Author: Bambi

Bambi is still speechless since this morning.

“Tante Madame Nicole”, you left too soon/too fast, and perhaps there is comfort in the latter.

Madame Nicole Melki was Bambi’s French teacher in Lebanon. She is the mother of her childhood friend Joëlle (+ her loving brothers, Serge and George) and the mother-in-law of Viviane.

Her funny title/name “tante Madame Nicole” comes from Bambi’s silly mouth as a child. She loves her dearly like family, hence the “aunty” (or “tante” part). The “Madame” is for the utmost respect to the teacher in her. Bambi owes her her love of the beautiful French language with its brilliantly conceived grammar. As for “Nicole” part, it is simply because this is whom she has been to all of us. A wonderful, loving, smart, tender, ethical, incredibly funny, successfully sarcastic , and unique Nicole that EVERYONE loves!! She has been both a mother and a lifetime friend to her children (and even friends, or rather “cousins”, of her children).

She has even been an inspiring cooking teacher to Bambi’s spouse. We owe her many tips, including his successful trick of “riz wa dijej” that is presented as a cake of rice, chicken, minced beef, and roasted almonds. OK, Bambi is using the royal we here Nicole, but only to make you smile from heaven. As you have teased her lately: “Well, if Louis cooks ALL this, what does Bambi do in life 🙂 :)”?! Bambi had to explain that, at least, she cleans the house :). Well, Bambi is happy she recently impressed you (+ her mom and herself!) with her 2-week-cooking for her spouse when he was in quarantine last month. Yes, there is hope Nicole, even for clearly untalented cooking students.

What breaks Bambi’s heart is how you were dreaming of coming to visit Sackville and she has dreamed to go see you in Indianapolis, as you know. Sadly, we did not have the time. The pandemic surprised us and your stroke was even faster. Between her tears (and smiles), Bambi would like to offer you a song (of course in French!). She thinks you may like it. She hopes it may bring a second of comfort to your children in the Unites States and in Beirut. She can only share one drop of their ocean of grief journey.

Bambi’s family will never forget our moments of escape to Cyprus to the Canadian embassy, and earlier, so many times in boats of different shapes and speed. We spent unforgettable times together. Bambi also had the honour to see you in Beirut during her visits over the last 30 years before you immigrated yourself.

Sadly, your heart died saddened to what happened to your Beirut, including your neighbourhood [where Joujou (= George) lives] and the school you devoted your career to]. Please rest in peace and… when you will be in peace, send both Lebanon and the USA your hope for more peaceful, healthy, and prosperous days.

Love transcends death. As the song goes, “juste un au revoir… pas un adieu“. May your memory be eternal!

—

With all my loyal love to you and a big hug to you Joëlle “habibi”, along with her DEAR Serge and George who are the best children and brothers than anyone could dream of.

Bambi.

Can’t we build a better tomorrow without destroying yesterday?

Can’t we want strong social and mental health programs without insulting our police?

Can’t we see that we are all one—the politicians, people, and our police?

Can’t we be patriotic and self-critical toward our country/people?

Can’t we be so-called feminists without hating men?

Can’t we be males, or whatever else, and honouring women?

Can’t we be to the left without hating the right?

Can we be to the right of the left, without making fun of the latter and without being diabolized by it?

Can we see the merit, and potential excesses, of BOTH the left and the right?

Can’t we be ecological whilst still loving our energy sector?

Can we love our energy sector whilst being green(er)?

Can’t we want justice for all without self-flagellation?

Can’t we enjoy our diversity whilst valuing our unity?

Can’t we remember to value intellectual diversity as much as we value (or pretend to value) other diversities?

Can we be for social justice without virtual signalling?

Can’t we aspire for social (and/or gender) justice without denying biology?

Can’t we be respectful and honour our Indigenous fellow citizens without repeating land acknowledgements?

Can we be Indigenous, demanding better laws and environments for our kids, without denigrating Canada?

Can we have faith in God whilst doubting that we may be wrong or being atheist whilst doubting that we may be missing something?

Can’t we be passionate about the climate and earth whilst wondering if our proposed solutions are not worse than the problem?

Can we be globalist whilst seeing the logic of sovereigntists?

Can’t we dislike globalism whilst keeping in mind that nothing is all black and white in life?

Can’t we (i.e., OK the Americans) support Mr. Biden without hating Mr. Donald Trump (even if the high narcissism of the latter does not help)?

Can’t we (i.e., OK the Americans) vote for Trump without making fun of Mr. Biden?

Can we be pro-choice whilst accepting that others may be pro-life?

Can we be pro-life without wanting to impose our views on those who are pro-choice?

Can’t we be against both abortions and death penalty whilst respecting pro- or any choices of others?

Can’t we be for justice and against discrimination to anyone without endorsing radical groups?

Can we respect Islam whilst also seeing the danger of radical Islamism?

Can’t we respect our enemies even when we do not agree with them… or when we are busy hating them?

Can’t we acknowledge that we may be wrong even when (mostly) right?

Can’t we accept that others are not betraying us just because they think differently?

Can’t we value the lives of people with a black skin whilst preferring to think that all lives matter, including the lives of the former?

Are we allowed to reject radical movements (BLM, etc.) without being accused of being racist?

Can’t we see that both ANTIFA and (truly) far-right groups are the side of a same coin called intolerance?

Can’t we be lefties without thinking that those to the right are morons or supremacists?

Can’t we like right-wing politics whilst acknowledging the value of left-wing perspectives?

Can’t we be pro-immigration whilst questioning mass immigration?

Can’t we be socialists without hating capitalism?

Can’t we be capitalists whilst remaining people-oriented and seeing the merit of some socialism?

Why should we always see the glass half-full OR half-empty respectively and strictly?

 Can we think that we are right without becoming dogmatic?

Can’t we denounce dogmatism in our opponents as much as in ourselves?

Can we love our beautiful Canada even if it is not perfect?

And now… can we work together to make both Canada and the world a better place?

Today is our Canadian Thanksgiving…. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The pandemic will be history one day and everyone will be re-united with loved ones again. Bambi hopes your family and friends (+ you!) will all be safe until then.

Bambi grew up watching American TV series (one of her favourite ones was “Little house on the prairie” (some may have known it as “Little house: a new beginning” :)).

She recalls scenes of Thanksgiving with family reunions in a happy town. She does not remember if it was during that time where she got too excited to see a snake about to bite the mother of the family. She only knows that she wanted to protect her, with her screams (to attract her attention to danger). Well, silly young Bambi stood up whilst shouting and somehow hit her teeth with the furniture. Well, she had bloody gums in this TV-related injury. What matters is that that mother ended up being safe :).

Anyhow, Thanksgiving may be perhaps more significant to Americans than to us (at least from a religious point of view? Or is this just Bambi’s perception since her childhood in Beirut?).

Mind you, the American Thanksgiving is celebrated in November (same as Brazil and elsewhere) and ours in October. As Bambi’s spouse said: Wise Canadians, as it is surely before the snow… Well, not always let’s say (Bambi heard that it snowed in Antigonish, NS the other day :)).

Yes, Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and/or cultural traditions, but it is also a secular celebration of the harvest and other blessings of the (past) year. The idea is beautiful. It is all about gratitude, after the hard labour. It is of course also about lovingly coming together as a family to eat and have fun!

The past year has been tough in one way or another. For some of us, tougher economically speaking. For others, perhaps the pandemic made business busier.

All countries suffered for sure (the consequences will hit hard later), but some perhaps more so.

Yesterday, Bambi read about farmers losing their olive trees to forest fires in Lebanon (thanks to the Lebanese Army for completely extinguishing the fire. Contrary to last year, no one was hurt). VERY sad still, especially in the incredibly harsh economic crisis. Olive harvest season starts in the fall, if Bambi is not mistaken, just before winter (olive trees carry olives every two years). BOTH olives and olive oil are an integral part of the delicious Lebanese cuisine!

Anyhow, to conclude this post, Bambi is grateful for all the goodness in our world and for our human capacity to be/remain hopeful in times of uncertainty or adversity.

Yes, she is mainly thankful for hope in the world (in addition to thanking God for so many blessings in her life, including the protection of her loved ones in Beirut).

She also thanks everyone who kindly reached out to her to inquire about her family. They consolidated her hope in humanity. In turn, she shared with her family stories about these gestures of kindness, hoping to contribute to keeping their hope alive. Bambi admires her parents’ courage, wisdom in coping, and hope against all odds.

Hope is sometimes all what is left for us after losses or following moments of doubt or despair. Hope for survival now. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope to grow/keep growing and become wiser. Hope for peace. Hope for prosperity. Hope for love in our hearts and around the world.

If you thought Bambi is being too philosophical today, well let’s conclude this serious post with the following cute songs in both languages, about “thank you/merci” :).

Thank you Mr. Champagne (= Canada) for urging Turkey “to stay out of the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict” ( https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nagorno-karabakh-canada-turkey-champagne-1.5758068 ).

Thanks for “clearly” encouraging Turkey as well as other nations “to deescalate the conflict and encourage close ally Azerbaijan to take part in peace talks” (https://www.reuters.com/article/armenia-azerbaijan-canada-int-idUSKBN26U2ES).

Why do nations engage in wars when, at the end of the day, they always have to come back to diplomacy to end armed conflicts?

Why do they let negotiations get out of control?

Can’t we all learn to be be wiser/more efficient in trying to solve (or prevent) our conflicts through negotiations and logic?

Why do we have to impose violence on innocent populations across the world?

Why don’t we give verbal communication a more serious chance to work in the first place?

Violence is absurd.

Bloodshed sadly leads to more bloodshed.

Best wishes to all the influential countries coming together soon to help stop this bloodshed (safe travels Mr. Champagne :)).

Bambi is with peace and love…Today, she saw herself in the foreign policy line of our Trudeau government [with which she does not always necessarily agree with its approach to other (internal) matters].

Thank you/Merci Canada for allowing Bambi and her friends (who also love peace and love) to see a light of hope. Bambi is particularly happy to see Turkey (+ other powers) being told: Enough is enough… It was about time.

She does not know about you, but Bambi is fed up to read/hear the term “systemic racism”. It is repeated over and over in our media, like a mantra… Thankfully not at all on her Lebanese-American internet radio from LA (no politics is their philosophy—only fun music and entertainment ?).

Just for her own fun, Bambi googled “systemic racism” and she got “10,200,000” hits (she did this on October 9, 2020 at 8:30 PM in Atlantic time).

She did that after discovering the video shown further below; accidentally (dated: June, 2020). It is trying to explain to kids a concept called “white privilege” (as if privilege had a colour).

How absurd. How superficial. How dangerous.

Sad to live in our times of collective obsession with one concept after the other.

Yesterday, it was climate change. Today, it is systemic racism.

Is the latter what replaced the former?

And, once again, why the lack of refined thought in our approach to a topic as serious as racism?

Is this new obsession a form of our collective societal insanity?

This is a dangerous obsession. Indeed, it can eventually lead to hate (self- and within a society). It can fuel resentment and maybe even racism, despite any good intention.

Aren’t we enough divided already?

Needless to say that Bambi is not saying this because there is no racism or no discrimination in life and in our societies. Yes, sadly, some of us have been historically and even currently mistreated. Who can deny it? But why the blahblahblah?

Actions are like how the government of Québec immediately fired the nurse at the Joliette hospital to give a clear message that what she did is UNACCEPTABLE.

Actions are like those of our Federal Minister Marc Miller who seems to genuinely care for his Indigenous citizens:  (https://globalnews.ca/news/7386336/coronavirus-marc-miller-indigenous/).

When she reads the above, Bambi sees logic, actions/reactions, etc.

When she listens to the video below, she pauses and thinks to herself (and she will share with you): Yes, three recurrent miscarriages are far from being fun. Despite this, Bambi feels thankful to life because she does not have kids who are now watching the CBC Kids ?.

Among 318 candidates (211 individuals and 107 organizations), the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize went to the UN’s World Food Bank program. Bravo to this program… and thank you!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nobel-peace-prize-2020-1.5756539

Bravo to our Canadian programs too. Mind you, here locally in our “Sweet Little Sackville” (NB) we have a wonderful food bank that helps many families in need. Bambi’s friend, Mr. Demian Hammock, is a volunteer who devotes time and energy (along with his fellow volunteer peers). She would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all what he does to our community and for his thoughtful insights (and actions!) on social issues.

To conclude this post on the UN’s World Food Bank program, here is a video about their work in Beirut following the explosion of August 4th, 2020. This is just one example of a country in desperate need of support. Imagine all the other places that this program is helping around the world. Imagine the challenges of travels during a pandemic. Imagine all the volunteers’ hours of hard labour, whether on the ground or travelling from abroad. To all of you: THANK you!

The World Health Organization (WHO), Greta Thunberg, and Ms. Jacinda Arden are among those nominated for the Nobel Peace Price 2020:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/nobel-peace-prize-2020-winner-odds-nominated-trump-greta-thunberg-jacinda-ardern-who-b863034.html

Well, let’s start with Ms. Jacinda Arden first, Bambi thinks highly of this politician and likes her too… and no, it is not because she is a woman or a socialist. It is because, contrary to others, she has a brain and a heart; she knows how to use both! Bambi has never been to New Zeeland herself (only by proxy…) but she tends to think that its model of socialism, more tailored to it and more practical, seems to be working well. It is even inspiring! Perhaps Ms. Arden deserves a peace prize for her humanity post-tragedy of the mosque? And for other reasons too?

Second, Bambi does not understand the link between the WHO and peace.

The WHO is about heath.

The WHO is supposed to simply be doing its job…. mind you, it failed to do it properly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (allowing itself to be corrupted by China’s influence, which delayed the official declaration of the pandemic). How did we forget about this? Anyhow, since then, it has improved its response thankfully.

Third, Ms. Greta Thunberg clearly deserves the MOST prestigious award for her ecological concerns, namely for wanting the best for our planet. What an incredible advocate! Despite this, Bambi does not see the relevance to peace. Do you see it? If so, please explain it to Bambi.

Maybe Bambi is missing something. Perhaps because she is biased by the following: For having grown up during civil war, she does not like it when youth (especially vulnerable ones, despite their incredible talent) are being used in causes or by movements. There is something toxic to this phenomenon, despite any noble cause. In other terms, the story of Greta is like a double-edged sword: On one hand, Bambi salutes her talent/passion. On the other hand, she does not like how she has been “weaponized”. Indeed, she worries about her well-being and mental health… and the well-being of our increasingly radicalized youth too, mind you.

Anyhow, this post is not about the candidates above. As per the title, this post is about Iran. Bambi would like to officially nominate this country for a peace prize.

Yes, congratulations to Iran because it succeeded in achieving peace in the Middle East! With its constant nasty behaviour (wars by proxy, etc.), it pushed Israel and many countries of the Arab world into each others’ arms! What an achievement for the Middle East!!!! Indeed, Bambi has never ever dared to dream to see anything that looks like peace among these entities. She thought this would happen only when her grand-children will die (OUPS… she does not have kids :)!)!

Bambi just discovered this moving song whilst working, thanks to her internet Mount Lebanon radio from Los Angeles.

Composed/sang by Mr. Ghassan Rahbani, the song commemorates the Armenian genocide (yes that same ugly historic tragedy that Turkey still refuses to acknowledge).

The song, which is entitled “We Live Here”, states in both Arabic and Armenian the following: “We will live here, we will die here; together we will build you up. We love the homeland with our heart and soul—we are the Armenians and we are Lebanon.”

Bravo to Mr. Rahbani for his linguistic skills (i.e., good pronunciation, it seems) in Armenian.

May peace and justice prevail in Armenia (+ Lebanon!) and throughout the world.

May the final word be to LOVE. Yes, love to everyone, including those with whom we do not agree with and even to those who behave like enemies (past, current… or future ones).

May past or current enemies become partners in humanity.

Here is the first song that Bambi dedicates to all her friends whose heart is aching for/with Armenia… all of you (= us), perhaps especially to you Diana.

To conclude this post on a lighter note, Bambi will now dedicate the second song called “Karoun Yerevan” (or “Spring in Yerevan“) to her multi-talented mother-in-law :). Bravo Bernadette for having learned this Armenian song in your younger years. Bambi is impressed, especially that it was taught to you by Mr. Charles Aznavour’s own sister!!

P.S: If you are curious about the link between Armenia and Québec-Canada? Well, Bernadette is a former professional ballet dancer! Her ballet professor was of Armenian origins…This is how Yerevan’s spring spread across the miles to enrich Montreal.

This post is not about Mr. Trump as there are too many articles making fun of him or hating him, especially in our Canadian media. Mind you, he makes the journalists’ job easier with his ill judgment and narcissistic traits. This being said, even narcissists know how to work for the best interests of their country. So, it is not up to Bambi to judge whether he deserves a second mandate or not. This is the job of American voters ?.  

Bambi just knows that she loves our neighbouring country. She would like to keep seeing it existing, free, and as strong as possible (especially after its tough times during the pandemic). She would like to see it re-united and re-inventing itself (post-elections), whether Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden wins.

Countries are larger than a President. Countries come first and are above any man or woman serving as the President. Plus, if the USA falls, we all fall with it so to speak (especially us in Canada, much smaller and less influential at the world stage).

To come back to Ms. Kamala, we learn from a recent article (https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/519884-kamala-harris-covers-elle-magazines-november-issue) that she endorses the Black Lives Matter movement. She even calls BLM “a brilliant” movement.

Should we worry about her authenticity as a politician? Or should we worry about the wisdom of her political judgement?

We are not talking about any citizen here free to endorse any movement, even the ones that could be communist, financed by we do not know whom, and/or potentially violent (as we have seen in numerous cities).  

We are talking about the potential future VP of the USA (perhaps even the President if Mr. Biden wins and loses his life after, may God forbid). Thus, is it wise to align herself with BLM like that, even if it will allow her to gain a substantial number of votes now?

This is identity politics pushed to a dangerous level of hypocrisy and risk to public safety.

Mr. Trump may be gross, weird, or just horrible, but at least with him what you see is what you get. A lunatic man who can act childish but whose Administration is working as hard as it can.

As far the Democrats are concerned, sadly they seem so different from what they are supposed to be about (classical liberals). They keep on playing a risky game called racial politics. How sad.

Thank goodness Bambi is not American. No voting responsibility. This is a blessing when the choice is between two evils (for different reasons). Sorry to be too direct (Trump style ?).

Best wishes to the United States of America!

In its section entitled “Being black in Canada”, the CBC is once again giving visibility to select students whose statements are not representative of the majority of their peers (of all colours, and especially of theirs).

The article in question is about the University of Windsor. It is entitled “Some students dissatisfied with UWindsor’s anti-Black racism initiatives”:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/university-of-windsor-anti-black-racism-1.5751061

In this article, we read a statement by the former President of this school’s student union, Mr. Jeremiah Bowers who is co-developing, with Mr. Tolson-Murtty, “a task force that is representative of the broad range of racialized communities on campus”. 

Look at one of his statements, cited verbatim:

“We’re also bringing lived experiences. We’re bringing the trauma of being a Black body in a world that doesn’t want us in an institution that wasn’t built for us”. 

Isn’t it sad when words as serious as “trauma” are emptied of their meaning?

How can Mr. Bower, a former President of the University of Windsor’s student union, and current student in one of our great schools be “a Black body in world that doesn’t want him”?

And what does he mean by “a Black body” by the way?

Didn’t one of his national parties just elect Ms. Annamie Paul who also has a black-skin like him (she also played the race/identity card, mind you)? She told us in her victory speech that she is the “direct descendant of slaves”, as a reminder.

Wasn’t our former Governor General of Haitian origins (with a black-skin too)?

What about our numerous Québécois former and current Ministers, in the Party Québécois and the CAQ too? Of course also across all the other provincial parties, from the Liberals to Québec Solidaire?

What about Dr. Lewis who got many votes within her federal Conservative party (even if she did not win)? She did not play the race card, if Bambi is not mistaken.

Do we have much work to keep doing for true equality of opportunities for all Canadians? SURE we do.

Is a mindset of acute victimitis a healthy and wise way to a more just world? Bambi is not too sure.

Had Mr. Bowers been Indigenous perhaps we could have understood his statement more in the Canadian context.

Had he been Jewish in a certain historic era at the University of Toronto (U of T), we would have understood more. It is not for nothing that York University was created by Jewish scholars who were not welcomed at U of T.

Had he or his parents been of Chinese origins, we would have understood too. Chinese Canadian citizens were not treated greatly either, as we know, even if we owe them much (e.g. building our railways and our economy). Did this group of Canadians fall for the acute victimitis trap (of our current times)? No, they did not. They simply worked hard and even harder than the rest of us to co-build our beautiful Canada.

When M. Bowers mentions the institutions that are not built for him, what does he mean?

Perhaps he meant to denounce elitism or classism rather than racism. Could it be? If so, Bambi agrees with him.

A good example would be our political elites (Bambi is not sure that elitism is not always that much better than so-called populism, but that’s a different story).

Anyhow, Bambi wishes him and his institution the best. May we all remain lucid and wise, even when we think that we are making our world a better place.