On a warm summer-like evening and under a romantic and star-studded sky, Al-Ahram Weekly 's very own Nader Habib married the beautiful Donia Wagdy, a journalist at the Watani weekly newspaper. The wedding took place at the Holy Virgin Church in East Abassiya last week. Following the ceremony a reception was held by the couple's parents at the Military Communications House in Medinet Nasr where the happy couple danced the night away. Nader, son of interior designer the late Fouad Habib, was joined on this joyous occasion by his mother Fayqa Fakhouri, general manager of the Egyptian Civilisation Museum, his bride's family artist Wagdy Habashy and his lovely wife Magda Wahba from the Television and Radio Union News Sector as well as his uncles Safwat and Sami Habib. Among the other men and women of the media I saw enjoying the party were Watani 's Editor-in- Chief Youssef Sidhom, Managing Editor of the English Supplement Samia Sidhom, Al-Ahram 's Deputy Editor-in-Chief Salwa Habib, Editor-in-Chief of the Israeli Studies magazine Emad Gad and deputy editor of the international section at the daily Al-Ahram newspaper Ezzat Ibrahim. Of course we from the Weekly were there, too. Our representation, headed by Mona Anis, deputy editor-in-chief, Managing Editor Galal Nassar, the Weekly 's lay-out editors Hany Mustafa, Khaled El-Ghamry and his wife Doaa, Ayman George, Nesmahar Sayed, Ahmed Kamal and staff reporters Rasha Saad, Sherine Nasr and last but not least the woman who solves so many of our administrative problems Magda Fayez. I left young love to take its course and headed to the beautiful Rare Books Library garden last Sunday where the American University in Cairo (AUC) Press Office held a book and author reception. The event showcased the release of seven new publications -- a delightful combination of politics, economics, social issues and Egyptology. Among the titles on display were Nasser: His Life and Times by Anna Alexander, Dramas of a Nationhood by Lila Abu Lughod, The Egyptian Peasant by Henry Habib Ayrout and Divine Creatures by Salima Ikram. Authors who attended the event included Joel Benin, Kent Weeks, photographer John Feeney as well as other AUC professors, the Russian ambassador, AUC Press Director Mark Linz and its promotion manager the lovely Nabila Aql. I must say AUC kept me busy this week as I could not pass up the opportunity to listen in on a couple of lectures delivered by John Dean, former US president Richard Nixon 's legal counsel and a key player in the Watergate scandal. Dean spoke to his Egyptian audience of his latest book Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush. You may not be as old as I am but I must admit to being able to remember back to the days when Dean served as Nixon's White House lawyer and his testimony before a congressional committee during the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s, convinced many Americans that Nixon was involved in criminal activities -- all of which eventually led to Nixon's resignation. photo: Khatchig Wanis French Ambassador to Egypt Jean Claude Cousseran awarded Air Marshal Magdi Galal Shaarawi, air force commander in the Egyptian Army the National Order of Merit from President Jacques Chirac, last week. The occasion was celebrated with a reception party attended by a number of high powered personalities including Minister of Youth Mamdouh El-Beltagui, Minister of Environment Maged George and former foreign minister Ahmed Maher. Leaving the world of ambassadorial residences and dreamy weddings I headed to an early celebration of Environment day organised by the General Organisation of Cleaning and Beautification of Cairo in collaboration with the Manshiet Nasser district authorities, the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) and the German Housing Bank (KFW). The event was highlighted by the participation of the district's school children who participated in an artistic competition focussed on environment-related issues. Cairo Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir distributed prizes amongst the winners and three schools won the "My Beautiful School" prize. Head of Manshiet Nasser district Talaat Mansour told those in attendance that eight schools will be renovated in cooperation with the KFW and GTZ and the Educational Department while Khalil Shaath, area manager of the participatory Project (PDP) in Manshiet Nasser said that 48 workshops had been set up in Al- Shouhba popular district aimed at employing young graduates and artisans of the area. Also in an effort to improve the lot of youth head of the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces (GOCP) Mustafa Elwie, along with head of the Rotary Club for the District of Moqatam Nagwa Abdel-Nabi and head of its counterpart in Tahrir Mohamed El- Oqda signed an agreement of cooperation between the GOCP and the two clubs towards the exchange of cultural and artistic experts. The effort is aimed at organising lectures and training courses in order to improve young people's skills. photo: Ayman Barayez And ending with the totally and wonderfully frivolous, White Club in Zamalek witnessed Miss Beauty of Egypt Heba El-Sisi 's birthday celebration amidst a galaxy of her close friends including actors Maged El-Masri, Mohamed Hamza, the owner of White Club and DJ Yasser El-Hariri.
