Author: Bambi

“SOS d’un terrien en détresse” is a beautiful 1978 French song about the suffering of an earthling who wants to escape from earthly life. An English translation can be found online (https://shorturl.at/jptCQ). Mr. Alexis Carlier’s unique voice, singing talent, moving rendition, and beautiful recent video clip in nature are a treat to both the eyes and ears.

How can Bambi go to sleep without sharing this lovely song on the eve of Saint-Patrick’s Day? With much love, Happy Saint-Patrick to all of you, especially to readers of this blog of Irish heritage or those who are either called Patrick or whose children, nephews and/or cousins, are celebrating their name days! “Yalla”, raise your hand now if you successfully recognized yourselves from as far as Montreal, Washington or Beirut :).

Thank you Ms. Christine Van Geyn, along with the Canadian Constitution Foundation, for the video below and your article in the National Post entitled “Christine Van Geyn: Under Bill C-63, an online comment could cost you thousands. Hate speech penalty in proposed online harms law exposes Canadians to costly legal fees and up to $50,000 in fines” (https://shorturl.at/pGN13).

Once again, no to online censorship in Canada.

Yes to democracy instead.

Bambi thanks “Be a Sunshine” for publicly sharing a YouTube video, which includes the lyrics of the wonderful song, entitled “La Bidayi Wla Nihay” of the most talented Hiba Tawaji (with English sub-titles). If you wish to challenge yourself by singing it with Ms. Tawaji, and you happen to read Arabic, please help yourself. Now, if you do not read Arabic, do not worry because you can still try to sing. Yes, just read the Lebanese-Arabic transcribed lyrics at the end of this brief musical post. Have fun : )!

The following transcription is taken word for word from YouTube (as posted by Be a sunshine):

“Leych Sayfi El Seni Intaha Bsser’a W Hmaret Ahrach Al Ghar

W-El-Mara Lli Cha’ra Ahmar Mitluun Cha’lani Binar

La Bidayi Wla Nihayi Wel Wa’et Mare’ Gharib,

Metle Mrouri Bi Afkarak Lahza Btelma’ Ouw Bet Ghib,

Ya ‘Assafir El Sahel El Jayi Tbachir Bi Cheti Techrin,

Wjouh Ouw Assami Bi Bali Hada Yzakkerni La Min,

El Denyi Hal’a Ouw ‘Aam Bet Dour, Wel Amar Be-Sama Ydour

El Sayfi El Seni Ntarna Al Amar ‘A Stouhi Assahel Laytel

W-Hadayna ‘Aa’arebe El Sa’a Khayfin El Lwa’et Layfel

Ma Fyi ‘Ouwy Bi Had Denyi Bit’akher Hboub Errih

Cha’rek W-Elkaraz W-Elawz Bi’awal Mawssîm Talwih

Ya ‘Assafir El Sahel El Jayi Tbachir Bi Cheti Techrin,

Wjouh Ouw-Assami Bi Bali Hada Yzakkerni La Min,

El Denyi Hal’a Ouw ‘Aam Bet Dour, Wel Amar Be-Sama Ydour

Enta Hawli W Ana Hawlak, Fi Chi Jazebna W-Men Dour,

El Sayf Intaha Ma ‘Eltellak Chi Bi Za’il, Leych Zae’lan,

El ‘Eachak Btebka Assamihon ‘Aala El Mawj Ouw ‘Aal Chetan,

Sami’ Metli Sawt El Jaras Medri Bi ‘Ayya Wedyan,

‘Aam Yendah La Hada Daye’, Beddo Ydello ‘Aal Iman,

Matrah Sabia’k ‘Aa Ketfi ‘Aam Yehre’ni Men ‘Iyyam,

Yemkin Law Tbesli El Matrah Btehda Awjaa’i

W-Bet Nam Sayf El Seni Intaha Bser’aa W-Hmarret Ahrach El Ghar

W-El Mara Lli Cha’ra Ahmar Mitluun Cha’lani Binar

La Bidayi Wla Nihayi Wel Wa’et Mare’ Gharib,

Wa ‘Ana Btezkeri W-Betghib, Bimro’ Bibalak W-Brouh

Min Baddu Idawi Lajrouh

Sayfi El Seni Intaha Bsser’a W-Hmaret Ahrach Al Ghar

W-El Mara Lli Cha’ra Ahmar Mitluun Cha’lani Binar

La Bidayi Wla Nihayi Wel Wa’et Mare’ Gharib,

Metle Mrouri Bi Afkarak Lahza Btelma’ Ouw Bet Ghib,

Ya ‘Assafir El Sahel El Jayi Tbachir Bi Cheti Techrin,

Wjouh Ouw Assami Bi Bali Hada Yzakkerni La Min,

El Denyi Hal’a Ouw ‘Aam Bet Dour, Wel Amar Be-Sama Ydour

Enta Hawli W-Ana Hawlak, Fi Chi Jazebna W-Men Dour,

El Sayf Intaha Ma ‘Eltellak Chi Bi Za’il, Leych Zae’lan,

El Eachak Btebka Assamihon ‘Aala El Mawj Ouw ‘Aal Chetan,

Sami’ Metli Sawt El Jaras Medri Bi ‘Ayya Wedyan,

‘Aam Yendah La Hada Daye’, Baddo Ydello ‘Aal Iman,

Matrah Sabia’k ‘Aa Ketfi ‘Aam Yehre’ni Men ‘Iyyam,

Yemkin Law Tbesli El Matrah Btehda Awjaa’i

W-Bet Nam Sayf El Seni Intaha Bser’aa W-Hmarret Ahrach El Ghar

W-El Mara Lli Cha’ra Ahmar Mitluun Cha’lani Binar

La Bidayi Wla Nihayi Wel Wa’et Mare’ Gharib,

Wa ‘Ana Btezkeri W-Betghib, Bimro’ Bibalak W-Brouh

Min Baddu Idawi Lajrouh“

__________

“Hiba Tawaji La Bidayi W La Nihayi  – هبة طوجي لا بداية ولا نهاية

Lyrics : Mansour Rahbani

Music : Michel Legrand

Orchestration & Adaptation : Oussama Rahbani

“Windmills of your mind” Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marylin Bergman, © EMI U CATALOG INC. Tous droits réservés. Avec l’autorisation d’EMI Catalog Partnership France.

Powered by Watary Production : http://goo.gl/r0OaLk

Photo by Yuki Nakamura on Unsplash“.

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 🙂 ❤️❤️❤️.

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.”