While still in Beirut, Bambi could not help not to share with you, dear readers, her quick reflection about how to survive in Lebanon given the highly unstable region and the complex domestic issues.
She gave it some thought and here are two elements of a possible answer to this existential question.
First, you can get inspired by street cats: taking naps on scooters, royally sitting on cars, or finding other comfortable ways to relax.
Second, you may wish to get inspired by T-shirts like the one in the picture below: “I don’t give a damn” OR “I don’t care” [“Je m’en fous” OR “Je m’en fiche”].
Both options are about attitude.
The cat way seems in line with the practice of mindfulness, which can train individuals to reach a calm mental state and be in a mental space of positive emotions.
The human way of “not giving a damn” is more in line with a voluntary state of “indifference“. Perhaps the latter is also in harmony with the psychological concept called “radical acceptance”, which facilitates the acknowledgement of circumstances we cannot control (without judgment, just acknowledging them) in order to ease one’s emotional distress.
May all the cats and human beings of Lebanon be safe and sound, regardless of the awful circumstances in the neighbourhood and domestically.
A picture taken by Bambi in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 16, 2025.
An older picture taken by Bambi in Beirut, Lebanon.
An older picture taken by Bambi in Beirut, Lebanon.
In a few hours, Beirut time, it will be Nicolas’ birthday!
A few hours ago, Tokyo’s time, Nicolas asked Mabelle to marry him… and guess what? She said YES!
His proposal was highly creative: two Japanese street artists [his friends :)] agreed to pretend to be drawing a painting for Mabelle. The painting was already produced by Nicolas himself, wow. Mabelle understood the message, especially when Nicolas knelt on his knees and proposed :). Needless to say, that she said YES! YAY!
Regardless of their uplifting Japan-based proposal, Nicolas and Mabelle make a beautiful couple. May God always bless them. For those who do not know it, Nicolas is not just Bambi’s nephew, but also her godson. Full of talent, he is awesome with his lovely character, mind, heart, and soul. Just like the meaning of her name in French, the gifted Mabelle is a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul. They deserve all the happiness in the world. May their love for each other continue to bloom, as they embark on their exciting journey of increased commitment.
Mabrouk/Congrats DEAREST Mabelle ❤️and Nicolas ❤️!
Happy Birthday Nicolas-HABIBI ❤️!!
The “proposal” painting that Nicolas offered to Mabelle, along with a ring of love!
Upon returning home, to quickly finalize her work day and start the road trip to the nearest airport, a mother and a daughter knocked on Bambi’s door. Bambi hesitated before opening it. Indeed, she did not expect anyone. She was too busy.
She finally opened the door and a woman, apparently preaching for evangelism, told her that she is here to talk about “the end of war”. Bambi greeted this woman and the child, telling them that there is nothing like peace, she agrees. However, she thanked them and said sorry because she cannot chat. She was in a rush, leaving the house soon. They told her they were Jehova’s Witnesses and talk about the topic of end of wars to others as well. She said good-bye without informing them that she was travelling to the Middle East, which they seemed to refer to. How ironic.
This brief interaction about end of war seems to be in line with the Canadian Encyclopedia’s description of Jehova’s Witnesses: its members are known for their “refusal to bear arms, salute flags or accept blood transfusions” (https://tinyurl.com/yt5xxm7u).
Once inside the house, Bambi could not help not to visualize in her mind an old scene from the Lebanese civil war when two members of Jehova’s witnesses knocked on her parents’ apartment door. They chose a vulnerable moment, following the death of seven people on their street because of the harshness of a military weapon called organ of Stalin. Bambi will always remember this horrible day of her life, which took place after several sleepless nights because of the intense battles.
At the time, her senses were quite sharp, even more than ever. For instance, she had a premonitory dream about the mortality. She even told her parents about this dream when she woke up on this day. Somehow, without understanding how or why, her brain predicted the seven deaths. War times are a different beast than the peaceful daily life, whether the latter is hectic or not.
Back then, Bambi may have been harsher on the unsolicited two guests. When they asked her “if she likes to live in a place, like the kingdom of God, where there is no war” She replied: “NO, I love wars, suffering and even dying. I like it when I am shattered into 100 pieces”. She said so while closing the apartment door in a louder way than the usual. You can think that she lost it on those preachers, even if, like them, she values peace. Clearly she is not a fan of weapons and is not into killing of others. With all due respect to all religious groups, including the Jeovah’s Witnesses, she does not like seeing someone apparently exploiting vulnerable moments in the lives of anyone, including herself.
From the first story of her adolescence to the latest story of her middle age, sadly nothing seems to have changed in the world, and especially in the Middle East, when it comes to the cruelty of conflicts, terror, and wars. Thankfully, there are MANY folks who silently work for not just end of conflicts, but also their prevention. Perhaps even more significantly, they work for increased healing and for love. Today more than ever, the world needs healing and hope for more loving times. This is Bambi’s wish for the Middle East on this day of exchange of hostages and prisoners on the two sides of an endless conflict. It is also her wish for the entire world, especially its hot spots and anywhere, including North America.
Bambi is grateful for the present moment, today more than ever.
As for you, dear readers, Happy Thanksgiving from the bottom of the heart. Whether your celebrate Canada’s Thanksgiving or not, Bambi thanks you for your time each time you read her blog and for your continuous support. This being said, heartfelt warm regards to Greta (with much positive vibes and love ❤️!) as well as to Aline/Nabil et al. and to Mustapha and Myriam. Thank you ❤️ for your kindness with Bambi and her spouse.
This brief post includes a few pictures and a brief video taken by Bambi yesterday evening (or was it this morning?) during a 24hour-long trip from Atlantic Canada to the Middle East. If you are one of her cousins or childhood friends living in Beirut, you understand now that she is geographically closer to you. This for four more nights only. This trip was a last minute one. She sadly did not have the time to breath to share her travels plans. She sends your her love through this post ❤️.
To come back to the trip again, with its three airplanes, it is always heart-warming for Bambi to see an Air Canada airplane close to the Middle East Airlines (Air Liban), like in Europe. Additionally, upon her arrival to her final destination in the Lebanese capital, it was cool to see, among the passengers, a fan of the “Montreal Canadiens” [Les Canadiens de Montréall”]: ). Long live Canada’s hockey teams, professional and junior ones!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving [minus the turkey : )], and before sharing the pictures and video, this post starts with a handwritten Arabic note of Mr. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)’s most inspiring prayers by Bambi when she was a child. Many thanks to Antoine (Bambi’s dad) for having typed this poem for her a few years ago . This copy, which is attached to the wall in her office at home back in Sackville, has inspired her during hardship. MANY thanks now to Roula (Bambi’s thoughtful sister) for giving her the original, which was a childhood gift from Bambi to their late mom ❤️. It is her sweet gesture that partly inspired this post. Despite the many years separating her from her childhood, Bambi still knows Tagore’s poem by heart. Who knows? Maybe she has a good memory? Or she had been a diligent student in elementary school? Regardless, she was surely blessed with amazing teachers :).
Happy Thanksgiving again! Bonne Action de grâce!
Tagore’s prayer in English.
Tagore’s original poem in Bengali, an Eastern Indo-Aryan language.
A picture taken by Roula and shared with Bambi in the past 24 hours. This note’s language is Classical, or Standard, Arabic.
Forty-seven years ago, like today, Mr. Jacques Brel took his last breath (https://tinyurl.com/8v9ptm6e). Thanks to the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, we learn that Brussels-born Brel was a remarkable pilot who adored the Québécois French language (https://tinyurl.com/ytntkw2m).
As a brief musical tribute, this post shares three of Mr. Brel’s superb songs, which are performed below by himself and by two of Québec’s most beautiful voices, Ms. Isabelle Boulay and Ms. Marie-Élaine Thibert.
Thanks to Mr. Jacques Brel for having existed. May his memory be eternal.
NO to massacres, kidnapping, rape, and disrespect of deceased innocent people, including the Israelis. May everyone’s memory be eternal. May those still kidnapped return safely to their loved ones.
NO to forces that hijack beautiful religions or use an unsolved conflict to justify barbarity.
Just before sleep soon, Bambi came across this YouTube magnificent performance by Mr. Vladimir Korneev! Roula F. from Montreal, this is for you with much love :).
Bambi is crazy busy working today. She just took the time to read the news quickly now during a fast break.
Thanks to the Lebanese L’Orient Le Jour, she learned that Amsterdam streets were filled with a huge demonstration calling for support for the Palestinians (https://tinyurl.com/227ync7f). At the same time, she read that “thousands protested in Paris for the release of Hamas hostages” (https://tinyurl.com/3juyk4pz). Bravo for both demonstrations showing humanity and support for the innocent victims of this endless world’s conflict.
However, it is Bambi’s dream to one day see people walking together, asking for peace and justice for all the victims combined: the traumatized Gazans (Palestinians), suffering beyond imagination, and the traumatized hostages and their families who have been suffering, beyond imagination, since the 7th of October 2023, along with the still speechless innocent Israeli population. Why should one call for justice in one demonstration exclude, and at times be hostile, to the other call for justice in the other demonstration? Why can’t people walk hand in hand, putting pressure on everyone involved in this tragic human fiasco, asking them all to STOP the violence?
No to senseless terror and absurd wars. Yes for reason, kindness, peace, healing, and forgiveness. So one day love can triumph not just on the ground in the Middle East, but also in our hearts and behaviour, wherever we are and whomever we are. May “all the children of all the countries“, just like in the beautiful song of Mr. Enrico Macias (performed below in French and Arabic by Lebanese kids), be allowed to play and grow up in safety, harmony, affection, and peace.
Bambi met her childhood friend Joëlle on the 4th of October 1975, precisely 50 years ago (6 months following the start of the Lebanese civil war) . They were both 3 years old (ie., Bambi three months older!). It was their very first day of school in Beirut. Of note, at that time, Joëlle had a cast around her broken leg. Bambi was fascinated by the white stuff around her new friend’s limb. Perhaps other kids also were impressed by Joëlle’s cast because a few days later the teacher allowed them to draw something on it. Wow.
Beyond any cast and the little chat of two three-old girls about it or about the injury, Joëlle and Bambi literally grew up together. Year after year, they deepened the bond of their long and enriching friendship in both Lebanon and Cyprus (where Joëlle lived for a while and Bambi escaped war there from time to time). They both keep fond memories from this charming island and from their beloved birth country while being a proud American (Joëlle) and Canadian (Bambi) respectively.
Bearing this beautiful story above in mind, and with much love 💚, Bambi wishes Joëlle [or Jojo :)!] a wonderful birthday and a lovely weekend. May her forthcoming year be merry and fulfilling. Long live their lifetime sisterhood and may God keep blessing it!
Is there anything more beautiful to the ears than Mr. Nicola Ciccone’s voice?
The first English song does not need introductions and Bambi loves Mr. Ciccone’s version.
The second song by Mr. Ciccone is a recent one with meaningful English lyrics.
The third Italian song celebrates the piece of Italy in Québec, Canada. Bambi offers it to all her Italian-Canadian friends and readers of this blog, especially to Mirella from Montreal.
As for the last French song, with much love, it is dedicated to all of you, dear readers, especially Bambi’s beloved family in Beirut. Yes, life is beautiful. May we all enjoy the little simple things and remember to remain grateful. May we make the best out of all our days or seasons of life, both light and tougher ones.
