How can Bambi go to sleep before wishing her sister and nephew a lovely birthday?
June 3rd is a special time of the year because it is Rania’s and Michael’s double birthday.
Bambi is blessed because she had the opportunity to hug them both when she visited her late dad in Beirut last summer. These family moments, with everyone and especially with Antoine who was thrilled to see his adorable great-grandson for the first time, are precious memories she holds in her heart forever.
Thank you Rania and Michael for who you are. Rania, thanks for all that you have done with deep care, along with a great sense of responsibility. Mabrouk again/bravo Michael for being such an inspiring dad. Bambi who loves you both A LOT wishes you increased inner peace, joyful moments, and a wonderful year ahead โค๏ธโค๏ธ!
Drones, airstrikes, destruction, deaths, injuries, increasing threats even to its capital, and surprising de-escalation attempts. Lebanon saw it all today.
At one point during the day, Bambi had to get out of town. While waiting in the car for a few moments before hitting the roads again, she read the news from the Middle East.
She consulted live updates, first from the Lebanese LโOrient Le jour/Orient Today, then from the Times of Israel. She thought that these quick readings might perhaps help her in understanding today’s increased violence.
Reading about war in the Middle East from her faraway country/continent, while being in a vehicle in a quiet town of Atlantic Canada, this violence seemed even more absurd.
Rationally speaking, Bambi’s brain could perhaps still try to understand some of the complexities, along with the ambiguity, of that ongoing war, both regionally and in her birth country. Yet, in those brief car moments, she was stunned with only one question coming to her mind: When will this absurdity finally end? ย ย
Indeed, when will the innocent people of her birth country finally live in peace (without shelling and/or occupation)? Same for the innocent people on the other side of the border. They also deserve to be safe. Same for all the countries of the Middle East (without intimidation)?
All this loss of life, all the lost energy, what for? Life is already too short. Instead of power struggles and endless armed conflicts, how about using human capital to build bridges among people and nations, collaborate on useful projects for humanity, enjoy getting to know one another, and to embellish the world together?
A picture found online and used previously on this blog
Bambi doesn’t know about your own opinion about the Lebanese-Israeli direct talks in Washington, if any. However, here is what she thinks about it, at least right now. Clearly, she prefers the Lebanese Prime Minister’s speech to his fellow citizens over the Hezbollah’s bragging words after firing twice rockets into northern Israel. This Lebanese, yet Iranian-backed, militia stated that it launched a “rocket barrage” at Kiryat Shmona “in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the Israeli enemy’s violation of the ceasefire” (https://tinyurl.com/3wys27e9).
Enough of the vicious cycle of endless wars. The latter led Lebanon, time and again, to where it is right now: destruction, displacement, mortality, injuries, and traumas. It did not work. Try something else for once!
“In light of the Israeli escalation and the Washington negotiations, I say this today:
I want to speak frankly to the Lebanese people:
Are negotiations guaranteed to succeed? Certainly not. But they are the least costly path for our nation and our people, compared to the other options available today.
โฆ This path is not easy, nor will it be short, but it becomes shorter, and we become stronger, when all efforts are united under the umbrella of the Lebanese state.
This requires abandoning unilateralism and ceasing stubbornness. The state is conducting the negotiations today on behalf of all Lebanese, and it is incumbent upon all of them to rally under its banner, so that the decision of war and peace remains a Lebanese national decision, not one made by one faction over another, and not one imposed from outside our borders”.
Almost each morning, Bambi listens to the news from her birth country. The other day, she learned an interesting detail about the Ambassador of Japan to Lebanon, Mr. Kenji Yokota.
To begin with, she is grateful for Japan’s support of the expansion of the Karantina medical supply warehouse in Beirut. The completion ceremony took place in partnership with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, along with the World Health Organization Lebanon office.
Last but not least, she is very impressed by Ambassador Yokota for his outstanding speech in perfect Standard Arabic, wow!
Well, Bambi was so impressed that she mentioned the story to Japanese-speaking Bente and to Arabic-speaking Rania. It turned out that Mr. Kenji Yokota is highly appreciated in Lebanon. He often posts on social media heartfelt messages of support to Lebanon in the Arabic language. He talks about it with genuine caring words, like his own birth country, Bambi understood from her sister.
How about a ray of healing, love, and hope for more peaceful days at Adha?
Adha, known as the “Eid” [Feast] of Sacrifice, is celebrated worldwide by people who happen to be Muslims and Druze, whether religiously or culturally.
Happy Adha, dear readers, if you celebrate it.
May love prevail and may next Adha be a more joyful “Eid” to you and to your loved ones.
Wherever you are reading this post from, be safe and well.
On the 27th of December 2025, Bambi thanked her sister Roula for her most moving Christmas gift, a puzzle of Beirut, in an older post shown below.
Today, with a heavy heart of worries about Beirut, it means a lot to Bambi to honour her birth place by sharing this beautiful puzzle with you, dear readers.
Thanks again Roula โค๏ธ. May God protect you (et al.) as well as Beirut and Mr. Carlos Mounir Haidamous, so he can continue with his creative business (https://tinyurl.com/2tp65jx5). His innovative product is of high quality and it was a PURE pleasure to complete it. Bravo and “shoukran” or merci :)!
Hezbollah’s Chief is now openly threatening the Lebanese state by stating that “the people have the right to topple the government” (https://tinyurl.com/2yhhr8wj).
To what extent are his words wise, patriotic, and compassionate toward his fellow citizens who are dying in the cross-fire between Israel and his militia? Or those who are struggling to economically survive in this insanity? And what about the innocent displaced people sleeping in shelters or, even in tents, on the streets of Beirut? Doesn’t he feel their pain? And what about his young militia members, does he have respect for their sacrifices to recognize that it is time to stop the suicidal wars, which have been started to serve the regional interests of its founder and funder, the Iranian regime, surely not Lebanon.
Bambi is saying all the above while recognizing the role of the current “resistance” on the ground, with all the young men sadly dying to fight for justice in the unfolding Lebanese tragedy and fiasco.
Enough Mr. Qassem of imposing your views on your fellow citizens. The innocent people of Lebanon deserve to live in stability and in peace. ENOUGH, please.
Bambi has been silent lately. Although she has been busy, without anything particular to write about or share with you, she cannot remain silent tonight. How could she when tomorrow is such a significant day?
Indeed, like tomorrow but 102 year ago, French and International singer Charles Aznavour was born (as “Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian”) in Paris, France (https://tinyurl.com/b97x4wrx). Thank Goodness for his generous and impressive legacy. The world would have not been the same without his existence. May his memory be eternal.
Meant as a musical tribute to Mr. Aznavour, this post shares a few songs with you, dear readers. A powerful source of pleasure, great lyrics AND music, like those of Mr. Aznavour, can comfort the hearts, heal the wounds, inspire the minds, and uplift the souls.
To begin with, thank you Roula for having shared a deeply moving song on emotional vulnerability.
It is Bambi’s turn now to share this musical piece with you, dear readers.
Of note, the singer is unknown. Despite doubt, the song does not seem to be a creation of Artificial Intelligence, or is it?
Regardless, this beautiful song is clearly a product of high emotional intelligence and poetic talent. Both the song’s lyrics and the singer’s voice have touched Bambi’s soul.
For your convenience and if you are interested, dear readers, following the YouTube video, you can find the original Arabic lyrics, which are followed by a quick English translation. Thank you Mr. Google Translate for your assistance.
Long live humanity, music, and the most beautiful Arabic language.
Thanks to L’Orient Today, Bambi learned that the Lebanese Prime Minister said the following words, during a dinner at Beirut’s Makassed Islamic Charitable Society: “The state can only exist through a single national decision, that of its constitutional institutions; a single weapon, that of its national army; and a single law” (https://tinyurl.com/mwyaxt93)” (https://tinyurl.com/mwyaxt93). He even added “Enough accusations of treason, this will never intimidate us“. He was referring to the third round of direct negotiations with Israel, which took place in Washington yesterday and today (https://tinyurl.com/mwyaxt93).
Of course, Hezbollah is categorical: it refuses those talks, insisting on keeping its weapons and on continuing its suicidal war with Israel, which is now occupying about 16% of Lebanon with about 68 villages emptied and destroyed.
Instead of choosing reason, and most significantly Lebanon, Hezbollah seems to be still serving the Iranian regime’s interests. It seems ready to do it until the last breath–its own as well as the last breath of the innocent Lebanese civilians. Once again, the latter are caught in the middle of a regional war that does not belong to them. When it is not to support Gaza, it is to support the Iranian regime and before the Syrian regime and in 2006 and earlier, the same old wars that everyone is sick and tired of.
Of course, we can criticize and be angry toward Israel endlessly for being powerful, and without mercy, when it comes to defending its people. However, one must not forget that the weapons of the Hezbollah are problematic to Lebanon before any other foreign entity. They should have been confiscated at the end of the civil war, as they were from the other militias. It is about time now.
So, yes Mr. Nawaf Salam, you are right: “The state can only exist through a single national decision, that of its constitutional institutions; a single weapon, that of its national army; and a single law” (https://tinyurl.com/mwyaxt93).
