Author: Bambi

Did you know that there is an official international day devoted to the Arabic language (https://shorturl.at/chot5)? Bambi was happy to discover the latter because she loves human beings and communicating with them. She also finds all languages fascinating. Some more than others, including the German and French languages. However, Arabic has a meaningful place in her heart or rather mind. Can you take a guess why : )? OK, she can help by giving you a hint… Yes, it is her mother tongue and it is such a RICH Semitic language.

To begin with, when Bambi thinks of Arabic, both the standard (or classical) Arabic and the spoken Lebanese-Arabic come to her mind. Often, both overlap. However, at many other times, these sub-languages seem quite different (https://shorturl.at/chot5).

This being said, it is absolutely incredible if we stop to think about how many people speak this language worldwide: an estimated 390 million individuals (https://shorturl.at/chot5). Indeed, this language is one of the most widely spoken ones on our planet. There is a reason it is “one of the six official languages of the United Nations“… and “although the Arabic language is the language of Islam, it dates back… further than the religion (https://shorturl.at/chot5)”.

Interestingly, “Arabic has its roots in the Semitic languages spoken by people in the Arabian Peninsula around the 1st century CE (Versteegh, 2014). Other Semitic languages, including Aramaic, Akkadian, and Canaanite, influenced the earliest forms of Arabic. Inscriptions dating back to the 4th century CE contain some of the oldest written records of the Arabic language” (https://shorturl.at/pAENU). For those of you who do not know it, Aramaic is the language, which was spoken by Jesus.

Of note, Bambi’s parents, especially her dad, love the Arabic language. They gave all their children, including herself, Arabic names. They precisely selected neutral names, which do not refer to any religion in particular. Indeed, one of Bambi’s sisters, Roula, happens to be named after the leader of an Arabic tribe, which predates Islam, as per the above. If Bambi is not mistaken, this particular tribe may have been even Christian. There is a beautiful poem written by or telling the story of Roula and her lover Issam. When she will see him again [soon “inshallah” as they say in Arabic : )!], Bambi intends to ask her dad to remind her of the full poem. Only the first few words come to her sleepy mind now. Same for Rania, her sister. She has a poem too. Believe it or not, herself as a little deer has an Arabic poem expressed by a hunter who did not have the heart to kill this animal.

To conclude this post in music, as a tribute to the beauty of the Arabic language, Bambi will leave you with a few songs in Standard, Lebanese-, and Egyptian-Arabic (some sub-titled in English). Long live efficient interpersonal communication, along with enriching cultural exchanges, among people and nations. Even if she loves languages such as Arabic, and including the one of music, what matters the most for Bambi is the language of love and shared humanity.

Québec and Canada, and with them the entire world of music, are lucky to have many highly talented singers. Mr. Mario Pelchat is one of them and Bambi adores his voice.

If you are interested, in the YouTube video below, you can listen to him singing one of the most beautiful Christmas carols or hymns of the French language [OK according to Bambi and you have the right to disagree with her taste :)].

Whether you like Mr. Pelchat’s voice or not, or Christmas songs or not, have a good one everyone!

Bambi has been silent lately. On the one hand, she has been too busy. On the other hand, she had nothing specific to write about and share with you. However, tonight, she does not want to go to sleep without spoiling her own ears, along with her soul, with the uniquely powerful voice of Ms. Ginette Reno. How could she not take a moment to share her treat with you then, along with her gratitude to the generosity of the YouTube user who made the video public?

Of course, the “Un peu plus haut” song is not new (it was posted on this blog in the past). Yet it moves Bambi’s heart each time she listens to it. Thanks to Mr. Jean-Pierre Ferland who wrote it in 1969. Of note, in 2003, this beautiful song became part of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (https://shorturl.at/uyBEJ). Bravo!

Born in Ontario, Mr. Demian Robitaille is a French-Canadian singer-songwriter who is full of talent. Bambi just discovered his apparently four-year-old Christmas song now. What a unique little musical treat. She hopes you will enjoy this melody as much as she did.

With its simple yet deep lyrics, Mr. Robitaille’s song referred to the magic of Christmas by describing the latter as “the dream of all children, aged 4 to 99 years old“. Yes, we all have an inner child, even when we are in our fifties or even nineties. It is perhaps in more emotionally challenging times that we need to remind ourselves to take good care of this child like tender parents would do.

Regardless of the seasons in our lives, and despite our responsibilities, may we all keep the spirit or lightness of this child within us alive at all times. This is necessary if we want to keep dreaming of or to allow ourselves to enjoy the little wonders of our world. For Bambi, the Christmas season is definitely one of the latter.

Like today, forty-three years ago, the world of music lost Mr. John Lennon. He was only 40 years old. Our troubled world needs a bit more of Mr. Lennon today (https://shorturl.at/fkxyA). Thankfully, his music outlived him so we can keep dreaming of a sweeter world and of more sweetness in each one of us.

At the end of a long day, Bambi will pause with a loving thought for a country she loves dearly. Yes, she means Armenia. Indeed, those who knew her as a child, or who regularly read this blog, may recall that her nickname is “Bambineh” :). It means “I am Bambi” in the beautiful Armenian language.

Bearing the above in mind, why is Bambi thinking of Armenia today? Well, thirty-five years ago (precisely on December 7, 1988), it was hit by a devastating earthquake, which killed between 25,000 and 50,000 people in addition to up to 130,000 who were injured (https://shorturl.at/hIMN5). Those of us old enough may recall the sad TV images about this natural tragedy. Thankfully, we can also remember Mr. Charles Aznavour’s fantastic French song, which helped raise much needed funds for the Armenian people.

To end this post in music, Bambi will start with Aznavour’s song. Selfishly, she will also spoil her own ears (and hopefully yours too :)) with an Armenian (+ French and English) love song, which she adores. May love and peace prevail in Armenia and everywhere.

Bambi is thinking of all her loved ones called Nicolas, Nkoula, Nicole, Sarah-Nicole, etc. Those on earth and those in heaven. She would like to offer them all a joyful kids’ song about the SWEET character of Saint Nicholas!

The above song is followed by another joyful kids’ song for Hannukah. May the beautiful lights of the menorah bring healing, along with love, to our deeply troubled world. Happy Hannukah to this blog’s readers who will soon celebrate this Jewish festival!

Both Mr. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Mr. Johnny Holiday died on December 5. The former in 1791 (at age 35; https://shorturl.at/qAMT8). The latter in 2017 (at age 74; https://shorturl.at/djt36). Thank goodness, they existed. long live their eternal talent.

Bambi will begin by thanking one of her readers from Québec for attracting her attention about a freaky story, which recently occured in Moncton: the lovely Jewish menorah of Hannukah, which had been a 20-year tradition at city hall is now bothering some to the extent that the Mayor of this city decided to ban the outside decoration this year. Guess why? The stated, yet still unclear, reason is that it is related to the war in the the Middle East (https://shorturl.at/itDQ0). Nonsense. What does the peaceful New Brunswick, and its lovely Moncton, have to do with the bloody, and far away, Middle East?

Bambi, and MANY old immigrants like her, left the Middle East, precisely to appreciate Canada’s tolerant society. We are blessed to be able to co-exist, learn to know each other, enjoy friendships, and for some even find romantic love.

In other terms, Bambi and MANY old immigrants like her, do not want the Middle East’s conflicts to follow us to North America (and by extension to any other Western and tolerant country). Stated differently, we do not want any beautiful, spiritual or just cultural symbol removed to please any intolerant person or ideology, regardless of its source. Indeed, this is secondary. What matters the most is to preserve our tolerance and whom we are as Canadians.

Those who may be perhaps disturbed by the traditional menorah of Moncton city hall must perhaps consider either re-locating or closing their eyes while passing by it during the holiday season. However, for God’s sake, keep the magic on with the lovely decorations of the holiday season, that is those of Hannukah and Christmas.

May the light of the menorah open the minds of some intolerant people and keep building bridges among fellow Atlantic Canadians, whether they are Jewish or not. The latter is secondary too. What matters is our shared humanity.This being said, now is the time for an inspiring French song, which is entitled “La tolérance” [Tolerance]. It is by Mr. Enrico Macias and performed here by a certain talented Mr. Pascal Leyman. Following it, you can find an English translation by Bambi (taken from an older post).

First, here are the lyrics in English, followed by the original French:

“Tolerance is proof of love and intelligence

Tolerance is respect for life in all countries

Tolerance is to have a lot of indulgence for your neighbour

Open your heart instead of clenching your fists

For no reason for nothing

All forgiven for the tears

Of a child or of a woman

We are never loved

By fear or by severity

Understanding the ideas of others

Without wanting to impose our own

It is in this world a virtue

That we lost

Tolerance is reasoning about the passions of difference

Tolerance means recognizing to everyone their divine rights

Tolerance is the last chance for today’s humans

If they don’t want to no longer live in freedom

in a few years

Despite the many disagreements that still exist between us

Everything can be discussed if we know how to forgive first

Whatever the naysayers of all stripes can write

Mourning the future, I still refuse

Tolerance will eventually win out over backbiting

And on that day, on earth

There won’t be happier than me”

Original French lyrics of Mr. Macias’ song:

« La tolérance, c’est une preuve d’amour et d’intelligence
La tolérance, c’est le respect de la vie dans tous les pays
La tolérance, c’est d’avoir pour son prochain beaucoup d’indulgence
Ouvrir son cœur au lieu de fermer les poings
Sans raison pour rien

Tout excusé devant les larmes
D’un enfant ou bien d’une femme
On est jamais aimé
Par crainte ou par sévérité
Comprendre les idées des autres
Sans vouloir imposer les nôtres
C’est dans ce monde une vertu

Que nous avons perdue

La tolérance, c’est raisonner les passions de la différence
La tolérance, c’est reconnaitre à chacun tous ses droits divins
La tolérance, c’est pour les hommes d’aujourd’hui la dernière chance
S’ils ne veulent pas ne plus vivre en liberté
dans quelques années

Malgré les nombreux désaccords qui entre nous existent encore
Tout peut se discuter si l’on sait pardonner d’abord
Qu’importe ce que peuvent écrire les défaitistes de tous bords
Porter le deuil de l’avenir, je m’y refuse encore

La tolérance finira par l’emporter sur la médisance
Et ce jour là, sur terre
Il n’y aura pas plus heureux que moi»