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Al-Ahram Weekly 9 - 15 December 1999 Issue No. 459 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 9 - 15 December 1999 Issue No. 459
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Debate Features Profile Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Pack of Cards
By Madame Sosostris
Darlings, I do so hope that you are among the lucky ones who were invited to attend the award-giving ceremony and dinner that were held last week at the American University in Cairo's Oriental Hall to honour AUC's former management professors Dr Atef Ebeid and Dr Medhat Hassanein for their recent appoint-ent as Egypt's prime minister and minister of finance respectively.
Ebeid was a full-time professor at AUC from 1965 to 1984, then taught there on a part-time basis until 1997. Hassanein was a full-time professor of management from 1982 until just a few days ago, when he received his ap-ointment to the Cabinet of Ministers.
As was to be expected, there were many well-wishers attending, including the sec-etary-general of the Arab League, Dr Esmat Abdel-Meguid, former Prime Minister Dr Mustafa Khalil, now deputy head of the Na-ional Democratic Party, AUC alumna and Minister of State and Environmental Affairs Nadia Makram Ebeid, USAID Director Richard Brown, as well as a number of dis-inguished faculty and alumni from the Uni-ersity's School of Business, Economics and Communications (BEC).
Dr Farouk El-Hitami, dean of the School of BEC, began by thanking Ebeid and Has-anein for giving the university "the op-ortunity to show off at their expense." He pointed out that the School could also boast two faculty members on the Shura Council, Dr Sabri Shabrawi and Dr Adel Bishai. AUC President John Gerhart's speech was up-ifting, as he envisaged positive progress both for the future of Egypt and for AUC. He then presented the awards to the two dignitaries. A proud day indeed for my alma mater.
Can you imagine it, dears? Our very own colleague Inas Mazhar, editor of the Sports Page, has found it in her to leave sunny Egypt and travel all the way to Norway, where I bet she will freeze while participating in a seminar on women and handball, held on the sidelines of the women's World Championship. Inas is one of the seven women speakers who will ad-ress the seminar, talking about Women, the Press and Sports. I do hope that our dear Inas did not forget her little woolen socks.
Some of my friends couldn't wait to cel-brate Christmas and as Dora El-Chiaty was just launching her new exclusive gift shop, Fifth Avenue, they thought it would be fun to organise a little morning event which they called, simply, "Christmas Breakfast at Tif-any's." Unlike Audrey Hepburn in the fa-ous film, however, no one had to bring their own breakfast to eat while dreaming of a life of luxury. Those ogling the shining silver, exquisite china and exclusive jewellery certainly were not munching on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Scrumptious little tidbits were provided in abundance all day long by the house. The event took me back a few years, dears, back to the days when Audrey was every girl's role model. Everyone wanted to copy her style and I remember making it my business to point out how dismally everyone failed. No one can deny that with Audrey, the word elegance acquired a new dimension.
Now if you are thinking of offering some-hing really unique to a very special someone, and even if you were not among the chosen few who attended the famous breakfast, I would strongly suggest that you take yourself there, maybe after packing your own home-made fuul sandwiches as a precaution (I always find I get a bit peckish when shopping), and find out what Fifth Avenue is all about. There is a good chance that this is the place you have been searching all your life, but will not know it until you see it. If you go there dears, why not talk to the two lovely and expert managers, Magda Abul-Dahab and Evy Theodorou. They are so helpful it makes it a joy to search for a special gift with their assistance. I personally have dropped so many hints that I would not be a bit surprised if all the mysterious packets my nearest and dearest have been piling under the Christmas tree were the product of the undying patience I have displayed in artfully helping everyone make the right choice. As you well know, nothing is more frustrating than finding out upon tearing the crisp wrap-ing paper from around your gifts that three of your friends have forgotten which brand of chocolate you usually favour, or have never guessed that little nothings from Victoria's Secret always make welcome sur-rises.
Another exclusive event took place recently at the French Embassy in honour of famous French actress Catherine De-euve and film director Yves Boisset, head of the Inter-ational Jury at the Egyptian Film Festival. Catherine, who was the guest of honour at the closing ceremony of the festival, was of course wearing an absolutely divine evening dress and a splendid white necklace, both of which attracted a great deal of attention. I must say that Catherine has not changed a bit, except maybe that with a tinge of maturity added to her natural grace she has become even more beautiful than she was in Les Parapluies de Cherbourg -- one of my favourite films ever. I do think, dears, that for once in my life I did not feel one little bit upset that I was upstaged. Still, I think I should find out more about that necklace.
The General Authority for Culture Palaces (GACP) organised a wonderful children's festival in one of Giza's villages, namely Nazlet Al-Ashtar, in the district of Abul-Numrus. They chose the Youth Centre of Nazlet Al-Ashtar as the venue, and the event was attended by Mahmoud Abul-Leil, Giza's new governor, and Ali Abu Shadi, chairman of the GACP. Children from the surrounding villages came in droves to watch the performers.
Gamal Sadeq, chairman of the Central Department for Studies and Research at the Culture Palaces, was particularly interested in the performance of the children, since Nazlet Al-Ashtar is one of the villages under his supervision. Six-year-old Sameh Mursi, taught by his father and considered the youngest rababa player in Egypt, displayed his command of an instrument he has only been practicing for the past two years and received rapturous rounds of applause -- heartily deserved, in everyone's opin-on.
Our dear colleague from Al-Ahram, the famous caricaturist and sculptor Nagi Kamel, has just finished working on one of his celebrated bronze plaques. This time he has sculpted the profile of the late political think-r and writer Lutfi El-Kholi; the plaque will be affixed to the door of the office Lutfi oc-upied at Al-Ahram until his death. The first two plaques Nagi made were those of Chair-an of Al-Ahram Board and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Ib-ahim Nafie and former United Nations Secretary-General Bou-ros Ghali.
Just the other week I heard on the grapevine that one of our colleagues in the advertising de-artment of Al-Ahram Weekly, Iman Hassan Sayed, daughter of Hassan Sayed of Al-Ahram Advertising Agency, was mar-ied to businessman Hussam El-Din Kamel. The couple kept the date of the ceremony a well guarded secret, because, they ex-lained they has so many friends that they could not possibly in-ite them all. This is why Iman and Hussam El-Din restricted the whole affair to members of their respective families and a wise decision too if you ask me. We, at Al-Ahram Weekly wish the young couple the very best.
