The Achilles tendon (AT) is the toughest and strongest tendon and is responsible for supporting our entire body weight. Being subject to an amount of strain everyday makes the AT more susceptible to injury and its sensitive location means it takes longer to heal. Knowing the common ailments that hit this tendon and taking preventative …

While window shopping in Paris, browsing through the latest issue of Vogue, or simply walking through one of the trendy North Coast hotspots, one feels the need to check the calendar. It’s 2008 real-time, 1950s fashion-wise. The latest swimwear features polka dots, ruffles, high waists and boy shorts and they are everywhere you look. This …

A sanctioned version of Scrabble for Facebook, released this week by video game maker Electronic Arts Inc., boasts animated graphics and true-to-the-board-game design. But underneath its flashy exterior, the new Scrabble s features are very similar to those of its wildly popular but unauthorized competitor, Scrabulous. And that makes me wonder whether lots of people …

Leading a healthy life requires a well-rounded nutritious diet and an exercise plan to be followed regularly. However, as any hardworking professional or student knows, this lifestyle needs time and energy, which is sparse in the hustle and bustle of life in Cairo. In a fast-paced world where Cairo’s traffic makes getting anywhere a mental …

I was tossing and turning in bed in the wee hours of Tuesday morning when, all of a sudden, my bed started shaking. It was an earthquake. Clocking in at a strong 6.3 on the Richter scale, the earthquake that struck Egypt at 6.26 am Tuesday reportedly originated 561 km northwest of Alexandria at a …

Whether you have read about it in a copy of Lonely Planet: Egypt or seen discussions about it on Cairo Scholars, markets like Khan El-Khalili and the Camel Market have long delighted foreigners and Egyptians alike. They offer a return to tradition, history, and for some, a fun memory that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. …

To many people, furniture is synonymous with boredom due to the lack of originality in the local market. But those days are long gone. The latest addition to the number of interior décor stores is Cocoon London, which opened in Mohandiseen last Wednesday. Nowadays, its much easier to find sexy furniture. Hats off to Mustapha …

With the scientific progress achieved by mankind to date, anything is possible: baby elephants the size of small rats, harvesting cubic blue watermelons, building flying cities, and more. So why, you may ask, do our cars still run on traditional gasoline? With the oil prices going mad, why don’t our cars run on water, orange …

If you were unlucky enough to be born in the 1980s, the name Torii will send the wheels of time swinging back to blonde, busty prima donnas and an iced up quiff a razor blade couldn’t cut. I’m talking about Tori Spelling and Matt Dylan. The latter apparently had some serious parental problems, while the …

Who wouldn’t want to live in a hut by the sea? And if not for a lifetime, maybe just for a few days? The minute I stepped onto Ananda Beach, the Scorpions’ hit started resonating in my head: “Let me take you far away, you would like a holiday. Indeed, it is a unique vacation …

The Sixth of October for Development and Investment (SODIC) sales center was abuzz with activity Tuesday afternoon. The stunning glass complex, with water fixtures and ultra hip decor was teeming with Egypt’s top golfers who came to see Greg Norman. Norman, also known as “The Great White Shark, is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur …

British and French scientists have identified several variants of a single gene that boost the risk of obesity, according to a study published Sunday in the British journal Nature. Previous research had shown that an extremely rare mutation in the same PCSK1 gene can, all by itself, lead to huge gains in weight, making it …

The confident spirit of classic American style has made its way into the Egyptian market at the one and only CityStars, Egypt’s fashion haven. US Polo Association, the official brand of the United States Polo Association, the governing body for the sport of polo in the US since 1890, combines comfort with chic with its …

I was looking forward to going to the Four Seasons, impatiently waiting for its signature royal treatment. The pampering started the minute I got there, with the valet taking my car right at the door, then a person opening the door for me and another walking me to my dinner destination: the Moroccan Nights by …

Golf, as we have written before, is widely played partly because of a handicap system that allows players of different skills to compete in tournaments on an even playing field. Most of these tournaments are stroke play: you count your strokes on each hole, add them up, subtract your handicap, and you have your net …

While driving on the Hurghada-Safaga road, about 20 km south of the airport, one can admire the pristine waters and sandy beaches of Sahl Hashish. Now fast-forward three years down the line, and passersby will not be able to see the strip from the highway. Instead, they will be admiring exquisite architecture and longing to …

Ahmed and his friends had almost finished the bottle of tequila, and were out for a cruise. He drove the 2004 Ford Taurus down windy roads at 130 km per hour. When he hit the hill the car went airborne for three seconds. They landed, and flipped three times. Ahmed and his friends escaped the …

PARIS: Elie Saab s models wafted down the runway in clouds of silk chiffon and tulle like angelic Botticelli beauties at his haute couture show for next autumn-winter on Wednesday. Their hair up in chignons, with tendrils escaping, they looked as if they had stepped off a Renaissance fresco, which is what the Lebanese designer …

Cribs, cots, mobiles, diapers – for the unaccustomed eye, the world of baby products can be overwhelming. This year, the third annual Baby Fair in Cairo may help to ease new and expecting parents into this unchartered territory. The baby fair, taking place at the Intercontinental CityStars, also has a visitor from across the Mediterranean …

The devil may wear Prada, but the pope does not. According to the Vatican newspaper L Osservatore Romano, the bright red loafers that Pope Benedict XVI wears are not designed by the Milanese fashion house, as has long been rumored. Obviously the attribution was false, the Vatican newspaper said in its Thursday s editions. Such …

The town of St. Catherine’s is nestled among the surrounding mountains. It is a small town. A mosque; the usual post office and bank, a lonely bus station. A few desultory shops sell handicrafts to the occasional tourist, and groceries to the locals. The three hotels cater for the bus loads of pilgrims from the …

PARIS: The Paris menswear collections kicked off Thursday with a focus on individual style, reflecting a downturn in the global economy which has taken the shine off status dressing. The new mood sweeping men s fashion this season has produced some unlikely style icons. Megabrand Louis Vuitton drew inspiration from the little tramp himself, Charlie …

Shouting vendors, piles of clothes on carts and hanging outside storefronts, toys strewn on sidewalks, fabrics of all colors and textures, narrow streets, swarms of people and the sound of haggling customers – this is Wekalet El-Balah Steps away from the banks of the Nile near the World Trade Center, Wekalet El-Balah – or El-Wekala …

Perfection is a road.not a destination, reads the front cover of a brochure for image consultancy service To The Best. Your guide down that road is Dr Shadia Metwally, a former pharmacist who started To The Best around two years ago in Dubai, where her husband works, and brought it back with her to Cairo …

A medical researcher stressed how a healthy diet and a combination of mental and physical activity can boost brain functions and slow down the aging process. Dr Sahar El Uqbi, a professor of biochemistry and a nutritionist at the National Research Center in Cairo, said research indicates that people who play sport are more likely …

London glam met Cairo oriental in a new jewelry collection launched at Beymen on Wednesday. Two top designers from East and West put their creative heads together for the second time, to produce an edgy 13-piece collection of contemporary designs in silver, 18 carat gold and precious stones. Nicknamed the King of Glamour, prominent British …

Dina Maghawry’s designs and creations do not bill themselves as unique: they simply are. Her gold and silver, copper, precious and semi-precious stone creations make a fabulous gift and a definite addition to any woman’s jewelry collection. Coming in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, Maghawry’s assorted creations offer something to satisfy every stylistic …

A summit at the pearl of the Mediterranean brought together delegates from Mexico, the United States, Japan, Italy and Bali; only at this summit, participants got along, contributed with fresh ideas, and found a common ground: good food. On Sunday June 15, the Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano launched a unique culinary event …

As if there weren’t enough restaurants in CityStars to satisfy every taste, the addition of its new extension is now providing an almost overwhelming variety of eateries to choose from: TexMex, Italian, American, Asian, the list goes on. After strolling through said extension and doing some shopping at the newly-opened and ever-crowded H&M, my friend …

At first glance, one would assume this was a photo of a semi-metropolis in Italy or perhaps somewhere on Europe’s Mediterranean coast. Fact is, the subject of this picture (right) indeed belongs to a coastal Mediterranean city, but on the African continent: It is none other than Egypt’s own Ras El-Bar. Rather dramatically, Ras El-Bar …