Bambi's Thoughts
Many of you dear readers are fans of Ms. Leila Milki; some expressed your appreciation of her talent on this blog in earlier posts shown further below. Bambi hopes you will enjoy her latest project, like she did ❤️!
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Earlier posts on the much talented Lebanese-American singer, songwriter, and pianist Ms. Leila Milki:
Mr. Jad Dagher is full of talent. Bambi is not only impressed, but also proud!
Indeed, Jad Dagher is only 17. Yet he completed the Trinity College of London (Grade 8) program (https://bit.ly/3Z1qCDE). The latter is a highly prestigious and rigorous leading exam board and independent education charity. It has been providing assessments around the world since 1877. It specializes in assessing communicative and performance skills, including music, drama, English, and combined arts. The Trinity College of London has over 850,000 candidates per year in over 60 countries, imagine. Jad Dagher has been one of them. He is skilled in both sciences and music, among other skills. Bravo for his multi-talent, diligence, and beautiful attitude in life.
This post will focus on Mr. Dagher’s musical talent only. He began learning piano at age 7. Yesterday, on December 26, 2022, he gave his first performance on piano. He interpreted Bach, Mozart, Debussy, and Skoryk. His concert was followed by an opera concert featuring Ms. Maria Dudnik who was accompanied on piano by Ms. Kateryna Azzi. The latter is the Rock’N Bach School of Music and Art‘s piano teacher.
Following the poster below, you can appreciate Mr. Dagher’s INCREDIBLE talent. Notice how he has memorized the pieces he played. Of note, the last videos are Mozart’s 12 variations of “Twinkle Twinke Little Star” (https://bit.ly/2VBaI0U).
It takes an immense talent, much practice, and courage to perform solo as Mr. Jad Dagher did yesterday. Please, Jad, keep up BOTH your talent and dedication. Bravo for making us all proud and thank you for being an inspiration to Bambi ❤️!
Have you ever heard of or tasted a Lebanese desert called “Meghle”?
Bambi has two most recent memories of Meghle. The first dates from December 2019 when she visited her family in Beirut. The smell of the delicate flavours of anise, caraway, pistachio, coconut, and rose water woke her up upon her first morning in Lebanon. What a nice way to start a day, isn’t it? Bambi followed the smell to her mom’s kitchen, teasing her by asking if she had given birth to a baby sibling for her :)? Her mom explained that it was for both Baby Jesus and for Bambi’s sister, Roula, who likes this desert. Cool, Bambi thought!
Well, it seems that the recipe is relatively easy. Bambi does not trust her relatives when they say so, including her own spouse who is the king of their/his kitchen. They all say this and they most likely mean it, thanks to them. However, they forget sometimes that nothing is easy for those of us who are among the least talented of the common people :)!
Anyhow talking about ease in the kitchen, Bambi’s second most recent memory of Meghle is related to her cousin Samia from Sydney, Australia! When she visited Montreal, in just a few magical minutes, she prepared Meghle for her niece who was craving this delicious desert. Thankfully, there is something called sharing in life. We all got to taste her masterpiece of Meghle. Mmm!
Be honest with yourself, please: Are you salivating right now, like Bambi? If so, you may be perhaps interested in reading the Meghle recipe that Bambi found online for you (https://bit.ly/3GkKI48).
Below are brief videos about how to make Meghle in several languages: English, silent (except for the music language) with Arabic sub-titles, Arabic (by the talented Lebanese-American Chef Soha), French, and German.
To conclude this post, “Sahteen“, or Bon Appétit , as they say in Lebanon. “Mabrouk” and welcome to the newborn 🙂 in music with… two songs. The first is a kids’ song in English. The second, you can guess that it is Mr. Ramy Ayash’s Lebanese “Mabrouk” [Congrats!] song :)!
Silent (except or the music language :), English sub-titles
Bambi wishes her dear readers, especially those who highlight Christmas in one way or another, a Merry Christmas eve/day. She will do so in music with Bocelli’s beautiful voice. If she may, she will also add the following thoughts:
Be merry everyone, whether you celebrate or just respect the birth of “Baby Jesus” (tonight or maybe later in January?); whether you acknowledge his birthday, at least in the hearts of those who believe in him even if you don’t yourself; regardless of your own different faith or lack thereof, and last but not least regardless of your efforts of being, or just wanting to sound, too “inclusive” of others’ different traditions to the point of denying your own family heritage (cultural, historical, religious, etc.).
To conclude this brief musical post, please remember to be safe and let your hearts smile, not just during the holidays but throughout the year. Indeed, in addition to being enriching, life is more fun with smiles and/or laughter 🙂 ❤️!
Is there anything more moving than the lyrics of this prayer? Here is a quick English translation from Arabic for you. Mmm, what would have Bambi done without you, dear Mr. Google Translate? If she may, Bambi would like to dedicate this song to a reader who knows how to appreciate it. Yes, she is thinking of you, Achim, if you happen to be reading. She hopes you will enjoy this brief version. As for you Ms. Chantal Bitar, THANK you; Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!
“When we give a cup of water to a thirsty person, we are in Christmas.
When we clothe the naked in the garment of love, we are in Christmas.
When we hold back tears from our eyes, we are in Christmas.
When we brush hearts with hope, we are in Christmas.
Christmas night nullifies war.
Christmas night love grows.
Christmas night erases hatred.
Christmas eve buries war.
Christmas eve the earth blooms.
On Christmas eve, love grows”.
Thank you, Dr. Joseph Facal for your thoughtful article published yesterday in the Journal de Montréal (https://bit.ly/3jokwgj).
Below is a quick translation for you, thanks to Bambi’s faithful online friend, Mr. Google Translate.
Do you also see the increasing nonsense in Canada’s universities and, by extension, society?
If so, what can we collectively do about all this, in your opinion?
And if not, are your truly convinced of the added value of such ideologically-based positions? Or are you too politically correct to dare to question them like Dr. Facal?
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“Being ridiculed full-time does not hold back the University of Ottawa’s leaders.
The institution wants to hire an Assistant Professor in “Anti-racist Education”.
The contest ended yesterday.
“The research program would focus on anti-oppressive and inclusive education, anti-colonial perspectives, diasporas, critical theory, human rights and racialized perspectives […]. ».
Science?
A university professor is supposed to teach and do research.
Both teaching and research must aim for objectivity, which does not prohibit – it is the nature of trial and error that characterizes discoveries – speculation.
It is pure and simple hoaxes to claim “anti-racist” scientific research.
By definition, there is no “scientific” research if the answers are known in advance, or if you are only looking for what will reinforce a predetermined conclusion.
It is essentially militant discourse, more or less sophisticated catechism, spiced up with pseudo-scholarly expressions, conveyed by people who want academic positions.
And it works, as illustrated by the job advertisement mentioned above: positions, scholarships, public subsidies, etc.
It has come so far that hundreds of academics in Québec are currently mobilizing against the new criteria for awarding FRSQ research grants, which require candidates to explain how their project advances this ideological program.
Let’s get this straight: of course there is racism and racists, here as everywhere.
But these pseudo-researchers do not wish to clearly define the phenomenon.
They build and brandish a symbolic weapon, whose three sharp points could be expressed thus.
First, all of “white” society is racist.
Second, anti-white racism is marginal, if not non-existent, since only the white majority has the power to impose its racism on non-whites.
Third, the White who does not see how he is racist is a prisoner of his unconscious biases.
He is necessarily guilty and must ask for forgiveness.
Many of these academic pseudo-researchers are extraordinarily aggressive.
It’s not just because they’re fanatical.
It is also because they know that their academic production is so weak that it would hardly resist an evaluation according to the usual scientific criteria, that this examination must be prevented by violently attacking those who would like to look at it closely.
To justify their nonsense, they will invoke their “academic freedom”, the one they are so quick to want to suppress in others.
The cleverest have even found a way to make money with this new “anti-racism”: small companies of consultants moving full speed ahead to offer their services to sell training in EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion) in order to bring your employees in the luminous path of virtue.
React!
Many academics do not like that we denounce the abuses in academia.
It is true that such nonsense offends those who do serious work.
But it is precisely the fact of looking away instead of reacting that allows evil to spread”.
Bambi will always be grateful for her cousin Joumana for making her discover Mr. Omar Kamal, as per one of the older posts shown further below. Since that time, Bambi’s friend, Jacinthe, became a fan as well. Who knows? Perhaps you are also fond of Mr. Kamal’s talent [like you, Fatma :)]?
In case you do not know this incredibly talented musician and singer yet, below you can watch a brief five-year-old France24 English-speaking interview with him. From it, Bambi learned that he studied engineering in England. He chose a musical career instead. Thank goodness for us!
Anyhow, if she may, Bambi would like to end this brief post by thanking Mr. Omar Kamal for singing for Christmas from East to West in both Arabic and English!
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Did you know that the name of the winter season comes from an old Germanic term, which means “time of water”? Yes, it does and it refers to both rain and snow in middle and high latitudes (https://bit.ly/3BR8bYf).
Well, today is not just the first day of the winter season. It also happens to be the birthdays of President Macron and Ms. Jane Fonda. Happy birthday to all those celebrating their birthdays on this day, including them! Best wishes to all the pregnant women about to give birth on December 21st!
To celebrate the new season, Bambi will share meaningful songs about the winter in French, with the first having English and Spanish translation. The second Vigneault’s song is entitled “Mon pays c’est l’hiver” [My country is the winter]. It is interpreted by Mr. Mathieu Bellemare. The third video is in French, subtitled in English, in which some of you may recognize the famous and hilarious Têtes à Claque (https://bit.ly/3WfVtdO). Bambi thought of them this morning when she cleaned the car from a mixture of snow and rain :).
As for the last Lebanese song by Fairouz, which is sub-titled in English, it is meant to remind us that, even if the seasons or cycles of life change, some important matters like love remain constant in their depth. As the song goes, we remain in love with someone across the seasons (i.e., “in the summer as well as in the winter“). By extension, this song can be a celebration of another continuity, in an ever changing world, including values, ideas, drive, and/or spirituality or faith in humanity. The latter may seem like a stretch to Fairouz‘ song, which is strictly about romantic love. However, if LOVE with a big L (not just romance) is the glue among all this, what Bambi is trying to say may perhaps make more sense. Indeed, regardless of the season, it can result in the following beautiful outcomes: Loving life, living to love, welcoming affection in and between our hearts, leading an enriched life where the power and warmth of love transcend death.
Without much further philosophy, welcome to winter among us! Be safe everyone on the roads!
There is something comforting in the lights and in the melodies of our childhood. This post is about one of these melodies.
Yes, it is again selfishly about Bambi’s favourite song of all times since her early childhood. She already asked this question. Do you remember or can you still take a guess what she is talking about? Yes, once again, you got it right: it is “Petit Papa Noël” [Little Santa Claus]. Who knows? If you did not get it right, you may perhaps still have another test opportunity before this coming Christmas. If not, there is always next year :).
Below, Bambi will share with you an original French version by our most talented Mr. Maxime Landry. This will be followed by Ms. Mirelle Mathieu’s German version of Petit Papa Noël” and by two versions in Lebanese-Arabic.
For her own fun before sleep, Bambi will conclude this musical post with Baby Lilly kids’ version of the same song and with two different Arabic Santa-related songs from out of Beirut, Lebanon, one of them sub-titled in English.
Thank you Santa for the magic in our lives, regardless of our chronological age ❤️!
