Fleet market, Greenwich

My photo expo is finished.

Just before taking home my photo, we went to the Greenwich fleet market, near the Viewfinder Gallery and the Cuty Shark DRL station. Great contacts with people!

Connect

"Julie connect with a man, photo by Klara.

Connect with the a man, if not other, even the Iron man staying always on the bench, sun or rain, summer or winter always ready to connect with whoever comes. I first looked at him, the Iron man, the man with the big hat and huge fingers, then I was told: smile at me.

My smile is a bit sad.

I have no other man to connect to. Sometimes, if not all the time I do wish I had one, but I usually hide the feeling, even from myself. "At 75 past, what do you want?" Then a tiny voice whispers in me:"but my aunt found someone when she was past 73" and I always did believe I may have that luck too..." The reasonable side of me answers it: "You have so many joys and pleasures in your life now, already!"

Yes, I have.

Only when I met the Iron man and suddenly want to hold his hand and would like him to hold also mine, not only as "one of many" but care, for a few seconds, my heart hurts. I remember my father holding my hands. I remember my lovers holding my hands. My last husband, when he still enjoyed walking holding my hands.

I do not stay long time "there" - I take a good romance and forget all the "real world" around me, a book where every heroine finds always the way to gain his beloved hart and retain it for all her life.

Of course, romances always finish early - do not go farther in the life of the couple.

It is always sweet to dream. Always sweet to hope. Even if only the seconds I hold the Iron man's hand.

Then I stand up and go just a bit farther, and discover that in fact he is a father sitting there and waiting and looking at her small daughter playing near the river. He is not there for me at all. I am not there to meet him. I am there with my friend Klara, on a photo-walk and I forgot to put a memory card in my Canon camera before I came to London bridge and I missed all the photos I thought I did take.

Last time I took so many photos without taking any, in fact, was seven years ago. A year after I separated from my husband, ex now. Just when he remarried. I am happy he did. I am happy alone. Happy alone! Happy alone!

I am not alone. I have family not far. My family who is far keeps contact. I have now a friend with whom I can go to walk. I have blog and photo pots I can meet and walk. I have other speakers who from time to time do listen to me, to whom I listen.

I have all the people of London, Paris, Washington, seaside, countryside, I meet, I look, I photograph and speak to.

I am not alone in the world!

Storytelling

From Public Speaking books, I arrived to Storytelling, as I realise more and more the importance of telling a story, usually personal story (but it can be someone else's too) in a good Speech.

More I go, more the books move me.

More they bring back memories, explain me things about myself. As I prepare my speech "Persuasive one" for the Toastmasters, that will have a story about a part of my life, and one that became then important to me that my father told me 30 years before.

Of course, for the moment, the big problem is: should I listen to the "rule" which tells to make the story go from old towards new, or may I, as in a book or novel, insert my father story when the moment I did remember it at the time I am speaking, which is when I was 44 years old and before my first public speech in France.

Not that I have given many before!

Reading the book on Story as Persuasive method, I remembered why I did not give any more speech from age 12.

My second language is not English but Romanian. I was taught a few days (or were they weeks?) by a Romanian Student whom my mother offered a place to sleep to prepare me for the Romanian School they decided I have to go.

Until then, I spoke only Hungarian.

Thinking, I knew enough to begin, they send me to this Girls School. The first day, unexpectedly, the teacher told to all in the class:

"we have a new between us, Julie Kertesz, stand up! do you speak Romanian?"
Instead of replying in proper language, once I understood what she wanted from me, I translated word by word from Hungarian, and answered something like:

"a bit" - or "one small" - which was not really nice and had double meaning too. For the next two years, all my classmates mocked me, called me ABIT instead of my name. I never learned well Romanian and hated that school.

After two years "passing through" I obtained from my parents to put me back in a Hungarian class and school, and even though I did not think any more of that first same that lasted two years even in the Hungarian School, I just told one girl what to say to the group but never stood up to try to speak for myself, for the class.

I will not speak about this incident this time, but a day, I'll find an occasion...

Stories like this, true and sad, take a lot of energy from me, and I'll have to put them in a more positive context to see them with smiling face.

Julie by Roger

Of course, the best images of me are not self-portraits, because from near when I take my nose is even bigger as in life, but also because having done so many I aim now to fun and expressions or showing sorrow or age.

Thanks to Roger and his great camera, in the mild light of the Photo museum where we went last Friday to see André Kertesz's pictures about Reading.

They begin with the oldest photo, three poor boys reading together in 1917! and span many years. I did not know until recently, that I had the same passion as him: taking people reading photos!

Take a look at some of my photos in the set or stop this when you had enough.

I begun my group of People Reading a few years ago on Flickr, and also collecting my own. They are a good and easy subject, so absorbed in reading that they do not see most of the time you take a picture of them. So many ages, places, you can read, too! Some read even walking or in a swimming pool!

I do love so many of them, difficult to eliminate any - but I have put some of my favourites in front. As I love reading, I also appreciate anyone reading, any place.

Julie by Roger

Of course, the best images of me are not self-portraits, because from near when I take my nose is even bigger as in life, but also because having done so many I aim now to fun and expressions or showing sorrow or age.

Thanks to Roger and his great camera, in the mild light of the Photo musuem where we went last Friday to see André Kertesz's pictures about Reading.

They begin with the oldest photo, three poor boys reading together in 1917! and span many years. I did not know until recently, that I had the same passion as him: taking people reading photos!

I begun my group of People Reading a few years ago on Flickr, and also collecting my own. They are a good and easy subject, so absorbed in reading that they do not see most of the time you take a picture of them. So many ages, places, you can read, too! Some read even walking or in a swimming pool!

A year ago

I come to this apartment a year ago, and this is how they looked then. Now, I put them in a corner, with a small table and the telephone between them, on two different walls.

As I enter in my second year in London, and in my place it does become more and more "mine" and I feel more "at home".

Each place has its usage.

One of the sofas let's me see the sun rising.

The other sofa, is my place to read and watch TV with different light. And sometimes, I even eat there instead of the table or the kitchen. I work sometimes with my computer facing the sun rise, or the tree that is blown by the wind, like this morning, other times, in my room where I have all installed, printer, side disk, etc. and a bug nice chair.

If I feel really tired or lazy, I read in my bed where I have also good light, sitting up with lots of pillows behind me. Looking out at the sun going down and the clouds gathering and moving, and ignoring the huge house somewhere also not so far.

Yesterday afternoon, I set there, tired, before I went to the Toastmasters and delighted in the forms the clouds formed and how fast they come and went. The life also comes and goes, we just to grab the moment as much as we can.

Viewpoint Gallery Expo

London Independent Photographers expo in Greenwich, and yes, I had at least one or two of the visitors (like this picture does prove) to look also at my picture.

It is of course not easy to see it down and finally seeming so small and without frame (also I did provide one but was not good enough) but anyway, I can tell from now on, if I want or need, that I "did expose in London".

I did expose also in the Paris's suburb, near where I lived.

Here are some of the pictures I have taken at the Gallery, it does teach me a lot: what kind of pictures are well seen, how big it has to be, how it has to be framed, etc.


But really, I get a LOT more people looking at my pictures through the blogs, through Flickr, and generally the web. Today, Google Allert, showed me a site where one can see my "last pictures" and my "most interesting or liked" ones. A site I was even not aware of:

Djibnet Julie Kertesz

The most comment I have from you, my dear readers and from the flickr photo site (sometimes 2000 visitors a day - difficult to believe even) far away from the 15 visitors we had Saturday at Viewfinder Gallery. But each has a special interest.

I have now a photo of my photo looked at in "direct"!

Julie 75, in Soho

From Carnaby Street, I decided to walk to the station, through narrow streets that attracted me, and on the way, I stumbed on some "interesting" Soho streets too.

People did try to tell me to go a bit farther, on bigger streets, but I did not understand why, until I got there. It was an interesting experience and mood!

I also met great people on the way, firefighters, men and women in or before a pub or café, or just walking by. I got home Friday with a lot of souvenirs.

Have fun, follow me on my journey.

Carnaby street in sun and rain

I discovered Friday, London's Carnaby street with its strollers and tourists, what a great one! Come and see with me some of it.

A long great day to the seaside

It seems "it was long ago" but just some days have passed since!

And yesterday, I went to see the expo on the books of those who read, by André Kertész. He was very popular from 1926 to 1936 in Paris, but when he went to America, he did not find his way at least for thirty years. A long way! I do not know what he did, how did he live then.

Late in life he became famous again.

After the expo (and another one about the Londoners that did not impress me), I did go to stroll at the Carnegie street (then Soho's smaller, darker parts) before I arrived back to the Charring Cross.

It was sunny then it rained and the rain stopped again - I took real "street pictures" and I am very happy with them. It took me all day today to go through them, one by one.

Tomorrow, I'll upload them, show them. Today, it is twenty one and time to go to bed. I looked at YouTube at videos of Toastmaster Speeches, until I was so tired... but they are great, the web is great.

Life is beautiful.

One just have to take the full party of the cup each time.

Imagination

She put those on his back to take them in photo!

Great imagination, they reminded her probably of what holds our back straight - when we need it.

It reminds me of the different steps, stones put one on the other, to learn to be a better speaker.

In the Toastmasters, our first manual that makes us "competent Toastmasters" with ten first prepared speeches, are the first steps. Of course, then we go on to more Advanced Speeches.

The first speech is to Stand Up, Look at Listeners eyes, and tell about ourself - a subject we do know well. It also helps the older member to let know us.

The second speech, makes us more aware of startling opening, the body of the speech with its transitions from one part to the other, end a strong end. I am not yet good at strong ends.

The third speech, helps to become more aware of the power of the words, clear language and oratoric devices, like repetitions, the power of three, the pause.

The forth is about body language: moving, what our hands and arms tell, how we stand, smile and look.

The fifth is to be more aware of the voice variety and how it can complement, enhance what we are telling.

Of course, when I tried for good body language, I was told my voice variety was great, and next time, that my body language was good but my delivery a bit flat. It takes some time to get all together.

There is a six, seven, eight. What was six? Seven was to use research before we speak, and the eight I gave yesterday suggested to learn to use visual aids to support our meaning.

My evaluator told me my visual aids did not support my meaning, also my speech about the Power of Pause was good and interesting. I'll have to use them more often to learn what works and what not.

The next one is to persuade and the 10th to inspire.

In fact, once I finished the first ten (I did already do 15 but 30 years ago) I should have the courage to begin all over again. Practice, practice, practice.

But I enjoy a lot thinking about the next theme I'll speak about, preparing it, rehearsing it, improvising a bit on it on the spot but knowing more that I need about it, delivering it to a live audience.

It is wonderful to hear their opinions also in the break time, or after the meeting. Of course, I have to improve, but each speech counts.

A long great day near Brighton's seaside

Great day, long day, family day, but I did take photos of lots of other people, young, mid age and old. Of the sea, of the sky, of the things "special seaside".

And as I could not stand at the sun, which was great: out there but not too hot, walking or from the shadow, I took also 300 images.

Tonight, the speech on the PAUSE importance in public speaking. In fact, this morning I realised, the pause is like the negative space in photography. Each necessary to the other, giving it more breath and more importance.

The first images are already on flickr, the others will follow.
___

Rachel asked me yesterday, which books I prefer?

Two stand out, although I did like and learn from most of them, and still have to re read them again. The Power of personal Storytelling, from Maguire, to study, and Speak like Churchil stand like Linkoln, for its clear and brief 21 chapters "power pause, power line, etc."

I'll have to take time, and will, to speak about each of them one by one.

Books for Public Speaking

If I just wanted to show how many books I read or studied to improve my Public Speaking skills, to understand more about it, this picture is not bad, but it does not show really what books I read this last weeks.

Probably, I'll have to read them again.

I tried to absorb them so fast!

Tomorrow, I'll speak about the Power of Pause in a Speech. Perhaps I should also make a Pause in reading on this new passion of mine: I can not do it! For the moment I read and read.

Yes, I do pause.

I pause to look and listen to famous speeches, on the Website, on YouTube and Ted.com. Then, I ponder. But I do understand better why and how a speech becomes more important, because all I have read, and the bit I did absorb before, so they do complement each other.

Weather or not I'll be able to apply some of it, in another matter.

This image does show better what I do read, and re-read again. I'll try soon to summarize what is the most important I did learn from each, but first, I have to Pause. Let it absorb.

A walk in Greenwich park

In my walk with my new friend Klara, a young lady of only 86 years, going to College to learn new version of advanced Text Editing on her new computer (four years ago she did not touch a computer yet), we met another dog owner.

He was only 56 of age although he looked at least 20 years older, but his approach to life was that of a man a lot older then Klara's, between the two of them, he was the old man and she the young woman!

How much approach to live counts!

Apologies for any inconvenience

Victoria station. Arriving late. We do have to walk a lot from one platform to the other. But these drawings on the wall, compensate me.

Fun, British humor.

I was at the Croydon Est station and as the train to Victoria was there, 40 minutes before the London Bridge one, I took it. It was an error.

Not only I had to wait almost 20 minutes for a train to the London Bridge, and from there take another train to Blackheath, but also walk and the train from Victoria to London Bridge is very slow!

I should have taken a bus or the Tube!

In all, it took me two hours to arrive home, and I was so tired that yesterday I could not do anything good.

But each day, something nice happens.

Yesterday, it was something specially great: my grand children have come to visit me in the afternoon!

Plus, my TV did ot open for the last two month, and my eight year old grand son promptly made it work again!

Phillip Khan-Panni at Toastmasters

Phillip had begun to speak at age 12 and before he joined Bromley Communicators Toastmasters, he had already a long career of speaking and coaching behind him. Yesterday, he came to Creydon Communicators and delivered us a long speech with a pause between the two parts.

His main message, while he explained us how to prepare a better speech and delivery, is not only to care for the audience (what they want) but determine what is your unique talent, your "plus" that no one has. "Niche" in French, of course.

Your force.

Here is a short video from his website.

As I looked at him, and took some pictures before he spoke, even him, who did obtain the second place world wide in one of years contest, is still a bit anxious speaking, even before a small audience. But of course, once he begins, he is all in it.

Watching him yesterday was as a good teaching experience as listening. And also how he reacted with half of audience coming in once he was already speaking.

And also, him telling me that my message is not good enough as I formulated it "what is in for the audience?" he asked me. As furious as was at the moment, as right he was. His conference made me think more. Better perhaps at what is "only me", and what is the message that I want to deliver.

And of course, what the listeners can gain from it. By listening, and even more, doing what I'd like them to do. Until now, other then have more courage, I did not have a "persuasive goal" but I can try my hand on it, can I not?

Slide show Thaï festival

London Canal stroll (117)

I received a Google Alert this morning, 20 of my pictures were presented by a German Website, at "Kertesz", some portraits from the Blackheath heritage center, the others landscapes from the London Canal.

It is always a pleasure to see again almost forgotten pictures, and discover what others liked from my output.

This picture I almost forgot and was not even between my preferred but looking at it now, yes, it seems as an impressionist painting!

I strolled almost a year ago along the Grand Union canal in London, and had a wonderful light and reflections that I tried to reproduce.

Underskog Kertesz first gives the links, the image, then a link to my flickr image where they can be seen even in bigger size.

Warm summer day

A dress can be open not only near the breasts and short, but long and open low in the back, I found this one also very "interesting"!

They were going to a private festival held, as many in the Greenwich park with lots of food. I was going to the Thai festival.

There was lot of interesting food there too, but as they were mostly strong, spicy, I did not regret having eaten before I went.

Lots of great portraits at the festival, most people very happy to pose for me. I even do not remember if any told me "no" and some even asked me to take their images.

Some were born in Thailand, but not all, but each very interesting face and expressions!

St Valery en Caux, Normandie

They seem so forbidding - of course the Germans could hardly imaging it would be there the Allied troops would come in in 1944.

How long it seems now, that time and even a few years back, two in fact, when I visited it with blog friends that took me there!

Some of the things feel like a long distance away and others like it was yesterday only! Nothing to do with the real time, years, month or hours, I do believe there is a special emotional time or memory time that is very different to it.

Some of them come up suddenly like there happened yesterday - not long long time ago. The very happy or very hurtful moments of our life, the special scents or sights, to from time to time.

Portrait of a young moderne lady

I am happy to be 75 because now I can tell myself: "I still have a lot until 80. Lots of things I can still do and do and will do as long as possible.

When the energy goes down, I stay home and read and discover interesting facts I'll be able to use, I ponder for example of my life. When I was young, at the other side of the Iron Curtain.

I just discovered that the expression was from Churchill!

In my time, after the war, at the theater we still had an Iron Curtain going down after the spectacle was finished - I wonder if nowadays it still means also something literally to people.

What is sure, In my time after the war and behind the iron curtain, we were dressed gray and "seriously" if we did not wanted to be considered.... differently. So I regret I could not be young again in the modern times! I can feel like it sometimes, but not when I look to a wonderful young lady!

The taming of. the shrew

It is still a funny piece played often and very differently each time.

Do we want to hear its messages - and what are they?

Nowadays, they play it as if it become a play only between the husband, loving his wife and the wife, finally being loved; But is it? Was it?

They did perform it like they thought it would have been at old times and with songs and dancing and very big funny movements - it did work for adults and it did enchant the young audience.

They had to postpone it twice, as it rained and it could not be performed in the park as programmed, finally they did find a community theater to play it for free to anyone. The outskirt Maryland theater was almost full!

It was a nice way to finish the three weeks in USA.

Home sweet home!

Not only I am home, not only I love it, but now my sofas are cleaned and the order surprised me in my living room!

Perhaps, could surprise anyone who have been to my place lately in France, too.

The place where I lived, for the 15 years when I was married become slowly a place where we could barely move because so many books and papers my husband put everywhere, first on tables and chairs then on the ground too. Once, toward the end I did order them a bit - perhaps that was the beginning of our end together.

"I do not find anything any more!"

So what? I did need some space to live, myself.

Then I did live for myself for seven years, in the small house near Paris. At the beginning, it had almost nothing in it. Then, books arrived and somehow it filled up, more and more. From time to time, I did arrange my papers and even the books found places but then, a period of feeling less good would arrive and again it was fuller then I really liked to live in.

Now, if books come, or they go, or I buy a new bookcase! I now have four big and a smaller one. Still some books near my bed on the table, and one of the chairs near the sofa, but they do not stay long there. I read, or I dispose them where they belong.

The only mess is still my writing desk where lot of papers are one on the top of the others - still to be dealt with and not so easy to find. But I learned that it is even worth to make my bed in the morning, to signal myself: now your day to work, blog, etc. begins! And it is so much pleasant to look at while I am at my computer - as my bed chamber is also partly my workplace.

I even succeed to keep the kitchen in order - surprising myself almost day by day! Does it mean I am happy here? I do think so. (I wanted to write instead 'you bet')

Water fuuuuunnnnnn!!!!!

This picture is by Inigolai from Flickr,

I would have liked to do one so good!

but I was also afrait to go to near - or did not use strong enough zoomer lens to take it as here - it seems as if it takes place just before our eyes!

I did learn so much from others photos - bur also I could more, by stoping and thinking how they have done it - as I do begin to think now about Public Speaking.

Home, tired, happy

As usually, happy I went, happy I was there and for lots more, but tired - not yet slept more then two hours;

I missed night begins so be heavy on my shoulders.

London's Red buses

I miss them, tomorrow I'll see them again.

A puzzle

I admire what others can do, like this part of a huge puzzle, but do not have the patience to do them.

I do have the patience to go through lots of books about Public speaking, taking from each some wisdom I could try out, use or eventually teach to the others.

Tomorrow back, London is awaiting for me - or so I feel.

I know a lot more then a year ago, when I just arrived from Paris to London what is there, but there is so much more to discover!

"Seafood city"

Looking at a simple photo, what can we learn from it? Discover in it?

In this one, I just took enough that one can see he was selling shrimp but mostly that he was using glows and had tattoos on his arms. But looking on the bigger size of the picture, one can discover more of the background.

I'll have to spend many hours to mine all the information and think about them of the pictures taken in less then an hour!

Soon, back to London, back to Toastmasters clubs, back to Photo Expo, back to my beloved apartment. New adventures wait for me, but I'll not forget those I had here, in and near Washington.