New Year’s Eve … Stuck again in one of those family gatherings? Six ways to push it up a notch ;)

It’s like if you don’t go crazy that night, teb2a sana zero! “La ya 3am, I’m stuck with a family gathering tonight, bas 7a7awel afok badry.” The problem is that New Year is at midnight, ya3ny you’re either at one place or the other. Two plans won’t work.

So starting mid December the gang would start planning for that night. Getting concert tickets, party invitations, and settling on all the details. Then when my folks come up with, “where’s the gathering gonna be this year?” My excuse would be that I already have plans. Ya3ny I already paid money, so I can’t just cancel everything. See how it’s really simple. You just have to plan ahead of everyone for a pretty understandable alibi ;) After all, it’s just another moth-eaten night! Or, so I thought.

I was missing along something extremely important; vital. I was missing family photos! My grandma’s walls were drenched with family frames, and I wasn’t in a single one of them. The weird thing is that the photos weren’t just stereotyped family clips. They were completely lunatic!

So if you’re freaking out from the idea of counting down with your folks, there are a million ways to perk it up and make it an unforgettable experience.

Don’t Let Decency Screw It

Not anyone above 50 is a bum. If my Mom is all over Facebook, what are the chances she’d object a costume party :P The problem is mainly in the few “decent” people who think you’re gonna drag their kid lel daya3 :D Screw them! Just arrange, and no husky “back off from my kid” deserves to split up with a cousin.

Make Peace
You know the sort of friends who know their way around your house more than you do!! You go bring them into the deal and everyone’s happy. Bas ba2a if you have other intentions, then save yourself the effort and go party fe 7etta tanya. Ya3ny men el akher, you’re there to enjoy and let your family enjoy, so don’t just go looking for anyone to ruin the night!! Stick to those almost-family guys.

7alawetha fel Lamma
Mate3rafsh meneen, every New Year’s Eve there are new comers from the family. Mom’s cousins, their kids, their kids’ cousins, and so on!! Just discovering new friends from your family is worth attending such a gathering. It’s just bizarre how you’ll naturally get along. You should, manto you have the same blood!

A Party has to Rock!
It’s no party without a little rhythm. The challenging part though is the choice. You want to rock everyone, starting teens and all the way to Granny. Difficult as it may seem, it’s the most traditional way to pull anyone in to the party mood. It deserves a little search for the most suitable stuff.

Watch the Wacky Mood!
Those folks, all they need is a trigger and they just lose control! Planning the night ahead gives you time to think of some good stuff to do like spending the night on a private yacht. You can also start off a couple of crazy games or bring in a new movie to watch all together. Whatever you decide to do, your folks are definitely going to catch up and get ahead kaman.

Clips to Frame the Night
This is my favorite part, photos! By the end of the night, everyone would have really gotten into the mood ;) So no matter how old or young one is, they’ll be at the top of their enjoyment curve. Watch then everyone pile up to fit in a single shot, or staying in the same position for ages until everyone’s camera has snapped. Trust me, it makes a lot of difference to look back in Grandma’s albums and find yourself there.

MarwaYehia

A Contagious Fashion Disease

It’s like all of a sudden there’s this contagious fashion disease in the country. Once a color trend or some style is out, tela2eeh yedrab zay el influenza!

When pointed-toe shoes came out six years ago, it was a disaster. Everyone was wearing it. Ya3ny no matter what a girl would be wearing, jeans, skirt, formal, casual, athletic, you look at her feet and there’s pointed low heel shoes. Fel seef pointed sandals we fel sheta pointed boots. To me it was like a total disaster. They didn’t suit me nor felt comfortable in the first place. And there was no way but to wear them, mesh 3ashan moda, but because there was nothing else in the shops but that!! It wasn’t until last summer that you could find rounded edge shoes; still a very rare occurring :S

Obviously we need to redefine the word fashion. Most of us still go with it being a trend or a dominant style, like the more people wearing it the more it’s the hottest. But if everyone seems to criticize this manner, yeb2a akeed feeh 7aga 3’alat!

This last summer I could swear that there’s a secret organization with an undisclosed green in yellow dress code! Everywhere I went I ran into not less than a dozen girls dressed in green and yellow. A green shirt with a yellow tank, a yellow scarf with a green bandana and probably green shoes with yellow socks. Mix and match ba2a all sorts of combinations; with the same makeup shades tab3an. El moseeba when it moved on from gals to guys. Yeb2a tool be 3ard we 3adalat and he’s dressed in a green shirt with a yellow collar and edge trim. So after it was out to that extent, almost everyone I met was mocking it. Tab if everyone I know is making fun of it, why is it still out there!

In the same manner came out the green and purple combination and the yellow and purple combination, dreadful attempts to be creative and obviously sprouting from the original green and yellow combo.

I admit that I’m completely fel daya3 when it comes to fashion, but I know one thing for sure. Fashion is wearing something different from the norm and feeling damn comfortable in it. Ya3ny when you go shopping you look for stuff that no one has worn before. If you’re good you may build your own combination according to the season even if somehow related to the trend. Ya3ny if you insist on green and yellow, yeb2a a green shirt with a necklace of green and yellow beads; and that would be it! No green scarf or yellow shoes.

You wanna get more stylish, think of fashion as a dress of the future which should in no way be worn after it’s out. That’s why people pick up fashion trends from shows or magazines and not from the street. It’s very similar to trading in stock market. You can only make profit when you buy shares before anyone else. Buy it after the news spread, and you lose!

Going pro ba2a is to become an inspiration yourself. In other words, you set a trend. Just like drawing a painting. You bring together all the elements from your imagination, the dress style, colors and accessories worn according to your own design.

I just say that if you want to play a game, play it good. So this is how it goes, you’ve got to be feeling damn comfortable, definitely working on camouflaging body flaws, then to walk around without having to meet a couple of people dressed exactly like you!! That’s how the fashion game works.

MarwaYehia

Help! I’m a Cairo New Comer! Your Transition Survival Guide

So you had a couple of dazzling months … we 7’alas 3ala keda! Now you’ll either wish you went back home, or you actually feel that you’re home. It all depends on how well you know where you’re going.

El Qabeela!
I can’t imagine how you’ll ever mingle with all what’s new if you insist sticking to people with your exact background! Group el IG, group Dubai, etc. It would make more sense if you hang out with people of your same interest. That’s what clubs are for after all!

Let Cupid Wait
Rushing into a love relationship that soon won’t help at all. In fact, it won’t spare you any time to get to know all the cool stuff around. On the contrary, you shouldn’t just forbid falling in love, cupid won’t wait forever ;)

Blood Never Fails
Family members, no matter how close, are your key to the new world. Whether you’re close or not they’ll definitely be there to help you. You’ll be surprised of how much stuff you’ll have in common kaman. It’s a blood thing, mesh bemazagkom!

That “Stranger” Outfit
You’ll never survive if you continue to wear that I’m-a-stranger outfit. Let go of it and get free. Find out all the fun places and go there. If you have a car, drive up and down. If you don’t, forget about taxis and get into the subway or a micro bus. Once your college days are over, you’ll regret you didn’t do that.

Viva La Vida
You have more than a million reasons to scream, “Shit! I’m out of here!” Life in Cairo is crowded, noisy, and full of unplanned events! Pretty fast for a new comer I’m sure; but it simply is life! Look at it as spontaneous and vivacious. Trust me, you get addicted to that after a while :D

Looking Behind
It’s okay to keep looking back and remembering your old life. Keeping in touch with your old school friends will help you step across that cultural-shock stage. And you really shouldn’t worry if they don’t get along your new gang. There’s always plenty of time for everyone.

The first year is usually the most challenging. You either watch everything from the outside, or you’re right in the middle of the action. It’s all up to you.

MarwaYehia

Maleesh Fel Career Da!! Ten Signs that Indicate You Must Have a Career Makeover

Bas amoot wa3raf meen elly za2enny! Well, no matter why you ended up in the wrong career, you can always consider it a slip :D It's never too late to start over.

So there are ten signs that indicate you gotta get a career makeover.

I- XO Prevails!
You always end up playing XO, listening to your MP3 player, or hanging around campus when there’s no attendance taken! Ya3ny it’s only a matter of months until you can clearly tell this place is not for you cuz simply there’s not one class you enjoy attending. Clearly it’s time for rearrangements.

II- Always Flunkin’
So whether it’s a quiz, midterm, or final exam, your results are always known beforehand. You’re always flunking no matter how difficult or easy the subject is. Time you make it easy for yourself and shift to a game you can master.

III- I Don’t Get It?!
What’s worse is that you don’t even realize you’re that bad until you’ve flunked; and you don’t get it! Ya3ny from study phase, to review, to sitting for the exam, and you come out all satisfied. Trust me it’s not the professor’s grading that’s tough, enta elly fel balala :D

IV- You Haven’t Got the Guts
Deep inside you, you know you need to shift your career. You’re only hesitant because you’re feeling sorry for the time you wasted, the score you got, or worried about your folks’ reaction. Ya3ny wala 7aga related to your CAREER! A year or two or even three years out of your life are a perfectly worthwhile sacrifice for the whole future of your career.

V- Firing in the Wrong Direction
You’re putting so much effort into a part time or voluntary job, and it’s just eating up all your time. You’re not studying or attending, and you’re not even concerned a little bit. It’s like “shooting at the wrong target”. You gotta have one target to chase and one road to walk.

VI- You Totally Suck
So you can’t seem to grasp the secrets of the profession. No matter how much you try, you’re still behind everyone else in your age or position. On the other hand you’re super duper in something else 7atta without an academic background. Without the reassurance of success, you’re sure to quit, but if you’re good at something, you’ll find your way through.

VII- Your Plan is to keep Running!
Your CV isn’t expanding and you have no clue about how you want it to be in ten years. You can’t imagine yourself in the future in this career. This is a pretty serious sign; that you’ll continue to run without a target and thus never get anywhere. You gotta be at least taking teeny weenie steps towards a distinct aim. If not, yeb2a you’re moving backwards, and it’s time to switch to a fresh lane.

VIII- There’s no Spark
You just work to get your work done. Thinking of new ideas or suggestions for your tasks is just not in your head. You make absolutely no additions to your department, not even once a while. And when it comes to brain storming for placing development plans, you’re always the silent participant. You’re only there to watch. There’s no one without a spark, but it just doesn’t light for you in this career!

IX- It’s Your Life or Your Career
If your career totally contradicts your lifestyle, it’s a tough decision. I have to admit, it’s not easy to quit a career you love just because it doesn’t suit your lifestyle. Like you have to travel a lot but you have commitments at home, or your job includes something like alcohols but you can’t accept that. Before you switch to a new career, try to find a way out; like another place or some negotiations. As I said, you gotta have that spark if you love your work.

X- You Can Say That Again!
It’s like every time someone says your work sucks, you agree!! El tabee3y you should be defending, telling stories, talking about pros and cons of your career, but to just hate it as much as any outsider, that’s a sign! How would you be advising people to think twice before they join this career and urge them to stay away from it, and then continue to be enthusiastic about it ba3d kol da??Face yourself, and don’t continue one more day unless you’re totally passionate about what you do, or else you’ll never do it right.

Not every makeover means you start a totally new profession. There’s always a chance that all you need is a slight twist, ya3ny badal full time teb2a freelancer. And if you like two careers at the same time you don’t have to choose either; you can always do both. Ya3ny if you’re into marketing and have a passion for writing, copy writing ads is a possibility!!

Nothing is too late or too difficult when it comes to a career. It’s only a brave decision, a daring step, and then the rest comes running.

MarwaYehia

Quittin’ the Gossip Habit - Three Shut-Your-Mouth Schemes and Three Shut-Blabber-Mouth Steps

Have you ever thought, “Am I their topic of entertainment while I’m gone??” Quite a habit, huh?! You feel quite bad whether you’re doing the talking or just hanging around to listen.

Gossip sure hurts!
So before you go like, “Oh these are just friendly chitchats, catchin’ up with the news and all” you gotta tell between harmless talk and gossip. Ya3ny you could say something like, “Ghada is getting married next week. I wonder who the dork is!” Just spilling out the news about her marriage is nothing bad, but that extra commentary is clearly unnecessary at all.

So if you wanna quit the gossip habit, think of how it’ll be when you’re in either shoes, if you’re doing the talking and if you’re just a listener. Let me tell you in both ways you’re an active participant, and you’re equally doing as much gossip. So your mission is to shut up your own mouth, or any other blabber mouth inviting you to gossip.

Zip your own mouth shut!
You’ve got three schemes where you’ll have gossip at the tip of your tongue.

Scheme 1: You hate that guy or gal and making them look bad will make you feel better. Bitter feelings are usually all over one’s face and there’s a great probability you’ll soon be called a jealous grudge-bucket. Having that in mind, try the smarter way. If the gal really sucks, it’s more than enough announcing she’s getting married. You’ll be surprised someone else might just pop up that comment in your head :D If the gal doesn’t suck wala 7aga, then most probably by now everyone is calling you a jealous grudge bucket :D … so shut up already!

Scheme 2: It’s really boring and you need something fun to do. Yep, it’s thrilling to remember how Mr. stuck-up lost his swimming suit in the pool that other day :D but telling the story and repeating it would do more harm than pleasure!! So every time you need to tell the story, take a minute to remember what had happened, and smile silently. Then think of something interesting that you can talk about not related to people in any way.

Scheme 3: You’re all unnoticed and need to get a little more attention. But you never really know if the gang around will appreciate some genuine gossip. Not everyone is the same. Try showing off some other skill like telling a joke, doing some trick, or starting a cute conversation with a little kid. If you’re really stuck and need to talk about any one, talk about yourself. It’s never bad to tell your own news or make fun of something you did. Just don’t exaggerate on the funny stuff or you’ll end up Bozo of the year :S

Zip up blabber’s mouth :/
Yeah, that’s certainly gossip bardo, cuz that snitch mouth there would just shut up if you weren’t nodding! But now I would call this awkward :S How’d you tell someone that you’re not interested to hear their gossip : Preaching is definitely not the way! There are 3 steps to shutting up a tattle teller.

Step 1: Show doubts about their source of info. Right when they start talking, give them that sarcastic eyebrow lift “8 pretend like you mean it and ask, “Where’d you hear that from?” So, if the unnecessary addition is just their sole creation (usually it is) they’ll just get embarrassed and shut up! If it wasn’t a creation and really did happen, you’ll have to move on to step two.

Step 2: Give them a silly smile and make a silly joke. Go like, “So what do you say about me when I’m gone?” :D In one way you’ll deliver the message that there’s nothing interesting about their talk, you’re not even responding to the info they just presented to you. In another way you’ll be making a point of how rude it seems to the listener. Then every time that guy or gal would start gossiping in front of someone, they’ll be scared the same question might pop up.

So they’re still senseless and continue that uncalled gossip gathering. Move on to step 3.

Step 3: Give them the nerdy look B-) and threaten them to tell! “So, why don’t we wait and ask Ghada who the dork she’s marrying is!!” Yep, evil, evil, evil! But I assure you that evil ways are sometimes the only ways that work with evil rumor-bags like those!

MarwaYehia

A Guys’ Guide to “What Girls Shouldn’t Do at Parties!”

Out of all the tips you must have heard about what you should and shouldn’t do at a party, you’ll be shocked of what guys think. Some of the famous girl tactics for parties just gotta be eliminated; crossed out of existence!!

I figured out that almost all of the girls’ 7arakat are totally obvious we makshoofa. 3ashan keda, without 7arakat remains the cutest and the most mysterious :D Guys will have nothing to interpret and a mystery personality to figure out ;)

So I asked Ali Ashraf and Karim Lala, my two party pals about the silliest things some girls do at parties. This is what they had for me.

What to Wear When
“Mesh mohem teb2a labsa super, bas teb2a labsa tabee3y!!” Ya3ny if it’s a Fridays party during the day time you can’t be wearing a designer dress and heels, and act like this is your regular outfit :P You can’t wear your new sunglasses at night, not even on your head. “Sa3at ashoof wa7da ma3aha 2 sunglasses. When I ask her why, she says the funky one is for her head, and the regular one is for her face :D el moseeba ennaha a3da we 7assa ennaha akher 7aga” :D

Eah da, enta meen?
“Ana 2a3ed fe 7aly, we gayaly wa7da te2olly, enta meen? :) De betestahbel!” Guys are not stupid. They can tell when you’re acting like you don’t know them. It’s all over your face. So making a guy feel unpopular is eventually inverted and he’ll feel he’s a star. And this is what people call a serious CRUSH ;) A simple “Hi, I remember you” would seem much more confident.

Nooo Touchy!
Guys naturally like to take the lead, so dragging a guy from his hand for any reason is in guy language offensive! A verbal invitation, “ta3ala a3arafak 3ala so7aby” should do the job. And if you know the least about guys, you’ll know a goofy trip-over in front of the girls is a killer! So no dragging!!

The Name Jam
“Fag2a I’m being introduced to 30 or more names!! We kol esm yet2al marra wa7da.” A guy will end up remembering names of the babes, and a couple or more guys out of the bunch :D So offer to introduce a guy to 3 or 4 people. If they don’t get along, introduce them to more.

The Desperate Wave
Waving your hand every single minute looks like you’re desperate for the guy. Ali says, “Wa7da, kol ma 3eny tegy 3aleeha tebtesem we te3mel byebye.” She’s obvious! Besides, most guys feel awkward waving their hand across a party room. Law talba awy, a smile or some random signal is more than enough.

The Real Charm
If you feel charming, you don’t have to act so. “Wa7da shaklaha lazeez, bas wakhda fe nafsaha alam we mesh bet3abar 7ad. 7atta lamma to2oom tor2os, betet7arak like a mummy!!” That’s one degree less not more. Charming and spontaneous is the real knockout :)

“El-Taw2am El-Moltaseq”
An exaggerated relationship between 2 girls looks exactly like 2 guys slow dancing :S “Etneen, be nafs el lebs ma3 e7’telaf el alwan, nafs tare2et el kalam, we beyor2oso ma3 ba3d!! Menna we Nahla :S “

Totally Silent Gals
If you’re all silent and you find difficulty putting sentences together, it’s a good idea to smile, comment, agree to others, keda ya3ny; sort of filling in :D “Fe wa7da tela2eeha mebalema keda we mestaghraba mesh 3aref leah”. Usually the first impression of a girl like that is either she’s arrogant or habla :oP

Deliberate Sexy Laughs
All girls have party tactics, but sometimes things get out of control. Ya3ny a girl would be talking then gets louder, and louder, then eventually, ha haaaaaa! “Eshtaaa, el bet de 3ayza tetzabat!!” ;) Guys look at a loud girl as if she’s carrying a “I’m Sexy” sign. But if you’re a girl friend or a fiancé, they’ll definitely ask you to keep it low!

The Freaking Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
One of Karim’s shocking tips was, “The silliest of all is the super-exaggerated “hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii” girls do when they meet :S I mean, they probably hadn’t met for a week or less, but still show that crazy emotional stuff when they meet.” The conversation that follows is usually junk, mesh 3ala mostawa el meeting at all :P

Conversation Interruptions
According to guys “It gets really frustrating when girls keep taking timeouts out of a conversation to say something to a friend of theirs” :S So pausing your chat with a guy every 5 minutes is totally annoying and kills the chat.

If you’re not a pro, you’re an amateur, ya3ny every tactic of yours will be see through :D So whenever you hang out in a party either act like a pro, or stick to the natural and spontaneous look ;)

MarwaYehia

Caution, Wet Floor!! The Sweethearts’ Mind-Set of “After-The-Wedding”

We were friends for 6 years and knew each other’s best and ugliest traits. Bas lamma fakarna netgawez, we both panicked!! We were approaching the big day with so much caution and a long list of rules. Stuff that only built a defense wall 2odamna e7na el etneen.

So here’s the thing. There’s a mind-set for the transformation of fairytale love stories after the big day :S Sweethearts, couples madly in love, continue to imagine of that day. The day they’ll never have to “go home” and split. They visualize how their “after-the-wedding” would be, and whether they’ll confirm and increase their love, or if it’s gonna be crap! Mahy aslaha mesh battee7’a ya3ny! If you’ve known each other for that long, and spent loads of time together, you should be able to imagine and prospect how your life as husband and wife will be. So seriously, can you think why some marriages end up as a wreck, especially through the first couple of years?

A Married Gal Says it All
Personally, I think there’s no need for flips or transformations. The way you live your life as sweethearts should continue while you’re married. A little bit of marriage IQ, from the real world, will give you more guts and avoid the buildup of that defense wall in between.

So if you’re thinking that after marriage you’ll become one, think again, which one? A big mistake :/ Seeing marriage as an agreement zone is one HUGE transformation reason. To never disagree is just like sweeping the dust under the rug and to keep the bonding between you, remember you’re two different people caring enough to bargain.

If you’ve been sweethearts for quite long you’d probably see through each other. Knowing there’s a bigger picture shouldn’t be freaking, it’s how you build more compatibility. You’ll master your guy or gal and your marriage will rock!

Just a Little Crazy!
El moseeba ba2a fel schizophrenia! Before marriage, a gal would just looove the way her guy takes control of situations b sha7’seyya qaweyya and all. One year after the wedding, he’s damn controlling and manipulative! Keda psycho rasmy and you’ll need a specialist :D

Neegy ba2a le 2elet el adab, “public places” are the perfect place. Serious arguments are magically solved in public places, just like dating couples normally do. You’ll just continue to talk without a scene. No slamming doors or walking away. And whenever you do get wild, keep in mind that three things will just mess up your relationship, rage bursts, contempt judgments and selfish demands.

High tone arguments are nothing you can avoid any way. Shammar komamak wed7’ol be 2alb gamed. Taking individual decisions 3ala 2ad mahy not accepted when dating, it’s a disaster in marriage. Continue with your deal that neither of you would take a decision unless the other agrees to it, willingly.

The greatest fear is usually responsibility. Tell me about it! Honestly, it’s tough. But that’s the sweetest thing about being married; you have endless ways to express your feelings and show love. I mean, even replacing a light bulb would mean you care :D

Mawdoo3 el flowers wel cards ba2a is completely connected to that. The slip is that gals think it’s the only way to be romantic. Guys on the other hand see romance from another angle, like getting those sunglasses she’s wanted forever.

The Sweetest Stuff :)
Out of all the dating stuff, sweet talks and spill outs come on the top of my list. I don’t even remember who my online chat friends were before I knew my hubby. Friendship is the strongest bond between two. Ya3ny what’s more cool than having your best friend move in to your house?

So what’s then the best thing about marriage? Commitment. And FYI, it’s loyalty and devotion, and not obligation. You don’t need a reason to love each other, but you do need motives to show you do. Relaxing by assuming it’s unconditioned love might imply you’re not concerned. You’d end up cold!

Those fantasies you think of day and night, should just massively multiply. Instead of just dreaming of a crazy wedding and a charming house, you’ll have infinite details to plan and foresee together. Every time one stage is over, you go into a new one. Refreshments mel a7’er to keep resetting your anticipation!

One common target I would just call adorable is a little one gurgling in your living room. With a bit of each of you, kids are a perfect symbol of compatibility. You’ll naturally agree you want them to smile. As much as you would enjoy play time, peaceful “alone” moments will be extremely appreciated ;)

So whenever you decide to get ready for the big day, just remember this. Your favorite stuff as sweethearts are the exact things that’ll sweeten up your life when you’re officially committed as husband and wife.