Author: Bambi

While the Québec flag was at half-mast outside of the Québec National Assembly, Mr. Serge Fiori’s national funeral took place at the Place-des-Arts in Montreal in collaboration with his family.

The ceremony consisted of a very beautiful 1.5-hour-long musical tribute, prepared in nine days only, filled with LOVE, talent, and deeply moving moments. Bambi took the time to follow it live on YouTube. She had tears in her eyes at several key moments while listening to Mr. Fiori’s close friends who honoured him. A particularly moving moment was when family members placed his ashes in the middle of the stage, next to his guitar. They also placed seven candles on stage. Bambi enjoyed each performance of Mr. Fiori’s peers, especially at the end of the ceremony when the audience stood up and everyone sang together “On a mis quelqu’un au monde, on devrait peut-être l’écouter“. Of note, Ms. Céline Dion participated in this touching moment by video.

Interestingly, Mr. Fiori had a great sense of humour and he was generous. For instance, he used to play the guitar on his balcony for pedestrians who stopped on the street to greet him. Another cute moment took place in Chicoutimi where Mr. Michel Barrette happened to be the only person in the audience during the rehearsal of a night show with Fiori’s group Harmonium. Mr. Barrette, in his early twenties then, got excited after the first song ended. When he applauded, Mr. Fiori asked him about his name. He kindly invited him to the show and to the lodge to have a beer with his group after the show. Wow! Thirty years later, they bumped into each other. They recalled the incident with humour and later even became friends.

As Mr. François Legault phrased it, Mr. Serge Fiori was “a musical genius” who made Québeckers proud. Indeed, what a highly talented and patriotic artist. What a loving man, human being, mentor (father!), and friend to so many Québeckers across generations.

Of note, Canadian politicians at all levels of government—federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal (federalists and sovereignists)— came together to pay tribute to Québec beloved “musical genius”, including his close friend Mr. Régis LaBaume. A federal politician, Mr. Pablo Rodriguez, told a reporter that he used to play his songs on his guitar. Mr. Serge Fiori unified everyone with his great music and beautiful lyrics. May his soul rest in peace. May his memory in heaven be as eternal as his phenomenal legacy on earth.

Coincidentally on July 13— the 19th anniversary of the 2006 July war— Bambi read in the L’Orient Le Jour that Mr. Mahmoud Comati, Vice President of Hezbollah’s Political Council, stated the following: “If Hezbollah hands over its weapons, bye-bye to Lebanon’s sovereignty” (https://tinyurl.com/244w3uw4).

Keeping the above in mind, let’s put Hezbollah’s statement aside for now to examine the definition of the word “sovereignty”. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “sovereignty is an abstract legal concept. It also has non-legal (political, social and economic) implications. In strictly legal terms, it describes the supreme power or authority of the state. It represents the highest source of the law” (https://tinyurl.com/4vvdty7s). Of note, this definition recognizes that “this strictly legal meaning is different from more popular usages (https://tinyurl.com/4vvdty7s).

Legal or popular, the fact is that Hezbollah’s weapons, and especially the decision to use them on the 8th of October, 2023 brought a foreign, hostile country back to Lebanon. This is making Bambi think of a sarcastic yet accurate comment made by Dr. Saleh El Machnouk where he stated that in Lebanon, where things are upside down compared to other countries, it is the resistance that brought the (latest) occupation, not vice versa. Whether we like Hezbollah or not, hate Israel or not, the last statement is sadly filled with truth. Of course, according to Hezbollah, the latter was supporting the Palestinian cause/innocent Gazans. In Bambi’s non-expert, humble, opinion it was to support Hamas rather, or indirectly Iran’s influence in Gaza.

Similarly, we observe the same pattern back in 2006 when the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers, along the border, dragged the country into a cruel war. So, how do Hezbollah’s weapons ensure Lebanon’s sovereignty then?

Related to the above, some may be tempted to wonder what came first, the chicken or the egg? Regardless of any order, there is no sovereignty when a force in a country has illegal weapons that are sponsored by a foreign country for its own interests. In other terms, if Hezbollah still wants to remain committed to acting as Iran’s proxy, “bye-bye” to Lebanon’s sovereignty and safety.

It is often said that we die as we lived. This can mean that we experience death in the same way we have experienced life. In other terms, how we chose to live (our decisions, actions, choices, etc.) can influence how we die (final stages of life or even last moments of life).

Of course, sayings offer some insights or wisdom, but one must avoid generalizations, clichés, and misguided or harsh judgment. To give a concrete example, perhaps someone who has lived with a large family (e.g. 12 kids!) can expect to have at least half of them being present and caring throughout life until the last breath. But, how about if those 12 ends up being all narcissistic (yes, a nightmare!). What if they literally ignore/silence their parents, disrespect them, or exploit them? OK the example is too extreme, thank Goodness, but it scores the point mentioned earlier. This being said, Bambi’s heart goes to any parent or any child going through something similar.

Let’s put death aside, and wonder now what about how we live and whom we deeply are? Are we living with authenticity with our way of being, style of living, actions, behaviours, how we treat others and expect to be treated are harmoniously aligned? In other terms, to what extent does our life match our personality?

As well explained by psychologist George Simon, in his book “Character Disturbances” (2011), the term “personality”—different from character—originates from the Latin word “persona”, which literally means “mask”. Indeed, as he reminds us well, classical psychology theories borrowed the term “persona” (from ancient theatre where male actors used masks to play all roles, including those of female characters. Those theories “conceptualize all individuals as struggling with fears of various kinds, especially fears of social rejection, condemnation, or abandonment” (Simon, 2011).

Bearing the above in mind, how do we manage our needs and emotions? What personality styles do we have and defences do we use, consciously or not, to deal with threats to our needs or to “hostility” in the world (Simon, 2011)? How can we learn to be, or remain, real or authentic, with all this? Perhaps elements of the answers to these questions reside in our capacity for self-reflection and in the courage to embrace our vulnerability (which is a strength in life)?

Perhaps related to the above, do we project inner chaos on others? Do we fear conflicts and escape accountability? Or are we courageous to set boundaries—invisible psychological lines meant to protect our integrity and well-being— to remain true to ourselves and especially to our self-respect? These boundaries are precious because they guide us in interacting with others and remind us of what behaviours to tolerate or not. Ideally, we want to treat others as we would like to be treated and vice versa.

To conclude this post and link it to its title, to what extent does your life currently look like you? Does it match your core values and psychological boundaries? Are the latter flexible or diplomatic and firm, as needed? Or are they too rigid because of much self-defence, even without a threat or hostility by others? Perhaps you find Bambi too philosophical today ahead a long drive :)? Regardless, she hopes you learned something from her questions. Enjoy your day, weekend, and/or vacations, if any. Protect your boundaries and have fun. Both summers and life in general are too short!

In life, there will always be troubles or toxic situations, and thus lessons to be learned, for those of us who want to gain more emotional maturity, grow, and keep moving forward.

Going through, ultimately overcoming, troubles helps us become wiser.

Becoming wiser improves our decision-making and thus our inner peace and happiness.

Of course, not all troubles are the same and people differ in how they respond to troubles or conflicts. In some troubles, we might at times feel stuck or discouraged. At other times, we gain more lucidity. To do so, we must first be willing to face the difficulties, challenge ourselves, and change our mindset (https://shorturl.at/WkQPw). It is precisely the cognitive process of thinking differently that helps us shift our perspective, ultimately reinforcing our decision making (https://shorturl.at/WkQPw).

Thankfully, wherever we may find ourselves in the coping process with troubles—denying, surviving, or thriving—music can support us in/after adversity or make us feel lighter.

What type of music or song makes your reflect on life? How does it make you feel?

Yesterday night before going to sleep, Bambi read in L’Orient Today that Mr. Naim Qassem said “”I declare, on behalf of Hezbollah, that we are ready for either of the two choices before us,” the group’s leader said during a speech on Sunday. “For peace, the building of a state and cooperation in favor of development and stability, as well as for confrontation and combat” (https://shorturl.at/4UFUn).

To begin with, Bambi is neither a political nor a military expert. Additionally, morally and psychologically speaking, it is hard for any militia to take a hard hit like Hezbollah did. Bambi gets it. However, can’t Mr. Qassem make up his mind in a clearer way? His fellow Lebanese citizens deserve clarity when it comes to the overdue need to disarm. So they can all live in safety, maintain what is left of their sanity, and give Lebanon a chance for both sovereignty and peace.

Bearing the above in mind, one of the titles of the Times of Israel that Bambi read this morning was the following: “Netanyahu: Israel wants ceasefire deal, but will still ‘finish the job in Gaza’” (https://shorturl.at/edV4v). From this statement, and the text of the article, she can guess, between the lines, that Mr. Netanyahu’s inner wish is to get rid of Hamas, but why the hypocrisy? And when will this destructive, absurd cycle of violence finally end?

All this being said, Bambi does not know with which words to end this post. She wishes the entire world, including the troubled Middle East (especially her birth country), peace. As for you dear readers, her wish for you is peace of mind. May your children (if any) and “children from all countries” “sow love and give life“, as per Mr. Enrico Macias’ eternal song.

Great summer songs instantly make us want to sing and dance while feeling light. They may be ideal at the beach or when celebrating love during a wedding. They could make us dance at parties or by ourselves when cleaning houses. Songs evoking the summer could help us enjoy vacation or dream of sunshine while driving in the rain. Regardless of the context, bravo to Mr. Kendji Girac for his uplifting version of an older famous hit, “Maria” by Mr. Ricky Martin (https://shorturl.at/KcsQz)!

First, what happened in Ottawa? A solicitor for the City of Ottawa vandalized Canada’s National Holocaust Monument (https://shorturl.at/CeOmw) in June, 2025. His act of vandalism was supposedly in reference to Gaza because it included the words “FEED ME”, which were red painted, alongside huge paint splashes.

To begin with and to be clear, it is highly disturbing that a lawyer would resort to such unacceptable act of vandalism to a place of remembrance in Canada. The latter is highly significant, not just for the Jewish Canadian community, but for each one of us directly or indirectly for humanitarian reasons.

Regardless of the motivation, why would a lawyer resort to vandalism? Is is worth it to be “accused of mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct” (https://shorturl.at/WzpUU)? And, in the grand scheme of things, how does this act serve the cause of the Gazans or ease their suffering?

Thankfully, our country has very old human rights organizations like B’nai Brith Canada with “roots stretching back to 1875“. Indeed, the latter is “Canadian Jewry’s most senior charitable service organization and is the national independent voice speaking out on behalf of grassroots Jewish Canadians” (https://shorturl.at/cHriZ). Bambi likes its stated values of “non-religious organization governed by the traditional Jewish precepts of: Justice, Compassion, Benevolence” (https://shorturl.at/cHriZ).

Given the above, it is the least for B’nai Brith Canada to decry this unacceptable act of vandalism. Bravo and thanks for doing so. However, why is it also urging “lawmakers to mandate antisemitism training for civil servants at all levels” (https://shorturl.at/0rZOG)?

Mandatory antisemitism training, or any other training like the ones on diversity, equity, and inclusion, can contribute to create an increasingly authoritarian bureaucracy. Indeed, human beings, including government employees, tend to reluctantly attend mandatory sessions, especially when the sessions go into a space of infantilization or of guilt, as well argued by Dr. Joseph Facal in the Journal de Montréal two years ago (https://shorturl.at/3v00x).

As an alternative, wouldn’t it be more productive to hold optional roundtable discussions where participants can exchange ideas on the rising antisemitsm? And how about related topics like the promotion of a culture of peace? People usually like it when they feel engaged in a solution-finding process. They will be more empowered and perhaps more likely to embrace, instead of resist, change.

In addition to the above, those responsible for the hiring process must be strategic, and wise, when it comes to selecting, or later managing, public servants who may be too blinded by their own sense of righteousness. Nurturing a continuous sense of professionalism in the workplace may be a good place to focus on to try to counter any excesses of righteousness. Who knows? At least in the workplace, maybe this can contribute to prevent “antisemitism, racism, or any other hatred in all its forms“, to use the words in the mission of B’nai Brith Canada ( (https://shorturl.at/cHriZ).

Yes, it is this time of the year again.

Happy US Independence Day dear relatives, friends, and readers.

May you all be safe and have lots of fun.

This post is a brief musical tribute to Ms. Renée Claude (born Bélanger). Ms. Claude was a highly talented French-Canadian singer, pianist, and actress (https://shorturl.at/qwFUQ). Born in Montreal on the third of July, 1939, she died in 2020 at the age of 80.

The first piece, “Tu trouveras la paix dans ton coeur” [You Will Find Peace in Your Heart], is a classical song when grieving a loved one. The second piece, Mr. Léo Ferré’s “Avec le temps” [With Time] is one of the most beautifully sad French love songs.

Merci chère Madame Rénée Claude. Yes, thank you and may your memory be eternal.

In a few hours, it will be July 2nd. This is the National Anisette Day (https://shorturl.at/Ec0hs), which honours “liqueur derived from aniseed.

Aniseed originates “from the anis herb” that gives it “its licorice or fennel flavour“. But what is Arak? It is a traditional STRONG anise-based spirit, or liquor, commonly drunk in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries. Of note, one must dilute it with water and ice before drinking it. It traditionally goes hand in hand with the delicious Lebanese food.

When she was about three years old, Bambi used to enjoy telling her mom that she had tooth pain just to get a drop of “Arak“, on a piece of cotton, to put on the so-called painful area. It is incredible how much we can remain true to ourselves, while changing, after fifty years of aging. Indeed, at her age now, Bambi adores the taste of fennel in food, especially when cooked by her spouse :). Yet, she is not much into Arak or alcohol drinking anymore. For instance, she recently spent about a month in Beirut. She did not have a drop of Arak or any other alcoholic drink.

Similarly, a few years ago, she travelled for work to Scotland and from there visited Beirut to see her family. Her brother-in-law asked her if she enjoyed drinking whisky while in Edinburgh. When she said she did not taste the latter, he was quite amused. For him, it was like going to Rome and omitting to visit the Vatican. Anyhow, she still enjoys spending time with family members or friends while they drink Arak and have a good time. She can even laugh, and feel drunk, by proxy :).

Talking about fun moments, as per its title and as a reminder, this post is mainly meant to share Zahle’s Arak song, which Bambi likes a lot; stay tuned please!

In the short video found on YouTube, the men singing the Arak song are a group of Lebanese-American tourists visiting their home city, Zahle. They seem to have much fun singing together its Arak song :), which lyrics are about the following: the significance of Zahle to them, how much they enjoy Arak, how they forget their worries and how the 2 dollars in their pocket start being perceived as $2 million dollars when they drink, etc.

Before sharing the short, joyful song, please let’s take the time to appreciate the beauty of Zahle, as captured on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)’s website (https://shorturl.at/B2IQf). Of note, since 2013, Zahle is a UNESCO-protected city in the category of “creative gastronomy”.

From the same UNESCO website, Zahle is described as follows: “Zahlé, with a population of approximately 150,000 inhabitants is celebrated in Lebanon and throughout the region for its pleasant climate and traditional cuisine. The capital and largest city of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon, Zahlé is proud of its celebrated gastronomy as well as of the fifty poets and writers born in the city over the past century. Known as the “Bride of the Beqaa”, and the “Neighbor of the Gorge”, due to its geographical location and natural beauty, Zahlé is also known as the “City of Wine and Poetry”. Zahlé´s culture has long revolved around its grapes, wine and arak, the distilled anise-flavored drink that has traditionally been served in cafés at any time of the day. Zahlé´s most important cultural event is the Festival of the Vine, traditionally held each September, during which concerts, plays, poetry readings and artistic exhibitions are organized daily over the course of several weeks” (https://shorturl.at/B2IQf).

Following Zahle’s picture, if you wish, you can enjoy an 8-minute-long YouTube English video about Château Ksara, a winery located near Zahle.

As you have guessed, this post ends with the Arak song. Long live vacation time and group singing. Long live Lebanon’s Zahle and its Arak :)!