- Title: Egyptian restaurant offers 'dining in the dark' experience
- Date: 24th December 2019
- Summary: GIZA, EGYPT (DECEMBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GUESTS HOLDING ONTO ONE ANOTHER AND WALKING INTO DARK DINING HALL PEOPLE TALKING AS THEY DINE IN THE DARK / SOUND OF CUTLERY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WAITRESS, SAMIRA SAID, SAYING: "I am, for example, someone who cannot see. I would normally need someone that can see to guide me. But I also do not trust them easily because you are essentially operating through their world. But if a customer is guided by me, he or she will trust me because I am already, like them, in the dark. I know how to handle myself in the dark quite well. The customer should be able to trust me because this is my world. He will be the one who is new to this world, not me." VARIOUS OF WOMAN CHOPPING VEGETABLES ON COUNTER WOMEN COOKING AT KITCHEN WOMAN CHOPPING VEGETABLES / T-SHIRT READING (English): "Dine in the dark with the taste of the pharaohs" WOMAN PREPARING FOOD HANDS PREPARING VEGETABLES WOMAN CHOPPING VEGETABLES VARIOUS OF WOMAN STIRRING FOOD IN POT WOMAN POURING TOMATO JUICE INTO POT VARIOUS OF WOMAN STIRRING FOOD PYRAMID OF CLAY POTS ON COUNTER SIGN READING (English): "Dining in the dark with the taste of the pharaohs" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESTAURANT OWNER AND MANAGER, ABDEL-BASSET AZAB, SAYING: "I want to transfer the cases of those with disabilities from civil organisations, from charities that give help for no return, to a new form, to new forms of help. Just like the Chinese say, teach me how to fish instead of giving me the fish. The same concept is applied here. I want to work this concept into cases of people with disabilities. I want to teach them a profession, to give them work (opportunities)." VARIOUS OF AZAB AND STAFF TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) 'DINE IN THE DARK' PROJECT MANAGER, ALINE, SAYING: "It is about mobility, how you move to the dark room, how you need to sit as people in the dark room, how to eat as you would in an ordinary restaurant. But we need mobility, everything is with mobility because you have different tables, you have a number of chairs by table. So yes, it is like a normal (setting), but it is in the dark." ALINE TALKING TO STAFF ALINE CUSTOMERS COMING OUT OF DARK DINING HALL VARIOUS OF CUSTOMERS IN DIMLY LIT ROOM VARIOUS OF POST-IT NOTES LEFT BY CUSTOMERS IN RESTAURANT
- Embargoed: 7th January 2020 12:52
- Keywords: Dining in the dark restaurant Egypt dining out people with disabilities visually-impaired people
- Location: GIZA, EGYPT
- City: GIZA, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001BBH3047
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A visually impaired advocate and business owner in Egypt took the opportunity of providing a unique experience for diners, whilst teaching the visually impaired locals the skills of cooking.
Abdel-Basset Azab partnered with an international brand called 'Dans le Noir?’ a dining project that allows patrons to dine in complete darkness, served and guided by visually impaired waiters.
The experience is based on enhancing and trusting one's physical senses, living a mundane event through the eyes of a visually disabled person.
In Egypt, Azab began the project on November 29 to find a way to help the disabled learn how to support themselves.
"Just like the Chinese say, teach me how to fish instead of giving me the fish. The same concept is applied here," said Azab. "I want to work this concept into cases of people with disabilities. I want to teach them a profession, to give them work (opportunities)."
According to a visually impaired waitress working at the restaurant, Samira Said, there is an element of trust involved in the experience, as she takes the customer into a world only familiar to those suffering from visual disability.
"Dans le Noir?" was founded in 2002 in Paris, and has branches in London, Barcelona, Madrid, St. Petersburg, Melbourne Australia, and Marrakech.
(Production: Sherif Fahmy, Mohamed Zaki, Nadeen Ebrahim) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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