Saturday, 30 May 2015

Back to Egyptian movies?


For a really long time I had given up hope for the Egyptian cinema. The last time I watched an Egyptian movie was about one and a half year ago. When I was in Egypt the last time, which was two years ago, I though that the movies I have been watching there on the TV or in the cinema were seriously so bad, that it made me really sad. And I was not being dramatic in this, because... Can you imagine that I grew up with the Egyptian and other Arab actors as my hero's? I loved Arabic movies en series so much! No... I adored them. So much, that the only thing I watched on TV was Arabic TV, although I lived in Holland. And imagine this little girl only grew up to find out that the one thing she adored has had an evolution that turned out in an really negative way... that hurts.

So two days ago, my father wanted to watch an Egyptian movie. My whole family knew about the pain I've suffered for the loss of quality of the Egyptian cinema. So my father had to follow me the whole day while nagging at my mind until I agreed to pick an Egyptian movie to download.
So I chose a movie. And this was not a really old movie (2012) so I thought that might actually be good, you know. I mean... Egypt must also have undergo some new innovations in this last year, and the actors who played in this movie kinda have a high profile...  So I started the movie with no high hopes, because I didn't want to get hurt again. That's just not cool.
So here is what happened. I had to force myself into completing this movie, which is never a good sign of course. And it wasn't because it was late and I was tired and wanted to go to bed. This movie made me tired. I mean, yeah, it was late, but come on! A good movie should wake and shake you up! That's why you're supposed to watch movies late! Because movies are supposed to be good! And I'd rather not tell you the title of this movie because this movie was so incredibly bad... I am not gonna use any more words than I already did for the last two days to explore how bad this movie was, but if I told you which movie it is, you all might go and watch this movie to see for yourself and then more people would lose hope in the Egyptian cinema, and more people will think that Egyptian are idiots and... and... and... 
So let's skip that part and go to the fun part.

So the day after (like yesterday) I decided to watch another Egyptian movie. This decision was purely made because I just needed proof that not all of the Egyptian movies these days were such as bad as the movie of the night before. So I chose safely. I only looked into the movies of Ahmed Ezz (and hoped that he had made new movies, because I was... am a great fan of him and I was afraid that I had already watched all of the movies he had acted in) and found to my delight that there were a couple of new movies I haven't watch before, and which of the trailer was really appealing to me.
But after the movie of the day before I was really careful with my feelings. I started this movie with no hopes at all and oh boy... I'm so glad I did.

And its obviously clear that I have no problems at all in sharing the title of this new love (if I'm allowed to put it that way). I chose the comedy حلم عزيز - Helm Aziz. For the people who don't understand Arabic, it says ''The dream of Aziz''. But this title has a double meaning, because Aziz is not only an Arabic name, it also means pleasant or enjoyable. So it can also be read and understood as ''A pleasant dream''. 
Helm Aziz was a great comedy with a beautiful moral. It was about how a person would and should act if he came to know how much time he had left. Would you do everything you want without regrets and finish your bucket list? Or would you turn to Allah, ask Him for forgiveness and mercy, and ask forgiveness from the people you've hurt in this life and do good? 

Ahmed Ezz playes the role of Aziz, a rich business man with a really high profile. He owns a factory and lives in a big and beautiful manor with his stunning wife and little son. Behind her back he goes out with a hundred of other girls and does everything that God has forbidden in this life. You get a pretty good vision of him now, don't you?
Until one night, his father came to visit him in his dream. His father turned out to be in paradise and wants to help his son to get into this place before it's to late. At first, Aziz doesn't take any of this seriously and just waves it away as a nightmare. Again... Until, one of his friends dies and it turned out that he had been dreaming of his father, also visiting him in his dreams to help him get into paradise before it's to late (The fathers in these dreams tried to get their sons to get them finish a staircase which led to giant big doors to a beautiful place, as they spoke of). So Aziz starts to worry about his death and his last days. In the beginning he only worries about the fact that he's going to die and that his life would be over. But when his father keeps visiting him and tells him about the reckoning he shall pay for, if he doesn't get the people to forgive him for all the bad thing he has done to them to get higher and better, and he gets some kinda confirmation from an imam for the fact that he would die soon, - only because he understood him wrong, - he starts to be really religious and kind. He does his best to find the people he has hurt and visits them to ask for forgiveness and gave them whatever they need.
Really a movie worth your time.


Egyptians are good in comedies anyway. Even though I had lost hope for that, I hope they are still good in comedies, because this movie isn't that old (while the other cursed one came out in 2012). So we have two possibilities here. Or the Egyptian cinema is getting her quality back again (little by little), or it's because of Ahmed Ezz. Yeah, because honestly, not one movie I have already seen from Ahmed Ezz has made me feel disappointed (like: I have just wasted two precious hours of my life...).

You can find the full movie on YouTube in great quality. 

Here's the trailer:


And here's the full movie.


There is another movie of Ahmed Ezz which apparently did won an Oscar. Also a pretty new movie. But this one is not a comedy but more an action/mystery movie. I am really curious, and yes... I dare to have some hope for this one. Ahmed Ezz can never be wrong. That's my conclusion. Stay tuned! I will tell you guys how the other movie is!

Toodles!

Do you want to know what I rated for this movie? Go check the Movies Page!

Thursday, 5 March 2015

Top 5 superfoods of the week #2


Previous week, the superfoods that where in line where Blueberries, Oats, Salmon, Black beans, and Avocados. In this week's new part of Top 5 superfoods of the week we will get some new information about healthy food as well. So heads up!


1. Broccoli

I personally eat this like almost everyday... No just kidding But I seriously eat this a lot. My Mom loves broccoli, and even though we're starting to get a little bit sick of broccoli, it's like she has a hard time trying to make dinner without it. I am still not complaining though!
Cooked or raw, this veggie is well-known for it's cancer-preventing powers - My Mom always tells us when some of us starts to complain about dinner. But with a punch of filling fiber in less than 30 calories a serving, it's bound to prevent eight problems too. Bingo! Good to know, right?


2. Brown Rice

It's well known that white rice shouldn't be eaten every day. But brown rice on the other hand is much better. It's like white bread and brown bread. Brown rice is like brown bread, a heartier, fiber-packed alternative. And it boosts your metabolism and burns fat as well. Plus, brown rice is a low-energy-density foot, which means it is heavy and filling but low in calories.


3. Grapefruit

It is said that even if you changed nothing else about your diet, only trying to eat half a grapefruit before each meal may help you lose up to a pound a week... There's a compound in this fruit that can lower insulin, a fat-storage hormone, which can lead to weight loss. It's also a good source of protein, and because it's at least 80 % water, it can fill you up so you eat less. And above all... This fruit is amazingly delicious for smoothies.


4. Kidney Beans

These little beans are as good and healthy as the Black Beans we had in the previous Top 5 Superfoods. These red beans offer protein and fiber - more than 5 grams per serving. Kidney beans are also rich in Resistant Starch: a half-cup serving packs nearly 2 grams of this slimming carb.


5. Almonds 

Nuts is general are another superfood rich in healhty fats that helps you slim down. Almonds in particular can help you shed pounds: in one study, people who added a daily helping of the nuts to a low-calories diet lost more weight than people who followed the same diet but swapped almonds for a carb-heavy snack like crackers. Although I don't really like the idea of following a low-calories diet (because this simply never really works out), it does tell us something about how healthy these kind of nuts is.

Stay tuned for the top 5 of next week!

Saturday, 28 February 2015

What color is this dress?!?


My mind is blown away guys. Since this morning, when a discussion about this photo started during a lecture, I have been thinking about this dress! I don't get it. Despite the fact that I'm a psychology student and have already studied some things about neurology... I'm still not able to change the colors I'm seeing.

But the big question, about why people do see different colors is solved for me. And I'm glad to take away the confusion for you.

It's all a simple trick of the mind. People who see the colors Blue and Black - which are by the way the original colors of this dress - think or see the dress as if it is in a lighted area, so their brains see the dress as if it has dark color originally, without shadows.
People who see the dress in the colors White and Gold, think that the dress is in a dark place, in a shadow. So their brains think that the colors of the dress are from origin light - which explains why they think they see it in White and Gold - and that they are only dark because of the shadow.

This also explains why some people have seen both sorts of this picture: White/Gold - Black/Blue. or in other words: Dark/Light. Because they are able to swift that brain trick of ''The dress is a a dark area/The dress is in a lighted area. I can't make that swift, unfortunately :/

Here is a video which might clear this better out for you.


Bahbah... My brains had a pretty good attack yesterday. Although I still wonder how it is possible - with other words: what is the cause of - that particular people see it that way, and other people the other way. That is definitely a question I got to ask.

But for now... the mystery is solved enough. I need a break. I hope this was clarifying for you. 

Much Love <3 
Arwa

Thursday, 26 February 2015

Prodent | White Now Triple Power Gold!


Wauw... This toothpaste looks really expensive and lux... but does it really do what it says? One thing is for sure: Prodent really knows how to make people interested. I didn't hesitate for a second to buy this bad boy to find out what it does.


I couldn't wait to try this one out. When I arrived home I wanted to try it immediately. I've been trying for a long time to get whiter teeth. Not that my teeth are badly yellow, but you know... Everyone would like to have white teeth. I have tried a couple things now and none of them really worked out for me, so I though - with faith - that this new toothpaste of Prodent might be the solution! I mean, take a look at the name of this product. Prodent must be really convinced that this toothpaste does what it says...


This is how the toothpaste looks like. It comes out of the tube in a shiny white/light blue color and a very dark ink-blue color. I guess this dark blue color is the cause of all the blue that appears when I brush my teeth: unless other toothpaste foam... this foam is intense blue.

Well, Prodent claims that, by using this toothpaste you'll get whiter teeth after only óne use... It is kinda hard to believe of course, but if it's true, that would be awesome.

After using it the first time, I didn't really see anything different, to be honest. I only was shocked by the intense blue color. To be honest, I felt quiet cheated on. BUT the second time I used it, I did see a difference. My teeth where a little, tiny bit whiter. But the package says that this effect is only a temporary effect. So it's not like your teeth actually áre whiter. It is just an effect. Unfortunately.

But hey! Perfection is imperfection, right? Don't bother. If God didn't gave you perfect white teeth, he must have given you something else that's perfect. And everything is given you the way it is because that's what makes you you: beautiful.

There is one thing though, I don' understand. The word ''Gold'' in the name. What does it stand for?

Much Love <3
Arwa

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Top 5 superfoods of the week #1


We all have had it once: most females don't stop thinking about their body, how healthy it should be and how healthy we should treat it.We want to have the perfect, shiny skin, a well-functioning body, and if it's not much to ask... lose weight easily.Well, most of us like to sport, or don't find it difficult to press the button of motivation for sport, can keep their hands off sweets and junk, while others just don't manage to do all what it takes to have that perfect, healthy body.

Despite the fact that I don't have the perfect body either, I've always believed that ''pressing the button of health'' is like switching to a completely new lifestyle: a healthy lifestyle. So that's what have been trying for the last couple of months. When I was looking for new recipes the other day to make a healthy lunch to take with me to college, I stumbled upon a interesting things: superfoods.
''So-called superfoods are nutritional powerhouses that help build bones, prevent chronic diseases, improve your eyesight, and even keep your mind sharp.''

Of course it wasn't the first time I've heard about superfood. I already something about it, but not really enough to realize how important it actually is to pack superfoods into my daily diet. And because helping others is a good deed, I's love to share what I found with you.



1. Blueberries

The delicious, tiny (and I found them a little bit cute too...) are best known for their anti-aging effects. It is said that these are also figure-friendly: a 1-cup serving sets you back only 80 calories, and helps you feel full with 4 grams of fiber. And fibers are really important if you want to have a good lined body shape.


2. Oats

Although I don't really like them, oats are rich in fiber, which is - again- good for a good shaped body line. And because they are rich with fiber, a serving can help you feel full throughout the day. If you don't really have the opportunity to eat much, because you don't got the time, or something... try to fix some meal with oats! And it boosts up your metabolism and burns fat! 


3. Salmon

I LOVE Salmon. Like, I adore salmon! It's my favorite food and if I'm out for lunch or diner, and I've got the opportunity to go for salmon, I would. There would be no need for me to check out the rest of the menu, because I'd have already made up my mind. One of the reasons for why I like salmon is because I know it's amazingly healthy. It's rich in healthy fats and protein. And lean lean sources of protein help you feel full without adding fat. It's also a ''leaner'' choice that red meat. 


4. Black beans

So this is a new bit of information I learned. I've never tries black beans before. So this will be a new experience.
A cup of black beans packs a whopping 15 grams of satisfying protein and doesn't contain any of the saturated fat found in other protein sources, like red meat. And it's logical that these are rich in fiber, which makes them a must-eat.




5. Avocados

As they say: ''There's no reason to be afraid of eating fats - as long as they're the right fats.''

Oleic acid, compound in avocados' healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFA's), may trigger your body to actually quiet hunger. Stick to a quarter or a half of an avocado and watch that belly fat melt away. The creamy fruit is also packed with fiber and protein, which makes it a really, really, really healthy little-something-to-eat.
I want to warn you though, not everyone is a great fan of the taste of this superfood - including me. Some of us like to eat it raw, just like that... people who agree with me, on the other had, won't. so you'll might have to find a good way to make it eatable. but don't worry: avocados can be served in a thousand ways!



Stay tuned for the top 5 of next week!