Forward Shabab’s cool Syrian student Ouasi al-Sharif on Version FM today at 5p.m

On Version Magazine with presenter Reham Rifai

Ouais al-Sharif, Forward Shabab's cool student at Forward Magazine, is the guy in green, standing in the back... 🙂

, today’s main topic is “Blood Donor Day” that happens to be this Sunday 14th of June. World Health Organization chose this day as a day to recognize the millions of people who save lives and improve the health of others by donating blood. Version Magazine radio program will be talking to a representative of the SRC “Syrian Red Crescent” about SRC Blood Donating Program.

Also at 5p.m and as part of giving Syrian Youth a chance to express themselves, Version Magazine radio program will have a special guest, Ouais al-Sharif a second year computer science student at Damascus University who is currently ranked the third on the faculty, Ouais was featured in Forward Magazine June issue, in Forward Shabab section as “Crazy haired genius…”. Ouais nurtures his curiosity to learn about new philosophies and methods with research and internet surfing, but he’s most interested in business and scientific matters.

• Program name: Version Magazine
• Time: every Sunday at 5 pm
• Frequency: 94.4 MHz
• Radio station: Version FM Radio Station
• For live comments SMS number: 1944

When Damascus is too hot and the day refuses to end

In the cab an hour ago, we couldn’t help but recall the famous Syrian saying: “The doors of hell are wide open” (Bwab jhannam mfatta7a el youm shi?).

We had an interview with a young man for an article in July, and so we hopped into a yellow cab, which had all its windows wide open. As the cab drove off, it felt like sitting under a hair drier. The streets were obviously a layer of cheese melting over a cooking pot. You could see faint steam camouflaging vision as you looked out of the window.

Damascus was suntanning, maybe she’ still is… I can’t tell, since I’m sitting under my AC.

Compared to Dubai, here is a piece of Heaven. No matter how hard-staring the sun is in Damascus, it still is a breeze of fresh air compared to the Gulf. I still can afford wearing long-sleeved shirts without feeling that lingering sensation of suffocation.

But what’s interesting to observe is that… when it’s hot, time moves slowly, it seems. In the business of magazines and publishing, it is well known that the first few days of the month – after a hectic production period – feel very relaxed, in comparison to concentrated days of magazine creation. But today is particularly slow. Everyone in the office is working hard to finalize things here and there related to our media group (Haykal Media), but after hours of meetings, writing, going out to meet people, writing briefs, contacting people over the phone, organizing editorial matters…. Time is still swooning under the scotching Damascene sun. It’s not six yet!

That’s why I decided to commit the legitemate act of blogging… in hopes of letting a few more very heavy minutes pass without me further feeling the weight of Time. Writing this post took me less than 10 minutes, which is quite quite disappointing in light of the day’s circumstances 🙂

Late Syrian Prime Minister Khaled al-Azem commemoration event

Khaled al-Azem (Died: 18 November, 1965)

Responsible for an economic boom from 1941 onwards, late Syrian PM Khaled al-Azem will be remembered at an event on June 1 (today) at the Rida Said Hall (University of Damascus). Economist Ghassan Kalaa will be delivering a lecture about al-Azem along with editor-in-chief of Forward Magazine, Sami Moubayed.

Organized by Forward Magazine’s sister magazine, Aliqtisadi, the event will take place at 6pm.

Al-Azem is one of Syria’s leading figures in contemporary history.