The Other Side of Me

In our veins runs blood, in our souls runs the Nile. Our Nile is a tale as old as this country, a country that was set along its path. It carries teachings for all of us; people and rulers. Our Nile is the one source of unity that never saw division. It has witnessed the best of times, and the worst of times and kept us fed through it all. It has lived and adapted to change, change of land, people, atmosphere, and its own path. Even today, even with fights over its waters, we know it shall never give  up on us. It's this water that tells stories of thousands of years. Stories of words still used although language has changed, feasts still celebrated although religion has changed, of recipes still popular although appetite has changed. The Nile carries stories of hardships and great rewards. Of the flourishing land, defying death over and over. Stories of crops growing on its waters, of fish living in its depth. Of waters quenching thirst, fire, and love, stor...

The wonders of the sea are not necessarily under water; in his boat, one can see the seven wonders... He moves from darkness to light with the sharpest of sights. He passes the strongest of obstacles with endless will. He catches "kheir", what he calls his fish, from a sea as deep as a demon’s eyes. In the silent emptiness his reverberations draw hope. It may be his hobby, or just his source of living, but this poor man gives life, rich with health, to many. He lives between two blues, but never does he give up until he reaches the light of the open seas.  A part of "Egypt, the Good Land" project Written by: Mariam Saleh Photography by: Mahmoud Gamal El-Din Full photoset found here

Standing tall since 1912, Imbaba Bridge is one of the many underrated landmarks of Cairo. Designed in a time so different from today, this bridge has seen good and bad times more than any of us saw. For more than a century this age-defying bridge has carried trains, cars, pedestrians, and carts passing over the Nile between Cairo and Giza. The metal railway bridge that was given a royal design was constructed by the Belgian Baume & Marpent. It mainly carries trains heading south to Upper Egypt, taking many residents back to their hometowns. But it also has lanes for cars and pedestrians. Having a unique artistic style, Imbaba Bridge became one of the most popular cinema and photography locations. Different films, music videos, commercials and posters were shot there since early 1960s. So too in reality, the Bridge was witness to cinematic events. During the 1919 Revolution trains were blocked from passing over the Bridge by " Anaber " ...

Jennifer Aniston together with Jason Sudeikis star in this comedy that promises to keep you laughing from the start to the very end. We're the Millers is the story of David Clark (Sudeikis), a pot dealer who after getting robbed, is forced to do illegal drug smuggling by bringing a shipment in from Mexico. David gets the idea of making up a fake family to go together on the trip in order to ease up security searching procedures. Rose O'Reilly (Aniston) is David's neighbor who works as a stripper and has become sick of her job. Together with David, a young nerd and a runaway girl they make up the fake family and go on a trip to Mexico. During the trip many things don't go as planned and the “family” faces the risk of dying or getting caught. It's their creativity in lying to get out of this kind of situations that makes this movie hilarious. We're the Millers is a funny and enjoyable movie with a strong storyline that is full of action. Even though ...

When Frozen came to the big screen their was a huge fuss about it being the first Disney movie that doesn't teach young girls that's it's OK to "marry someone you've just met", as the lead characters have so clearly put it. They also say it's the first to portray a woman as a savior and focus on sisterly love rather than a prince charming. I do agree that Frozen is special and great, and a good shift in the Disney movies, but it's not one of a kind, or is it the first to portray a woman with a strong character, who is also a savior and not one to fall for a prince charming, just because, well, he's a prince and charming. Comparing Frozen to Cinderella, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty would actually make it seem as a breakthrough; although these movies have some nice teachings they have indeed ruined the idea of true love. Yet there is another movie that is underrated, that had teachings about true love that are even greater than those in Fro...

A free spirit, with thoughts that take her up high. They say love sets you free, but it had locked her up in a thoughtless cell. Love of a selfish body, imprisoned on the ground, yet he thinks he's the jailer. She breaks loose, free of the deadly love... "Come what may", she said as she stood with her head higher than the biggest mountain. "You don't know what you're doing", he replied with a seriously sarcastic tone, she gave him one look, then walked away. She walked without looking back, and with her she took his heart and soul. He watched her as she went further, but refused to call her name. He was too proud. He knew she knew what she's worth, and he could do nothing about it. He had her heart but wanted her soul, and now that she left, he had nothing. The concrete ground suddenly felt like waves, the sunny day turned into a thunderstorm, she's gone. She left him, and went after her dreams. His warnings did not stop her, she was...

People usually hate darkness for different obvious reasons, but not I. For me, it's never silent unless it's dark, the air is not light unless it's dark, my body is never relaxed unless it's completely dark, with not one source of light. Then, I'm able to think, my inner gleam fills the emptiness. It's only when I open my eyes to the blackness that I truly see. I have my own moon and stars; an enormous, sharply round, crystally white, seductively transparent moon, surrounded by tiny, loudly glowing, blue, as a peacock's crown stars. My moon is my mind, and my stars are my thoughts, some of them are perfectly clear, others are blurred,  but it's only through them that my soul can discover.

You come from darkness, harshness. You jump into the rainy sky and dance among the vivid rainbow, but it's the ground you come from and it's where you shall return. You may break a bone or two in the process, but you don't care. It's not important what happened before or what may come afterwards, because it's all in the experience itself. You jump into the dark lightening, into the unbreathable air, into the silent thunder, and you are not afraid. You aren't a bit scared, because in the thunderstorm, you were washed by the sacred water, you heard the enchanting song, you saw the rainbow of love. You come back to the ground, injured maybe, but your soul is renewed, because it's there, and only there; outside of your comfort zone, where your spirit shall learn to fly.