pack of cards

By Mme sosositris

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Lovely actress Pussi and her dashing husband the veteran actor Nour El-Sherif are preparing to shoot a new film. This will be El-Sherif 's second experience with directing and producing. For Pussi, it will be her third cooperation with her husband after the great success of their two films Habiby Daamen (Forever my Love) and Al-Aasheqan (The Lovers).

The InnerWheel Club's 35th anniversary, dears, and another chance to see Mrs Suzanne Mubarak in person. In a ceremony held at the beautifully accommodating Air Force House in Heliopolis, district head Samia Abul-Fotouh spoke of InnerWheel projects in Cairo and Giza -- potable water in Saft Al-Laban and Kerdasa, for example -- while high-profile figures like Seham El-Gohari, Zeinab El-Ghazali and Azza Megahed looked their best. photo: Ayman Barayez

Still in the festive, high-profile spirit, darlings: a new exhibition by my very special friend Farouk Hosni. Forget his achievements as culture minister now. Hosni 's abstract art -- 20 acrylics on canvas, on this occasion -- is as powerful as it is exciting. Which is not to mention the chance the exhibition afforded for the re-union with some of my most gorgeous friends: former foreign minister Ahmed Maher, political analyst Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, Antiquities Council Secretary-General Zahi Hawass, Writers Union Chairman Mohamed Salmawi, Al-Sherouk publishing director Ibrahim El-Moaalim and the inimitable actress Libliba. Closer to home, from Al-Ahram, came the daily's Editor-in-Chief Osama Saraya, our own Editor-in-Chief Assem El-Kersh, Nisf Al-Donia magazine Chief Editor Afkar El-Kharadli and the celebrated columnist Mona Ragab.

« Nor was there any end to celebrations as Al-Ahram gave a party in honour of its former Chairman-Editor Ibrahim Nafie on the occasion of his birthday -- a coterie of journalists headed by Osama Saraya.

Coming soon, ravishing actress Youssra and comedians Hisham Selim, Mohamed Heneidi, Ahmed Rizq and Ashraf Abdel-Baqi are due to work together in a new comedy. Congratulations playwright Ahmed Awad and director Khaled Galal.

Now now, my loviedovies. The most handsome of my elderly friends is undoubtedly the Francophone actor Gamil Rateb. And true to his cultural orientation, he was the honouree of the French Cultural Centre (CFCC) in the period 15-18 January 2006 -- an occasion on which my diligent friend Amira El-Nakeeb got to see such actors as Mohamed Sobhi, Mohsena Tawfiq, Pussi and Mahmoud Qabil as well as catwalk model Laila Shoair. Jealous? You bet I am. For not only did they listen to Mozart courtesy of the Conservatoire's String Quartet and a kind of hagiography of Rateb by CFCC director Denis Louche, they also attended a screening of Rateb 's latest film, a short feature entitled The Eternal Dance and directed by Hayam Abbas.

¤ And from birthdays to weddings, beauties: a splendid evening at the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel saw a match made in heaven as our beautiful colleague Yasmine Fathi found a perfect life companion in the Australia-based marketing consultant Mohamed El-Sayed. Relatives, friends and a superstar: by the time pop singer Hisham Abbas showed up -- unexpectedly -- the magically decked couple had danced and thanked their well-wishers. Now the mood turned wild, the excitement trickling down until Mohamed grabbed the mic and sang to his bride to maddening applause -- positively heart melting. A honeymoon stop-over in Sharm El-Sheikh preceded the trip to Australia, where Yasmine will be sorely missed.

¡ A seminar entitled "Commerce Between Arab Countries" was recently held under the auspices of the Garden City Lions Club, headed by Awatef Serageddin. Among the speakers who crowned the event were head of the Council of the Arab Economic Unit at the Arab League Ahmed Gewali, former prime minister Ali Lotfi, former minister of interior Hassan El-Alfi, former minister of development Yehia El-Gamal, as well as members of Lions Club and media figures Moufid Fawzi, Sekina El-Sadat, and Amaal Bekir.

© Eid was an occasion for yet another remarkable occasion attended by that hogger of an assistant of mine, Ghada Abd El-Kader. An opportunity to listen to urban folk singer Mohamed Adawiya last Wednesday, yes. At the Sawy Culture Wheel, darlings, where else? The son of the legendary Ahmed Adawiya, a veritable phenomenon of the 1970s, he performed old favourites of his father's as well as new, very exciting fare.