I love each person’s unique accent and creative self-expression
Today, Bambi came across an excellent video by the Economist, which is basically about the following, as described on YouTube: “Ever wondered why it’s so hard to sound like a local when you go on holiday? Discover the pronunciation tips your teachers may have missed“.
Accents are very interesting for the excellent cross-cultural linguistic reasons explained above. Of course, we all have our unique way of speaking, often also influenced by the languages we have been exposed to since childhood. Bearing the latter in mind, how do you sound when you speak, even your own mother tongue? Do you speak fast or slowly, usually or under stress only? Do you “swallow your words” or do you take the time to pronounce them? And how do people react to your accent? Last but not least, are you amused by talented comedians, or friends, who know to imitate accents well?
In conclusion, following the the Economist very informative video on accents in foreign languages, please find the following: (1) a Team Coco brief interview in which Mr. El Maleh performs a song in nonsense or “gibberish-English” since “before Gad could speak English, he performed songs at a French piano bar in total gibberish-English“; and (2) a sweet French song entitled “Mon accent” [or My Accent] by Sangria Gratuite in which we are reminded that “accents are the spices of a language“.
Mr. Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright. He was born on May 20, 1799 and he died on August 18, 1850 (https://shorturl.at/itJLZ; https://shorturl.at/nMNTZ). May his memory be eternal and long live the beautiful French language.
Balzac is the founder of realism, which depicts stories from everyday experiences, as they are in real life (https://shorturl.at/itJLZ). This means without any romanticizing, if Bambi recalls well from her French literature courses in high school. Of note, Mr. de Balzac is famous for his great daily writing self-discipline.
Bearing the above in mind, this post will end with some of Honoré de Balzac’s thoughts, which can be easily found in English on the internet. His quotes will be followed by two videos, both in French. The very brief first one features Balzac’s differentiation between friendship and love. It can perhaps be summarized in English with his following statement: “What makes friendship indissolute and what doubles its charms, is a feeling we find lacking in love: I mean certitude“. As for the second video, it is a musical celebration of the French language, thanks to Mr. Yves Duteil’s eternal song entitled “C’est une langue belle” [“It is a Beautiful Language“].
“Our greatest fears lie in anticipation.
When women love, they forgive everything, even our crimes; when they do not love, they cannot forgive anything, not even our virtues.
People exaggerate both happiness and unhappiness; we are never so fortunate nor so unfortunate as people say we are.
The more we judge, the less we love.
A husband and wife who have separate bedrooms have either drifted apart or found happiness.
Every moment of happiness requires a great amount of ignorance.
“Don’t wait to be happy to smile. Rather smile in order to be happy” (Edward L. Kramer)
Earlier today, when Bambi was out of town, she had a very legitimate reason to smile out of deep happiness upon receiving extremely good news. Of course, she will spare you this reason since it is a strictly private matter. However, this post is an opportunity for her to share with you a wonderful, and almost amusing, social experience related to that smile.
Indeed, the news, or her realization of the impact of the latter, put an instinctive smile on her face, which lasted for a LONG time. In fact, she just could not stop smiling for maybe one or two minutes while walking fast (almost jumping) on internal stairs and outdoors.
While walking in this state of internal happiness, expressed through a smile, she bumped into many strangers. They all seemed to be kindly receptive to the super “smiling” smile on her face. Indeed, each one of them smiled back at Bambi in a spontaneous, kind, and generous way. The more strangers smiled, the more sustainable her initial smile remained stuck on her face. The entire experience was too odd to the point of feeling like a happy, even funny, scene of a movie with lightness and contagious smiles. The scene felt even more amusing because people’s smiles seemed, at times, accompanied with a facial expression, which appeared to wonder: “what is the problem of this odd one :)”?
Why did the above experience of smiling contagion happen, you may perhaps wonder? Yes, Bambi lives in the Maritimes where strangers are friendly with each other on the streets. They often, if not always, smile, greet, and talk to each other. This is part of the enriching human communication in general. However, perhaps more specifically, psychiatric or neuropschological studies can help shed some light on the phenomenon of emotional contagion. For instance, a German study by Wild et al. (2003) investigated the neural correlates of facial reactions of participants when they were looking at pictures of faces expressing emotions, including happiness. The activation of certain brain regions (including the amygdala), was observed when participants smiled in response to pictures of smiling faces (https://shorturl.at/HLSU5).
In conclusion, Bambi allowed herself to share with you an anecdote related to smile. What about you? What made you smile lately? Would you like to share and maybe, by a virtual emotional contagion of some sort, contribute to make Bambi and this blog’s readers smile as well? Even if your day was tough with physical or emotional pain and you may lack the motivation to want to smile, just think of a certain happy moment of your life and maybe try to smile to your own former smile? Or smile to your future brighter days or… to life itself. As the old Arab saying goes, “smile and life will smile back at you“. Please, trust that this is Bambi’s wish for you, regardless of whom you are or where you are right now while reading this post or in your own life journey.
Have a wonderful day everyone… especially Fadi :)!
Today is not any day. In many places around the world, including Lebanon, it is a day off. There, the feast of Mary is highlighted or respected by all, regardless of their religion (i.e., not only those of Christian faith). If she may, Bambi would like to begin by sharing a nice Greek-Orthodox song-prayer (in Arabic), in the beautiful voice of Ms. Ribale Wehbé, which is meant to honour Jesus’ mother. May the latter keep an eye on very vulnerable places in the world, including Lebanon where a dear friend, called Mary, resides. May she protect and inspire her, along with her family, there and abroad. Talking about names, Happy name day also to all those called with variants of Maria, Marie, Mary, Maryam or Mariam, etc. [especially when they are either readers of this blog or related to them :)].
Following the first spiritual melody, you will find two Acadian songs by two most talented Canadian singers, Ms. Natasha St Pier and Ms. Isabelle Boulay. Of note, the second deep song, sub-titled in English, is inspired by a fictional heroine, called Évangeline, of Mr. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem (1847), which tells the sad story of the deportation (or expulsion) of the Acadians (1755). “Bonne Quinzou à tous les acadiens!” Happy National Acadian Day to all Acadians and their friends!
Last but not least, a Happy Birthday song in Arabic is especially tailored for Fadi; thanks to the person who made it public on YouTube. It comes from Bambi, her spouse, and the “familia” in Beirut. Have fun with your lovely family, relatives, and friends. Thank you, DEAR Fadi, for being Bambi’s brother since her teenage years [are you smiling now :)?] ❤️!
Do you share the Fatanstikids’ dream? If not, what is yours?
This musical post aims to share a timely song about the “need to learn to live together”, especially with its chorus that includes lyrics from a famous speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Indeed, this song is entitled “We have a dream!”
The featured melody was written as part of an initiative, entitled “Chanson en création” [Song in Creation], by Mr. Nô with the CM1 classes of Ms. Chloé Margnoux and CM2 of Ms. Corinne Pothier from the elementary school of Villereau in France. From the YouTube video shared below, we learn the following additional information: Ms. Virginie Pinsard and Ms. Pascale Breton, pedagogical advisors in musical education, also played a key role in this meaningful project.
Before leaving you with the Enfantastiques [Fantastikids]’ lovely song, Bambi will share its translated lyrics, thanks to her beloved Mr. Google Translate. Have a good one, everyone!
WE HAVE A DREAM – by Les Enfantastiques Chorus (lyrics from a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr.): We must learn to live together Free and equal Like brothers Otherwise we will die together Like idiots Alone
1° Never again hate Which brings us so much pain Let’s destroy the weapons that make tears flow Let’s hold hands And let’s walk united towards tomorrow Like Martin Luther King Let’s sing “I HAVE A DREAM”
Chorus : We must learn to live together Free and equal Like brothers Otherwise we will die together Like idiots Alone
2° No matter the flag No matter the colour of the skin women and men All in solidarity For the same rights In the ledger of the law Like Martin Luther King Let’s sing “WE HAVE A DREAM”.
Bambi would like to thank Mr. Jad Sughayyar, from Lebanon, for having generously accepted to share his talent, along with his band, with the readers of this blog.
You may be perhaps familiar with the Muse‘s “Madness” love song (2012). Of note, the songwriter is Mr. Matthew James Bellamy (https://shorturl.at/gorzA) and the English lyrics are shared following the audio file (https://shorturl.at/bzK67).
In conclusion, for those of you who can understand Arabic, the family name “Sughayyar” means “small” in English. Ironically, Mr. Jad Sughayyar is anything but small when it comes to creativity and artistic talent. Highly impressed, Bambi urges him and his band to keep making Lebanon, and our world, a more loving place with music!
“I, I can’t get these memories out of my mind And some kind of madness has started to evolve (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad) mm (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad) And I, I tried so hard to let you go But some kind of madness is swallowing me whole (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad) yeah (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad)
I have finally seen the light And I have finally realized What you mean Ooh, oh-oh, oh-oh
And now, I need to know, is this real love Or is it just madness keeping us afloat? (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad) mm (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad) And when I look back at all the crazy fights we had It’s like some kind of madness was taking control (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad) yeah (M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m, mad, mad, mad)
And now I have finally seen the light And I have finally realized What you need Mm, mm-mm, mm-mm-mm
But now I have finally seen the end (finally seen the end) And I’m not expecting you to care, no (expecting you to care) That I have finally seen the light (finally seen the light) And I have finally realized (realized)
I need your love I need your love
Come to me just in a dream Come on and rescue me Yes, I know, I can’t be wrong And baby, you’re too headstrong Our love is”.
This post is dedicated to Michael from Toronto. He knows why :). Of note, another “Michael”, a dear friend of Bambi and her spouse is now a resident of Montreal in the Canadian province of Québec. Their joint advice for him was to order a delivery of a Coq Lala flat grilled chicken, pre-soacked in lemon. Mmm (https://shorturl.at/jsCX8)!
Bambi is aware that this post sounds like an advertisement. Yet, she is NOT paid by the Lala Restaurant, neither of Canada, nor of Lebanon :). Indeed, when she believes in an idea, like its amazing chicken, she cannot help not to sell it to you on her Afkar‘s blog.
To introduce you to the original Farouj (or Chicken) Lala, she will now share a screenshot, which comes from an older post published from out of Beirut on December 19, 2019:
If you are curious about this restaurant’s history and art of preparing chicken, here is an English sub-titled video, which was found by Louis (thank you!), entitled “Lala Chicken. A secret Recipe to Success“. In addition to feeling hungry, Bambi was moved to watch it, as she recalled her childhood. She felt homesick, all of a sudden, for both Montreal and Beirut. Actually, this old business of the LaLa family is a monument of Saint-Louis Street just a few meters away from her dad’s store, Azar Electric, another monument, which was once featured in an older post (please see below, if you are interested).
In conclusion, bon appétit or “Sahtein” with a silly yet funny chicken song, hoping it will make you smile. Who knows? Maybe you happen to be vegan. Maybe chicken is not for you. As far as Bambi is concerned, she will end with the following thought: it would be amazing if a branch of this restaurant comes to New Brunswick one day (for those of you/us who live in the Maritimes or for our future guests). What are your thoughts?
Bambi just asked her spouse the following question: “for you, what is happiness?” His answer was: “Wow, this is complicated. Can I take the time to think about it and get back to you later?” “Sure!”, was Bambi’s reply, hoping he will provide an answer by midnight to enrich this post :).
Well, maybe happiness is hard to define. This, even if many philosophers and scientists tried to define it, throughout history, and we can measure it too. A bit like stress or (romantic) love, even if we can tell if we are stressed, joyful or feeling blessed, and in love. Regardless of personal definitions, luckily there are many songs, and sometimes different versions of a famous song, to remind us of the value of happiness in life.
In conclusion, if you feel like sharing your insights about your own meaning of happiness, please feel free to post a comment. If you wish, you can also tell Bambi, and this blog’s readers, which version of Mr. Gérard Lenorman’s “Happy People” song [or “La ballade des gens heureux“, in the original French], you prefer? Of note, these versions are in English, French, Dutch, and German (some with sub-titles in English and Spanish). Alternatively, at all times, you can share your opinion more privately.
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P.S: by the time Bambi was about to publish this post on her blog, she had her spouse’s answer, which he kindly accepted to share with you: for him, “happiness is a blend of liberty (or freedom), love, and not many worries“. Interesting insights! Indeed, for Bambi too, freedom is a key ingredient of happiness. Thankfully, freedom begins in our own mind; from there, it extends to underlie our way of being (authentic self) and of loving (i.e., respecting and loving ourselves first, before others). Stated differently, (true) love is rooted in liberty. As for the worries, which are part of life, they could be a question of quantity, frequency in time, lucidity, and attitude. An attitude, which stems from lucidity while being enriched by creativity and courage, results in decisions and actions, contributing to our happiness. An example may be to make a certain critical change in our lives like becoming active or improving our diet following a certain health crisis. In facing our worries, when the room for manoeuvre is too limited, we adjust our attitude (mindset), with the help of lucidity, courage, and creativity (with faith, for some). In turn, this would contribute to our happiness too. An example of the latter may consist of accepting what we cannot change in our lives, including the death of a loved one or an unwanted breakup. Despite such most stressful journeys of grief, one day at a time, we can learn to turn this into a life learning experience and even grow through this tough process.
Mr. Gérard Lenorman’s original version of “La ballade des gens heureux” (sub-titled in English) was featured in an older post, which is shown at the end of this one. This song has stood the test of time.
“Happy People“: A nice English version of Mr. Gérard Lenorman’s eternal “La ballade des gens heureux“.
A great Gérard Lenorman-Zaz duo: their version of “La ballade des gens heureux” is subtitled in English, in addition to Spanish and French.
“De Ballade Van Het Geluk“: Sanne’s lovely Dutch version of “La ballade des gens heureux“. Bente and Salome, this is for you from Bambi :).
Bravo to Ms. Sarah Zucker and Mr. Florian Silbereisen for their beautiful German and French duo version of “La ballade des gens heureux“. Fatma und Laila: Entspannen Sie sich… und Genießen Sie es :).
The Kids United excellent version of “La Ballade des Gens Heureux“.
Mr. Lenorman and Ms. Erza Muqoli’s superb performance of “La ballade des gens heureux“, along with a group of talented young singers.
Mr. Alexis Carlier’s brief yet amazing version of “La ballade des gens heureux” was shared on this blog, as shown below.
The pictures to the right and left were taken from Troy Media. The picture in the centre was taken the Aristotle FoundationFor Public Policy website. Beirut’s picture was taken by Mr. Maxime Guy.
Troy Media: https://shorturl.at/zJPY4 ; this published article appears below. It is followed by a French-Arabic fusion song (Macias-Fairuz) about migration, which is performed by a HIGHLY impressive young singer-songwriter and pianist called Ms. Christa Maria Abu Akl (Québec, Canada).
The above think tank had the following message today: “If you’ve not yet viewed this insightful two-minute video on the destructiveness of identity politics–assuming ethnicity, race, and gender explain much and treating people differently as a result–see Rima Azar explain how Lebanon’s dive into identity politics was a disaster”.It’s a warning for Canada”. Watch Rima’s video: I know what identity politics does to a nation–I’m from Lebanon.
“The 1867 Project now has 132 reviews on Amazon! Click here to see what readers are saying and why it continues to be a bestseller“.
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How identity politics played a key role in the downfall of Lebanon
In Gibran Khalil Gibran’s Garden of the Prophet, the author wrote of how we should “Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.”
The nation described by Gibran was neither his adopted country – the United States, nor mine, Canada – but the birth country of both of us: Lebanon, divided by religion. Gibran’s and my birthplace is a 20th-century example of the destructive power of identity politics.
To grasp the danger of modern identity politics, we must realize that this movement sees all of us not as individuals but as an extension only of our colour, gender, ethnicity, etc. In other words, we are defined and trapped by our identity. It thus helps to remember that dividing people in such ways is not new. However, history teaches us it is also dangerous.
The State of Greater Lebanon was officially declared on Sept. 1, 1920, and later, under the French mandate of 1926, Lebanon’s constitution implemented a republic in which political power was divided among the country’s 18 religious sects according to their share of the country’s population. In essence, Lebanon’s parliament and its power were divided by religious identity.
This French-designed “hodgepodge” of various peoples and religious traditions seems to have worked for a while. After its independence from France in 1943, Lebanon even served as a refuge for those fleeing other regional conflicts. When peace prevailed, Beirut, the Lebanese capital, became a vibrant centre of commerce, banking, and trade. It also became both an intellectual and tourism hub.
However, Lebanon has also been in the middle of both geographic and religious conflicts, which, along with being used as a proxy by other states, exacerbated the identity divisions within Lebanon itself.
The result of all such fault lines led to a 15-year-long civil war (1975 to 1990), with 100,000 to 150,000 people killed, between 800,000 and one million displaced residents, and several billion dollars worth of destruction to infrastructure and private property. The Lebanese civil war intensified the danger of belonging to the “wrong” tribe. Eventually, when kidnapped or stopped at militia checkpoints, Lebanese citizens could be killed just for being the “wrong” identity (i.e., the “wrong” religion).
In short, and tragically, identity- or sectarian-based politics fuelled civil war in Lebanon.
The tragedy of Lebanon and the danger and tragedy of identity politics have been on my mind in recent years because of my own immigration story. I landed in Montreal in 1990 at the age of 17 and soon felt that I was Canadian.
Fifteen years later, when I moved to Toronto, it took me all of two weeks to feel Torontonian, to feel at home. Later, when I left “Hogtown” after four years, I deliberately took the time to say goodbye to all those familiar faces whom I used to see daily, including those in the stores in the subway and on my street.
After I left Toronto to accept a tenure-track position at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, it took me two days to feel “Sackvillian” and a proud New Brunswicker. Ever the bad cook, I nevertheless managed to create a seafood chowder that led to my friends telling me I was officially a Maritimer.
The ease I had identifying and integrating with local communities was made possible because Canada was founded on the notion that individuals should be treated as equal before the law, with neither favouritism nor prejudice shown based on irrelevant characteristics.
Even though this ideal wasn’t fully realized at Canada’s birth, by the 1960s and definitely by 1990, when I arrived, it was against the law to discriminate based on someone’s ethnicity or similar reasons. This belief in individual rights is a fundamental part of what makes Canada, Canada and should not be forgotten.
My family, along with many other immigrants, both old and new, always dreamed of coming to Canada, despite its imperfections and history. They love their adoptive country.
My advice to “newcomers”: Don’t let others who claim to speak on your behalf upend Canada’s focus on the rights of the individual. Some people act like they know what’s best for the rest of us while forcing their narrow sectarian ideology on everyone while obsessing about diversity.
That’s also why I don’t support politicians and other influential people playing with identity politics. It’s a risky game that can hurt all of us.
Is it not simpler, wiser, and safer for us as newcomers to celebrate our love for our adoptive country and love it back? Embracing extreme ideologies may risk weakening, paralyzing, or potentially destroying the country we came to for a better life, making it more like the troubled places we left.
Rima Azar, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Health Psychology at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. This excerpt is from the Aristotle Foundation’s new book, The 1867 Project: Why Canada Should be Cherished—Not Cancelled, edited by Mark Milke.
