Hello everybody,

The holy month of Ramadan is over and the state of freeze imposed by it on the cultural, and social activities should be over. However, the current regrettable events in Syria have insured that those activities will remain relatively scarce and far in between. That is why you wont find your usual calendar insert in this issue of Whats On as it is now limited to a single page listing the upcoming expos in International Fair Ground being the only activities that are still scheduled to take place. Rowan Atkinson stars as our exclusive guest for this issue, giving us a fun and charming interview talking about his next Johnny English film. Our Film & TV section for this issue is rich with your usual film previews while our Lifestyle section has an interesting article about the best running shoes for 2011 together with useful tips about how to choose the correct running shoe. The Lifestyle section also has 2 interesting articles discussing why men some women and not others and why do men tend to cheat on their partners. Our features section is teaming up with articles discussing the current events in Syria and their social and national effects and symptoms. One particularly interesting article discusses the war between internet commenters regarding the current situation in the country. All the sections that you love, Culture, Events, Film & TV...etc. are all here, and they cover all the important events taking place in the Syrian Society. Remember that our upcoming issue will be released on October the 15th, and that we are always ready to receive your valuable feedbacks, suggestions and contributions at: Basel.bannoud@awicompany.com.
Enjoy. Basel

October 2011 Issue No. 77

Published by UNItEd GrOUP under decree no:1597 by Syrian government on 3 APR 2005 damascUs Huda Building - 5 Iskandaria St. East Mazzeh P.O.Box: 1999. tel: +963 11 2060. fax: +963 11 6129401 alEPPO tel: +963 21 2000. fax: +963 21 264 1488. UG cOUNtry maGazINEs maNaGEr Carole Bechara cOmmUNIcatION maNaGEr Haidara Suleiman maNaGING EdItOr Basel Aal Bannoud basel.bannoud@awicompany.com EdItOrIal cOOrdINatOr Reem Zakhour dEsIGN art & Production manager Rita Zahar senior designer Alaa Abdullah Production Officer Feras Kaissy PHOtOGraPHy Principle Photographer Qusai Al Jarrah www.whatsonsyria.com salEs maNaGEr Wisam Al-Nader salEs cOOrdINatOr Masa Sidawi sales team Zeid Al Ajlani - Asaad Ebish FINaNcE Gihan Abbas Ahmad Mashnoq Abdulqader Asmar rEsErVatION Ayham Ibrahim

October 2011 Issue No 77

Features

CONTENTS

Society
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Graduation Ceremony of the Esmod Institute. Syriatel Breakfast (Iftar) for Children with Cancer of Al-Biruni Hospital. Celebrating Egypt National Day. Samsung Electronics Breakfast (Iftar).

29 32 34

The War for Credibility. Syria Says Goodby to the Dollar, Euro to follow. Internet comments warunder the microscope.

Heritage & Travel

38 40
The Ruins of Apamea: Dazzling Testimony of a Glorious History. Damascene Wood Mosaic: A Deep - Rooted Art and Flourishing Industry.

Lifestyle
42 44 46 48 50 54 56
Rowan Atkinson returns to the role of the accidental secret agent who doesnt know fear. In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence ofcer in Her Majestys Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos. In the years since MI-7s top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia. But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premiers life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent. Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action. With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7. With mere days until a heads of English Reborn. ROWAN ATKINSTON: IS Johnnystate conference...

Running Shoes: Your Complete Guide. Best Neutral/Cushioned Running Shoes. Best Stability Running Shoes. Best Motion Control Running Shoes. The Ones We Marry: Why GUYS Marry Some Girls (but Not Others). 8 Reasons He Cheats. Know Your Blood!.

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Editor Letter

Interview

Culture 17
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Director: Oliver Parker Feras Al Moubayed: Syrian deaf with aAtkinson, Rosamund Pike and Dominic West. Stars: Rowan dream.

Mumtaz ya Batal: Created by: Khaldoun Qaddoura An Exemplary Children theatre. Arabic Calligraphy.

Film & TV
60
Whats On Movies.

64 Guide

Jamie (Mila Kunis) is an Executive Recruiter for a leading job agency in New York City and Dylan (Justin Timberlake) works as an art director for a small internet company in Los Angeles. Jamie has the task of trying to recruit Dylan to interview for a job with GQ magazine and begin

In the year 2020, robots have replaced humans in boxing. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) loses a chance to become a boxing champion when robots take over, and he becomes a small-time promoter. When he has difculty making a living, he reluctantly teams up with his son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build a robot that can contend for the championship.

Interview

ROWAN ATKINSTON

ehind the brilliantly crafted performances that Rowan Atkinson delivers to bring his hugely popular comedy characters (Johnny English, Mr Bean) vividly to life on the big screen theres a whole world of creative angst and meticulous planning that, he admits, can sometimes drive him to distraction.

Interview by: Khaldoun Kaddoura

Atkinson

is a perfectionist who expects the very best, not least from himself, and the process to bring a new film to an audience is long and painful. Johnny English Reborn has taken seven long years to come to fruition and even though Atkinson often wishes that he could speed up the process, he accepts, that in reality thats just the way it is. Its because I tend to get involved in every part of it, he explains. The first script meeting we had for this film, believe it or not, was in 2004 not long after the first Johnny English film. And we did a couple of drafts of the script and got distracted and said why dont we make a Mr Bean movie instead? And so then we made Mr Beans Holiday and then we took up the baton (for Johnny English Reborn) again in 2008. I think it is partly down to my need to be involved in every stage of it, my choosiness about how good the script is and how well its developed, the fact that I dont want to be rushed. And the fact that Im a bit lazy. I dont want to do things every day and obviously once you are in production you do things all day and all night. But I like to take gaps between film projects and I dont want to go straight from one to the other. And all these things result in these things taking far too long. So you know, first script meeting 2004 and now weve started doing interviews to promote the film. I wish I was the kind of actor who could just say write me a script and Ill turn up and shoot it.. so that would be three months work instead of three years work. But Im just not like that. He is, then, a bit of a control freak and needs to be involved in every single aspect of the process. If I felt I didnt have the control I wouldnt really want to do it, he admits. Im not very good at playing a game by somebody elses rules. I need to have my own rules in place before I come out and play at all.

The results speak for themselves. Atkinson is an acknowledged comedy giant who has created characters from Blackadder to Mr Bean and Johnny English that have been embraced all over the world. Johnny English, the spy who so often falls flat on his face, is one of his favourites. So whats he been up to during that long hiatus? At the end of the first film, English had been forced out of MI7 in disgrace and his years in the wilderness have been spent in a remote region of Tibet where he has been honing his martial arts skills. Hes called back when his former bosses learn of a plot of assassinate a world leader and discover that English could be vital in tracking down the suspects. Since the hugely successful first Johnny English film,

the spy thriller has moved on thanks, not least, to the Jason Bourne series starring Matt Damon and a reinvigorated James Bond franchise with Daniel Craig as 007.

Johnny English is both an affectionate homage to the genre and a wickedly accurate parody and both Atkinson, and his director, Oliver Parker, felt that Reborn had to reflect the new cinematic landscape. That meant hi-tech beautifully designed sets for MI7s London headquarters, filming on stunning locations in Hong Kong and the French Alps and spectacular action sequences with speedboats, helicopters and dont forget this is Johnny English a souped-up wheelchair, which features in a hair raising, and very funny, chase through one of Londons landmark streets, The Mall. Johnny English Reborn also features an A-list cast with Gillian Anderson as Englishs new, very PC boss, Pamela Thornton, Dominic West as his hero, Agent One, and Rosamund Pike as behavioural psychologist Kate Sumner, the object of Englishs affection. Ms Pike, in fact, burst on to the international scene as a Bond girl in Die Another Day back in 2002 and so obviously knows a thing or two about the genre. So does Atkinson, of course, who has loved spy thrillers since he was a boy growing up in the north east of England. Even though we are not a Bond or a Bourne movie, we are the comic equivalent, says Atkinson. But despite that we do rely on peoples familiarity with and liking for that world the world of espionage. And something we were keen to do both in terms of budget, set design and casting was to make it as much like a Bond film as we could. We havent cast any comedians. Everybody in it either has been in or could be found in a James Bond movie. And that was sort of deliberate because we wanted to give the background to our story and indeed the story itself, a little more credibility and a little more believability in the hope that any jokes or silliness that we indulged in on top of that would shine out in sharp relief against this very serious background. And sometimes, a bit like the last series of the Blackadder set in the trenches of the First World War, the more dark and tragic context in which you set jokes, the more they shine out in contrast to it. For Atkinson himself, it meant delivering a performance that would see him involved in as many of the action scenes as possible. And that meant training in preparation for filming in a way that hed never done before. I trained for four or five weeks before filming started in the gym, fight training, kick boxing and air boxing. It was basically trying to increase the flexibility of a middle-aged body.

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Interview A few weeks into the shoot, he picked up an injury on set. When we were just about to go to Hong Kong I tore a muscle in my right calf, which was really annoying, he explains. I managed to recover in time to sort of live with it in Hong Kong but I was never really free in the way that I had been and I can look at a couple of shots now and see me running and thinking hmm, youre running very stiffly and I know why.. and that was because I had a torn muscle at the time. And its annoying in the sense that actually I had got myself reasonably fit for the film because I had embarked on a programme of getting fit, which Id never done previously As is often the case with these things, I was injured doing the most innocuous nothing. It was simply because Id done quite a lot of running around at the beginning of the day and the shooting day went on and on and it was 8 at night and then suddenly I did a jerky action running out of a room and it was enough to tear a muscle that had gone to sleep, which had cooled down. It was sort of bad management of my muscles, really. But, yes, for the first time in my life I felt like a Premiership footballer you know, tearing muscles, which Id never done in my life before. However long it may take before the next Johnny English film, its clear that Atkinson feels theres much to explore with a character that he has great affection for. Johnny English is, as he points out, a nice guy, desperately trying to do his best. Whereas his other great creation, Mr Bean, is not particularly nice at all. Mr Bean is a nasty piece of work. Hes not someone I would like to be with for very long. Whereas Johnny English is rather charming and is a rather good-natured man with a good heart. I like that aspect of him. I think we sympathise with him. Even though he has this appalling flaw of not being as good as he thinks he is he can be a little smug its an arrogance thats actually quite endearing and its not too in your face. You know, really he just wants to look good. Johnny English is playing on the worldwide cinema audiences perception of Britain through James Bond movies which is why we have so many givens, girls, gadgets, cars, glamour. And weve stolen all those ideas from James Bond and then we give them a twist and, most importantly of course, set a character at the centre of it, which fits, which is a character that thinks he is better than he actually is, whose ambition is greater than his skill. And the inherent comic differential between what he can do and what he thinks he can do is where the comedy lies and we exploit that to the full. He hints too, that as Johnny English grows older, there is even more potential for material. Something we have tried to do in this film is acknowledge and in many ways, make the subject of jokes, is the fact that Johnny English is older than he was, so there are jokes about you are no longer young but with age comes wisdom, so there are those jokes on the Hong Kong rooftop about how hell walk round a problem rather than address it.

ROWAN ATKINSTON

Exotic locations and spectacular sets. Theres no Bond at the moment and no Bourne, was it a case of filling that void?
Yes, I think in a way we are. Universal Pictures certainly think from a marketing point of view to have the field to ourselves even though we are not a Bond or a Bourne movie, we are the comic equivalent. But despite that we do rely on peoples familiarity with and liking for that world the world of espionage. And something we were keen to do both in terms of budget, set design and casting was to make it as much like a Bond film as we could. We havent cast any comedians in the film. Virtually everybody in it either has been or could be found in a James Bond movie. And that was sort of deliberate, we wanted to give the background to our story and indeed the story itself a little more credibility and a little more believability in the hope that any jokes or silliness that we indulged in on top of that would shine out in sharp relief against this very serious background. And sometimes, a bit like the last series of the Blackadder set in the trenches of the First World War, the more dark and tragic context in which you set jokes, the more they shine out in contrast to it.

How physical was it for you?

Well physically it was quite tricky. And very annoyingly about five weeks into shooting, when we were just about to go to Hong Kong, I tore a muscle in my right calf, which was really annoying. I managed to recover in time to sort of live with it in Hong Kong but I was never really free in the way that I had been and I can look at a couple of shots now and see me running and thinking hmm, youre running very stiffly and I know why.. and that was because I had a torn muscle at the time. And its annoying in the sense that actually I had got myself reasonably fit for the film, you know, I had embarked on a programme of getting fit for a film, which Id never done previously.

What about the wheelchair scene on the Mall? Its a great scene. Did you do that or is that a stunt double?
I didnt do all of it but a lot of it. Some of the bits in the streets are not me because we had terrible trouble with the insurance because they didnt like the idea at all. And of course the wheelchair is fantastic it will do at least 45 mph and 45 mph in a wheelchair is dangerous because the centre of gravity is so high, theres no stability to it whatsoever and if anything goes wrong, you are going to fall off and you are going to fall off quite big, so they were very, very nervous about it. But we sort of managed to do more and more, every day we persuaded them to let me do more so by the end I did do a very high speed run down the Mall for those shots you see in the film. I must have been doing 30, 40 mph and in a wheelchair you know it, you can really feel it.

Did you have a personal trainer?

Yes, I did and its basically trying to increase the flexibility of a middle-aged body.

So were you in the gym?

Yes, gym time and fight training kick boxing, air boxing. Trying to get reasonably capable.

Do you enjoy doing that kind of things and the other action stunts?
Yes, I do. And certainly the wheelchair was my idea and I was trying to think of a different way of doing a car chase because when you are doing a comedy film you want it to have all the elements that people recognise. And a car chase is always a standard in all action movies and spy movies but at the same time we didnt want just another car chase, we wanted to give it a little something and I thought well, what other things have four wheels.. and I came up with the wheelchair.

And you know theres a whole fascinating area for comedy with Old Bond weve had young Bond with the Alex Rider and all those books and it seems to me a very funny idea although the James Bond people would never want to do it James Bond at 80 or 70 or 60. But if James Bond doesnt want to grow old disgracefully, he hints, then Johnny English might. Well see. For the moment Atkinson is happy that this film has finished and hes not yet ready to start planning the next project. Atkinson was born in Newcastle and studied engineering at Newcastle University before taking a post-graduate course at Oxford where he performed with the Oxford Revue. He won rave reviews for his one-man show at the Edinburgh Festival that he later took to London. Once there, he teamed up with Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith and Pamela Stephenson to make four critically acclaimed series of the satirical show Not The Nine Oclock News for the BBC. In the eighties, Atkinson made four series of the hugely acclaimed series Blackadder, sharing the writing credits with Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. In the nineties his television work included The Thin Blue Line and Mr Bean, which later transferred to cinema. His film credits include The Tall Guy, The Witches, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Maybe Baby, Love Actually, Scooby-Doo and Mr Beans Holiday.

How long a period before the production did you train for?
Four or five weeks. Not every day, every other day.

But what was it like for you making this movie? Because Im told that you did a lot of the stunts and action scenes yourself..

And did you tear the muscle on set? What were you doing?
Yes I did and as is often the case with these things, I was injured doing the most innocuous nothing. It was simply because Id done quite a lot of running around at the beginning of the day and the shooting day went on and on and it was 8 at night and then suddenly I did a jerky action running out of a room and it was enough to tear a muscle that had gone to sleep, which had cooled down. It was sort of bad

Its what eight years since the last film and four or five years since the last Bean. I remember you telling me before how you agonise about these films. Has that changed No, it certainly hasnt gotten any at all? easier. And even though there are
some very skilled people Ollie Parker has been terrific to work with and Working Title Ive done lots of films with, from The Tall Guy to Four Weddings, all the Bean movies and the Johnny English movies, so I feel in very safe hands and very trusting hands, so they trust me to have a lot of control and influence of every stage of the production which is very flattering to me but very important. because if

The film looks to be a glossier, bigger production than the first one.
They spent a lot of money on things, really

Yes I did do some of the stunts when I was allowed to

management of my muscles, really. But, yes, for the first time in my life I felt like a Premiership footballer you know, tearing muscles, which Id never done in my life before.

Why?

Well, I felt I didnt have the control I wouldnt really want to do it. Im not very good at playing a game by somebody elses rules. I need to have my own rules in place before I come out and play at all.

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Interview

ROWAN ATKINSTON

Is that why there are such long gaps between your films?
Well, yes, its because I tend to get involved in every part of it. The first script meeting we had for this film, believe it or not, was in 2004 not long after the first film. And we did a couple of drafts of the script and got distracted and said why dont we make a Mr Bean movie instead? And so then we made Mr Beans Holiday and then we took up the baton again in 2008. I think it is partly down to my need to be involved in every stage of it, my choosiness about how good the script is and how well its developed, the fact that I dont want to be rushed. And the fact that Im a bit lazy. I dont want to do things every day and obviously once you are in production you do things all day and all night. But I like to take gaps between film projects and I dont want to go straight from one to the other. And all these things result in these things taking far too long. So you know, first script meeting 2004, last meeting with the editor to look at the grade was on Monday and yesterday we started the sell, the marketing and the interviews. I wish I was the kind of actor who could just say write me a script and Ill turn up and shoot it.. so that would be three months work instead of three years work. But Im just not like that.

Could you do another Johnny English in the future?

Johnny English is interesting in that something we have tried to do in this film is acknowledge and in many ways, make the subject of jokes, the fact that Johnny English is older than he was, so there are jokes about you are no longer young but with age comes wisdom, so there are those jokes on the Hong Kong rooftop about how hell walk round a problem rather than address it. And of course the idea, you know theres a whole fascinating area for comedy with Old Bond weve had young Bond with the Alex Rider and all those books and it seems to me a very funny idea although the James Bond people would never want to do it James Bond at 80 or 70 or 60. Someone who is no longer physically capable and in some ways the wheelchair is in that vein and I think Old Bond is a very amusing idea and I mean really old Bond, someone who literally cant walk but still has some capabilities and its quite a funny idea, but as I say you would never do it in a serious movie but its a good comedy idea.

Do you like the Bond movies? Does this all come from an affection for the films?
Oh yes, I love them.

Did you watch them as a kid?

Oh yes. They are hugely inspiring a wonderful combination of glamour and adventure. I mean, politically they are difficult. For many socio-political analysis they are difficult because the books were written in the 1950s and they were all about Britain as a fading power but they had this brilliant secret agent who could sort of make Britain look great again and the Cold War of course was a very dominant feature of the books. So it was that post second world war, Cold War World that doesnt exist anymore. Of course there are a hundred other new ideas and conflicts in which to

set any espionage story and Bond has had to adapt with varying degrees of success to the fact that the character doesnt really fit the times. I mean, the idea that a member of the British intelligence would be driving a Rolls Royce Phantom in this day and age or even an Aston Martin is patently ludicrous. But you know, we go along with the idea because that was the template that Ian Fleming set and we update it and make a woman head of the service, like theyve done and like we did, so there are ways of doing it. So its a constant battle trying to re-orientate the James Bond brand and they have done it with good success, all things considered, occasionally you feel it creaking a bit and its not been quite right, but I think Daniel Craig is a worthy Bond and does very well and Pierce Brosnan I thought was very good.

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Interview James Bond and then we give them a twist and, most importantly of course, set a character at the centre of it, which fits, which is a character that thinks he is better than he actually is, whose ambition is greater than his skill and the inherent comic differential between what he can do and what he thinks he can do is where the comedy lies and we exploit that to the full. But I think Mr Bean is much easier to define because he is a child, he has the selfishness and ingeniousness of children and I think that is what an international audience across all cultures and languages identifies with they see a child and its funny to see an adult behave like a child. That, I think, is an awful lot of what Mr Bean is about and I think that is very cross cultural. Johnny English is more complex because he is an adult and I think he is a nicer person than Mr Bean. I think Mr Bean is a nasty piece of work.

Youve created some very British characters.

Yes, yes, they are, people say that to me

But theyve gone worldwide. What do you think you tap into? What kind of Britishness is it that interests you?
I dont know. in many ways they say it doesnt really matter what the nationality of characters or the world that you present in a film, doesnt matter, as long as you present it uncompromisingly, as long you say this is the world, this is the character, take it or leave it.. it gets more difficult and the world of film finds it very difficult sometimes to be uncompromising in that way, because they are going for an international audience and they cant decide what appeals to an international audience whereas I think, although weve used a lot of American financial muscle through Universal Studios, weve always based our productions with a British production company (Working Title) using British skills, British directors, British writers and I present the world as I see it with characters that personally I like and amuse me.

But do you think that some of those characters youve created Johnny English, Mr Bean, Blackadder kind of define us as a nation?
I dont know, Mr Bean is clearly a very different character from Johnny English. Johnny English is playing on the worldwide cinema audiences perception of Britain through James Bond movies which is why we have so many givens, girls, gadgets, cars, glamour, you know, and weve stolen all those ideas from

Really, why?
Hes not someone I would like to be with for very long. Whereas Johnny English is rather charming and is a rather good-natured man with a good heart. I like that aspect of him. I think we sympathise with him. Even though he has this appalling flaw of not being as good as he thinks he is he can be a little smug its an arrogance thats actually quite endearing and its not too in your face. You know, really he just wants to look good.

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Interview

Feras Al Moubayed provided us with, she told us welcome to Syria, you are raw models for the deaf people here. Here in Amal we are working to make Syria better, and this is what gives me the strength to carry on, to help Syria and to make it better. You have a crowded schedule, is there any space for your personal life? And what are you doing when you are alone? Well, Im a very active person; after I finish work I go to take a walk in the streets, sometimes alone or with some friends, I just walk, meet and talk to people. When people know that Im deaf, they start to listen to me and show interest. I have to say that I have witnessed a change here in Syria, people became more interested me me, they wonder, how could a person like me live a normal life? Well, all I have to say is that Im a normal person and Im living a normal life, just like the others do. Are you in any relation now, or in the near future? My life is beautiful now, I have a lot of friends, but the people around me keep insisting that I should find a wife Therefore, I think that Im looking for one, and I think that my wife will be from Syria. What do you prefer to call people with a situation similar to yours? Deaf, with special need or with disability? Well those are different kinds of people; the deaf peoples are different from the people with disability and from the people with special needs. The people with special need are the people who need help to do regular things, and the people with disability are the people who are sick, in the Arab world you can say out of hearing or deaf people. For more clarification, in the government, they say that this person is disable, they know that he is ok, but need some help, he is not crazy or something. What is the message that you want to deliver in Syria? Syria has to be awake, no more hiding, no more sorry. The families are hiding this problem, and they dont want to show that they have this problem, however, their son or daughter can work and can do the regular things, but they need a bit help. Im working on awaking the families, the government, the teachers, as well as the law about the deaf people and integrating them more into the society. Because, here, they are blocking everything in our faces. In the west, we have rights and we know them, so here Im trying to bring those rights into the country. However, it is hard to take the western terms and apply them here, so Im trying to bring them step by step to Syria, but there are a lot of difficulties. We dont want the society to look at us in strange way. We are here, and we do exist, so they have to learn how to live with us. for example, if someone wants to marry, they look at the subject as if it is a shame that will stick to the family if that girl got married this deaf person. In the west we can do whatever we want, me and my brother hold many certificates, but here, you cant even find a job if you are deaf despite the fact that there are lots of communication means available to us like the sign language for example. When we hear about the deaf propel or about Amal, the first thing that came on mind is Feras, where do you get the strength to continue and carry on from? First, we have to say thank you to the first lady of Syria for all the kinds of support that she There are a lot of things we need here What do you in Syria, Amal think Syria still has everything needs for its we need, but Amal is deaf people? alone, and it is not enough. We need more work, support, training, and more governmental support, we cant operate alone, we need to work all together. In addition, we need more books, teachers and new methods for the deaf people, especially after surgeries like the cochlear implantation, where, in the west, it takes three years for the person to be normal again, but, here, there are lots of doctors who do not use the after surgery therapy, especially the physical therapy. This is a very serious issue, because this surgery costs some 1.5 million SYP, and many people sell almost everything they have to secure that kind of money because the doctor who lacks training and experience told the patient that he can hear from the second day, this is but an example of the shortcomings and the need for more training.

Feras Al Moubayed
Born
in Kuwait in 1970, Feras Al Moubayed was sent to the UK in 1982 after his parents gave up hope that their son would regain his hearing ability which he lost at the age of two. Feras is the founder of Syrian Deaf Children Society (SDC), he was the first deaf person to graduate from John Moores University in UK, where he obtained a degree in Fashion Design in 1993. He has since worked with prominent brands, including Armani and DKNY, and at Londons world-renowned department store, Harrods. Feras also went on to try his luck at acting and was featured in a BBC production entitled Switch, where he portrayed the role of a 30 years-old deaf man with marital problems. He also starred in a Channel 4 drama production. Building on his 12 years of experience in the fashion industry, which involved working with stars such as David Beckham, Robbie Williams and Pierce Brosnan; Feras recently left his job at Harrods and decided to establish SDC. Feras believes that more can be done for the deaf in Syria and in the Arab world in general. His main target is to increase awareness in Arab societies about hearing loss and to promote the idea that people with hearing impairments can serve as active, effective as well as creative members of society. Mostly, he would like to work with deaf children and ensure they grow up with a positive attitude towards life and become active members in their societies. Baladna was lucky to meet Mr. Feras and come up with this unique and inspiring Interview

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Interview Four or five months ago I Tell us about started teaching the Sundays the sign language in session that you the Deaf Care are doing for Association to help the people sign language to learn this teaching? language well, and the money we get from the donations in the sessions goes for the Association. In the future, if we collect a good amount of money, we will work on printing brochures for the Arabic sign language, this is the culture that Im trying to bring to Syria, to make the sign language as one of the basic languages taught along the other languages, because, especially for the children, if they learned the sign language along with the spoken language, it would help them to express more about what they want to say, especially if they dont know the word for the thing that they want, they can simply use the sign language to point at it, this helps them when they are young to express their feelings more. Both languages complete each others. The sign language is unfortunately not unified around the world; there are two basic languages, the American and the British sign languages (more about those later). In all the previous conferences, the Arabs did not miss any chance to attend, but no one of them went out and spoke about the deaf in the Arab world! I was the first who spoke in the name of an Arabic country, I spoke for 45 minutes, and it was a very powerful presentation, and after that I sat with people from the World Federation of Deaf and talked about the problems in the Arab world. The next conference will be in after four years in Turkey, and I dont want to see myself as the only speaker from the Arab world. In South Africa, the Arab delegation asked me to talk on their behalf, but I told him that I cant, because I dont know your local problems, on the contrary you can help me by arranging meeting and conferences for the Arab deaf to address the problems and to find solutions, so when we go to Turkey, we will have something to talk about in a unified voice, and only then, the world can acknowledge us. children than Signed English. Most hearing people think that ASL and English are the same, except that ASL is signed and English is spoken. In a way they are right, but theyre more wrong than right. ASL doesnt follow the same grammar rules as English does, and ASL has its own unique system of word order.

Feras Al Moubayed people having little or no knowledge of sign language. Lipreading is watching a persons lips as the person speaks. By watching how the lips move, the shapes they form, the facial expression, and the movements of the hands and other parts of the body, a deaf person can often tell what the speaker is saying. This is a very difficult skill to master because many words look the same.

Signed English

Types of sign languages

Do you have any future plans for Syria? I have a long term plan for Syria and I know all the problems. But the baggiest problem is that we already know the problem, but what are we doing about it? Nothing! Also I want to bring people from outside Syria, as well as experts in this field to look at their experience and benefit from it. For me, my contract here in Syria will be finished soon, and I dont know what will happen next, but I have a well-made plan for this country. Tell us about the last conference you have attended in South Africa. It was the best in my life. We have missed four conferences before, and it was my intention not to miss this one as well. We came late and there was the sponsor problem, we couldnt find a sponsor in time. One month before the conference started, MTN called us and they said that as a South African company, we will contribute by paying half of the expenses, and Im very thankful for them for this initiative and for the organizing. And also there was the donation day in the CCF where we managed to collect money for the trip from the people who showed up and donated, that was a great day, and was called let Syria be headed in South Africa as well as the participation of the United Group UG, which helped with prating issues, as well as everybody who supported us. It was the first time for me in South Africa, there were four thousand people there in the conference, in addition to another six thousand that attended the conference because they passed by the hall and wanted to see it. There were delegations from the Arab countries, but no one wanted to go up to the stage and speak! I talked to myself why!? So I decided to go and talk in the name of an Arabic country, Syria. At that moment, there were only three days to the conference, so I didnt sleep at night working on the presentation that I did.

American Sign Language (ASL)

American Sign Language (ASL) is used by most deaf people in the United States and Canada. ASL is different from other sign languages, just like English is different from other foreign languages, such as Spanish. Also, for most deaf people, ASL is their first language. It is more natural for deaf

Signed English is a sign language that does follow the same rules and word order of English. Most deaf children of hearing parents learn Signed English instead of ASL because their parents are hearing and want their child to learn English. In teaching their children, the parents tend to sign in English instead of ASL, because English, not sign language, is their primary language. Most people believe that ASL is a more natural language for deaf children to learn than Signed English, because deaf children dont speak English. Its hard for them to write the language. Just like hearing children, deaf children spend a lot of time in school learning the rules of written and spoken English, but in fact they dont formally learn the rules of ASL. They pick it up from adults and other kids.

British Sign Language (BSL)

British Sign Language is used by over 62,000 deaf people, primarily in the United Kingdom. Like ASL, BSL is a language that is visual and gestural, and includes facial expressions, signs, gestures, and body language. A significant difference between ASL and BSL is that ASL uses one hand for fingerspelling while BSL uses two hands.

Pidgin Signed English (PSE)

PSE stands for Pidgin Signed English. The Deaf consider it a compromise language, because it is used when a deaf person is communicating with a hearing person who has some knowledge of sign language. PSE uses the same signs as ASL and Signed English, but it more or less follows English word order. In PSE there are a variety of adaptations, since it is a mixture of both ASL and Signed English.

Lip reading

Lipreading is not a form of sign language, but we talk about it here because it is used by many deaf people when communicating with hearing

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he play Mumtaz ya Batal (Excellent, you Hero) which has started its performances last Tuesday the 7th of September at Qabbani theatre in Damascus, can be a good typical example of the children theatre in Syria according to its content to the methods of acting and presentation.

An Exemplary Children theatre T

stories for the children. Every story contains events and has a moral lesson which calls for the noble values in life such as: faith, love for parents and homeland, courage, respecting the family and friendship... The stories also present some experiences of people who made mistakes and chose the bad way in life, but at the end they took lessons from these mistakes and returned to the right path. The importance of this show is that it depended on acting and the movements of the actors. The play did not base on narration only. The actors presented their stories and moral lessons through acting and the active movements of the players, so the audience -the majority of them being children- did not feel board. This clearly appeared through the reaction of the children. It is also important to refer to the talent of the large number of actors

ince its birth children theatre in Syria used to focus on mixing benefit and enjoyment through presenting an interesting story which is full of moral lessons before the audience of children. Thus, each play used to contain a story, or a series of stories, each story is inspired by the experiences of life and has a lesson to teach, it has a moral goal and a message which the children can learn from. It is normal for this message to be about the good and bad values in life. This play which is written by the Syrian writer Akram Shraim and directed by the director Muhammad al-Tayeb, is a perfect example of this kind of theatre. The main character of the play is uncle Hamdan. He is a simple hearted, loving man who loves children very much, so he carries the Poppet box which is full of interesting stories, and moves from place to another to tell his

and actresses a number of them were from children who revealed their early talents and love for theatre and acting-, they were able to move from a story to another without losing the attention of the audience. The decoration of the play was also suitable for the different stories of the show and was changing in accordance to the changing of the events and the stories. We may consider this show as a classical or traditional one because it reproduced the old style of children theatre by depending on the techniques of the poppet box and the storyteller, but the ability and the talent of the actors: uncle Hamdan, the teacher, the grandfather, the old man and others in addition to the children who participated combined to a contemporary style to this show which will last for another 8 days.
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culture

Arabic calligraphy

Words by: Murhaf Zino

The great Spanish artist Picasso (1881-1973) once said: every time I sailed and reached to a deeper point in the world of the abstraction and plastic art, I found that the art of the Arabic calligraphy had discovered that point before me. This is but one of a large number of opinions referring to the importance of Arabic calligraphy as an art which is deeply rooted in the Arabic and Islamic tradition and culture, and which is considered as one of the best fruits of the Arabic and Islamic civilization during hundreds of years since the birth of this civilization up till now.
he historical studies refer that this art is of Arabic origins, it is an extension of the finical civilization, but it took its shape and witnessed its glory age during the beginning of the Islamic state for many reasons. The most important reason is that at the establishment of the Arabic-Islamic state the Arabic language, which is the language of Koran, became the formal language of the new state; the language of religion, science, economy and culture, in addition to being, originally, the language of

the traditional Arabic literature before the appearance of Islam. When the new state was established, people started to record the verses of Koran in the Arabic letters. They began to draw these verses and the name of God and the prophet Muhammad to decorate and illustrate the doors of their houses, the gates of their mosques and cities in addition to the walls inside their mosques and palaces, which gave the chance for this art to be an independent art in the growing new powerful state. The other reason comes from the specific features which distinguish the Arabic letter itself. It is well-known that the Arabic letter is famous for its beauty and flexibility to be drawn and formed through many fine forms and frames. This specific tempted the artists and calligraphers to use it and express through it all their religious and artistic versions on one hand, and to develop their tools and instruments through the usage of the Arabic letter, on the other hand. By the way, many artistic schools had appeared. Some of them were limited according to the themes and the style, while some others tried to develop this art out of the limits of the traditional roles and bases. According the traditional point of view, many artists called to keep the classical bases of this art. That is to inspire their themes by the classical resources, mainly the verses of Koran and other religious topics. Concerning with the style, they also called to keep the usage of

the same limited roles and style as the usage of the two main colors: white and black and prevented any new developments due to save the heritage and to keep it pure. They attacked modernity and the usage of the new techniques of the contemporary art movement in Arabic countries and around the world. On the contrary, many of the contemporary artists, especially those of the young generation, rejected to be the prisoners of the traditional and classical schools because they believed that the most important feature for any art is to

not adopt any static role, and the value of any art comes from its ability to improve itself and make benefits from all the achievements of the former generations. So they dealt with new themes which are linking with the life of the contemporary people and tried to mix between the traditional heritage of this art and the achievements of the new artistic schools from the usage of colors reaching the usage of the techniques of the modern schools in the east and west.

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society

Graduation Ceremony of the Esmod Institute

Location: Khan Asaad Pacha Date: 30\7\2011 Event: Graduation Ceremony of the Esmod Institute
Esmod Institute organized a graduation Fashion Show for students at Khan Asaad Pacha Gallery. The show was wonderful and attendance spent a great time.

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society

Syriatel Breakfast (Iftar) for Children with Cancer of Al-Biruni Hospital

Location: Hot Bakery Restaurant Date: 15\8\2011 Event: Syriatel Breakfast (Iftar) for Children with Cancer of Al-Biruni Hospital
Syriatel invited children with cancer of Al-Biruni Hospital to an Iftar at Hot Bakery Restaurant in Yafour with the participation of their families, the administrative and medical staff of the hospital and a number of the company employees. After iftar Syriatel staff gave toys and gifts to the children who have expressed their happiness and appreciation for the activities organized by the Syriatel.

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society

Celebrating Egypt National Day

Location: Egyptian Embassy in Damascus Date: 24\ 7\2011 Event: Celebrating Egypt National Day
Egyptian Ambassador held a reception at Egyptian Embassy in Damascus. The reception was attended by a number of Arab and Foreign ambassadors and diplomats, businessmen and figures of Syrian society.

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society

Location: Gemini Restaurant Date: 24\8\2011 Event: Samsung Electronics Breakfast (Iftar)
In the Presence of Mr. Sang Suk Roh, president of Samsung Electronics Levant , Samsung Electronics invited agents, media, figures of Syrian society and a number of the company employees to Breakfast (Iftar) at Gemini restaurant, attendance spent a great time.

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The War for Credibility

for
Words by: Tareq Neman

Media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent, and thats power. Because they control the minds of the masses. Malcolm X said. All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level William Bernbach.
This year, media has achieved a new and unbelievable goal, it became the battlefield between the protestors, the governments and regimes of many Arab countries. It became the only way to communicate, negotiate and threat. So, there are two kinds of media, the honest media and the manipulative or Dajjal media (Dajjal is an Arabic word which means the man who hides the facts by using smart lies) which is supposed to be the media of the strong side. There is no successful media without a huge number of followers who believe in what it shows and presents. In Syria people are divided into two parts; the people who believe the official media, and those who believe the other Media. In order to discuss why the Syrian society has been divided we asked the people on the streets: Do you or do you not believe the local media? And why? Saadoun Gh, a college student said: Syrian media has achieved a very significant progress in all aspects, especially the news media, in a short time. Its efficiency and role has been proven in effecting the society and mobilizing public opinion during the current crisis in the country. However, I wish more development for the Syrian media in the future. In this spring of revolutions, Arabic satellite channels have defined the story by providing around-the-clock coverage and commentary from Tunisia to Libya. But thats not the case in Syria, where authorities ensured that the revolution wont be televised by banning most international media. This is why I believe neither the local nor the global media. Local media will not cover the news neutrally and global media will not transmit the right news. A London-based satellite channel, Barada TV, has stepped in, beaming anti-government programming into Syria, with financial support from the U.S. but I

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features dont believe them too Khaldoun Sa ,45 years old mathematics teacher Hanna Samaha, 30 years old accountant said: I know the important role of media in leading and guiding the masses, so, I dont trust the global media. I watch and believe the local media (Addounia, and the Syrian Satellite Channel) because they work to ease the situation, they love Syria and they desperately try to show the fact that the other channels work on hiding the facts. Syrians love their country and they will do whatever they can to save it and as we all know (The end justifies the means) and I believe that they have very national motives. Good intensions justify the unrealistic coverage some times. Joumana Gh , Gynecologist was more specific and described the role of the media as being a remote control; it will work only when directed to compatible devices: people of Syria are well educated and they know exactly what to believe and what to refuse. She refused the mobilization against any kind of channels and insists on the right of each channel to say whatever it likes: Competition is always allowed so let them compete and as we know the law is the survival of the fittest, let them struggle as long as they can, it is a healthy case that will help the people to form their orientations, I,myself, like to watch the global channels, because I witnessed a big lie once on some Syrian TV and I would never believe them again, I will not tell you about it, though Mortada Ah 25 years old said: We can only judge the media through its results in society, so successful media is the one which can reach the largest segment of people and form a strong and cohesive internal public opinion against the invasion of the outside media, and this can be done through deep understanding of the community and accurate diagnosis of its crises and thus providing the comfortable information to citizens, in addition to the objective coverage of events, so eventually the national media could be able to cope with the problems and resolve them. Some national Syrian media have succeeded in achieving a big and important part of these steps and were able to find a well-respected place among the most important channels in the Arab world. Syrian Local Media, both private and state owned media, have been tracking the crisis inside the country since February. Some said that most of this coverage or almost all of it was to reflect the official point of view. So I will never believe them, especially after the lie saying that the demonstrators were thanking God for the rain! People are not fool any more, I watch Aljazeera and AlArabia because they respect the minds of the audience while the official and state Syrian channels are adopting the (lie, lie until they believe you) they fabricate the clips they manipulate the facts, they benefit from being the only channels that have the permission to cover the Syrian streets so they freely direct the clips and broadcast them, Salem Sh, 25 years teacher, ended his words. Souha Ra, 52 years house wife I cant imagine that there is anyone who believe Aljazeera or any channel of the enemy channels, they are working to defeat Syria the land of heroes, the last castle against Israel. I watch the local and state channels, they are telling the truth, they are working for the best of Syria and I believe in Syria. I will never ever watch Aljazeera the channel of liars, they lied about anything and they will keep lying to the end.

The War for Credibility

Ahmad Saaied, 27 years employee: Some people describe the Egyptian revolution as a Facebook revolution. I think that, In Syria, its the YouTube revolution because all the media coming out of Syria, almost all of them are going through YouTube. Syrian protesters often risk their lives, documenting deaths on the hands of the security forces with cell phone cameras and an Internet link. But with the availability of new and advanced editing technologies I dont belief any of the clips on the net, so I watch the Syrian official channels because they refute the fake clips that the protestors upload.

The era of editing

According to psychologists people follow the stronger and the more powerful side and believe in it, and they sympathy with the weakest. So, should we believe the stronger and forget the weakest? Or should we support the weakest and stand against the stronger? In the media business the more clips and evidences you got the more people you will control, I can differentiate between the local and state channels, and the global channels, both of them are fighting for more audiences, both of them will deal with the devil to prove his part of the story. I think that, it is the time, in Syria, of the psychological wars; the more tactics you use the higher level of followers you will have. As for me, I watch all channels; I chose what to believe and what not. I trust my educational level and know-how to choose the right and wrong, but I noticed that the local and state channels are not working in a very professional way, they are adopting very old strategies and tactics Ahmad Abdo 27 years old dentist said. The Americans are working to destroy Syria; they are using all what they could to control the minds of the Syrian people. I dont trust them and I dont want to trust them or their channels anymore. Local and state channels are the best they are showing the exact reality of Syria. I dont believe what Aljazeera broadcasts because they have a dedicated operation room to fake the witnesses and to fake events. Syrians are looking for honest news, they need to be fed by more information, because the questions are growing more and more about the reality: People are more educated now; they will not accept any superficial explanations or information Ammar Sa, 52 years old professor, said. Workers in the local and state channels should be up to

Their old concepts are dangerous

their tactics, or let me say their failed tactics, from. People will not believe them whatever they do because they are hiding the truth that everybody knows. Hannan li, 30 years old housewife, said: I follow up the channels of state television since a long time ago, perhaps since the start of Syrian television broadcast, and I can say that a huge development has been achieved in our media in terms of image, presentation and means of information delivery. There has been more sincerity in speaking to people and exposing our problems. Lets not forget the great work our national media has done in this very difficult stage, they have played a very big role in calming and comforting the people who saw the news and rumors that were being broadcasted on the biased channels. We are very grateful to our television and radio channels for what they do to maintain safety and love among all the people in our society. Jehad Ez, 42 years old: I dont trust the local and state channels even when they broadcast advertisements! I even deleted them from my favorite channels list! I have heard enough lying and disregarding of my mind and culture, we are not living in the 60s or 70s,

date with the latest psychological studies and researches, they are not professional, I dont know where do they get

we can understand everything even if we cant see the reality. So, what are they trying to do is to spread the culture of lying and disrespect of others minds. Actually I laugh every time they broadcast the supposed criminals admitting their faults and crimes, I dont

believe such plays, it is an obvious play and I refuse dealing with the realty in Syria as a scene in a long old movie! I will never watch such fake channels again, the only thing that I wish to know is what are they aiming for? Do they really think that if they lied they will achieve victory? What victory? They will lose, history will mention them as losers and liars no more no less Ibrahim Ta, who works in media said: There is no neutral media, nowadays who has power and money can control the means of communication and disseminate information that is compatible with his interests even if it conflicts with the conventions, norms and notions of freedom and democracy, those eliminate the others and practice intellectual terrorism on them. So, our Syrian national media has to gain the right tools to face this media attack on our society. During the current crisis in Syria we have seen that there are still many obstacles and problems in organization and management of the national media which prevent it from rising to the right level to deal with all the latest plots of information that come from abroad, and this weakness has exacerbated the crisis in some cases and caused the citizen to get lost between facts and lies. But despite that, we cannot deny that there has been a significant progress in our media in terms of technology and the speed of news delivery, also in opening the door of communication and interaction with people, even if this progress was at a slow pace and on a small scale. This promises that the problems in the media sector started to get solved through removing restrictions or censorship and supporting transparency and objectivity, especially after the issuing of the new media law which abolished the restrictions that were imposed on the media and gave the media an independent entity. Finally we hope it could play its real role in leading our society and reflecting its aspirations. People are not so shallow anymore; they need professional and credible news, they demand the media to respect their minds, so the local channels should consider such facts and work for the best of the people not the best of their owners and investors.

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features

Syria Says Goodby to the Dollar, Euro to follow not blocked they dont have services for Syria, because most of them are American website depending on American companies to deliver the goods. More, there is always a way to work around such measures, experts say, citizens can always transfer their money to Lebanese banks, which, in turn, can transfer their money to any bank in the world. So basically those resolutions are shameful, and aim to put more pressure, no more no less.

Syria Says Goodby

I

n response to the latest American sanctions on Syria which banned all dollar transactions with Syria, the Central Bank of Syria has stopped all dollar transactions and moved to using euro instead. Which is, in turn, scheduled to be dumped later as a protective measure against some expected European sanctions.

to the Dollar, Euro to follow

A lot of economic sources and experts say that in the last six months, since the beginning of the events in Syria, the losses of the Syrian economy reached some three billion Dollars, pointing out that there is an on-going study about that which will be published soon. Media sources said that the news saying that the Syrian economy is falling apart are exaggerated, and it is part of the physiological campaign on the Syrian citizens to drive them to lose trust in their economy. According to these sources, what proves that the economy is still standing is that the government didnt lend money treasury bounds, and, at the same time, the government refused an large Iranian deposit in the bank to secure the economic status, because it finds that it does not need to pay interest for it.

Economy losses

The geographic location of Syria gave it a lot of strength points, because it is located almost between the east and the west, so if the west closes its doors, the east path is still open. Especially that there are a lot of countries in the east looking for investing in Syria, because, regardless all the projects that have been established so far, Syria is still a fertile land for investments, and this will reflect positively on the economy on the long term. Another point is the nature of the land, where most of Syria is agricultural lands, and all the basic needs from food are locally produced, so Syrian cant be struck by huger. More on that, Syria is exporting a lot of vegetables and other basic needs to the neighboring countries, like Lebanon and Jordan, where those countries are partially dependant on Syria to secure the electricity gap, which also works as a pressure card in the Syrian hand. Additional point of strength is the history, in 2005 when the American-led international community imposed sanctions on Syria in response to accusations of killing the former Lebanese PM al-Hariri. The economic siege failed, because Syria depended on itself for securing its basic needs, and there is a famous say for the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saying that the American sanctions failed to score in the case of Syria because the American flower ships dont land in the Syrian ports.

Points of strength

Stopping dollar transactions happens for the first time in Syrian history, where mostly all the transactions internal and external are done in US Dollars, those transactions have to use euros from now on according to Adeeb Mayale, Governor of the Central bank of Syria. In a late August statement he said that the government cant do any more transactions in dollar, adding that since the year 2005, we have encouraged the economic firms to deal in euro, but, unfortunately, no one listened to us and most of them kept dealing in dollar.

Not only transactions in dollar stopped, both VISA Card and Master Card announced that they have stopped all their operations in Syria, and the world-wide use of the cards issued from Syrian banks. Since 2003, both VISA and Master Card operate in Syria and, despite of the previous sanctions, both companies continued to operate in Syria, but now they have completely stopped to. However, many economic expert underestimate the reposition of VISA and

master cards, saying that not much of people in Syria are using these cards, as most Syrians still prefer holding cash money to using electronic cards and similar payment methods, and most of the cards in Syria are ATM cards, not debit cards, so the people who got effected by these actions are the propel who are dealing with banks outside the country, not the normal employees in the private or public sectors. Experts say that even internet purchasing operations are not that active or common in Syria, and most of the websites if they are

However, this resolution might heavily affect tourism, because most of the tourists who come to Syria dont hold cash money, but rely on their cards to withdraw money, and with the card companies not operating in Syria anymore, they will have to go to Lebanon for such simple operations, or more, they could change their minds and not come to Syria in the first place. In another related subject, sources close to the Central Bank said that Syria is preparing as well to stop all euro transactions, in a preemptive move in case Europe took decisions similar to the American ones, with the alternatives being the Chinese Yuan, Russian Ruble, Indian Robe or the Brazilian Real; a step that might reduce the effects of the sanctions on the national economy.

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features writing whatever they want without any sort of censorship because if they were not allowed to; they will express themselves in the streets. By reading the comments on social networks or news sites you will find huge and unbelievable differences because social networks publish the comments without any supervision while for news sites there is always someone who chooses what to publish on the site and what not, according to the policy of the site of course-. Knowing that 99.9 of the sites are controlled by high authorities and the rest are neutrals so they cant publish anything Sara 45 years old said. The conflicts on the internet are forming another wars, the winner in such wars according to Sara will get nothing, but he or she might have the chance to change the beliefs of some readers, thats why I for myself believe that both the regime and the protesters are using special people to comment and to interfere at the right time and write some comments to change the subject or to orient the comments in a specific direction that could be safe and useful for his party. I did read many comments that changed most of my perceptions of the reality in Syria

Internet comments warunder the microscope

I thank the writer; he has written all what we have in mind... Gentlemen, we used to hold the USA responsible for all the bloodshed and disasters in Iraq because USA is the largest and the dominant power in Iraq, so how on earth can we not hold the Syrian authority responsible for whats going on in Syria being the both the dominant and official power in the country? Can any pro-regime answer me? Please I know you and you know me. You know that if the illegal armed groups won the leadership in Syria you and me will be sent to prison or will be killed on the charge of secularism! So, please dont talk about what is going on in Syria using a romantic way, all what we are witnessing here is nothing but practices of political teenagers lead by other teenagers who live outside Syria You are afraid of a prison that you might be sent to, if ever, but you dont mind the prison that all of us have been living in for decades? I will talk honestly, you all should listen, everyone, who believes that the security forces and the illegal armed groups are the same is crazy and fool, for the thousand time I say the Syrian blood is blessed, sacred, and must be saved and protected, those who pretend that they are supporting the way to freedom and democracy by supporting the protesters, such people should be hanged or hailed. I will give my soul to protect the regime and our leaders

The reader of the comments will be shocked by the huge number of lies, truths and insults. Everybody have the right to say everything and to express their feelings without any control but now in Syria we should control all those comments. Syria had enough. Especially when we know that each party is using the internet to mobilize people and push them to support what he/she sees as the right side. I will talk frankly, let me assume that we have only two parties (the with) and (the against) I noticed that (the with) party is using aggressive and unbelievable stories and facts to prove their side of the story while (the against) party is using other facts and stories to prove that they represent the best for Syria As about the way they face each other and how they manage their ideas and stories I believe that (the with) party is facing a big problem because they find themselves in a confrontation with many names and calls from the (the against) party so they move from name to name Abdo Al-Hadi, a 40 years old professor said. He explained his theory by saying when (the with) party accuses the Americans; (the against) party defend themselves with very logical answers so (the with) party moves quickly to another name which could be the Salafis for an example; so (the against) party will defend their attitude

Filling up the tank

again and so it goes, it will never end. The point is that both parties made mistakes. As I noticed (the with) party is using the same old arguments every time, most of such arguments have been proven wrong , old and unable to change the beliefs of the (the against) party. They should study the realties and the events and discus everything according to the future plans, in order be heard. Such a way will fill the tanks of any one to start his journey towards the right party or, even worse, towards the streets to express his /her right attitudes, especially if the opposite party failed to defeat him/her in the comments battle. Nadra a 35 years housewife said :I read the comments every day in any article that discusses the Syrian Affaires, I hate the protesters, they talk in a very weak way, they try to prove their words and attitudes by telling lies and by repeating what their leaders forge and tell them. When we asked her how does she decide which is right and which is wrong? She said: I dont, I follow my sense, I dont want to lose the safety and security. Commenting and showing the facts, discussing the latest new, and accusing each other is the main way -these days- to express the feelings and to show your anger. But, is this the right way? I think yes, it is the right way, although I believe that this way is not neutral but I do believe that it is better than nothing, I know actually that 50% of the internet news readers cannot comment because they have (the censor) in their minds, they believe that each and every word they will write on the internet will lead them to the security offices, they believe that they (the security people) know everything and that they will discover where and when the comments were

What you already read is not parts of a live interview or debate on some TV channel; they are comments on an article in a news website. I tried to choose the most acceptable comments among more than 200 comments on the same article while the article itself is no more than 300 or 400 words, the reader of the article and the comments will find himself in the middle of a tremendous war or let me say an endless war, the fighters in this war use only one weapon -words- to attack, defend, and threaten others. Someone once told me that Syrians are the Gods of politics and political analysis no matter what their position or profession is, however, we are now in the middle of a real war; a war

that feeds on the beliefs of the people, a war that refuses the third party; you have to be with or against, in both cases you have to express and use all kinds of writings, negotiations and convincing skills to get as much supporters as you can, or to release some pressure , or just to show your magnificent writing skills. According to psychologists, the repetition of the facts makes Facts, and interactive seminars are the only way to re-orient the people and to control the public ideas. And that is what we need at this stage of Syrian history. We need to control others minds before some bad people or governments hack their minds and orient them against the

peaceful society and the co-existence in Syria Moustafa A 32 teacher said to explain the importance of monitoring all internets content and comments. We-as a society- dont have the proper experience of how to differentiate between the right and wrong when others express the facts, so you can find a man who changes his attitudes many times in one day or even in one hour according to what he hears and sees, so commenting and discussing ideas in public can be useful and harmful at the same time but you should never think that it will not change anything, Moustafa ended his opinion by assuring that people should be allowed to express their feelings by

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features

Internet comments warunder the microscope

Surfing the net, especially the sites that allow their readers to write down their comments, will let you discover the huge number of the educated people who pay attention to each and every written word and analyze it then reply in a very professional and respectable way, the problem appears when some impulsive puritanical people start to (spill) if we can say- a huge amount of unbelievable words about unbelievable reasons and start to shoot those educated reasonable people with their stupid theories or lies. Thisas I believe- is nothing but a murder against

When you give a weapon to a child.

and should use some educated people to comment, I cant believe that Syria still have such ignorant people they should be prevented from commenting because they are distorting the facts. I dont believe them and every time I read their comments I become trustier about my position said Souad, a 25 years old female and a sales representative. Abbas KH 40 years old: We are not ready for this technology. I think that the extremists of both parties are using the comments exactly as the teenagers using sexual sites just to satisfy their needs in being famous or in provoking others, but, even so, the parties should be so careful of what they write because comments are the constitution of their parties, people will discuss their positions according to the way the comments present the facts and the way the parties answer the charges. They should stay away from conspiracies and external supports, they should discuss

We strongly believe that the (Huffington Post) should be a safe space for individuals, groups and their ideas. As such, violent and hostile language or calls for violence and hostility are not welcome here. If you directly or indirectly threaten the physical or mental well being of a member of this community, or an individual or group who is the subject of an article, you will be removed immediately. If a credible threat is made against an individual or group, not only will it be removed but it is likely that it will be reported to law enforcement agencies and we will cooperate with them to any extent requested. Personal identifiable information should never be posted to the Huffington Post comments section. It never turns out well for anyone.

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We all love Syria, we are all working towards the best for Syria, so we must discuss the pains of Syria in a very civilized and mature way because if we use the opposite way we will hate each other and will plant mines in each others paths. War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory

At the end

(Georges Clemenceau).

written and the address of the writers, so they are afraid, they read or they write the words that could keep them safe and protected. Thats why I dont believe that the comments are true. But I like to read them to know the direction each party takes to prove or to defend his point. We should know that every and each word we write will find someone who will believe in it and build his attitude according to it, so such comments are defining the future of the confrontation in Syria and for me I am not optimistic because the way some party is using is too aggressive and full with threats, so depending on the logic they use to prove their arguments I see that they dont have any logic at all, they will destroy everything according with their primitive way in confronting and talking, they are doing nothing but repeating the same thing every time and when others push them to the corner they start their threats, yes I believe that discussing things through the internet will overload the events and put oil to fire Ghassan J 29 years engineer said.

the educated people. Actually, I believe that all the people and all the channels in and out of Syria should read the comments that discuss the situation in Syria because they have the right answers for all questions. I read more than 100 comments that I loved and wrote in my notebook because they deserve to be published and to be known by all the Syrians Reem 25 years old student. Actually the more you surf and interview people the more you drown. Syrians are expressing now that they are free to say whatever they want but they should be careful because they will guide the society with their words, they should be responsible for each and every word, although, I believe that the websites in Syria are practicing a high level of censorship and monitoring on their content so no comment will be published before they read and analyze it and make sure that it doesnt have anything against some party. Thats why I dont comment I just read comments, but I am telling you those protesters should be polite

the facts in a very honest and civilized way, especially when they talk about the martyrs of each side, insulting dead people is not a victory or a work of honor, comments should not be neutral, everyone should express his thoughts freely, so those who accuse the neutral people should keep silence.

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heritage & travel

The Ruins of Apamea of the ancient world. Thanks to the frequent earthquakes that have regularly shaken this region, all that now remains of the theater is a huge block of stone. The surviving part of the stage wall, the first rows of seats with their stones moldings and the south wall with a fine barrel vault that was once one of the entrances to the theater do, however, give some idea of the natural beauty of this great shell now bared open to the nearby fortress. Sadly, there is no hope that the theater will be resurrected from this chaos one day as, over the countries, the most beautiful and finely-crafted stones have been pillaged.

The Museum

Few towns in the world can claim to have a history that is as complex and as glorious as does the ancient Syrian city of Apamea (Aphamea as it is spoken in modern Arabic).
A Belgian expedition has patiently excavated what remains of this city, in the neighboring valley and on the plateau to the east of the medieval town. The excavations here (begun in 1930 and continuing annually since 1965) have only partially revealed the secrets of the city. From the road even the scanty patches of wheat that battles against the thistles on these chalky slopes is enough to hide what has been uncovered of a city which used to contain up to 120,000 inhabitants. Originally known by the name of Pharnake , it was renamed Pella after Alexander the Greats victory at the battle of Issos in 333 B.C., in memory of his fathers village in Macedonia. Several wars later, following Seleucuss victory over Ipsus in the year 301, the town was renamed Apamea in 300/299 B.C. after a Persian princess married to Seleucus . Ever since, the name Apamea has survived the ravages of time throughout the centuries. Apamea has seven kilometers of ramparts around it. The citys water-tanks were filled by an aqueduct 120 kilometers long. The theatre - with a facade of 139 meters - is one of the largest known. The Seleucide kept a reserve of five hundred elephants here, as well as a breeding stud of thirty thousand mares and three hundred stallions. A crossroads for the East, Apamea received many distinguished visitors. Cleopatra came here on her return from a visit to the Euphrates, accompanying Antony who was campaigning

The Sight

The History

there against Armenia; Septimius Severus arrived in 179, when he was legate of the 4th Scythian Legion and later, in 215, the Emperor Caracalla called here on his way home from a journey to Egypt. In the 4th century Apamea was still conscious of a pagan past, of the glory that her school of philosophers had brought to the city, and that despite the vigor of her bishops who were well known even in distant Constantinople. somewhat later the city became a center of Monophysisum, the doctrine denying the duality of the nature of Christ, which shook the Eastern episcopate to its foundations and led to the establishment of the Syriac-speaking Jacobite Church. At the beginning of the 5th century, Apamea, with its view over the Orontes

and the Ghab plain, was the capital of Syria Secunda whilst Antioch was the capital of Syria Prima. It was also home to the headquarters of an archbishopric. This period of peace and prosperity enjoyed by the town was not to last, however, due to a series of Persian invasions during the 6th century. Apamea was spared from the Persians pillages until the year 573. It fell into their hands again from 613 to 628 and was to remain so until the Arabs peacefully conquered it in 638. In 975 the Byzantines arrived and occupied Apamea for eighteen years up until 993. In 1106, it was conquered by the Crusaders. Forty-three years later, in 1149, the town was once again taken over by Nour Al-Din Ibn-Zanki.

Both a Hellenistic and Roman city, Apamea is laid out in chess-board fashion, like so many other imperial cities. The cardo at Apamea was almost two kilometers long (1.850 m to be precise) and 37.50 meters wide. Originally 1,200 columns soared up into the sky. Quite a respectable boulevard for even a modern city! It was lined throughout its length with porticoes which rested on lofty columns. Monotony in the general perspective was avoided by subtle differences in the various sections of the colonnade; smooth columns with twisted moldings at the base, columns with straight or twisted fluting. All the capitals were elegant Corinthian ones. This great colonnade was erected in the 2nd century A.D. and was still standing in the 12th. It took the earthquakes of 1157 and 1170 to demolish it. But dominating the tumbled ruins of the city, transcending the disorder, a series of columns with twisted fluting has been re-erected; their capitals and entablatures have been put back in place. From the north gate, the Porte of Antioch , where an arch rises up out of a heap of stones, the route continues into a large colonnade, the northern part of which dates back to the last year of Trajans reign (116-117), and which runs alongside the ruins of the northern baths built at the same time and divided into two parts: the warm and hot baths. To the east of the intersection of the large colonnade and the modern road which now covers the decumanus, are the ruins of a building said to have been a triclinium. The triclinium was comprised of nearly eighty rooms grouped around a vast peristyle and two interior courtyards. The sumptuous mosaics decorating

The City

the floors, including Scenes from the hunt (first quarter of the 5th century) now exhibited at the Brussels, Muses Royaux dArt Amazonians (third quarter of the 5th century) exhibited at the Apamea Museum along with other rich ornamentation, all seem to indicate that this residence was the home of one of the provinces top authorities, or even that of the Governor of Syria Secunda himself. Right by this are the remains of the Cathedral of the East. This was originally a martyr where the town of Apameas relic of the cross was kept. After earthquakes in the 6th century, it was developed into a cathedral and became the seat of the archbishop. On the other side of the decumanus opposite the cathedral are the remains of the two houses known as the console house and the pilaster house. A little further on are the vestiges of the house with console on the capital and that of the stag, both private residences that testify to a surprising level luxury and refinement. Heading southwards after crossing the decumanus, and a little further to the left of the cardo, is the church with an atrium (an interior courtyard usually surrounded by a covered portico). Destroyed by the earthquakes of 526 and 528, it was then rebuilt and expanded on several occasions. The rectangular-shaped reliquary caskets kept here were particularly interesting. The pilgrims used to pour oil through a funnel in the lid of these caskets which contained the relics of saints, and would then catch the oil in little cups on the side of the casket. Built during the second century AD, the theater, which has a 139 meter facade, was one of the biggest, if not the biggest in the whole

The Apamea Museum, build by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman al-Qanuni in 1531, is the most deep-rooted museum in the East, displaying 11 of the rarest mosaics and showcasing the greatness of the people that inhabited Apamea two thousand years ago. The Eastern section contains mosaics dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries AD, including a mosaic from the 5th century depicting Socrates surrounded by his students. Other Mosaics include a depiction of a beauty contest, presided upon by the Greek god of the sea Poseidon along with sea nymphs and Cassiopeia, the daughter of Zeus, who is shown being crowned as the most beautiful woman. The Eastern section also shows a mosaic depicting a gazelle surrounded by flowers, symbolizing fertility, in addition to a mosaic knows as the cathedral from the 5th century, depicting animals that symbolize good defeating evil. Another mosaic depicts the Amazons, the warrior women of Greek mythology, riding horses and chasing wild animals. The Western section contains six mosaics dating back to the 6th century AD from the Hortah archeological site, including a mosaic depicting Adam surrounded by tame animals, a mosaic the mythical Phoenix bird, and a mosaic found in St. Michaels church depicting a man leading two horses carrying a howdah with the inscription Georgeos Claudios above them. The museum, also, contains a number of unique statues, including a rare statue of an eagle dating back to the 2nd century AD. The statue, which is 1.5 meters high and was found in the Eastern area of Apamea, is a symbol of the Roman army. Other notable statues include a marble statue of a headless woman depicting the Roman goddess of health, in addition to a 40 CM high marble statue of two incomplete nude male and female figures. Both statues date back to the 2nd century AD. The Museums also houses three 1.5-metershigh stone statues of Roman kings sitting on limestone thrones dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, in addition to two statues of the Greek sun god Helios and the Palmyran sun god Yarhibol.

Travel-time from Damascus: ~ 3 hours

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Fashion

Damascene Wood Mosaic title of the article

This handicraft uses various types of colored wood to make the veneer, such as rosewood, Eucalyptus, walnut, almond and lemon wood, in addition to seashells which are imported from Asia. The main body and structure of the mosaic pieces is made from beech or walnut wood. How is it made? The veneers are made by cutting square or triangular pieces of wood into thin layers that are cut into smaller pieces in various shapes and then glued on the pieces body. Handcrafted mosaics may take more than two months to make. This craft reached its current state at the hands of Damascene craftsman Jerji al-Bitar, who introduced a personal touch into the craft during the second half of the 20th century, using interlocking color elements and a unique style. Other craftsmen continued to develop this art, using bone and ivory to further enrich it.

A flourishing industry The popularity and increasing demand for mosaic by Arab and foreign tourists caused the craft to flourish, producing captivating masterpieces of impeccable precision and beautiful design. Mosaics arent limited to small trinkets and gift items; there are mosaic chairs, cabinets, bookshelves, and entire furniture sets. Depending on the type, precision and craftsmanship of the piece, the price of a mosaic ranges from SP 50,000 to one million.

Beit Nizam, Maktab Anbar and the palaces of Khaled al-Azem, al-Sibaii and al-Kuwatli are among the most famous Damascene houses decorated with wood mosaic.

The Damascene wood mosaic is one of the oldest, most distinguished traditional handicrafts in Damascus. For centuries it gave the houses of Damascus a unique beauty, and recently it is increasingly- earning popularity among Syrians and tourists alike.

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lifestyle

Your Complete Guide to Runningarticle title of the Shoes

Your Complete Guide to

ue to the complexity of individual feet, it is difficult to objectively define the features of the best running shoe. Every runner, brand and model of running shoe differs. The challenge is to match the features of each runner to the features of a particular brand and model of running shoe. That is why it is important to visit specialty running shoe stores that offer expert advice and help find the best shoe that suits an individuals needs.

Theres no single <best shoe everyone has different needs. All sorts of things - your biomechanics, your weight, the surfaces you run on, and obviously, the shape of your feet - indicate that one persons ideal shoe can be terrible for another person. Running shoes are not created equally. Not only can they alter your speed, but they can also affect your knees, your back and your joints. Selecting the right running shoe can make the whole difference, but you might be overwhelmed when faced with a wall full of shoes that all look pretty much the same. However, if you follow these steps, you can find shoes that will have you running like an Olympic marathoner. To pick the right shoes for yourself, you need to understand what pronation is. Pronation is the rolling of the foot from heel to

toe through the foot strike. A proper or neutral pronation is hitting the outside of the heel up to the ball of your foot evenly across the front. This is how your foot reduces the stress of impact. Underpronation is not sufficiently evening out so the outside of your foot takes most of the shock instead of finishing in the neutral position, while overpronation is too much roll across from the outside to the inside of your foot. To determine your level of pronation, look at your shoes you walk or run with. While everyone will begin on the outside of the heel, the real indicator would be the wear on the forefoot. If most of the shoe wear is on the medial (inside) side then you overpronate and probably need to choose motion-control running shoes,

but if they are on the lateral (outside) side then you underpronate and most likely need to choose cushioned running shoes Typically, running shoes come in three shapes (straight, semi-curved and curved) which correspond to the three types of prints revealed by the wet test. Most experts would say: If you have flat feet and overpronate, choose a motion-control running shoe. Motion-control shoes prevent your foot from rolling in too far, have a straight shape that gives maximum support to your foot and are the most rigid, control-oriented running shoes. If you have high-arched feet and underpronate, you should choose a cushioned running shoe. Cushioned shoes allow your feet to roll inward (absorbing shock), have a curved shape to encourage foot motion and have the softest midsole with the least medial support. If you have normal arches and pronate normally, choose a stability running shoe. Stability shoes offer a good blend of cushioning, medial support and durability. They often have a semi-curved shape and dont control foot motion as strictly as motion-control shoes. Finally, if you like to run fast and race seriously, you should choose a high performance running shoe (at least for race days). Performance shoes are lighter, built on a semi curved to curved last, have less cushioning, are lower to the ground, have a lower heelto-toe ramp angle and lack the majority of cushioning and stability features of standard running shoes. High performance shoes are most suitable for <serious or elite racers. Their lack of stability and cushioning make them inappropriate for the vast majority of recreational runners. Now that you know what kind of shoe you need to buy, you need to find a good running

shoe store. You can buy your shoe at the local mega-mart, but the sales professionals in a specialty store are better trained to help you pick the right shoe. To locate a store, ask friends who run, check running magazine reviews, or check the yellow pages. Also, examine the soles of your old running shoes. Notice the spots where the shoes show wear from the road. This tells you where your foot falls every time it hits the ground. Place your shoes side-by-side on a flat surface. If the shoes tilt in toward the middle, your new shoe probably needs more stability than your old shoe. If they tilt to the outside, you may have a high arch and your new shoes should have good shock absorption. Look at the top of your shoe. If you can see an outline of your big or little toe and youve noticed discomfort in those areas while running, you should try a larger or wider shoe. Consider the amount of running you will be doing. This tells you whether you should buy an elite running shoe or a basic model. The more intense the running, the more money youll want to spend on the shoes. Go to the running shoe store. Tell them what youve found out about your old shoes or bring a pair with you. The employees should be able to read your old shoes and guide your choice. If not, you probably should find a different store. Try out the shoes. Try on as many shoes as it takes. Make sure you like the feel and fit of the shoe. Try out the new shoes for at least 10 minutes. This lets you know if the shoe maintains its comfort during wear. Buy the best running shoes for your feet. When you find the right pair, dont let them get away. Take them home and start breaking them in!

Running shoes should not pinch any part of your foot. If they do, its time for new shoes. Break your new running shoes in gently. Start out with short distance runs or you risk massive blisters and sore feet. Wearing your running shoes after theyre worn down can injure you. Think of your shoes as a car that you must replace every 425 miles. Never wear new running shoes during a marathon.

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Your Complete Guide to Running Shoes

Here are our recommendations for the Best Running Shoes. Since running shoes are typically split up into three categories depending on the type of arch and running style that you have, below I have provided the top 3 shoes in each category.

Best Neutral/Cushioned Running Shoes

The Neutral category of running shoes is for normal/high arches and a good stride with no overpronation or slight underpronation. Neutral running shoes are also referred to as Cushioned running shoes, due to the fact that because you dont need much Stability designed into the shoe, the cushioning can be more prominent.

The Brooks Glycerin 8 is a Neutral shoe that has been awarded Runners World Editors Choice for Spring 2010. The Brooks Glycerin 8 is the first shoe from Brooks to contain their new technology called Brooks DNA. This fancy sounding technology basically means that the cushioning adapts to the unique needs of each runner. If you are heavier; it supports more, if you are lighter; it supports less because it doesnt need to. The Glycerin has always been known as a good supportive shoe able to handle the foot strike of bigger runners.

The Asics Gel Nimbus 12 is the top of the line and best-selling neutral/cushioned running shoe that Asics offers. Not only is it one of the most popular shoes that Asics offers, it was also awarded the Best Update from Runners World in the Summer 2010 Shoe Guide. The Nimbus 12 includes offset lacing and a weight reduction from last years shoe. I would recommended the Asics Gel Nimbus 12 for runners with normal to high arches looking for a neutral/cushioned shoe with a bit of added stability.

For the most cushioned Nike shoe out there, go no further than the Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5. The Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 could be a great match for you if you have a Neutral to Underpronator running style with normal to high arches. Improvements from last year include using a no-sew technique on the upper to reduce irritation, and reduced weight from last years model. Consider trying the Nike Zoom Vomero+ 5 if you are looking for a lightweight, responsive performance cushioning shoe to match your Neutral high/normal arch running style.

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Your Complete Guide to Running Shoes

Best Stability Running Shoes

Stability running shoes are typically designed for normal/low arches and if you overpronate only slightly. With stability shoes, you wont have all the weight that is typically seen in Motion Control shoes, yet they provide a good balance of stability and cushioning.

The Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11 was awarded the Runners World Winter 2010 Best Update, and its no wonder why as it still remains one of the best stability running shoes on the market. The Adrenaline GTS 11 is a lightweight stability shoe, an excellent reminder that you dont have to sacrifice performance for getting some support out of your running shoe. I recommend this shoe if you have normal or low arches and need a soft stability shoe.

Editors choice, no surprise for the Asics GT-2160 stability running shoe and its award winning heritage. The Asics GT2160 changed a bit from the 2150, almost reverting back to a fit closer to the 2140, which is a good thing. Lots of people that had problems with the bigger toe box of the 2150 were delighted to see that the 2160 has narrowed the toe box, closer to the toe box on the 2140, which helps in preventing the forefoot from shifting around. I would recommend if you are currently in a pair of 2140s and very happy with those shoes, that you skip over the 2150s and go right to the 2160s. Many who had a chance to wear the 2150s and the 2160s are also saying that the cushioning and responsiveness has improved, which also contributed to making the 2150 feel quite a bit different. The GT-2160 has an almost identical weight as last years shoe, increasing only 0.1 ounces to 11.5 oz for men, and 9.6 oz for women. With lots of Asics running shoes coming out with asymmetrical lacing, you might expect the Asics GT 21xx line to follow the same road someday, but that day is not here yet. The Asics GT-2160 has good old straight lacing. If you have a narrow heel, you will find the Asics GT-2160 to work well for you as reported by several runners. If the standard width shoe has a heel that still doesnt work, be glad to know that the GT-2160 also has narrow sizing options. The Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 13 Running Shoe falls into the Stability category of shoes, which means it provides the support and stability slight overpronators need, but without sacrificing cushioning or a smooth ride. The Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 13 was given the Best Update award by Runners World in their Spring 2010 Running Shoe guide. The features that were updated to earn this award are an improved crash pad to better absorb shock and moderate pronation, as well as an upper with minimal material which shaves some weight. The medial post was also updated to be more substantial to be more supportive. The addition of a heel-strap overlay attached to the laces for great heel locking and a secure fit in the womens model is another great update.

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Your Complete Guide to Running Shoes

Best Motion Control Running Shoes

Motion control running shoes are for those with flat feet that overpronate significantly. Shoes are typically classified by heaver weight and stiffer midsoles to provide the necessary stability to handle the overpronation.

The Brooks Beast is the typical shoe for heavier runners who overpronate severely. Even if an overpronator, that may not be the right shoe. The Brooks Beast is a big motion control shoe, not really for slight overpronators. Standard/premium stability shoes can work just fine in many cases. The Brooks Beast shoe has more of the high-end stuff than the Brooks Addiction. For the money, the Addiction is a good shoe, but it doesnt stack up to the Brooks Beast for heavy severe overpronators.

The Asics Gel Evolution 5 are the most supportive shoes in the Asics lineup of running shoes and fall into the Motion Control category. This shoe is for runners who excessively overpronate, have low arches, and is also designed to support bigger runners who overpronate and need more support than a regular Stability shoe. We have heard quite a few positive results from bigger runners about how the Evolution 5s were able to help control overpronation for them, when other shoes couldnt. Also, quite a few runners have reported that insoles and orthotics are able to fit in with no problem, which can be challenging with some running shoes.

The Brooks Addiction 9 is one of the most popular motion control running shoes on the market to help support you low arched, overpronators out there. Even though the shoe has tons of stability and motion control features, you will find that cushioning wasnt sacrificed. The sole is pretty flat in the Brooks Addiction 9 to provide a wide base of support, along with a firm, supportive arch to help counter the tendency for overpronators to roll excessively inwards as a part of your running stride. The Brooks design feature that provides this support is the Extended Progressive Diagonal Rollbar (PDRB), which is a tri-density midsole to allow for advanced pronation control and smooth out the transition phase of your running stride. The extra cushioning comes from the Brooks HydroFlow, which are the layers of padding underneath the forefoot and rearfoot to enhance overall comfort.

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lifestyle It all comes down to some elusive qualities women have a hard time understanding but men are always on the lookout for, explains Willard Harley Jr., Ph.D., author of I Promise You: Preparing for a Marriage That Will Last a Lifetime. Part of what makes him want to get married is chemistry and passion, but its also about certain actions and behaviors that are more concrete than youd think, says Harley. Below, we clue you in to five crucial traits that separate the girls men date from the ones who make them want to set a date. The thing that makes my fiance so captivating: She takes risks. I dont mean she bungee jumps off bridges. Its more that when a new opportunity comes along a different facet to her job or the chance to meet new people at an event or party she grabs it and proceeds. Her boldness makes her enchanting. Bob, 27

The Ones We Marry Your Marriage. A woman who puts effort into maintaining that sizzle is a dream come true. To make sure that the awesome sex we had when we first met didnt lose its passion, my wife came up with this idea for regular sex bets. For example, shed bet me that I couldnt make her climax several times in a row, or Id challenge her to initiate action in a semipublic spot. We have never fallen into a rut, and our competition keeps us feeling connected. Jamie, 30 My fiance did this terrific thing when we first started having sex: After we were finished, shed tell me how good I made her feel, that she really liked how I felt against her skin. It made me want to tell her what I liked too. Guys arent supposed to admit it, but opening up about how sex affects us emotionally actually enhances the physical side of things. Paul, 28 My fiance was up-front from the start about her desire for an extremely satisfying sex life; she never had any hang-ups about taking charge in bed or proposing out-there activities that a lot of women would be afraid to admit they were curious about. I could tell I wasnt getting ensnared in the classic baitand-switch marriage that so many guys fall into you know, when the action slows to a halt a year after you become husband and wife. Russ, 34
continuous on next page >>>>>>>>

Why GUYS Marry Some Girls (but Not Others)

Words by: Beth Whiffen

You know how every season finale of your favorite TV show ends with a million unanswered questions and you cant freaking wait for the next one? Well, a girl can give her guy that same thrilling mix of exhilaration and anticipation by surprising him. She does this by being spontaneous and a little unpredictable, taking on new interests all the time, and revealing different facets of herself, explains Alon Gratch, Ph.D., author of If Love Could Think. By never letting life get static, this woman busts the myth that being married means feeling humdrum. She makes being with her an adventure, as if theres always a new idea or activity just around the bend, says Gratch. With most of my girlfriends, I feared that wed run out of things to talk about if we spent too much time together. But when I met my fiance, Gwen, I kept discovering new layers to her. One day she came home from work with a stack of cookbooks; the next week she told me stories about how she loved designing outfits in high school. Shes full of small surprises. Brett, 29

Tie-the-Knot-Trait 1: Shes Exciting and Always Evolving

No big shocker here a chick who enjoys twisting the sheets will always have a hopping social life. But when a woman makes the effort to have really connected sex that involves both body and mind, she goes from great girlfriend to marriage material in his view. Men crave sex thats erotic, but they also want sex that makes them feel deeply bonded, says Gratch. In other words, its not all about wowing a guy with pretzel-like positions; a big part of having amazing booty is paying close attention to his mind-set and moods during the deed so sex reaches a higher, almost spiritual level. Another thing that makes them think of the M word: when a woman is actively committed to keeping the passion on high boil. A guys biggest fear is that the great sex that made him think you were The One will fall by the wayside, explains Douglas Weiss, Ph.D., author of The 7 Love Agreements: Decisions You Can Make on Your Own to Strengthen

Tie-the-Knot-Trait 2: She Really, Really Loves Sex

t happens all the time: A guy spends months, even years, in a longterm relationship with a girl he really digs. But after dropping the I-dont-see-myself-ever-getting-married bomb, he suddenly turns around and ties the knot with a new chick. The factors that tip a dude from steady relationship to till death do us part seem like the ultimate unsolved mystery ... especially when youre in a solid LTR and arent sure if your guy is even considering marriage.

I dated a lot of girls who liked pushing boundaries, but it all seemed a little forced. My wifes sense of adventure, however, comes from within. Shes naturally driven to challenge herself by trying new things. Thats the kind of girl you want to marry. If you arent continually fascinated by each other, it wont last. Rob, 38

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Its flattering to a guy to realize that his girl thinks the world of him, but its less appealing when he gets the impression that he is her world. Thats why a girlfriend who retains her independence and sense of self, even as the relationship takes a serious turn, has definite wife appeal. A woman who depends on a man for her sense of fulfillment is a scary thing for a guy, says Gratch. Men dont want to feel smothered or totally responsible for their partners day-to-day happiness. The guy ideal: a chick who views coupledom as a solid partnership in which both she and her man still have separate identities. Before we were married, Jess would go out with her group of friends a lot, which I later became a part of. But she didnt put all of her focus on me. She made it clear that she was there to hang out with them. I really liked the fact that she wasnt the type of girl who ditches her girlfriends when she meets a guy. It made me confident that shed always have her own life outside our relationship. Sam, 33 She definitely makes time for me so we can do things as boyfriend and girlfriend, but my fiance also keeps up her own life. She has a weekly dinner with college friends, an art class

Tie-the-Knot-Trait 3: She Makes It Clear Hes Not Her Entire Life

every Thursday night, plus the responsibilities of her job as a journalist. I like that she doesnt check with me first to see what I want to do and she doesnt offer to bail out of an event or night out with pals in favor of always being with me. Charles, 35

sandwiches before shed leave on another trip. Her concern and thoughtfulness helped push our relationship to a higher level. David, 28 Every so often, my in-laws and I will get into an argument. But from the very first one, my wife has always respectfully defended me, and this made me want to be with her forever. She loves her parents and values their opinions, of course, and she and I dont always see eye to eye. Yet no matter what the issue is, she still lets her family know that shes sticking by me. This is a big thing for guys. I know it sounds ridiculous, but men tend to see themselves as misunderstood lone wolves.-Alan, 30

Okay, so men dig independent chicks. But theres a fine line between being independent and acting aloof and detached. Guys settle down with a woman who regularly reveals her tender side and shows him that no matter what happens, shes got his back. Men view life as a struggle or war that theyre fighting, and they want someone wholl be on their side at all times, through thick and thin, says Gratch. This doesnt mean that a woman should mother him or assist him with every little detail of his life; its more about consistently doing small, nurturing things that let him know you really care. A couple of examples: Bringing him a treat when he tells you he isnt feeling well or complimenting his brilliance after he finishes a stressful work project. These gestures are tiny, but they reassure a man that his girl is solidly on his team, says Gratch. When we first started becoming a serious couple, my fianc accepted a new job that required a lot of travel and attention. Still, even from hotels across the country, she took the time to call and check in on how my day was going and e-mail me little messages. She even stocked my refrigerator with beer and

Tie-the-Knot-Trait 4: Yet She Still Conveys How Very Important He Is to Her

Men dont secretly want their girlfriends to bark orders at them like a drill sergeant. Its more about helping him reach his potential by actively supporting his goals, even pushing him a teensy bit so he can succeed in whatever he does. Young guys tend to try to get away with as little as possible, and a lot of women let them, thinking that it would be out of line to challenge their man, says Harley. But a man admires a woman who encourages him to shape up and toe the line ... as long as she has his best interests in mind and isnt trying to mold him. This also means calling his bluff and not letting him get away with slacking off. Even though it might seem like tough love at the time, she helps him achieve and accomplish things, and deep down he appreciates her for that, says Harley. Before we got engaged, the woman who is now my fianc told me that she thought I was drinking too much, working too hard, and not taking care of myself. Ouch. But when I actually took in what she said, I knew that she was right and she was looking out for me. No other girlfriend had ever been so honest. Ryan, 29 I wasnt on speaking terms with my father for years, and when I told my girlfriend this and that I just didnt care about having a relationship with him anymore, she didnt nod sympathetically. She made me call him and work things out because she knew Id eventually regret it if I didnt. She had the guts to disagree with me about something most women wouldnt want to get involved in. Shawn, 31

Tie-the-Knot-Trait 5: She Wants Him to Be the Best Man He Can Be

Exhibirions
20 23 September. Damascus Exhibition: Febrava Venue: Al Mutanabi Hall Being organized by Reed Exhibitions Brasil, Febrava, is one of the largest refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation, heating and air treatment expos. For 4 days, it will attract more than 28,000 visitors from over 25 nations. 26 30 September. Damascus Exhibition: CLIMATECH Venue: Damascus International Fairground Climatech is the most important regional event, which gathers expertise from all over the world in the Air conditioning and refrigeration, heating and alternative energy sectors. Organized by Syrian International Marketing Association. 26 30 September. Damascus Exhibition: Watex Venue: Damascus International Fairground. Being held at Damascus International Fairground, Watex is the 3rd International Exhibition for Water Technology. For 5 days, the fair will be organized by Syrian International Marketing Association and will prove to be highly successful in taping the emerging trends of the sector. It will offer a viable platform for Irrigation, water reclamation, water storage reservoirs, water purification, desalination plants, water management & distribution networks etc. 6 10 October. Damascus Exhibition: Moms, Babies & Kids Exhibition Venue: Damascus International Fairground. Moms Babies & Kids Exhibition (MBK) will be held in Syria to meet the increasing demand on products and services that relate to pregnant women, infants, children and mothers in the Middle East, due to the significant annual growth of birth rates which reached an average of 20%. MBK provides an ideal opportunity for local, Arab and international companies to be in direct contact with targeted buyers developing interactive business relations in a professional atmosphere. 11 13 October. Damascus Exhibition: The Tourism Investment & Real Estate Development Venue: Damascus Four Seasons Hotel. The Tourism Investment & Real Estate Development (City View Syria 2010). This event is a result of the continued efforts by the Syrian government and other Institutions specialized in tourism investment and realestate sectors with the aim of activating this vital sector. More than 58 companies will take part in the event. This is the 4th edition of the event which is being organized by Al Haitham Exhibitions & Conferences. 11 14 October. Damascus Exhibition: International Hotels & Restaurants Equipment Exhibition Hotex (International Hotels and Restaurants Equipment Exhibition) 2011 - Damascus gives interested Arabic and foreign companies in tourism and travel field the chance to gather under one roof to exchange experiences and points of view and to be acquainted with everything new in this field, and to contribute in developing and supporting this vivid sector in Syria and in participant countries. Venue: Damascus International Fairground 11 14 October. Damascus Exhibition IBATECH Venue: Damascus International Fairground. IBATECH is Sirya>s biggest trade fair on Bakery, Patisserie Machinery Ice Cream, Chocolate and Technologies. IBATECH does not only represent the largest gathering of the sector in Turkey, but also guarantees exhibitors> and visitors> success by bringing together all the professionals and trades people from the surrounding region, i.e. Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Middle East and CIS countries. 14 18 October. Aleppo Exhibition: The Tourism Investment & Real Estate Development Aleppo Expo Venue: Sheraton Hotel-Aleppo This event is a result of the continued efforts by the Syrian government and other Institutions specialized in tourism investment and realestate sectors with the aim of activating this vital sector. More than 58 companies will take part in the event which is being organized by Al Haitham Exhibitions & Conferences. . More than 58 companies will take part in the event. Which is being organized by Al haitham Exhibitions & Conferences.

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8 Reasons He Cheats

Ever since I can remember, I have always been attracted to women with large chests. My ex-girlfriend was great in a lot of ways, but she was completely flat-chested, which did absolutely nothing to make me sexually attracted to her. I tried to look past it, but it was hard. About two months into our relationship, I was out with a bunch of friends at a sports bar, and our incredibly hot and ample-chested waitress was really hitting on me. She gave me her number and asked me if I wanted me to meet her after her shift was over. I agreed, and ended up sleeping with her. It was just a one night thing, but it helped me realize I needed to end things with my girlfriend, because I had to be with someone I was madly attracted to. Dave, 26.

The physical attraction just isnt there

Words by: Chelsea Kaplan

ometimes, when the going gets tough, the tough get it on with someone else. But what really makes men stray? A nagging girlfriend? Bad sex? An escape from loneliness? Yes, yes and yes. Hear why these men slipped away from their girlfriends and landed in someone elses bed. Then whether youre a guy or a girl use the info below to sidestep this kind of situation in your love life. For payback

I cheated on my ex at a time when she was traveling so much that I never saw her. It was almost as if I didnt have a girlfriend. I got so lonely especially on the weekend nights, and I missed that companionship, both physically and emotionally. When she was gone, I began seeing someone else while I was still technically seeing my ex. I ended up telling my ex and she broke it off with me. In the end, I think things ended for the better, even though the steps I took to make it happen werent very honorable. I now make sure that whoever I choose to date doesnt have a job that requires big-time traveling. Scott, 30.

She just isnt there

I met my ex in a Weight Watchers meeting, of all places. When we started dating, we were both about 50 pounds overweight. As the months went by, I took the program really seriously and quickly dropped weight. She didnt adhere to the program, and her weight didnt come off. After I lost the weight, I felt this new sense of confidence women who had never spoken to me before began approaching me, and it felt great. My ex, on the other hand, was depressed about being heavy, and was always jealous of other women. One weekend when she was out of town, I met this gorgeous woman at my gym and we slept together. I never told my ex, but I did end up breaking up with her a few weeks after that incident. Ive realized since then that I need to be with women who are on the same page as me about the things in my life that are important. Brad, 41.

Hes moved on emotionally

approaching women. I once had a girlfriend who was just as shy as me. Our relationship was fine nothing too exciting but I was resigned to the fact that it was my best option. I went to a conference for business, and during one of the dinners, a really attractive, sexy woman at my table began hitting on me like mad. I was so shocked; nothing like that had ever happened to me before. It made my self-confidence skyrocket, and I felt on top of the world. She and I were together that night and a few other times during the conference. I never told my ex about what had happened, but I did end things with her a few months later. After the conference the other woman and I never saw each other again, but the experience gave me the confidence that I could go out and approach interesting, exciting women I just needed that push. Charlie, 33.

I once cheated on my girlfriend after I saw on her cell phone that she had been text-messaging with her ex. They were pretty harmless messages, but it angered me that she had been communicating with him in the first place Id always thought they were a little too chummy. That night, I was out with friends and had a lot to drink. I got so worked up about those messages that I pretty much made it my mission to find another girl and hook up with her, which I did. I think it was a payback thing. We eventually broke up, but not because of that incident I never told her but more so because we just werent right for each other. I know it wasnt the best way to handle my anger, but at the time, it sure did feel good. Christopher, 29.

I had dated Melanie all through college ever since we met at orientation. After we graduated, I moved to New York and she moved to Chicago, but we decided wed stay together. I spent nearly every weekend traveling to see her, but during the week, Id go out with my friends in New York and have a blast. After a few months of that drill, I knew staying true to her would be tough; going out in the city made me realize how many smart, beautiful women are out there, and never having been with anyone other than Melanie made me feel like I was missing out on a lot of fun. One night I hooked up with another girl, which finally made me realize I had to end things with Melanie. I told her what happened, and, as it turned out, she had done the same thing a few times. While we were both hurt, we realized we needed to take some time off. We stayed friends, and still are today, even though were married to different people. Tom, 35.

He thinks hes missing out

My ex and I used to live together, and we fought all the time. The constant tension made me miserable. In contrast to my ex, there was a girl at work who was easygoing, friendly and fun. One night we were both working late and ended up getting a drink together after we left. One thing led to another, and I ended up staying over at her place. As bad as this may sound, after that happened, I felt free. It was as if I finally had the courage to just end it with my ex already. When I came home the next morning, my ex went crazy, but for the first time, it didnt bother me, because I knew what I was going to do. I told her exactly what had happened and that Id be moving out that week, and I did. I began seeing the girl from work, and weve been together for about four months now. Nate, 34.

Theres too much fighting

I once cheated on my girlfriend of six months when a girl I had been pining over for quite some time came on to me. She had been with someone else for a long time, so I knew she was off-limits. I have to admit, Id still probably do it again; it was like my fantasy finally came true. I broke up with my girlfriend and dated this girl for a while, but we didnt last. Sometimes, the fantasy is better than the reality! Mark, 44.

To fulfill a fantasy

Im really shy, and have never felt very comfortable

He needs a shot of selfesteem

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lifestyle with AB blood can tolerate tomato lectins. This blood type group needs to concentrate on moderation and small portion sizes. Foods that encourage weight loss in people with type AB blood are: tofu, seafood, spirulina, green vegetables, pineapple and sea kelp. Smoked and cured meats should be avoided. People with blood type O have the strongest digestive systems. People in this group need animal protein, fruits and vegetables for good health. They should generally avoid carbohydrates, because they dont digest them well. The best diet for a type O person is a diet high in animal protein, low in carbohydrates and a small amount of dairy products. Foods that aid weight loss for the O blood type are: seafood, sea kelp, red meat, spinach, broccoli and kale. Make friends easily and go with flow and grasp opportunity, Quick to start a project or chase an idea. Are good at organizing activities. May have short attention span, and expresses strong emotions, may quickly take opposite views that are deep but not always durable, classic entrepreneurs and movers and shakers. Express their emotions but can be swayed by other blood types. Have an intrinsic elegance. Sociable and showy. May be good at adapting to circumstances. Words come easily to them. Not self conscious and will frankly reveal inner feelings. Ambitious, but may have issues with detail. They Like to touch and be touched by others.

Know Your Blood!

Type B Active

onsidering the fact the groundwater defines the quality of the fruits we should re-think about our blood as the groundwater of our bodies it is very important to know what type our blood is, not as a prestige, but to know how to strengthening it, because we are nothing but machines, each machine works according to a specific instruction, so if you fill a car operates on benzene with diesel fuel it will work for about 10 meters, then it will never work until you change all the interior equipment.

Type O

Population: Roughly 9% of the world. Traits: cheerful, optimistic, active, sensitive, kind, forgetful, unorganized, noisy, egocentric Energetic and have the drive to reach towards goals, may be workaholics, not the best team players and are individualistic, do things at ones own pace, strong personality adventurous, likes to get ones own way, and they are Sociable and enjoy entertaining. Likes to touch or be touched by others.

Type AB Care-Free

Thats why we have blood types; to eat differently, to be different and to give our unique fruits. So in order to live as we are supposed to, we should consider our blood types. We have tried to collect as much useful info as possible about this subject. So let us start

There are four blood types: A, B, AB and O. The most common blood type is O, and AB is the least common, with only about 5 percent of the worlds population having AB blood. People with different blood types metabolize food differently. This is where the Blood Type Diet comes into play. Eating food that are easily metabolized for your blood type aids in digestion and offers various health benefits. You lose weight because the body rids itself of toxins that are stored in the fat cells.

Facts

People with blood type A have fragile digestive systems, and are usually lactose intolerant. They generally should avoid dairy products and animal protein, opting for legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. People with type A, of all blood types, would benefit the most from being vegetarians. This is because their stomachs dont produce enough hydrochloric acid and, therefore, they dont digest animal protein well. Foods that help the type A group lose weight are: vegetable oils, soy foods, vegetables, spirulina and pineapple. People with blood type B usually have no problems digesting food. However, there are some foods that people with this blood type should avoid if they dont want to gain weight.

Type A

These foods include: corn, buckwheat, peanuts, lentils and sesame seeds. Also, gluten that is found in wheat germ and wheat products can cause a drop in insulin levels and cause symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Foods that encourage weight loss in people with blood type B are: red meat, green vegetables, eggs, seafood, soy foods, licorice tea, oatmeal, olive oil, flaxseed oil, millet, oat bran, rice bran and puffed rice. Blood type AB is very rare and has been around only for about 1,000 years. People with this blood type are similar to those with blood type A and cant process animal protein well. However, their bodies still need a small amount of animal protein. The foods that are bad for type A and type B blood types are generally bad for people with type AB blood, except those

Population: Roughly 34% of the world Traits: Obedient, careful, sympathetic, selfsacrificing, polite, honest, loyal, emotional, introverted & nervous. Are reserved calm and even tempered, sensitive to public opinion, may be introverted, shy and nervous or ill at 1 -If your blood type is A diet containing vegetables, ease with others, may be pessimistic, organic preferably. Grains and soy protein are also value relationships and are loyal, beneficial. Do not skip meals, eat smaller, more hesitant to change, nature lovers and frequent meals and eat more protein at the start of the dislike crowds; need a private place or day. Light exercise is recommended. secret hideaway, can be indecisive, good 2 -If your blood type is B, try eating luncheon at team work and obey rules. meat and low-fat diary products. Stay away from Dislikes touching or being touched lentils, wheat and corn; they are great weight gain by others. factors for your blood type. Moderate exercise is recommended. 3 -If your blood type is AB you digestive tract is sensitive. You should avoid beef, pork and chicken. Dairy, tofu, seafood and produce are recommended. Calming exercise such as yoga, tai chi and deep breathing exercises are recommended. 4 -If your blood type O based on your metabolism you will benefit from eating poultry, fish and lean meats. Vigorous exercise is also recommended. Stay away from breads, grains and legumes.

Type A Cool

Diets

Population: Roughly 4% of the world Traits: Social, easy going, sympathetic, diplomatic, outgoing, reiterative, creative, unpredictable, artistic, flexible, moody and brooding. Blend of opposites, shy with some and bold with some, introvert and extrovert, unpredictable and may seem to have calm exterior, strong creative strain, good at spotting problems and skirting them, like city environment, get bored easily, everything they do is compelling, never take things for granted, appear mysterious, contribute harmoniously to society. Dislike touching or being touched by others.

Type AB

Type O Hot

People according to their blood types

Type B

Population: Roughly 38% of the world Traits: Confident and Strong-Willed, Proud, Dedicated, Sociable, Energetic, Extroverted, Frank, Realist, Showy, Flighty, Generalist, Positive, Independent, Risk-Takers, Dislike taking orders, Insecure, Stubborn & SelfCentered.

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Send an article of no more than 700 words on a subject of your choice to basel.bannoud@awicompany.com with the title: Readers contribution for Whats ON

Do you want to see your article on this page?

film & TV

Real Steel

Rowan Atkinson returns to the role of the accidental secret agent who doesnt know fear. In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence ofcer in Her Majestys Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos. In the years since MI-7s top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia. But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premiers life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent. Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action. With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7. With mere days until a heads of state conference...
Director: Oliver Parker Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike and Dominic West.

Created by: Khaldoun Qaddoura

Jamie (Mila Kunis) is an Executive Recruiter for a leading job agency in New York City and Dylan (Justin Timberlake) works as an art director for a small internet company in Los Angeles. Jamie has the task of trying to recruit Dylan to interview for a job with GQ magazine and begin working in New York City. Dylan comes to New York and after interviewing for the position learns from Jamie that he has been given an offer to work for GQ. At rst Dylan is hesitant to accept and move from Los Angeles to New York, but in an effort to get Dylan to accept the job Jamie spends the evening taking him around the city trying to sell him on the opportunity and the city...
Director: Will Gluck Stars: Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake and Patricia Clarkson.

In the year 2020, robots have replaced humans in boxing. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) loses a chance to become a boxing champion when robots take over, and he becomes a small-time promoter. When he has difculty making a living, he reluctantly teams up with his son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build a robot that can contend for the championship.

Director: Shawn Levy Stars: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly and Anthony Mackie.

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The lm opens when Marissa, (Jessica Alba) who is trying to to ght a villain named Tick-Tock, goes into labor with a baby girl named Maria and manages to defeat him and send him to jail. She decides to retire so she doesnt put her stepchildren or her newborn in danger or nd out about her being an agent. The lm then revolves around twins named Rebecca and Cecil Wilson (Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook) who always bet and compete against each other. Rebecca has no respect for her stepmother as she think she cant replace her mother since their mother has died, and their spyhunting reporter father Wilbur Wilson (Joel McHale) has little time to spend with them and has to go to work and has not even caught one spy.
Director: Robert Rodriguez Stars: Jessica Alba, Jeremy Piven and Joel McHale

Based on a true story, Killer Elite pits two of the worlds most elite operatives - Danny, an ex-special ops agent (Jason Statham) and Hunter, his longtime mentor (Robert De Niro) - against the cunning leader of a secret military society (Clive Owen ). Covering the globe from Australia to Paris, London and the Middle East, Danny and Hunter are plunged into a highly dangerous game of cat and mouse - where the predators become the prey.
Director: Gary McKendry Stars: Jason Statham, Clive Owen and Robert De Niro

A young lion prince is born in Africa, thus making his uncle Scar the second in line to the throne. Scar plots with the hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba, thus making himself King. The King is killed and Simba is led to believe by Scar that it was his fault, and so ees the kingdom in shame. After years of exile he is persuaded to return home to overthrow the usurper and claim the kingdom as his own thus completing the Circle of Life.
Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones

The hot-headed young DArtagnan (Logan Lerman) joins forces with three veteran Musketeers to prevent the villainous Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz) from seizing the French throne and engulng Europe in war in this fast-paced, action-lled reboot of Alexandre Dumas classic 17th-century adventure. When famed Musketeers Athos (Matthew Macfayden), Aramis (Luke Evans), and Porthos (Ray Stevenson) steal highly coveted airship designs from a high-security vault, the sweet taste of success is short-lived. Their beautiful partner in crime, Milady (Milla Jovovich), drugs the trio and sells the designs to a higher bidder, the ultra-cool Englishman, Buckingham (Orlando Bloom). Its a major blow to the famed swordsmen. So when, three years later, the devil-may-care young DArtagnan journeys to Paris to realize his dream of becoming a Musketeer, he nds them a shadow of their former selves, working menial jobs and seeking a cause worth serving.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson Stars: Logan Lerman, Christoph Waltz and Orlando Bloom

For as long as he can remember, Nathan Price (Taylor Lautner) has had the uneasy feeling that he is living someone elses life. When he stumbles upon an image of himself as a little boy on a missing persons website, all of Nathans darkest fears come true: he realizes his parents are not his own and his life is a lie, carefully fabricated to hide something more mysterious and dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Just as he begins to piece together his true identity, Nathan is targeted by a team of trained agents,forcing him on the run with the only person he can trust, his neighbor, Karen (Lily Collins). Every second counts as Nathan and Karen race to evade an army of bad guys and Agents. But as they close in, Nathan realizes that the only way he will survive and solve the mystery of his elusive biological father is to stop running and take matters into his own hands.
Director: John Singleton Stars: Taylor Lautner, Lily Collins and Alfred Molina

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guide

guide

ORGANISATIONS - DAmAScuS

EmBASSIES - DAmAScuS

Aga Khan Network 3343610\1 Agency for combating unemployment - Acu 6122607 Amal Al-Ghad 3741010 Boosting and Inspiring Dynamic Youth Achievement - BIDAYA 33502373 Euro Info correspondence centre - EIcc 6133865 German Academic Exchange Service - DAAD 371925 uN Food and Agriculture Organization - FAO 6121145/6 International committee of the Red cross - IcRc 3310476 International Organization For migration - IOm 6121370, 6121375 Syrian-European Business centre - SEBc 6133865 Syrian Family Planning Association - SFPA 3310396 Syrian Young Entrepreneurs Association - SYEA www.syea.org Strategy Highlighting and building Abilities for Business - SHABAB 6611689 united Nations 6129811 united Nations childrens Fund - uNIcEF 6122592/3/4 united Nations Development Programme - uNDP 6129811 united Nations Food Program Agency - uNFPA 6113773/8 mob 0944593854 united Nations High commissioner for Refugees - uNHcR 2139961/2/3 mob 093210 0273 united Nations Industrial Development Organization - uNIDO www.unido.org united Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees - uNRWA 6133035/9 united Nations Volunteers - uNV 6129811 mob 0988805745 World Food Programme - WFP 612 0597/8 World Health Organization - WHO 3329315, 3315053 mob 0933400316

mINISTRIES - DAmAScuS

ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform ministry of communications and Technology ministry of culture ministry of Defence ministry of Economy & Foreign Trade ministry of Education ministry of Electricity & Energy ministry of Establishments & construction ministry of Expatriates ministry of Finance ministry of Foreign Affairs ministry of Health ministry of Higher Education ministry of Housing and construction ministry of Industry ministry of Interior ministry of Irrigation & Water Resources ministry of Justice ministry of Local Administration and Environment ministry of Religious Affairs ministry of Petroleum and mineral Resources ministry of Planning ministry of Social concerns & Labour ministry of Supply & Internal Trade ministry of Transport

2227600, 2213613 3320807 3338600, 3338633 8813236, 3721287 2213513, 2213514 4444702 2228334, 2229654 2223596, 2246690 3134302 2220200 3713255, 3713256 3311020, 3311022 2129862, 2129861 5431076, 2217572 2231834, 2231845 2220101, 2211001 2221401, 2221402 2214108, 2213738 2226005 4419080 4455972, 4445610 2218854, 2218853 2225984, 2210355 2219241, 2219044 3339111, 3336801

Embassy of Afghanistan Embassy of Algeria Embassy of Argentina Embassy of The Republic of Armenia Embassy of Australia Embassy of Austria Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain Embassy of Bangladesh Embassy of Belorussia Embassy of Belgium Embassy of Brazil Embassy of Bulgaria Embassy of canada Embassy of chile Embassy of The Republic of china General consulate of cuba Embassy of the Republic of cyprus Embassy of the czech Republic Royal Danish Embassy (+Greenlandic Embassy) Embassy of Egypt Embassy of the Republic of Equador Embassy of the State of Eritrea European commission Delegation Embassy of Finland Embassy of France Embassy of Germany Embassy of Greece Embassy of Hungary consulate of Iceland Embassy of India Embassy of Indonesia Embassy of The Republic of Iraq Embassy of Iran Honorary consulate of Ireland Embassy of Italy Embassy of Japan Embassy of Jordan Embassy of the Republic of North Korea Embassy of Kuwait Embassy of Libya Embassy of Latvia Embassy of malaysia Honorary consulate of Thiland Honorary consulate of malta Embassy of mauritania Embassy of morocco Embassy of Netherlands Embassy of Norway Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan consulate of Philippines Embassy of Poland consulate of Portugal Embassy of the State of Qatar Embassy of Romania Embassy of Russia Embassy of Saudi Arabia Embassy of Serbia Embassy of Slovakia Embassy of Somalia Embassy of South Africa Embassy of Spain Embassy of Sudan Embassy of Sweden Embassy of Switzerland Embassy of Tunisia Embassy of Turkey

6112910 3331446, 3334548 3334167/8 6133560 6116692, 6132424 6138010 6132314 2212648 6118097, 6118098 6122189 6124551/2/7/9 4454039, 3318485 6116692, 6116851 3311891, 3338443 3339594 3339319, 3334609 6130812/3, 6131823 3331383, 3339395 6190900 3332932, 3333561 33488820, 33488877 6112357 3327640 6127570/1/2 3390200 3323800 6115009, 6113035 6110787 4467110, 4452090 3347351/2 6119630/1, 6117939 3341290 3710826, 6117675 3342144 3332621 3338273, 3332553 6136260/1 4424735, 4417614 6117644/5 3338851, 3333914 2451321, 2212462 6122811/2/3 3316144 / 3316214 3733601 3309317 6110451 3336871 6122941 6110408, 6622506 6132694/5/6 3335844 3333010, 3336010 3320253,3337716 3320044 3327570/1 4423155/6 3334780, 3334915 3336222, 3333689 6132114/5, 6133648 3335534 3222650, 2229200 6132900/1/2 3304470, 3302470 3340070 6111972, 6111975 6132700/4 3331411

Embassy of Turkmenistan Embassy of ukraine Embassy of united Arab Emirates Embassy of the united Kingdom Embassy of the united States of America Apostolic Enunciator of Holy See (Vatican city) Embassy of Venezuela Embassy of Yemen General consulate of Iraq General consulate of Turkey General consulate of Armenia General consulate of Russia consulate of France Honorary General consulate of Portugal Honorary General consulate of ukraine Honorary General consulate of Hungary Honorary General consulate of Italy Honorary consulate of Austria Honorary consulate of Belarus Honorary consulate of Belgium Honorary consulate of Benin Honorary consulate of Brazil Honorary consulate of Bulgaria Honorary consulate of canada Honorary consulate of chile Honorary consulate of the czech Republic Honorary consulate of Denmark Honorary consulate of Finland Honorary consulate of Germany Honorary consulate of Greece Honorary consulate of malta Honorary consulate of morocco Honorary consulate of Norway Honorary consulate of Pakistan Honorary consulate of the Philippines Honorary consulate of Romania Honorary consulate of Serbia Honorary consulate of South Africa Honorary consulate of Spain Honorary consulate of Sweden Honorary consulate of the Swiss confederation Honorary consulate of Tunisia Honorary consulate of the united Kingdom

EmBASSIES - DAmAScuS

2241834 6113016 3330308 3391505 33914444 3332601, 3332446 3335356, 3337490 7186682

mALLS - DAmAScuS

cONSuLATES - ALEPPO

021-2641068/9 021- 26499670/80 021-2687240 021-2232401, 2269377 021-2211829, 2219823 021-2235566 021-2660375 021-2122626 021-2214601 021-2114072 021-2110933 021-3622667, 3622665 021-2277022/33 021-4600004 021-2660375 021-2684160 021-4642666 021-4663500/20 021-2281398 021-2123001/2/3 021-2639898/9 021-2633787 021-2211888 021-2679051 021-2677438 021-2113461 021-5110220 021-2266601 021-2255926 021-2121333 021-2233095/6 021-2689644 021-3634634 021-2665002, 2669785 021-2280510/1

cham city centre Damascus Boulevard Damasquino mall Ski-land mall Town centre mall Al-mounchieh city centre New mall

2117189 3235650 www.damasquinomall.com 5475551, 5475566 6217780, 6224444

mALLS - ALEPPO

021-2227030 021-2674010

SuPERmARKETS - DAmAScuS

Honorary consulate of the Republic of Turkey 041-473777, 041-475357 Honorary consulate of Belgium 041-477966, 477966 Honorary consulate of Finland 041-470171/2/3 Honorary consulate of Greece 041-467881 consulate of the Netherlands 041- 472531/4/5 Honorary consulate of Sweden 041- 470171/3 Honorary consulate of the Republic of Turkey in Lattaika 041-473777 Honorary consulate of Greece Honorary consulate of the Republic of Turkey

cONSuLATES - LATAKIA

ABS Abu Staif & Sons A.S Bader Ghloul Grand mart - city center mall Rami Soubeh Shereen Teeba Zain El-Abdeen Zaid mdawer Zenobia Al-Diwan Al-mazrahe Al-Saha Al-Skhra marosh Twenty Four (24)

6113080 6119373 3730206 3336785, 3314470 6326410 8881637 6625160 4458154, 3315220 2764825 3733231 6212282 3730625 021-2269055 021-4601333 021-2114823 021-2680985 021-4642101 021-4659401 031-2622662 031-2220674 031-2510423 031-2761592 031-2122842 031-2113004 031-2222925 033-523249 033-316866 033-314617

SuPERmARKETS - ALEPPO

cONSuLATES - TARTOuS

043-221104, 325000 043 -211114

Abu Al-Awad Al-Ashraf Al-Rawda Al-Shahbaa Al-Syoufe Al-Taleb Al-Tasweek Wal Tawfeer Al-Henem Al-malab Al-Nour

SuPERmARKETS - HOmS

SuPERmARKETS - HAmA

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guide
Last Station Olabi Patisserie Old House Lacasta cafe & more Stop 5 Al-Andalous Garden cafe Beite cafe Blue Stone city cafe mamma mia Restaurant Al-Qalaa - The citadel Al-Atlal Broasted Fawaz Le Jardin Sultan Restaurant 041-468871 mob 094657765 041-461013 041-475744 041-477919 031-416915 031-234032 031-2459999 031-239755 031-2112400 031-7340493 033-222234 033-223884 033-25335 033-235104 034-5913073 034-913600 034-910878 Azem Ecole Beit Al-Aqqad Beit Nizam chapel of Ananias Dahdah Palace Jamaa Al-Jadeed Khan Asad Pasha Khans of Souq medhat Pasha (Straight St.) madrassa An-Nuri maktab Anbar mausoleum of Salah El-Din minaret of Jesus (column) Sayyida Ruqayya mosque Sayyida Zeinab m ausoleum Shrine of Hussein Shrine of John the Baptist (Prophet Yehia to muslims) St Pauls chapel Takiyya As-Suleimaniyya The citadel The Tomb of Beybars umayyad mosque

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - DAmAScuS

ATTRAcTIONS - DAmAScuS

ATTRAcTIONS - HAmA

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - HOmS

Apamea Azem Palace Khans of the Souq of Hama Qasr Ibn Warden - Palace The Beehive Houses-Sarouj & Twalid Dabaghein The castle of musyaf The Grand mosque The Norias

ATTRAcTIONS - PALmYRA
East Wall Palace-Qasr Al-Heir Al-Sharqi Qalaat Jaabar - castle Qalaat Najm - castle Qalat Ibn Saman - castle Temple of Bel The Theatre The Tower of Elahbel-Valley of the Tombs Dura Europs-Tal Al-Salhiyyeh mari-Tel Hariri Qasr Al-Banaat Rasafa-Al-mansoura Saray-Qanawat

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - HAmA

Art caf Art cafe Ninar maharaja Indian Restaurant Abu Rummaneh Damascus Gate Al Farouk for food and sweets Al-Karieh Restaurant Al-Khawali Haretna Sushi Beit Jabri canoun Al-Tennin casablanca Elissar Inhouse coffee Kanaan Palace Resort Kaser Al Wali Restaurant La casa Leilas Restaurant & Terrace Narciss Linas Segafredo Taj mahal Tarboosh Al-Sham Tche Tche cafe Trovka Restaurant Zaman Al-Khair Restaurants Zenobia Quattro cafe-Restaurant chopin cafe Bazar Alcharq Beit Alkaisar Beit Sissi Beroea cantra Dar Ward Delta Emeralds Kan Zaman Kaser Alwali Larose Lily house mejana metastrada Taj Alklaa Wanes

2325757, mob 0988995566 4522257 mezzeh 2005 3355555 5475500 or 1/2/3/4, 0933202075 2131322 5475551/2 2225808 5441148 3354077 5443200 6116967, 6114778 5417598 5424300, 5428577 3336039 7138201/2/3/4 4461389, 3322336 3331288 5445900 5416785, 5431205 2143798 2316070 - 2142420 - 6117363 2453434 6115158 2216339 0988995566 6440175/6 2220575-2450116 6133625 5436502 021-2249120 021-5230130 021-4651444 021-9325 021-2122010 021-3620620 021-2122411 021-2126987 021-3311299 021-9911 021-2642241 021-2222501 021-2027 021-4663300 021-9250, 021-4606033 021-2116002 043-326083 043-220408 043-313313, 213900 043-328755 mob 094667887 041-850027 041-843231 041-458000 041-475403 041-456200 041-447207

Ishtar Hotel Villa Palmyra restaurant Traditional Palmyra Restaurant Al-Rashid Restaurant Lazaward Hotel Restaurant DEc Lailati

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - PALmYRA

ATTRAcTIONS - DER EZZOR ATTRAcTIONS - RAQQA ATTRAcTIONS - SWEYDA ATTRAcTIONS - EZRAA

The Basilica of St George The church of St Elias

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - RAQQA

022-241919 022-216120/2 051-220469 051-229648

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - DEIR EZ -ZuR

BARS & cLuBS - DAmAScuS

muSEumS - DAmAScuS

ATTRAcTIONS - ALEPPO

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - ALEPPO

Backdoor club champions Pub Le Serai Pub Blue Bar Domino Jar Al-Ward Jet Set Kasabjy Le Serai Pub marmar massimo Pub Oxygen Le Piano Bar XO Bar Z Bar Dome Baron Hotel Bar Sissi House

4446255, mob 0988990066 4450676, mob 0988900096 3737061 3340240 5431120 5429185 2232300 4416184 3737061 5446425 www.massimo-pub.com 5444396 5420542, 5430375 3391000 2217700 0991555444

Ain Dara Site Al-Jdeida Quarters churches & cathedrals Al-madrassa Al-Halawiyya Basilica of St Simeon (Qalat Samaan) Bimaristan Arghan church of Qalb Lozeh cyrrhus (Nebi Huri) Ebla (Tel mardikh) Khans around the Great mosque madrass As-Sultaniyya mosque of Abraham Serjilla Shibani School Souq Bab Antakya Khans The Aleppo citadel The Great mosque

The Army museum The Historical museum of Damascus The museum of Arab medicines & Sciences-Nuri Health centre (Bimaristan) The National museum The National museum of Popular Arts and Tradition - Azem Palace The Azem Palace

AIRLINES - DAmAScuS

ATTRAcTIONS - TARTuS

cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa-The citadel Qalat marqab-The castle

BARS & cLuBS - ALEPPO BARS & cLuBS - LATAKIA BARS & cLuBS - HOmS

ATTRAcTIONS - mAALOuLA
convent of St Thecla

Ayounak cave Khawaja Restaurant Yamak Viamidos

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - TARTOuS

021-2210880/1 021-2124362 041-475744 041-330033 031-2112400 031-2459999

ATTRAcTIONS - NABEK
monastery of mar musa monastery of St Sergius The Salah Eddin castle ugarit

Lacasta cafe & more moodz Bar Abu Nawas Blue Stone

ATTRAcTIONS - LATAKIA ATTRAcTIONS - HOmS

Air France Alitalia British Airways cyprus Airways Egypt Air Emirates Etihad Gulf Air Royal Jordanian Airline 2218990 2222262 3310000 2225630 2232158 9934 3344235 2221209 2315577

Al-Andalus cafe Al-Kordaha Restaurant Allegro cesar Express cafe Italian corner Restaurant

RESTAuRANTS & cAFES - LATAKIA

Azze Hrawe Residence church of the Girdle of Our Lady Qalaat Al-Hosn (Krak Des chevaliers) Outskirts of Homs St Georges monastery-Outskirts of Homs

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Lufthansa mEA Airlines Syrian Air Turkish Airlines Syrian Air Air France KLm Airlines Lufthansa Syrian Air Syrian Air 2211165 2213147 2450098 2212263

guide

HOTELS - ALEPPO
DEDEmAN mansouriya Palace Sheraton 021-2661600 021-3632000 021-21211111

GALLERIES - DAmAScuS

AIRLINES - ALEPPO

021-2241232, 2220501 021-2232238 021-2211074 021-2223005 041-476863 051-221801

Dummar cultural complex French cultural centre The Italian cultural centre Goethe Institute Russian culture centre Spanish culture centre

3115142 2316192 3319543 3719435 2317158, 2317351 3714003

cD SHOPS - DAmAScuS
Beit Wakil coral Julia Dumna Dar Zamaria mirage Park Hotel Riga 021-2117083 021-3330660 021-3636100 021-2288555 021-9895 021-9294 Aal Bal Art cafe Ninar Art House Atassi Gallery Ayyam Gallery Beit Al-Nur Beit Al-Sham Dar Al Baath Dar al mada Dar Ez-Zarqan for Arts Fateh muddaress Free Hand Gallery French cultural centre Galerie Abdal Gallery Sahar Occasions Galleria chantout Atelier Ishtar Khan Assad Pacha Kozah mustafa Ali Naji Al Ali Nassour Gallery Ninar Art caf Ruaa Art Gallery Rafia Gallery Tajalliyat Gallery Al Rywak Al-Sayyed Al Shaab ur-Nina Gallery Al-Sharq Showroom Dar El-mhanna Ebla Gallery Kawaf Fine Arts Gallery The Small museum Arts Home 5445794 4522257 6628112 3321720 6131088 5431287 3330038 6622141 2322276 5431899 2246710 3344219, 3347211 2316192 5445794 4444846 5436502 6617780 4465086 2215961 5410900 5421988 4423762 3710344 5422557 5610901 3310803 6112338 3337933 332 1450, 3334390 2319606 2243783 021-442861 021-2634098 021-2268757 021-2230985, mob 0933260301 021-2232596 041-477827 Al-Balabel Al-Beiruti Al-madar Al-mahatta Al-Nihlawy Al-Salka Al-Sham Kanawati for music mirza music mozart Asia Floyed King Radio one Rotana 2216826 3313475 3336722 54498761, 5410821 4441982 2214461 2457153 2323088 4470294 2321445

AIRLINES - LATTAKIA AIRLINES - DEIR EZ-ZuR

HOTELS - DAmAScuS

Ramsis Isis Jdayda

021-2111102 021-2126345 021-9225 \ 3632000

LuXuRY - LATTAKIA
Afamia Rotana Resort Lattakia 041- 330033

OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - DAmAScuS

Art House Four Seasons Talisman1 Dedeman Sheraton Damascus Old Vine cham Palace Ebla cham Palace Beit Zaman Hotel Dar al-Yasmin Hotel Semiramis Hotel Biet Rumman 6628112/5 3391000 5415379 3322650 2229300 5450164 2232320 2241900 2241945 5435380 5443380 2233555 5451092 - 5451094

cD SHOPS - ALEPPO

021-2112993 021-2122596 021-2248440 021-4464063 021-2122702

cINEmAS - DAmAScuS

Damascus International Airport (Flight queries 167-Reservations 187) 4530201/9 central Tourist office 2323953, 2210122 Immigration and passport office-Visa extensions 2219400 DHL 096345345 Amigo Net 5421694 Internet cafe Smile 2326239 Spotnet cafe 5433374 Tourist Office DHL concord Internet cafe Internet centre

OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - ALEPPO

Queen center Arjaan by Rotana Alfares Alarabi Omayyad hotel Blue Tower Hotel Damascus International Hotel Fardoss Tower Hotel maaloula Hotel Rawda Hotel Safir Hotel Damascus carlton Hotel Palmvillage Hotel

6664003 2225320 - 2248800 2235500 3340240 2311600/1/2 232100 7770250 6416206-7 / 6416210 6470140 2122000 3919004

021-2121228, 2230000 021-4440322 021-2247272 043-315906

OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - TARTuS OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - HOmS

GALLERIES - ALEPPO

messenger Internet cafe Tourist Office Happy Net cafe Tourist Office

031-2212336 033-511 033-216057

OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - HAmA

GALLERIES - LATAKIA

OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - PALmYRA

034-5910574 041-416926 041-465310

cuLTuRAL cENTRES & INSTITuTES - DAmAScuS

Al-Ahram Al Ameer cinema Biblous Al-cham cinema de cham Diana Dunia Al-Fardous Al Khaiyam cinema Al Kindi Rametta cinema Shamas & Ataasi Al-Sofaraa ugarit cinema Al-Zahraa Aleppo cinema Al-Ameer Al-cham cinema Al Hamraa cinema Al Khaiyam cinema Opera Rametta ugarit Az-Zahraa

2212504 2228513 2213355 4437008 2232300, 2232310 2211847 2211888 2213424, 2214472 4437008 2218899 3214384 2212388 2317008 2311539 2222212

cINEmAS - ALEPPO

Antique Khan Hotel Beit Rose Hotel Orient Palace hotel

5419450 5441241 2231351

Tourist Information Office center Net

OTHER uSEFuL cONTAcTS - LATTAKIA

Afamia Hotel Al Hossen Residence Al majed Hotel city Hotel Future Tower Hotel Al-Haramein Hotel Al-Rabie Hotel Ghazal Hotel

2228963 6471712 - 6471258 - 6420292 2323300 - 2323301 / 2 / 3 2219375 2315465 2317511 2319489 2318374 2313736

Arabic cultural centres Abu Rummaneh mezze Jobar Danish Institue Beit Al-Nur Dar Al-Assad for Arts and culture Dar Al Funoon

021-313935/310704 021-2112826 021-22405 021-322333/211071 021-311067 021-2120300 021-2112827 021-2124755 021-4444228 031-234131 021-2486340 041-234233 041-237430 041-833135

3349376, Adawi 6610678 , Yarmouk 46370040, Kafer Souseh 2238038, NIASD 5431287, British council

44202670 6320830 2139680 6120515 3330631 245 6165/44 2231679

Al Amir cinema Homs Damascus Al Ahram Al-Fardous

cINEmAS - HOmS cINEmAS - LATAKIA

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Al Kindi cinema Al Sabaa cinema Al Abbasiyya cinema Al Kindi cinema

cINEmAS - TARTuS

043-224171 043-221139 043-220333 051-221593

Arabic Library for Arts & Tradition Al-Assad National Library The Public Library Al-Dar university Library Dar Al-mustaqbal The National Library

2216373 3334294, 3311073 2310744 021-2244230 021-3211096 021-2238205 031-2235710 031-2313559 031-2222180 031-2232862 023-235446

Al-Bahaa Al-Bierakdar Al-marifa Bookshoop As-Salmiyya Dar Al-Nada

023-719853 023-363017

cINEmAS - DEIR EZ-ZuR

LIBRARIES - ALEPPO

BOOKSHOPS - SWEIDA

016-230024 051-352323, 360905 015-230140

BOOKSHOPS - DEIR EZ-ZuR BOOKSHOPS - DARA

Ibn Al Nafees Ibn Sina The Italian Hospital The Red crescent centre Tishreen Yafa Surgical Hospital Al Ahli Al Amal Al Amir Al Ashtar Al Attar Ibn Rushd Al Kalimeh Al mwasat Al Razi The Red crescent centre Al Salam Al Shihan Saloum Al Shami Sraj Eddin Al Kindi

5123637, 5121211 5348834 3326030, 3326031 4421600, 4421601 5119450, 5119451 6112792, 6114795 021-2682801, 2682802 021-2676074, 2675991 021-2665551, 2667056 021-2667393, 2676390 021-2224420 021-4654977, 4654976 021-2674602, 2674601 021-2228738, 2238228 021-2676001, 2676002 021-4646800 021-4657800, 4657700 021-2661063, 2661062 021-4644830 021-2211750 021-2675652, 2675651 021-4642800, 4642801 052-426698 052-315053 052-750025 052-223107 052-750295 052-311171 033-440301 033-225331 033-416281 031-200474 031-2127408 031-2486475 031-2486478 023-548418 023-524524 023-717102 023-633460 023-850059 041-354825, 3177956

HOSPITALS - ALEPPO

DVD STORES - DAmAScuS

The culture House Library The General Islamic Library The Generality Library The modern Arzabic Library The Artistic Library

LIBRARIES - HOmS

HAmmAmS & SPAS - DAmScuS

LIBRARIES - IDLEB

BOOKSHOPS - DAmAScuS
Data Line Al-Hoda Al-Naeem centre Arebya co. cD centre Eaksousy Encyclopedia Fanty Firas Golden Technique Hisham Hi-Tech Jessy Laser Lezary centre majal Art masaya Syrian Video centre Al-Qasr centre Rainbow Ahmed Al-Zebi Al-Ansar Al-Hob Al-Khoyoul Al-majd Al-mawas Al-Tahhan centre Al-Yanour Ayman Zahra centre miami Future Al-Hareef Safwan Al-Khateeb centre 9804 2317271 44670680 3319270 3338885 2321989 2320276 6666701 3111902 5321742 2213418 6352800 5432090 2457801 2456178 3336810 6719873 4460358

Hammam Al malek Alzaher Balloran Spa - Four Seasons Hammam Bakri Hammam Ammona Hammam Nureddin As-Sadat Bab Al-Ahmar Hammam Yalbougha An-Nasry Al-Othmani Baths Oriental Kharraz Al-Sadeya

2225330 3391000 5426606 2316414 2229513 021-3330519 021-3622640 021-3623154 031-2234395 031-2232540 033-215250

BOOKSHOPS - ALEPPO

Al-Amin Al-Anwar Al-Fattal Al-Hariry Al-maghribi Al-miski Al-Noori Al-Tahhan Al-Walaa Al-Zahabi Abdul Rahman Bsout Al-Anwar Al-Arabi Al-Fidaa Al-Fourqan Al-manara An-Nawras An-Nour Al-umniya Abbas Abu Ahmad Al-Hagar Al-Hamawi Al-Hasen Al-Hayat Al-Nasem Al-Nedal Al-Nubalaa Al-Nur

2212041 2231199, 2244554 2456786, 2222373, 2234525 3320378 2452993 2237957 4419167 2222992 2231258, 2242104 3332581

BOOKSHOPS - HOmS

Al-Amal Hospital Al-Hikma Hospital The National Hospital An-Numa Hospital Dr. Sulayman Al-Saleh Hospital Shaba Hospital Al-Asad medical Hospital Al-Asfar Specialist Hospital Al-Bader Specialist Hospital Al-Ahli Specialist Hospital Al-Hikmah Hospital Al-Watani Hospital Al-Watani Hospital

HOSPITALS - AL HASSAKA

HOSPITALS - HAmA

BOOKSHOPS - HAmA

DVD STORES - ALEPPO DVD STORES - HOmS

BOOKSHOPS - ALEPPO

021-2255979 021-4442542 031-2470147 031-2211279 031-2127140 031-2618886 031-2135154 031-2211477 031-2468519 031-2471003 031-2477336 041-431450 016-251106 033-238238 033-224632 015-234752

021-3321441 021-4784163 021-2269239 021-2214227 021-2686492 021-2110494, 224 4385 021-3113833 021-4610320 021-2113577 031-2484996 031-2462907 031-2516874 031-2229655 031-2464181 031-2753447 031-2623620 031-2467522 031-2239587 031-2474733

GYmS - DAmAScuS

HOSPITALS - HOmS

BOOKSHOPS - HOmS

DVD STORES - LATAKIA DVD STORES - SWEIDA DVD STORES - HAmA DVD STORES - DARA

Al-Sham Fitness Barada Gym Beauty & Fitness centre for Ladies Body Gym Dynamic Gym Gold Gym Fitness House Al Jalaa mayyas Womens Gym Life Gym Al-Hadad house Al-Vilat Al-Warak House Blue GYm Gym House

5617723 4450686 6315570 2130651 4429890 4447000 4427476 6622147 5127565 2321773 021-2289474 021-4465612 021-2228856 021-2332260 031-2453500

Al-Khateeb Surgical Hospital Al-maarra Surgical Hospital Areeha Hospital maternity House Hospital Saraqeb Specialist Hospital Al-Sufi Hospital

HOSPITALS - IDLEB

HOSPITALS - LATAKIA

PHARmAcIES - DAmAScuS

GYm - ALEPPO

LIBRARIES - DAmAScuS

Abi Al-Fida Al-Dean Hayek Ibn al-Hytham maghmoumeh maher Fakhri

BOOKSHOPS - HAmA

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GYm - HOmS

HOSPITALS - DAmAScuS
Al Assadi Al Amal Al Hayat Al mwasat Al Rawda Surgery Al Razi Al Tawfeek Dar Al-Shifaa The French Hospital 6132500, 6132501 4451334, 4451335 4455322, 4445043 2133000 3338392, 3330589 6118445, 6111600 2228250, 2216364 4414134, 4414120 4440460, 4448556

Al-Imam Jaafar Al-Sadeq Al-Abbas Al-Huda Al-maha Amar bin Yaser Beirut Zahrat Al-midan AL-Amer An-Nour

BOOKSHOPS - LATAKIA

Abdullah makhseen Adnan Nomeir Adnan Tinawi Al-Falah Al-Farabi Al-Farawati Al-Fardoos Akram Khalifeh Akram Khoulani Fadi Dawood Al-Aasi Al-Aata Abdullah Arab Abdul Ahad Shallah Abdul Hannan Abdul Jaleel Al-Assaad

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BOOKSHOPS - IDLEB

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October 2011 Issue No 77

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uSEFuL
NumBERS
Damascus International Airport 011-453 0201/9 Flight - 167 Reservation - 187 Police Homicide military Police civil Defence Fire Station Traffic Police Ambulance Health Info centre Operator International call Operator Phone clock Tel-Information Tel-Telegrams Electricity Emergency Water Supply complaints Syrian Insurance company 112 159 116 109 113 115 110 161 141 143 119 147 146 118 114 186

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