It's a mad world The picture depicts a scene from Anbar No 1 (Mental Ward No 1), the theatre show choreographed by Diaa Shafiq and Mohamed Mustafa and presented at the Artistic Creativity Centre. Sherif Sonbol was ready at the performance with his camera. The German Embassy in Cairo held an extravagant reception marking the 19th anniversary of Germany's Reunification Day. It was also an occasion to bid German Ambassador to Egypt Bernd Erbel adieu after three years at the embassy. Erbel gave a hearty speech in which he talked about how Egypt was more than just a place where he performed his diplomatic duties. The reception was crowned by the presence of an array of dignitaries and diplomats, among them US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey, Minister of Waqf (Religious Endowments) Hamdi Zaqzouq, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Maged George, Minister of Electricity and Energy Hassan Younis, German University in Cairo President Ashraf Mansour, head of trustees of the Presidential Office Said Zada, tycoon businesswoman Hosna Rachid, head of Garden City Lions Club Awatef Serageddin, TV presenter Jasmine Taha Zaki as well as members of the German community in Cairo. In cooperation with the Higher Cinema Institute and the Artistic Creativity Centre, the Japan Foundation Cairo Office (JFCO) hosts Go Nagai, the Japanese artist and creator of the famous animation characters Mazinger and Grendizer from 12-15 October. After visiting Jordan and Kuwait, the famous Japanese manga artist will visit Egypt as the last stop of his tour of the Middle East. At the Artistic Creativity Centre in the Cairo Opera Grounds, Zamalek, on Tuesday 13 October at 6pm, Nagai will speak about the manga robots (especially about Mazinger and Grendizer) and then screen one of the latest episodes of "Mazinger Z" and answer questions from the audience. The JFCO will also hold a lecture/workshop for specialists and cartoonists, to be presented by Nagai, on Wednesday 14 October, at the Higher Cinema Institute's Animation Department at 5pm, where an interactive workshop with students and attendees will take place. Arabic interpretation is available. Participation is free of charge but participants have to register their names either with the Animation Department of the Higher Cinema Institute or the JFCO. Nigerian Ambassador in Egypt Sani Lawal held a reception party celebrating the 49th anniversary of his country's national day. The party was crowned by the presence of a number of African ambassadors in Egypt. A press conference was held last week at the Cairo Opera House in the presence of Director Abdel-Moneim Kamel, opera singer Hassan Kami, bass baritone and supervisor of the Opera Arts programme Reda El-Wakil as well as flautist Inas Abdel-Dayeim. Kamel disclosed that the Opera House would offer an intensified artistic programme 2009-2010. It will present 689 concerts to be featured at its various venues in addition to 47 art exhibitions to be held at Opera Art galleries. He added that all genres of art would be presented to satisfy the different tastes of Opera House goers. In addition, the Cairo Opera Company and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, which is celebrating its 51st season this year, will present a series of concerts in Cairo and Alexandria. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa and Indian Ambassador to Egypt R Swaminathan jointly inaugurated last week a photo exhibition entitled "Gandhi: His Life and His Message" at the General Secretariat of the Arab League in Tahrir Square, Cairo. The event coincided with the occasion of celebrating the third International Day of Non-Violence. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid A prestigious celebration was held at the Four Seasons at Nile Plaza Hotel for Ramadan hit TV series Matkhafoush (Don't Be Afraid), Tager Al-Saada (Merchant of Happiness) and Harb Al-Gawasis (War of Spies). TV stars celebrated their success in a warm ambiance and among a galaxy of celebrities who came to congratulate them and share with them the special occasion. Actress Nadia El-Guindi attended the celebration to warmly congratulate talented actress Menna Shalabi for the sensational role of Samia Fahmi she performed at Harb Al-Gawasis, the same role that El-Guindi played before in the cinema. Among the attendees were veiled actress Mona Abdel-Ghani, actresses Poussy, Fadia Abdel-Ghani and retired belly dancer and Shalabi 's mother Zizi Mustafa. The Garden City Lions Club (GCLC), presided over by Awatef Serageddin, held an honorary ceremony for the cast of the Ramadan TV series Khass Gedan (Very Private), starring gorgeous actress Yossra, veteran actress Ragaa El-Geddawi, actor Mahmoud Qabil and Tunisian actress Dorra. The celebration was crowned by the presence of luminaries such as former prime minister Ali Lotfi, spouse of Saudi ambassador to Egypt Amira Al-Nazer, media figure Soheir Shalabi, TV presenter Poussy Shalabi, head of Al-Rehab Lions Club Mahmoud El-Maghrabi and GCLC member Bahiya Youssef. Al-Tahrir Rotary Club, presided over by Fatma Barada, held its annual celebration at the Ramses Hilton Hotel's spacious swimming pool. The celebration was attended by a plethora of high-profile figures and celebrities, among which were Al-Ahram back page editor Mona Ragab, actress Yossra, actor Mahmoud Qabil, head of the Garden City Lions Club Awatef Serageddin as well as members of several Rotary Clubs including Gihan Halawa, Samia Abul-Fotouh, Ola Ragab, Bahiya Youssef as well as Amal Touqan, spouse of Al-Ahram Chairman of the Board Abdel-Moneim Said. photos: Ayman Barayez Swiss Ambassador to Egypt Charles-Edouard Held hosted a lavish reception at the Swiss Club on the occasion of celebrating Switzerland's National Day. The reception was enlivened by an exquisite performance of classical music with the attendance of a galaxy of members of the Swiss community in Egypt. The latest exhibition of Norwegian plastic artist Katrina Vrebalovich was inaugurated at the Picasso Art Gallery in Zamalek under the title, "New Dawn: Heart to Heart for the Sake of Peace". The exhibition showcases 50 different paintings calling for peace. The opening was attended by Norwegian Ambassador to Egypt Thomas Hauff and his Lebanese counterpart Khaled Ziyada, as well as plastic artists Farid Fadel and Britt Boutros Ghali. On 11 October, Sir John Meurig Thomas, a world-renowned chemist and honorary professor of material science at the University of Cambridge, will deliver a public lecture entitled, "The Genius of Michael Faraday," which will discuss how Michael Faraday, English chemist and physicist who left school at the age of 13, became one of the greatest physical science experimenters. Thomas is the recipient of 20 honorary degrees, more than 100 named lectureships, and holds more than 40 honorary fellowships in universities and colleges worldwide. The lecture will take place at the American University in Cairo's Oriental Hall in Tahrir Square Campus at 5pm. Sultry Lebanese singer Haifaa Wahbi featured in a thrilling concert at the Cairo Stadium on the occasion of the World Cup's tour before its arrival to South Africa in 2010. Wahbi sang a number of her highly sought-after songs while holding the Egyptian flag, wishing the best of luck to the Egyptian team participating in the championship. Wahbi stunned the audience with her look, wearing a t-shirt with the printed picture of world-renowned US actor Al Pacino on it.
