Category: Sackville’s Memorial park

Professor Ora Itkin is a talented pianist (if you do not believe Bambi, you can listen to her in the video at the end of this post!) and a music professor at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul (Minnesota, USA). “She graduated from the Russian Academy of Music (Moscow). She then emigrated to Israel and graduated from Tel-Aviv University as well as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Rubin Academy of Music. Following her impressive academic training journey, her performing career blossomed. In addition to her academic career ( https://cas.stthomas.edu/departments/faculty/ora-itkin/) , she is an active soloist and chamber musician”.

Prior to their conversation entitled “The Unbearable Lightness of Post-Truth – in conversation with Dr. Rima Azar and Dr. Timothy Jackson“, Professor Ora Itkin was described by Dr. Jackson to Bambi with the following beautiful words: She is a thinker and a pianist whose name means “light” in Hebrew (this would be “Nour” in Arabic). Being a thinker in our current collectively insane times is a shining “ora” in the darkness. Thank you Ora (Itkin) for taking time off your very busy schedule to host your inspiring podcast show called “Openspace with Ora”. Bambi was honoured to be your guest!

Indeed, Bambi was even more delighted and honoured because Dr. Timothy Jackson, an American music theory professor of Canadian origins, recently featured on her blog (as you can see further below) was Ora’s co-guest (along with Bambi).

She hopes you will enjoy their enriching (and “three to tango“) chat!

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Dr. Timothy Jackson’s controversial story related to Schenker: Isn’t it absurd, unfair, sad, and revolting?

Bambi just discovered that, in 2011, Mr. Mike Massy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Massy) paid tribute to the great Lebanese singer Sabah (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabah_(singer)) who died in 2014… May her memory be eternal.

First, please find the meaningful and joyful lyrics of Sabah’s famous song that can be summarized as follows: “Be happy today, not tomorrow (as it is far away)”:

“Tomorrow the feast’s sun will rise

With the promise of a new day

Live today

Love today

Today is here… Tomorrow is far away

If life feels like all wounds

Your tears won’t do you any good

Let the sad song

Sing in your feast’s evening

Don’t let the days slip away

Slip away from your hands

Live today… Love today

Today is here… Tomorrow is far away

Don’t blame the garden’s flowers

It’s not their fault their thorns are big

And thank your God, human

For he has made you see those thorns

Flowers are picked up in April

Flowers don’t last a day

Like flowers live the day

Today is here… Tomorrow is far away”.

Second, a big thanks to Mr. Mike Massy for his BEAUTIFUL adaptation and interpretation of “Boukra btechrok shamsel id”.

To conclude this post on a note of hope for all, may the feast’s sun rise on everyone’s respective daily life, regardless of any dark circumstances!

Bambi would like to share two moving tweets by Ms. Sarah Copeland from Australia. As a reminder, Ms. Copeland is the mother of the cute Isaac Oehlers who lost his life in the surrealistic Beirut port explosion.

Her first tweet is recent, from yesterday actually. It is in Arabic and shows full solidarity with Judge Tarek Bitar… Beirut’s hero of justice, peace, and… hope (still).

A picture of sweet Isaac is held by a demonstrator and it reads: “I am still waiting for justice. Do not forget me“. The other man, to the right of the picture, is Alexandra’s (or the cute “Lexou”) Naggear’s dad with a painting of his daughter. The latter is now a Lebanese (or Lebanese-Canadian rather) angel.

Those demonstrators defied the harsh weather (+ 5 degrees Celsius in Beirut is Syberian cold!). Most importantly, they keep defying the Mafia that shamelessly rules them in order to show their solidarity with Judge Bitar. Once again, the latter is the target of another milestone of a FEROCIOUS campaign to eliminate him. This attack on his character is a blatant attack against the Beirut Criminal Court that he heads. All this drama is meant to preserve the status quo of historical impunity in Lebanon.

Now, Ms. Copeland’s second tweet of this post is actually an older one (August 4, 2021) on the first anniversary of the Beirut blast:

To conclude this post on a musical note, if she may, Bambi would like to offer a song to Judge Bitar (and his team). Yes, it is Mr. Anthony’s Ojeil’s beautiful adaptation of Mr. Jacques Brel’s “Le plat pays“. The song in question is in French (featured on this blog a month after the surrealistic explosion). It is called “Wind of hope [“Vent d’espoir”].

When will the wind of hope blow again on Lebanon?!

To begin with, there is no secret in this post. Yes, it is already established from a long time ago that, like MANY other people, Bambi loves the famous, now old, Egyptian song called “3 dakat” (featured earlier on this blog, as shown further below). It is both light and deep. It is joyful with a hint of nostalgia. It celebrates love and the summer in addition to the beach. Its music is lovely and its lyrics sweet.

This being said, this post will focus on the melody of 3 dakat only, no words. First, Bambi would like to thank her cousin Paul who kindly attracted her attention to a video yesterday. Bambi tried to search for the name of the artist. She could not find it. She could rather not guess it as she cannot understand the language written although it looks like Arabic (is it Farsi?). Anyhow, whomever this artist is, she is TALENTED and seems friendly. Thanks to her and to all the musicians for this lovely moment!

Second, Bambi would like to share with you a public video of a famous Lebanese violinist she only discovered lately and was fascinated by his talent. She posted his work once on this blog, as you can see further below. Mr. Andre Soueid was born in 1992 in Lebanon and he is treasure for his tiny and now bankrupt country. You can listen to him playing 3 dakat.

While listening to him, please take a moment to look at his beautiful face lighting up with the melody. He is surely in another world while producing music, totally immersed in this artistic moment. As Bambi knows that her father-in-law is amused by the word “flow” or “flow state” (taken from the field of cognitive psychology), she is thinking of him now :). This term may describe the light we see on the face and in the eyes of these artists. Mind you, we do not have to be artists to experience the flow. Even non-artistic folks (i.e., regular people and even deer) can and do experience the flow. It happens when we love the task/activity we are doing and do a task or activity we love at a particular moment. When we allow our mind to be free of concerns and to just focus on the pleasurable moment of this activity/task (e.g., baking, having fun with a puzzle, dancing, watching the stars, creating something, etc.).

To conclude this post, Bambi wishes everyone to have enough peace of mind as well as a welcoming attitude for the flow. Yes, may we all experience this state of mind in which we become totally immersed in a pleasurable activity!

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Three daqat [3 heartbeats]

Music of the day: All the way from Lebanon…

Bambi is too excited to wait for midnight for this post about January 17.

Plus, the family festivities (of course MUCH limited in the pandemic and circumstances) have just ended in Beirut :).

May Saint Anthony always protect Bambi’s dad who is her (and many others’) hero (further below, you can see an earlier post honouring him)!!

Without much words, Bambi will just say: I love you “Antonio” (love her mom too… OK and all our family too)). Bless you dad!

An now time for some music. First, here is a fun kid’s song for you with a simple yet powerful message (perhaps to which, we should add that, in addition to the languages mentioned in the song, your daughter has enjoyed all our games about the standard Arabic language). Of note, you were her first German teacher, in the shelter, when she was 15-16. Following this came the Goethe Institute (after that particularly long round of shelling ended). You kindly offered her your own first grammar book from Germany. She managed to bring to safety to Canada in 1990 with her. For this and for all, THANK you dad!

Second, of course we will conclude with a joyful song from Bambi, by Mr. Hicham el Hajj, recently highlighted on this blog (Yalla Nifrah or Let’s rejoice]. It is meant for you and for our dear relatives called variants of your name, with love. It is also meant for all the Tonys, Anthony, Antoine, and Antoinette of the world who will be perhaps reading this post one day [Nina, Bambi is thinking of Antoine now :)].

May everyone be safe, happy, and especially in touch with hope!

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Azar Electric: An inspiring story of a store in Beirut…

Bambi would like to thank her friend Nadim for kindly sharing this moving video produced by elementary school students in Beirut, Lebanon.

The video starts in French, switches to English, and then ends with Arabic. It features a song, several verbal messages (English and French content), and a few landscapes from tiny, bankrupt and destroyed, yet (hopefully) always ETERNAL Lebanon. May it start its healing journey to shine again.

Now, and if she may, Bambi would like to dedicate this video to her two dear childhood friends, Soha and Firas. Both are in heaven. Soha graduated from this beautiful school. Firas grew up nearby before living the rest of his life abroad.

Bravo and thank you to the children who made this video. Thanks also to all those who supported them in making it happen (likely on a tight budget in the country’s tough economic circumstances).

May ALL their dreams come true!

Bambi would like to thank Joumana again for introducing her to the talented Mr. Omar Kamal whom she featured twice on this blog (as shown further below).

Regardless of the place or historical era, may love, attachment, and commitment for one’s country serve as a reminder, especially to politicians: Always put your country FIRST. This simply means before the interests of other nations, before ideologies that can easily blind your (or your people’s) hearts, and before your personal, familial, or tribal interests.

As for your Mr. Omar Kamal, Bambi loves your voice. Please keep singing!

Mr. Omar Kamal: Thank you Joumana for making your cousin Bambi discover this TALENTED singer!

Beirut port investigation saga: For how long can a judge resist political interference?

Mr. Eric Cervone is full of talent. Indeed, in addition to being an American lawyer and a host of Honest Offense, Bambi discovered his natural talent in psychology (e.g., he asked her deep questions while being a great listener). What a skilled interviewer filled with compassion and humanity. Chatting with him was a pure joy for Bambi!

Ms. Chantal Bitar is a much talented Lebanese singer. Her first song is sub-titled in English:

And of course, the second song featured in this post is a Lebanese lovely (romantic) quarantine song. Bambi posted it on this blog in April, 2020 (as shown further below). Back then, she took time to translate its lyrics for you:

“How are you in your confinement? You are crossing my mind in confinement?

I think of writing to you and then I delete.

How are you to begin with? How are you spending your time? How is the prevention and how is the cleaning? (twice)

How many novels have you read? How many phone calls have you made?

Are you taking good care of yourself? Are you eating healthy?

You are crossing my mind in confinement.

Despite the physical distance, my mind is confined with you.

In these times of science fiction and in this wasted era. Even if the world will fall apart, you will remain here in my heart.

I know you are bored by yourself. For me, please make a sacrifice.

You are crossing my mind in confinement. I think of writing to you and then I delete.

Let me hear your words. Turn off the news. I promise, all this will end. One day will come (twice)

A day where we will dance, hand in hand, and you will carry me far… and your hand on my face will charm me and will awaken my eyes

You are crossing my mind in confinement. I think of writing to you and then I delete.

How are you to begin with. How are you spending your time?

How is the prevention and how is the cleaning? (twice)

How many novels have you read? How many phone calls have you made?

Are you taking good care? Are you eating healthy?

You are crossing my mind in confinement.”

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“In confinement”: A Lebanese love song by Ms. Chantal Bitar

There is nothing funny about Québec’s idea of taxing citizens who did not get vaccinated (Bambi’s earlier post on this topic is more serious than this one).

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Québec wants to tax the unvaccinated: Seriously?