Earlier this month Google unveiled a new tool for all those prying list-lovers. The “google trends tool allows a curious user to see which countries, cities, and languages most often search a particular keyword in proportion to their total searches. In this way, US dominance is avoided as the top searcher for all words and …

Reuters Victoria Beckham, wife of British soccer star David, launched her debut denim collection in New York on Thursday to a crush of photographers, television cameras and journalists. Ahead of a summer move to Los Angeles – where David has signed to play with L.A. Galaxy – Beckham boosted her US profile by unveiling her …

Gianaclis and Omar Khayyam s 125th vintage Good wine is a necessity of life for me, Thomas Jefferson once wrote. His words resonate with wine lovers the world over, but especially perhaps with those in Egypt. Wine is not hard to find here, but “good wine can be more elusive. It is ironic given that …

You may think it’s really silly, but trust me, you’ll never know how good it feels to dance in a belly dancing suit until you actually do it. Belly dancing is a whole new experience that does not only contribute to our never-ending struggle to lose weight, but it also boosts your mood and make …

Now that we know sex is good for us, what do we do next? A rampant sexual drive can be mind-blowing but in our modern world of stress and disease, it can also be nonexistent. Last week’s column discussed the benefits of frequent sex, but if you are currently experiencing a less than luscious sex …

The Four Seasons Nile Plaza Spa offers a “Bridal Package Everybody loves a wedding. The days leading up to the wedding, on the other hand, are filled with tension. Planning a wedding can be harrowing. An effort to recreate her dream wedding down to the smallest detail can prove taxing to say the least. There …

Associated Press For consumers and banks wondering how sensitive information leaks out to identity thieves, the answer may be blowing in the digital wind. In two forthcoming studies, Eric Johnson, a professor at Dartmouth College s Tuck School of Business, warns that investors, bank employees and companies that do work for banks may be releasing …

Avoiding the heat, I sought refuge in my favourite coffee spot, where I normally go to escape my own life and jump into that of others just for a day. I ordered my regular coffee and waited for a catch. “Marwa, I just had a bad taxi ride, and it’s so sad how desperate poverty …

The Four Seasons to open its door in San Stefano before the month is over. A few days before I made the two-hour trip to Alexandria to tour the Four Seasons Hotel’s new property in San Stefano, a colleague, learning the purpose of my trip, said with unwavering conviction: “It’ll be out of business in …

Exposure to the radiofrequency fields generated by mobile phones does not cause head pain or increase blood pressure, according to a Norwegian study. Instead, people who experience such symptoms do so because they expect that they will occur, the findings suggest. Dr. Gunnhild Oftedal and associates at the Norway University of Science and Technology in …

“Look man, I told you Cilantro will not work when we come without girls; no one is coming to take our order, Islam complained to his friend. Mohamed picked up his keys and asked, “You want to go to Beanos? “I am bored. Let’s go to the Nile Hilton order a pizza, eat it and …

There are those who love seafood, and those who are averse to it. Whichever category you fall into, you should try Fish Market in Cairo. The seafood served at this restaurant is something else, simply outstanding, and has nothing to do with any seafood meals you ate or will eat anywhere else. “Fresh is the …

Marvin Gaye was right, it is good for us A celebration of human pleasure, our senses and often our souls, sex is an all-encompassing act that also happens to confer many health benefits. Sex may be shrouded in moral mystery to some, and an endless pursuit to others, but its healing properties are anything but …

Since he was a child, Mohanad, now 23, has been addicted to different types of soda, sometimes consuming several liters a day. Little did he know that one day this habit would come back to haunt him as an adult. After a visit to the doctor, Mohanad discovered that his health problems were mostly related …

Associated Press Nearly 40 astronauts on last week became the first to ride aboard a NASA tourist attraction that recreates a ride aboard the space shuttle, complete with the deep rumble of liftoff and a serene view of the earth from orbit. The $60 million Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center is the …

Wandering around Mohandiseen, you may come across a shop with a name that immediately captures your attention. “Ashakana: The Soul Shop has a wooden exterior, with a cozy, warm interior. Located behind the constantly busy Gamaet El Dowal thoroughfare, it is not somewhere you would expect to find such an establishment. On entering, you are …

“All people who come here are peaceful to begin with, Wisam Ibrahim says, “then they begin to play, and a transformation occurs. Quite. Running, aiming and firing at moving targets can be a conduit for releasing pent up aggression. And there’s no place like Cairo to fill up that rage-o-meter. Ibrahim, along with his partners …

After three shots of espresso, all coffee tastes the same. I was starting to feel the same way about the conversations I was eavesdropping on, until one made me perk my ears up. “So, Basma, you don’t actually go out with your fiancé then? Maha asked her colleague over what seemed to be a business …

Fake products abound in the Egyptian market Buy the “miracle honey and your power will double. Buy “the power pills and you will acquire the sexual prowess of a 20-year-old. If you are tired, don’t think about sleeping or relaxing, chew the “super gum and you will stay up all night. These phrases and many …

Google Inc. is going to start sharing more insights about what s on its users minds by showing a daily list of the 100 hottest topics on its Internet-leading search engine. The new rankings will be unveiled late Monday in an upgrade of Google s trends service. The breakdown will consist of the fastest-rising search …

Hey, I m not finished with that! is an exclamation often heard in cafés and eateries around Cairo. The wildly gesticulating customer, struggling to swallow their mouthful so they can make a desperate shout for the return of their unfinished plate, is a common sight when dining in Egypt s capital. Egypt s mostly friendly …

Worn by Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, actor Gary Cooper, and American property magnate Donald Trump, Italian label Brioni takes the crown when it comes to prestige in men s style, according to a US survey. Brioni was rated the most prestigious luxury men s fashion brand by a narrow margin in the 2007 Luxury …

The Associated Press As a spiritual hotspot since before the Romans, Bath, England, can once again serve up a near-religious experience, thanks to its new spa. The Thermae Bath Spa opened last summer and has proved to be a hit with stressed-out Brits and tourists from all over the world. The thermal hot springs have …

How many times have you started your evening with an alcoholic drink, and ended it many drinks later only to regret your having drunk too much and waking up with a hangover. Unfortunately in today’s world “getting drunk is still synonymous with “having a good time but understanding alcohol’s harmful effects on your body may …

Years ago, while I was studying pharmacology, aspirin was viewed as a useful drug for relief from pain, fever and inflammation, and for preventing heart attacks and strokes. However, its potentially serious side effects of causing stomach bleeding or ulcers and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) rendered aspirin a relatively toxic drug. At that time, …

The weekend is finally here. While most people look forward to going shopping, or sitting by a pool to unwind or relaxing at home after a long week, I look forward to my Coffee Talk sessions. Two young women in a corner were my first choice, “So Touti, how was your week? Letting out a …

Associated Press This is the story of Goldie the mobile malcontent and the three BlackBerries. The first BlackBerry, the 8800, though slender by most standards, was too big. The next BlackBerry, the Pearl, with its odd little keyboard, was too small. For these hard-to-please types, the company behind BlackBerry is hoping the Curve will be …

Growing up in a small delta city, Gamal Alaa always knew that he wasn’t like his school mates. He and his friends were all from good, educated middle class families, but at the end of the day there was something that did not add up. He excelled at school, and got top honors at the …

Azzam El Farouky has been racing since 1984. As a motorcycle racer in the mid-eighties participating in the then Rothmans Pharaoh’s Rally, he broke his leg, collarbone and three ribs at Abu Simbel. He didn’t stop, and he won the race in his category. In 1999 he underwent triple bypass heart surgery. Ten months after …

Seven years ago, I was one of the non-converted. At the end of the one and a half hour Ashtanga yoga session, the class was ordered to sit cross-legged on the floor, in the famous “lotus position. Then the chanting began: “Ooooom, oooooom. Our teacher led the way in his loud, low-pitched voice. Bemused, I …