Happy Birthday, Bente, from Bambi, her spouse, and their/”your” entire family in Beirut, Montreal, Dubai, Paris, and London!
Bambi loves you and misses you a lot ❤️ (along with your/”our” dear family)! She wishes you a wonderful new year filled with beautiful discoveries, exciting projects, and continues successes!
To make you smile, Bambi silently sends daily “Greetings from the Netherlands” at her workplace [hint: coronavirus] :).
To conclude, and for fun, here are a few songs for you, hoping you will enjoy them :).
In this post, Bambi is assisted by her friend, Mr. Google Translate, in translating a thoughtful (and funny!) article by Mr. Richard Martineau published today in the “Journal de Montréal” [https://bit.ly/3F9WChj].
Of note, if you do not have a leftover of a sense of humour, taken away by much political correctness, maybe you should think twice before either reading this article or celebrating Halloween… at least in the province of Québec :).
This being said, here is Mr. Martineau’s article:
“The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) [the governing body for Registered Nurses in this province] has launched a campaign against sexy nurse costumes.
We got there, friends.
The healthcare system is cracking everywhere, 18-month-old babies are sleeping on stretchers in the corridors of Sainte-Justine Hospital, nurses are on the verge of depression from working overtime, healthcare workers have to be brought in from abroad to compensate for the labour shortage in our hospitals… And meanwhile, the OIIQ is launching a campaign against sexy nurse costumes…
As if that was the big problem of the Québec’s healthcare system!
Girls wearing fishnet stockings to their Halloween party instead of beige compression stockings with big rubber boots!
After that, we wonder why so many Québecers are on antidepressants…
THE PRIESTS’ FESTIVAL
It’s Halloween, damn it.
We dress up, we eat candy, we scare each other and we have fun.
Can we have fun one day a year, just one day a year, without a group, an organization, an association, a federation, a union or an NPO lecturing us?
What’s next?
The Ministry of the Family will get involved? The government will set up a committee to oversee Halloween?
I never thought I would say that, let alone write it, but I miss priests. The real priests, with a cassock and a Roman collar. At least, if we didn’t want to hear them, we just didn’t have to go to mass, we had peace.
Whereas today, priests are everywhere.
Have you noticed ? We have never had so many priests since there are no more priests!
And they are interested in every aspect of our life.
What we eat. What we drink. How we move. What we are looking at. What we read. What we listen to. What makes us laugh. What excites us.
What name do we give to our children? What colours are their pajamas. How many centimetres there are between our thighs when we sit in the subway. What pronoun do we use when talking to our neighbour?
And how we should dress up on Halloween.
No sombreros! No feathers! No kimonos! No djellaba! No sugar! No crisps! No gendered clothes! No sexy costumes! No blood!
The list of prohibitions grows every day.
LONG LIVE EQUALITY
I am for equality between men and women. At 110%.
What’s good for Kitty should be good for Puppy.
We fight sexy nurse costumes on the pretext that they are… sexist? Perfect!
But let’s also fight the costumes of sexy firefighters, sexy policemen, sexy soldiers and sexy cowboys [oh no :)].
Let’s ban the group Village People!
Hey, let’s all carry potato bags on Halloween!
That’s right, potatoes! And that would be ecological…“
Happy news out of Lebanon have been rare over the past three years, except when it comes to the talent of its people across all fields (e..g., arts/music, science, sports, etc.).
Well, here is a post meant to share happy news with you about the international success of Mr. Marc Reiady Baz in Turkey – thanks to 961 for keeping us informed (https://bit.ly/3stcST3)!
A picture taken from 961. Bravo and “Mabrouk” to Mr. Marc Reiady Baz for winning the Foreign Music Artist Award at the “Altın Çilek Ödülleri” [“Golden Strawberry Awards”] in Turkey!
If you are interested, you may listen to Mr. Reiady Baz singing “Rise Like a Phoenix“!
To conclude this brief musical post, and if she may, Bambi would like to offer Mr. Marc Reiady Baz the famous “Mabrouk” song of Mr. Rami Ayach. Please keep singing while being an Ambassador of talent and hope to your country!
Yes, Mr. Pierre Larousse was born on October 23 in 1817 (https://bit.ly/3z6rFqt). For those of you who do not know him (you do not know what you are missing!), he is the founder of “Éditions Larousse” (yes, with its “Petit Larousse“!), a historic and prestigious French publishing company specialized in reference work, including dictionaries.
May Mr. Larousse’s memory be eternal. To thank Mr. Larousse for his incredible legacy, Bambi will allow herself to offer him, and through him all the Francophones and Francophiles of our planet, a unique song, which is made of 5 words only! As you can see in the video, these terms were randomly chosen, from the Larousse dictionary, by the talented Mr. de MIRO BELZIL. Mind you, the first word is quite interesting [Louis, are you reading :)]?
Bambi just discovered a deep and very beautiful Arabic song on her Lebanese-American internet radio station from LA. Bravo to Mr. Azeem for his talent!
From his YouTube page, Bambi learned that Azeem is a songwriter, singer, lyricist, music composer and producer. He also plays the drums, the piano, and the guitar. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon.
Mr. Azeem, Bambi fell in love with your song entitled “Zrouf” [“Circumstances“]. This is why she took the time to translate its lyrics to the readers of her blog who do not understand your mother tongue (and hers).
First, before singing, Mr. Azeem starts with those words of wisdom: “Who among us did not go through circumstances? Some circumstances are beautiful and others ugly. Some circumstances make us laugh a lot and others cry. In the end, we cannot escape circumstances”.
“Circumstances pass by us
Making us fall in love with someone who does not belong to us
Circumstances pass by us
Forcing us to live in stories that do not look like us
Sometimes, out of much sadness, we get attached to any hope
And when our heart is being questioned, it replies: I have circumstances
Sometimes our tears betray us and make us talk
Making the story complex and governed by circumstances
Circumstances take us out of warmth
To a place full of ice
At other times, circumstances promise us a more beautiful tomorrow
Bambi first read Mr. Andrew Lawton’s True North article that informed her about the federal court’s decision on air travel vaccine mandate lawsuits (https://bit.ly/3F6e726). From this article, she learned the following: “On Thursday, Associate Chief Justice Jocelyne Gagné granted the federal government’s application to dismiss the case, 10 days before it was scheduled to be argued before the Federal Court. The court was going to hear challenges filed by several applicants, including former Newfoundland premier Brian Peckford, People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier, and private citizens who were unable to travel by rail or air when the federal vaccine mandate was in effect”… “The Trudeau government imposed the mandate by order-in-council in October 2021. It suspended the mandate June 20, but made clear it could be reinstated if the Covid situation in Canada changed“. Canada’s attorney general filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that it was moot given the vaccine mandate was no longer in effect”.
Following the article above, Bambi came across a CBC article in which Mr. Trudeau seems to scare, or maybe even threaten, us with health measures if we do not “get Covid, flu shots” (https://bit.ly/3Dm2Qt6); at least, the latter is what seems to be implied by this article’s title, even if Mr. Trudeau did not mean it that way.
Anyhow, after reading the articles reported above, Bambi decided that she had enough of news for the day. Music is much more fun, she told herself. Thus, if she may, flu or Covid-19 vaccines, with or without health measures, Bambi would like to offer Mr. Trudeau a song. Today’s melody won’t be “Paroles, Paroles” by Dalida with Mr. Alain Delon :). It will rather be Ms. Chantal Bitar’s love song in confinement. For your convenience, an English translation of the Arabic lyrics follows Ms. Bitar’s charming song (taken from Bambi’s older post shown at the end of this one).
“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?
Bambi just discovered these two young artists, thanks to L‘Orient Le Jour (https://bit.ly/3CTlkzQ). The Turkish lyrics and music are by Mr. Ragıb Narin. The Arabic lyrics by Ms. Rima Yussef. Their love song is called Yok Yok, which seems to mean “No, No” in Turkish, if Bambi is not mistaken. Enjoy :)!
Just before going to sleep, Bambi cheered herself up with a musical discovery. Bravo and thank you, Mr. Nicola Ciccone for the lyrics and music of your new song. What a beautiful Christmas gift ahead of time!
Mr. Ciccone’s song is entitled: “Je voudrais que ce soit Noël toute l’année” [“I wish it was Christmas all year round“]. If you are interested, at the end of the Youtube video below, you can read the original French lyrics, which are followed by a quick English translation, thanks to Mr. Google Translate.
She does not know about you, but Bambi’s preferred part of the text is the following (English follows the original French):
In French: “Je voudrais que ce soit Noël toute l’année. Qu’on choisisse tous la joie et l’amitié. Qu’on laisse tomber la haine, qu’on oublie tous le temps. Et que chaque journée soit remplie de présents“.
In English: “I wish it was Christmas all year round. May we all choose joy and friendship. That we drop the hate, that we all forget the time. And may every day be filled with gifts.”
The original Lyrics in French
“Je voudrais que ce soit Noël toute l’année
Des jours d’automne jusqu’aux jours
d’été
Des Noëls en soleil, des Noëls en
bourgeons
Des Noëls sous les feuilles et
plusieurs Noëls blancs
Je voudrais que ce soit Noël toute
l’année
Qu’on choisisse tous la joie et
l’amitié
Qu’on laisse tomber la haine, qu’on
oublie tous le temps
Et que chaque journée soit remplie
de présents
Je te prendrais dans mes bras à
chaque veillée
Et dans toute la maison je te ferais
danser
On déferait jamais notre grand sapin
On chanterait des chansons, puis on
jouerait du violon
Ça serait toujours la fête sur des
airs rigodons
Je voudrais que ce soit Noël toute
l’année
Pour garder toutes nos maisons
décorées
Ainsi que les petites lumières et
les bonhommes d’hiver
On préparerait une fête à chaque nouvelle
soirée
Je voudrais que ce soit Noël toute
l’année
Pour qu’on puisse plus souvent se
rassembler
Se pardonner nos fautes, redevenir
enfant
Les amis, la famille, c’est ce qu’il
y a de plus grand
Dans un vieux traîneau je
t’emmènerais
Sous le ciel du pôle nord on irait
danser
Je te ramènerais chez toi avant le
coup de minuit
On chanterait des chansons, puis on
jouerait du violon
Ça serait toujours la fête sur des
airs rigodons
Je voudrais que ce soit Noël toute
l’année
Des jours d’automne jusqu’aux jours
d’été
Des Noëls en soleil, des Noëls en
bourgeons
Des Noëls sous les feuilles et
plusieurs Noëls blancs
Je te prendrais dans mes bras à
chaque veillée
Et dans toute la maison je te ferais
danser
On déferait jamais notre grand sapin
On chanterait des chansons, puis on
jouerait du violon
Ça serait toujours la fête sur des airs rigodons».
An English translation of the lyrics above
“I wish it was Christmas all year round
From autumn
days to summer days
Christmass
in sunshine, Christmass in buds
Christmases
under the leaves and several white Christmases
I wish it
was Christmas all year round
May we all
choose joy and friendship
That we drop the hate, that we all forget the time
And may
every day be filled with gifts
I’ll take
you in my arms at every vigil
And all over
the house I’ll make you dance
We would
never undo our big Christmas tree
We’d sing
songs, then we’d play the violin
It would
always be a party on funny tunes
I wish it
was Christmas all year round
To keep all
our houses decorated
As well as
the little lights and the winter snowmen
We would
prepare a party for each new evening
I wish it
was Christmas all year round
So that we
can get together more often
To forgive
our faults, to become children again
Friends,
family is the greatest
In an old
sleigh I would take you
Under the
sky of the North Pole we would go dancing
I’ll take you
home before the stroke of midnight
We’d sing
songs, then we’d play the violin
It would
always be a party on funny tunes
I wish it
was Christmas all year round
From autumn
days to summer days
Christmass
in sunshine, Christmass in buds
Christmases
under the leaves and several white Christmases
I’ll take
you in my arms every wake
And all over
the house I’ll make you dance
We would
never undo our big Christmas tree
We’d sing songs, then we’d play the violinIt would always be a party on funny tunes”.
Anti-semitism is known as a type of hostile prejudice targeting Jewish people. Zionism refers to the movement that created a Jewish state in the Middle East, which supports the modern state of Israel. In that sense, anti-zionism is the opposition to the latter movement. It is not meant to be anti-semitic in theory, but in practice it may be perceived in a different way.
Bearing the above in mind, how sad when the Lebanese State Minister of Culture confuses the latter with politics in the most limited sense of the term. Not any Minister. We are talking about an experienced former judge (https://bit.ly/3TByBUf). By the way, since we are at it, why would a former judge become a politician? Bambi thought that the judiciary and the government were supposed to be two separate worlds of power.
Anyhow, when it comes to the world of culture, writers make us dream. They inspire us while making us escape our own realities to imagine a more appealing world. In that sense, why is the Lebanese Minister of Culture preventing his people from access to such magic stemming from the beautiful French literature? The latter is featured in the francophone and international event, shown below AND initially supported by the Official Lebanon:
About a hundred Francophone writers from all over the world, including of course the host Lebanon, began meeting in Beirut yesterday (at the “Beyrouth Livres“), an innovative cultural hub event in which the four finalists of the prestigious Goncourt 2022 Award will be announced. Sadly, it turned out that four members of the latter, namely Mr. Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Mr. Tahar Ben Jelloun, Mr. Pascal Bruckner, and Mr. Pierre Assouline, decided not to come to Beirut anymore. Why? Because, on October 8, the Minister of Culture of this country accused some writers participating at this event, without naming them, of supporting zionism. He then removed his message from social media. His words were something like the following: “He would not allow Zionists to come among us and spread the venom of Zionism in Lebanon“.
It seems that a Lebanese media called Al Akhbar, as per TV5 Monde (https://bit.ly/3gpqWdf) applauded the above words with the following terms: “Beirut is standing up to the Zionists”. However, thankfully, there are still courageous free spirits in Lebanon who refused attacks on the freedom of expression and who defended culture with a petition (https://bit.ly/3yWbdJj)!
As per TV5 Monde, this story reminds us of what happened to Mr. Amine Maalouf in 2006. As a reminder he is the winner of the Goncourt prize. What an honour to his birth country! Well, shortly after he had been the target of a vicious boycott campaign in Lebanon for giving an interview to an Israeli media.
The official Lebanon, through its Minister of Culture and at least one of its media, has forgotten that the Lebanese government (with the apparent blessing of Hezbollah) just settled an Israeli–Lebanese maritime border dispute. It means that they officially, both domestically and internationally, recognized the existence and even sustainability of Israel. They did so for economic (or may God forbid potential for corruption) reasons. However, when it comes to “Culture”, in their mind, their country must remain prisoner of cancel culture or boycott. Is there anything more hypocritical than this in life?
