Author: Bambi

How sad it is to open a restaurant in Jordan with a name, that cheers for the massacre, rape, and kidnapping of innocent people, even if those happen to come from the more domineering country (http://tinyurl.com/45xb6zax)? Bambi is saying so and this more domineering country is in a state of war with her own birth country (i.e. specifically with its largest militia that decides on peace and war instead of its official “inexistent” government). Bambi is also saying so and this domineering country has occupied her birth country in the past for almost two decades. Everyone knows that this poked bear can be TOO cruel, especially when it is under what looks like an orchestrated attack.

Despite all the above, Bambi refuses to cheer for the suffering of its innocent people. Indeed, what a bad taste, to say the least, to name a restaurant “October 7” and to know that many customers seem to be already lining up to visit it, as per several media like l’Orient Le Jour, the National Post, and Haaretz (http://tinyurl.com/45xb6zax). You only have to google this story and you will find even a video on YouTube about it.

For Bambi, this is a sad day for humanity at large while being an insult not just to the innocent people of Israel (some died, some were injured, raped, their dead bodies disrespected, or are still kidnapped, including seniors and a baby who turned one year old lately), but also and especially to the over the 20,000+ innocent victims of Gaza and those of the neighborhood, including Lebanon. Think of it, the name of this restaurant is serving to glorify a massacre, which triggered a tragic, and absurd, ongoing war that massacred even much more innocent people on the other side of the endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It also resulted in fear, displacement, injuries or mortality on the Israeli side too. Plus, this war is also at a regional scale, financed by foreign entities, which risks going out of control anytime, including today. It is killing innocent civilians, journalists, and militia-affiliated Lebanese men. What for? Is it worth it?

For all the reasons mentioned above, Bambi condemns the bad (and cruel) taste underlying the choice of the name of this new business. To conclude this brief post, will men, especially those of the Middle East, ever learn to live for love, despite their anger over injustice or grief, like in Lévesque’s song? Why doesn’t love and compassion for the innocent people of all sides (who are trapped in the middle of wars) come more naturally to some? And if it does not yet, how can they learn to express their legitimate anger or frustrations in a more human and dignified way instead of contributing to fuel more hate?

For several reasons, including personal ones, Bambi’s favourite movie remains Sound of Music since her childhood. Indeed, she is not a TV watcher [except when she visits her family in Beirut :)]. However, for Sound of Music, she can make exceptions in life.

As a result of the above, she re-watched this classical movie, over and over, more times than her old chronological age (51!). She did so on all platforms, in different countries or provinces she lived in, on airplanes, on Youtube, and of course mainly on TV. Unfortunately, she did not have the chance to watch the opera yet. One day, hopefully. Until then, she is happy to sing almost all the songs by heart. Yes, even frogs, with awful voices, can memorize lyrics to badly sing famous movie songs. Thankfully, on airplanes, most of the nearby passengers are usually sleeping. So no risk for any auditory trauma to their ears or embarrassing moments of public disturbance :).

Bearing her passion for this movie in mind, if you are a regular reader of this blog you likely also know how much Bambi thinks highly of Mr. Amine Hachem who sings elegantly and genuinely in several languages. Thus, what a musical treat for her to come across Hachem’s amazing performance of Edelweiss tonight.

In case you do not know it, Edelweiss refers to a white flower, which could be found in the Alps. Of note, this lovely song was “created for the 1959 Broadway production of The Sound of Music, as a song for the character Captain Georg von Trapp” (http://tinyurl.com/27rf99jf).

If you wish, below you can listen to the performance of the gifted tenor, Mr. Amine Hachem, along with talented pianist, Mr. Brian Holman. Following this brief Youtube video, for her own selfish pleasure, Bambi will share two YouTube videos from Sound of Music!

Long live family, romantic love, both personal freedom and values, and OF COURSE… MUSIC!

Yesterday, a reader kindly emailed Bambi a National Post article, by Ms. Jamie Sarkonak, in which she informed us that a federally-funded educational document (even if schools are a provincial responsibility in Canada) states that: “Gender binary is a colonial and white supremacist structure rather than a natural and indisputable truth”. As noted by Ms. Sarkonak, the sources of evidence used in this document are the federally-funded CBC articles and a couple of blog posts (https://shorturl.at/txKT5).

Today, Bambi came across the latest “SAAD Truth” YouTube video of the funny yet clever Dr. Gad Saad from Concordia University (Montreal, Canada). The title of his brief video is “Losing weight as a form of white supremacy and colonialism?“. Please take a moment to listen and to smile, laugh, and/or cry over the scientific quality of some of the academic publications of our collectively insane times. Thank you Dr. Saad for sharing the article’s abstract. With all due respect to everyone, including the author in question, sometimes one can only smile to such level of absurd nonsense still called science.

Bambi cannot go to sleep without sharing with you her latest musical discovery. Following the YouTube video below, you can find a quick translation of the lyrics of this sad yet beautiful French song entitled “Serve me” [Serre-moi] (http://tinyurl.com/2ck6jsr9). Bravo Mr. Capéo for your incredibly moving talent!

“Serve me

One more drink

Stay with me

one more hour

Don’t slip away

We’ve done it a thousand times

You know well that the sea will wait

Come on, squeeze me

One more beer

Toast with me

It’s the last

Come on, hold me tight

Stop your movie

One day or another, the sea will take us

It’s raining outside

The wind picks up

And my body is on fire

At night I dream, friend, I dream

It’s raining outside, it’s raining

Let the wind rise

And my body is on fire

Thirst on my lips, I dream

Oh, wave to the soul

bed of bitterness

I have a heavy heart

Like an anvil

Don’t slip away

The sailors here below

Know well that the sea does not cheat

Stop there, look at me

She’s gone, she’ll be back

Come on, hold me tight

Stop your movie

One day or another the sea will avenge us

It’s raining outside

The wind picks up

And, and I’m on fire, in my body

At night I dream, friend, I dream

Let it rain, let it rain outside

Let the wind rise

Let the wind rise

And I have the devil in my body

Thirst on the lips

Enlighten me

One more drink

That I drown in it

That I dream of it

don’t drift me

Come on, I believe in you

You know well that the sea will wait

Come on, lend me

A piece of dream

A piece of star

A bout of fever

Do not abandon me

The sailors here below

Know well that the sea will return

It’s raining outside

The wind picks up

And my body is on fire

At night I dream, friend, I dream

it’s raining outside

The wind picks up

And my body is on fire

At night I dream, friend, I dream

It’s raining outside, it’s raining

Let the wind rise

And I have the devil in my body

I have thirst on my lips

I have thirst on my lips”.

Music and emotions are truly universal. Indeed, Bambi just came across a moving performance of one of Mr. Francis Cabrel’s beautiful love songs by Mr. Ed Sheeran, a gifted English singer-songwriter (http://tinyurl.com/24p5eafv). Bravo to him for this musical treat, which she will share with you now. Long live talent, French music, and love!

When Bambi left Beirut airport a few days ago, the last scene she saw right across from her gate was Dr. Jordan Peterson’s books on the shelves. A refreshing scene of intellectual diversity, and thus social health. With all due respect to Canada, she doubts she may see this diversity of books displayed in the small university town she lives in. If she is wrong, please let her know so she can correct herself and apologize to bookstores managers or owners, whether on campus or outside. Thankfully, just ten minutes away from us, in Amherst, NS, you can see Dr. Jordan Peterson’s books. Why can’t our university town be as open-minded?

Upon her arrival home, she was moved when she opened her mail. Guess why? She received Dr. Peterson’s book in the same format as the picture above. What a thoughtful and generous gift from a dear friend abroad!

As shown at the end of this post, Bambi has at least one older post on Dr. Peterson’s latest saga with his legal battle with the College of Psychologists in Ontario. Let’s be clear here upfront, you may personally agree or disagree with Dr. Peterson. It is your right. Same for him: it is his right to publicly express his opinions. Up to us to decide whether we agree with him or not about this or that topic. Only the frontal lobes of our own brains are supposed to support us with the latter. We do not need anyone to tell us what opinion is socially acceptable or not. For instance, you may have the utmost respect (and gratitude!) for Dr. Peterson, like Bambi or you may hate him to death, not just his ideas. You are free to hold different opinions or even to be allergic to his character. So is Dr. Jordan Peterson, especially in a so-called democratic country. However, we have been living lately in collectively insane times in which Canada looks more like authoritarian states instead of the historically vibrant, even if imperfect, democracies.

Regardless of the above, it is surely not the job of a professional organization, an employer, or a union to act as the “Big Brother” of the Thought Police like in the GREAT Orwell’s book, 1984, which she is currently reading (as Christmas gift from another dear friend). The job of a College of Clinical Psychologists is to protect patients and to regulate, and ideally facilitate not harm, the work of clinicians in order to be able to support their patients to the best of their capacities.

This being said, Bambi will shut up now as she is eager to share with you a quick translation of a column (with thanks to her friend, Mr. Google Translate) written by a clever journalist from Québec, Ms. Natalie Elgrabry. This column was published in the Journal de Montréal on January 13, 2024 (http://tinyurl.com/23aunvkd). It is food for thought for all of us… and especially and hopefully for Canada’s Prime Minister, Mr. Justin Trudeau.

“Jordan Peterson is one of the most influential intellectuals in Canada, if not in the Anglo-Saxon world. He is a clinical psychologist, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, best-selling author, and a social media celebrity with 3.7 million followers on Twitter.

Re-education

Recently, Peterson was ordered by the College of Psychologists of Ontario to undergo social media “training” at a cost of $225 per hour, at his own expense, for an indefinite period of time. Failure to do so will result in the suspension of the licence.

The College does not allege any professional misconduct on the part of Peterson. No patient has ever complained. On the other hand, some cyber-woke people denounced his personal interventions on social media. The College, as a vassal of the new inquisitors, disapproves of Peterson’s tweet of support for Poilievre and make some caustic comments about Trudeau.

This “training”, ostensibly reminiscent of the political re-education camps of the Maoist era, raises a crucial societal issue: do a professional order or an employer have the legitimacy to impose a political orthodoxy and proclaim itself the thought police?

The answer should be a stinging and emphatic “No.” A “No” that sounds the death knell of the cancel culture to which we have clearly given too much latitude. A “No” vote that rehabilitates freedom of opinion and expression and condemns intimidation.

This “No” should be declared by Justin Trudeau!

Word

Last February, Trudeau tweeted: “Canadians have the right to protest, to disagree with their government, and to make their voices heard.We will always protect that right. The Peterson affair is an opportunity for Trudeau to prove that he is a man of his word.

And if he had the courage to tweet, he would propose a policy to stem political discrimination in the workplace. After all, significant efforts are being made to prohibit discrimination against discrimination against the public”.

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Dr. Jordan Peterson: why does the selection of the judge investigating the Beirut explosion appear to be more independent than the judge hearing his case?

How refreshing to read Dr. Jordan Peterson’s work in Arabic in Lebanon’s An-Nahar and learn about his successful talk in Ottawa, despite calls to cancel it by federally-funded NGOs

Bambi is biased since she is a fan of Ms. Isabelle Boulay (http://tinyurl.com/dfre28ta). This is why she is highlighting her talent in today’s post.

Of note, Ms. Boulay’s first performance is with another gifted Canadian singer from New Brunswick, namely Mr. Roch Voisine. For your convenience, if you wish to take the time to listen, most of the YouTube videos shared below are English sub-titled.

What is remarkable about Ms. Boulay is her genuine, and very unique way, of delivering the songs’ underlying emotions. It moves Bambi’s heart each time she listens to her.

If posts could be written with silence and tears, this is how the current one would have been expressed.

If solidarity with Mary and with Rana, Dima, Jad, and Jeff (as well as with Khaled/Amale et al. and all your loved ones in Lebanon, Canada, and the USA) could be fortified with “dam el kaleb” [the heart’s blood in Arabic], Bambi would have bled just to show them increased care, along with her shared grief.

If prayers could be expressed with silent tears only, this is how Bambi’s prayer for Mounir would have looked like. Indeed, this is how it was yesterday night when she lit a candle for him after she received the tragic news. She could neither speak, nor sing. Only tears, broken by moments of silence, formed her so-called prayer. The first word she heard herself whispering was: “thank you, Mounir“.

Yes, thanks Mounir for having been part of her and Louis’ lives, for having touched them and inspired them in so many ways, which remain hard to put into words. What a sweet, generous, loving, accomplished, smart (i.e., intelligence of the heart and mind!) and cute friend you have been to all of us. What an inspiring dad and what a loving spouse. Above all, what a courageous man!

Bambi remains speechless since yesterday evening. She still cannot fully grasp yet how you are in heaven from now on, after she had the privilege and honour to see, hug, and kiss you. It was just a few days ago. It feels like yesterday. Despite her concern back then, when she saw you while in Beirut, she did not know that it would be for the last time. Life can be too brutal at times, as it has been on yourself and on your family.

Prior to this last and less joyful visit, Bambi had wonderful memories with you in Moncton and Sackville during older and more recent visits, including the latest in 2023. As per an earlier post shared further below, from July 2022, she keeps vivid memories of your lovely balcony, which oversees Lamartine’s valley in Lebanon (thanks Doudou and Roula for the lift). You, Mary, and her talked and laughed together. Of course, you mentioned Louis and how much you loved him (and he loves you a lot!). Bambi also knows how much you cared for her as well. The last time she saw you, she expressed her love to you.

One of the most unforgettable moments of care you showed to Bambi and her family was when Mary (who was grieving her own mom!) and yourself came to the funeral of her mother. It is hard to believe that this occurred less than five months ago. You supported Bambi’s dad. You were present for the entire family, not just her. Once again, you spoke highly of Louis, your good Canadian friend. Your caring words for him will always resonate in Bambi’s mind. Those words also touched her nephew Michael who had just said good-bye to Louis in Athens at the end of his wedding. Those beautiful words are echoing in Bambi’s mind right now, as she is writing this post. Yes, she can hear your unique voice, expressing them, while imagining your lovely baby face.

Of note, your baby face had been a mirror of your beautiful soul. Indeed, you had been a sunshine of open-mindedness, love, friendship, vivid intelligence and a sharp critical sense (much needed in today’s world). As for us, we have been honoured to be called friends by you and to have you as our friend.

Of course, It is hard to say good-bye to dear friends, even if we know that they are in a better place, without aches or worries. Resting with the eternal love of God, you will be watching over your lovely family from out of heaven. As for Bambi, all what she wants is to cherish your memory until her last own breath. She also sends Mary et al. her continuous love, hoping this tribute to Mounir will pay justice to his high calibre. God knows how much she would have loved to honour him in person and be with you, especially tomorrow.

To come back to you Mounir, please forgive Bambi because she is likely being clumsy with words. She will just thank you again while promising to be the best friend she can be to your LOVELY Mary and your adorable children (her friends too). May God know how to comfort their hearts, especially tomorrow.

May your memory be eternal, dearest friend of both Canada and Lebanon. Fly and rest in peace. You may be dead now, even if part of Bambi is still in denial. Yet you will forever live through your families’ values and multiple talents. The most meaningful of the latter being the talent of humanity and friendship. We are family, not just chums. Trust that you will remain alive in our hearts… until we bump into you again following our own mortality. Until then, we have lots of shared memories to cherish. Count on us for that!

—

Lebanon: Isn’t Lamartine’s valley beautiful?

It is already January 17 in Beirut. Thus, it is officially the birthday (as well as the name day) of Bambi’s dad. All the best to her dearest “baba” or “papy” Antonio (she means Antoine or Tony)! May Saint-Anthony always protect him. Same warm wishes to all the dear Tanios, Tonys, and Antoinette of the larger “tribe” of family and friends in both Beirut and Montreal :). Blessings and love to everyone!

Now what does Dalida have to do with Bambi’s dad, you may wonder? Well, first and foremost, he is a a big fan. He and his beloved Robine even drove all they way from Beirut, in the middle of a raging civil war, to enjoy her concert in Damascus, Syria. Recently, during her last visit to Beirut, while co-enjoying fun puzzle time and a Dalida’s song on the radio, Bambi asked her dad about his memories of this concert. She was so amazing, he said.

Last but not least, and this is what explains the title of this post, Dalida was born on a January 17 (https://shorturl.at/cfjpW). Indeed, she would have turned 91 had she been alive today. Instead, she died too young, namely at age 54. Bravo and thanks to her for the eternal musical legacy. This post will end with some of her songs, which are all dedicated to Bambi’s dad… with MUCH love!

Bambi was deeply sad to learn that Dr. Pierre Mailloux is in heaven now (https://shorturl.at/gnCN1). What a loss for his family, patients, audience, society, and country!

We live in a world of fakeness and falseness. Dr. Mailloux was unapologetically whom he was, whether we liked him or not. Bambi has the utmost respect for such a unique and courageous character. He was one of the first to push back against cancel culture. He was a model of resilience.

In this post, she will share a refreshing, and surely inspiring, French-speaking biography that Fred sent to her. Clearly, Québec is no longer the same without Dr. Mailloux. May his memory be eternal. Much love to his family, co-workers, patients, and loved ones.