Month: September 2024

In general, and on average, young men tend to have more risky behaviour than women. Thus, they are often riskier to insure. Indeed, under age 30, and according to the Groupement des Assureurs Automobiles (https://tinyurl.com/2s49j3zw), the cost of insurance of a car against collision remains more expensive for men in comparison to women. Of note, between 16 and 20 years of age, the collision premium for men is about CAD $972 and the one for women is approximately CAD$780. Independent of age, men pay more. However, the gap narrows with age (https://tinyurl.com/2s49j3zw).

Bearing the above in mind, this post is meant to try to put a smile on your faces with an older brief sketch of Mr. Rudy Ayoub. In it, you can see Rudy’s dad, Rudy, and the insurance company employee all played by the same person. Yes, the talented Rudy :).

This being said, this post’s topic is making Bambi recall her first lessons and drive in the province of Québec. She recalls that one of her brother-in-laws told her once that she drives like a man. Well, she took it as compliment back then. However, after watching Rudy in this short video, she is not too sure about this anymore :). Thank Goodness, she is now much older than age 30. Indeed, 52 is a supposed to be a much wiser age. Is this fully reassuring? Well, maybe not really because between the ages of 45 and 64, “the frequency of claims for women exceeds that for men“, as reported by the Groupement des Assureurs Automobiles (https://tinyurl.com/2s49j3zw).

If you happen to be a driver yourself, please focus well on the roads while remembering to renew your vehicle insurance. Driver or not, please be safe at all times, especially when crossing busy streets or walking on slippery side walks. As for Rudy, it is Bambi’s wish that he will keep making you and her smile!

This musical post includes two songs. The lyrics of the first one, meant for healing, are in the original English as well as in Arabic. Those of the second song on “the desire to love” are in French. May the memory of the lives lost on September 11, 2001 be eternal, along with Bambi’s wishes for healing to their families, unity to their beloved country, and peace as well as unity to all the countries of the world.

Thank you, Mr. Mike Massy, for sharing your new beautiful song on YouTube. The latter is entitled “Jazr W Mad“, which means “High Tide and Low Tide“.

Even if you do not understand Mr. Mike Massy’s mother tongue, Lebanese-Arabic, you may perhaps recognize the word “Habibi“. It means my love or lover, which also could be said to a friend or… even to a stranger you might meet on the street!

Related to the above, when Bambi heard this song with its repeated “ya habibi“, she could not help not to remember her first trip to her birth country, Lebanon. It was in in the summer when she turned 20 years old. While there, she fell in love with a new song that played a lot on the radio. When it was time for her to leave Beirut back home, her dad kindly took her to a nearby music store, called “Ti Amo” (his store neighbour). He wanted to offer her the song. The store owner, kindly and patiently, played SEVERAL recent Lebanese songs, from different albums, one after the other. Each time, he asked Bambi if it was the one. Each time, she said “sorry, it is not the one“. He then tried to help further by encouraging her to recall a few words from the lyrics, maybe singing them if she can. Bambi paused for a few seconds and she proudly expressed the following: “Habibi… lalalala… Habibi”! With humour, he replied: “Tell me Bambi, is there any Lebanese song without the word habibi in it” : )? They all laughed at his funny joke. Even thirty-two years later, Bambi still smiles when she hears the word “habibi” repeated in a song. This story is not only about linguistics, but also and especially about the kindness of the people of Lebanon, especially owners of stores on Saint-Louis street in Beirut :).

On this light note, Bambi hopes you will enjoy Mr. Massy’s talent. For your convenience, the translated English as well as Arabic lyrics appear here: https://shorturl.at/JDrIe.

Who among us has not followed, or was tempted to follow, a wrong trajectory at a certain time in his or her life?

How many of us have had the courage to rectify the trajectory, first for ourselves and maybe publicly?

Mr. Kendji Girac, a France-based singer-songwriter that Bambi [and likely many of her readers, including you Zeina :)] adores, is a man of both courage and talent. Indeed, his new beautiful song, entitled “Si seulement” [If Only], carries an uplifting message of repentance with a ray of hope for a brighter future following his life crisis.

A quick English translation of the simple yet powerful lyrics follows the YouTube video. Once again, thanks to Mr. Google Translate for his prompt assistance.

To conclude this post, and if she may, Bambi will express the following wishes: Bravo Mr. Girac for your authenticity and for your journey of healing thus far. Welcome back. All the best to you and to your family. Please keep singing… and enriching Bambi’s blog with your great music!

“On the stage I left my smile, my smile, my smile

Abandoned captain, without ship, without ship, without ship

Sorry if I preferred to destroy myself

Even if it means risking damaging my empire

On the stage I left my smile, my smile

If only I had known how to tell you

Without having to write it on my skin

If only I had known how to tell you about it

Without the fear of hiding the photo

If only I had known how to tell you, really

If only I had known to tell you before

From our years, I kept your smile, your smile, your smile

He’s the one who warmed me in the worst, in the worst, in the worst

Sorry if I preferred to hold back

The sobs that I carried without saying it

From our years, I kept your smile, your smile

If only I had known how to tell you

Without having to write it on my skin

If only I had known how to tell you about it

Without the fear of hiding the photo

If only I had known how to tell you, really

If only I had known to tell you before

If only I had known how to tell you

Without having to write it on my skin

If only I had known how to tell you about it

Without the fear of hiding the photo

If only I had known how to tell you, really

If only I had known to tell you before

If only…”

Bambi appreciates all the transportation security officers of all the airports. They keep us safe at all times, even if we may be thirsty when they confiscate our water bottles :).

As for the talented Rudy, she feels like telling him: please keep making us smile!

Bambi spent a wonderful day today. She wants to end it by reaching out to you, dear readers because this makes her even happier.

This being said, all the songs below are subtitled in English, for your convenience.

Please note that the last kid’s brief song, which is in English, may repeat itself at your end. You have been warned! However, the adorable character of Mina made Bambi spend a few minutes re-watching her over and over. Yes, she did the latter, as per Aida’s Café’s advice :).

When Russia-Ukraine war broke out, Lebanon sent planes to Poland to help its citizens who were trapped in Ukraine (https://shorturl.at/DYkt3).

Now, and for the second time, Ukraine evacuated from Lebanon a group of citizens, including children and adults, along with one person from the Czech Republic. As reported by Naharnet, “they arrived safely in Poland, are receiving all the necessary assistance, and will be sent to Ukraine” (https://shorturl.at/qgMux).

She does not know about you, but Bambi’s heart aches for all the innocent people of the world who keep finding themselves trapped in war-torn countries or zones. Before going to sleep, she would like to offer them Mr. Michael Jackson’s “Heal The World” as greatly performed by Mr. André Rieu et al. Merci!

Bambi does not understand Israeli internal politics (left, right, government, opposition, unions, other activists, etc.). She just knows that two days ago, six innocent hostages were coldly and cruelly assassinated in Gaza by the kidnapping organization, Hamas, who also had the nerve to release a propaganda video featuring them (https://tinyurl.com/mrn7atbp). You can see their moving young faces and read their bios or stories in both English (https://tinyurl.com/bdcddx6c) and French (https://tinyurl.com/2r6c9p6y). May their memory be eternal. May G-D/God/Allah know how to comfort their families.

Instead of uniting together in denouncing this crime, the powerful unions are about to start a general strike in their country, apparently to put pressure on their government to strike a deal with Hamas to liberate hostages (https://tinyurl.com/4nwjc5vu). By principle, such request would have seemed noble as it would put an end to the tragic and inhuman bloodshed in Gaza (which followed the October 7, 2023’s killing, rape, and kidnapping). It would also finally relieve the aching hearts of the families of the kidnapped victims (of note, some are young children, including a baby). However, the timing of the strike seems a bit strange to Bambi. She may be wrong, but it is reminding her of Dr. Gad Saad’s forthcoming book on a concept he calls “suicidal empathy” (sort of non-strategic empathy). He used it in relation to the Western world in general, which seemed to be in a state of cultural self-destruction. Make no mistake, despite the noble and maybe sincere intentions, the apparently non-strategic empathy here does not seem to be toward the innocent people of Gaza. It seems to be an empathy toward Hamas in particular. It seems to be about rewarding their most recent crime, almost at the detriment of the interests of the Israelis, namely their safety. It seems to be suicidal even, at least in the long term.

This being said, let’s move now to a neighbouring country of Israel, Lebanon (where Bambi was born). A powerful religious figure there expressed the following about the role of Hezbollah and Amal, who serve Iranian interests, before their own country: it is a role into “maintaining Lebanon’s sovereignty” (https://tinyurl.com/mr3555j3). He even added: “To be more specific, the Amal Movement and Hezbollah are the largest sovereign forces in this country. Had it not been for this resistance duo, Lebanon would have been subjected to Zionist policies“. Bambi feels like replying: “had it not been for this so-called resistance duo, Lebanon would have not been an Iranian colony (by proxy) and the people of Lebanon would have not been subjected once again to death, injuries, destruction, migration, and fear”. Had it been truly about sovereignty, the heart-breaking coffins of all the young men killed by Israel, fighting in this so-called resistance duo, would have been wrapped in the beautiful Lebanese flag. Even better than death, regardless of any flag, they would have still been alive enjoying their lives and their loved ones while daring to dream about a brighter future.

When will wars end in the Middle East, not just temporary ceasefires and deals? When will peace truly prevail so all the innocent people of Lebanon as well Palestine, Israel, Syria, Irak, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, FINALLY ALL live in safety, harmony, peace, prosperity, and ideally love among their nations?

Most countries highlight labour, or workers, in May. However, in the United States of America and in Canada, we celebrate labour day on the first Monday of September.

Happy long weekend to those lucky to have today off!

If you happen to be working or reading this email from out of North America, may you have a wonderful, productive week!

Thanks to YouTube, Bambi discovered a talented singer-songwriter (https://shorturl.at/z69cB). Who knows? Perhaps some of you already know him? His name is Mr. Nicolas Chalhoub. Born in Lebanon, he is based in Spain since 2017. He sings in several languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Arabic, his mother tongue. Bambi does not know if you will enjoy Mr. Chalhoub’s voice. As far as she is concerned, she is now a fan of this skilled and moving artist!