more than 80 never-before-published poems.

18 Minutes
By Peter Bregman

18 Minutes clearly shows how busy people can cut through all the daily clutter and distractions and find a way to focus on those key items which are truly the top priorities in our lives.

Bregman’s approach allows us to safely navigate through the constant chatter of emails, text messages, phone calls, and endless meetings that prevent us from focusing our time on those things that are truly important to us.

5:2 Cookbook
By Angela Dowden

The 5:2 diet is now firmly established as a highly effective and popular way to lose weight. It allows you to change your life for the better by dieting for just 2 days a week. You will live longer, lose weight and feel great by reducing your calorie intake for a limited period each week. The rest of the time you can eat normally, dine out and even have treats.

Authentic Egyptian Cooking
By Nehal Leheta

Abou El Sid, one of Cairo’s most famous restaurants, has become well known for its authentic Egyptian dishes, and now presents its most classic recipes in a cookbook for the enjoyment of home cooks all over the world. 57 authentic Egyptian recipes each illustrated with gorgeous, full color photographs. It is a beautifully designed and visually sumptuous boutique book.

AUC Book Review: Egypt Inside Out

May 11, 2020

Trevor Naylor is the author of Cairo Inside Out and more recently of Egypt Inside Out, both beautifully illustrated with photographs by Bulgarian photographer Doriana Dimitrova. Naylor, a resident of Egypt since 1986 gave us some insight on his two travel books.

In Egypt Inside Out you say that you wondered, “if this country I’d grown to love was often misunderstood by those who passed through.” Do you think Egypt Inside Out helps to break down some of these misunderstandings?

What I see in both my daily life and work life is that Egypt is often misunderstood by many of the tourists who pass through, simply because they are not allowed the time to absorb the best thing about Egypt, its own people. Also when visitors go through the mass tourism experience they may find their earlier preconceptions of Egypt and the region reinforced negatively. My book offers a slower-paced view of Egypt which is borne of the time I have spent with Egyptians who know I am not a tourist, but rather, a fan of their country. Egyptians are naturally humorous people with an observant wit and earthy wisdom. Hanging out with them is fun when they are not trying to sell you something.

You wish to offer “a new look at a classic journey”—through Egypt Inside Out. Why is your perspective so different?

The Egyptian tourist experience may involve being managed hour by hour by a guide who determines exactly whom you meet and how long you spend with them, and where you stop to eat or shop. The average tour has good intentions; to show you Egypt’s amazing sights in a short trip; this sadly does not allow the individual time to go off-piste.

Egypt Inside Out is a book I hope the reader can absorb at home and which reveals the country behind the modern myth of global travel. This is not an issue unique to Egypt, but a feature of modern life, as more and more people rush to tick countries off their bucket list. Some of those visitors (we meet them very often in our bookstores) want much more and to have some independent views to balance the constant facts and figures about ancient Egypt that they are blinded with during their short time in Egypt.

I had some friends from Australia visit Cairo for two days after a Nile Cruise, these were middle aged professional people who had paid for the best boat on the Nile and had a good time, but they told me afterwards that the 45 minutes we spent together crammed in a taxi (seven of us) hurtling through Cairo on Friday morning to have pancakes was easily the highlight of their trip. Such moments are what make memories.

If you had to sit inside on a very hot Egyptian summer day to enjoy the view of what was going on outside, where would that be?

My own perfect spot on a hot Egyptian day would actually be outside, in the garden of the Marsam Hotel in Luxor, looking across the countryside at a way of farming which has not changed much in centuries.

On your wider journey across Egypt, for the making of Egypt Inside Out, what was one of the most exciting discoveries that you made?

Before writing this book I had never been to Marsa Matruh and it was over thirty years since I had last been to Siwa Oasis. My trip to both places last year was mind blowing, not least because it was done with friends. We learned a lot together and took great pictures.

The fun stories related to making this book are countless, wrapped as they are in my many years of being connected to Egypt and its people. If you have the ability to make a joke, or to connect with people in a human way about life, work, families and the world, then you can make friends with one sentence in Egypt. One should never be afraid to make a joke in Egypt, to anyone at anytime, for life in Egypt is hard and everyone is grateful for a break to allow for some fun.

Why do you think Egypt continues to fascinate so much?

Egypt fascinates because it has a place in everyone’s heart as being part of the cradle of civilization. Most people have a traveling wish-list and Egypt is on it. Long may that remain, and while no one can ever know everything about Egypt, it is quite possible to understand it. When you look at a view and feel yourself to be a real part of the scenery or crowd of people around you, then you have begun your inside-out experience.

Pamper Your Skin at Home with a Few Tips

May 11, 2020

By Sara Saba (Glow With Sara)

These days we are not going out much. Consider it a perfect opportunity to give your skin a well-deserved break from fumes, pollution and the elements, and make the most of this time at home to give yourself a little extra care.

Skin essentials:

Get enough sleep

Sleep is very important for our overall health. When we don’t get enough sleep our body releases more cortisol, the stress hormone that can cause acne and breakouts. So make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep daily.

Work out regularly

Working out helps our body burn cortisone, which is a good way to reduce stress while helping your skin to stay clear. Also make sure to shower and wash your face right after your workout.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

You have probably been dealing with dryness as a result of washing your hands frequently, and this can impact your face as well. Make sure to use moisturizer after every wash and moisturize your face twice daily after cleansing in the morning and at night.

Follow a skin care routine

You should make use of the time you have now and experiment with a good skincare routine that suits your skin type and any problems. You can use skin masks, toners, serums, peels and exfoliators, but only with caution. If you over-treat your skin your pH levels will go up and that can lead to problems. Also make sure to add SPF to your daily skin routine.

More from Glow with Sarah from this link

Narrative Summit’s Digital Talks – Dina El Mofty

May 11, 2020

During her participation in the Narrative Summit’s Digital Talks “Reshaping Norms”, Injaz Egypt’s Founder & CEO Dina El Mofty: The current period applies to the survival of the quickest versus the fittest.

May 10th 2020, Cairo, Egypt – Founder and CEO of Injaz Egypt Dina El Mofty has predicted that the Middle East region will witness a huge leap in digital transformation in the coming period. Investment in digital transformation, across all fields, is no longer a luxury but an urgent necessity, especially in the digital education sector. Schools have resorted to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic despite not being ready for this step. Thus, it has become necessary for the state to join forces with the private sector to formulate educational curriculums and programs that are in line with the global trend of digital education and distance learning at all school stages.

Dina El Mofty’s statements were made during her participation in Narrative Summit’s digital talks “Reshaping Norms” on the global impact of the COVID-19 crisis and ways to create a new reality and a different future in Egypt and the world.

El Mofty added that for the first time, the entire world is facing a common challenge. Start-ups are facing one of the hardest challenges in managing financial income amid predictions that the coronavirus crisis will persist for a year or more. Thereby, the coming period will witness a practical example of the survival of the quickest versus the fittest, meaning that companies which are the quickest to deal with the crisis – by examining their financial incomes, managing worst-case scenarios, and limiting expenditures as much as possible to maintain cash flow for the longest time possible – will be able to survive the crisis with their investments intact. El Mofty stressed that companies that cannot cover their costs should firmly continue their business and float until the crisis passes instead of taking further measures which can contribute to more losses.

El Mofty stated that through her work at Injaz Egypt, she offers support and financing to Egyptian entrepreneurs and help them develop their skills to equip them for the labor market. She strongly stresses that start-up companies, during this period, should reevaluate their capabilities, points of strength and the added value they can provide to their clients through innovative products. Start-ups, by their nature, face challenges with innovation and out-of-the-box ideas, particularly with the new trend of using digital transformation and solutions in businesses. Out of every crisis, a new opportunity is born, which can be observed in start-up companies that witnessed the 2008 financial crisis, and how they are some of the major companies today.

El Mofty affirmed that one of the positive outcomes for small and medium enterprises from the current crisis is the experience in dealing with similar crises and how to manage finances and investments. It will also make companies and entrepreneurs more cautious in setting their priorities and show more persistence and perseverance in achieving success in their projects.

Sources:
Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/597990847030734/posts/1583317441831398/
Youtube – https://youtu.be/q4ku5YTLPT0
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAAVCi3no2X/?igshid=j9l4nl6j3flj

12 Fruits and Veggies You Can Grow at Home

May 10, 2020

By: Mariam Elhamy

Ever wondered how eating your own home-grown vegetables would taste like? It’s actually easier than you think because all you have to do is give it a little care every day. Growing your own vegetables can be a very rewarding hobby that you won’t regret trying. Just follow these simple steps and check out some of the things you can easily grow at home.

To get started, it’s important to choose containers that have good drainage, to use high-quality indoor potting soil, to water the plants regularly keeping in mind that less is more and watch out for any pests or plant diseases. Find a sunny window (veggies will need at least 4-6 hours of sunshine while fruits will need at least 8-10 hours daily), and place the pots there. That spot also needs to be the right temperature so avoid both cold or drafty areas or sunlight that’s too direct that could overheat them and dry them out.

Here are 12 Plants You Can Grow at Home:

1. herbs

2. Spring Onions

3. Celery

4. Tomatoes

5. Lettuce and greens

6. Peppers

7. Carrots

8. Strawberries

9. Radishes

10. Lemons

11. potatoes

12. Spinach

Park St. Delivering Now. 2020.

May 10, 2020

Known for its ideal location in the heart of Sheikh Zayed. Park St. lies in close proximity to top-notch educational institutions, renowned medical hubs and shopping malls, in addition to lively zones and upscale residential compounds. Park St. is synonymous with innovation in superior design and unrivaled services and is a predominantly business-centric complex, having around 87.5% of its total gross BUA dedicated to semi-finished high end office spaces with a contemporary aesthetic.

Park St. project in Sheikh Zayed has been carefully designed to ensure the utmost safety, maximum comfort and compliance with highest quality standards to guarantee productivity and peace of mind for the business community. Known for its unique design, Park St.’s interiors distinguish the project from all the others. Constructed with a span of up to 12 meters between concrete columns, the complex will provide businesses with the ultimate flexibility and efficiency for designing the work space.

In addition, the public spaces and lobbies are double height, elegantly finished using only the finest materials. Intelligent elevators, access control cards and parking spaces are among the features that position Park St. as the finest. The buildings have a chilled water system and triple play, guaranteeing seamless internet. A 24/7 video surveillance covers every corner of the complex and all areas are also linked to all fire systems to ensure the safety of all.

Park St.’s open landscape gives it an edge that takes you back to the coziness and calm of Zamalek and downtown. The aim of the project is to provide a different experience to all tenants and business owners, where they can relive their memories of the beauty of downtown with all the trees and greenery around.

At Park St. the sky is the limit. The development’s rooftops will be the first rooftops in west Cairo to be transformed into fine dining destinations, ideal for business networking by day, and late night entertainment for those wishing to unwind with spectacular views.

For more information visit Park St. official website from this link.

Revisiting Egypt’s Glorious Legacy of Film – in Color

May 8, 2020

Egypt has been a hub for film production for decades, with iconic and much-loved stars becoming household names, not only at home, but throughout the Arabic-speaking world. From villains to heroes, comedy to nail-biting drama and social narratives that every family could relate to, every year has rolled out films that will still be cherished by generations to come.

Thanks to painstaking work by Akkasah Center for Photography at New York University – Abu Dhabi, the collection created by the late critic and writer Samir Farid is available as a fascinating record of this history. Negatives showing scenes from films dating from 1937 to 1988 have been digitally re-mastered in the original black and white to capture the humor, the beauty and the essence of Egyptian culture through the lens of the camera.

Taking things a step further, Port Said resident and film, history and photography buff, Khalid Abdel Rahman turned to My Heritage, an app using AI, to bring every image currently available to full color. Egyptian cinephiles can browse to their hearts’ content. To learn more about this unique collection, we chatted with Jonathan Burr, archivist at Akkasah.

Jonathan, how was this collection put together?

JB: We were approached by Samir Farid five years ago and were given to opportunity to acquire a portion of his collection of photographs taken on the sets of Egyptian films throughout the twentieth century. Although we don’t know exactly how the images were used, we organized in this manner.

The collection consists entirely of film negatives which we were lucky enough to receive, organized by film. As you can see on our site, we have kept the collection in that order and have digitized it so that the public can view the images on our site, Akkasah.org.

What is the historical and cultural significance of preserving collections like this?

Classic Egyptian cinema continues to be extremely popular in both Egypt and throughout the world. As is the case with classic Hollywood cinema, preservation and access to quality copies of old films remains a challenge. Films have been lost, and those that survive are often damaged. And although many of these films are available to stream online, the quality of the presentation is far from ideal.

The Samir Farid Collection provides the world a unique perspective of the making of these films. The photographs have, for the large part, survived the years quite well and reveal details of the sets and performers in a way that both historians and fans of cinema will all appreciate.

Is the collection complete, or still work in progress?

The Samir Farid Collection is very much a work in progress. We currently have about 600 images online from almost ninety films, but we have nearly 2,700 negatives still to digitize. The photographs currently available are almost all from the years 1940-1960, but the remainder will span almost three more decades, well into the late 80s.

What is involved in the process of processing and archiving the images?

The part of the collection that is online at Akkasah.org right now was digitized on a purpose-built Hasselblad Flextight X5 drum scanner. The negatives were carefully placed in special frames that were then fed into the scanner to create the initial digital image. We then took those files and adjusted them in Photoshop, balancing brightness and contrast and fixing some scratches, creating images that we believe are what the original photographers would have liked to present. That said, we do retain original files documenting the negatives as they are, which could be of interest to historians and conservators alike.

May people contact you if they have old film negatives that could be of interest?

Absolutely, we are always interested in hearing from the users of our archive. While we cannot promise to accept all proposed donations into Akkasah’s archive, we are always interested in seeing photograph collections from the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Iran, and the greater Arab world. We’re eager to provide advice regarding preservation of your collections, and we encourage you to feel free to share with us at akkasah@nyu.edu. We also encourage people to follow us on Twitter or Instagram @akkasah_nyuad, and on Facebook at AkkasahNYUAD.

Contact information:
Akkasah Center for Photography
New York University Abu Dhabi
Tel: 971 2 628 5531
Facebook: AkkasahNYUAD
Instagram: akkasah_nyuad
Khaled Abdel Rahman (Facebook: Drkh1978)

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