Je me souviens ... I Remember ...

Spending some quality time in Toronto, we are now back in Montreal ...
The largest city of the Canadian province of Quebec and the only city in Quebec at which you can speak English along with French and not yet catch the strange stares of the people in the streets ...
I remember being in the capital of the province (Quebec City) and it was really odd for the people in the streets to comprehend or to speak English ...

Quebec is the only province among all 10 provinces and 3 Canadian territories that has maintained its official language French instead of English ...
This is very much interesting when it comes to the reality that all the traffic signs, shops and writings in the streets are in French as well as all the language of the official correspondence ...

Although English is considered as the "Second" official language but there is significant attempts in attracting and introducing the new immigrants of the province with French language ... This even includes the "Paid French Courses" at which the Government of Quebec "pays" the immigrants to attend French language classes at colleges and universities.

This is apart from easily granting permanent residency to the vast majority of the "French Speaking Immigrants" from formerly French colonized countries like Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Congo, Cameron, Lebanon, Syria and many more selected directly by the the Government of Quebec under the "Canada-Quebec Accord" at which Quebec can choose its immigration applicants "without" permission and intervention of the Federal Canadian Government...

Having French as the official language ... the people here called "Francophones" have adapted the "French Way of Life" making the habits of the people and the appearance of the people to be very much similar to those of in the European French cities ... of course very different from the City of Toronto and the rest of North American cities ...


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[Photo: Car Licence Plate of Quebec, "Je me Souviens" (I Remember That) is the official motto of Quebec. Photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Beautiful Montreal (I) ...

In front of the Basilica Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal, Quebec ... It was a beautiful afternoon with wonderful friends Hossein and Maziar whom I had missed from Sharif University and Omran-e Sharif Magazine ...

With my dear Hossein in front of Notre Dame Montreal ... Beautiful City ... Wonderful Friends ...

In front of the statue of Maissonneuve (The founder of Montreal) in Place D'Armes with dear Maziar

In Old Port Montreal (Place D'Armes) with Hossein and Maziar ... Beautiful Montreal ...

In the streets of Old Montreal with Hossein ... Flowers and Blue Flags of Quebec (Fleur-de-lis) are probably the most frequently seen signs of this beautiful province of Canada ...

All the rivers ... all the water ... the feelings of "thirst" ... are ashamed of seeing your sacrifice forever ...

O' Abbas! O' The brave son of Imam Ali (Peace Be Upon Him) ... how little "Bravery" and "Loyalty" seem ... when ... being compared with the great sacrifice you have done ...

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[Photo: Birthday of Abbas Son of Imam Ali (Peace Be Upon Him) who sacrificed his life to bring some water to the family of his brother Imam Hossein (Peace Be Upon Him) on the day of Ashura at which the enemy had shut the water on the women, children and all the civillians]

O' The beloved in the eyes of the Almighty! ...

All the angels, heavens and the universe were celebrating that day and congratulating each other on your birthday ...

O' The holy beloved in the eyes of the Almighty! What have you done to the hearts of your lovers ... that ... your name is always the key to the heavens ...


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[Photo: The Birthday of Imam Hossein (Peace Be Upon Him), The grandchild of the holy messenger of God]

گفت : گوسفند از آدمی آگاهتر است زآنکه بانگ شبان او را از چرا کردن باز دارد و آدمی را سخن خدای ـ عزووجل ـ از مراد باز نمی دارد

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[Thanks to dear MohammadReza for sharing this beautiful word of insight...]

St. Joseph du Montreal ...

She was all in her thoughts not hearing any single thing of all the noise that many tourists were making going up and down in the stairways besides her climbing journey of need to the Almighty ...

"Madam! Unfortunately there is no positive sign in keeping your kid here for a longer time ... take him home and let him enjoy his last days being with the family" had simply said the doctor to her ...

She was all in her thoughts when climbing up the numerous stairs of the St. Joseph of Montreal with bare feet all on her knees ... bringing her motherly tears to the saviour for the sake of her child ...

Blessings ...

It is really strange sense of feeling when you have been away from your family for a long time under the name of "Graduate Studies in the States" and the only way of communication between you and them was phone conversations almost every other day and staring at their photos for a long time ... trying to find a way to express all your feelings of love through those "digital" photos ...

... And then later ... It is really amazing to see them and to feel them "in person" after this long time and notice that how the power of love existing in your heart can lead you to can't help staring at them ... kissing them ... and feeling their presence for a long time ...
Even if ... all this, takes place in an international arriving terminal of a Canadian airport where many passengers were looking at you and showing you to each other ...

It was simply amazing ...

May I always try to understand the value of the things I currently have ...

And may I always try to remember that the things I have right now, perhaps were my dreams in the past ... and maybe they become the most missed moments and things of mine as I walk towards the future ...


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[Photo: Early in the morning with hot Persian tea on top of the mountain, Beautiful Iran]

In the "high-speed life" of today and in the changing economy of the world, people usually keep the eyes on the small pieces of the picture not seeing the bigger parts ... Issues of the least importance, usually get the most attention and yet there are no ones to deal with the main concerns...

Maybe that is the result of living in "task-oriented" societies instead of developing the "problem-solving" potentials in ourselves to make ourselves more "strategy oriented" ...
That is the fact of life ... we as parts of this system tend more to see the tiny issues more frequently losing track on the bigger pieces more often ...

In the highly competitive environments of politics and business of today, we for sure will lose tremendously if we only think that by focusing on "tasks", we would be able to survive without having "The Big Picture" in mind and moving on without strategic thinking and not having long term steady plans for future relationships ...


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[Photo: Handshake, Courtesy of Arbitration Mediation Conciliation Center (AMCC)]

Looking from the above ...

Courtesy of "BBC Persian", this photo taken in Afghanistan by M. Azad has been the winner of the photography contest.

Thinking of you ...

Thinking of you ...
With your head on my shoulder ...

And the love song of the rain at night ...
From the other side of the window ...

Thinking of you ...
In the tranquility of the moments ...

It is no one but only loneliness ...
Who is watching me from the other side of the window ...


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[Poem by H. Ataei, Photo: Autumn in the village, Beautiful Iran]

Vivaldi ...

An amazing and absolutely beautiful aria by Vivaldi, performed by Philippe Jaroussky with his astonishing countertenor vocal techniques ...

Listen this beautiful performance in here