So You Think You Can Dance

When I was in high school we had a show in the end of each year…and one time I tried to perform a pop dance with my friends on stage of our theatre… I still remember the song…it was “born to make you happy “by Britney Spears “…huh…we were kids…and we failed…then there were courses to learn classic dance…and I joined these courses…and they were pretty boring… at the end we showed what we learned in a big party …but I never enjoyed what I was doing…till I found a nice place in Egypt were they give salsa courses with cheap prices… the location was awesome…it was on the roof of a ship in the Nile…and I had a good time there…and after I finished the course I thought that I will find many girls knowing the moves of salsa dance…but I was wrong…and now…after these years…I barely remember some steps…but I was happy to see other people dance in the second season of “so you think you can dance “…
In the first season we saw how they chose the contestants after the audition, then they were trained to dance different styles like jazz, pop, freestyle, tango and salsa… then the contestants were randomly partnered up and given a dance style to perform in front of the audience…and at the end of each show the best dancers are voted by the viewers.
I was sad not to see Lauren Sanchez again…she could not host the 2nd season due to pregnancy.
I also miss Melody Lacayanga , Blake McGrath and Nick Lazzarini … they are the dancers I like to see…and I think that this season is not as powerful and enjoyable as the first one…well...I hope Travis will win this season.

Yacoubian Building (film review)_______________ فيلم عمارة يعقوبيان

Today I saw a nice movie called ”Yacoubian Building“ which was shown lately in the Berlin Film Festival and in other international festivals abroad.
Wahid Hamed tried to be as faithful as possible to the bestselling novel by Dr.Alaa El Aswany ...but the real challenge was the way the young and talented director Marwan Hamed decided to present the characters.He used clever tricks to jump from one story to another, yet giving each storyline all their aspects and details without losing control.

All the big stars (Adel Emam,Hend Sabry, Nour El Sherif , Esaad Yunus , Somaya El Khashab and the others) have done a great job , but the real star was the son of Adel Emam.His character was developing during the whole story and his acting was improving scene after scene.He reached the peak when he was crying and screaming in the prison after being savagely tortured.
Khaled Al Sawy tried to do what he can to present the homosexual character in the movie (as many actors refused to do the role), but his overreactions in many scenes made the character fragile and somehow funny (which was not the case in the novel). The costume design and light was superb, giving the film a touch of beauty and glamour.
The Cinematography was almost perfect.
The only things that I did not like was the score by Khaled Hammad… it did not add anything to the atmosphere but rather masked the dialogue between the actors...and that the movie was too long ( I think more than 160 minutes).
Marawan Hamed has elegantly put many symbols and hints in this picture…but will the ordinary Egyptian viewers understand them…I hope so...because it will open their eyes and minds to issues they did not know (and others do not want them to know ).


It is the most expensive film ever made in Egypt, it is the film that has broken box office records after release and it is the film that may compete with other international films in the upcoming Oscar nominations 2007 for best foreign films.

Did you enjoy reading the novel…(not) really.
Did you enjoy watching the film…yes I did.
Is our life a melodrama as shown in the film...no doubt.
Is this film only for adults...yes it is.

If you want to see the secret of Egypt… go and see “ Yacoubian Building”.

What's left of me

I heard this song today and it just blew me away…although it is talking about loss and emptiness but I do not know why I can feel so much passion, love and sweetness in it.
The piano in the beginning of the song is like someone hugging me from behind, then touching my face gently and whispering in my ear with words I do not wish to hear.
That’s exactly what happened to Nick…and the voice of his yelling at the end of the song with strings is so beautiful and begging-like that you wish to scream with him.
Actually I am not a pop music fan, but this song is a sample of how you can really show and express your inner thoughts and feelings to the public as a cure of depression- especially after someone has hurt you-as Jessica Simpson did when she broke up with Nick Lachey.

Shiloh Nouvel Brad Pitt

handsome man

pretty woman

perfect couple

beautiful baby

لو عاوز تعرف مصريتك

اول مره شوفتها كانت فى اول حلقه ليها و كانت بتقدم نفسها بكلام غريب و صدمه لينا و بصراحه أنا استغربت لطريقه كلامها الجديده و قولت مانشوف الست دى بتعمل ايه... معرفش ليه حسيت اللى انا شوفتها قبل كده... اكنها واحده من عيلتى... دخلت قلبى من أول طله ... و كفايه انها شبه سعاد حسنى و بتلبس كل يوم لبس شيك خالص... و بتتكلم بلغه كوكتيل من اللغه العربيه الفصحه و اللغه العاميه... المهم إن أنا كنت ادام حاله جديده من الاعلام ... و يوم بعد يوم استمتعت بحلقات برنامج عن احوال مصر بجد... اخبار مصر الحقيقيه مش المزيفه و لا المتفبركه ... برنامج مابيخفش... و جراءه مذيعه ماتعودتش عليها من قبل... حتى الضيوف بقوا بينفسوا عن اللى جواهم فى البرنامج و بيقولوا اللى هما عمرهم ما قالوه فى حياتهم...بس بصراحه احلى حاجه بحبها فيكى يا منى هوه و انتى بتبتسمى و عينيكى بتغمض... ضحكه احلى من ضحكه الموناليزا... انا خايف عليكى بس من الارهاق... و الحسد طبعا... بالنسبه لى انتى احسن مذيعه فى مصر

منى الشاذلى

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اما انت... فأه منك أه... شقى...شقى موت... بس لذيذ...انت عارف إن انت عندك كاريزمه غريبه عمرى ما شوفتها فى حد قبل كده... المهم اللى انت حاله خاصه جدا... عارف ليه... علشان انت صادق مع نفسك قبل ما تكون صادق مع المشاهدين.. بتقول اللى فى قلبك... و صريح... و بتتكلم بطريقه طبيعيه زى المصرييين ما بيتكلموا مع بعض... مش زى المذيعين بتوع اليومين دول اللى فاكرين اللى همه فى فيلم ملودرامى... و بتطلع الكلام من الضيوف زى الشعره من العجين... انت فنان بصحيح... و احلى بوكيه ورد شوفته و انت يا محمود قاعد بتتكلم مع منى ... ياااه... الاساتذه بيتكلموا مع بعض... برافو محمود و جو اون... علشان انت بالنسبه لى احسن مذيع فى مصر

محمود سعد

06.06.06

Today I decided to watch Kubrick's 1971 masterpiece " A Clockwork Orange " to see my 17 years old friend Alex whose pleasure in life is ultraviolence : doing horrible things to people ( beat , rape , kill ). Some people say the book and the script were written by the devil himself.
Hee...hee...well...now I know why it has never been shown on television all these years , was withdrawn on its release from UK theatres and was rated X on its original release in the US. .
It is sooo shocking and tooo real ( it does contain some strong images that were too hard for my stomach)...but it is really a beautiful piece of art.
I had to ask myself : What is the definition of goodness?
Do we lose our humanity if we are deprived of the choice between good and evil?
Do I have to be sometimes bad to be good?

The Da Vinci Code first movie reviews

1) too long
2) the end is very boring
3) the book is much better
4) the performance of Tom Hanks is a flop
5) No chemistry between Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou
6) viewers and critics are not satisfied with the movie
7) the movie is somehow dull

:-( khosara

Wust El Balad

It was one of their best concerts...it was a great cultural event...yesterday I went with my friends to the party in Sakeyt Abd El Meneem Elsawy in Zamalek...their lyrics are original ...their vocals...the way they mix oriental music with modern Egyptian music...raggie...jazz...rock...and chill out
It was so crowded that not all of us had a seat...for me it is better to stand and involve myself in the atmosphere of music
Hany Adel dedicated the song " Soal Wahed " to his love " Hala Shiha "...people were screaming as usual for " Antika "..." Magnoun " was also fabulous...Ismail Fawzy is really talented...Adham El Saeid was a maestro...and Assad Nessim was brilliant in his solo guitar playing...the audience wanted more and more...
Many people want to know why they still do not have a CD after all these years of success...they simply have not gotten a good offer... I can not believe that a precious outstanding Egyptian band like Wust El Balad could not have the opportunity to have a worldwide fame
At the same time I think not having a CD makes Wust El Balad a unique band ... so you have to see and experience their beautiful down-to-earth parties

watching the football game " El Ahly vs El Zamalek " on the big screen before the show

our favourite Egyptian band has arrived

the show will start soon

the star of the night...Hany Adel

foreigners were enjoying their time

young audience

a group of girls I met were making a documentary film about Wust El Balad and talking about the problems Egyptian bands are facing today

people were amazed by the music

Ismail on the big screen

Assad Nessim concentrating and Hany Adel competing

the break

he is one of the biggest fans...he can not miss a concert of Wust El Balad

sitting on the grass and watching

ya salam aleek ya Adham

people do not want to go home

Six Feet Under

I only have watched the first two seasons…but I have to say that "Six Feet Under" is one of the most well written TV dramas I ever watched …I could not miss an episode…created by the Oscar winning writer of "American Beauty" Alan Ball digs in the soul of the human being and gives the meaning of life a new shape…it is so real…weird…dark…and funny...all the characters are 3 dimensional…and for me every episode was a lesson for life...and death

It is hard not to cry

I heard him last summer in Europe…and his voice never came out of my mind…
He is a story of success…he has gone from being a soldier in Kosovo to pallbearer for the Queen in England to a superstar in the U.K. in an amazingly short period of time
Oprah told James Blunt: “I was minding my own business when I got a call and someone said this is something you should hear.”
What a fantastic performance…more than perfection…James Blunt singing his final song (Goodbye my lover) in the Oprah Winfrey Show…he sang with a unique voice, enriched with true feelings and so overwhelming …he was playing piano , singing ,dreaming and crying at the same time…I tried not to cry but I failed...this song is connected with a great loss in my life...I looked to my mother who was watching the show with me…and her eyes were full of tears…the audiences in the show were mesmerized and I think they were crying for sure…his album “ Back to Bedlam “ is a must hear

The flowers of Quran

I found the magical cure to survive my daily life in Egypt…I saw it in the Omar Sharif's movie " Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran" 2 years ago…but I never used it…today I tried it…and I succeeded...
I smile
I smile when I go…I smile when I talk…I smile when I meet anyone…I smile to my colleges…I smile to the taxi driver…I smile to all the people on the street…I know that some look to me in a strange way…as if they think I am euphoric or took something to be high…but they are few…and it made a surprising effect on my surroundings…everyone is friendly to me…I am more confident…people respect me more…help me more…like me more...I try to smile in a normal way…not to overact it…I try to make my smile come from my heart…I try to remember all the beautiful things in my head…all my dreams…well...let us see how long I could do that
By the way…this movie is awesome…it’s a message to love our life and to celebrate what holds us together rather than what pulls us apart

ASIA

I still remember when I first saw the cassette on the shelves back in 1992…and I saw a futuristic image of Egypt…it was so stunning and eye catching …so I bought the cassette although I did not know the band and never heard them in my life…and when I first heard their songs I was moved to an unknown place and time…maybe to the future…the brighter side of it…I felt victory , enthusiasm , optimism and the glory of the coming century… especially in " Voice of America " , " Hard on me " , " Too late " and " Love now till Eternity "…but I lost the cassette after 2 years or so… and never found it again…and while I was downloading some new mp3 songs yesterday I found them again…so I downloaded the songs I liked …I even found other good songs like " Heat of the Moment " … and lived the past again…in the new century…they did not know at that time when they made the album in 1985 that the new century will be full of wars and hatred…full of poverty and suffering…well I hope to see a powerful and intelligent Egypt… the new pharaohs...like the imagined illustration… before I die

مبروك لهانى

ألف مبروك يا هانى على الفوز الكاسح ده...هى دى مصر و همه دول المصريين...و طبعا كالعاده بتوع لبنان دول لعبوا فى الاصوات...اصلهم من يوم الواد عطيه و هما مصممين ميكسبوش واحد مصرى تانى...ياريتك كنت مكان عطيه يا قمر انت يا حليوه...و طبعا حستناك انا و شله البنات فى المطار

***بنات هانى فان كلوب***

United 93

It starts as a normal flight to San Francisco...passengers searching for their seats...stewardesses welcoming them...but suddenly they hear about a plane crashing in one of the twin towers in New York...And then another plane...until they know the awful truth...their airplane is being hijacked...this was the trailer I saw yesterday...and I think it is the first film dealing with this sensetive issue after the disaster of 9/11 ...and I wonder if it is really being shown in the American theatres...cause it was like a horror for me...so how is it going to be...for the American audiences...when they see the trailer

هانى ستار اكاديمى

هوووووووووووووو....هانى...هانى...هانى...هانى...أنا كنت خايفه موووت لحسن تطلع يا هانى...و نصوت عليك... أنا و ماما و أختى شيماء و كل أعضاء الفان كلوب صوتنالك و خلينا كل الشله و أصحاب الشله يصوتولك...و عاوزين نقوللك اننا بنحبك موووت و مزعلناش من هيفاء الهيفه دى...لأننا واثقين فيك...وعلى فكرة أنت زى العسل و قمر و موز ...و حنفضل واقفين جنبك علطول...و البرايم الأخير حنكسر الدنيا علشان تكسب و ترفع علم مصر...و ربنا معاك يا هانى...ربنا معاك

شعارنا:هانى هانى...أحنا عاوزينك تانى

بنات هانى فان كلوب

****hany star academy****

Paradise Now الجنة الآن

I saw the movie Paradise Now...at last...a fair film about the Palestine- Israeli conflict...internationally it is well know because it won the Golden Globe for best foreign film...but this film has to be shown in the arab world...in every school and university...it is a clear message to the unchangeable minds of fanatics...it shows the last 24 hours of the lives of two Palestinian men before they blow themselves in Israel...can you imagine that the dialogue between Khaled and Suha sums the whole problem and the solution of this endless war...but where are the people who listen...think...and understand