9 - 15 August 2001
Issue No.546
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 9 - 15 August 2001 Issue No.546 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Pack of Cards* Al-Ahram Organisation headed by Chairman Ibrahim Nafie celebrated this week its 125th year in the print business. I put on my fuchsia silk ensemble and headed straight to the main lobby to attend the inauguration of the Ahram Exhibition on Sunday which was supervised by Hani Tolba, manager of Al-Ahram Distribution Agency. I rubbed shoulders with the bigwigs of Al-Ahram and officialdom to my heart's content, and heartily shook hands with the event's host and Al-Ahram Deputy Chairman and General Manager Ali Ghoneim. |
Of course I had to move double quick to mix and mingle with Al-Ahram's guests, and managed to talk to Speaker of the Shura Council Mustafa Kamal Helmi, Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, Minister of Education Hussein Kamel Bahaaeddin, Minister of Housing Mohamed Ibrahim Soliman, Cairo Governor Abdel-Rehim Shehata, Deputy Chairman of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Mustafa El-Feki, Chairman of the Book Organisation Samir Sarhan, and Chairman of Egyptian Radio and Television Hassan Hamed. If you missed the opening which also brought stars to the pillars of Al-Ahram such as Samira Ahmed, Mahmoud Yassin, Soheir El- Morshidi, Raghda, Hisham Abdel-Hamid and Mohamed Riyad, fret not my cherubs. The exhibition is open for another fortnight, and you'll have all the time in the world to browse through the various publications which Al-Ahram prints and distributes. |
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* Don't touch that remote control! I've been glued to my television set to watch my bright friend Shahira Amin interviewed former First Lady Jehan El-Sadat on Nile TV. In the lengthy encounter titled "Remembering Sadat" we were treated to an eye-opening conversation about the late President Anwar El-Sadat, his politics and a collection of rare photographs of his family. For me, it was a momentous occasion because it brought together three of my favourite people all in one place at one time. Bravo Shahira!
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* There's more cause for celebration my darlings. Two of the brightest and most agile dancers Lamia Abdel- Ghani and Hani Hassan of the Cairo Opera Ballet school won second prize at an international competition in Austria. Lamia and Hani were thrilled to attend the competition where over 16 countries pirouetted for their flags. Their winning dance was "Picnic on the Nile", choreographed by Ahmed El-Gohari, took the audience by blast and congratulations were splashed all around.
The two dancers celebrated at a dinner held in their honour, and received invitations from the Japanese Toyota troupe to take part in dance Festival in Japan. More goodies were in store for the prize dancers, who were also invited by the South Africa Ballet troupe to launch a joint workshop with them. Upon returning home, Opera House Director Samir Farag gave Lamia and Hani the Prize of Distinction for their excellence and non-stop performances in Opera House ballets since they joined the company in 1996. It is in no surprise that Farag and Ballet House Director Abdel- Moneim Kamel took the wise decision of nominating the pair to compete in Austria in the first place, and now they have reaped the fruit. |
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Isn't it fascinating darlings how hard those in the hoteliering business work to keep tourists satisfied and coming back for more? To ensure guests receive consistent first class services no matter which of the 14 Hilton hotels in Egypt they visit, the company launched a new programme called Equilibrium. My dear friend Carmen Ramzy, regional director of public relations at Hilton International, Egypt, told me that "Harry the buddy" was created to guide team members in implementing these brilliant initiatives, creating cherished "Hilton moments," and achieving the highest guest satisfaction. This refreshing new approach to Hilton brand services is bound to result in higher revenues and profit of course, but there's so much fun to be had on the way for all involved. Employees got a taste of what is expected of them at launching parties where they attended seminars, held parties, ate cake and did a little Hilton jive. |
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