Month: May 2024

First, who is the talented Saint-Eugène-d’Argentenay- born Boris (https://shorturl.at/xrKyL)? From La Presse, we learn the following about “Boris”, or Mr. Goldstyn’ talents and two passions (thanks for Mr. Google Translate for his assistance in translation): “Jacques Goldstyn was born in 1958. As a child, he had two passions: drawing and collecting stones. After studying science, he became a geologist. And then one day, by chance and luck, he returned to drawing where he mainly did scientific popularization, notably for Québec Science, Québec Oiseaux and Les Débrouillards. Under the pen name Boris, he is occasionally published in Relations, L’aut’journal, Montreal Gazette and La Gazette de la Mauricie. And he still collects stones. They are everywhere in his home: on his drawing table, in his living room, in his garden and, sometimes, in his shoe” (https://shorturl.at/ZZXnk).

Now that the introduction have been made, Bambi will share below Boris’ latest cartoon, which was published in La Presse, on May 19, 2024. Bambi loves it because it shows all the absurdity of the static chaos of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most importantly, Boris’ cartoon also shows us the tragic suffering, as well as humanity, of people of both sides of this never-ending conflict.

Specifically, assuming Bambi is not missing any detail, this cartoon shows both flags at the same time, contrary to the regular demonstrations and counter-demonstrations in Canada and/or abroad. It also reminds us that there are still innocent hostages who are kidnapped, including very young children, including a baby. It also shows us the desperate SOS call from out of Gaza, given the totally insane death toll number of innocent families, sadly including too many children. We also see a sign calling for ceasefire and another one dreaming of a “Free palestine”. It is only when we look back to the other side again that we notice a sign of “No to Hamas”. It makes us remember that, for the side calling for freedom, the latter must come from within to take its full meaning. This means freedom from the Israeli military hegemony, yes for sure, but also freedom from the Hamas’ (or any other similar group in power)’s unilateral extremism, which is also punishing its own innocent people with its actions (mirroring the Israeli military response to October 7).

Furthermore, this cartoon can make us think about the meaning of basic values like dignity, safety, and peace for ALL innocent people on all sides, including the families of the hostages as well as the innocent families of Gaza (without forgetting about other innocent, and at times grieving, families of neighbouring countries, including Lebanon)?

Can a ceasefire, and especially post-ceasefire, guarantee safety for all and prevent crazy rounds of violence in the region, like this one, in the future? How do we foster trust again among all players in the region and beyond (if at all possible), facilitate healing, and eventually re-build from the rubble, not just infrastructures but hopefully bridges of humanity? Or, without a real solution, is there a risk that this part of the world would return to the same status quo, which preceded the tragic October 7, that turned into a living hell, namely (but not only) for the people of Gaza?

And how about an SOS call for the end of violence in the middle east once and for all, that is a concrete solution to its never-ending conflict, which Bambi is sick and tired of? What about personal and collective healing after all the trauma, grief, and tears? How would it be possible, now and in the future? Can we still dream of potential healthy exchanges among nations, a true lasting peace in the entire region, more humanity, and ideally love, as per this beautiful cartoon.

For Bambi, the beautiful ray of hope offered by Boris in his cartoon, happens to be what she strongly believes in, namely the power of love (“Amour” in French, as per the title of the cartoon). Even if the hope for peace in the region is currently dead, we can always fantasize about the potential for love, just like this cartoon’s beautiful kiss. Yes, true love, which would be based on MUTUAL respect, acceptance (not cancellation or silencing), and care for the other while caring for oneself. Why does it have to be that complicated when it can be as simple as a spontaneous kiss of love?

Thanks to the highly talented Boris for making Bambi dream of love in the Middle East. In this post, she shared this dream with you, dear readers, regardless of your own thoughts, if any, about the Middle East conflict.

Bambi was deeply sad to read about the story of the Tsurkans, namely their teen daughter Shaked. The latter was beaten by another female peer coming from behind her while several others stood by, watching the scene and recording it on their phones. The violent act occurred in a parking lot during school hours in Fredericton, capital of the peaceful and beautiful Canadian maritime province of New Brunswick (NB).

According to the National Post, Shaked was dragged to the ground where she was punched “repeatedly in front of several bystanders. The two get into a scuffle until an adult comes over after about a minute and breaks up the fight“. Bambi is not on social media, but she took the time to watch the HIGHLY disturbing and unacceptable video shared in the article in question (https://rb.gy/4jj7pg).

This sad story is now in the CBC, CTV News Atlantic, the Telegraph Journal as well as other media like True North, the Canadian Jewish News, and several international ones. From the title of the CBC article, Bambi learned that the police made arrests related to this case (https://shorturl.at/63zE3). As for the CTV News Atlantic article, it informs us that “the Tsurkan’s moved to Canada from Israel 18 months ago – and believe their background is what sparked the altercation” (https://shorturl.at/qQSBX). Finally, from the Telegraph journal, Bambi learned that Mr. and Ms. Tsurkan met with the Premier of the province, Mr. Higgs (https://shorturl.at/Ck492). Good for them. Bravo also for raising public awareness to prevent other potential stories of violence (called antisemitism in this case).

Everyone deserves to live in safety, and be treated with respect and kindness, in NB and in Canada, including this family who escaped the Middle East to find a safety haven in its adoptive country. Why are we bringing the conflicts of our birth countries to Canada? How can violence, or bullying, against a teen living in Canada support the Palestinian cause? How could it help those who are suffering in Gaza, including youth like these two girls?

No to violence against anyone, regardless of age, sex, origin, religion, political or ideological view, sexual orientation, etc. If she may, Bambi will end this post by echoing Mr. Tsurkan’s wise words reported in the CTV News Atlantic article (https://shorturl.at/qQSBX): “Just be good. Be yourself. Let other people be themselves. Help each other. I think that respect would be the word I was looking for. To respect each other”.

Bambi was shocked to read about the unacceptable ordeal of a mother, Paula (or Ms. Mejias), and her three children. As reported by the Toronto Star (https://archive.md/q4UmG), “they were in transit in Panama from Venezuela in 2017 to visit Mejias’s husband,  an international student in Toronto, when their visas were cancelled“.  Can you imagine something like this happening to you?

During their stopover in Panama, Paula was questioned by an Air Canada agent about their trip. After about two hours, she and her children were handed back their passports and guess what? They were told the following: they could not continue the rest of their trip. Why? Their Canadian visas had been cancelled! Indeed, their passports now had the words “Cancelled CBSA”. For those who do not know it, the latter stands for the Canada Border Services Agency” (https://shorturl.at/gAFN0).

The story does not end there since Paula, who is originally from Venezuela, and her kids were stuck in Panama for over a month. From there, they fought to have their visas reinstated in order to be finally able to join their beloved spouse/father, Pedro (or Mr. Molina), in Canada.

Why did the Government of Canada act in such an unprofessional, or apparently abusive as well as neglectful, way by cancelling their visas in that manner? This is one story in the media? Are there others that are unknown to the public, Bambi wonders?

As described in the Toronto Star article (https://archive.md/q4UmG), Paula expressed feeling literally humiliated by the extensive questioning of an Air Canada agent. For instance, he asked about the purpose of their travels on one-way tickets, with her visa and work permit expiring in three months. He justified his apparently highly intrusive questions with the following rationale: “Canadian immigration officials needed to conduct some routine verification of their visas“.

The article in question informs us of the personal story, or choices, of this family. If you are interested, you can read the details. As for Bambi, it meant a lot for her to share the story of this mother and her family. Of note, as per the title of the Toronto Star article (https://archive.md/q4UmG), she is suing. However, from the court website, we can see that she is self-representing (https://shorturl.at/jFNU3). All the best to her!

Life can be too random, absurd, cruel, and unfair sometimes. After having battled an incurable illness for seven years, with both inner strength and an inspiring grace, Ms. Mélanie Renaud died today at age 42 only (https://shorturl.at/ctLZ1). Thanks to her for her GOLDEN voice and for whom she has been. We are grateful because she shared her talent with us all. May her memory be eternal. May God know how to comfort her grieving parents and siblings. May their faith, mentioned in the link above, ease their pain. Heartfelt condolences to her friends, mentors, colleagues, and fans. Bambi joins them in their sorrow in this post, which honours Ms. Renaud with her own voice and with a Céline Dion’s song as performed by Ms. Hiba Tawaji.

Last month, Bambi had a post about Mr. Wajdi Mouwad’s artistic cancellation saga during his trip to Beirut (shown further below). This morning, she woke up to an inspiring 30-minute-interview with him conducted in Paris by Mr. Anthony Samrani from L’Orient Le Jour. The content is in French, but his wisdom is badly needed internationally, not just in the Middle East.

Mr. Mouwad stated that he does not have any resentment. He considers this story to be an issue among Lebanese people. However, he is especially sad for for the Lebanese comedians who were prevented from working with him and his French team.

Mr. Mouwad’s wise words resonated with Bambi and she will translate them for you here: “Being radical became so banal. Everyone wants to be radical by choosing one side over the other. Me I say what is truly radical today is the nuance. The proof is that as soon as you express yourself with nuance, everyone attacks you. However, as soon as you are radical, people find this a good thing. It may perhaps mean that radicalism has become more conventional. But try to be nuanced and see what happens. You will lose your job. We will prevent you from going to your country. We will tell you you are this or that, etc. The ridge line is perhaps now the most radical thing to maintain”.

The story is about politics here (i.e. the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular), but think of it, please. This applies to any other conflict in the world, topic or scientific, social, or even public health problem from the climate science to management of pandemics to justice for/in the name of this or that social issue, etc.

Another question raised in this interview by the talented Mr. Samrani was related to a topic Bambi happens to have thought about over the past decades of her life: you may not agree, but Bambi is convinced that it would be wise, and more enriching, to leave politics out of arts, science, and… food :). Let’s keep channels of collaborations open and flourishing among artists or scientists from this or that country. This would include Israeli artists and scientists despite the actions of their political leaders. The same logic applies to Palestinian artists/scientists despite the actions of their own leaders. Same for Lebanon. In Bambi’s mind, one must not punish innocent, talented populations for the harsh, and/or neglectful actions, of their leaders. As mentioned by Mr. Mouwad, Lebanese leaders put their benefit above their country’s interests. To come back to food, you may have thought she was joking because she loves to eat. Yet she meant her point. To give you an example, in their own place, “Chef Luigi” (her spouse’s nickname) cooks meals from all over the world, including Iran and Saudi Arabia among other. Indeed, for each day, he can cook a recipe from a different country for over 2 weeks in a row.

For those of you who do not understand French, Bambi tried to translate parts of this beautiful interview for you. Of note, there are many other inspiring parts this chat between one of the editors of the Lebanese L’Orient Le Jour and Mr. Wajdi Mouwad. Bravo to the latter for speaking his mind and for his generosity.Thanks to to L’Orient Le Jour for offering its readers a ray of hope for a more nuanced and thus enriching and fair world.

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Mr. Wajdi Mouawad: Bambi stands in full solidarity with you, denouncing the threats that cancelled the premiere of your play in Beirut!

Bambi has been busy lately with deadlines and work events. However, she does not want to go to bed without saying hello to you, dear readers of this blog.

In reaching out now, she thought of writing about a couple of stories she is following in the media. Perhaps in the near future when she will be more fully awake : )? For now, she will just share a few songs either by, or inspired by, the late yet great Mr. Frank Sinatra. Some in English and some in different other languages. Why, you may be perhaps wondering. Well, in about an hour, in the Canadian Maritime provinces, it will be May 14. The latter date corresponds to the 26th anniversary of Mr. Sinatra’s death (https://shorturl.at/abjrX).

Thankfully, great songs (i.e., lyrics, music) outlive great singers. Of course, the same logic would apply to acting, even if this post only focuses on Sinatra’s musical legacy.

Despite the above, you may not be into Mr. Sinatra’s style of music. If so, this is your golden opportunity to ignore this post, hoping you will stay tuned for future ones on different topics. May Mr. Sinatra’s memory be eternal and long live music.

Of course, we do not need an official set day to celebrate our beloved mothers or to wish mothers of our circle, or strangers, all the best and/or to enjoy being part of a village that is raising a child, as per the famous saying. This means that every day we can honour our mothers, maternal figures, mothers-in-law (coucou Bernadette!), in more discrete ways.

This being said, over 70 countries, including Canada, celebrate motherhood on the second Sunday of May (https://shorturl.at/hrZ67). If you are reading this post from any one them and you are a mother yourself, or maybe even a grandmother, Happy Mother’s Day to you! Bambi also sends her heartfelt wishes to your own mom or the significant maternal figures of your lives!

If your mom travelled to heaven, like Robine, Bambi’ mother, did, may her memory be eternal. Same for your grandmother or your beloved maternal figures. May we know how to pay tribute to them, not just this weekend but anytime we wish to.

If, tragically, you happen to be a mom with an aching soul, grieving your late child or fearful for his/her safety, may peace of mind find its way into your heart.

Lat but not least, for those of you who do not care about mothers, for any reason, or who find the day to be too commercial, Bambi wishes you a good one minus the festivities.

Heaven received Mr. Rex Murphy while Canada lost one its GREAT journalists.

Bambi feels a deep sense of loss mixed with LOTS of continuous gratitude.

Indeed, when her censorship saga took place in 2021 because of her blog, three public figures made an incredible difference in the process and, most likely the outcome, of this case. In chronological order, Bambi will first name Mr. Jonathan Kay, another highly talented journalist; https://shorturl.at/mKLVX) . Second, the now late yet eternal Mr. Murphy (https://shorturl.at/gmrHJ). Last but not least, the unique and highly talented Dr. Jordan Peterson (https://shorturl.at/uxFX8). The first two authors shifted the unkind narrative, in both the media and social media, by telling Bambi’s life story as an immigrant and speaking to her values as a Canadian and human being. As for Dr. Peterson, he extended a hand of humanity to her, making her story public. The latter interview contributed to her successful fundraiser and likely supported her legal battle. How can she not be grateful then?

To come back to Mr. Rex Murphy, Bambi had the chance to search for his contact after reading his article. She expressed her deep gratitude by email. What a compassionate man, in addition to his high intellectual calibre. Today, it means a lot for her to thank him in public.

Bambi’s story could have been your own, as a reader. By writing about it, regardless of who Bambi is, Mr. Murphy defended the principle of academic freedom and freedom of expression in our beautiful country. He rejected intimidation to all, again as a principle, regardless of the expressed opinion. Thanks to Mr. Murphy for his devotion to Canada as well as to freedom of thought and of expression.

Indeed, we live in a troubled world where any historical, political, or social problem is treated in a shallow or authoritarian manner… or a mix of both. We dismiss the nuances and the complexities. We prefer to be selective with both the source and content of the information we read about or interact with. We cannot stand different opinions and we refuse to challenges our evolving thoughts. We only read journalists we agree with and make fun of those we disagree with. We even call them names instead of exchanging/debating ideas with them. We sometimes try to make them get fired or rejoice for their misery. Many find themselves resorting to self-censorship to follow the latest trend or out of fear of being cancelled.

Mr. Murphy was the target of unkind behaviours such as those described above. Yet he remained principled and thorough. He always expressed his opinions with conviction, evidence, depth, clarity, and a wonderful English. He assumed his opinions, even when it did not please radicals. For this, he has Bambi’s utmost respect.

To conclude this tribute, Bambi will end with music as usual. She will also send her heartfelt condolences to Mr. Rex Murphy’s family, friends, colleagues, readers, and many fans domestically and/or abroad. May his intellectual, and political, legacy be remembered. May his soul rest in peace and may his memory be eternal.

Bambi heard about Ms. Shaden Fakih for the first time today. An article in This is Beirut (https://shorturl.at/doT59) attracted her attention to her ordeal. This is how she discovered a hilarious artist :). Bravo to her for being a productive stand-up comedian (competing in an industry traditionally reserved to men!).

According to This is Beirut (https://shorturl.at/doT59), “Dar Al-Fatwa Complaint Against Comedian Shaden Fakih for Offending Islam“. For those of you who do not know it, Dar El Fatwa is the highest Sunni Muslim authority in the Republic of Lebanon. Bambi remembers this institution from when she was a child and a teenager growing up in her birth country. She has the utmost respect for it. However, today, she finds herself shocked, disappointed, and upset because it is is attempting to kill not just the right of Ms. Fakih to artistic freedom, but also humour in the country at large, along with freedom.

According to This is Beirut (https://shorturl.at/doT59), “The reason behind this legal action pertains to a video clip that was widely shared on social media Wednesday, in which Shaden Fakih jested about Islamic and Christian prayer rituals. This clip, which was taken from a performance by the comedian at awk.word, sparked public outrage in Tripoli. A sit-in was staged at al-Nour Square, during which she was asked to face the consequences of her actions“.

Of note, Lebanese people have been through MANY adversities in recent years, including an ongoing war in some parts of the country. The least for them now would be to be able to still laugh at themselves, even in jokes related to religion (regardless of the latter!).

To conclude this post, Bambi stands in full solidarity with Ms. Fakih whether she jokes about religion, politics, sex, or any topic. In her mind, there must be no limit imposed on freedom of expression, especially artistic one, except defamation and threats of violence.

In a large country like ours, MANY Canadians fly domestically, or abroad, for reasons related to business, family, or simply for tourism and pleasure. Who knows? Perhaps more citizens would have travelled had it not been ridiculously expensive to fly in Canada.

Indeed, one pays more on flight connections from Moncton to Toronto than from a Canadian city to Europe OR within Europe OR even from Europe to the Middle East. Does this make sense to you?

In an older post shown further below, Bambi wrote about the sky-high prices of flying in Canada. Thus, she rejoiced when she learned that, two days ago, Dr. Gabor Lukács testified before the House of Commons of Canada‘ s Standing Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities. Of note, the latter committee is currently examining the state of airline competition in our beautiful country.

Mathematician, Dr. Lukács is the president of Air Passenger Rights (https://shorturl.at/wH256). To use his clever words, he speaks in the name of customers, that is without taking money from the government and without business ties to the industry. He testified the high concentration of the domestic air travel market. He spoke about the lack of available data on the airlines’ operations, in comparison to the USA.

Of note, Dr. Lukács recommended the following: (1) opening up Canada’s domestic air travel market to trustworthy foreign airlines; and (2) adopting airline data reporting and dissemination rules similar to the US 14 CFR Part 241.

Bravo Dr. Lukács for your continuous efforts and practical ideas, which give Bambi hope for a change in Canada. Thanks and all the best to the committee in question!

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Canadian airlines may truly “feel the pressure of flight shaming”… Instead they should feel ashamed about their sky-high prices!