The song is not new (2017). Bambi loves it and she is fond of Mr. Claude Capéo’s talent. “Riche” was written for him by co-authors Manon Romiti, Silvio Lisbonne, Nazim Khaled, and Mark Hekic.
While driving yesterday from NB to NS back and fourth, Bambi listened to it. What a beautiful song! If you do not believe her, here is a translation of the deep lyrics found on the internet (https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Claudio-Cap%C3%A9o/Riche/translation/english), followed by the song with Capéo’s warm voice!
Last summer, Bambi’s post honoured one of her childhood friends who runs an annual marathon for her country in which she is famous for her jump at the final destination :):
This year, if she may, Bambi will share an older message in Arabic from the Ambassador of the USA in Lebanon (July 4th, 2020): “Like the Lebanese people, we are resistant. We face challenges in a direct way. We keep growing, adjusting, and learning” (by Ms. Dorothy Shea who remains the US Ambassador in Beirut).
Finally, to conclude this post on a joyful musical note, here is a French song from Bambi to all her American friends and relatives (hello if you are reading now :)). This song, by Mr. Joe Dassin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Dassin), is entitled l’Amérique. Well, you may notice or know that l’Amérique is Yellow River, which was written by Mr. Elton John and turned into a worldwide hit by a British band, called Christie.
Bambi would like to thank one of her friends for sharing the powerful cartoon above entitled “Today’s democracy”.
Sadly, it applies to so many countries historically known for defending, sometimes with blood, perhaps the most important value in the world: Freedom.
Here is a translation of the cartoon above (by an unknown source): The Raven (the free bird on the tree branch) asked the parrot: “Why are you in a cage?” The parrot replied: “Because I talk…“.
This is how citizens are feeling in so many countries of the world, including us in Canada and in the nearby United States as well as in Lebanon (+ several others countries) where worrisome stories are increasingly occurring.
In Canada, citizens have been/risk increasingly being the target of forces of censorship. Bambi is not talking about her own censorship saga here (even if it is a sad and unacceptable example of the erosion of our democratic societies). She is talking about “illeberal” bills by so-called Liberal governments. Yes, she is referring to Bill 36:
She is also talking about dangerous practices in the USA like what Facebook is doing right now: Encouraging its clients to denounce each other in the name of so-called anti-extremism:
The link above is in French. Thank you Mr. Vincent Dessureault for interviewing one of our most talented thinkers on the topic, Dr. Mathieu Bock-Côté. Like the latter, Bambi is for a liberal approach to speech in life. It is definitely the healthiest approach to a society. Saying otherwise is a slippery slope that we usually see in the former Soviet era or under dictatorships, not in free societies. It is precisely for this reason that Bambi has never been on any social media. Many of her family and friends found her odd for that. She told herself: I do not trust those things. If one day someone decides you are a terrorist, they can go after all your friends, etc. Remember, for having grown up during a bloody, absurd civil-war, she knows what she is talking about here.
See what is happening today with those big tech companies. They even dared to silence their own President. How could this be done, whether you like him or not and whether he says vulgar things sometimes or not. No one should silence anyone in life, not Mr. Biden and not Mr. Trudeau. Not Mr. Aoun and not even Mr. Nasrallah… and surely not human citizens or deer.
Everyone has a place in a democratic society. Everyone’s insights are valid. Of course, as long we do not call for violence or do not resort to defamation, all expression in all languages and in all countries that respect themselves must be protected.
The last example Bambi will conclude with sadly happened in Lebanon to two foreign journalists. It gave Bambi goose bumps, reminding her of the kidnapping of journalists during war times… Luckily, they are released now and the Lebanese Press Syndicate publicly condemned the action. Same for many journalists and the “Samir Kassir eyes (SKeyes) Center“… “established in Beirut in November 2007 at the initiative of the Samir Kassir Foundation, which was founded following the assassination of Lebanese journalist and historian Samir Kassir on June 2, 2005.” (https://www.skeyesmedia.org/en/About-Us).
Enough of censorship. Enough of intimidation of any citizen/all citizens, journalists, scholars… in any country of the world. Just ENOUGH!
Thank you, Judge Bitar, for doing your job in what appears to be an independent and transparent way.
First, here is one of Bambi’s posts on the surrealistic Beirut port explosion in which she reported that Judge Bitar is considered by senior Law Professors as being both talented and decent. She also wished him to be safe.
Second, a few days ago, Bambi read that the office of a lawyer was the target of a blast. It was not clear if it is related to this case or to another case. Regardless, it is (always) shocking and unacceptable to see targeted violence against lawyers, judges, courts, etc. Anyhow, it seems that this lawyer and his two children (also lawyers) are thankfully all safe and sound (https://www.the961.com/sakher-al-hashem-office-explosion/amp/).
Third, Bambi was happy to read about this decision by Judge Bitar:
Bambi does not know the engineer Nayla el Hage and Maj. Daoud Fayad, but it does not take much reflection in life to guess that often innocent scapegoats pay the price instead of negligent criminals. Bambi wrote a post about Ms. el Hage (she did not know abou Maj. Daoud Fayad’s story at the time):
Fourth, it seems that Judge Bitar is also asking to remove the immunity on three Ministers in order to interview them. Questioning top politicians is a first in the investigation of the Beirut port…
As a reminder, the surrealistic Beirut port explosion destroyed half of the capital, killing 200+ residents (including children), and injured 6000+ others (including Bambi’s niece, brother-in-law who almost lost an eye, and a DEAR childhood friend who is still undergoing serious surgeries to her leg since August 4. 2020).
For Bambi, who is not an expert of explosives or politics, this surrealistic blast seems to be like the icing on the cake of Lebanon’s negligent governance. The latter operates in the context of an endless toxic marriage between two powerful forces, the mafia and the militia. The mafia is that endemic corruption from the top down OR bottom up, as politicians usually come from the people who sadly keep on re-electing the same politicians. The militia is the warrior mindset/forces of the strongest group, which may feel empowered by the apparently weak American external policy about Iran. Bambi is saying so with respect to all nations, including both the USA and Iran. She just hopes she is wrong in being concerned because both the present and long-term future of Lebanon are at stake.
To conclude this post on a musical note, here is a song about the Beirut explosion (released in December 2020). It is in French, sub-titled in English. The singer is called Mr. Fady Bazzi. Bambi discovered his talent lately, first with the song “Jeannot le fou” (one of the earlier posts) and then she came across this song that you may or may not like. He is a businessman living in his adoptive country, the Ivory Coast or Côte d’Ivoire in French (https://fady.fr/index2.php?fady=biographie). He seems to be in love with the Ivory Coast and with “hisAfrican sun“, to use his own terms. Of course, he remains attached to Beirut/Lebanon like Mr. Mark Hachem from Montreal, Québec, Canada (featured in the latest post).
Thank you Mr. Mark Hachem (2019) for this interesting video… at least for Bambi :).
This is particularly meaningful for her, especially following the “Saint-Jean” (June, 24) and “Canada Day” (July, 1), of course both yearly celebrated on this blog!
As Bambi
posted last year, and as one of her friends from Québec and the talented Dr.
Mathieu Bock-Côté reminded her (https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/06/30/la-verite-a-propos-du-o-canada),
our beautiful national anthem “was initially composed for the French-Canadians”
(= today’s Québeckers), before gradually being “taken” by the Canadian state
“in its process of building a symbolic identity” .
Dr. Bock-Côté
is right, one must not forget the truth about a powerful symbol like our O
Canada.
Of course, this wisdom also applies to the dark part of our history about the fate of Indigenous children in residential schools… and the agony resulting from this tragic cultural genocide ☹.
Nevertheless, it is by embracing our entire past, with both its tragedies and beauties (while committing to truth, increased peace, healing, and hopefully finally TRUE justice!) that we will write together the next chapter of our country’s great book.
Yes together, we can do it with maturity, peace, and love.
Not with
fire, not with blood… and without destroying any historic statue or burning any
churches.
Yes, we
can… PLEASE let’s do so!
Until then, with or without municipal celebrations, Happy Canada Day to all/Bonne fête du Canada à tous!
This
being said, you argued that “the calls to cancel Canada Day celebrations
this year have nothing to do with so-called “cancel culture”… On the
contrary, #CancelCanadaDay is what real reconciliation looks like”.
It is a point of view, but Bambi cannot help not to wonder how cancelling Canada Day would bring people together for reconciliation, love, and unity… to move forward together?
Plus, Bambi comes from a country (Lebanon) already destroyed… She does not want her country (Canada!) to self-destroy.
Is moving forward together in a constructive way your aspiration? If so, the cancellation will sadly only serve to bring people further apart. It is a logical consequence, if this trend will not stop one day.
You
ended your article with the following conclusion, “cancelling Canada Day has
the potential to shine a much-needed spotlight on our collective truth and
surround us all with the warmth that comes from community support, as we move
towards justice and reparations for Indigenous peoples.”
With all due respect for your passionate advocacy, Bambi has trouble understanding how cancelling Canada Day will serve to “surround anyone in need” of human “support” (national and even international) “with the warmth that comes from community support”.
Usually in life, people and nations come together in times of grief. Why the call for further divisions then? And then what? What is next?
If this July 1st is a time of reflection, as our Prime Minister (Mr. Trudeau) said, why not reflect together? Why not pray together? Why not embrace one another’s grief… to truly “move towards justice and reparations for Indigenous peoples.”
Usually, when we discover remains, inasmuch as this is SAD, the journey of grief can finally start for survivors and families, thankfully. Of course, what makes these discoveries particularly devastating is the context of the horrible cultural genocide that still has long-term concrete consequences. Yes, many individuals, families, and communities will need extra love, support, and counselling. However, the discoveries of graves or remains are surely a step further in the healing process, despite the DEEP sorrow :(.
So, why not allow us all to come together to mourn and to envision a more beautiful and fairer Canada? Why are we allowing ourselves to be divided further?
To continue on the same topic Dear Dr. Palmater, when you tweeted the following by a historian in Manitoba, Bambi was very sad and disturbed. She will explain why further below.
She of course understands his sorrow for having witnessed massacres during civil war (i.e. friends seeing their parents and siblings shot in front of their eyes… and her volunteering in her teen years to support older survivors of a couple of massacres who became internal refugees in her Beirut neighborhood).
However, the danger of such a message, underlying this image, is to dichotomize society and to foster more guilt in people’s hearts. No, sorry Dr. Carleton, loving/celebrating Canada is NOT a choice of celebrating genocide. It is celebrating love and life rather. It is also simply celebrating a summer day off or maybe the start of vacation with family or friends.
So, what is the purpose of this guilt? Can we turn it into something more constructive? And what about people of Indigenous heritage who may perhaps wish to feel Canadian on Canada Day, today or in the future. Is this allowed in our increasingly authoritarian times?
As
for Dr. Palmater, you do not know it, but Bambi is a listener! She listens to
you online on a regular basis. She particularly enjoyed one of your shows in
which you hosted our Chiefs from NB. She learned about their talents and sense
of humour. You were also fun too and what an excellent host. Bambi has the
highest respect for your advocacy for your fellow citizens.
To conclude this post, have you ever considered resigning from positions/affiliations funded by Canada (i.e., its taxpayers), to score a strong political, and perhaps congruent, point? Alternatively, have you considered running in federal politics, a bit like the Bloc Québécois, to advance your views? Bambi is curious…
Grégoire’s charming voice, incredible talent, and especially inspiring lyrics about one’s attitude in life are perhaps precisely what makes life beautiful, despite adversity. Many thanks to him for his new “beautiful” song!
If you do not understand French, you may wish to read the lyrics. Bambi will first share the French words, which will be followed by a quick translation into English.
“Bravo et merci”, Grégoire!
“La vie est belle” (by Grégoire)
“Non, surtout ne crois pas Que pour certains tout est facile C’est simplement qu’ils ne pensent pas Que c’est trop dur, trop difficile Bien sûr qu’il y a des matins
Où ils voudraient tout foutre en l’air C’est justement dans ces matins Qu’ils se répètent : je peux le faire
Non, surtout ne crois pas Qu’il y a des gens qui ont de la chance C’est simplement qu’ils ne veulent pas Voir le mauvais ni la malchance Bien sûr qu’ils traversent des orages Et des moments durs à survivre Mais ils préfèrent tourner la page Et continuer d’écrire le livre Et surtout de se dire Malgré le pire et le cruel Que le plus beau est à venir Et que la vie est belle Belle
Non, surtout ne crois pas Que certains ont une bonne étoile C’est simplement parce qu’ils y croient Et n’se perdent pas dans des dédales Ils ne se trouvent jamais d’excuses Et n’ont pas de boucs émissaires C’est simplement parce qu’ils refusent De rester un genou à terre Et qu’ils continuent de se dire Malgré le pire et le cruel Que le plus beau est à venir Et que la vie est belle Belle
Non, ne crois surtout pas Que pour certains tout est facile C’est simplement parce qu’ils ne pensent pas Que c’est trop dur et trop difficile Et qu’ils continuent de se dire Malgré le pire et le cruel Que le plus beau reste à venir Et que la vie est belle Oui la vie est belle Oui la vie est belle”.
Hyperinflation is making the country look worse than Venezuela. No, not a glorious comparison.
The Lebanese pound lost over 90% of its value over the
past year or 1.5 years.
Prices are increasing daily.
There is a shortage of medical supplies, medication
(even those produced locally), gas, electricity, etc.
Related to the above, today Bambi read this tweet by her own sister, journalist Roula Douglas:
Here is an English translation: “Seeing members of
the state’s security supervising citizens in gas stations, under cover but
holding their M16 (yes, assault rifles!) has revived, in my mind, images from
civil war”.
After reading this tweet, Bambi called her parents to
check on everyone.
Her mom described the same situation in more details. There
is an increase in power outages, a very long wait time in endless line-ups of
cars in front of gas stations. Citizens are starting to wait from as early as 5
AM. Gas price is expected to rise between Monday and Wednesday. The idea is to standardize
the price across the country to try to stabilize it. A measure that the country’s
officials are trying to take.
One must recall that Lebanon remains without a government
since the Beirut explosion of August 4, 2020.
Below, you can see Beirut on the right side (among the
highest cost of living AND lowest quality of life).
You may wish to compare it Vancouver. Even if inflation is likely coming to Canada (it is a matter of time…), check where the expensive Vancouver is ranked, still in a better position than many other cities/capitals of the world, including the more expensive New York, Tel Aviv (Israel), and European or other cities.
On a smaller scale in Atlantic Canada, we can imagine that what is happening in Lebanon, may be comparable to what we saw on the Trans-Canada highway the other day between the “borders” of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Lockdowns are tough. People need to earn their living.
Imagine this same situation, but across an entire bankrupt country… of course, with tires that are burning (in the Middle East, it is not hard to imagine!).
As Bambi’s dad replied when Bambi asked about any
solution, “Lebanon is a farm right now; it is not a country. It still does
not have a government. No financial reforms yet”.
Their elections are supposed to take place in a year.
A year is a long-time when we are desperate.
Indeed,
when people are starving and they need to feed their families, they can do anything
in life.
They
can steal or lose their tamper on gas pumps.
It is in
this economically tough context that Mr. Hannieh visited Beirut for a second
time.
Bambi is not overjoyed by this visit because her birth country is so fragile. It cannot afford shenanigans or political deals that could, at best, block peace in the region and, at worst, drag Lebanon (once again!) into an another war… of course in the noble name of resistance (to Israel).
The sadly
endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict lasted for over 70 years now. It has dragged
Lebanon into a very long civil war in 1975 that ended in 1990.
There has been a short yet intense war with Israel in July 2006 (it was a conflict between Iran and the United States, by proxy, that is between Hezbollah and Israel).
Of course,
there is also the Syrian civil war nearby (in which Hezbollah remains active,
after having gone to war behind the back of the government).
Does the country
of the Cedars need another armed conflict?
So, hands
off Lebanon, please.
Bambi is
sick and tired of violence.
Bambi is
not into ideologies (i.e. Islamism, Zionism, wokeism, or or anything else ending
with “ism”…).
Often in
life, ideologies go hand in hand with “corruption”, even when they start as “noble”
ideas.
Clearly, a
religious ideology, like Islamism (political Islam) or like Zionism, does not
seem to be into compromise, needed to one day reach a peace deal.
In order
to engage in peace, one needs genuine leaders with a will/vision for it, in addition
to courage… on both sides.
Peace
seems impossible today, sadly.
To conclude
this post, PLEASE leave Lebanon out of this historic conflict.
Do not let history repeat itself, even if some of the same ingredients of the past may sadly still be present today.
This is a
message from Bambi to Mr. Hannieh, to all his foreign allies (mainly Iran), to his
Lebanese allies (mainly the most powerful internal group mentioned above), and…
to the military powerful Israel.
Thank you
everyone for behaving with maturity and empathy for your own people, if at all realistically
possible! Bambi is convinced that the majority of all the innocent people on
all sides aspire for safety, peace, prosperity, and… love.
