26 July - 1 August 2001
Issue No.544
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 26 July - 1 August 2001 Issue No.544 |
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Pack of Cards* The Nile has probably seen some strange sights, my dears, in its eternal millennia of existence, but this week, it may have witnessed acrobatic water-skiing for the first time in its history.
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* Recently, presidential adviser on political affairs Osama El-Baz inaugurated an exhibition held at the newest addition to the downtown gallery scene, the Michaelangelo Centre for Art. The exhibition, lasting until 6 August, comprises works by late and contemporary artists such as Youssef Francis, Hassan Abdel-Fatah, Al-Ahram Weekly caricaturist George Bahgouri, Sabri Nashid, Salah Taher, Salem Salah, art critic and Weekly "Around the galleries" compiler Nagwa El- Ashri, Ibrahim Abdel- Malak, Khaled El-Samahi, Neveen Khatab, Khadiga Balba', Farouk Wagdi and Isaac Hanna among others. Al-Ahram art critic and illustrator Makram Henein and caricaturist Nagi Kamel are the artistic supervisors of the gallery and Injy Nabil Luqa is the director. The gallery also organises art classes supervised by specialised professors.
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* I have just discovered that a concert featuring saxophonist, jazz composer and player Abdallah Ibrahim is to be held at the Cairo Opera House Open-Air Theatre on 30 July. In this two-part event, Ibrahim will perform works by international jazz composers as well as his own Arab jazz compositions such as Lounein and Qadim Azim. The performance will be accompanied by Khamis El- Babli and Magdi Boghdadi on the trumpet, Ahmed Nasr on the accordion, along with Algerian singer Yassin and jazz singer Khaled Hamid. I must tell you that I was among the first to notice Ibrahim's talent as he learned classical music at Cairo Symphony Orchestra, then clarinet and saxophone with Samir El-Salhi. For around 10 years, he played with the Cairo Jazz Band, conducted by Salah Ragab. He participated in several workshops with global jazz musicians such as the one organised at the American University in Cairo with American jazz king Herbie Hancock. I was rewarded for my patience and foresight when in 1993 he formed his own troupe, which featured in several concerts at the Citadel festival organised by the Opera House and at various cultural centres.
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Some young people are going to have the opportunity to do something useful during their holidays, and I must say that I wish similar initiatives would be taken more frequently as I hear that many youngsters start complaining of boredom as soon as the exams are over. Next Sunday, an Egyptian youth delegation composed of 50 environmental activists will fly to Damascus to participate in the activities of the Tenth Arab Youth Camp for Environment. Magdi Allam, head of the Arab Federation for Youth and Environment, was telling me that the camp (due to be held from 29 July till 10 August) will bring together representatives of 14 Arab countries. This year, camp head Mamdouh Rashwan, secretary-general of the Egyptian Association for Development and Environment, will arrange different environmental programmes, with a focus on forestry.
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* I always admire academic achievement, and I was on hand at the Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, when my dear colleague Dena Rashed's mother, Lobna Zakaria, obtained her PhD on 22 July. "Dramatic manipulation of TV advertisement design in Egypt:" this was the title of the thesis, which was supervised by Mustafa Kamal, dean of the High Institute of Applied Arts, and head of the Advertising Department at the Faculty of Applied Arts, and Sherif Sabri, professor at the Faculty of Applied Arts. The committee was formed of two other professors, Abdel-Alim Zaki, who teaches at the High Institute of Cinema, and Atiat Gabry, professor at the Faculty of Applied Arts. Zakaria is a painter and also the deputy editor-in-chief of Radio and TV magazine. 
* I wonder, dears, if you have heard of the Hilton HHonors programme, which allows guests to earn both hotel points and air miles for the same stay. With a range of over 55 airline partners, guests stay at a qualifying rate and provide a valid airline frequent flyer card number. Points and miles are redeemed for free nights at more than 200 participating Hilton Hotels or for free flights with any of Hilton's airline partners. Other rewards include a relaxing cruise to an exotic destination or a tropical experience in the Maldives. There are other perks, of course, but I can't tell you everything, my sweets. You will have to find out for yourselves, as I did when I met Stuart Walsh, the Regional Hilton HHonors manager, during a memorable workshop held to introduce the programme
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* For those of you who have a legal mind, Africa Legal Aid (AFLA), a human rights non-profit organisation, is planning an Experts' Meeting on 30 July at the Helnan Shepheard Hotel in Cairo. Participants will include leading academics and members of recognised human rights organisations: the Honourable Judge Dumisa Ntsebeza, former commissioner of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as the president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Honourable Judge Navanethem Pillay. * The students of the American University in Cairo are busy working hard even during the summer holidays. At least some of them, I know, are not simply loitering at the beaches and are already preparing for the 12th Cairo International Model Arab League. This annual student activity is held regularly during the fall, and this year's session will be held between 6 and 11 November. I was visited earlier this week by Mona Aref and Reeham Magdy of the Public Relations Committee. They told me that their activity has become international, so that the 500 or so students participating this year will include young men and women from Arab as well as Western countries. This year's MAL is headed by Mohamed Moussa as secretary- general and Rania Petro as organising committee head. In keeping with what's going on in the real Arab League, they are including a Committee for the Reform of the Arab League on their agenda, a mock one of course. Perhaps they will come up with ideas the Arab League could use? |
* Sometimes all I want to do is just sit and laugh for a couple of hours -- and my wish came true on Tuesday night at the star-studded premiere of the new Alaa Waliyeddin film Ibn Ezz (Rich Boy). Alaa, who is truly one of my favourite comedians, is becoming somewhat of an Ibn Ezz himself now that his films are so phenomenally successful. At the premiere he was very slickly suited in a forest green ensemble and heavily gelled hair. After enjoying the film along with the rest of the standing-room-only crowd, I mingled with Alaa's co-star Dina, the famous belly dancer, making sure to compliment her on her daring style of dress. I also said hello to the film's director, the highly talented Sherif Arafa, who has made it a point to include some unique special effects in his last few films.
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As part of the recently begun Shopping and Tourism Festival, the Stars of Florida, one of the most famous acrobatic water-skiing troupes in the world, were brought in for several performances of their amazing aquatic stunts. The festival is an annual affair aimed at increasing tourism revenue, featuring discounts on shopping as well as concerts and special events such as this one. The Florida stars put on a good show, pulling out every trick in the book, including the famous human pyramid, which the announcer described as the most frequently photographed water-skiing stunt of all time. They danced, jumped and pirouetted along the water, often at speeds over 50km per hour. Spectators such as myself and my colleague Tarek Atia, who decided to photograph the fabulous event, were either seated in a grandstand especially built for the occasion on the Nile Corniche in Zamalek, or just hanging around on 6 October and 15 May Bridges and on the Corniche from the Maspero side, where they could get a wonderful bird's eye. But don't worry -- even if you missed the spectacle in Cairo, there are also shows along the shore in Montaza in Alexandria today and tomorrow, and at Timsah Lake in Ismailia on Saturday.
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