Author: Bambi

This post will start with an addendum, which usually is supposed to go at the end of documents or posts, etc. It is way too important to leave it until the end.

Bambi was awaiting midnight to post this surprise for her niece Karen when her sister Roula wrote, minutes before the breaking news from Nurdagi in Turkey and across the Middle East nearby region, including Lebanon. She informed her about the BIG scare her family and herself had in the middle of the night due to a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which sadly killed at least 5-10 people in Turkey (from early conflicting reports). How terrible. How scary. Bambi’s heart goes to the Turkish people right now. She also feels for everyone across the region, including Beirut where she saw pictures of at least one damaged apartment in An Nahar. She could not help not to think of the fear of people as they may have perhaps recalled the surrealistic port explosion of their city. Roula also informed her that they also felt another (smaller or shorter) earthquake following it. Anyhow, she hopes that Karen (and Rana also featured in this post) were not too scared. She hopes her own parents were not too affected.

OK, the addendum is officially over. Time to highlight Karen’s birthday now. On that note, Bambi has always remembered everyone’s birthday. She wakes up in the morning telling her spouse: today is the birthday of so and so… Sometimes it goes to second generations even, if not more (kids of friends, etc.). She often even jokes, telling him that if she ever develops dementia, the saddest part for her would be to forget the birthdays of her loved ones.

Well, we do not have to go that far in our imagination. Even with a good memory like an elephant, one must keep in mind that our memories are far from being perfect.

Yes, sometimes we skip significant dates. The ultimate rather funny example of this imperfection is actually today, which started two days ago on this blog :). Indeed, before sending her best wishes to her niece Karen, Bambi would like to wish her cousin Rana a Happy (REAL!) Birthday, as both of them share this important day! As per the older post on cousins shown below, Bambi made you Rana slightly older, by mistake. Strategically, she made your brother slightly younger (so she can devote a post to both of you together). Thank Goodness, Karen’s birthday is accurate. Yes, there is hope for Bambi’s memory :).

This being said, and most importantly, Bambi wants to honour you Karen [or “Karrouna” :)] now with a couple of words and in music. You are one of your aunt’s precious blessings in life. Thank you for having existed in the two chapters of your/her life, that is in Canada and Lebanon. Sometimes, it is hard for Bambi’s mind to fully capture all those years, which turned you from the CUTEST baby/little girl you have been in Montreal to the MOST beautiful AND brilliant woman you are right now, living abroad. Bambi loves you beyond words; she is very PROUD of you! She also loves Georges a lot and wishes you both a beautiful life together. Spending time with you this past summer was a dream come true. She looks forward to our next family encounters and celebrations. Until then, all the best!

After the wishes, now is the time to end your post Karen with music, hoping you will enjoy it❤️; thanks to the anonymous person who posted a public Happy Birthday on YouTube meant for someone with your name :). It is yours now!

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Long live Bambi’s cousins: Happy Birthday to Rana… and again to “Khello”!

Sometimes, Bambi seems to be living on a different planet, especially when it comes to new movies, songs, trends, etc.

However, she knows “Seul” [Alone] very well. It is a Garou’s famous song from 2000. Well, today, she had the pleasure of discovering a 2020 version of this deep song. Lovely. Thank you Garou.

The lyrics of of “Seul” were written by Mr. Luc Plamondon. For those who are interested in an English translation, there is one following the song (taken from https://bit.ly/3DDJzTx).

“So many times have I tried

To touch the stars

And while falling down

I often I hurt myself

So many times did I believe

That I have crossed the limits

But every time a woman

Put me back into the orbit

So many times have I climbed

To the top of the highest peaks

But I found myself

Alone down in the abyss

Alone down in the abyss

He who has never been alone

Not even once in his life

Alone in his bed

Alone at the end of the night

He who has never been alone

Not even once in his life

Will he know how to just love

Will he ever know how to love

So many friends have left

Overnight

And I know today

That I could die tomorrow

It seems like we have everything

Money,love, glory

There will always be a night

When you find yourself alone

Alone right at the beginning

He who has never been alone

Not even once in his life

Alone in his bed

Alone at the end of the night

He who has never been alone

Not even once in his life

Will he know how to just love

Will he ever know how to love

So many time have I been

To the end of my dreams

That I will go on

Just until I break down

That I will go on

That I will go on

He who has never been alone

Not even once in his life

Alone in his bed

Alone at the end of the night

Will he know how to just love

Never, never

I will go on

I will go on

Will he ever know how to love”.

Bambi respects and loves Ms. Tulsi Gabbard a lot.

With all due respect to everyone, too bad she is not leading her county right now.

This being said, she may be busy doing better than governing. In Bambi’s mind, she is being the voice of reason and, most importantly, the voice of the people from whom our world leaders seem to be so disconnected, despite any of their good intentions.

Thank you for thinking of us in Canada, Ms. Gabbard.

Bambi’s spouse has a wise yet funny friend who used to say: “Every family has a weird cousin. If you do not know who is that one, it is probably you :)”. Anyhow, weird or not, Bambi is blessed to have adorable cousins on both sides of the family.

Today happens to be the birthday of Rana. Happy Birthday to her, filled with love, across the miles! Bambi will always remember what you did to her and to Laila this past summer, as per the posts shown further below. You made them discover a charming region of Lebanon called Batroun. Despite harsh economic times, you drove through the mountains all the way down by the Mediterranean sea. You took them to visit pieces of heaven Bambi did not even know they existed. We met welcoming local people who made us taste delicious fruits and guess the name of plants and trees. If you recall, Bambi failed the test of both the Cedar and the Zaatar. What a shame! We also had fun sunset adventures, getting lost in Lebanese and almost even American military bases :). We started the trip during the day and returned to Beirut in the middle of the night. What an unforgettable day. Thanks again; may tiny, bankrupt, yet eternally beautiful Lebanon finally see brighter days!

The paragraph above was devoted to you Rana. Now, it is the turn of “Khello”. Yes, you Khalil. Happy Birthday again and may you have a wonderful year ahead! See, Bambi made you younger by a couple of days today. Enjoy :). Seriously, what can she say about you? And what about your lovely family? She loves you all from the bottom of her heart and she feels proud of your children. She will always cherish all our fun childhood memories as well as the more recent ones, including the precious moments with Zeina [who knows how to hold secrets about surprises so well :)]. Thanks again for your personalized New Year best wishes video. How sweet of you.

To conclude this post, let’s end with music meant for both of you, dear cousins ❤️❤️!

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Batroun, Lebanon: A place forever associated with you Rana… and thank you Laila for capturing its magical sunset!

Batroun: What a lovely place in Lebanon!

Thankfully, Canada has incredibly gifted artists, like Mr. Nicola Ciconne, who interpret Ms. Ginette Reno’ and Mr. Daniel Lavoie’ famous songs in a such a beautiful way. The lyrics of the two songs featured in this post are in French.

The first song reminds us of the most essential in life and yes it is love. It is simply “the little efforts we make that really count“. An example is “when someone calls our name in such a way that sounds genuine and kind“.

The second song evokes a love between two people trapped in a hostile world. Think of all the violence and the threats. Think of hate. Think of indifference or exploitation. Yet, these two lovers seek to overcome all the latter through their pure and most genuine love; yes, “they love each other like children, despite the look of despair and the statistics, they love each other like children”. As the songs keeps going: “They are the children of the bomb, of disasters, of the rumbling threat”… yet, “they are armed to the teeth”.

As for you dear Mr. Nicola Ciconne, please keep singing and sharing your talent with the world!

Bambi would like to thank Louis for sharing the following two articles. The first is from the National Post and it informs us that an Ontario school seems to have lost its sense of love, due to much wokeism (https://bit.ly/3Y1GoNF). Yes, it is now banning Valentine’s Day because it harms “equity goals“. Luckily, the second article is more filled with love. It is from Al Arabiya News (https://bit.ly/3HSBtZP) and it informs us that celebrations of love, on Valentine’s Day, are now licit in a Saudi Arabia, which its historic radical Islamist way of living resulted in many years where shops where banned from selling flowers.

Good for Saudi stores now because they can sell flowers. Good for the Saudi people because they can now offer flowers to their loved ones. May love, and economic prosperity associated with this day, always prevail not just in this country, but around the world too!

As for the Ontario school, which banned cards and candies in the name of equity (i.e., because some do not celebrate Valentine’s day), Bambi would like to offer it two songs. The first is in English and it is the “I love you, you love me” kids’ song. The second French-song is entitled “Mais je t’aime” [“But I love you“]. It is a VERY romantic love duo song, which Bambi discovered last week. Thank you Mr. “Grand Corps Malade” and Ms. Camille Lelouche for making us think of of love and dream of its happy outcomes. If you are interested, you can read the English lyrics following the song below.

Is there anything more meaningful and beautiful than love in our world? Long live love in all its forms and shapes, whether on Valentine’s Day or not, whether with a big L or a small one, whether we are old or young, single or in a relationship. Yes, is there anything more meaningful and beautiful than love in our world?

“But I love you

https://bit.ly/3Y1IfSD

[Camille Lellouche]

But don’t give me that! You know,

What is wrong with me,

Don’t expect too much

You know, the estrangements are profound

Without me, don’t hold on too tightly

If you have any doubts , don’t hold on too tightly

If it costs you, don’t let me leave you

Even though I am sure of myself

I give you everything that I have,

So try to see in me that…

I love you

But I love you

I love you, I love you

I love you, I love you

I love you, as strong as I can

I love you, and I do my best

[ Grand Corps Malade]

I have been told “ wait!

You will see, love is a big fire.”

It sizzles, It illuminates, It shines, It warms ,It stings the eyes

It sends hundreds of fireflies up there to the sky

Suddenly it lights up and it sheds lights on the world and city differently

We lit the match for sparks of our beginnings

We fed this fireplace with our overindulgence, with our exaggerations

We loved each other more than anything, Alone in our own little world

These flames drove us crazy

We forgot that in the end, the fire burns

[ Camille Lellouche]

And I love you

I love you, I love you

I love you, I love you

I love you, as strong as I can

I love you, and I do my best

[Grand Corps Malade]

I approach very close to our fire and I am sweating with bitterness

I see these yellow and blue flames are dancing, and the passion is burning

Why when love is strong it makes us vulnerable and fragile

I think of us and I stagger, why since then nothing is easy

I love you on fire, I love you in gold

I love you anxiously, I love you strongly

I love you for both of us, I love you wrongly

It’s perilous, I still love you

Well it is true it pierces me

I love you ponderously, I love you wobbly

Of course, it devours me

I know so much that I love you poorly

[ Camille Lellouche]

If I move on with you

It’s because I see myself doing this dance in your arms

Expectations, I don’t have any

You give me so much love, so much strength

That I can no longer do without you

If my words hurt you, it is not your fault

My wounds are from yesterday, There are days which are harder than others

If my words weigh on you

It is not my fault

It is not my fault

But I love you

I love you, I Love you

I love you

I love you, I love you

I love you, as strong as I can

I love you, and I do my best ( you love me, and you do your best)

But, I love you ( I love you)“.

Twix, shown in the picture above, died at the noble age of 13.

He lived a LONG dog life filled with love and joy; thanks to you Dima who took care of him with such an inspiring care until his last breath. Thanks also to Rana and Jeff as well as Mary, Mounir, and Jad.

As you can see in the picture above, Twix was a bundle of joy, putting a smile on everyone’s faces, not just Dima’s, bu also her family members’ and friends’, including Bambi and her spouse.

He survived the Beirut explosion and enjoyed the peace of Moncton, New Brunswick, until he left our world.

He was fun and SO funny. He also knew his body and age limit very well. He kindly and joyfully greeted guests (humans and deer) and then alternated dog welcoming excitement with napping times, as needed.

Bambi will take this opportunity to thank all those who took care of Twix in the two chapters of his life, Lebanon and Canada, from family members to care providers. She will also name someone who also was there for him in the last moments across the miles. Yes, it is you Gina.

To come back to you Twix, Bambi was honoured to spend Christmas with you (OK with human friends too…!). Thank you again Dima for those unforgettable heart-warming moments and incredible meal. She sadly did not have enough time to see Twix/you since then, but he will always be in her heart. As for you (as well your family in NB and Lebanon), Bambi sends you all, and especially you Dima, a BIG virtual hug with much love ❤️! As you know, we are family too, not just close friends. Your sorrow is naturally her grief too. She looks forward to seeing you soon… “inshallah”; this time with one of us missing… because he is more happily resting in heaven.

How sad to see some individuals or organizations in Ottawa, our charming capital, pushing to make it look more like a banana republic when it comes to freedom of expression, democratic pluralism, and intellectual debate.

Indeed, several NGOs and interests groups, many of which are federally-funded, called for the cancellation of his talk. However, Mr. Rex Murphy informed us, in an article published in the National Post entitled “Goodness, gracious, Ottawa survived Jordan Peterson” of the following happy outcome: Dr. Peterson’s talk was a full house event at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa (https://bit.ly/3wO4TlF). Bravo for the successful public event!

Yes, Bambi described the outcome above as being “happy” because, like the friend who shared this article with her, she strongly believes in the value of freedom of expression. For her, it is very simple: you like to listen to Dr. Peterson, go to his public event(s). You do not like Dr. Peterson’s ideas or even character or whatever else related to him, do not go to his public event(s). However, for God’s sake do not impose your intolerance of different ideas on all of us. Do not make us more and more look like a banana republic than a free, democratic country.

Luckily, even countries at risk of becoming failed states or true banana republics, at least economically speaking, still have freedom of the press. For instance, An Nahar published an article entitled “Where every dollar makes the best gains; in Arabic: حيث يحقق كل دولار أفضل المكاسب. (https://bit.ly/3Yd5w3Q) co-signed by our own Dr. Jordan Peterson. Guess what? The article was professionally written. It did not include highly charged terms, like “a controversial professor”, as the Canadian mainstream media do. It only stated this professor’s name, title, credentials, and titles of books. It is up to people to decide whether they wish to read his text or any of his books. It is not up to the media to direct their thoughts into rejecting or endorsing his thoughts or findings. Why can’t we do the same in Canada anymore?

Luckily, to end on a more joyful note, Canada now has at least two provinces with either a bill (Québec, as shown below) or a promise for a legal action (Alberta; https://bit.ly/3RpMS6E) to protect academic freedom. It is both refreshing and absurd when we need governments to interfere to remind academics of the value of academic freedom and freedom of expression. Nevertheless, it is a move in the right direction, even if applications of bills may not be optimal in the end. Will it be enough and what is next for Canada? Only time will tell, of course. For now, Bambi wants to celebrate the hope for brighter days ahead.

—

Supporting Academic Freedom: Bravo to Québec Minister of Higher Education for speaking out against censorship and discrimination in the universities of her province!

A while ago, Bambi translated Ms. Yasmine Ali’s beautiful Egyptian-Arabic song, entitled “Meeting new people, leaving other people” into English, as per the older post shown at the end of this one.

Today, this song was on her mind since this morning. If she may, she would like to share what she thinks is a lovely a cappella performance of it by Lebanese singer Shireen ABusaad.

Each of our relationships can teach us a precious lesson. May your life be enriched with meaningful relationships, whether they last a season or a lifetime.

“We meet new people, we leave other people.

Our life can change, or turn upside down, in one second. What can we do?

This one is harming another person, this one is being hurt. This one is living in the past.

And our life conditions are baffling. If we are satisfied, they will deteriorate. Yes, we will be upset.

 And whose life is always safe? No one can guarantee the future days.

The one who is satisfied with his life conditions and differentiates between “halal” (good or allowed in life) and “haram” (unlawful or prohibited).

A question and its answer, we know it, although one day we will forget it, and what do we take with us in the end?

As long as we leave the world and we will leave it, why will we be upset?

A piece of advice, just live and do not let anything disturb your peace of mind.

Take one minute only to look around you and you will see the sun shining brightly.

And then, at the height of the night, you will see the beautiful moon enlightening you.

Other than joy and laughter, do not leave in your features when you will go.

What are you arranging and calculating? What will happen will end up happening to you.

Hope is so close to those who want to see it. You will be optimistic, and life will laugh back to you, in the blink of an eye, and the world will be yours.

Our lives are hours that we paint and beautify with colours.

With one colour, we choose to end life and with another colour we can give our life safety.

Tomorrow your worries will pass; there is nothing that shall not pass.

A life that wants you to be strong; the more you feel empowered, the fullest you will live.

We meet new people, we leave other people.

Our life can change or turn upside down in one second, what can we do?“

—

The magic and power of love and hope in two beautiful songs

Today, the Government of Québec called for the resignation of the federal representative against Islamophobia. Bravo because her nomination is a joke, to say the least (https://bit.ly/3HntPW3), as per the two posts shown further below.

Now the question that begs itself is the following:

Talking about this Mr. Elghawaby, Mr. Trudeau said that “over the years, she has had the opportunity to consider the impacts of various pieces of legislature on the community — part of what makes her role important. He said Elghawaby was appointed because she knows the Muslim community well and can share their concerns. She is there to speak for the community with the community and build bridges. Her job now is to make sure that she is helping the government and helping everyone move forward in the fight against Islamophobia”.

Since when there is one single Muslim community, Mr. Trudeau? Since when there is one single Jewish community as well?

Ms. Elghawaby may know how to speak our government language well. Hence her political nomination. She surely does not represent the majority of the Canadian Muslims (and specifically women; some are observant and others are not), whether of Arabic ethnolinguistic background or not. Same for Mr. Bernie Farber, he does not represent all the Canadian Jews, for sure.

So, Mr. Trudeau, how can you talk about “bridge building” when Ms. Elghawaby’s words are too divisive and too disrespectful toward the people of Québec and their democratic choices? Do you really think that we are too stupid to this extent to swallow your descriptive words?

In other terms, words have meaning, Mr. Trudeau (at least still in Bambi’s dictionary, even in our collectively insane times). When you allowed yourself to call a political opponent “racist” or your fellow Canadians, who did not get vaccinated, “racist and misogynistic extremists“, how can we believe you now when you tell us that Ms. Elghawaby is a bridge builder?

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Mr. Pierre Poilievre: thank you for your wise words calling for unity, instead of increased divisiveness

Ms. Amira Elghawaby: She called Québeckers “Islamophobic” as she dislikes their secularism and Bill 21. Mr. Trudeau appointed her “Canada’ first representative to fight against Islamophobia”