Month: September 2021

In several older posts, Bambi paid tribute to Isaac Ohlers, the youngest victim of the surrealistic Beirut blast of August 4, 2020 (she once posted an interview with his mother too, Ms. Sarah Copland).

Yesterday, the Australian Embassy in Beirut unveiled a swing in the garden of the Sursock Museum in Isaac’s memory.

According to L‘Orient Le Jour and An Nahar, the ceremony was attended in person by the honourable Ms. Rebekah Grindlay (Ambassador of Australia in Lebanon) and the families of the other victims. Isaac’s mom and dad, Ms. Copeland and Mr. Craig Ohlers, watched the ceremony live from Australia (https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1273750/balancoire-au-musee-sursock-en-memoire-disaac-oehlers.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=balancoire-au-musee-sursock-en-memoire-disaac-oehlers ; https://www.annahar.com/arabic/section/77-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B9/03092021085659204).

In a moving tweet, Ms. Copland shared that Issac used to enjoy playing in the courtyard, climbing trees, and greetings cats. She and her spouse are grateful to Ambassador Grindlay, to the Australian Embassy, and to the Sursock Museum.

In turn, as shown below, the museum thanked the families of the victims and all those who made this event possible.

As a reminder, and for over a year now, Isaac’s parents and the families of the other 219 victims of the surrealistic Beirut port explosion are still seeking justice for their loved ones. When will impunity finally end in Lebanon?!

To conclude this post, Bambi will begin by sharing with you a few pictures of the ceremony (taken from An Nahar and the Sursock Museum Twitter account). Finally, and if she may, she would like to end by offering Isaac two songs inspired by his memorial.

May his memory be eternal… and heartfelt best wishes to his family.

Mr. Yannick Lemay’s cartoon in the Journal de Québec…

Canada is suffocating under political correctness.

Indeed, in our collectively insane times, more and more Canadians say the opposite of what they think privately out of fear. Perhaps other Canadians do not see what Bambi means. Some Canadians even repeat empty slogans, one after the other. Of course, some others are true believers. Yet others may convince themselves (and others) that they are believers or observant. Some even benefit from slogans to advance their careers or agendas.

Anyhow, tonight Canadians (who are still interested in politics) will watch the first 2021 federal debate on TV (in French)… but which “debate” are we talking about precisely?

And which leaders? Bambi is asking because the federal debate is once again among leaders who have been pre-selected?

Of course, the themes to be debated will be carefully chosen. Yes, they will be socially acceptable and accepted.

Again, political correctness or ideologies affect us all.

Indeed, some of our decent political leaders who are supposed to champion the environment have drifted their political focus to interfere in provincial issues/bills that are neither under their jurisdiction nor expertise (not even political power).

Other excellent politicians who would be expected to defend the French language (and likely language demographics) do not dare to even debate immigration in terms of numbers or the values of newcomers (to facilitate their integration).

Yet other perhaps mediocre politicians keep telling us and writing platforms where diversity is presented as our strength. A beautiful slogan again… but is there room still for intellectual diversity? And what about our unity? From all union and people’s movements, we historically and intuitively know that it is rather unity that is our real strength. Not (just?) diversity, even if the latter is enriching in life.

Some politicians have exploited or pushed the diversity card (modern forms of sectarianism) too far to the point of having a name for each type of injustice (racism or discrimination) affecting this or that community… of course in addition to a new empire of corporate business called “diversity, inclusion, and equity”. Once again, intellectual diversity is missing from all this.

Instead of a country of the rule of law for all, we lately saw justice being envisioned to be tailored to skin hue (instead of being the same laws for all with, of course, a consideration for attenuating factors, including possible personal experiences of racism). Is this race-based approach (limited to one’s skin colour) wise and even fair for all, including to the alleged criminal offender? In other terms, what about the sense of personal responsibility in life? Isn’t it worth encouraging and rewarding anymore in tribunals or in rehabilitation following a sentence?

Instead of honouring our collective democracy, we stopped caring to preserve everyone’s right to publicly express an opinion? Instead, we are becoming like a “neo-monarchy” of censorship and of double standards? Approved public discourse is allowed and encouraged. Any dissidence is viciously attacked.   

Canada’ elitists (those in power, their cliques, or dependants in the media/intellectual circles) are sometimes acting in the most tribal and disconnected manner from ordinary people. All this, of course, often in the name of modern forms of puritan morality (and its orthodoxies).  

For sure, at first, politicians’ care for ordinary people may have been genuine, not just to earn their vote. Now, our political leaders are too disconnected from people that they do not even care to fake care.

Who knows? Perhaps our political leaders are trapped in their elitism or, like the population, suffocating under political correctness. Mind you, it is also possible that they may have found another source of political supply.

To conclude this post, you may perhaps think that Bambi is being too cynical today. Maybe just lucid, even if she remains convinced that our Canada remains beautiful, despite our collectively insane times and despite an increased mediocrity in politicians worldwide. However, comparing us to less fortunate countries of the world, including Lebanon, helps in bringing perspectives and… in keeping faith in our country alive. In the end, even collectively insane times shall pass, even if they may last for many years.

This post is about a love song that reminds Bambi of her childhood in Lebanon.

The song is question is performed by a talented singer whom Bambi just discovered: Ms. Carla Chamoun. It is actually a very famous love song, entitled “Khidni maak” [“Take me with you”] by the late Ms. Salwa el Katrib. Bambi had the chance to share this song with you once in an older post featuring El Katrib’s own daughter. The latter, called Ms. Aline Lahoud, is a talented singer (like her mom).

This being said, Bambi would like to thank a certain Mr. Alaa Eddine Taktak from Paris for having kindly publicly shared the translation of this great song on YouTube. Following French, if you wish, you can read a quick English translation [thanks to the assistance of Bambi’s faithful friend, Mr. Google Translate :)].

To conclude this post, and before sharing the lyrics and the song, bravo to Ms. Carla Chamoun for her beautiful voice and interpretation! Congratulations to the musicians for their talent!

LYRICS TRANSLATED INTO FRENCH:

“Emmène-moi avec toi sur un sentier/chemin lointain

Là où nous étions petits enfants/jeunes

Et chauffe mon printemps avec un nouveau soleil

Et fais-moi oublier le jour où nous sommes devenus grands/vieux

Emmène-moi avec toi ô mon amour, ô mon amour

Là où la couleur bleue s’est évanouie (le soir)

Nous marchons ensemble ô mon amour, ô mon amour

Sur un chemin en sable verdoyant

Cache-moi,entoure-moi, par ton amour

Et laisse-moi m’y perdre pour un jour

Et laisse l’amour me faire oublier

Le jour où nous sommes devenus grands/vieux

Demande au vent de l’amour de nous emmener/emporter

Au dessus des montagnes qui n’ont pas de limites

Demain, le temps effacera  nous noms

Et les barrera de traits noirs

Vole-moi,  vole-moi et laisse-moi

Cueillir le printemps, rose par rose

Emmène-moi avec toi, emmène-moi et fais-moi oublier

Fais-moi oublier le jour où nous sommes devenus grands.”

LYRICS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH:

“Take me with you on a far trail

Where we were younger

And heat my spring with a new sun

And make me forget the day we got old/older

Take me with you oh my love, oh my love

Where the colour blue has faded (in the evening)

We walk together oh my love, oh my love

On a green sand path

Hide me, surround me, with your love

And let me get lost in it for a day

And let love make me forget

The day we got old/older

Ask the wind of love to take us away

Above the mountains that have no limits

Tomorrow time will erase our names

And cross them out with black lines

Steal me, steal me and leave me

pick spring rose by rose

Take me with you, take me and make me forget,

Make me forget the day we grew up”.