With sadness, Bambi just learned that Mr. Eric Carmen died two days ago. May his memory be eternal (https://shorturl.at/DMSZ7). This brief musical post tries to honour this great artist by featuring several Youtube videos showing talented singers, old and young, performing his big hit from 1975, including of course the unique Ms. Céline Dion as well as Ms. Véronique DiCare who imitates her very well.
May you enjoy connecting with your inner self, along your agency, during your moments or solitude, without struggling with loneliness and without being forced into isolation, whether emotional or social. May we all keep enjoying listening to (or perhaps singing?) Mr. Carmen’s thoughtful All By Myself song.
“Mabrouk”!!! Congratulations!! “Félicitations”! Bravo, Dr. Roula Azar-Douglas!!!
From now on, when citing her sister’s work or articles, Bambi will refer to Roula as: Dr. Roula Azar-Douglas (or Dr. Douglas or Dr. Azar or our Dr. Roula “habibet albana kilina”, which means our beloved Dr. Roula!).
Indeed, as you can see and watch below, the happiest news of the day is that Roula successfully defended her PhD dissertation with the highest distinction from the Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut, Lebanon. Wow!
Dr. Roula Azar-Douglas’ doctorate is in Humanities (or Human sciences), Specialty in Information and Communication Sciences [“Doctorat en sciences humaines, spécialité sciences de l’information et de la communication”]. Her PhD dissertation is entitled: The Lebanese press through the prism of gender: from the visible to the invisible. Analysis of the representation of women in an-Nahar and al-Akhbar (January 2019 to February 2020 [“La presse libanaise au prisme du genre: du visible à l’invisible. Analysede la représentation des femmes dans an-Nahar et al-Akhbar (janvier 2019 à février 2020“]. Her jury was composed of five members, including the President. One of those members was from abroad (Irak-based).
Of note, Dr. Azar-Douglas earned the highest academic distinction of “Very Honourable” with congratulations from her PhD Jury members! Yes, she successful completed a highly rigorous research in a timely manner, as documented in her dissertation. Impressively, yet not surprisingly, she achieved this academic success in incredibly challenging circumstances from the micro level to the macro levels of life. Bambi is referring to personal, family, country, and even more global circumstances from a financial crash, to a massive explosion, to an ongoing regional war, without forgetting the pandemic in the middle of all this.
In addition to being the most wonderful mother, daughter, sister, friend, journalist, mentor (to both Lebanese and international trainees), and researcher, Dr. Azar-Douglas is the Editorial manager of l’Orient des Campus at l’Orient-Le jour. She is a professor at the Faculty of Information at the Lebanese University. She is a lecturer at Université Saint-Joseph. She is also a member of the UN-Women Civil Society Advisory Group for the Arab States. Last but not least, Dr. Azar-Douglas is a stellar novelist.
To conclude, Bambi is very moved now. She will say the following to her sister: Once again, you make us all so proud, “Dr. Roula”! In addition to the endless love uniting us, Bambi thanks you for having been a source of inspiration to her and to so MANY of us. Please keep being your authentic and talented self: Academia and the mainstream media need competent scholars filled with both rigour and humanity.
As for Dr. Azar-Douglas’ smaller and larger family, Bambi sends them her congratulations. Roula’s success is theirs too and ours all. Bravo to each one of you for the continuous support and cheers now… needless to say that the latter thought goes not just to dad et al., but also to Robine in heaven who is very proud of her daughter, today more than ever!
Mabrouk “Ma grande“! Je t’aime tant Roula, la Dre préféree de Bambi 🙂 ❤️❤️❤️.
Dr. Roula Azar-Douglas with four of her five PhD jury members
A singer-songwriter, composer, musician, dancer, and producer, Mr. Claude François was born in Ismailia (Egypt) to an Italian mother and to a French father. His family, which was expelled from Egypt in 1956 following the Suez war, moved to France where he had a stellar career until his premature death at age 39 (https://shorturl.at/kxELU).
Bambi was only 6 years old when Mr. Claude François died. You may think she was too young to recall how, but she does. Indeed, he was about to travel to the United States at the time. Just before his dream trip, he accidentally lost his life. How you may wonder? Well, “while taking a bath, he noticed that a light fixture was not straight on the wall, tried to straighten it (while being wet) and died of electrocution…” (https://shorturl.at/kxELU).
March 11, 1978, was the day Mr. François took his last breath. This same year happened to also be a tragic one for Bambi’s family who lost her maternal aunt Ramona, at age 40, during the heavy shelling, which preceded Beirut’s occupation by the Syrian army. This painful family loss was actually what motivated Bambi to begin writing her diary. The latter was a daily coping strategy, which she continued during the remainder of the Lebanese civil war, that is until migrating to Canada with her family.
To come back to Mr. Claude François (called “Clo Clo” by his fans), Bambi was shocked by the unfortunate cause of death of this famous singer whose songs played on the radio and on the TV channels her mom used to watch. It was not because of war like her aunt. It was not due to an illness. It was not a suicide. It was just a silly accident. In the end, as the Arabic saying goes: “Potential causes of death are numerous, but death remains the same“.
Of note, Mr. François sang not only in French, but also in English. His songs were also translated into Spanish and Italian, among other languages. “He co-wrote the lyrics and composed the music of several famous songs, including “Comme d’habitude” (composed by Jacques Revaux and himself [shared below]), which is none other than the original version of “My way” by Frank Sinatra, and “Parce que je t’aime mon enfant”, the original version of “My Boy” by Elvis Presley”, which is the last song shared below (https://shorturl.at/kxELU).
This being said, perhaps Mr. François’ most famous melody remains “Le téléphone pleure” [The Phone is Crying], shared below in French and in English, respectively. In this moving song, a separated father chats with his little daughter on the phone. However, the latter is fully unaware that this man is her dad. We can hear her mom telling her to tell him that she is not there (when he asked to speak with her).
Thank you Mr. François for your talent and sensitivity. May your memory be eternal!
Regardless of the precise start of Ramadan, depending on the sight of the crescent moon, one thing is sure: this month, which is holiest for Muslims around the world, is coming VERY soon.
Thus, Bambi wants to be faster than the forthcoming baby moon by wishing those of you who are planning to highlight this month the following: may you have a smooth start of day fasting (if you can medically practice it). May your prayers be heard, may your self-reflection be meaningful, and may God bless the hand that you will generously extend to support the less fortunate.
This post will end with a brief English video featuring the Lebanese recipe of Tabbouleh salad, thanks to Feel Good Foodie. May Ramadan bring you inner peace as well as socially enriching evenings of delicious “Iftar“moments. Ramadan Kareem!
Bambi is winking now at the memory of beloved deceased women while smiling at all those whose lives are full of vitality and at women who are alive yet, regardless of the reason(s), currently feeling dead from the inside. May they all know their worth and be happy, along with their loved ones. Same best wishes for women yet to be born!
It was quite shocking to learn that Ramez (or Abou Mark) is in heaven now. Just like his family, Ramez was the sweetness in itself, regardless of the hat or role (e.g., husband, dad, son, brother, uncle, relative, friend, citizen, etc.).
This morning, Bambi thought that she was calling Ramez’ family to offer support across the frustrating miles. It was rather them, including his adorable and heartbroken mom Najla with his sisters Zeina and Rima, who had delicate words for her despite their shock. Same for his beloved nephew Karim.Through this post, Bambi sends her continuous solidarity, heart, and prayers to all, especially to Ramez’ immediate family (spouse and kids). She had wished she could quickly jump out of Sackville to give everyone a hug.
Bearing the above in mind, if she may, she will now offer Ramez’ family two songs, one from France and the other from Lebanon. The first melody is by the talented Grégoire and Mr. Google Translate helped her in translating it, at the end of this post (https://shorturl.at/lzCR9). As for the second song, Bambi discovered it about six months ago when her dear friend Greta kindly sent it to her following her mom’s death. It is by Fairouz and it is entitled “Oumenou” [I believe]. It is about believing in the healing potential of one’s aching heart with the following milestones of a grief journey: the soothing impact of the passing time, a sense of spiritual hope that can come from inner faith, the comforting trust in shared humanity, and the tenderness received from caring people.
May Ramez’ soul rest in peace. May his memory be eternal. Last but not least, may God know how to comfort all his loved ones, in Lebanon as well as abroad.
“You know I’m having trouble Still talking about you It seems to be normal There are no rules in these games You know my voice is tight When I see you in the photos You know my heart is lost I think he thinks of you a little too much
It’s like that It’s like that
I wish I could hold your hand a little longer I wish my sorrow only lasted a moment And you know, I hope at least you hear me
It’s hard to break the silence Even in the screams, even in the party It’s hard to fight absence Because this bitch does as she pleases And no one can understand We each have our own story I was told to wait Let the pain become trivial
It’s like that It’s like that
I wish I could hold your hand a little longer I wish I could hold your hand a little longer
I wanted to tell you that I was proud To have been at least one day A little like your friend and your brother Even if life has these detours It’s like that It’s like that
I wish I could hold your hand a little longer I wish I could hold your hand a little longer I wish my sorrow only lasted a moment And you know, I hope at least you’re waiting for me.”
A few days ago, Bambi highly recommended a memoir called “Ballet is Not for Muslim Girls” by Ms. Mariam Pal, as per the post shown below. Of note, this was Ms. Pal’s first book and guess what? It was named “Best Multicultural Memoir of 2023″ by Memoire Magazine (https://shorturl.at/oCDJN). Bravo to Ms. Pal!
Now, if you think that the above was the only happy update that Bambi is sharing with you now, your thought is not completely accurate. Indeed, Ms. Pal completed the manuscript of her second book, which is entitled “Definitely Not One of the Guys“. Bambi is delighted because it is about her inspiring career in international development.
Of note, following the older post shown further below, many of you privately wrote to Bambi, literally from different continents, to share the following exciting statements: Ms. Mariam Pal’s memoir is on your reading list, you are literally about to begin reading the book, or you have enjoyed the information about it.
So, hurry up, everyone. Indeed, it would be timely to read Ms. Pal’s first award-nominated book soon because, as mentioned above, her second one is being ready to be published. As for your Mariam Pal, and if she may, Bambi will conclude by offering you the “Mabrouk” [or Congrats] Lebanese song by Mr. Rami Ayash :). Well-deserved. Keep up your outstanding work, please!
Did you know that today is National I Want You to Be Happy Day (https://shorturl.at/IL368)? The idea underlying such a day is simple: it is about letting others know that we want them to be happy.
How can make people feel that their happiness matter to you? Well, each person’s relationship with happiness is a personalized one. This means that what makes you or makes Bambi happy is different from what makes others happy.
Thus, by understanding and respecting what makes others personally happy, we can genuinely value their happiness. Even if the latter does not come naturally to some of us, simple acts of kindness contribute to make others happy. In return, such acts can be highly self-rewarding (https://shorturl.at/IL368), a little bit like the spirit of the first kids’ song shared below.
Indeed, according to Dr. Shuman, the mere practice of celebrating others’ good/happy news would not only improve our social relationships, but also our own mental health (https://shorturl.at/oxJN1). The good news here is that feeling happy for others does not invalidate our own struggles (https://shorturl.at/oxJN1). In other terms, we can rejoice for others, even when we think life sucks.
Khaldie’s AMAZING pictures of deer allowed Bambi to recognize her lost relatives. The aim of this post is twofold: (1) to share those pictures with you; and (2) to offer Khaldie a song to thank her for reassuring her friend in Sackville.
A picture taken by Khaldie in her backyard in Dieppe, New Brunswick
A picture taken by Khaldie in her backyard in Dieppe, New Brunswick
A picture taken by Khaldie in her backyard in Dieppe, New Brunswick
A picture taken by Khaldie in her backyard in Dieppe, New Brunswick
Smile at life, at the forthcoming spring, at others, and please do not forget to also smile at yourself. You deserve it!
Share a Smile Day is meant to foster the spirit of joy. Yes, it is about encouraging “us to be a little bit more joyful” (https://shorturl.at/beloR). This may come naturally to some of us, and not just on this day. Indeed, we even smile sometimes when we are upset. However, at other times, it may be challenging to smile when we are distressed or when our hearts are aching.
Regardless, the heath- and social benefits of genuine smiles are numerous. For instance, our brains’ neurons may release more chemicals, called neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine, endorphins and serotonin), which make us feel good. In turn, our smiles can be contagious, spreading joy and positive affect to others. This may contribute to increase a spirit of friendship and a sense of social cohesion. The beauty of a smile is that it is free-of-charge. Yet, it is a rich universal language, which is understood by everyone. More importantly, it is random gesture of kindness, which can make a big difference in people’s lives.
Bearing all the above in mind, may your day be filled with smiles and moments of joy!
