Meet Our Youth 

Meet Our Youth...   They make us proud . . . 

Author	Topic: Gabriel George Katul
krouba Member Member # 71   posted 02-25-2003 11:53 AM                    dear shweiriyeh, i would like to share this valubale information with you,once again a Shweireh made the name of our beloved Shweir rise high and i mean really high !!!!! please check these websites on Gabriel Katul the son of George Katul from Shweir and discover all his glorious achievements, reseraches and medals of Honor that he took. let's not forget his grandfather the great Gabriel Katul who was awarded the highest two medals in the British Government, a medal of knight in Lebanon etc.... www.agu.org/inside/awards/katul.htm www.dukenews.duke.edu/environ/katul.htm www.env.duke.edu/faculty/katul/homepage.html Riad, once again you are right, we will never be able to count them all !!!!!! Posts: 10 | From: beirut, lebanon | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged
Webmaster Administrator Member # 5   posted 02-25-2003 10:13 PM                       Congratulations to Gabriel. You make us proud. Your accomplishments are quite impressive. Thank you Rouba for bringing this to our attention. With your permission, I would like to copy and post this announcement on the "Meet our Youth" web page of Shweir.com unless you and Gabriel have another preference. Anwar Posts: 420 | From: San Francisco, California USA | Registered: Sep 2000  |  IP: Logged

Darine Abdel Ahad
Winner of AUB's Annual
Founder's Day Essay Contest
by Hanadi Abdel Ahad

I am really delighted and proud to announce to you all that my sister, Darine Adel Abdel Ahad, a third year CCE (Computer and Communication Engineering) student, has won the prize of this year's AUB Founders' Day Essay Contest concerning "AUB and Critical Thinking" (in which over 20 Top students from all over the AUB campus were competing.)

To be honest with you, Darine was passing in a critical time when she had to write her essay. She was overloaded with duties and tests, yet she did not accept to withdraw from the contest before the deadline and the result? She made it!  On her behalf, I would like to thank all the people who are always there to support her, and especially those who came to the AUB Assembly Hall on the 9th of December, 2002 at 12:00 o'clock where Darine read her Essay in the presence of a silent and attentive audience.  Along with Rima Khalaf Hunaidi (AUB Alumna 1976, Assistant Secretary General and Regional Director, UNDP Regional Bureau for the Arab States), Darine addressed an intellectual public namely: 

- Board of the Deans
- John Waterbury, president of AUB
- Dr. Selim El Hoss, former Lebanese prime minister
- Mr. Ghassan Tueini, Founder and Editor of Al-Nahar news paper

And the list goes with as it includes many important scholars and prominent figures from the region.
Her essay was published on the internet; you can find it at http://www.aub.edu.lb/news/html/abdelahad.html

Anwar, you can use the address to download the photo for Shweir.com
Last but not least, I would like to thank the members of the shweir.com family who always have us and all the shweirieh in their hearts and on their minds.

Thank you,
Hanadi Abdel Ahad

The following is courtesy of the following AUB site:  http://www.aub.edu.lb/news/html/abdelahad.html

AUB and Critical Thinking

It is quite possible, easy, and unfortunately natural for one to lapse into an unexamined or automated life, to become unreflective, passive, and uncritical about one’s existence. It is likely, in other words, to submissively give in to unjust authorities, mindlessly absorb frozen items of knowledge, and impulsively act upon one’s biases and misconceptions. Leading such a life ultimately causes harm to oneself and others, and forfeits one’s opportunities to make one’s life as well as the lives of others fuller and more fruitful. However, it is possible to evade this damage and moreover be in charge of one’s mind and in command of one’s life by falling into the habits of scrutinizing one’s thoughts and actions, questioning the foundations of one’s knowledge, and giving the freest play to reason as the sole source of truth- in a word, to think critically.

             In an attempt to define critical thinking, we may describe it as purposeful, self-regulatory judgment that takes the form of analysis, evaluation, inference, or explanation. It is purposeful in that it aims at proving a point or solving a problem, and it is self-regulatory in that it applies recursively to everything including itself. Thus, one can monitor, fine tune, and rectify the operations of the mind, as in using critical thinking to double check, correct, and reformulate one’s own interpretation.

 How is critical thinking identified? First and foremost, a critical mind develops a skeptical awareness of the world without becoming excessively negative and hypercritical. This doubtful attitude investigates dogmatic beliefs and unjustified orthodoxy; it adopts a theory only if all has been done to demolish it, yet it has shown its robustness against all attempts. It subjects one’s self to the same rigorous standards of evidence to which it holds its antagonists. Second, critical thinking regards truth as endlessly dynamic and refuses immutable packaged doctrines.  Moreover, a critical thinker is tolerant, fair-minded, open to alternatives, flexible, responsive to reasonable persuasion, and ready to imaginatively put himself/herself in the place of others in an attempt to genuinely understand them. Likewise, he/she confronts stereotypes and labels, resists bias and prejudice, reconsiders matters from a different standpoint, and finds merit even in an opponent. Equally important, a critical thinker is acutely aware of the ethical dimensions of issues and favors their humanitarian aspect to their utilitarian facet, despite the drawbacks that his/her preference could have on his/her own vested interests. In addition, critical thinking entails possessing other cognitive skills akin to clarity, accuracy, precision, attention to facts, coherence, and judiciousness, among others. The critical thinker should also be able to think logically, analytically, and systematically. Critical thinking is further nurtured by an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a probing inquisitiveness for reliable information. Creativity and innovation are also supportive in as much as they provide novel approaches and fresh perspectives, and accordingly prevent the individual from becoming a restricted imitator or a confined follower.

Critical thinking is pervasive: there is hardly a time or place where it would not be of use. As long as people have purposes in mind and wish to judge how to accomplish them, and as long as people ponder upon what to accept and what to reject, critical thinking is bound to be necessary. So critical thinking must be fostered especially academically as an essential mode of learning. Adopting this viewpoint, AUB promotes critical thinking in the education of its students, aiming at preparing young educated citizens who are ready to confront the real world with an invincible weapon: the ability to think correctly and responsibly. Education --unlike training, indoctrination, and cultivation-- has as primary goal the stretching of the horizons of the mind and the sharpening of the thinking skills. The knowledge and the information that the university provides the students with would be insufficient and futile had they not been coupled with the development of critical and disciplined thinking; for this knowledge, immense as it may seem, is a mere drop in the sea of knowledge that life actually requires. However, the acquisition of critical thinking techniques proves to be an invaluable preparation because it sets students on the path to never-ending self-education and the pursuit of lifelong learning.

This kind of education is emphasized in all aspects of university life: how rules are formulated and promulgated, how faculty members relate to students, how students are encouraged to relate to each other, how the work of students is assessed, and the like. To ensure that students genuinely develop disciplined critical thinking, teachers guide students to pose probing and sometimes unsettling questions, holding them accountable for their reasoning. Through consistent use, these questions become infused in the thinking of students and become their inner voice. Thus, the dependence of students on their professors as infallible authorities diminishes, and they are heartened to excel on their own, offering their own contributions to knowledge and society.

Accordingly, integrating critical thinking in the education at AUB breeds responsible, aware citizens who, besides their proficiency and readiness to participate in their respective fields of specialization, are keenly aware of the ethical considerations and human values, interests, and entitlements. Hence, critical understanding sheds light upon all facets of issues, rendering our judgments more rational and justifiable. Critical thinking, as fostered at AUB, does not only enhance students’ personalities from an academic point of view, but also promotes their consciousness as citizens, parents, consumers, and patients. As citizens for instance, critical thinking prevents them from voting impulsively and irrationally and allows them to take time to familiarize themselves with the relevant issues, think about long-term consequences of their choice, and take into consideration the manipulative flattery and groundless promises of some politicians. As parents, practicing critical thinking is very effective in raising their children through teaching them responsibility, encouraging them to think for themselves, and promoting their self-esteem. As consumers, critical understanding restrains them from buying a product rashly without stopping to determine whether they need it, can afford it, or are getting it at the lowest price. And as patients, critical thinking makes them more responsible for their health, developing good habits of eating and exercise and assessing their doctors’ diagnosis and advice carefully before accepting or rejecting it.

Briefly, critical thinking is a disciplined and responsible approach to life in all its aspects. It plays a seminal role in the education provided at AUB, and thus lends a helping hand to the establishment of a good, qualified society. In fact, critical thinking is both fundamental and necessary in a democratic society for such a society to remain rational. For what value would democracy, the rule of the majority, carry if this majority is ridden by irrational prejudices and unquestioned dogma? The answer is too frightening even to consider.

Done by:  Darine Abdelahad
CCE 04

It nice to hear from you Hanadi.
Thank you for reporting on you sister.
 Darine, Excellent article, Congratulations.
Shweir.com family & your town are very proud
of you and by extension, all of the Abdel Ahad Family.

Tony Khalil Mir3i Moujaes

-----Original Message-----
From: Nabil Matar [
Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2002 2:21 PM
To: Matar George; Kenicer Anwar
Subject: Tony Moujaes graduation

 Tony, Congratulations on your achievements.
we, the Shweir.com family and your town are very proud of you.

Rania Chafik BOU KHEIR 

CURRICULUM VITAE

DOB: 31 July 1974, Shweir
 Stats: Single, Lebanese
Languages: arabic-french-english.
 Software: Word, Excel, Erdas imagine, Teravue, Oasis, Arcinfo, Arcview
 Membership in professional/scientific associations:    Erosion network, Montpellier, France.

Key Qualifications:
         -Soil-water erosion assessment
         -Application of remote sensing and Geographic information system (GIS)
         -Natural Hazards
         -Surfacial processes
         -Soil resources assessment

Address:  National Center for Remote Sensing/National Council for Scientific Research,
       Sportive City, Bir Hassan, P.O. Box 11-8281, Beirut, Lebanon.
       Tel: +961 4 409 845/6; Fax: +961 4 409 847; Email: rteled@inco.com.lb          

EDUCATION  

1999-2002:          Ph.D. (Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon, France). Mention: Very honorable with congratulations of the committee.

1997-1998:          Diplôme d’études approfondies “DEA” equivalent to a master in sustainable agriculture in Mediterranean area [Agence francophone pour l’enseignement supérieur et la recherche AUPELF-UREF (Beirut) in collaboration with the Lebanese University, University Saint-Joseph, University Saint-Esprit Kaslik (Lebanon) and Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (France)].

1996-1997:            Doing the fifth year of the diploma in Agriculture engineer in ENSH-ENITHP (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Horticulture-Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs des Travaux de l’Horticulture et du Paysage, France).

1992-1997:           Diploma in Agriculture engineer (Lebanese University, Faculty of Agronomy, Beirut-Lebanon).     

TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

5/11/98-to date : Research assistant in the National Center for Remote Sensing, National Council for Scientific Research (Lebanon).

1/10/2002-to date : Teaching at the Holy Spirit University-Kaslik (Faculty of Agricultural Science) Teaching at Saint-Joseph University (Faculty of Agronomy)

1/4/98-5/11/98 :           Training formation in the National Center for Remote Sensing, National Council for Scientific Research (Lebanon) as a support for the thesis of DEA.

1/4/97-1/10/97 :           Training formation in the Institut National des Recherches Agronomiques INRA d’Angers (France) as a support for the thesis of agriculture engineer diploma. 

PUBLICATIONS

THESIS

Bou Kheir, R., 1997. Influence of wet duration on the contamination by Venturia inaequalis. Thesis of agriculture engineer diploma, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Horticulture-Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs des Travaux de l’Horticulture et du Paysage in collaboration with Institut National des Recherches Agronomiques INRA (France), 40 p.

Bou Kheir, R., 1998. Use of remote sensing and GIS for the management of soil-water erosion in the Lebanese coastal region. Pilot project : Jbaïl-Qartaba. Thesis of DEA, AUPELF-UREF in collaboration with the Lebanese University, University Saint-Joseph, University Saint-Esprit (Lebanon), Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (France) and Institut National des Recherches Agronomiques (France), 85 p.

Bou Kheir, R., 2002. Study of soil-water erosion risks by remote sensing and GIS : application to a representative region of Lebanon. Ph.D. doctoral thesis, Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (France), 261 p.

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS

Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., Bou Kheir, R., Abdallah, C., 2000. Assessment of road instability along a typical mountainous road using GIS and aerial photos, Lebanon-eastern Mediterranean. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment. International Association of Engineering Geologists, United Kingdom, 60, 93-101.

Bou Kheir, R., Girard, M-C., Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., Faour, G., Darwich, T., 2001. Use of remote sensing for modeling of soil-water erosion in the coastal region of Lebanon (in French). Télédétection, 2(2), 91-102.

Bou Kheir, R., Shaban, A., Girard, M-C., Khawlie, M., 2001. Impact of human activities on soil-water erosion in the mountainous coastal region of Lebanon (in French. Sécheresse, 12(3), 157-165.

Bou Kheir, R., Girard, M-C., Khawlie, M., Abdallah, C., 2001. Soil-water erosion in the Mediterranean zones: a review (in French). Etude et Gestion des Sols, 8(4), 231-245.  

CONFERENCES

Faour, G., Darwish, T., Bou Kheir, R., Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., 1998. Satellite imagery indicators and mapping potential risk of soil erosion eastern Mediterranean mountain slopes-Lebanon. Space techniques for environment management in the Mediterranean, Athens, Greece, 19-20/11/1998, poster.

Faour, G., Darwish, T., Bou Kheir, R., Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., 1999. Mapping soil-water erosion using GIS and satellite images. 5^th Annual GIS ESRI User Conference, Beirut, Lebanon, 17-20/5/1999, poster.

Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., Bou Kheir, R., Abdallah, C., 1999. Application of GIS in hazard assessment of a typical mountainous road, Beirut-Broummana highway. 5^th Annual GIS ESRI User Conference, Beirut, Lebanon, 17-20/5/1999, 15 p.

Shaban, A., Bou Kheir, R., Khawlie, M., 1999. Land degradation through the study of gully development on rendzinas soils and soft marl rocks in the Saida area, South Lebanon. 6^th International meeting on soils with Mediterranean type of climate (IMSMTC), Barcelona (Catalonia), Spain, 4-9/6/1999.

Faour, G., Bou Kheir, R., Darwish, T., Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., 1999. Risk assessment of soil water-erosion in the karstic area of Lebanon. 6^th International meeting on soils with Mediterranean type of climate (IMSMTC), Barcelona (Catalonia), Spain, 4-9/6/1999, 10 p.

Bou Kheir, R., Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., Girard, M-C., Abdallah, C., 1999. Soil-water erosion is effective in karstic terrains ? the case of Ajaltoun-Kfardebian area, Lebanon. The 13^th Science meeting organized by the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research and the Lebanese Association for the Advancement of Science, Beirut, Lebanon, 2-4/11/1999, 1 p.

Shaban, A., Abdallah, C., Bou Kheir, R., 1999. Lebanese submarine coastal springs: causes and flow mechanism. The 13^th Science meeting organized by the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research and the Lebanese Association for the Advancement of Science, Beirut, Lebanon, 2-4/11/1999, 1 p.

Bou Kheir, R., Shaban, A., Khawlie, M., Girard, M-C., 2000. Human practices influencing hydric erosion in Mount Lebanon. Regional workshop on «degradation and rehabilitation of marginal lands in the Arab region», CEDARE, Cairo, Egypt, 2-4/7/2000.

Shaban, A., Abdallah, C., Bou Kheir, R., Jomaa, I., 2000. Conduit flow: an essential parameter in the hydrologic regime in Mount Lebanon. International Smposium and Field Seminar on present state and future trends of karst studies. Karst 2000, Ankara, Turkey, 17-26/9/2000.

Khawlie, M., Hansmann, B., Darwish, T., Lichaa El-Khoury, D., Faour, G., Abdallah, C., Bou Kheir, R., 2001. A Knowledge-based integrated system to monitor desertification in Lebanon through remote sensing. Joint workshop of ISPRSWG1/2, 1/5 and IV/7. High resolution Mapping from Space 2001. Hannover, Germany, 19-21/9/2001, 8 p.

Darwish, T., Zdruli, P., Khawlie, M., Jomaa, I., Abou Daher, M., Bou Kheir, R., Awad, M., 2001. Upgrading soil information and mapping for soil management in Lebanon. 7^th International meeting on soil with Mediterranean type of climate, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Valencia (Bari), Italy, 23-28/9/2001, 100-102.

Khawlie, M., Hansmann, B., Darwish, T., Haddad, T., Jomaa, I., Bou Kheir, R., 2002. Enhancing the role of remote sensing for encountering desertification in Lebanon. Remote Sensing for developing countries, 2^nd Workshop EARsel, Bonn, 18-20/9/2002, 19 p.

 Rania, Congratulations on your achievements.
we, the Shweir.com family and your town are very proud of you.

Miss Teenage Beauty Pageant - August 14 2001    

Ms. Teen Pageant, 
A report from Lama Katoul:   

Here you see Lama with her family... 
Lama taking good notes for this report...

Our presenters for this night were Layal Khnaisser and George Rahbani.

The show started with a small video clip of the last Miss Teenage 2000, which was Nora Korban . After the video, the 2001 Ms. Teenager contestants appeared in lovely sportswear. They catwalked and Layal and George introduced the audience to the 10 teenagers. Then they headed to change. Again our lovely presenters introduced us to our first singer. She is from Khenchara and her name is Jihan Riachi. After Jihan sang for us, DJ Mooni had a mix of songs and everybody got up and started dancing. After what seemed like an hour the girls reappeared with a lovely ensemble which was a colorful shirt with a skirt that was almost the same. They did another walk and Layal and George told us about their statistics and hobbies.

After that they disappeared to change into their last outfit for tonight. 
Then we greeted the next singer for that night which was Haysam Zayad.
Then again DJ Mooni had a new mix for us everyone danced again.
After what seemed like a year the girls came back with their night outfits
Each one had, had their choice to choose their own outfit.
Now they walked one more time in front of the judges before they were chosen.
Now the Exciting moment came and here were the results:

Miss Popular: Joelle Dagher 
Miss Elegance: Ninar Moujaes
Miss Intelligence: Lilian El Ashkar
Miss Amity: Youmna  El Khalil
Miss Photogenic: Jessica Touma
Miss Personality: Pillar Wakim

Miss Teenager 2001: Roula Hwiss 
1^st Runner up: Elian Rahbani
2^nd Runner up: Remi Saliba 

Webmaster's note:
Thank you Lama for a great, informative & entertaining report.
OK, you, young people waited long enough... lets see the pictures... 
It is amazing the transformation that took place between that morning construction site and how everything looked ready and waiting for the show to begin... wow our hats off to all the people who worked behind the scene like the organizers, producers, music, lighting, stage hands, supporters, etc... 

Congratulations to All the Contestants, 
By Your Participation, You Are All Winners

 Copy from Shweir.com Guestbook

Hello everybody. Let me introduce myself. I am Hanadi Abdel Ahad,16 years old, student at Jesus & Mary School (Rabieh), daughter of Adel and sister of Fadi who has already signed in last November( through him I got to know about shweir.com), and I think he's always in touch with the shweir.com team. This is the first time I sign in the shweir.com guest book, though I've proudly considered myself as a member of this great family for a long time. In fact, I've been checking out this wonderful website on a regular basis for almost a year now- you know, reading news and viewing messages of Shweirieh from all around the world. I can't really describe how happy I feel each time, and how proud I am to be a Shweirieh. 

It's amazing how people from all around the globe unite & cooperate& put so much work into this, and offer so much of their precious time and efforts, and do it willingly from all their hearts to produce a tremendous success and achieve a unique goal (gathering people)-& all what they have in common is their beautiful village Shweir which they cherish in their hearts and always have in their minds. But I think that Shweir is worthy of all this-and maybe even more. It's great! 

I feel touched every time I see the e-mails of the emigrants- no matter what they've never forgotten their origin (Chapeau bas!), and impressed on how quickly this family is growing and how it is succeeding in reuniting the loved ones together. Of course we owe everybody who has started this website, and who is working on for it to continue and progress. Thank You very much . But even these grateful words aren't enough to pay you back your hard work. However, this is not at all unfamiliar... for what we have witnessed in the past, present,( and what we will surely see in the future) proves that the Shweirieh are special people... and do not accept to be but the pioneers in everything they do, and the shweir.com is nothing but a typical example of this. Sorry for this very long e-mail , but I wanted to tell you everything that was hanging on my mind concerning this subject and that I had intended to say. 

I do hope and pray that your work will continue to be a success and you will always have fruitful results. I am at your service and I am really willing to help you in case I can. So don't hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance- info about anything. I'll be glad to help. God bless you all! Best regards, 

Hanadi Abdel Ahad.

Marhaba Ya Hanadi  
Such a beautiful lady and Eloquent writer, thank you so much for all the effort you put into this message.  Well you should know we really have been considering you as one us since we met you in August, Your article about the Night of Poetry and Song was superb.  You write much older than your young age  I see a great Shweirieh writer growing among us.
Fadi has been a great addition to our shweir.com and we hear from him regularly.  How is Dad Adel, and Mom Elham, Joanna, Nadine, Darine and the handsome young one Omar please (did I miss anybody or mispelled a name?) give them all my regards and thank the Abdel Ahad for your hospitality, That was a very nice evening we spent at your home.(did you see the pictures?) Let me Officially welcome our young talented Hanadi to our growing
Shweir.com family we are so lucky to have a talent like yours join us
George Matar

-----Original Message-----
From: Matar, Nabil [mailto:Nabil.Matar@premcor.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2001 7:13 AM
To: 'hanadi85@yahoo.com'
Cc: 'Kenicer, Anwar'; 'Matar, George'
Dear Hanadi,
Thank You Ya ummo, This  is the best letter I have ever read in the guest book , god bless you Ya Amar. I would like to encourage you to every once in a while  join us and write some thing in the web site bulletin board. 
I would like to take this opportunity and first  thank your parents for that wonderful evening we spent at your beautiful house last summer and also to thank them for raising such a wonderful, beautiful and smart Shweirieh.
Adel, you done good my friend. I knew long time ago that you are a successful business man. This summer I discovered too that you and your wife are successful parents . My friend, I can't imagine how much you are proud of these children.  we are very proud of you.
Sincerely
Nabil

Name:Joanna Adel Abdel Ahad  
Email:joanna2001lb@yahoo.com    
Location: beirut, lebanon   
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2001 at 09:39:17   
Comments:   

hi everyone i am Joanna Abdel Ahad, the youngest between the daughters of Adel i would like to say hi to my friends from shweir (hi Lara, Rim, Alexandra)and all the others. I would like to thank u all 4 this beautiful sight that made new friends 4 us, and provided us with the chance to chat with our old ones. Good luck 4 all the shweirieh bye.  

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Matar, George" <gematar@sbinfra.com>

To: <joanna2001lb@yahoo.com>

Cc: <anwar@shweir.com>

Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 11:26 AM

Subject: RE: New Entry in Shweir Guestbook

 

Hello Ya Joanna

So good to have your name added to our Guestbook.  Did I tell you this riddle last summer?  There is a cruise ship that is 300 meters long by 76 meters wide.  It sails at the rate of 50 knots.It can cross the Atlantic Ocean from Brazil to Spain in six days.....  How old is the Captain?????
How is school this year hopefully your grades are great. 
Now we have you, Hanadi, and Fadi, hopefully the rest of you will sign too.
Welcome to your hometown web page, we are happy to have you as our newest member of the shweir.com family

George Matar

Name:amrou adel abdel ahad  
Email:omarson8@hotmail.com
Location: beirut, lebanon
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2001 at 12:10:57
Comments:

Hi i'am amrou abdel ahad, the youngest of the children of Adel and Elham.u have already met my brother fady and my sisters joanna and hanadi, hopfully u will meet the others. I would like to greet all my friends from shweir in lebanon and in the world. Hi Ibrahim, Waseem, Wael, Salah, Marc, Anthony and Jamil Abou Khair(send back please jamil). I would like you to put my photo that you photographed me at home on the web sight. At last i would like to thank you all for the chance that u provided us with, 2 chat with our friends. i have 2 go now, c u soon bye

Sabah Il Kheir Ya Amrou

Well another Abdel Ahad, this has been a great week, so good of you to sign
the guest book.  I will call Elie and get the message to Jamil, Just in case
he's not checking the web page.
I am sure Anwar is reading your entry and just to let yo know, your picture
is already oin the web page.  You handsome fellow.
Welcome to our growing shweir.com family YA Amrou
George Matar

 

 Isis Khoury

Beirut & Dhour,  May 2001:

From Isis Khoury 

helloooooo!!!!! everybody well I'm isis as u know and mmmmmmm this site is gr8 i'm 15 years old . 

Every year I used to spend the summers in Dhour Shweir even in winter i spend the weekend @ my grand father's house his name is Fadlo Haddad anyway this summer i've been there but now i'm in Canada, my friends r Zeina Kiame and Jeremy Sawaya, Najib Moujaes and Jack i miss u guys a lot :-D. 

In the summer of 1999 i participated in Miss teenager i won Miss Photogenique. WAY TO GO YA SHWEIRIEH keep it on !!!!!

ur the BEST

Isis Khoury

Shweir, Lebanon:  Khneisser 
December 19, 2000

Hello, my name is Naji Khneisser. 
I am the son of Laila and Jack Shaya Khneisser.  
My two brothers are Wissam and Elie.  Wissam works in Electrical installation and Elie is studying to become a priest.  I work in Construction and I do Windows - Aluminum Windows installations.  This week, I am leaving to Abu Dhabi for work. 
While in Shweir, I practiced body building.  Last summer, I entered national competition and to my surprise, I got an award for Fifth place.  Considering the limited resources we had in Shweir, I did not expect to win anything.  Imagine if we in Shweir had the proper equipment and training.  My English is not that good, so I got help in writing this information. 
If anyone wish to contact me, click here to E-mail to Naji Khneisser .  

Best wishes to all. 
Naji.  

Houston, Texas:  Matar: 
  Leila Matar, daughter to George and Janice Matar, is a current resident of Texas, but her heart, soul, and blood is Lebanese.  Her Lebanese grandparents are Elias and Victoria Matar, long time residents of Dhour El Shweir.  Her American grandparents are Thomas and Kathryn Alford of Silsbee, Texas. She is currently attending college in Austin at the University of Texas in the School of Communications.  She plans to graduate in December of 2000 with a degree in Radio, Television and Film.  She is a highly creative individual with aspirations to pursue a career in film as a director of digital animation.  

 Some of her special talents are drawing, painting, music, and writing short stories.  In 1998 she wrote, produced, and directed a short animation film called Fry D-4 that won a special merit award for creativity.  Some of her drawings and painting have also won honorable mention in school competitions.  She is the designer of  "The Shweir on the Beach 2000” logo.  It is no wonder that she is artistically inclined with George Elias Matar as her father.

Houston, Texas:  Matar: 
  Michael Matar, son to George and Janice Matar, presently resides in Houston, Texas with his parents. His Lebanese grandparents are Elias and Victoria Matar and his American grandparents are Thomas and Kathryn Alford.  Currently, he is a senior at Clear Lake High School with plans to attend Baylor University in the fall of 2001. He is member of the Clear Lake High School Symphonic Orchestra and plays the violin quite beautifully. With his violin he demonstrates a versatility of musical styles, such as, classical, jazz, pop, and country/western. 

Michael also followed in his father's footsteps with a strong passion for music by playing several instruments. His musical ability is displayed in not only the violin, as well as the guitar, piano, and drums. With his father, George Elias Matar, and George's long time friend, Alfred Moujaes, they have had jam sessions that last long into the night. Michael did an extremely good job playing the guitar with the old folks session at both Shweir on the beach 2000 & 1999.   To George this is a dream come true, playing music with his son jamming with him at his side.  

The following photos of our younger generation are courtesy of Waleed Moujaes   

1- Our young generation, from left to right: Zeina Nicolas Shaaya ( married last September to Gebran Elie Nasr); Nisrine Shehadeh Moujaes (my sister, standing); Gizelle Nazih Baaclini; Danielle Touma Sawaya (standing); Rawan Moujaes ( my younger sister); Zeina Nadim Nasr and Clara Touma Sawaya	2- Also, from left to right, Samer Moujaes (my brother); George Jaber Arbid; Issam Nicolas Mershed Moujaes and his brother Ziad; Bassam Sabaa Jurdak

thank you, Waleed