Category: Sackville’s Memorial park

A few days ago, Bambi received a package with her name written on it in a particular way. She suspected a gift from either her sister Roula (from Beirut) or her friend Joëlle (from Florida). They both call her that way from time to time : ). Well, the gift turned out to be from Roula Azar-Douglas and the package went under the Christmas tree while Bambi focused on her intensive work.

On Christmas evening, about an hour before midnight, she could not wait anymore :). She opened the mysterious package. To her surprise, she discovered the most beautiful and significant gift ever for several reasons shared below, in both words and pictures, with Roula’s consent.

First, despite her busy schedule and many responsibilities, Roula took the time to think of her sister abroad. Very generously and tenderly, she sent her a meaningful gift for which she worked hard to ensure its timely arrival by Christmas. Here is the story of this gift journey, which Bambi learned about yesterday.

A few days ago, Roula and her spouse went to the theatre in Beirut, Lebanon. When they entered the place, they saw a young artist (or someone on his behalf?) selling his creation: puzzles of Beirut (https://tinyurl.com/msf69xz4), wow!

Of note, Roula knows how much puzzles mean to her sister. Along with reading, blog writing, and walking [when she is not too lazy :)], it is her favourite hobby. And what to say about Beirut, her birth place that she loves dearly? Indeed, during a couple of her last trips to the Middle East, she inquired about puzzles featuring landscapes of Beirut or Lebanon. She was systematically been told by a few shop owners the following: Sorry, it does not exist… yet. Well, thanks to artist/filmmaker Carlos Mounir Haidamous, Lebanese art puzzles are now available. Of note, according to his website, this much talented young creator seems to have produced three art puzzles thus far: two of Beirut and one of Baalbeck (https://tinyurl.com/2tp65jx5).

To come back to Roula, how did she manage to mail this gift to Bambi in a timely manner? Well, she went to Liban/Lebanon Post to do so. Unfortunately, she encountered a frustrating bureaucratic obstacle: the employee she dealt with insisted on seeing the gift receipt. Roula who did not have a receipt explained to this person where she bought the puzzle from. She argued about it to no avail. Once back home, she searched for the contact of the young artist to ask him for a receipt. He kindly and efficiently offered a more practical solution, which went as follows: she sent the puzzle back to him, via “Toters” (a widely used delivery service in Lebanon) and she ordered a new one using his website. This platform made the delivery of the purchased puzzle possible. Bambi did indeed receive it in Atlantic Canada. It arrived via China, which explains why the package was covered with the Mandarin language.

The story shared above made Bambi’s gift even more precious in her eyes. Thanks to Mr. Carlos Haidamous’ agency, Roula’s diligence, and to China, for making Bambi’ day :)!

If you think Roula’s act and words of love are moving, as shown below, check her gift to her two sisters last Christmas (2024). It is featured in the last picture of this post. The funny anecdote then was that Roula’s package got buried under snow for a few days. Thanks to Louis for kindly “unsnowing” it on time before Christmas eve : ).

To conclude this post, many thanks Roula for being who you are and for your PRECIOUS gift. You have warmed Bambi’s heart. Merry Christmas. Joyeux Noël, “ma grande” : )! As you can guess, Bambi loves you beyond puzzle pieces and blog’s posts ❤️. Please trust that she will use you cover gift to frame Mr. Haidamous’ uplifting art puzzle of our beloved Beirut. Long live Lebanon. May love, peace, humanity, natural beauty, and talent prevail in the Land of Cedars. May God keep on protecting all of you there. Happy 2026!

Whether you happen to celebrate Christmas or not, whether you highlight the birth of baby Jesus now, later in January, or never, may the spirit of this magical season warm the heart of your inner child. With much love, Bambi wishes each one of you, dear readers, a very Merry and Magical Christmas season!

French and international singer, songwriter, and actress Édith Piaf was born in Paris on December 19, 1915. She died in Grasse on October 10, 1963 (https://tinyurl.com/528axvxh).

This post is a brief musical tribute for her GREAT talent. It is also an opportunity for Bambi to take a little break from intense work : ).

May Piaf’s memory be eternal.

May the BEAUTIFUL voice of Ms. Marie-Élaine Thibert keep being a delight to our ears and hearts.

As for you dear readers, Bambi hopes you are well!

Bambi is shocked yet not surprised by the picture shared in this post, along with its description. Thanks to the Lebanese L’Orient Today for reporting it (https://tinyurl.com/vd8m3ud3).

When will the Iranian regime stop financing and promoting violence in Bambi’s birth country?

When will it stop fighting, or claiming to fight, Israel with the blood of young Lebanese men? Hands off tiny yet dignified Lebanon, which is fed up of this colonization by proxy and by being a battleground for the wars of foreign powers?

When will it stop using the tax money of its own beautiful Iranian citizens?

When will it stop pretending to care for the poor Palestinian people?

When will it finally act with civility in its region, leaving LEBANON—Palestine and Israel too—alone? When will the international community sufficiently address the Iranian problem?

Lebanon paid a significant price to all the problems of the area, including the Syrian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been weaponized by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Enough now.

At all times, and perhaps especially in the darker moments of our lives, humour has a healing power. Thankfully, the latter is free of charge and widely accessible to all of us.

Likely like many of you, dear readers, Bambi loves Mr. Rudy Ayoub’s sense of humour. She is fond of his multi-talent as actor, writer, music and song composer, singer, dancer, oud as well as guitar player, and communicator, etc.

This sketch made Bambi think of Dr. Ramani Durvasula’s outstanding book, entitled “Don’t You Know Who I Am?”: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility (shown below). Indeed, this is the exact question that came out of the mouth of “Arab dad”? If you watch until the end, you will see how Tyler, the clever salesman, outsmarted Mr. Ayoub’s dad by appealing to his fragile ego. If Bambi is not mistaken, this interaction might be the first sketch when this happens. Hence Tyler’s final wink to us, the viewers : ).

Bravo and thank you, Mr. Ayoub, for another funny sketch, which could be easily used in a course on narcissism.

It is disturbing to learn that a team of father and son were behind the horror of terror.

Thankfully, it is reassuring—and surely inspiring—to watch a hero of a man in action. Bless his heart and soul. May he heal well after his surgeries.

Despite hatred that blinded the hearts of the perpetrators of this senseless violence, there is something comforting about humanity when we learn that this hero’s name is Ahmad. It could have been David or Avi. It could have been John Smith or anything else.

No, it is Ahmad. Ironically, it is not just Ahmad. It is Ahmad El Ahmad (https://tinyurl.com/mrxzfcy3). Perhaps this coincidence is meant to remind us that love, humanity, compassion, and at times INCREDIBLY uplifting courage of ordinary individuals exist within any community or family, including a Muslim one. Mr. El Ahmad refused the barbaric cruelty toward his fellow innocent Jewish citizens. Without hesitation, he jumped on the older shooter to confiscate his weapon without even any training in using guns, wow!

We still do not know anything about the father and son mentioned above. Indeed, we can just speculate at this stage because we do not know any fact yet other than the blood tie between the 50-year-old man and the younger 24-year old one (https://tinyurl.com/ufmtv37k).

As you can guess, and maybe likely like you dear readers, Bambi rejects terror because she values human life and dignity for all, including for our fellow Jewish grandparents, parents, spouses, children, friends… or simply brothers and sisters in humanity.

When will violence targeting Jews in Australia, and everywhere in our troubled world, end?While waiting for an answer to the question, Bambi sends her heart to beautiful Australia as a nation, especially its shocked Jewish community as well as her beloved relatives, friends, and readers there. Their collective sorrow is also Bambi’s sorrow.

May all the injured people heal. May the memory of each dead person be eternal. May all those traumatized by this terror attack eventually find peace deep in their heart.

Last but not least, may Hannukah’s first candle tonight bring the needed light of healing.

Hannukah, an eight-day festival of lights, starts this evening.

Is there anything more fundamental to life than light?

Is there anything more spiritually meaningful and behaviourally joyful than lighting the candles of the Hannukah menorah, evening after evening?

Whether this action is done alone, within families, or at gatherings with friends, it is a sweet Jewish tradition.

May the light of love illuminate the hearts and the light of hope shine in the darkness.

Happy Hannukah to you, dear readers, if you happen to observe it… or if you just appreciate joyful shared moments of old cultural traditions, like bilingual Caillou : )!

It is not a secret to anyone: Bambi dislikes wars. Her heart aches to the suffering of innocents in any armed conflict, anywhere in the world, and on any side.

When it comes to the Middle East, her heart remains deeply saddened by both the human tragedy of October 7 2023 and by the fiasco of the cruel resulting war in Gaza. Too many people lost their lives. For what? Is it worth it? Already life is too short, why do human beings insist on making it even shorter?

And what can she say about a related big tragedy still unfolding in, and threatening, her birth country? Does any country or any protester truly care or even virtue signal about it?

Regardless of all the above, Ms. Yuval Raphael’s performance at Eurovision a few months ago remains timely. Indeed, the extremism of Islamism remains a public threat in the region—and by extension in the world—Same for the unmeasured, atrocious war acts, whether they are called genocidal or not.

Bearing the above in mind, Ms. Raphael sung for what our world needs the most: healing. She went from a (young) victim to survivor to thriver, rising above October 7th’s crime against the entire humanity, not just innocent people of her country. For those interested in her story, they can find it on YouTube. Bambi took the time to listen to it in the past. It is a story of paternal love as much as human cruelty. Indeed, her dad literally saved her life, and the lives of others hiding with her, bless his heart for his efficacy.

In English, in some French, and a short sentence in her mother tongue, her song is a message of hope with a new dawn. It is a call for action to create beauty out of healing from suffering. It is a transformation of pain into musical art. Universally, we can all identify with her pain, if we want to, whether we have sympathy for the government of her country or not. Her beautiful song is a bridge to shared humanity in our divided world, reflected in the politics over Eurovision competition.

In about two weeks, it will be Christmas. How charming that snow is already here. Are you familiar with the voices of two great Canadian singers from Québec, Ms. Isabelle Boulay and Ms. Laurence Jalbert? Bambi is always moved when she hears their warm singing voices. This brief post is a musical tribute to them and a friendly nod to Christmas!

A mezuzah is a small sort of box, which is placed on the right doorpost of Jewish homes or of apartments where a Jewish person lives. The mezuzah includes a tiny parchment scroll with verses from the Torah. This piece of spirituality on houses and apartments means the world to Jewish people as it is a form of blessing of their safe and cozy place of living.

Well, imagine, that the “Toronto police’s Hate Crime Unit is investigating after multiple Jewish prayer scrolls were removed from the doorways of units in a TCHC apartment building in North York” (https://tinyurl.com/ycxhaana). Is there anything more shocking, and totally unacceptable, as this act of hateful vandalism meant to intimidate Jewish Torontonians?

Bearing the above in mind, another shocking story of discrimination also occurred in Toronto recently. This ordeal happened to a top model, called Ms. Miriam Mattova, who was kicked out of an Uber taxi for being Jewish. It seems that she had mentioned to a friend with whom she chatted on FaceTime a recent trip she made to Israel (https://tinyurl.com/y5jducwd; https://tinyurl.com/ymsb8j4t). According to this 33-year-old model, the driver stopped the car and kicked her out, pretending not feeling comfortable driving her and adding that “they do not drive Jewish people“. Disgusting, isn’t it?

Put yourself in the shoes of this passenger for seconds, dear readers, would this be acceptable for you? How would you feel if you have been treated in this way? Put yourself in the shoes of the Uber company, would the service of your employee be acceptable? And what about us as a society, collectively: where are we heading with such stories of intolerance, discrimination, or social violence against our fellow citizens? Is this the Canada that we want to live in today, in 5, 10, and 25 years?