Sham El-Nessim

Sham El-Nessim

Egypt Spring Festival

by Heba Fatteen Bizzari

More than a few Egyptian traditions today derive from very ancient times, including the holiday known as Sham el Nessim, which may have been celebrated as early as 4,500 years ago. For Egyptians, Sham el Nessim (Sham el Nessim, Sham el Niseem), literally meaning ‘sniffing the breeze’, marks the beginning of the spring. It falls immediately on the first Monday following the Coptic Easter and it was related to agriculture in ancient Egypt which contained fertility rites that were later attached to Christianity and the celebration of Easter. It is believed that the Egyptians were the first to celebrate this occasion.

Sham el Nessim seems to be a holiday as old as Egypt. According to the Egyptian Information Service, the name of the holiday is actually derived from the ancient Egyptian harvest season that was called "Shamo", also explaining that, according to Plutarch's annals, the ancient Egyptians used to offer salted fish, lettuce and onions to their deities on this day. Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Bakr, former chairman of the Antiquities Authority, explains that:

"The spring festival coincided with the vernal equinox, and the ancients imagined that that day represented the beginning of creation. The date of Sham El Nessim was not fixed. Rather, it was announced every year on the night before the feast at the foot of the Great Pyramid. The feast of 'Shamo,' means 'renewal of life' which was later corrupted during the Coptic age to 'shamm' (smelling or breathing) and the word 'nessim' (breeze) was added. The ancient Egyptians first celebrated the feast of Shamo in 2700 BC, towards the end of the3rd Dynasty."

In his book, Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, W.W. Lane wrote in 1834:

"A custom termed 'Shemm en-Nessem' (or the Smelling of the Zephyr) is observed on the first day of the Khamaseen. Early in the morning of this day, many persons, especially women, break an onion, and smell it; and in the course of the forenoon many of the citizens of Cairo ride or walk a little way into the country, or go in boats, generally northward, to take the air, or, as they term it, smell the air, which on that day they believe to have a wonderfully beneficial effect. The greater number dine in the country or on the river. This year they were treated with a violent hot wind, accompanied by clouds of dust, instead of the neseem; but considerable numbers, notwithstanding, went out to 'smell' it. The 'ulama have their 'shemm en-nessem' at a fixed period of the solar year, the first three days of the spring quarter, corresponding with the Persion 'Now-roz," called by the Arabs 'Norooz'."

Today, the early morning brings out millions of Egyptians on Sham el Nessim who crowd open green spaces even if that means ending up sitting on grassy patches next to roads, due to the scarcity of public parks and open areas in Cairo. Families start at dawn preparing their food, then take their blankets with them and enjoy the breeze of spring.Sham el Nessim is also celebrated by eating traditional foods. It is associated with several types of food that are eaten together yet are much diversified. Fiseekh (Salted fish), boiled colored eggs, termis (lupin seeds), and green onions are some of the types of food eaten on this day, each backed by a different myth.

It was believed that offerings of fish were made to the ancient gods to ensure a good harvest. Salted fish symbolized to the ancient Egyptians fertility and welfare. Fish were abundant when the waters receded from the Nile flood, leaving them trapped in natural pools, and easily caught. Today, the Egyptians celebrate Sham el Nessim by eating a variety of slated, smelly fish known as fiseekh (feseekh).

“The fiseekh is prepared in a traditional process that is considered almost an art form. The process of preparing the fish is passed from one generation to another to insure its quality. The types of fish used are sardines mackerel and anchovies. Their prices range from 15 to 20 Egyptian pounds,” said Monir Abdel Salam, a 38 year fasakhani ‘salt fish specialist’ in the Giza district.Many people believe it is not healthy to eat fiseekh and have removed it from the list of food or have replaced it by tuna from a can. “It is too smelly. You can’t even get the smell out of your hands, plus it is rotten and hospitals are always full of poisoned people who have eaten bad fiseekh,” said Ihsan Mostafa, 42, mother of three. “It is especially bad for a child. That’s why I’m keen on making a tuna salad for them instead,” added Mostafa.

About fiseekh during Sham el Nessim, Al-Ahram reports that:

"Fiseekh is at the centre of things: Grey Mullet is caught, piled high in containers, and left out until distended. When sufficient evidence of its putrification is available, salt is added and the fish are left to pickle for a few more months. And voilà, the fish that Egyptians are willing to literally die for is made. It is no wonder that tens meet their death every year during Sham Al-Nessim -- usually as a result of botulism contracted from the smelly culprits.

Last year, the authorities impounded approximately 38 tonnes of spoiled fish and arrested nine Cairo shop-keepers for selling bad fish. Local papers ran articles on how to identify clean fiseekh -- check the flesh around the backbone and make sure the smell is not too pungent -- and how much to eat. Nationwide, centres for the treatment of poisoning announced a 48- hour emergency. Vaccines to treat botulism were also distributed nationwide and at reduced cost. Unfortunately, 12 upstanding Egyptian citizens died of fiseekh poisoning anyway."

Others disagree. “The fish can smell bad, but I assure you that it is one hundred percent safe to eat. Salt is used as a way to dry fish and preserve it. There are no additives used and the whole process is done by hand. We don’t need machines. We Egyptians are good at preserving. Our mummies are still here from 4500 years ago,” added Abdel Salam. Well, ok, but mummies are not very appetizing either.

Eggs for the pharos were dyed and hung in temples as emblems of regenerative life. They not only symbolize new life, but they serve as small art works to enjoy at the picnics. Dyed eggs from pharaonic times are a direct predecessor of our Easter eggs today. “This is the best part for the whole family.

We usually go to the Cairo Giza Zoo in the early morning but the first thing we do is color the eggs. We use water colors and then put them in the sun to dry so they will be ready for us to enjoy. My four year old daughter is the most talented of my children at painting these,” said Mostafa.

Green onions also seem to have a special significance in the occasion. It has been found that in ancient times, onions were stuffed in the eyes of mummies and drawn on tomb walls. To the modern Egyptian they served a different purpose, “They keep the evil eye away and prevent envy,” said Sherif Momtaz, 45, nurse and Ihsan’s husband. “They are also good for one's health,” added Momtaz.

Dr. Bakr also explains that scallions (onions), first appeared on the festive menu at the end of the6th Dynasty, mentioned in papyrus relating to legends of Old Memphis:

"It is said that one of the pharaohs had an only child who was so much loved by the people. The young prince was struck down by an unknown disease and bed-ridden for years, during which time the people abstained from celebrating festivals in sympathy for the king and his son.The king summoned the archpriest of the Temple of Oun, who diagnosed the boy's sickness as having been caused by evil spirits. The priest ordered that a ripe spring onion be placed under the patient's head. The priest sliced a second onion and put it on the boy's nose so that he would breathe in the vapors.

The papyrus text says that the prince soon recovered and festivities were held in the palace to mark the occasion which coincided with the beginning of spring season. As a goodwill gesture for their king, the people hung bunches of scallion over the doors of their houses, which explains how it came to be a main item on the table at Sham El Nessim."

Lettuce represents the feeling of the hopefulness at the beginning of the spring.

Islamic sources do not encourage Muslims to participate in the holiday, which is seen as related more to Christianity and is not considered to be a religious holiday of that faith. Yet, just as Halloween is certainly based on a pagan tradition, that does not stop Christians from having fun on that day. Lane (Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians) tells us that:

"It is remarkable that the Muslims of Egypt observe certain customs of a religious and superstitious nature at particular periods of the almanac of the Copts, and even according to the same system, calculate the times of certain changes of the weather. Thus they calculate the period of the 'khamaseen' when hot southerly winds are of frequent occurrence to commence on the day immediately following the Coptic festival of Easter Sunday, and to terminate on the Day of the Pentecost (or Whitsunday), an interval of forty-nine days."

Hence, even today, many Muslims take the holiday as an excuse to celebrate and break the routine of the week. “We all know that it is not a Muslim feast, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take my children out to celebrate and see other people celebrating and having fun. I would be cruel to my children if everyone they know is celebrating while they are at home upset,” said Momtaz.The festival differs according to the area. In Alexandria, people go to Montazah which opens its gardens to the public. They go there to celebrate the display and scent of almost 20 thousand types of plants, including some hundred rare ones. The day also includes folkloric shows by dancing troupes and military music parades.

It should be noted that many hotels in Egypt provide specials for this holiday, so it can be a fun time for all, including tourists.

Dr. Hany El-Barbary Wins First Prize!

Dr Hany El-Barbary Wins First Prize Award!

Conditions of the prize is that the medical and/or scientific invention had to be original, by a researcher or young doctor under 40 years old.

Announced on 19 February 2009, Dr. Hany M. El-Barbary, MD., FRCS, was winner of First Prize for best ‘Prof. Shawki Kamal’ research from the ESS for his new invention: A novel “Pelvitrainer”, which is an apparatus he built to help young practicing surgeons learn laparoscopic skills necessary to do safe surgery.

Hany presented the invention on the 18th, and the results were announced the following day, 19 February 2009, with an award ceremony held at the gala dinner of the 27th annual conference of the ESS, held at Cairo's Inter-Continental Hotel.

(Hany is the son of the proud mother, Hoda Nassef - creator of this blog.)

New Mummies Discovered!

Intact Mummies Unearthed!

Egypt's archaeologists unveiled on Wednesday, February 11, a newly-discovered, completely-preserved mummy inside a limestone sarcophagus sealed 2,600 years ago during pharaonic times. The rare intact mummy, covered by a thin layer of dust, was unearthed at the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, one of the earliest large stone structures in the world. It is believed to contain up to 100 gold amulets in the folds of its linen wrappings, Egypt's chief archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass said.

h.n.

Iman Maleki's Incredible Art

ARE THESE REAL PICTURES, OR PAINTINGS?? They are PAINTINGS! (Except for the small photo above of Iman Maleki)

Iman Maleki was born in 1976 in Teheran. From an early age he was fascinated with paintings. Age 15 he studied with Morteza Katouzian, the greatest realist painter in Iran & ever since he has had many successful exhibitions of his paintings.

The most important exhibition to date was the “Exhibition of Realist Painters of Iran” in the Contemporary Museum of Art in Teheran (1999) and the “Group Exhibition of KARA Studio Painters” in the SABZ gallery (1998) and the “Sa'ad Abad Palace” (2003).

h.n.

Hayam Abdel-Baky's Art Show

Artist Hayam Abdel-Baky

By Hoda Nassef

On the 26th of January, I attended the opening of an art show in the Mashrabia Art Gallery (Champollion St.) where I witnessed the marvel of Ms. Hayam Abdel-Baky’s art exhibit.

In the invitation card, Ms Abdel-Baky (Abd El-Baky) named her show Words Into Face “مكتوب على الجبين” (meaning ‘Written on the Brow’, translated erroneously into “Words Into Face” on her invitation cards.)

Ms. Abdel-Baky’s art is truly unique and amazing. Upon first glance, you imagine her fantastic portraits on ‘batique’ canvas; an ancient Indonesian form of art. This is her second art exhibition; the first one was similar, but all the portraits were in one colour of assorted beige and brown. They appeared to be etchings on papyrus, but were water colour on paper.

For the new exhibition, they are splashed with various harmonious colours. As you approach each item, you will notice the intricate words spun into each abstract portrait. The colours do not clash and are perfectly blended into the portrait; the Arabic words are like old lace woven into the delicate hues of the fabric.

I asked Ms. Baky, “What type of material did you use?” She smiled and said that her canvases were actually paper, and not the canvas material used by artists.

“Are the colours wax, as done on batique? And, did you stencil in those words?” I enquired. She replied that the colours were actually normal water paint. The canvas paper was cotton-based, she explained, so as to absorb the paint.

Squinting at the writings, intrigued, I asked again, “Are these actual words?”

She smiled and said, “I will tell you a secret; all the paintings combine the quartet works (“الرباعيات”) of the late artist Salah Jahin. I try to explore and experiment with new techniques. Actually, the words are scratched in or painted, with a needle.”

“No kidding! But that gives your paintings even more value!” I gasped. Art into art, I mused to myself.

She modestly replied, “But, I keep that to myself; it just inspires me while I paint.”
“Do you mind if your secret is exposed?” I asked her.

“No, I don’t really mind. I wrote into my paintings all his famed quartets, as I’ve been Salah Jahin’s fan all my life.”

[Attached are just some samples]

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Ms. Hayam Abd El-Baky’s exhibition “مكتوب على الجبين” (Words Into Face) premiered on the 25th of January 2009 and will remain open for three more weeks.

Address: 8, Champollion St. (off Tahrir Sq. at the corner of SAS). Visiting hours from 11 a.m. till 8:00 p.m., daily, except Fridays.

Lovely Miss Enas El-Sadiek greets the gallery's visitors in the evening shift. She, herself, is an artist.

Climate Change Talks by Ban Ki-Moon

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for ‘Green New Deal’ at UN climate change talks.

Secretary-General addresses UN Climate Change Conference

11 December 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for renewed global solidarity to tackle the twin challenges of climate change and the financial crisis, telling ministers gathered at a United Nations conference in Poland that the world cannot afford to let economic woes hinder progress on “the defining challenge of our era.”

Addressing the opening of the high-level segment of the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Mr. Ban stressed the need to act now and avoid any backsliding on commitments to tackle these threats.

“The world is watching us. The next generation is counting on us. We must not fail,” he told participants from nearly 200 nations, who have been meeting for nearly two weeks as part of UN-led negotiations aimed at reaching an ambitious global climate change deal next year.

The world is watching us. The next generation is counting on us.

We must not fail

The Poznan conference marks the half-way point in efforts to reach agreement on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, the legally binding regime for reducing greenhouse gas emissions whose first commitment period ends in 2012.

The Secretary-General noted that managing the global financial crisis requires massive global stimulus, adding that a big part of that spending should be investing in a green future. “An investment that fights climate change, creates millions of green jobs and spurs green growth.”

What the world needs is a “Green New Deal” – one that works for all nations, rich and poor, he stated.

“In short, our response to the economic crisis must advance climate goals, and our response to the climate crisis will advance economic and social goals,” said Mr. Ban.

Looking ahead to next December’s climate change conference in Copenhagen, he called on the current meeting to sketch out the critical elements of a long-term vision, with ambitious goals and emission reduction targets for industrialized countries. At the same time, he said developing countries needed to limit the growth of their emission, with robust financial and technological support.

Mr. Ban also called for a recommitment to the “urgency of our cause,” and asked countries to keep climate change at the top of national agendas.

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), told delegates they should lay the cornerstone for strong action in Copenhagen by giving “new meaning” to the term leadership.

Stressing that “action expresses priorities,” he urged participants “to send the world a clear signal from Poznan that you are ready to put in place finance structures to shift the global economy on to a low-emissions pathway.”

h.n.

How To Talk To A Man!

How to Talk to a Man!
There's a reason he doesn't hear what you're saying. New brain research reveals why (and what to do about it).


It seems there is no bigger difference between men and women, and no difference that causes more friction, than the way we communicate with each other. It's not that men don't listen or don't care. Rather, new research shows, they process what they hear differently than women do, quite possibly because of gender disparities in their brain chemistry, structure, and activity.

Due to improved imaging techniques and testing methods, researchers are able to compare what happens within men's and women's heads as they listen, think, remember, and talk. Heres what they discovered:

1. Men and women process single words similarly, but when interpreting a sentence, men use a single specific area on one side of the brain whereas women mobilize the same area, but in the right and left parts of the brain.

2. Women appear to use more of their brains to listen and speak. That doesn't make women better listeners or speakers, but the increased accessibility they have to some parts of their brains may make activities essential to communication easier for them.

3. Women tend to experience stress more intensely than men thanks to their rich estrogen supply, which activates a larger field of neurons than occurs in men during an upsetting experience.

4. Women are better at tasks that require memorization because their higher level of estrogen is associated with improved learning and memory.

5. Men can sometimes better identify straightforward emotions such as rage and aggression in others' facial expressions and tone of voice than women can. However, men don't score as high as women in picking up on subtle nonverbal cues that telegraph sadness or fear.

One of the most encouraging discoveries thus far is that the difference in our brain function narrows as we age. Talking to each other in a different way, one that respects our differences, may speed that process.

Here are some effective strategies to use whenever you say something to a man that you really want him to hear. Consistant practice may help close your personal gender gap sooner rather than later.

Give him a heads-up

Because women have higher concentrations of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the part of the brain responsible for language and memory skills, information may be delivered more efficiently in your brain than it is in his. Avoid misunderstandings by letting him know when you're about to say something that needs his close attention. Tell him clearly that you want to have a serious talk.

Don't try to compete with distractions

Men don't multitask as well as women do. This may be related to the fact that in general women activate more areas in their brain than men do when performing identical tasks. So initiating a discussion while he's watching television or surfing the Internet means you won't get his full attention. Try to pick a time that's convenient for each of you and when you're both alert.

Ask for exactly what you want

Men are especially programmed to want to solve a problem when presented with one. But a solution isn't always what you're after. Sometimes you simply want to vent frustrations or anger or talk through potential solutions to determine which one makes the most sense. You're more likely to get the response you're hoping for if you tell your husband what you want from the beginning. For instance, you might say, "There are a number of ways this could go, and I'd appreciate it if you'd listen to a few of the options I'm considering." And if you're looking for a solution, ask him directly what he would do....and say what you mean.

Research has found that men have more difficulty identifying facial expressions than women do, especially those on the female face. Men are also less skilled at identifying nonverbal cues of sadness and fear. Unfortunately, women tend to use a lot of facial expressions to communicate, which can lead to frustrating situations for you both: You feel that your needs are being ignored, while he's exasperated by the subtlety of your expressions and body language. So say what you're thinking. Telling him directly, "I've had a really terrible day" works better than a miserable look. And instead of casting a reproachful or injured glance after he aims a barb your way, you might say, "That remark really hurt. Did you mean it?" Don't be surprised if he seems mystified. It's more evidence that he wasn't ignoring your feelings; he simply was unaware of them.

Stick to the subject

There's some evidence that women have better memories for the spoken word. Of course, this makes it easy for you to drag into the conversation every single hurt feeling you've had in the relationship. It takes a great deal of self-control to stop yourself from hurling old accusations, even when they have nothing to do with whatever sparked the current argument. Banishing the memory of a previous argument, but communication will be better if you attempt to restrict your discussion to the incident at hand.

End the conversation before it's over

Another source of discord has to do with a difference of opinion about when a conversation should end. Because women are better at interpreting facial expressions, you're going to know when he's becoming bored or losing patience with a conversation, possibly even before he does. You may just be getting warmed up, but when you notice the signs, it's best to end it. Neither of you is at your best when you're tired, and men do seem to have less stamina for conversation than women do. It may take a few short talks to get the job done.

Be patient

These strategies work, whether you're still in the first blush of romance, deciding to take your relationship to a more serious level, or long married. Be it your first serious discussion or the 4,000th, improving communication takes practice. Think of it as getting your brain and his in sync.

Some Malls and Shopping Centers

Some Shopping Malls and Centers

Akkad Mall

Nasr Road, Nasr City Tel: 2419-4247 Open: 11am-midnight. A spacious mall with two floors packed full with shops, a bowling centre, a video games arcade, two restaurants and a parking facility.

Arkadia Mall

Corniche El Nil, Downtown Tel: 2579-2082 Open: 11am-midnight. One of Cairo's well known malls. Across five floors there're shops, an amusement arcade for children (Fun Planet) and a food court with some ten restaurants. Famous brands like Adidas, Timberland are open as well as lesser known local ones. Parking available.

Bandar Mall

9 Palestine Rd, Maadi Tel: 2519-0455 Open: 11 am - midnightMore of an entertainment complex than a shopping one with three cinemas, a large bowling centre, a billiards place and several local and international food chains.

City Centre

Makram Ebeid St., Nasr City Tel: 2273-8855 Open: 10am-12:30pmA medium sized mall with five shopping levels, four cinemas and a few cafes / restaurants! Nice and elegant. shopping levels, four cinemas and a few cafes / restaurants! Nice and elegant.

City Centre (Carrefour)

Ring Road Maadi, Maadi Tel: 2520-4300/200 / Call centre: 16061 Open: 10 am-midnight / Fridays: 2pm-midnight Built outside the city periphery and famous for its hypermarket

Carrefour, this mall has a large number of boutiques and stores, and Magic Planet - an amusement arcade for children. It also holds a food court with six outlets and parking for 1,200 cars.

City Stars

2 Riyad At Hashed St.. Nasr City Tel: 2480-0500/ 55 open: 11am - 1pmAlready well known through out the country for boasting some of the top-notch international brands like Women's Secret, Morgan, Kookai, Red Earth, Mango and others; this mall with its brilliant shopping experience. Accessories and designer clothes on the first two floors, a Khan Al Khalili walk-through area, a Spinneys hypermarket, an international exhibition area, Magic Galaxy Park for kids, 16 wide screen cinemas, a wide range of coffee shops such as Cilantro, Cinnabon and Costa cafe. Not to mention a large food court which includes the usual suspects like Pizza Hut, McDonald's and Gellataria Roma as well as Chinese and Italian eateries.

Dandy Mall

Km 28, Cairo-Alex Desert Rd. Tel: 2539-2606 Call centre: 16061 Open: 0:30 am - 1 amThis shopping mall is set to become one of the city's largest. It features a 12-screen cinema complex, food court, department stores and shops, a gaming arcade and the largest branch of the Carrefour hypermarket in Egypt. There's also a petrol station for those driving onto Alexandria and the usually fast-food stops like KFC and McDonalds.

Degla Arcade

11 Hassan Sabri St., Zamalek Open: 10:30am-9pmThough small in size this shopping centre boasts some delightfully small but absolutelythe best boutiques in town for lingerie, jewelry, antiques, furniture and home accessories. There's also a hairdresser tucked into the building if you care for a touch-up.

El Horreya Mall

Al-Ahram St., Heliopolis Tel: 2452-1698 Open 10am-11:30pmA small mall boasting five levels of a variety of shops, two cinemas and two restaurants.First Mall35 Giza St., Giza Tel: 3571-7803 16 Open: 9am-midnight & 11am-11pm (winter) One of the classiest malls in Cairo. Three floors of the finest shops and international brands, including Bulgari, Villar, Damas, Polo, Carlo Jewelry. On the ground floor, 'La Gourmandise' offers the finest French pastries and Mediterranean cuisine where they also occasionally host fashion shows and events.

First Mall Shopping Mall
Florida MallSheikh AH Gad El Haq St., Masaken Sheraton, Heliopolis Tel: 268-4295 15005 Open: noon-midnightA small shopping mall with a few facilities. Five levels of shopping, two cinemas, a foodcourt with six restaurants and four cafes. Harris and Lipstick cafes are on the ground floor.

Galleria

Grand Hyatt Cairo, Corniche El Nil, Garden City Tel: 365-1234 Open: 10am-10pmThe Galleria offers the ultimate shopping and entertainment experience together with a stunning view of the Nile. Featuring 7 floors of retail outlets and entertainment facilities including cinemas, a multipurpose auditorium, boutiques and a food court. Some of the famous brands for your shopping pleasure are Mont Blanc, Chopard, Palait de Parfume, Baraka Optics, Felopateer, Mobaco and Concrete.

Genena Mall

Batarawi St., off Abbas El Akkad St., Nasr City Tel: 404-6261/3 14 Open: noon-midnight. One of the largest malls in Cairo, consisting of five floors of shopping boutiques for clothing, furniture, upholstery, shoes and perfumeries as well as several cinemas on the first and third floors. There is also a skating arena.

Maadi Grand Mall (MGM)

Road 250, Maadi Tel: 519-5380 Open: 11am-11pm (Thursday till midnight)Five floors of shopping, a large hall for billiards and video games, MGM cinema complex, and four restaurants.

Nile Hilton Annex

Corniche El Nil, Downtown Tel: 578-0444 Open: 9am-9pmA two-leveled mall with a wide variety of shops, a cafe, two restaurants, a billiard room, and an internet cafe. Parking available.

Ramses Hilton Annex

Corniche El Nil, Downtown Tel: 575-2025 Open: 10am-10pmA seven-floor mall with shops for clothes, jewelry, makeup, upholstery, shoes and music, three cinemas on the top floor, three restaurants, two billiard and snooker halls offering alcoholic beverages while you play, and a McDonald's. Can get pretty crowded during the summer. Parking available and is redeemable if you attend a movie.

Serag Mall

Atteya El-Sawalhy St., Nasr City Tel: 406-0555 Open: 11am-2amSpread across four floors of three different buildings, with a total of 400 shops. There are also five cinemas, 13 restaurants in addition to six chain restaurants outside the mall.

Tiba Mall

El Nasr Road, Nasr City Tel: 402-9072 / 6 Open: 7am-midnight. A small mall with two floors of shopping facilities, bowling and billiard halls, three restaurants, two cinemas, and parking.

Wonderland

Abbas El Akkad St., Nasr City Tel: 401-8834 Open: 11am-11pm. A relatively small shopping mall, but the cinemas and amusement arcade are quite favourable. Three floors of shopping, two cafes, a fast food outlet, bowling and billiard halls, and a Shoprite supermarket.

World Trade Centre (WTC)

191 Corniche El Nil, Downtown Tel: 580-4000 Open: l0 am-I0pmA food court and a bowling alley. (The cinema operates seasonally and severalshops have closed down - call before heading there.)

Yamama Centre

3 Taha Hussein St., Zamalek Tel: 736-1583/ 00/400 Open: 9am-11pmOne of the oldest shopping malls in Cairo with eight levels of shopping, a cafe, a pastry shop and a hair dresser. One of the city's best gyms, FDA, is also based inside the mall.

h.n.

The Tale of the Wooden Bowl

The Tale of the Wooden Bowl


I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year - old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life..' I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about. I just did.

I am not going to be the one who lets it die. I found it believable -- angels have walked beside me all my life--and they still do ************ This is to all of you who mean something to me, I pray for your happiness.

The Candle of Love, Hope & Friendship.

This candle was lit on the 15th of September, 1998.

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h.n.

The Parable of the Spoons

The Parable of The Spoons
(A Beautiful Story)

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. "The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."

It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves.

h.n.

Bad Summer for Egypt!

Bad 2008 Summer for Egypt!

BAD AUGUST, BAD SEPTEMBER CRISES

Egypt abduction talks 'ongoing'

Egypt says negotiations are still ongoing to secure the release of 19 people abducted in southern Egypt.

A cabinet spokesman said that an earlier announcement by the foreign minister that they had been freed and were safe and well was premature. The group includes five Italians, five Germans and a Romanian, along with eight Egyptians.

The government says they were taken across the border into Sudan, and the hostage takers have demanded a ransom. The 19 were seized near the Gilf al-Kebir plateau, close to the Libyan and Sudanese borders.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit originally reported their release ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in New York.

He said the hostages were "safe and sound".

But the cabinet spokesman, Magdy Radi, later said: "It is premature to say they are released. The negotiations are still continuing."

Tour owner's call

Egyptian officials say contact has been made with the kidnappers in Sudan, and that they are seeking a ransom of up to $6m (£3.24m).

The tourism ministry said those abducted along with the foreigners were two guides, four drivers, a guard and the owner of the travel company who had organised the excursion.

Gilf al-Kebir is a giant plateau famous for its prehistoric cave paintings, which featured in the 1996 film The English Patient.

The BBC's Ian Pannell in Cairo says local guides have indicated that the Gilf al-Kebir area has become increasingly unsafe this year.

Another group of foreigners was held at gunpoint in February and three of their vehicles were taken.

An investigation at the time pointed the blame at smugglers and bandits. There has been criticism that the Egyptian military has not done enough to patrol the area despite the increased threat.


Tourist abduction blow for Mubarak

As 11 European tourists are abducted in south-west Egypt, the BBC's Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi assesses the likely fall out of the incident.

Tourism matters a lot for the Egyptian economy. It brings in some $8bn (£4.3bn) a year, which is more than 6% of the country's gross domestic product.

One of the most likely consequences of a kidnap incident like this is that it will dent Egypt's reputation as a safe destination for foreign tourists.

It is thought that five Italians, five Germans and a Romanian were taken along with eight Egyptian travel guides and drivers last Friday.

The abduction is believed to have taken place near the Gilf al-Kebir plateau in southern Egypt.
Unconfirmed reports say the hostages have been taken across the border into Sudan.

The Egyptian tourism minister says negotiations are under way to secure their release.

Bad News

Whatever the motives of the kidnappers, be they political or just criminal, there is no doubt that the incident is a serious blow to the administration of President Hosni Mubarak.

The kidnap comes at the end of a period of bad news for Mr Mubarak's government that has prompted growing calls for a change of leadership inside Egypt.

Mr Mubarak has been in power for nearly 30 years. His critics will see the kidnapping of foreign tourists as yet another example of government failure, despite the exceptional powers given to the police and the enormous resources allocated to security.

Earlier this month, the authorities were accused of responding slowly to a massive rock slide at a shanty town near Cairo that killed more than 100 people.

And before that, the city's fire brigade failed to extinguish a blaze that destroyed a historic building (actually AN OLD PALACE used for the parliaments) in central Cairo housing the upper chamber of parliament.


H.N.

The First Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving


In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.
Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.

What Was Actually on the Menu?

What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

Did you know that lobster, seal and swans were on the Pilgrims' menu? Seventeenth Century Table Manners: The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food. Salt would have been on the table at the harvest feast, and people would have sprinkled it on their food. Pepper, however, was something that they used for cooking but wasn't available on the table.

In the seventeenth century, a person's social standing determined what he or she ate. The best food was placed next to the most important people. People didn't tend to sample everything that was on the table (as we do today), they just ate what was closest to them. Serving in the seventeenth century was very different from serving today. People weren't served their meals individually. Foods were served onto the table and then people took the food from the table and ate it. All the servers had to do was move the food from the place where it was cooked onto the table.

Pilgrims didn't eat in courses as we do today. All of the different types of foods were placed on the table at the same time and people ate in any order they chose. Sometimes there were two courses, but each of them would contain both meat dishes, puddings, and sweets.

More Meat, Less Vegetables

Our modern Thanksgiving repast is centered around the turkey, but that certainly wasn't the case at the pilgrims' feasts. Their meals included many different meats. Vegetable dishes, one of the main components of our modern celebration, didn't really play a large part in the feast mentality of the seventeenth century. Depending on the time of year, many vegetables weren't available to the colonists.

The pilgrims probably didn't have pies or anything sweet at the harvest feast. They had brought some sugar with them on the Mayflower but by the time of the feast, the supply had dwindled. Also, they didn't have an oven so pies and cakes and breads were not possible at all. The food that was eaten at the harvest feast would have seemed fatty by 1990's standards, but it was probably more healthy for the pilgrims than it would be for people today. The colonists were more active and needed more protein. Heart attack was the least of their worries. They were more concerned about the plague and chickenpox.

Surprisingly Spicy Cooking

People tend to think of English food at bland, but, in fact, the pilgrims used many spices, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and dried fruit, in sauces for meats. In the seventeenth century, cooks did not use proportions or talk about teaspoons and tablespoons. Instead, they just improvised. The best way to cook things in the seventeenth century was to roast them. Among the pilgrims, someone was assigned to sit for hours at a time and turn the spit to make sure the meat was evenly done.

Since the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians had no refrigeration in the seventeenth century, they tended to dry a lot of their foods to preserve them. They dried Indian corn, hams, fish, and herbs.

Dinner for Breakfast: Pilgrim Meals: The biggest meal of the day for the colonists was eaten at noon and it was called ‘noonmeat’ or dinner. The housewives would spend part of their morning cooking that meal. Supper was a smaller meal that they had at the end of the day. Breakfast tended to be leftovers from the previous day's ‘noonmeat’.

In a pilgrim household, the adults sat down to eat and the children and servants waited on them. The foods that the colonists and Wampanoag Indians ate were very similar, but their eating patterns were different. While the colonists had set eating patterns—breakfast, dinner, and supper—the Wampanoags tended to eat when they were hungry and to have pots cooking throughout the day.

Source: Kathleen Curtin, Food Historian at Plimoth Plantation

"Bedouin Obama"!!!

'Bedouin' Obama!
Nearly 8,000 Arab Bedouins in northern Israel are claiming kinship with US president-elect Barack Obama. (Reuters)

Islam Online News:


CAIRO — Already having relatives extending from Hawaii to Kenya, nearly 8,000 Arab Bedouins in northern Israel are also claiming kinship with America's new president-elect, Barack Obama.

"We knew about it years ago but we were afraid to talk about it because we didn't want to influence the election," Arab Bedouin elder Abdul Rahman Sheikh Abdullah told The Times on Thursday, November 13.

"We wrote a letter to him explaining the family connection."

Abdullah, from the village of Bir al-Maksour in Galilee region, says his 95-year-old mother first noticed that Obama looked like one of the African migrant workers in the British-mandated Palestine in 1930s.

One of those migrants, who sometimes used to marry local Bedouin girls, was a relative of Obama's Kenyan grandmother, says Abdullah. Abdullah says he has papers and pictures supporting his claim, but would not divulge them until Obama is in the White House. "We want to send a delegation to congratulate him, and we know we'll get an answer soon."

Obama was elected America's first black president last week after crushing his Republican rival John McCain.

Born in Hawaii, the Illinois senator is the son of a Muslim-turned-atheist Kenyan father and a white American mother.

He lived from ages 6 to 10 in Indonesia with his mother and Muslim stepfather. Bedouins are traditionally pastoral semi-nomadic Arab tribes indigenous to the Negev region.

“Relative Obama”

Bedouins have been distributing sweets and dishes of baklava and pastries in celebration of Obama's election win.

"We knew he'd win," Abdullah said, constantly interrupted by a barrage of phone calls from well-wishers. "We have always been a lucky family.

Two baby boys born into Abdullah's large clan have been named Obama. Congratulators have been also flocking to Abdullah's region to pay their respects to the "Bedouin Obama".

"Everyone is talking about [Sheikh Abdullah's ties to Mr Obama] . . . They believe it," said Sheikh Issam al-Khalil from the occupied southern Lebanese town of Ghajar.

"The sheikhs from all the villages are talking about it. There's a whole delegation of Druze leaders coming from the Golan Heights to congratulate him."

Many Bedouins hope that their "relative" Obama will solve their problems. "We hope to God that Obama will solve the problem of Ghajar," said Khalil. Abdullah, the Bedouin elder, is also hopeful.

"We hope he'll end all wars and intervene here to solve our problems in Israel. The Bedouin are the people who suffer the most here."




Hoda Nassef

More about: Deterioration of the Red Sea

More about: “Deterioration of the Red Sea”

By Hoda Nassef

Wanting to buy a gift for my old school-friend visiting Egypt, I searched the shops downtown, in Garden City, and Zamalek. In each of those three districts, there was at least one shop selling handmade artifacts, which I enjoyed browsing through. But, to my dismay, each shop displayed beautiful appliqués and other crafts, all made of seashells and huge chunks of coral reef as the main centerpiece. How on earth are they still getting the coral reef, when it is, or should be, absolutely forbidden?

We exchanged gifts and then I grumbled about the shops all boldly displaying broken chunks of coral reef. She laughed and said I was becoming more ‘Americanized’ than she was, and admitted that it was a pity that we Egyptians are not really concerned with our own environment. She said that in Sharm El-Sheikh, everywhere you go, they sell handcrafts in the hotels’ boutiques or nearby shops, and even around the hotels’ swimming pools, all made of coral reef. Some ‘objects of art’ were turned into corner-table lamps, or simply used as house decorations, with other sea objects clustered around the coral.

To aggravate me even more, she said that most of the hotels that have been constructed there actually used explosives to make their artificial lakes, lagoons and swimming pools, disregarding the damage to the sea creatures, fish, and coral reef. Ironically, some of the same hotels afterwards were eventually named as “green hotels”, indicating that they were “environmentally friendly”! What a joke!

We are really self-destructive. How can we pretend to be aware of our environment, let alone CARE about it, when we ruin the environment with our own ignorance or greed? The beautiful Red Sea is ‘an endangered species’: it is in mortal danger.

Musing on the word “red” (El Bahr El Ahmar’ translates to The Red Sea, in Arabic) - researchers are still perplexed as to why this sea was named ‘red’. My theory is that the sun reflecting the crimson hues off the aura of the rocky hills surrounding it during sunsets, and mirroring it into the transparent sea, has inspired this name for earlier settlers. Yet again, it may be due to the unique coral reefs.

The Red Sea has been estimated to be between 20 and 40 million years old, as a result of the continental platforms drift that steadily separated Africa and Asia (and is actually still happening) thus creating the African Rift that extends up to the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea Depression. Egypt has nearly 1,000 km of coast on the Red Sea, together with the whole perimeter of Sinai, surrounded by the Strait of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Red Sea is 2,350 kilometers long and 350 kilometers wide at its widest point off Ethiopia, covering a total area of 450,000 square kilometers.

Since prehistoric time, the Red Sea has been one of the busiest and most important sea routes of the world. All ancient civilizations of the Region established outpost-trading communities on the shores of the Red Sea. Between these outposts lived scattered traditional societies. These pastoral or fishing groups never reached high population densities and archeological evidence suggests that their way of life survived unchanged for thousand of years.

In “Habitat”, it stated that the Red sea possesses unique characteristics that cannot be found anywhere else on earth. The Strait of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba close it in to the north, and the Strait of Bab El Mandeb (gate of tears) closes it in to the South at a depth of roughly 100 meters, forming a basin. This separates the Red Sea substantially from the system of currents of the Indian Ocean. Because of this 'semi-continuity' with the ocean, the Red Sea is an ecosystem of the Indo-Pacific variety. It is unique in that the Red Sea is home to around 20 percent of endemic fish species in the world, and for the particularly varied coral reefs (more than four hundred species of coral have so far been recorded). Because its deep waters can reach temperatures of 32 degrees centigrade due to volcanic activity on the seabed, the almost total lack of tides, and its regular currents - driving northwards in winter and southwards in summer - the Red Sea constitutes a fantastic and unrivalled botanical niche.

Furthermore, I read that the Red Sea contains ‘representatives’ of all major tropical marine habitats, and such high diversity of habitats (i.e. their natural environment) in the Egyptian Red Sea coast are occupied by a large and diverse number of marine animals. These animals have adapted to sharing of resources and the perfect use of available spaces. Such harmony may be affected by the human interference during the exploration of the coastal plains, not to mention constructing residential areas right along its borders.

There are several groups of animals that inhabit the Red Sea, other than fish. These include turtles and sea birds. The other marine mammals, which are recorded, include seven species of dolphin, and whales. It is thought that such minor diversity of mammal species is due to the geographical nature of the Red Sea entrances, the salinity, as well as low primary productivity.
Marine turtles form a prominent part of the fauna of the Red Sea. The areas on the shore where the turtles choose as nesting sites are very limited to small number of sites in South Sinai and few spots on the south Red Sea coast. Many of these turtles have reported to lay their eggs on offshore islands. All the marine turtles of the Red Sea are considered threatened and both the green and hawk-bills are declared endangered species.

While reading ‘Global Plan of Action’, it mentioned that the coastline of Egypt is undergoing extensive habitat alteration, due to construction, including ‘dredge and fill’ operations of shallow areas, excavation of artificial lagoons, mining and quarrying. Suspended fine sediments resulting from these activities can inflict widespread damage to coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and other marine life, over distances of dozens of kilometers from the source. Several urban centers have been developed along the coast at Suez, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. As we know, Egypt is the site of the most extensive tourism development on the Red Sea. But, tourism development constitutes a serious threat to both the marine environment and the tourism industry itself, if not planned and developed on a sound environmental basis with the effective enforcement of environmental regulations.

I discovered that on Egypt's Hurghada coast, which is the most affected, sediments from coastal alteration activities have spread to extensive fringing reefs down the coastline and to the adjacent islands and offshore reefs, where they are damaging corals and mangroves.

Another main sources of pollution on Egypt's Red Sea coast is the discharge of poorly treated or untreated sewage matter into the marine environment. Tourism areas located outside city limits have their own sewage treatment facilities, but most tourism areas on the coast of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aqaba meet their fresh water requirements through the desalination of seawater or groundwater.

It has been reported that areas such as Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh have been developed and exploited beyond their ecological capacities and are already showing signs of environmental degradation. ‘Global Plan of Action’ also states that evidence of reef degradation due to tourism and other activities is clear, even in pristine areas such as the Ras Mohamed National Protected Park, because the coasts have become a repository for large quantities of industrial, commercial and residential trash and other solid waste. Often this takes the form of plastics, metal containers, wood, tires and even entire scrapped automobile parts at some localities!

In some areas containing extensive metal and industrial debris, the potential exists for toxic substances to leach into the marine environment. Wooden pallets and driftwood may form a physical barricade to female turtles crawling up beaches to nest. Damage to coastal and other vegetation from the use of vehicles is also evident in the Red Sea region. This not only reduces vegetation available for birds, grazing mammals and other wildlife, but also causes loss of ‘halophytes’ that can destabilize sand dunes bordering many shore areas.

Together with dredging, coastal reclamation probably represents one of the most negative impacts on the coastal marine environment of the Red Sea. Apart from the direct and permanent loss of habitat, landfill usually increases sedimentation. Inadvertent coral breakage by divers and improper mooring by diving and fishing boats, as well as damage due to sediment stir-up by diving activities, in addition to collecting corals, starfish, urchins, and other sea creatures, may ultimately cause loss of diversity in marine habitats and degradation of coral reefs.

In addition, the Middle East harbors more than half of the world's proven oil reserves, thereby ranking as the world's largest oil production area. The Red Sea, therefore, carries significant oil traffic as well as drilling sites. Oil spills, pollution from machines, oily mud sediment, and drilling into the reefs themselves are some of the unfortunate by-products of the industry.

‘Global Plan of Action’ also remarked that the Red Sea is unique and not found elsewhere in the world. Its enclosed nature, together with limited water exchanges with the Indian Ocean, considerably reduces the potential for dispersion of pollutants. This is especially so in the relatively shallow Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, as compared to the main body of the Red Sea which is very deep along most of its length.

The predicted increase in number of people either visiting or working along Egypt's Red Sea coastline require more sewage disposal and discharges which deplete the quality of the very amenities which attract tourism in the first place: clean beaches, pleasant weather and the spectacular underwater reefs.

We should protect our God-given blessings, and not let our economical need for growth overlook the vital importance of “growing”, yet under professional supervision and management. I fear that after we have exhausted all possible space and ways of ruining the Red Sea and the Red Sea Coast, we will greedily look forward to ruining the Mediterranean Sea and the spectacular Northern Coast.

H.N.

Death of a Giant: Dr. Michael DeBakey

The Death of a Giant: Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey

Born:September 7, 1908 (1908-09-07) Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States
Died: July 11, 2008 (aged 99; almost 100) Houston, Texas, United States
Alma mater: Tulane University
Religious beliefs:Maronite Catholic

Famed Heart Surgeon Michael DeBakey Dead at 99 (Sun. 13 – July 2008)

Michael DeBakey, the man who first performed heart bypass surgery, died Friday night at Methodist Hospital in Houston at the age of 99 from natural causes, the Associated Press reported Saturday.

The renowned cardiovascular surgeon invented many devices to help the ailing human heart; while still in medical school in 1932, he designed the roller pump, which became a key part of the heart-lung machine and opened the door to open-heart surgery. He also was behind the first efforts to develop artificial hearts and heart pumps for those waiting for heart transplants.
In 2006, DeBakey even underwent a procedure that he himself had developed -- the surgical repair of a damaged aorta.

While at the Baylor College of Medicine, officials there said, he helped transform the school into a nationally respected medical institution.

"Dr. DeBakey's reputation brought many people into this institution, and he treated them all: heads of state, entertainers, businessmen and presidents, as well as people with no titles and no means," Ron Girotto, president of the Methodist Hospital System, told the AP.
Cardiovascular surgeon Dr. George Noon called his professional partner "the greatest surgeon of the 20th century," who "single-handedly raised the standard of medical care, teaching and research around the world."

Biography

Early life:

Michael Ellis DeBakey was born as Michel Dabaghi in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to Maronite Lebanese immigrants Shaker and Raheeja Dabaghi (later Anglicized to DeBakey).

Medical career:

DeBakey received his BSc degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. In 1932, he received an M.D. degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. He remained in New Orleans to complete his internship and residency in surgery at Charity Hospital. DeBakey completed his surgical fellowships at the University of Strasbourg, France, under Professor René Leriche, and at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, under Professor Martin Kirschner. Returning to Tulane Medical School, he served on the surgical faculty from 1937 to 1948. From 1942 to 1946, he was on military leave as a member of the Surgical Consultants' Division in the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army, and in 1945 he became its Director and received the Legion of Merit. DeBakey helped develop the mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units and later helped establish the Veteran's Administration Medical Center Research System. He joined the faculty of Baylor University College of Medicine (now known as the Baylor College of Medicine) in 1948, serving as Chairman of the Department of Surgery until 1993. DeBakey was president of the college from 1969 to 1979, served as Chancellor from 1979 to January 1996, he was then named Chancellor Emeritus. He was also Olga Keith Wiess and Distinguished Service Professor in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of the DeBakey Heart Center for research and public education at Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist Hospital.

DeBakey's ability to bring his professional knowledge to bear on public policy earned DeBakey a reputation as a medical statesman. He was a member of the medical advisory committee of the Hoover Commission and was chairman of the President's Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke during the Johnson Administration. He has worked tirelessly in numerous capacities to improve national and international standards of health care. Among his numerous consultative appointments was a three-year membership on the National Advisory Heart and Lung Council of the National Institutes of Health.

DeBakey served in the U.S. Army during World War II and helped to revolutionize wartime medicine by supporting the stationing of doctors closer to the front lines. This concept greatly improved the survival rate of wounded soldiers and resulted in the development of Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units during the Korean War.

Medical pioneer:

At age 23, while still in medical school at Tulane University, DeBakey invented the roller pump, the significance of which was not realized until 20 years later, when it became an essential component of the heart-lung machine.[10] The pump provided a continuous flow of blood during operations. This, in turn, made open-heart surgery possible.

With his mentor, Alton Ochsner, he postulated in 1939 a strong link between smoking and carcinoma of the lung. DeBakey was one of the first to perform coronary artery bypass surgery, and in 1953 he performed the first successful carotid endarterectomy. A pioneer in the development of an artificial heart, DeBakey was the first to use a external heart pump successfully in a patient — a left ventricular bypass pump.

DeBakey pioneered the use of Dacron grafts to replace or repair blood vessels. In 1958, to counteract narrowing of an artery caused by an endarterectomy, DeBakey performed the first successful patch-graft angioplasty. This procedure involved patching the slit in the artery from an endarterectomy with a Dacron or vein graft. The patch widened the artery so that when it closed, the channel of the artery returned to normal size. The DeBakey artificial graft is now used around the world to replace or repair blood vessels.

In the 1960s, DeBakey and his team of surgeons were among the first to record surgeries on film. A camera operator would lie prone atop a surgical film stand made to Dr. DeBakey's specifications and record a surgeon's eye view of the operating area. The camera and lights were positioned within three to four feet of the operative field, yet did not interfere with the surgical team.

DeBakey worked together with Dr. Denton Cooley, while they both practiced at Baylor College of Medicine. According to the April 18, 1969 issue of Life magazine, they had a disagreement associated with Cooley's apparently unauthorized implantation of the first artificial heart in a human. The disagreement turned into a bitter feud that lasted for decades; the two men reconciled only in 2007, but DeBakey made it public by inviting Cooley to the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal. Debakey was a perfectionist and intolerant of incompetence, and was known to be brutal to surgical trainees and co-workers and would fire surgical assistants who made minor errors.

To the amazement of his colleagues and patients, DeBakey continued to practice medicine into an age well after most others have retired. DeBakey practiced medicine until the day he died, and nearly reached 100 years of age in 2008. His contributions to the field of medicine spanned the better part of 75 years. Dr. DeBakey operated on more than 50,000 patients, including several heads of state. Dr. DeBakey and a team of American cardiothoracic surgeons, including Dr. George Noon, supervised quintuple bypass surgery performed by Russian surgeons on Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1996.

During 1969, the Baylor College of Medicine separated from Baylor University under his direction. The DeBakey High School for Health Professions, the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston in the Texas Medical Center in Houston are named after him. He had a role in establishing the Michael E. DeBakey Heart Institute at the Hays Medical Center in Kansas. Several atraumatic vascular surgical clamps and forceps that he introduced also bear his name.

In 1969, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded him the National Medal of Science. He was a Health Care Hall of Famer, a Lasker Luminary, and a recipient of The United Nations Lifetime Achievement Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, and The National Medal of Science. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Foundation for Biomedical Research and in 2000 was cited as a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress. On April 23, 2008, he received the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

In 1987 and 1990, Debakey was investigated by the Texas Medical Board for having more than three malpractice lawsuits in a five year period. Both investigations were dismissed. However, in 1994, his Texas medical license was delinquent for nonpayment.

Health issues:

On December 31, 2005, at age 97, DeBakey suffered an aortic dissection. Years prior, DeBakey had pioneered the surgical treatment of this condition, creating what is now known as the DeBakey Procedure. He was hospitalized at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Dr. DeBakey initially resisted the surgical option, but as his health deteriorated and DeBakey became unresponsive, the surgical team opted to proceed with surgical intervention. In a controversial decision, Houston Methodist Hospital Ethics Committee approved the operation; on February 9–10, he became the oldest patient ever to undergo the surgery for which he was responsible. The operation lasted seven hours. After a complicated post-operative course that required eight months in the hospital, at a cost of over one million dollars, Dr. DeBakey was released in September 2006 and returned to good health. Although DeBakey had previously refused surgery, he later stated that he was grateful that his surgical team performed the operation.

He was present at Baylor College of Medicine for the groundbreaking of the new Michael E. DeBakey Library and Museum on October 18, 2006.

OBITUARY:

American surgeon Michael E. DeBakey dies at age 99

On July 11, 2008, DeBakey died of natural causes at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

DeBakey was preceded in death by his first wife, Diana Cooper DeBakey who died of a heart attack in 1972 and by his sons, Houston lawyer Ernest O. DeBakey, who died in 2004, and Barry E. DeBakey, who died in 2007. His brother Dr. Ernest G. DeBakey died in 2006. Ernest DeBakey was a cancer specialist in Mobile, Alabama. In addition to his wife, Katrin, and their daughter, Olga, DeBakey is survived by sons Michael and Denis, as well as sisters Lois and Selma DeBakey, who are both medical editors and linguists at Baylor.

Honors

Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Academy of Medical Films
American Heart Association (AHA)
Children Uniting Nations
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Foundation for Biomedical Research
International College of Angiology
International Health and Medical Film Festival
Research! America
Tulane Medical Alumni Association
U.S. Army Legion of Merit (1945)
American Medical Association Hektoen Gold Medal (1954 and 1970)
Rudolph Matas Award in Vascular Surgery (1954)
International Society of Surgery Distinguished Service Award (1958)
Leriche Award (1959)
American Medical Association Distinguished Service Award (1959)
Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research (1963)
American Medical Association Billings Gold Medal Exhibit Award (1967)
American Heart Association Gold Heart Award (1968)
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Academy of Sciences 50th Anniversary Jubilee Medal (1973)
Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Foreign Member (1974)
Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander-in-Chief’s Medal and Citation (1980)
American Surgical Association Distinguished Service Award (1981)
Academy of Surgical Research Markowitz Award (1988)
Association of American Medical Colleges Special Recognition Award (1988)
American Legion Distinguished Service Award (1990)
Premio Giuseppe Corradi Award for Surgery and Scientific Research (1997)
Russian Military Medical Academy, Boris Petrovsky International Surgeons Award and First Laureate of the Boris Petrovsky Gold Medal (1997)
John P. McGovern Compleat Physician Award (1999)
Russian Academy of Sciences Foreign Member (1999)
Texas Senate and House of Representatives, Adoption of resolutions honoring Dr. DeBakey for 50 years of medical practice in Texas (1999)
American Medical Association Virtual Mentor Award (2000)
American Philosophical Society Jonathan Rhoads Medal (2000)
Library of Congress Bicentennial Living Legend Award (2000)
Villanova University Mendel Medal Award (2001)
Houston Hall of Fame (2001)
NASA Invention of the Year Award (2001)
MUSC "Lindbergh-Carrel Prize"(2002)
Congressional Gold Medal (April 23, 2008)

Publications

As a lifelong scholar, Dr. DeBakey's writings are reflected in more than 1,300 published medical articles, chapters and books on various aspects of surgery, medicine, health, medical research and medical education, as well as ethical, socio-economics and philosophic discussion in these fields. Many of these are now considered classics. In addition to his scholarly writings, he is a best selling author, having co-authored such popular works as The Living Heart, The Living Heart Shopper's Guide and The Living Heart Guide to Eating Out.

Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.

Pioneer, innovator, miracle maker, Samaritan

Michael Ellis DeBakey is an internationally recognized and respected physician and surgeon, noted for his pioneering work in the field of cardiovascular surgery, as well as for his innovative research into this and other fields of medicine. He is credited with inventing and perfecting scores of medical devices, techniques and procedures which have led to healthy hearts and productive lives for millions throughout the world. Dacron arteries, arterial bypass operations, artificial hearts, heart pumps and heart transplants are common procedures in today's medicine, thanks to Dr. DeBakey.

Additionally, Michael DeBakey is credited with developing the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (M.A.S.H.) concepts for the military, which has led to saving thousands during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. As well, the development of specialized medical and surgical center systems, in order to treat returning military personnel, subsequently became the Veterans Administration Medical Center System, saving many more lives.

Dr. DeBakey has earned an enviable reputation as a medical statesman. He has served as advisor to almost every President in the past fifty years, as well as to heads of state throughout the world. He led the movement to establish the National Library of Medicine, which is now the world's largest and most prestigious repository of medical archives. Dr. DeBakey continues to devote considerable time to national advisory committees and to consultantships in Europe and the Middle and Far East, where he has helped to establish health care systems.

As a lifelong scholar, Dr. DeBakey's writings are reflected in more than 1,300 published medical articles, chapters and books on various aspects of surgery, medicine, health, medical research and medical education, as well as ethical, socio-economics and philosophic discussion in these fields. many of these are now considered classics. In addition to his scholarly writings, he is a best selling author, having co-authored such popular works as, The Living Heart, The Living Heart Shopper's Guide and The Living Heart Guide to Eating Out.

This prolific humanitarian has performed more than 60,000 cardiovascular procedures and has trained thousands of surgeons who practice through the world. He has operated on heads of state, princes and celebrities, as well as paupers, with the same exacting surgical technique and compassion to all. In 1976, his students from throughout the world founded the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society. In appreciation of his untiring pedagogic and investigative efforts, the Trustees of Baylor University, where Dr. DeBakey is Chancellor of Baylor College of Medicine, established the Michael E. DeBakey Center for Biomedical Education, as well as the Debakey Lectureship.

Dr. DeBakey has received numerous honorary degrees from prestigious colleges and universities as well as innumerable awards from educational institutions, professional and civic organizations, and governments worldwide. In 1969, he received the highest honor a United Sates citizen can received, the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded him the National Medal of Science.

With his keen intellect, professional ingenuity, personal integrity and selfless devotion to humanity, Women's International Center is so proud to present the International Samaritan Living Legacy Award to a living legend and a genuine healer of the human heart.

Michael DeBakey
AKA Michael Ellis DeBakey

Bio-Data:

Born: 7-Sep-1908

Birthplace: Lake Charles, LA

Died: 11-Jul-2008

Location of death: Houston, TX

Cause of death: Natural Causes

Gender: Male

Race or Ethnicity: White

Sexual orientation: Straight

Occupation: Doctor, Inventor

Party Affiliation: Republican

Nationality: United States (Lebanese Origin)

Executive summary: Pioneering heart surgeon

Military service: US Army

Father: Shaker Morris DeBakey (el-Dabaghy)

Mother: Raheehja Zorba DeBakey

Brother: Ernest G. DeBakey

Sister: Lois DeBakey

Sister: Selma DeBakey

Wife: Selwa DeBakey

Diana Cooper (m. 15-Oct-1936, d., four sons)

Education:

University: BS, Tulane University (1930)

Medical School: MD, Tulane University (1932)

University: MS, Tulane University (1935)

Professor: Tulane University (1937-48)

Administrator: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (1948-93)

Member:

American Heart Association Bush-Cheney '04 Cosmos Club Eisenhower Institute Project Advisory Council Lasker Foundation Trustee Muscular Dystrophy Association National Academy of Sciences National Republican Congressional Committee National Republican Senatorial Committee National Research Council National Space Society Research America Board of Directors (Honorary) Rotary International Houston Royal Society honorary member Teamsters Medical Advisory Committee US Information Agency Medical Science Advisory Committee Volunteer PAC Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society Honorary Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society

Awards:

Lasker Award Clinical Medical Research Award (1963) Legion of Merit 1945 Presidential Medal of Freedom 1969 National Medal of Science 1987 John P. McGovern Award 1998 Aneurysm aortic (Feb-2006) Open Heart Surgery (Feb-2006) Lebanese Ancestry

His nephew, who was a dear friend of mine and has his namesake, died at 36 from an air bomb in Hasmeieh, Lebanon, in 1983. I commemorate them both.

h.n.

Alexandria

Building Alexandria

By Hoda Nassef


The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country although it is actually only 225 km. from Cairo.

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolized by Pharaohs, the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Alexandria was also the centre of learning in the ancient world. But ancient Alexandria declined, and when Napoleon landed, he found a sparsely populated fishing village.

From the 19th century Alexandria took a new role, as a focus for Egypt's commercial and maritime expansion. This Alexandria has been immortalized by writers such as E. M. Forster and Kefafy. Generations of immigrants from Greece, Italy and the Levant settled here and made the city synonymous with commerce, cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture.
Alexandria is a city to explore at random. It's as important to enjoy the atmosphere as it is to see the sights.

Old Alexandria

Dino-crates built the Hepatisation, the causeway between Pharos and the mainland. This divided the harbours into the Western and Eastern. The Eastern harbour was really where the old harbour from the Middle Ages was located.

Of modern Alexandria, the oldest section is along the causeway which links what was once Pharos island with the mainland and includes the districts of Gumrok (‘customs’; the oldest dating to about the 16th century and known as the customs district) Anfushi, and Ras-el-Tin The latter two districts date to about the period of Mohammed Ali (1805-49). Collectively, these districts are known to westerners as the Turkish Quarter. They have had a number of ups and downs over the years, particularly due to the plague during the 17th century. The area forms somewhat of a T-shape, dividing the Eastern Harbour from the Western Harbour.

This section of Alexandria is known to us more from books then what we may actually see in the area. Where the Pharos Lighthouse once stood, is now occupied by the Fort of Quit Bay, out on the area that circles up around the top of Eastern Harbour forming the eastern section of the top of the T. Heading south from the Fort of Quit Bay, we come to the stunning Abu El-Abbas Mosque. West of this is the Anfushi Tombs, some of the oldest in Alexandria and well worth a visit.

Central Alexandria

The Underwater Discoveries

Relatively new discoveries in the Eastern Harbour involve two different sites. Around Fort Quit Bay the site has unearthed hundreds of objects, including what experts believe are the remains of the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the ancient wonders of the world.

In the southeast part of the harbour archaeologists have apparently found the Royal Quarters, including granite columns and fabulous statues, including one of Isis and a sphinx with a head thought to be that of Cleopatra's father. There may vary well be an underwater exhibit in the future!

Heading towards the mainland past the Abu El-Abbes Mosque and connecting with Sharia Faransa Street leads to the Suq district. Just before entering the district one finds the interesting little Tirana Mosque In the Suq district, one finds Alexandria's only surviving ‘wakalas’, which is a part of the El-Chorbagui Mosque complex founded in 1757. This was also the area where Alexandria's Jewish community lived, but most have now migrated to Israel. Different areas have specialized in different goods and one may find all manner of products from jewellery to Medicinal plants (Suq El-Magharba) to Bedouin clothing (Suq El-Libya).

Continuing down Faransa one passes Midan Tahrir and the street turns into Salah Salem, and finally connects with Al-Horreya. However, Midan Tahrir, popularly called Manshiya, has considerable history. The areas were once home to Diplomats and known as Place Des Consuls, but after the statue of Mohammed Ali was placed here in 1873 the name was changed to Midan Mohammed Ali. In 1882, it was bombarded by the British and all but destroyed. The Alexandria Stock Exchange was once located here, and it was from the midan (square) that Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal.

The street named Al-Horreya ('tariq' - route - Abdel-Nasser) which transverses the area from east to west was in ancient times the Canopic Way with the Gate of the Sun at the eastern end and the Gate of the Moon at the western end. At that time, there were probably columns lining the road. The main north to South Street, now Sharia (street) El-Nebi (prophet) Daniel, ran from the East Harbour all the way to Lake Harbour on Lake Mariott.

Just south of the intersection of Al-Horreya and el-Nebi Daniel was the site traditionally thought to be the burial place of Alexander the Great, but that has not been located, and may in fact be beneath the Mosque of Nebi Daniel, or in a nearby Greek Necropolis. The famous Alexandria Library was probably nearby. However, the only real antiquities site that can be viewed in the area is Kom el-Dikka; a small Roman theatre that has been excavated. Nearby is also a bath house of the era. To the east is the Antiques District where dealers sell antiquities, books, old weapons and furniture. Here is also the Attarine Mosque, which was once a church dedicated to Euthanasia.

Further south along the tramway is Pompey's pillar and nearby the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa.

Wandering along el-Nebo Daniel are several other attractions, including the French Cultural Centre, and nearby the Eliahud Hanabi Synagague, which is the only active synagogue in Alexandria and houses the combined treasures of the seven former Alexandrian synagogues.
Back to the north on el-Nebi Daniel, next to the harbour where Ramla station is now located at Midan Saad Zaghloul was the location of the Cesareum. This was a magnificent temple begun by Cleopatra for her lover Antony and subsequently completed by their enemy Octavian, though none of this remains in situ. Nearby is the well known Cecil Hotel, built in 1930, Sommerset Maugham stayed here, as did Winston Churchill, and the British Secret Service one maintained a suite for their operations.

Midan Saad Zaghloul is the entertainment heart and nerve centre of Alexandria. Here, as terminals and train stations provide a backdrop for cinemas, restaurants and night spots. It was the setting of Lawrence Darrell’s Alexandria Quartet and the famous Alexandria coffee houses. The square is dominated by an impressive monument dedicated to Saad Zaghloul, a former national leader.

The Greek Quarter and Rosetta District

Back on Al-Horreya heading east, as we pass the Greco-Roman Museum (a notable museum well worth a visit) we move into the Greek Quarter of Alexandria, one of the most beautiful residential districts. The wonderful old villas include the massive Miclavez building, which is opposite the Town Hall and nearby the Adda Complex built in 1929. This is where the wealthy Greeks lived at the turn of the century, and the streets are still named after the Ptolemaic, Pharaonic, Abbasid and Fatimid rulers. Further east is the Greek Orthodox patriarchate and the Church of St. Saba.

Further east, Al-Horreya opens into a beautiful green area known as the Shallalat (waterfalls) Gardens, which was once the fortification of Bab Rosetta. But in 1905, Alexandria created a garden area here with waterfalls and the only Alexandria cistern which can be viewed. This cistern is an example of those which once dotted Alexandria providing fresh water to her inhabitants.

The Corniche

The Corniche is doted with Casinos built on stilts and rows of beach huts. The avenue here did not always exist, for until the 20th century, the areas remained fortified by a five mile long wall with towers which had protected the city since the 13th Century. In the early 1900s, a strip of land with a width of about 100 years was reclaimed from the sea, and the area became popular with beach goers. That is no longer the case, but it remains a lively area of Alexandria.

On the western end of the Corniche near Silsila (Chain) where the New Alexandria Library is being constructed is the Shatby Tombs which are said to be the oldest in Alexandria. Nearer the San Stefano area across the tram tracks is also the Royal Jewellery Museum.

El-Mahmoudia Canal

A walk along the Mahmudiya Canal brings one face to face with the working class and industrial districts of Alexandria, and is pleasant along the old paved road bordered by the canal and sycamore trees. South of the Greek district along the canal is the Antoniadis Gardens, which seep with history. Here, the poet Callimatius lived and taught, and in 640 AD, Pompilius prevented the King of Syria from capturing Alexandria. But less then a year later, Amr Ibn el-Aas camped here, before taking the city. The well known Water Traffic Circle is also in the area.
Here one finds the Zoological Gardens, the small Museum of Natural History and the Fine Arts Museum in the Moharrem Bey area, and a Rose Garden. The beautiful public gardens extend into the surrounding area where the Antoniadis Palace is located, and there is even a nearby Roman tomb.

El-Montazah & Montazah Gardens

This area along the coast about 15 miles east of Alexandria's old district along the Corniche is where many of the modern Alexandrian hotels are located, as well as one of the elegant heritage hotels. Khedive Abbas II built the Salamlik as a residence. Here also is the magnificent Montazah Palace.

NOSTALGIE DU PASSE
Nostalgia of the Past

Il y avait une fois un pays bien-aimé,
There was once a city well-loved;
Au ciel bleu d’azur et au sable doré.
With an azure bleu sky and golden sand.
Nous marchions les pieds nus tout le long du rivage,
We walked bare-footed throughout the long beach,
Le soleil sur la peau et le vent au visage.
The sun on our skins and the wind on our faces.
Nous plongions notre corps dans la mer cristalline,
We plunged our bodies into the crystalline sea,
Et le soir nous dansions au son des mandolines...
And at night we danced at the sound of mandolins…
Ce fut un temps jadis, quand nous avions vingt ans,
It was a jaded time, when we were twenty,
Nous étions jeunes et beaux comme un jour de printemps...
We were young and beautiful like a spring day…
Terre de notre enfance, terre où nous sommes nés,
Soil of our childhood, soil of our birth,
D’où un cruel destin nous a déracinés,
From where we were snatched by a cruel destiny,
Nous étions tous unis, on nous a divisés,
Where once we were united, they have separated us,
Et par le monde entier nous sommes parsemés.
And throughout the whole world we were dispersed.
Les jours se sont enfuis et nous cherchons en vain
The days are far apart and we search in vain
Ces moments si précieux d’un passé si lointain...
For those precious moments of a past so far away…
Malgré l’envol du temps et les ans écoulés
Despite the flying of time and trickling away of years
Alexandrie toujours, sera dans nos pensées!
Alexandria will be forever in our thoughts!

Poème: Viviane Borg-Fleri
Poem by Viviane Borg-Fleri

Translation by Hoda Nassef


SOME LISTINGS:-

Cinemas

*Amir Fouad St, Mihatit Al-Raml, Tel (03) 391 7972; 392 7693
*Cairo Seas Tel (03) 543 3350
*Carrefour Beginning of Alexandria-Cairo Desert Road, Tel (03) 397 01565
*Cineplex Green Plaza, Smouha, Tel (03) 532 5745/6
*Al-Deeb Mall Horriya Road, Rushdi, Tel (03) 541 1597/8
*Family San Stefano Opposite Gianaclis tram station, Tel (03) 585 5088
*Ferial Saad Zagloul St, Mihatit Al-Raml, Tel (03) 486 9364
*Metro Safiya Zaghlul St, Mihatit Al-Raml, (03) 487 0432
*Rio 37 Horriya Road, Mihatit Al-Raml, Tel (03) 392 9036
*Royal Next to Sayed Darwish Theatre, Fouad St, Tel (03) 485 5725/7
*San Stefano Tel (03) 469 0056
*Smouha Off Dawaran Zahran, Smouha, Tel (03) 424 5898/9
*Zahran Zahran Mall, Off Dawaran Zahran, Smouha, Tel (03) 424 0844/66

Clubs in Alexandria

* Alexandria British Community Group (ABCG)
• American Women of Alexandria
• Archaeological Society of Alexandria
• Centro de Portugal
• Delta Hash House Harriers
• Friends of the Environment
• German Women of Alexandria
• International Ladies' Club of Alexandria (ILCA)
• Les Amis de la Musique et des Arts
• Old Victorians
• Rotary Club
• Tourist Friends Association
• Women's International Arts and Craft Group of Alexandria

The Alexandria Sporting Club

Built in 1898 and used during the British occupation, the Alexandria Sporting Club is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Egypt. In 1952, it was taken over by the state, converted into a national club (like the El-Gezira Club in Zamalek) and was managed by the Chairman of the Club, Mahmoud Hamdy. Today, the golf course stands on 97 feddans, 97 percent of which constitutes the total club area. It is a flat course with tricky bunkers and can be played by beginners as well as experts. The club also features four restaurants, the Club House Restaurant being the most luxurious, and the Happy Land restaurant serving the children's playground. It also offers party catering.

Members pay 5 LE for 18 holes, while temporary members pay 10 LE to play. Visitors must be accompanied by a member and pay 50 LE.

About the course: 18 holes, Par 70, 5,960 yards, rating 69, two tees

Who Can Play: Annual memberships, daily golf, tourist groups welcome
Golf Services: Pro Shop, caddies, trolleys, club rental
Learning to Play: Golf pro, lessons
About the Clubhouse: Restaurant
Other Facilities: The course is part of the Alexandria Sporting Club, which has two swimming pools, horseracing, croquet, tennis, squash, basketball, football, board games, and many other facilities.

The Alexandria Sporting Club - Telephone +203 543-3627/8/9
Exhibitions & Other Venues:

ALEXANDRIA EXHIBITIONS, PERFORMING VENUES & BIBLIOTHECA:

*Alexandria Creativity Centre 1 Al-Horriya St, Tel (03) 495 6633/9155
*Alexandria Fine Arts Museum 1 Menacha St, Moharam Bey, Tel (03) 393 6616
*Alexandria Atelier 6 Victor Basil St, Azarita, Tel (03)486 0526
*Bibliotheca Alexandrina Galleries Al-Corniche and Port-Said St, Al-Shatbi, Tel (03) 483 999. Daily 11am-9pm. For information visit
*Mahmoud Said Museum 6 Mohamed Pasha Said, Gianaklese, Tel (03) 582 1688. Daily 10am-6pm, closed Mondays
*Smouha Club Somouha, opposite Green Plaza, beginning of Agricultural Road to Cairo, Tel (02) 303 3535, 010 664 0632

Listing for some 4 & 5-Star Hotels, Alexandria:

• Agami Palace Hotel
• Aida Beach Hotel
• Ailema Hotel
• Alexandria Hotel
• Crillon Hotel
• Delta Hotel
• El-Salamlek Palace Hotel
• Helnan Palestine Hotel
• Hilton Borg El-Arab Resort
• Mercure Alexandria Romance
• Paradise Inn Beach Resort
• Paradise Inn Metropole Hotel
• Paradise Inn Windsor Palace Hotel
• Plaza Hotel
• Renaissance Alexandria
• San Giovanni Hotel
• (*) San Stefano Plaza
• Sheraton Montazah Hotel
• Sofitel Cecil Alexandria
• Union Hotel

Listing for some 3-Star Hotels, Alexandria:

• Amoun Hotel
• Beauville Hotel
• Cleapatra Hotel
• Corail Hotel
• Costa Bianca Hotel
• Darwish Hotel
• El Haram Hotel
• El Madina El Monawara Hotel
• Holiday Hotel
• Hyde Park House
• Jeddah Hotel
• Kaoud Sporting Hotel
• King Mariout Motel
• Landmark Hotel
• Le Roy Hotel
• Lolowa Hotel
• Marhaba Hotel
• Mecca Hotel
• Misr Hotel
• Nobel Hotel
• Petit Coin Hotel
• Piccadilly Hotel
• Ramsis Hotel
• Regency Hotel
• Sea Star Hotel
• Semiramis Hotel
• Summer Moon Hotel
• (*) San Stefano Plaza
• Sheraton Montazah Hotel

(*) San Stefano Plaza “Jotun Egypt has secured the third "Four Season Hotel" – San Stefano in Alexandria”…

Jotun has already painted Four season Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh & Four Season Hotel – Nile Plaza. “San Stefano.” Grand Plaza This awe-inspiring project includes every conceivable modern privilege: from a five star Four Seasons Hotel and shopping mall, luxury residential units and commercial facilities. San Stefano set on 31000 sq. meters of prime real estate land and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with a 170-meter frontage alongside the beach.

On 15 Jan 2004, Jotun Egypt signed the contract of San Stefano Four Season Hotel. Depa Egypt branch of Depa Holding Co. won the Four Season contract and Jotun paints was the partner in this prestigious project, based on the pervious successful projects (Sheraton Montazah, Hilton Luxor, Holiday Inn at Sharm El-Sheikh, JW Marriott mirage city Cairo Golden Pyramids Entertainment City in Cairo).

“Our business philosophy is based on providing our clients with the highest standards of workmanship, using quality materials, with tight schedules and targeted budget management” Says the GM of Depa Egypt. Three decades of prestigious hotel interior contracts for renowned hotel groups worldwide has made DEPA a leading international company.

Jotun has already painted Four season Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh & Four Season Hotel – Nile Plaza. “San Stefano.” Grand Plaza This awe-inspiring project includes every conceivable modern privilege: from a five star Four Seasons Hotel and shopping mall, luxury residential units and commercial facilities. San Stefano set on 31000 sq. meters of prime real estate land and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea with a 170-meter frontage alongside the beach. The residential part consists of 900 apartments varying in design and size. The residences range from 131 m2 to 1271 m2.

As for the shopping mall – it consists of four-levels, which occupy the basement upper story and the first three floors of the tower. Stores display a selection of the finest brand names in the world. There are ten different movie theatres.

The hotel consists of 127 rooms and suites overlooking the Mediterranean and 120 residential suites. The hotel guests are welcome to enjoy a private beach, cabins there and the yacht marina and beach restaurant.

Jotun Egypt is looking forward to accomplish this splendid achievement, wining the supply contract for the residential & the shopping mall. Securing prestigious project such as San Stefano Grand Plaza which will exceed by all means our customer satisfaction …. The ultimate goal of Jotun Egypt

The owner: San Stefano Grand Plaza
The construction manager: Laing Int.
The engineer representative: Dar el-Handasah

Listing for Alexandria Cultural Centres:

• American Cultural Center (Amideast)
• British Council: 11 Mahmoud Abul-Ela St, Kafr Abdou, Roushdi, Tel (03) 545 6512
• Conservatoire de Musique d'Alexandrie
• Egyptian Cultural Centers Anfoushi Cultural Center
• French Cultural Center: 30 Nabi Daniel St, Tel (03) 391 8952/392 0804. Closed Friday and Saturday
• Goethe Institute: 10 Batalsa St, Azarita, Tel (03) 487 9870/484 1037
• Horreya Cultural Palace
• Italian Cultural Institute: Italian Consulate, Saad Zaghloul Square, Tel (03) 487 4924
• L'Atelier
• Museum of Fine Arts
• Pharoah's Hall
• Russian Cultural Center
• Sayed Darwish Theater
• Shatby Cultural Center for Artistic and Literary Appreciation
• Spanish Cultural Center (Cervantes Institute): 101 Horreya St, Tel (03) 392 0214/495 2094, open 5-8pm
• The Foundation of Hellenic Culture (Greek)

Listing for some Restaurants, Alexandria:

• Al-Farida Restaurant (Italian and International)
• Al-Farouk Restaurant (French)
• Dynasty Restaurant (Chinese) (at the Renaissance Hotel)
• Price Cafe (snacks and deserts)
• San Giovanni Coffee Shop (La Sirene) Eastern and Western
• San Giovanni Restaurant (Eastern and Western )
• Shells Restaurant (Seafood & Italian)at the Hilton Borg El Arab Resort

Tourism Offices in Alex., Egypt:

Ramleh Station; Saad Zaghloul St. 03 807985
Nozha; Nozha Airport 03 4202021
Marine Passenger; Station Alex. Port 03 803494
Misr Station - - - 03 4925985

H.N.

Getting Back in Shape!

Getting Back In Shape!

By Hoda Nassef

Despite the persistent heat, it's time to get ready for the summer vacations. The following are some vitamin and mineral tips to perk you up, give you energy, and keep you in shape!


VITAMINS & MINERALS …
why you need them and where you'll find them.

Vitamin A Growth, skin coulour & night vision - (liver, carrots, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, butter, margarine)

Vitamin B6 Red blood cell formation, helps PMS and nervous disorders - (cod, salmon, herring, bananas)

Vitamin B12 A great energiser, promotes mental health, helps prevent anaemia - (liver, oily fish, red meat)

Vitamin C Boosts our immunity to colds and infections, promotes healing and may protect us from pollutants - (oranges, lemons, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants)

Vitamin D Bone formation - (cod liver oil, herrings, mackerel, sardines)

Vitamin E An anti-oxidant, protects the heart, blood vessels and skin - (sunflower oil, peanut butter, avocado)

Vitamin K An anti-blood clotting agent - (green vegetables, yogurt)

Folic Acid Vital for preventing spina bifida in babies - (green leafy vegetables, oranges, liver, brewer's yeast, wheatgerm)

Calcium Bone formation - (dairy products, sardines, nuts and beans)

Iron Forming red blood cells - (red meat, dried apricots, wholemeal bread, dark green vegetables)

Zinc Growth, hormone function, male fertility, liver function - (shellfish, liver, cheese, wholemeal bread, eggs)

Magnesium Energy production, allows vitamins B6 and B12 to function, tissue growth and repair - (brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, brown rice, peas)

Iodine Function of the thyroid gland - (haddock, cod, mackerel, mussels)

Selenium Vital for the anti-oxidant process, protects against certain cancers and heart disease - (wholemeal bread, seafood, eggs, brewer's yeast)

Have a Healthy Life … Naturally!

H.N.

How To Save The Airlines!

How To Save The US Airlines!

Dump the male flight attendants. No one wanted them in the first place. Replace all the female flight attendants with good-looking strippers! What the hell --- They don't even serve food anymore, so what's the loss?

The strippers would at least triple the alcohol sales and get a 'party atmosphere' going in the cabin. And, of course, every businessman in this country would start flying again, hoping to see naked women.Because of the tips, female flight attendants wouldn't need a salary, thus saving even more money. I suspect tips would be so good that we could charge the women for working the plane and have them kick back 20% of the tips, including lap dances and 'special services.'

Muslims would be afraid to get on the planes for fear of seeing naked women. Hijackings would come to a screeching halt, and the airline industry would see record revenues. This is definitely a win-win situation if we handle it right --- a golden opportunity to turn a liability into an asset.Why didn't Bush think of this? Why do I still have to do everything myself?

Sincerely,

Bill Clinton

Mrs. Mubarak, Patronage of Heritage

Mrs Suzanne Mubarak Becomes Patronage of Heritage

By Hoda Nassef

On 17th of April 2008, the First Lady, Mrs. Suzanne Hosni Mubarak, agreed to take the international NGO association“Save the Heritage of architect Hassan Fathy”under her wings.

HOW IT BEGAN:

Last December 2007, Dr. Leila El-Wakil, (PhD in History of Art), along with the professors of the Department of Art History & those holding a Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences of the Geneva University, Switzerland, implored us to: “SAVE THE NEW GOURNA”, of Hassan Fathy.

Save Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna

Introduction:

The professors of the Department of Art History and of the Master in Environmental Sciences of Geneva University wish to make an emergency appeal for the registration of the village of New Gourna (Egypt). This exceptional masterpiece of contemporary architecture has been known worldwide and belongs to the artistic as well as intellectual heritage of Humanity.

This heritage has already been severely damaged to somewhat general indifference. Every measure should now be rapidly carried out to preserve what is left, restore what has been altered and reconstruct what has disappeared to bring it back to its original form and signification.

Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna village cannot simply disappear in inertia and unconcern. The lessons of know-how/savoir-faire, human solidarity and appropriate technology put in the hands of a poor community are served by an extraordinary formal modern architectural language. They should continue to testify to future generations, as the architect himself would have wished, the possibilities of reasoned development in emergent countries.

The Importance of Hassan Fathy’s works…

His career cannot be limited to this only realisation. Hassan Fathy (1900-1989) is among the most important architects of Africa and the Middle East. As an intellect, writer, humanist, architect and scientist, he deeply influenced generations of architects and engineers throughout the world by his constructions as well as by his thoughts.

Hassan Fathy was born in Alexandria and worked mainly in Egypt except during five years he spent in Greece were he worked in the very cosmopolite Dioxides Agency in Athens (1957-1962). He became internationally famous after the success of the publication of Gourna, a Tale of two Villages in 1969, republished in 1973 under the name of Architecture for the Poor: An Experiment in Rural Egypt. The tremendous impact of the book shook the whole world and had significant repercussions in the western academic circles.

The richness of Hassan Fathy’s anthropological thought, his authentic social concern and the wisdom of his reasoning underlying the architectural experience, have had an international impact which has yet to be assimilated in the era of the sustainable development we are now entering. The notion of “appropriate technology” formulated by Hassan Fathy in the twilight of his life has not been sufficiently acknowledged, in particular in emergent countries.

Hassan Fathy had a prolific mind and was impassioned for numerous subjects. He designed and constructed projects of various natures; from modern constructions in armed concrete in the 1930’s and private residences built with stone to projects of the “Ideal City” for Baghdad and Karachi during his Greek period. He addressed all types of programmes such as villas, farms, mosques, social health centres, schools, theatres, peasant villages and tourist villages. As a true researcher in the field of architecture and construction, he endeavoured himself to develop construction technologies inventing solutions appropriate to the climatic circumstances of hot arid countries. Although the project of NEW GOURNA is one of his important works, his career cannot be limited to this only realisation.

Architect Hassan Fathy was a defender of traditional know-how and art crafts, which were threatened to disappear in favour of industrialized products imported from the West. Ideologically close to the artists of his time, like the group of the “Friends of Art and Life” founded in the 1930’s around the personality of Hamed Saïd, he preferred techniques which required the hand of man, believing they could bring happiness and dignity.

Hassan Fathy whilst being conscious of the importance of educating his compatriots and contemporaries, left numerous works and reports and gave a multitude of conferences. The memos, drafts, booklets scribbled with thoughts, notebooks and sketches are innumerable and constitute the most considerable part of the archive’s collection currently conserved at the American University in Cairo (AUC Rare Books Library) and Special Collections (RBLSC). The classification of this material which is ongoing widens the knowledge of the vast and prolific production of this man. During his life, he never received the recognition and grandstand he deserved, even though in his late years, strangers from all over the world desirous to benefit from his precepts, visited his house in Darb el Labana every day.

Although Hassan Fathy was marginalized in his country, he was related to the international intelligentsias and he dedicated part of his career to expertise in the fields of development, African architecture and heritage. The thousands of photographs conserved at the RBLSC prove that he travelled in numerous countries all over the world in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United-States. As a consultant to international organizations and UN agencies, he elaborated development projects for countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Palestine and Pakistan.

During his travels, he would always closely study the local architecture, whether modern or vernacular, as well as art crafts. These experiences were part of his training as an architect and a theorist. Therefore he often illustrated his conferences and articles with examples of architecture or town-planning he discovered abroad.

The misfortune seems to be fiercely attached to Hassan Fathy’s production as several significant buildings have already disappeared: the Bosphore Casino (1932) commissioned by the Koudsy brothers on the Train Station Square (Bab el-Hadid) in Cairo has fallen, several Deco villas from the 1930’s have been pulled down, the villa he built for his wife, Aziza Hassanein, was destroyed during the creation of the Maadi corniche and the legendary house of the artist and potter Hamed Saïd in el-Marg is now surrounded by a hostile environment. At present, the villa Toussoun Abu Gabal is threatened by the land-bank implemented in the surroundings of the new Four Seasons Hotel. Recently, two houses built in the village of New Bariz (Kharga) have suffered renovations which totally altered them.

Hassan Fathy, along with contemporary figures such as Naguib Mahfouz, Um Kalthoum or Yussef Shahin, incarnates the Egyptian genius. Nowadays, who would even think of letting the Trilogy of Mahfouz, Um Kalthoum’s songs or the cinematographic heritage of Yussef Shahin disappear? Meanwhile, because of quasi-general inactivity and fatalism, the outstanding executions of a prominent architect are falling one after the other and NEW GOURNA is gradually vanishing.

New Gourna:

An Outstanding Conception

Hassan Fathy’s owes his international recognition to the publication of Gourna, a Tale of two Villages which recounts the adventure of the construction of the village of NEW GOURNA. The project and execution of this model-village for a poor traditional rural community, at the dawn of the 1950’s, constitutes an experience without precedent in Egypt. If the book narrating this experience still has an international echo today, the village which testifies of this unique and original attempt is in an advanced state of deterioration.

In 1945, The Department of Antiquities and the Director of Excavations assigned Hassan Fathy to execute a new village, upstream of the old village of Gourna, behind the Memnon Colossuses. This pilot-village should relocate the inhabitants of Old Gourna far away from the ‘pharaonic’ sites. The Gourna residents will oppose a strong resistance to this displacement. Recently, more than half a century later, they have been constrained by force to leave their houses in Old Gourna destroyed by bulldozers.

This project addressed to the modest Egyptian peasantry should be put in parallel with the researches of modern European architects of the Interwar: in the domain of social housing for the working-class (Britz or Siemensstadt in Berlin by H. Sharoun, W. Gropius, B. Taut or the Kiefhook housing project in Rotterdam by J.J.P. Oud) and in the field of model villages of the Reconstruction which are starting to be seriously studied (Bousquel in France by Bossu and projects by Thomas Sharp in Great-Britain).

Before projecting anything, Hassan Fathy analyzed the existing situation. Indeed, he tried to improve the sanitary facilities and enhance the living conditions of the Gourna fellahs while preserving their cultural traditions. In order to build a new village that can answer the needs and customs of the inhabitants, he carried out a meticulous ethnographic approach by observing the functioning of Old Gourna. He studied the familial (badana) and social structure of the clans or tribes and the way of life of the ‘Gournis’. These observations will dictated the village-planning principles.

Hassan Fathy also analysed the lucrative activities of the Gournis: in addition to land cultivation which provides them with insufficient resources, are the licit incomes from art crafts and the illicit ones from fraudulent antiquity commerce. This fact will favour his idea of promoting a large variety of art crafts in the new village by perpetrating existing local traditions and reintroducing ancestral know-how.

In his search for low cost constructive solutions, Hassan Fathy used the technology of raw earth which he had already successfully experimented with in many circumstances. The material is costless and requires a technique that the Nubians still master. He wished to hand over this knowledge to the Gournis to enable them to build their own houses themselves without the need of an architect. This self-help system would guaranty the durability of the village because it could develop itself in a sustainable way without an architect or professional masons for which the Gournis did not have the means. This pilot-project was to serve as a model for the construction of other low cost villages in the poor rural areas of Egypt.

An Exceptional Execution

The site of Gourna is located on the western bank of the Nile at the level of Luxor with which it constitutes Ancient Thebes. The western bank bears the pharaoh’s necropolises (the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the Tombs of the Nobles), which number among the most visited sites of Egypt. As from the eighteenth century, inhabitations have been built close by the tombs. This is what we call the Old Gourna that has just been evacuated and demolished since December 2006 despite international protests.

Hassan Fathy was to design the project on a flat parcel in a 50-acre hosh of farmable land, bought from Boulos Hanna Pasha, protected by dykes and situated close to the main road and the railway. It is on that peace of land that he freely designed the project of a pilot village to relocate 7000 Gournis. Between 1946 and 1949 he accomplished only a part of the designed plan. The work was suspended for lack of political support.

This village resembles neither the traditional villages nor the attempts to design modern Egyptian villages. It can be qualified as an ideal village in as much as the Saline de Chaux by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was an industrial ideal town at the end of the Enlightenment. Hassan Fathy built Gourna in accordance with his (high) idea of what should be an Egyptian village at the in the midst of the twentieth century. The richness of the profoundly humanist programme of New Gourna constitutes a Unicom in the history of village-planning. It resulted to a very ambitious project, maybe too ambitious for its time and place.

The fellah was to be lodged with his family and animals in a house designed according to his own needs. He would breed his stock, cultivate the land in the surroundings of the village and also produce art crafts (weaving, pottery etc.) in the crafts school and the khan. He would sell the harvest of his farming in a nice shaded market and his art crafts products in a hall built for this purpose. He would practise his religion either in a Mosque with pure lines or in a church (which was not constructed). He would dispose of a meeting place for celebrations and feasts. His children would be sent to two distinct schools, one for the girls and the other for the boys. He would participate in the popular folkloric entertainments taking place in the theatre or on the esplanade situated just behind it. Part of the constructions (mosque, theatre, khan, market etc.) still exists today and does not appear as over dimensioned, considering the fact that Fathy was planning a possible population growth of 20.000 inhabitants.

Hassan Fathy was to design the project on a flat parcel in a 50-acre hosh of farmable land, bought from Boulos Hanna Pasha, protected by dykes and situated close to the main road and the railway. It is on that peace of land that he freely designed the project of a pilot village to relocate 7000 Gournis. Between 1946 and 1949 he accomplished only a part of the designed plan. The work was suspended for lack of political support.

This village resembles neither the traditional villages nor the attempts to design modern Egyptian villages. It can be qualified as an ideal village in as much as the Saline de Chaux by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was an industrial ideal town at the end of the Enlightenment. Hassan Fathy built Gourna in accordance with his (high) idea of what should be an Egyptian village at the in the midst of the twentieth century. The richness of the profoundly humanist programme of New Gourna constitutes a Unicom in the history of village-planning. It resulted to a very ambitious project, maybe too ambitious for its time and place.

The fellah was to be lodged with his family and animals in a house designed according to his own needs. He would breed his stock, cultivate the land in the surroundings of the village and also produce art crafts (weaving, pottery etc.) in the crafts school and the khan. He would sell the harvest of his farming in a nice shaded market and his art crafts products in a hall built for this purpose. He would practise his religion either in a Mosque with pure lines or in a church (which was not constructed). He would dispose of a meeting place for celebrations and feasts. His children would be sent to two distinct schools, one for the girls and the other for the boys. He would participate in the popular folkloric entertainments taking place in the theatre or on the esplanade situated just behind it. Part of the constructions (mosque, theatre, khan, market etc.) still exists today and does not appear as over dimensioned, considering the fact that Fathy was planning a possible population growth of 20,000 inhabitants.

Hassan Fathy was to design the project on a flat parcel in a 50-acre hosh of farmable land, bought from Boulos Hanna Pasha, protected by dykes and situated close to the main road and the railway. It is on that peace of land that he freely designed the project of a pilot village to relocate 7000 Gournis. Between 1946 and 1949 he accomplished only a part of the designed plan. The work was suspended for lack of political support.

This village resembles neither the traditional villages nor the attempts to design modern Egyptian villages. It can be qualified as an ideal village in as much as the Saline de Chaux by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was an industrial ideal town at the end of the Enlightenment. Hassan Fathy built Gourna in accordance with his (high) idea of what should be an Egyptian village at the in the midst of the twentieth century. The richness of the profoundly humanist programme of New Gourna constitutes a Unicom in the history of village-planning. It resulted to a very ambitious project, maybe too ambitious for its time and place.

The boys’ school (which has been demolished) was situated in the North-West sector of the village.

The design of the village, deliberately irregular, between grid and radio-centric systems, was to develop the imaginary and encourage a rich and varied architecture. The village is divided in four major parts, separated by streets of at least 10m. large, corresponding to the four Gourna tribes.

A system of secondary streets, not exceeding a width of 6m., protects the intimacy of the badanas and dissuades strangers from entering. The inner court houses are assembled in more or less complex sectors open at the angles. This design deliberately avoids any systematic or symmetrical character and repetitions which lead, as says Fathy, “to boring ranges of identical housings that are considered to be what the poor deserve … and are harmful to the human well-being of Man.”

To solve the economic question of the rural village programme, Hassan Fathy used raw brick. This choice is determined by his knowledge of architecture and monuments of upper-Egypt. Indeed, in regions which are poor in wood, one has to imagine other roofing systems. The vaults and cupolas in raw brick like the Ramasseum, Bagawat and the Fatimid mausoleums, will served him as models to roof his first experimental farms and the houses in New Gourna.

During every epoch, the elementary technology of mud brick has been a traditional material in Egypt, particularly in rural areas. The material itself, at immediate disposal, and the fabrication of the raw bricks, dried in the sun, is simple and low-cost. By applying the system of catenary vaults which he improves, one can build a house entirely in earth. The building of such a house requires only two persons.

This innovative formal language of Hassan Fathy at the time of its creation will have a long posterity in Egypt and around the Mediterranean. Today, in Egypt, one commonly uses the term of “Hassan Fathy style” even if it does not design raw earth constructions but designs any architecture using vaults and domes. Numerous tourist settlements and holiday houses reveal this general gusto.

Exceptional character and uniqueness of New Gourna

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the idea and the execution of the village of New Gourna constitute an experience without precedent. It is both unique in its time and premonitory of the preoccupations that were to come. The idea of a self-help system among the peasants so they can build their own houses adapted to the climate with a simple and low-cost technology is an exception. Hassan Fathy was sensible to the question of social housing as an architect and as a man and sincerely wished to enhance the living condition of the peasants. He invented a model housing plan, based upon constructive and typological models from the historical range of Egyptian constructions. This concern for re-linking with the lost traditional know-how embraces the theories underlying the question of sustainable development.

Because of the extreme abundance of heritage from all epochs, Egypt is essentially preoccupied by antiquities, Islamic and Coptic arts and does not yet recognise the more recent heritage; this is why the concern for the village of New Gourna has not been considered as a priority. Nevertheless, it constitutes an exceptional cultural conception and heritage.

The New Gourna, Hassan Fathy’s pilot project, which has been partially constructed, is at present abandoned and in peril. Even though the theatre and the mosque have been restored and are in a good state of conservation, some of the buildings suffer from lack of maintenance and savage transformations. Other buildings, like the boys’ school and the art crafts hall of the village, have been purely and simply destroyed.

Consequently…

The professors of the Department of Art History and of Masters in Environmental Sciences of Geneva University in Geneva, take the initiative to demand for an international registration of the New Gourna as a “Listed Heritage.”


H.N.

Sweet Old Ladies!

A Mississippi Grandma

In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?'

She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher.

Yes, I know you.'

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?'

She again replied, 'Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.'

The defense attorney nearly died. The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, 'If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair.'


A 98 Year Old Lady

Toward the end of Sunday service, the minister asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?"

80% held up their hands.

The minister then repeated his question. All responded this time, except one small, elderly lady.

"Mrs. Jones, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?"

"I don't have any," she replied, smiling sweetly.

"Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?"

"Ninety-eight," she replied.

"Oh, Mrs. Jones, would you please come down in front & tell us all How a person can live ninety-eight years & not have an enemy in the world?"

The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said, "I outlived the bitches.”

Why America is In Trouble!

Real quotations from congressmen & congresswomen in the USA!

Written by an American:

Why Our Country Is In TroubleA Washington DC airport ticket agent offers some examples of why our country is in trouble! True Events!

1. I had a Maine Congresswoman ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window.

2. I got a call from a candidate's staffer, who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information. She interrupted me with, "I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts ." Without trying to make her look stupid, I calmly explained, "Cape Cod is in Massachusetts , Capetown is in Africa ,"

Her response - ......(not polite to write it down!)

3. A senior Vermont Congressman called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando . He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that's not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, "Don't lie to me, I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state!"

4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife who asked, "Is it possible to see England from Canada ?" I said, "No." She said, "But they look so close on the map."

5. An aide for a cabinet member once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas . When I pulled up the reservation, I noticed he had only a 1 hour layover in Dallas . When I asked him why he wanted to rent a car, he said, "I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time."

6. An Illinois Congresswoman called last week. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 am and got to Chicago at 8:33 am. I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went very fast, and she bought that.

7. A New York lawmaker called and asked, "Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?" I said, "No, why do you ask?" She replied, "Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm overweight. I think that's very rude!" After putting her on hold for a minute while I looked into it (I was laughing) I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , CA is (FAT), and the airline was just putting a destination tag on her luggage.

8. A Senator's aide called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, "Would it be cheaper to fly to California , and then take the train to Hawaii ?"

9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman who asked, "How do I know which plane to get on?" I asked him what exactly he meant. He replied, "I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these damn planes have numbers on them."

10. A lady Senator called and said, "I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?" I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola , Fl. on a commuter plane. She said, "Yeah, whatever, smart-ass!"

11. A senior Senator called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China . After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him that he needed a visa. "Oh, no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those." I double checked and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this he said, "Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!"

12. A New Mexico Congresswoman called to make reservations, "I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York ." I was at a loss for words. Finally, I said, "Are you sure that's the name of the town?" "Yes, what flights do you have?" replied the lady. After some searching, I came back with, "I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Rhino anywhere." The lady retorted, "Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!" So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, "You don't mean Buffalo , do you?" The reply? "Whatever! I knew it was a big animal."

Now you know why our Government is in the shape that it's in!

Another DAVOS!

The Egyptian Gazette

Letter to the Editor

5 April 2008


Sub: Another DAVOS!!!


Dear Sir,

I KNEW IT!

Sharm El-Sheikh will ‘host’ the “World Economic Forum in the Middle East”, from May 17 to 19, 2008.

Another ‘DAVOS’, again in May, and again in Sharm El-Sheikh!

What’s in a name?!

So, here we go again, paying for the Dear Visitors, and then we get hysterical when consumer goods, food prices, and everything else, shoots sky-high, because WE pay for the Dear Guest’s one-week stay, who are naturally placed at the most expensive and deluxe hotels …again in Sharm El-Sheikh…for FREE, meals included!

Like as if Sharm El-Sheikh literally has hands to ‘pay’ for anything. Guess who pays for it? Guess who’s singing Happy Birthday, too?

It’s becoming an annual gala ritual that we admiringly watch on TV, but one sort of gets fed up with expensive birthday parties that one pays for, watches, but never gets to attend!

Sincerely,

Hoda Nassef

(Note: first they called it 'Economic Forum', and now, I discovered yesterday, it is called as it is: DAVOS!...which will take place starting 17th May 2008 - and the freebies - 'guests' - now exceed 1,500. Guess who really pays for this yearly extravaganza? US... The People! And...we aren't even invited! - H.N. 5th May 2008.)

Sednaoui

SEDNAOUI

by Samir Raafat

The odd man out among Cairo's department stores was Sednaoui. While all the others belonged to Jews, the owners of Sednaoui were Nazarenes from the Syrian villages of Sednaya and Maaloula where Aramaic was spoken until very recently. Newly arrived in Egypt by way of Damascus, the Sednaoui brothers, Samaan and Selim, opened their first haberdashery late last century in the district of Hamzaoui before moving to Egypt’s Mousky Street in al-Azhar.

The brothers' fortune took a turn for the better when employees of the Khedivial harem had either overpaid or forgotten to take back the correct change. When ‘khawaga’ Samaan ran after them pointing out what happened, the much obliged shoppers returned to the palace and related their exceptional encounter with an honest Shami (Syrian). From that day onwards, Sednaoui was a favourite amongst the court ladies.

As Cairo expanded into the new European quarter of Ismailia, so did the city's great retailing names: Chemla, Cicurel and Ades were clustered on or near Avenue Fouad (now named 26th of July Street), considered by many as Cairo's Oxford Street. Orosdi-Beq (Omar Effendi) was within walking distance on Sharia (street) AbdelAziz. Tiring, Stein and Morums had already opened on Attaba Square, the core of Cairo's commercial hub.

The Sednaoui brothers kept their distance from the rest of the department stores setting up shop in the more confined Place Khazindar. On November 1, 1913 they inaugurated their grand three-story emporium near al-Bawaki, opposite the Services Club. In no time Sednaoui at Khazindar became the flagship of their retail chain, with branches in Alexandria, Port Said, Tanta, Mansourah, Fayoum and Assiout.

In view of its classical fin de siècle architecture, Sednaoui could have been transplanted from any one of the great European capitals. In his quest to emulate Galleries Lafayette on Boulevard Hausmann in Paris, architect George Parcque spared nothing in terms of layout, metalwork, and general amenities. Even the flag flying cupolas were there. Yet it was no secret that Sednaoui played second fiddle to the classier Cicurel.

While Cicurel set the trends of consumer culture in Cairo, Sednaoui was not too far behind. And if the handsome and formidably attired Tcherkess guards flanked Cicurel's grand entrance on Avenue Fouad (6th of July Street), the Cairo ladies were extremely flattered whenever Monsieur Sednaoui greeted them personally as they marched through the portals of his emporium; something which he did fairly regularly. The clever merchant-turned-Beq and Papal Count in view of his extensive charities, promoted the idea that any "Sitt" (woman) who bought from Sednaoui was a "Hanem" (lady). Sednaoui recalled only too well how the enunciations of a woman could influence shopping habits citywide.

Samaan Sednaoui or one of his heirs were always there before the store opened to the public, scanning the arrival of their well-mannered dandified male and female employees, inspecting them as they drifted to their stations. Once all was in shipshape, the store opened for business. As they entered Sednaoui, shoppers were immediately taken in by the grandiose atrium. Once inside, they would gape at the jewellery and cosmetic counters while the more courageous would try out the latest Parisian hats and accessories. Men, too, stopped at Sednaoui's for purchasing rolls of imported English cloth or Far Eastern fabrics for their wives or sweethearts. Sednaoui's was also the preferred lieu for a fleeting flirt because of its multiple entrances which formed perfect getaways. And there was also the toy department where the wide-eyed kiddies thought they had discovered heaven.

Masters of the retail universe, the Sednaoui’s made it seem like there was a special event each day of the year. Everything could be bought on account.

Through their extensive purchasing agents in Paris, London and New York and with the assistance of Sednaoui Shipping Co. Ltd. of Princess Street, Manchester (later, Selfridges, London), nothing was beyond Sednaoui's reach. Catalogues burst with seasonal buys, whether for Xmas, Easter, Bairam or Back-to-school.

There were also those popular annual low-end sales! These were anticipated by the modest and lower middle income shoppers who, intimidated by Cicurel's sophistication, showed up boldly at Place Khazindar armed with the one-page newspaper ad listing the various Sednaoui discounts.

For some it would be their only exposure ever to an in-store fashion show, an auction, Santa Claus or Xmas' in July!

For the big spenders, shopping at Sednaoui was more for pleasure than satisfying their basic needs. On certain Sundays in the late '50s, when the rest of commercial Cairo was shut down, Sednaoui opened by special arrangement to accommodate wealthy shop-till-you-drop clients from the Gulf. These arrived by the planeload with an extra one in reserve for the fully laden return trip.In July 1961, Egypt's major department stores were nationalized wholesale. Mr. Elie Sednaoui, the then-director of S&S Sednaoui et Fils, was given an indefinite leave of absence. An army officer had come to replace him!The age of drab counters and khaki collared cooperatives was about to begin.

(Samir Raafat is a professional historian and writer.)

Edited by Hoda Nassef

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies!

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

1. IF YOU'RE CHOKING ON AN ICE CUBE, SIMPLY POUR A CUP OF BOILING WATER DOWN YOUR THROAT. PRESTO! THE BLOCKAGE WILL INSTANTLY REMOVE ITSELF.

2. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

3. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT - USE THE SINK.

4. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

5. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

6. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

7. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

8. REMEMBER - EVERYONE SEEMS NORMAL UNTIL YOU GET TO KNOW THEM.

9. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

DAILY THOUGHT:

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

H.N.

Second Wives

Second Wives

By Hoda Nassef


Having a second wife here in Egypt, does not mean that the grieving widow finally remarried, nor does it mean that the divorced man chose his proper mate and had a second chance; it means that he has two wives, both alive, and sometimes actually living under the same roof!

In the ‘Islamic World’, men can have more than one wife. A foreign friend recently told me, ‘Lucky Egyptian men…they can have TWO wives!’ I answered, ‘Not all, and not really lucky, but silly, as marrying second wives in Islam should be under strict Islamic rules.’

This is a repeated and gross misinterpretation of the facts in Islamic marriages, seen through the eyes of most foreigners, and most religions as well.

Strange as it may seem, the poorer and less educated men often have a wife or two, and maybe three! They marry more than once, although they are less able to afford even the ‘first’ wife, than the ‘upper class’ men, and can barely support her, let alone support himself plus a second wife. They would rather be a ‘polygamists’ - (in the eyes of the Europeans) – than commit the BIG immortal and immoral sin and be eternally cursed to damnation for fornication outside of wedlock!

On the other hand, many ‘educated’ men prefer to have secret illicit affairs, than get caught with their pants down by their wives! Having affairs here, as elsewhere abroad, is quite common – and kept ‘under cover’. He might brag about it to his close male friends, but acts pious in public and portrays the image of The Perfect Husband and citizen.

As for the majority of the ‘Second Wives’ who know in advance that their husbands are already married, many young ladies target men who are already well off, have good careers, and are financially stable if not actually rich, rather than wait years for young suitors or boyfriends to reach that status, and find it a sort of conquest to take another (and much older) woman’s husband.

The Second Wives usually calculate that they will have to put up with the hassles of the First Wife as well as problems from children of the first marriage, along with the husband’s wrinkles and perhaps impotency, as a price to pay for the ‘easy road’ to wealth and status, knowing that they will be properly pampered by the foolish husbands for marrying someone much younger than the First Wife; cunningly knowledgeable that the husbands’ psyche or egos are easily vulnerable and inflated for having such a catch at their Twilight Age. Consequently, neither of the newlyweds have any remorse for breaking up the first marriage, if it comes to that.

Having two wives is not outlawed in Islam, as in Christianity. However, there are new-founded laws to protect the first wife’s rights – the foremost is that she must be told in advance from her spouse that he is marrying another woman. She then has the option to either stay married, or ask for a divorce.

Usually she remains married, if he does not prefer to divorce her, simply because she has no other means of livelihood. Sometimes she is even relieved, being already frigid from long years of insignificant sex or none at all. As long as he kept the money rolling in, she didn’t mind!

But, laws are meant to be broken, and not obeyed, and usually the First Wife finds out about the Second wife, only at her husband’s funeral!

Paradoxically, is statistically known that women out-number men now worldwide, by almost four times. Is that perhaps one of the reasons Allah has allowed a Moslem man to marry more than one – up to and not exceeding four. It is seen as a sort of sanctuary for Single Women, if they chose to be a ‘dorra’ (second wife) - and a Safety Zone for lusty men not to stray.

There are various other reasons why a single woman may marry a man who is already married, and vice versa. As one strange example, I know a lady who married years ago, with the full knowledge that her man was already married. She also had a couple of bad marriages in her past, and he seemed a ‘good catch’ even then, for a divorced young woman. They stayed very happily married for several years, until he passed away. She was much younger than her husband, and has many more years ahead of her, but would not want to remarry because she would lose her pension from her deceased husband.

Both wives attended the funeral, but avoided each other like the plague. Later on…much later, I asked her, ‘Why did you REALLY marry him? You had a job, a child from the first marriage, a nice flat in the suburbs, plus a beach house.’ Her surprising answer was: ‘We played Bridge or Poker almost every night and had our own poker game ongoing for years, with the same group. Poker nights, with a couple of drinks, made life worth living. His wife hates cards.’ You could have knocked me with a feather! But I put on MY poker face, nodded quickly and politely agreed, while I hurried to the door after barely saying a brief goodbye!

As another example, in the eyes of an upper-class man who married a Second Wife, while dining at the Automobile’s Club downtown, I asked the distinguished middle-aged gentleman why he re-married - (after 25 years of happy matrimony!) - since his First Wife was such a wonderful woman, pretty, liked and respected by everybody, and raised their children to be happy and successful citizens, as well. His new wife was ‘a virgin’ when they married, according to him, and obscenely much younger than both of them – almost their own children’s age.

Without blinking, he drawled out, ‘You know, the same old story: stimulus. She made me feel young again.’

To each his own! She exploited him for his status and wealth, but he also exploited her youth and beauty.


H.N.

Egyptian Women in Leadership

Guide to Women in Leadership (1962-2006)

EGYPT

Arab Republic of Egypt/ Al-Jumhuriyat Misr Al'-Arabya (Female suffrage 1927/56) 1517 Part of the Osman Empire until the early 19th century, 1914-22 a British Protectorate, 1922-53 an independent Kingdom 1922 and a republic since 1953.

1962-65 Minister of Social Affairs Dr. Hikmat Abu-Zaid/Zeid

1965-(71)Minister of Education Dr. Karimah Al-Sa’id

1971-78 Minister of Social Affairs and Environment Dr. Aisha Rateb M. Soad - Extraordinary Ambassador in Foreign Ministry in 1978, Ambassador to Denmark

1979-81, to West-Germany 1981-84 and afterwards Professor at Cairo University.

1978-96 Minister of Social Affairs Dr. Amal Osman 'Abd al-Raheim Osman

1996-97 Minister of Social Security and Minister of State for Social Affairs (Third in the Cabinet)
Deputy Speaker of Majlis al-Sha’ab, the People’s Assembly 1997-2005. (b. 1934-).

1993-98 Minister of State for Scientific Research Prof. Venice Kamal Gouda, Ph.d(b. 1934-)

1996-97 Minister of Economy and International Co-operation Dr. Nawal ‘Abd al-Moneim al-Tatawi; she was the first female bank director in the Arab world

1992-93 Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Political Affairs Dr. Mirvat Fahmy Muhanna El-Tallawi; 1997 Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs; From 1988-91 Ambassador to Austria and UN in Wien (Vienna) and 1993-97 to Japan. From 2000 Under-Secretary General of UN.

1996-2001 Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs Fayza Abul-Naga - and -

2001-04 Minister of State of Foreign Affairs

2004- Minister of International Cooperation; Fayza Mohamed Abul Naga was Aide to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 1981-91, worked in the UN 1992-96, ambassador to UN in Génève 1999-2001, She was career-diplomat upon her appointment. As Minister of State she is member of the cabinet. (1951-).

1997-98 Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Dr. Nadia Rida Makram Ebeid;

1998-99 Minister of Higher Education and Minister of State for Scientific Research Affairs

1999-2002 Minister of State for Environmental Affairs.

1999-2005 Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs Prof. Dr. Aminah Hamzah Mahmoud Al-Guindi; she is member of the Shoura Assembly, The Senate. Ca.

1999- Vice-Minister of International Economic Relations Magda Shahin Former Ambassador to Greece. Around 2004- Assistant Minister of Justice and Secretary General of the Election Commission Intisar Nasim Hana

2005- till present - Minister of Manpower and Immigration Aicha Abdul Hady. Her full name is Aicha Abdel Hadi Abdel Ghani, and she is the first veiled woman in the government.

2006- Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Shadia Faraj, Ambassador, she is in charge of American Affairs.

2006- Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Relations Fatma Al-Zahraa Etman. Also known as Othman she is former Spokesperson of the Ministry.


Last update 19.02.08

The Orient Express

The Orient Express

By Hoda Nassef

Travelling by train in Luxury is a dream of the past!

The Orient Express was inaugurated in Paris on 4 October 1883. It was the beginning of a legend. The Orient Express soon became the fastest and most luxurious method of transportation in that century. Each cabin was different. Often called ‘The Grand Hotel on Wheels’, the Orient Express transported its passengers with class and luxury close to 60 years. Its clients were the rich and famous of Europe.

Even Queen Elizabeth travelled with the Orient Express. Its original route started from Strasbourg to Romania, via Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and the Balkans. In 4 days, 3,200 kilometres in dignified comfort of grandiose palaces of the era. After their meals, the male passengers were guided by levied waiters to the special smoking-wagon to smoke their Havana cigars in order to digest their meals, and were served champagne, caviar and mezza.The Orient Express was a symbol of a formula for a voyage of romance, adventure, and pleasure, within its journey on wheels across Europe, through fascinating villages and countries of culture.

Passengers travelled in private cabins and each cabin was given a private steward to assure the passenger of a unique and attentive service. Furthermore, each cabin was transformed into a bedroom for the night and had its private bathroom.The interior of the cabins were lined with ‘lacquer de Chine’ and ‘marqueterie de bois’, and all the snacks and meals were freshly prepared on board and on the spot by French chefs, throughout the voyages.

Attention to details and luxury was found in all the wagons. The coaches even had piano-bars. The piano-bar cabin was the ideal place to stretch out; a magical spot for the passengers to absorb themselves in conversation with the tinkling of music in the background.

1931 marked the era of the luxurious express train, with 2,268 coaches. But, World War II brought a brutal end to the era of the Orient Express; the trains were either totally destroyed or requisitioned.

In 1970, nothing was left of the train; the wagons were dispersed throughout Europe, and successive wars afterwards gave a reason for this disappearing myth.

Business tycoon James Sherwood bought two of the vehicles, with the intention of collecting bit by bit pieces of the ‘puzzle’. A few years and 11 million sterling pounds later, he reassembled the 35 coaches. Actress Liza Minnelli was the one who inaugurated the reincarnation of this train in 1982.

Various travel routes were proposed by the Orient Express; from London to Istanbul or Rome; from Prague to Vienna, passing Venice. The possibilities were multiple. However, the Orient Express offered its original itinerary - from Paris to Istanbul.

The Orient Express also inspired the great mystery writer, Dame Agatha Christie, with one of her most famous suspense stories, introducing her famed hero, Hercules Poirot. An adaptation of the story was made into a film in 1974.

These days, the idea or reliving the Golden Age of Voyaging was reborn even in Asia and Australia. The luxurious Eastern and Oriental Express crosses the peninsula of Singapore, over Malaysia and to Bangkok. Voyagers can admire the beautiful sceneries, which are sometimes only visible when travelling by train. In Australia, the Great South Pacific Express travels east, passing by Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns.

The satin upholstery, the red cedar panelling, the comfort, as well as the beautiful interior décor, seems to be a train of our times, but belongs to an era of the past.

H.N.

Ten Main Foods for Longevity

There Are 10 Main Foods that Prolong Life

By Hoda Nassef

1. Tomatoes.

A major source of the antioxidant lycopene that reduces the risk of cancer by 40% -- notably prostate, lung and stomach cancers -- and increases cancer survival. Tomato eaters function better mentally in old age and suffer half as much heart disease. Concentrated tomato sauces have 5 times more lycopene than fresh tomatoes, and canned tomatoes have three times more than fresh.

2. Olive Oil.

Shown to help reduce death from heart disease and cancer. Recent research shows that heart-attack survivors on a Mediterranean diet had half the death rates of those on an ordinary low-fat diet. Olive oil is also high in antioxidant activity.

3. Red Grapes,

including red grape juice and red wine. Red grapes have moderate antioxidant power, while purple grape juice has four times more antioxidant activity than orange or tomato juice. Red wine (not white) has about the same antioxidant capacity as purple grape juice or tea. French research show that drinking red wine in moderation increases longevity, but excessive drinking has the opposite effect, so limit to two glasses per day. Drink grape juice.

4. Garlic.

German researchers have found that garlic is packed with antioxidants know to help fend off cancer, heart disease and all-over aging, and prolong cancer survival time. Let crushed garlic "rest" about 10 minutes before cooking to preserve disease-fighting agents.

5. Spinach.

Second among vegetables only to garlic in antioxidant capacity and is also rich in folic acid, which helps fight cancer, heart disease and mental disorders. New University of Kentucky research shows folic acid may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Eat both raw and steamed for best benefit.

6. Whole grains.

A University of Minnesota study suggests the more whole grains you eat, the lower your odds of death by 15%. Whole grains contain anticancer agents and help stabilize blood sugar and insulin, which may promote longevity. Whole-grain "dark" breads, cereals such as All Bran, and "old fashioned" oatmeal are an excellent source.

7. Salmon,

and other fatty fish. Contains high amounts of omega-3 fat that performs miracles throughout the body, fighting virtually every chronic disease known. Without it, your brain can't think, your heart can't beat, your arteries clog, and joints become inflamed. You need one ounce a day, or two servings of salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring or tuna per week.

8. Nuts.

Eating more than 5 ounces a week can cut heart-attack deaths in women by 40% and help prevent deadly irregular heart beats in men a Harvard University study found. Almonds and walnuts lower blood cholesterol. Most of the fat in nuts is the good-type monounsaturated and/or omega-3. Unsalted nuts are best.

9. Blueberries.

High in antioxidants, Tufts University researchers say a half-cup of blueberries a day can retard aging and can block brain changes leading to decline and even reverse failing memory.

10. Tea.

Green or black tea has equal antioxidant benefit. One cup a day can cut heart disease risk in half Harvard researchers found. Make from loose tea or tea bags, instant and bottled tea has little effect Tufts University shows.

H.N.

Back To Mother Nature

Back To Mother-Nature

By Hoda Nassef

Egypt is rich in tourism. It is a haven for tourists and offers all types of tourism for all tastes, nationalities, and budgets. To name a few: Antiquities, Cultural, Recreational, Conference, Shopping Tourism, Health Tourism, Water Sports, Desert Safaris, as well as Song, Dance & Film festivals, and last but not least, Eco-Tourism.

According to experts in the field of Tourism, eco-tourism should be endorsed and promoted to its full potential, especially as we have several protected parks for rare animals and species of migrating birds in Sinai, El-Rayan Oasis, Fayoum and other spots throughout the country. This is what they don’t have in their own countries, and is atypical of their own tourism. This is what they would come for.

Why imitate the West? It is true that our beautiful luxurious five-star hotels and beach resorts are flourishing here, but they are also flourishing all over the world. Its clientele in Egypt are mainly the Arab nationals, and it also caters to some élite Egyptians who prefer this type of arrangement for a weekend, or a week, at the most. But even the élite and celebrities here now have their own private chalets and villas, which they now prefer to an expensive stay at any of these hotels or resorts, unless they are celebrating a wedding or want to be in the limelight.

The majority of vacationers, Egyptians or foreign residents, opt for a more casual accommodation and rustic atmosphere. They don’t need to pay so much for that. Why pay exorbitant hotel fees, when they stay out all day, then use the hotel only to sleep in? Twenty years ago, Sharm El-Sheikh had only 3 and 4-star hotels. Thirty years ago, it wasn’t even on the map! Dahab and Nuweiba consisted of native Bedouin tribes, and the daredevils who ventured to go there, went by jeep and slept in tents. But, they loved it! They went back for more, guarding preciously their secret getaways! Nowadays, they are searching for new remote areas unknown to the rest of the world. But, alas! - To no avail. Therefore, eco-tourism is the solution and preferred alternative.

Our topography, climate, environment, and Protected Parks combined, are more suitable for casual tourism. Most of our visitors travel across the world in order to see our antiquities (Ancient Egyptian, Moslem, Coptic relics and monuments) – or to enjoy our superb unrivalled beaches. Hotel resorts abroad, even in Italy, have stony beaches, unlike our soft white or golden sand. Our turquoise water in the Northern coast, and aquamarine water of the Red Sea, are unique and rich in marine life and sea creatures, and the waters are crystal-clear and warm all year round. Most importantly, our coral reefs are incomparable. Added to that, Sharm El-Sheikh, Taba Heights, Taba, Marsa Allam and Ras Mohamed, are the best places in the world for diving, whereas what Hurghada offers is unmatched for sailing, fishing, windsurfing, scuba diving, and underwater photography, and hosts international competitions for these sports as well.

Consequently, the Ministry of Tourism encourages eco-tourism, which not only helps preserve our protected parks, but also endorses environmentally friendly hotels, “green hotels”, and environmental awareness amongst tourists, hotel managers and employees alike. New Eco-Lodges are in the process of construction. The first of its kind, constructed over ten years ago, 40 km south of Taba, is the Basata (“simplicity”) village. There is also the Nesima Hotel in Dahab, which is a bit more modernized than the rest, and there are some eco-lodges in Siwa, in the Western Desert, as well. Everything else is built, or rather made, from natural resources and material of the same environment (such as wood, bamboo, clay, mud, palm leaves, etc.) Other eco-lodges are on their way, or in blueprint, such as in Wadi (Oasis) Ryan, overlooking the salty lakes of Fayoum.

Back-packers, or economy tourists, who prefer nature and a casual leisurely atmosphere, would be delighted to discover the eco-lodges budding throughout Egypt. Besides, most tourists or local vacationers want to relax and get away from their humdrum lives, or stressful jobs, and see something new. The majority of tourists, if you notice, are getting back to basics, whether in life, religion, and even vacation destinations. Yes, they are getting back to nature, as with everything else.

However, real estate developers of beach resorts, are still concentrating on deluxe hotels, which is very good in itself, yet the owners seem to forget that this type of luxury is accessible everywhere else in the world, and, usually cheaper than in Egypt. We cannot rely only on our “friendly service” behind our “friendly smiles” if the tourist feels that he is being ripped off! We should get realistic, and reduce cost of accommodations, facilities and products for foreigners. Foreign guests see clearly the difference in the hotel fees they are charged, (as in everything else) in comparison to what Egyptians pay.

Construction everywhere should be limited and well-organized. As one foreigner said: “Egypt is one big construction site”! Clean up, please! Or, get the job done faster, in a cleaner and more expedient way, to back up your clichés of environmental awareness! Besides, why should we go out of our way to do something (or build something in this case) totally uncharacteristic of our land, our environment, our culture even, and our traditions? Eco-tourism, in my opinion, should be endorsed and encouraged to its full potential. Eco-tourism and eco-lodges are more characteristically in tune with our environment, our climate, our nature, and landscape. We don’t really have beautiful flora and luscious green surroundings for such extravaganzas, except the few plants, palm trees, and artificial lawns carpeting our hotels’ courtyards! So, let’s use our good assets. Egypt has plenty. And let’s use our common sense. Egyptians have plenty to be proud of, enjoy … and share with its guests!




H.N.

Getting Around & About

Getting Around & About in Egypt

By Hoda Nassef

Egyptian public transport is, on the whole, pretty good. There is an efficient rail network linking the Nile Valley, Delta and Canal Zone and elsewhere you can travel easily enough by bus or collective (service) taxi. On the Nile you can indulge in feluccas or cruise boats, and in the desert there's the chance to test your camel-riding prowess. For the hurried, EgyptAir and Air Sinai also provide a network of flights.

By Rail

Covering a limited network of routes, trains are best used for long hauls between the major cities, when air-conditioned services offer a comfier alternative to buses and taxis. For shorter journeys, however, trains are slower and less reliable.

By Bus

Inter-city buses are an inexpensive way to travel, and often preferable to trains. Besides being quicker for short trips along the Nile Valley, buses serve areas beyond the rail network, such as Sinai, the oases, Abu Simbel and Hurghada. Travelling in Egypt for any length of time, you are likely to make considerable use of the various networks.

By 'Service' Taxi

Collective service taxis ('servees') are one of the best features of Egyptian transport. They operate on a wide variety of routes, are generally quicker than buses and trains, and fares are very reasonable. On the downside, maniacal driving on congested roads calls for strong nerves and a certain fatalism. There is now the yellow City Cab; you pay LE.3 to board, then every mile more.

Diving, Biking and Hitch-Hiking

Driving in Egypt is not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced motorist. Cities, highways and backroads pose a challenge to drivers' skills and nerve. Pedestrians and carts seem blithely indifferent to heavy traffic. Though accidents are less frequent than you'd think, the crumpled wrecks alongside highways are a constant reminder of the hazards of motoring.

Yellow City Cab

As soon as you enter the taxi (yellow cab) you are charged three pounds, and then every mile is included at the end of your destination. They are the cleanest taxis as well as the newest, but too expensive for most people. Yet at least one does not have to hackle for a bargain, as the fees are fixes.

City Transport

Most Egyptian towns are small enough to cover on foot, especially if you stay in a hotel near the centre. In larger cities, however, local transport is definitely useful. Learn to recognize Arabic numerals and you can take full advantage of the cheap buses, minibuses and trams that cover most of Alexandria and Cairo (which also has river taxis and an excellent metro).

Equally ubiquitous are four-seater taxis (black and white in Cairo, black and yellow in Alex), which often pick up extra passengers heading in the same direction. As meters are rarely used (or work), the trick is to know the fare and pay on arrival, rather than ask or haggle at the beginning. Above all, don't confuse these cabs with larger special taxis (usually Peugeot 504s or Mercedes), which cost three times more and prey on tourists. If you do rent a special, establish the price – and bargain it down – before you get in.

H.N.

Taking A Load Off...

Taking A Load Off…

By Hoda Nassef

There are alternative ways of travelling inside Egypt, apart from the trains or airplanes. Many good air-conditioned buses travel throughout Egypt, even up to Libya, which are cheaper than taking the plane, but almost just as comfortable, despite the longer hours. From Alex to Cairo and vice versa, you reach your destination in three hours. From Alex to Marsa Matrouh or the North Coast, you reach your destination in five hours or less. To Sharm El-Sheikh, in less than six hours. All buses are equipped with air-conditioning, snacks, inbound video TV to make the time pass fast for restless children and toilets. Some of these buses have the capacity to turn the chairs into lounge chairs or can be flattened for sleeping. You can even cross borders at almost half the fare paid for a plane ticket, and visas or entrance to other countries depend on current political situations. One of these daily outward bound buses are to Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, for instance, that have real sleeping compartments. But as with all destinations outside of Egypt, you must have a passport

I wanted to make a real ‘live’ and fair comparison of each bus, so I chose West Delta bus last August (formerly the Pullman) from Cairo to Alex, and returned the same day from Alex to Cairo by the Super Jet bus (formerly Golden Arrow). Prices of the West Delta buses start at L.E. 20 only. However, I am sorry to say for West Delta Co. that there is a big difference in both buses and staff. No noticeable maintenance in the West Delta bus, which looked neglected and was not at all clean. It had not been cleaned even during the brief stop at the terminus. Throughout the three hours, the driver chain-smoked and left his window wide open, while at the same time he was a bit inattentive to the traffic, as he chatted with his colleague all the way to Alexandria. The air-condition was great at the front of the bus, but people complained from the middle till the end that it was hot; thus, A/C worked only half-way through the bus. I was lucky to have reserved a seat in the front! No refreshments were offered or sold. I never enter the WCs, so I cannot talk about its hygiene or cleanliness, but judging from the dirty bus front, I guess that it was much dirtier inside the WC!

On the positive side, the bus came to Abdel-Moneim Riyadh (Tahrir Sq.) terminus on the dot, and we all arrived safely to our destination. Also, all destinations and fees are at least five Egyptian Pounds cheaper than the Super Jet, and if squeezed for timing, you can get a bus at nearly any time or day you choose. Furthermore, the counter staff are more cheerful and respectful to all who buy their tickets! Nowadays, you don’t have to go to Heliopolis to book a front seat if boarding in the Tahrir Square (Abdel-Moneim Riyadh) as before – thus, they are finally computerized and connected to the other branches.

As for the Super Jet (formerly The Golden Arrow) on my way back to Cairo, from Alex at 5 p.m., the ticket was naturally L.E. 5 more, but worth it! Perfect air-conditioning, and very clean. It was probably one of the newly purchased buses as well, as there were no apparent wear and tear; in other words, good maintenance. Snacks are sold as well, but you have to ask for the price-list, or the hostess on board might invent them! And, you won’t get a price-list even if you ask for one, so rely on her honesty. The air-condition was great, throughout the whole bus, even at the moment you board the bus, which was a great relief, as it was particularly hot and humid in Alexandria on Sunday 20 August. The bus came early to give time for loading luggage and left on the dot at 5 p.m. The polite and calm driver did not smoke, therefore his window was shut! Very smooth driver too. Video tape of a ‘new’ last year Arabic film was aired and nothing inside the film to embarrass parents. I can only guess that the W.C. was relatively clean, as all else seemed so. Despite the heavy traffic while entering Cairo, the bus was on time in the Tahrir Square after exactly three hours from departure.

NOTE: All prices may have increased at the moment of reading this.

If you're arriving from locations within Egypt, the bus companies (in Cairo) are these: West Delta Bus Company, Abdel Moneim Riyad Square, phone 2765-582; Super Jet Bus Co., Tahrir Square, phone 2 772-663; Upper Egyptian Bus Co., Ahmed/Ramsis Helmy Square, phone 2 574-6658; and East Delta Bus Co., Ramsis Square, phone 2 574-2814 or 2 261-1886. The bus terminals are Al Azhar Station, 45 Al Azhar, phone 2 390-8635, and Ramsis Station, Ramsis Square, phone 2 574-6658.



H.N.

We ALL Have Cancer Cells!

We ALL Have Cancer Cells!

Compiled by Hoda Nassef

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence, the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestiveenzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Florescence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, We ALL Have Cancer Cells in Our Bodies!

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off oneimportant food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in thegastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk, cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet isacidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beefor pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

H.N.

Berries Help Prevent Cancer

Berries Help Prevent Cancer

Compiled by Hoda Nassef

An antioxidant found in blueberries and grapes may offer protection against colon cancer, according to a new study that suggests the humble berry should be added to the list of cancer-fighting 'superfoods'.

In a small study on rats, the compound appeared to afford the animals a measure of protection against this type of malignancy. All 18 rats were given a compound to induce colon cancer in a manner similar to human colon cancer development. Nine of the rodents were then placed on a balanced diet, while the remainder was given the same diet with a supplement of the berry antioxidant pterostilbene. At the end of eight weeks, the rats on pterostilbene had 57 percent fewer pre-cancerous lesions in their colon in comparison to the control group.

The compound also reduced colonic cell proliferation and inhibited certain genes involved in inflammation, both of which are considered colon cancer risk factors, the researchers reported in a paper published Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago.

"This study underscores the need to include more berries in the diet, especially blueberries," said Bandaru Reddy, a professor in the department of Chemical Biology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Separately, researchers at Ohio State University said they had begun clinical trials on humans to see if blueberries could prevent the development of esophageal and colon cancer.

Further studies are needed to establish exactly what the compound does, but researchers suspect that its cholesterol-lowering action may be a key to the link between colon cancer and the high level of saturated fats and calories in Western diets.

In experiments on rats whose diet was five to 10 percent berries, the rats had a 60 percent reduction of tumours of the esophagus and up to an 80 percent reduction in colon tumours.

A third study suggested that chemicals found in grape seed extract may protect against skin cancer by inhibiting the suppression of the immune system caused by ultraviolet light exposure, researchers at the University of Alabama said.

The finding was based on test-tube experiments with mice cells. On a related note, Californian researchers reported that organic produce does offer greater health benefits.

In a head-to-head comparison of organically grown kiwis, versus traditionally grown kiwis, the organic fruit had significantly increased levels of polyphenols, a higher overall antioxidant level and higher levels of Vitamin C. Both sets of kiwis were grown next to each other on the same farm at the same time in the same environmental conditions, the University of California, Davis researchers said.

H.N.

The Special World of Divers

The Special World of Divers

By Hoda Nassef

Taba! Beautiful pristine Taba, thank God, still unmarred by pollution. “Communication, communions, communities”… I lazily mumbled to myself, and felt intoxicated with the cool breeze lulling me. The view was breathtaking. Sitting on the sixth-floor balcony of the luxurious hotel, I could see the hills in the distance, on the other side of the Gulf of Aqaba across the Red Sea. The sapphire water sparked like iridescent sequined silk, changing its hues with the breeze.

I must have dozed off, for when I gazed again across the sea, night had fallen like a fluffy blanket of blue velvet. The hills on the other side were no longer clearly defined; instead, lights twinkled all along the shores. From where I still sat, I could see Eilat nearby to my left, Jordan across, in the center, and Saudi Arabia along a big stretch, to the right. I waved, to no on in particular, feeling a bit silly. No one could see me of course. Besides, it was then dark. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, I thought, as Man must have thought from the beginning of Time, if Earth had no boundaries? A world of no frontiers: One Big Community. That would be the ultimate nirvana. Or, would we all fight to live in the choice spots of the world? On second thought, that’s just what we are doing right now; no frontiers may be Hell, after all.

Next morning I walked along the beach, and noticed several seals emerging from the sea, flapping their shiny big fins over the pebbles and soft sand. Suddenly, one seal spoke Japanese, another English, a third gesticulated and punctuated his nods in Urdu and two other “seals” spoke in Italian and French simultaneously, while the sixth said something in German. The seventh seal, which seemed to be the leader, said “yalla beena”, and they all laughed. He was the Egyptian diving instructor.

Approaching them, I noticed that they all had one thing in common: their passion for diving. Next on the list was their love for Sinai’s incomparable reefs and pristine marine beauty. Added to that, was their love for a more casual lifestyle. Not surprisingly, many weekend tourists returned for longer vacations, and some have even made Egypt their permanent home. Most of the divers like to explore new diving venues, and go out of their way to discover new spots of pleasure, even if it meant taking a camel ride or jeep to unknown destinations. But, Taba was famous, particularly for its background rocky mountains, its landscape, its coral reefs and variety of species of fish in multi-colours, the transparent aquamarine water, and last but not least, the relevant diving sports.

I was intrigued to delve more into their lives and find out more about this diving passion, so I decided to chat with them for a while. After interviewing them, I discovered that many of the divers (Egyptians as well as foreigners) had changed their occupations, or even their whole lifestyle, in order to go diving. Also, many who began diving as a hobby, turned their hobby into a diving career, and have become diving instructors themselves. Surprisingly, all who left their former jobs, careers, and even homeland, admitted that they were financially better off before, but were much happier now. As one put it: “You really have to love diving in order to choose being a diving instructor as a career and lifestyle, and continue to dive all year round. The only problem is that there are already too many diving centers in Sinai, especially in Sharm El-Sheikh, so competition is fierce, and you really have to acquire a good reputation to establish a diving center, and keep the locals and tourists coming.”

I then approached another seasoned diver and wondered what she was doing in her “seal” outfit, with all that diving gear strapped around her. She was a British lady well past her prime, and her pretty face had turned into softly etched bronze leather. She told me her first visit to Egypt was in 1992. At the end of that same year, she ventured to dapple a bit in the water, and with the hotel’s diving instructor, she tried for the first time “snorkeling”, and the basics of diving, and discovered that she enjoyed it very much. The following year, she resigned from her well-paid job in England (where she worked as a “computer architectural designer”), and bade farewell to her family, friends, and country. She returned to Sharm El-Sheikh, and stayed for six months, learnt how to dive professionally, then became a diving instructor herself. She explained that becoming a diving instructor coincided with here newfound love of diving, the pristine shores, the sun, and the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. “You just did it for the pure joy of doing something you that you simply love to do,” she concluded. She’s been here ever since!

Another diver, a young Italian lady, told me that she came to Egypt a few years ago, as a casual “back-packer”, and fell in love with the turquoise transparent sea, landscape, and rocky hills. So, she decided to stay on for a bit when she found a job working at a beach resort in “animation” - (that’s what the recreation personnel are called, and they entertain the guests in sports and night performances). During her spare time, she used to go diving. Shortly afterwards, she switched to diving as a career, and is now a seasoned diver and part-time instructor in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Beside her, the Italian companion said that he first came to Egypt in 1994 while he was working for a travel agency, as a tour leader. He immediately left his job and has been diving professionally ever since. He started out in Hurghada as a “dive master”, then a “diving instructor”, and is now the “manager” of his own diving center. He said he began diving in Italy since he was a child. After college, he also dived in various parts of the world, depending on his where the travel agency took him. So, I asked him to compare the Red Sea to the other seas. Without hesitation, he said that he preferred the Red Sea because of its beautiful reefs, crystal-clear visibility, and warmer waters throughout the year. Ninety per cent of the diving clientele are foreigners, except during the Egyptian “eids” (feasts), he added, and said that the number of daily divers depend on the size of the diving centers, which usually accommodate or train from five to fifteen persons per session. In his opinion, Ras Mohamed is the best place for diving, followed by Sharm El-Sheikh, then Dahab and Nuweiba. Although he loves his life in Sharm El-Sheikh, he remarked that Sharm El-Sheikh is getting to be a bit too expensive, even for him! “But,” he admitted, “there are still lots of work opportunities for foreigners and foreign investment, due to the continuous influx of tourist developments that are flourishing and expanding everywhere, along the coastlines, and even throughout the remote areas across Sinai.”

I asked another diver what was his “most favourite thing” in diving. He said that in the ‘underwater world’, the thing he loves best, are the colours! He also loves to see the reefs, the variety of fish, especially the crown fish, and … believe it or not, the sharks! He isn’t really afraid of afraid of sharks, he said, and added that if you don’t stare at a shark face-to-face, and don’t move, they just go away. They attack only if they think you are planning to attack them. Sharks, he added, can be seen particularly in the months of July and August, near the shores of the protected park of Ras Mohamed and Tiran.

As for the pretty young lady nearby, I asked if she could add any more information, and what her future plans were. She laughed gaily, and said that apart from her love of the sand, sea, sun, and fun, she hoped to meet someone very rich, travel around the world, then return to Dahab and build her own beach resort there! With that retort, the conversation ended in laughter.

Without exception, all the divers said that the diving centers are like homes to them, and they all agreed they feel like one family, albeit their different nationalities, race and religion. Although most tourists come for vacations only, some of them take diving courses, and if they are good at it, they eventually earn diving certificates after the course, then become instructors themselves, and consequently stay on. Lots of new divers show up consistently during the summer. The permanent ones are those who remain throughout the winter, then throughout the year. Yet, they don’t have much time, or energy, for other hobbies, unless they are deep-sea underwater photographers as well. But, that’s another story!

The deep-sea life is a “world without frontiers”… However, you have to be a fish or a fossil – or a diver, to enjoy this unique utopia!

H.N.

Vital Tips to Avoid Brain or Liver Damage

Health Tips For Your Brain & Liver

By Hoda Nassef

We should all learn to change our lifestyles, in order to live a little bit longer, God willing! With all the bad outside effects to our health, including the Black Cloud in Egypt, which is starting now earlier than in October and lasting till late December, having our homes also polluted, or our lifestyles, will surely damage our health to a bigger degree, one way or anather. So, let's at least do all what is humanly possible for our God-given health - for our children, parents, families, and ourselves.

Here are some tips I compiled for you, as well as for myself:-

(1) Some brain-damaging bad habits are:

1. No Breakfast.

People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain, causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating.

This causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking.

Smoking causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

4. High Sugar Consumption.

Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution.

The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation.

Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.

7. Head Covered While Sleeping.

Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decreases concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working (Mental Work) During Illness.

Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking In Stimulalting Thoughts.

Thinking is the best way to train our brain; lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely.

Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain. (See my article on Brain Power.)

(2) The main causes of liver damage are:

1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are usually the main causes.

2. Not urinating in the morning.

3. Too much eating.

4. Skipping breakfast.

5. Consuming too much medication.

6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food colouring , and artificial sweeteners

7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.

8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store. We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adapt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits.

Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to "schedule."

- Because: Evening at 9 -11 p.m: is the time for eliminating unnecessary / toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in a tense state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.

- Evening at 11 p.m - 1 a.m: is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep-sleep state.

- Early morning 1 - 3 a.m: detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep-sleep state.

- Early morning 3 - 5 a.m: detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.

- Morning 5 - 7 a.m: detoxification in the colon; you should empty your bowel.

- Morning 7 - 9 a.m: absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time.

- Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30 am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30 a.m is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10 a.m rather than no meal at all.

- Sleeping very late and waking up very late as well, will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 a.m is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.

Yes, it seems easy to follow, but usually we stick to our bad habits, no matter how much we know!!! Anyway, let's do it for our families...if not for ourselves.

H.N.

Human Resosurces Role....

Human Resources Role...

in Managing the Changing Management

By Hoda Nassef

Human Resources has many roles to play as a strategic business partner. HR managers are often called upon to oversee the change initiatives designed to get other managers and employees side by side with an organization’s business goals.

Change management is one of the most difficult and the most important tasks facing Human Resources. The key is to pursue a step-by-step approach where small changes build on each other. Effective communication, consistency, and a positive attitude towards change provide a solid foundation for attaining organizational change.

When dealing with change, there should be consistency in:

· words and behaviour,
· compensation,
· performance appraisals,
· promotion policies,
· subordinate actions, and
· organization structures.

A consistent message tells employees what to expect, as well as what they need to do, to make the company successful. A positive attitude towards change can be created through experience, team building retreats, strategic planning sessions, focus groups, or interactive workshops with management.

Reasons for failure include:

· Inconsistencies between management’s words and their actions;
· No system to evaluate the change and what it is to accomplish;
· No change in compensation, performance appraisal, information, or organization systems;
· Management by ‘best seller’;
· Unrealistic time goals for change; and
· The assumption that training is all that is needed for change to take place.

Identifying opportunities for improvement:

1. Keep up to date with developments in your sector – make sure you get valid relevant, reliable information from various sources on developments in materials, equipment, technology and processes.
2. Consider the importance of these developments to your organization – carry out a regular review of developments and analyze their significance to your organization.
3. Pass information on developments to the appropriate people – if you think it is important, make sure your colleagues, members of your team and senior managers, are aware of its significance.
4. Identify opportunities for improvements – use information on developments to identify opportunities in quality.
5. Monitor and evaluate your operations continuously – always look for areas where improvements can be made and take appropriate action.
6. Identify any obstacles to change – take appropriate measures to alleviate any problems that may prevent improvements being made.

Assessing the pros and cons of change:

· Get complete and accurate information – make sure you have sufficient, reliable information on current and proposed services, as well as products and systems, to allow you to make a reliable assessment.
· Compare the advantages and disadvantages – use qualitative and quantitative techniques to assess the pros and cons of current and proposed services, products and systems.
· Assess the implications of introducing changes – changes may affect cash flow, working practices and conditions, health and safety, team morale, supply and distribution networks, and customer loyalty; anticipate and assess the likely effect of changes.
· Take into account previous assessments of introducing change – look at how realistic previous assessments turned out to be and use these to modify your current assessment.
· Present your recommendations to the appropriate people – make your recommendations to senior managers or specialists in a way that helps them make a decision and in time to allow the decision to be put into effect.
· Amend your recommendations in the light of responses – make appropriate alterations to your recommendations on the bases of the responses you get from senior managers and specialists.

Planning change:

1. Provide clear and accurate information – let those affected know about the proposed change in time for them to prepare effectively.
2. Get people involved – give people the chance to comment on the proposed change and help in the planning.
3. Make the case for change – give a clear and convincing rationale for the change and support this with sound evidence.
4. Identify potential obstacles to change, and find effective ways of avoiding or overcoming these obstacles.
5. Develop a detailed plan, including:

- the rationale

- the aim and objectives of the change

- how it will be implemented

- who will be involved and their individual roles

- the resources required

- the time scale

- how the plan will be monitored

- how you will know that the change has been successful.

Negotiating and agreeing on the introduction of change:

1. Present plans on projected change – communicate the changes and the anticipated benefits for your organization and for individuals, to team members, colleagues, senior managers, and others, in order to gain their support.
2. Conduct negotiations in a spirit of goodwill – make sure you retain people’s support and find mutually acceptable ways of settling any disputes.
3. Make compromises where appropriate – it may be necessary to make compromises to accommodate other priorities, but make sure these compromises are consistent with your organization’s strategy, objectives and practices.
4. Reach an agreement in line with your organization’s strategy, and revise your implementation plans accordingly.
5. Keep records of negotiations and agreements – make sure your records are complete and accurate and that they are available for others to refer to if necessary.
6. Where you could not secure the changes you anticipated, tell those affected in a positive manner – sometimes you are disappointed in not being able to obtain the changes you wanted due to other organizational priorities; explain the reasons for this in a way which maintains people’s morale and motivation.
7. Encourage all relevant people to understand and participate in the changes – explain the changes and their effects to people, and gain their support.

Finally, implementing and evaluating changes:

- Present details of implementation plans to all concerned – make sure that you brief everyone involved in or affected by the changes, and the possible impact on their area.

- Encourage people to seek clarification – check on their understanding of their role and encourage them to ask questions.

- Use resources in the most effective way – plan carefully so that you meet the new requirements as cost-effectively as possible.

- Maintain quality of work – ensure that work is maintained to a satisfactory standard during the period of change.

H.N.

Spotting Your Soulmate

Your Soulmate

Compiled by Hoda Nassef

Ah, soul mates! You finish each other's sentences and feel like you've known each other forever. But hold on. It's only the second date. How can you be sure the person sitting across the table is your soul mate and not just a fantasy date? Here are some signs that the two of you have the right stuff:

1. You are intrigued.

"There was something about his smile..." or "I wanted to hug her when I saw her picture." If his Brad Pitt jaw or her bedroom eyes looked yummy in the ad but fell flat when you met for the first time, it's not looking good. But if you find your match appealing in the first 10 minutes on any level — looks, personality, demeanor — the flame typically only intensifies over time.

2. The info exchange is easy.

If he brings up stories about his past, whether good, bad or ugly, you know he's comfortable revealing more about himself. He wants to get to know you better. Your own stories start to roll off your tongue. So shoplifting and then lying about it to your mom in front of the security guard was stupid when you were 14, or it took you eight years to complete college. That's okay.

3. Faults come out in the open.

If you can reveal and even talk about your weaknesses, the relationship is deepening. If she's a klutz ("that bump came out of nowhere on the carpet") or can't keep from spilling or dropping things, and laughs about it, that's a good sign. More importantly, if you can admit your deeper faults ("I'm a workaholic") and get them out in the open, you both can be more accepting.

4. You're starting to feel very comfortable.

Can you just be yourself? Feeling at ease right away is a good sign and it only gets more comfy if your relationship smacks of a soul mate bond. Are moments of silence okay? You tell your loftiest dream or ambition. You share secrets.

5. You can be your weird self.

Singing off tune loudly in the car. Making a funny face. Calling yourself a rock star. Whether off the wall, quiet or fidgety, you find it easy to be your true self around your date. Couples in it for the long haul revel in the times when they can show their weird or goofy selves.

If your date doesn't seem to have the stuff of your ideal soul mate, then it's back to the drawing board to search for local singles!

H.N.

Granny Votes for Mubarak!

Granny Votes for Mubarak!



By Monirah Aly El-Ghayati & Hoda Nassef


We went to see Mother the other day with all our grown children and grandchildren! We wanted to see if she had any political views about our voting, or whom she preferred for the next President of Egypt. Her smart grandson mentioned that there were nine other nominees.

She quickly and without hesitating a moment, retorted: “I never hear of them before!”

One week later, after President Hosni Mubarak was elected, he then sworn in two days later, on the 27th of September 2005, and we all gleefully went back to Granny:

“Mabrouk!” she said, with a huge smile.

Then she added:

“Hosni Mubarak won the elections, and we're all the winners. The nation recognises his achievements, and gave him respect, love and gratitude he richly deserves. We felt all along that he cares about us, shares our problems, our frustrations and hopes for a better future. He's one of us. He’s a man of few words, but many deeds; all for ensuring a brighter tomorrow for our children and their children.

It's not only to kiss babies as all presidents do! Those kisses are promises he gives for their future. He is a man of his word and will do his best to keep it. He won the heart and mind of us all. And the nation was keen to show him that we also were one mind in a unanimous vote for his re-election.

Bless him and long life for him and all of us. And as we know, beside every great man, there is a great woman. Discreet in her many endeavours, welfare; protecting down-trodden women and abused children.

We are lucky to have at our helm such a couple to guide us through storms and high water. When I compare them with many other heads of state, we're lucky! And the recent elections have proved that people can't be fooled. The rose-coloured glasses can deceive you for a while. But watch out when you remove them! The world will appear in all it's ghastly colours!” Granny concluded, still smiling….



H.N.

The Husband Store!

The Husband Store!

By Syed Hesein & H. Nassef


Being in the shopping-cum-Xmas season, a store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City , where a woman may go to choose a husband!

Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE!

There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights.

There is, however, a catch ... You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. . .

On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.

The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.

The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking. "Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead good looking and help with the housework. "Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"

Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads: Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:
Floor 6 - You are visitor 14,363,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please!

Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!

:)

Behind the Scenes: Employee of the Month

“Behind the Scenes: Employee of the Month”

By Hoda Nassef

Entering any 5-Stars Hotel, a Guest can just feel and see the glamour, the friendly atmosphere, the pleasant and smoothly paced service, and the good quality. That is all the Guest is meant to see! Actually, behind the scenes is a task force of grueling hard work, sometimes exceeding a 12-hours a day working schedule per person, with the sole objective of keeping each hotel Guest satisfied, if not hilariously happy!

Each hotel is a small community in itself, with its various departments, managers, supervisors, assistants (the ‘Senior Staff’), and the remaining vast majority are the subordinates, or the ‘Junior Staff’.

The Junior Staff who compile the majority of the manpower take the bulk of the heavy workload. Yet, without good Managers or Supervisors, their skills would never be developed to full capacity, which ultimately reflects the hotel’s revenue, results, and reputation. Good Managers or Supervisors will also give the Junior Staff a chance to develop, and increase their chances for promotions or career growth.

Comparing the hotels’ life-style as the ‘Little Communities’ just as we have the ‘Big Communities’ – (your city, or mine) – there are likewise noticeably big gaps in the difference of salaries and benefits between the Senior Staff and the Junior Staff. Therefore, to compensate somewhat and give a stronger motivation to the Junior Staff, nearly each hotel or beach resort in Egypt has an “Employee of the Month” going on. This has become an increasingly important issue for the Hospitality (Tourism & Hotel Industry); it helps develop each hotel, as well as each individual.

There are about six to twelve “Department Heads” in each hotel, who, as the layman knows, are the managers of specific departments. Most 5-Stars international chain hotels in Egypt abide by the international standards of Department Heads. However, many of the ‘private’ 5 and 4-Stars hotels have their own arithmetic: some, saving on manpower (and more salaries) by assigning a Department Head two or even three jobs in one, whereas some others dispense totally with certain job descriptions, depending on the hotel’s past hospitality experience, present requirements, daily functions, and room numbers.

To have an “Employee of the Month”, each Department Head should be totally attuned to and aware of the staff he/she supervises. The Department Head often supervises 20 to 200 employees, give or take a few, and sometimes even up to 400 – taking into consideration that about one-third are on leave, while the other two-thirds work on rotating shifts. Not only do the Department Heads have to be extremely efficient in their own diverse fields, but also very good leaders and organizers.

“Performance Evaluation” or “Appraisals” are not always carried out in all the hotels, as expected. These assessments, by the way, would help facilitate the selections of Employees of the Month in a more professional manner.

Each Department Head has to choose its Employee of the Month from his/her department. The ‘unwritten law’ agreed upon within all the hotels for selection is the following: the Candidate should have a good record to begin with, specifically no “misconducts” (i.e. penalties or bad behaviour). The Candidate should be punctual, have no unofficial leaves, or leaves without prior permission. He/she should be resourceful, cheerful, pleasant and polite; gets along well with everyone, supervisors and colleagues alike. The Candidate should also be hard working, and accomplishes all given assignments throughout the month.

After each Department Head selects his/her choice of the month, a Meeting is held and chaired by the hotel’s General Manager. Usually the selected Candidates are nominated in either of both ways:

1) By ‘scores’, i.e. by each Department Head allotting grades or scores – say, from 1 to 5 – to each potential Employee of the Month. In some cases the General Manager requests that the Department Heads omit scoring their own candidates in order to implement real democratic votes without favouritism or bias. For example, if there are ten Department Heads participating in the votes, you get scores for nine candidates instead of ten. That is, each Department Head has on his sheet scores of 9 candidates, but collectively there will be ten Candidates. The Candidate with the highest scores wins the title. Sometimes the Department Heads do not recognize or remember the Candidates from the other departments. Therefore, it is suggested that the Personnel Manager prepares in advance one-sheet C.V.s or appraisals of all the ten Candidates, with their personal photos affixed to them.

Or, by the simpler way of:

2) ‘Open Discussion’; each Department Head reviews openly his selected Candidate, with his/her reasons for the selection, then all the Department Heads vote. If two Candidates draw a tie, the General Manager finalizes the debate.

A date is then arranged for the “Employee of the Month” celebration, with the intention of encompassing most of the employees who are free to attend. Certificates are “home made”, usually by the General Manager’s Executive Secretary.

During the same celebration, some hotels include a “Cleanest Room”, or “Best Room” award, in order to encourage young bachelors to keep their Staff Housing rooms spotless and tidy.

Since all hotels are too busy to interrupt their schedules more than once a month, added to the above, birthdays of all born during the celebrated month are listed then announced.

The “Employee of the Month” is kept confidential until the day of the ceremony, when it is then announced by the General Manager and/or the Personnel Manager, or jointly. The other names are also announced as “runners up”, and they also receive minor bonuses. Then, after the speeches, the Certificates, bonuses, birthday cake candles blown out and symbolic gifts are distributed, with the usual photographs and/or video filming going on, the Entertainment begins.

Why bother? Why all the fuss, you may wonder. Mainly, (let’s face it!) to compensate for their bad work wages, to ignite healthy competitive motivation amongst the Junior Staff, to encourage continuous good work performance, and to enhance a feeling of wellbeing and harmony between Senior and Junior Staff. Besides, you wouldn’t want an angry person spitting in your soup behind your back … would you? Just kidding. (I hope!)

As for the entertainment, refreshments or snacks are served while the hotel uses its local band (often accompanied by its local singers and dancers.) Sometimes outside performers are hired for these events. Occasionally, innovative department employees improvise instead by making their own shows, accompanied by the hotel’s band or DJ.

As soon as possible, following the Ceremony, lists of nominees and birthdays, photocopies of certificates, and photos, are pinned to the glassed-in Staff Billboards for all to see, until they are replaced the following month by the next celebration.

During the Holy Month of Ramadan, some hotels prefer to have a sumptuous Iftar, instead of the routine celebration. In one case, the G.M. and all the Department Heads stood at the chaffing dishes and personally served all their Junior Staff, which was a wonderful idea, and a truly congenial and ‘brotherly’ sight to see. This actually improved the wellbeing and atmosphere of the Junior Staff with their Senior Staff, and promptly motivated them for higher productivity. It’s no coincidence that the hotel had the highest revenues of the year, the following month.

Area/Regional General Managers and Chairmen of the Board often attend these ceremonies. Afterwards, publications of these events are sometimes seen in our local newspapers. This serves two purposes: first, to boost the morale of the Employees, and second, as an indirect propaganda for the hotel’s name and the Managers concerned.

In almost all the hotels, there are “Guest Comments” (or, Guest Questionnaires) placed in each Guest Room or Suite, with the idea of finding out what they liked, or didn’t like about the hotel, and how or where to improve. Some hotels have Guest Comments boxes, with lock and key, placed in the Lobby or Reception Area. However, the boxes are rarely used, since often the Questionnaires are not always put in conspicuous places for the Guest to see, nor is the Guest made aware of how and where to dispatch it before his/her departure. By the way, good comments from a Guest about a “guest-contact” employee should be noted, especially if it is repeated throughout the month on separate oc