It was a great learning experience & a pleasure to be part of the invited International Faculty for the second Alexandria Forum for Women's Health & Development organized by the Suzanne Mubarak Regional Centre for Women's Health & Development (SMC) under the guidance of Prof Hassan Sallam assisted ably by Dr Samir Ashraf. This Center is situated in what was the royal quarter of ancient Alexandria where the famous Library, Museum & University once stood. Two thousand years ago, Alexandria possessed a famous medical school, where Herophilus, the father of Anatomy, was the first to perform systematic dissection of the human body and where Erasistratos was the first to use the term "pathology" to describe the diseased organs. it was in Alexandria during these days that Soranus, the famous gynecologist made the first drawing of the human uterus, and where famous physicians of the classical world, trained before practicing medicine on the various shores of the Mediterranean. Indeed, Galen himself, who came originally from Pergamon spent a few years in alexandria before traveling to Rome and becoming the personal physician of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus. Two thousand years later, the Center conceptualized by Suzanne Mubarak, the first lady of Egypt felicitated one of the two pioneers of modern day IVF - Professor Robert Edwards. It was a pleasure hearing him speak & getting nuggets of his personal life - which is a must read inspirational story for everyone.
Besides, the excellent academic program, the hosts went over-board in personally looking after all the invited speakers - they were given a private tour of the SMC & of Alexandria. We were all put up in the scenic hotel Helnan Palestine overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. I met my old friend Prof Osama Shawki at the meeting & at the end of a long and tiring day, he invited me with his group to one of the best seafood Restaurants in all of Egypt - The Seagull. Our group comprised of the illustrious gynecologist of the first-families in Egypt - Prof Sameh Zaki and his wife Dr Sanaa Asaad , their lovely daughter Noha, Prof Nabil Abdel Hakeem and his wife Dr Rawia Ezaat, Dr Omayma Edrees, Prof Osama Shawki & his lovely better half Gigi and Yehia and Youssef - their handsome sons.
This was an experience for me - I have eaten all across the globe in the best seafood restaurants & the Seagull could give a run for the money to the best of the rest! Fresh catch-of-the-day was chosen by the hosts & grilled to perfection. The seafood was served with traditional appetizers like Tahina, egyptian cheese paste, spicy Aubergine paste & fresh oven-baked Egyptian bread. The ambience in this restaurant (owned & run by an Egyptian man & his German wife) was something from the 1950's & 1960's. There were statues, paintings, handicraft pieces and tropical birds and animals forming part of the environment. i saw hens with plumes of their feet and paws (hybrids) and tiny cross-bred murses (mules crossed with horses) who were giving the tiny-tots rides in the verandah.
My friend Osama outdid the hospitality this time around & the entire group celebrated the meeting of old friends in the Paris of the East!
