Photographer Mohamed Wassim was dying of heat when he noticed this family living on a boat as he passed along the shore of the river. He wondered what it felt like to live on the Nile? In summer there must be an advantage to it, but in winter, how do they cope with the cold? photos: Ayman Barayez To mark the 231st US Independence Day on 4 July, Ambassador Francis J Ricciardone and his wife Marie gave a huge party at the Mohamed Ali Palace in Shubra Al-Kheima, where, among others, Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abul- Naga, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Maged George, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali El-Moselhi, Editor-in-chief of Democracy magazine Hala Mustafa and veteran Al-Ahram writer Salama Ahmed Salama as well as actresses Laila Elwi and Tayseer Fahmi and TV announcer Dina Farouk were present. In his welcome speech Riccardone said, " Marie and I are delighted to welcome you here on such a beautiful evening, on such an important day in America's history, and in surroundings that so eloquently evoke Egypt's own rich past. As an American, I am optimistic about the future of Egypt, the Egyptian people and American-Egyptian relations. Thank you for joining us tonight in celebrating the freedom and independence of the United States of America. Let us also celebrate the friendship between the US and Egypt and the many other countries represented here." Last week, together with the Governor of Minya Fouad Saadeddin, head of the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces Ahmed Nawwar inaugurated the Maghagha City Cultural Palace, an LE275,000 project, as well as a young people's library for the town of Mallawi in Minya. Present were deputy of the Organisation Mohamed El-Sayed Eid, head of South and North Upper Egypt Cultural Region Talaat Mahran and many local politicians. They were treated to folk dance and performances by a children's choir. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the independence of Djibouti, Ambassador of Djibouti Moussa Mohamed Ahmed held a reception in the Farhati Hall at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Present among many others were Minister of Social Solidarity Ali El-Moselhi, Ambassador of Kuwait Khaled Kleib, Ambassador of Morocco Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ahmed Al-Zoaabi. At the beautifully renovated Mohamed Ali Palace in Manial, head of the Egyptian Publishers Union Ibrahim El-Moallem organised a farewell reception for Italian Ambassador Antonio Badini including a launch of Badini 's new book on the link between culture and diplomacy, published with El-Moallem 's own Dar Al-Sherouq. Badini and his wife Dounia were pleased to welcome friends like Qalioubiya Governor Adli Hussein, Deputy Foreign Minister Nehad Abdel-Latif, Al-Ahram back page editor Mona Ragab and head of the Arab Writers Union Mohamed Salmawi. Cairo National Day was celebrated last week at the Garden City Culture House, with a children's operetta, In the Love of Cairo. Present were, among others, Governor of Cairo Abdel-Azim Wazir, diligent head of the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces Ahmed Nawwar and Director of the Children's Cultural Palaces Nevine Soweilm. Following the speeches of the three officials, who emphasised the importance of the event, the lovely Aya Ibrahim recited a poem of her own composition. The Cultural Resource presents, for the first time in Egypt, a festival of modern Oriental music featuring seven of the most prominent composers and instrumentalists in Turkey and the Arab world, reports Rania Khallaf : Raed Khoshaba (Iraq), Khaled Jubran (Palestine), Barbaros Erköse (Turkey), Andre Hajj (Lebanon), Youssra Al-Dhahabi (Tunis), Abdu Dagher and Hazem Shahin (Egypt). At Jubran 's concert the Galilee-born musician's own compositions, A Traveller and The Gypsy, were accompanied by work from Rahabany brothers and Mohamed Abdel-Wahab. In response to the audience insistence, Jubran came back on stage after the show was finished to play Fairuz songs with the Turkish clarinetist Erköse. Under the auspices of the leading National Democratic Party (NDP) MP and Chief of Presidential Staff Zakaria Azmi, tomorrow the Sarai Al-Qubba Youth Centre celebrates the Sliver Jubilee of its boy scouts, established in 1983, with scout performances including raising of flags and brass music. Present will be representatives of those Arab scouts societies taking part in the third Arab Camp for the Advanced Boy Scout. photo: Youssri Aql French Ambassador Philippe Coste gave the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass one of France's most prestigious decorations in recognition of his efforts to protect Egyptian heritage. Among those who attended the party were the People's Assembly Foreign Relations Committee head Mustafa El-Feki, amiable actress Libliba, head of the Supreme Council of Luxor Samir Farag and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram's Nisf Al-Donia magazine Afkar El-Kharadli.
