Larissa at the window

A photographer, photographed.

She was such a nice one, too! I hope I'll be able to meet her some time, again. We went with all the familly to be photographed, and the last day of the "off camera flash" on afterclass group of flickr, I could see, but still not understand much, how it works.

This photo, was taken without flash, near the window.

We had luck Sunday with the car going and coming back, as we did not try to go through the closed, close-by tunnel. All the big circulation problems of London, are taking place around here, for the moment.

And this night, the first frost. Brrrrr.

More then four hours

From me to Ealing Broadway, East of London, more then two hours to go and two to return.

But just as these three, happy to be there, I do not complain.

We are not happy for the same motif. They were happy to be in London's transport! I was happy to have gone to the Ealing University and assist to a workshop about "series of photos" and "on-line publishing" and even more, how to choose.

First to know: what we want to express, to say, to convey?

Even if I do not know, at the beginning, she told us, towards the middle of a trip, I do know, I find a thread, something that from then on, I follow through and take more that kind of images.

Eliminating those who are not contributing to say what I want to convey in that book, that time. And then tell a story with the images. Also, aware how the eyes of the viewer have to flow, from one to other. Similarity of some of the colors, some of the forms, and so on.

Taking the photos from one then other, she showed us, and found, speaking with each, what they really convey or wanted to convey, taking those images.

Just taking great landscape, is not enough. But why this? so it went.

I did not bring, happily, any images, but now I'll have to begin to think like that, about some series that I want to make.

What I want to convey by them?

How to make a story with them?

First London impressions

I found on a memory card some of my first pictures taken in London, August 2008, between them the ones of "O2" distraction center and the people I met there.
Show pictures

I'll add to them, the one's I have taken a morning when I went very early to the Farington meat market, then Bank and around it. I feel interesting to see now, what I remarked after arriving in London.

Probably, now I would "see" other things as "interesting."

Seasons

I am preparing the next year, weekly calendar.

One page by week, one image to look at all week long. Which should I choose?

I decided to put this year, photos of showing seasons and weathers, but the one you see here, is not exactly what you would think. This are Christmas trees with painted white, there is not often snow in Paris or its suburbs, here Argenteuil, two years ago.

Winter season, Spring flowers and fruits, summer joys and the arriving of fall, but also wind and rain or good weather. Lot to choose from. But that will be not today.

I did choose some to show in my french blog, two for each season or weather, here they are.

winter



spring


summer



fall



fog


rain


Perhaps you find some you like: feel free to choose any from my pictures if you, if want to print them. There are more then 200 in the set these one are.

Accross the Court of Justice

Accross the Court of Justice, seeing this on the wall of George cafee, I got down from the bus.

What a great place!

So much photos to take! I did take only a few today, but some I quite like.

Only, having gone out of my door today at 5 am, I am quite tired for the moment, so more about my trip to London and speech, tomorrow.

I gave the number 10 speech again, but those looking were all alone, in their own corner, we got a room for 50 and we were only about 15! And even not sitting one near the other. But they all told me, it was inspiring.

My evaluator was an actress and a voice teacher at the same time, interesting lady!

Here are a few of the pictures.

Winner of "Museum at Night" photography

I won the Museum at Night photography competition, two weeks ago, today it was published by Culture 24 Web site. What is the most important is probably the two people who did decide it: Gordon MacDonald, editor of Photoworks magazine and Susanna Brown, Curator of Photographs at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Here are some excerpts from the Culture24 web site.

________________

"Julie Kertesz wins Culture24 Museums at Night 2009 Flickr photo competition"

By Culture24 Staff
20 November 2009

"After a whirlwind trip to Museums at Night in May 2009 with her grandchildren, amateur photographer and silver surfer Julie Kertesz has been announced as the winner of the Culture24 Museums at Night 2009 Flickr competition.

As well as being the overall winner, Julie was the winner of the Objects category with her shot from the National Portrait Gallery. The winning picture by Julie Kertesz features two young children staring intently at the art while a couple enjoy a quiet moment at the National Portrait Gallery's Museum at Night 2009 event."

The pictures were judged by Gordon MacDonald, editor of Photoworks magazine and Susanna Brown, Curator of Photographs at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

The winning picture by Julie Kertesz features two young children staring intently at the art while a couple enjoy a quiet moment at the National Portrait Gallery's Museum at Night 2009 event.

"I am really happy that I have won," said Julie. "My granddaughter pointed out the painting of the ballerina first and I was immediately drawn towards it and saw the opportunity for the picture. What made Museums at Night so special for me was being with my grandchildren, who decided what pictures we were looking at – they keep going until they are fascinated by a detail of a painting or a sculpture."

A regular Flickr photographer and ardent blogger, 75-year-old Julie has promised to take more photos during Museums at Night 2010, which takes place on the weekend of May 14 – 16. Culture24 will publish an interview with Julie about her photography and love of blogging and Flickr on Monday.

See a gallery of the Museums at Night Photography Competition winners on Flickr
_________________________

And here are my other photos from the event:

Show

Windy and rainy November in London

Ok, finally the rain arrived, also from time to time the sun comes out and shines and suddenly warms up everything, even my heart.

From my window, I feel the rain and wind has its own magic, as you see in this picture.

Today, the tree has lots less leaves that a few days ago, when I took the picture shown here.

But so much to do on a rainy day too!

Yesterday, at the Old Bakehouse Theater, in Blackheath village, Xanthe Gresham, a wonderful storyteller, enchanted us with her tales and her art of storytelling. It was as I imagined, storytelling at its best!

After she went away, as she had to wake up very early and travel far, probably to tell yet other tales, some of us, told our own tales in our own way. Would you believe it? Finally, I decided and told one too.

In fact, I combined two tales, as I played with the idea for days and days and it did work. It made both tales stronger, to be together. The tale about my old great great mother, when the SS came to take her "tomorrow morning" and the tale of the Very old woman and the Death.

It went well, and I did not stumble, and the audience did appreciate it. Yes, it was also a supportive audience giving me more energy to tell.

Spark : Personal storytelling on stage

He was telling, reading his personal story, about his father and himself, the the Power, about how it seems but that is not easy to have power and have to decide.

Next show: Monday 7th of December at 7.30pm stories of A 2ND BIRTHDAY RETROSPECTIVE

Sometimes, having power puts you in a very difficult situation.

I thought, not one of the tales stick to me, but this one did. The officer who had to decide if he orders his troupes to go and fight or stands, hoping the situation resolves itself.

Which will result in the less blood ? Which will bring faster peace? Which is the right decision?

I am happy I never had to make so difficult decisions, not had the power to do those.

Yes, some decisions are about life and death, in war even more so. My parents had to make those during the war, and me, perhaps only once in my life, but it did come out well. I did not have in fact to decide, just have the courage to go and face an armed man, as my children were up there, it was a clear easy decision not to let them be there without me, if necessary standing between them and their armed father.

It turned out well, oh well, as much as it could. It was not me, but him who broke down that night finally§. But did I take in the morning the right decision? That is another matter. Perhaps if I look at my life as it went from there on, yes, even if in short range I was wrong.

So much to say about power, once I have to write it down with clearer head, tell my own story, of how it was to be in the power of another human being, suddenly abusing his power.

In the search of Green birds

I admire, from time to time, the green birds, are they papagals? they arrive to feed, but rarely, in the garden under my window.

They are afraid of any movement and usually, if I open the window a bit, that scares them away, and all disappear, flying fast far away.

Yesterday, I was able for the first time in month, to open the window so quiet that they did not realise and kept on feeding, one after the other.

I had the time to put on my long-view lens and "catch" some of them.

I do believe there are two of them in this image.


And then I caught one 'nearer' while resting.

They are so beautiful!

From time to time, they come to eat near the pigeons, but the smallest movement or noise scares them off.

It is not easy to see in the nature a green or blue bird!

In London it is possible.

In my childhood, I believed the "blue bird" is only in fair tales, "all the birds are grey of course:"

Later, I told myself, that one can see them, colourful, only in Zoo or cages, not free in nature, at least not in Europe.

The pleasure to look at them in our garden is bigger thus.

I remember the film, 'the blue bird' all grey until the small girl found it, after looking all around in the word, as she returned - at home!

One can find so much joy at home too, indeed.

In York, many things happened

While taking photos at the Station, before entering the Conference, or perhaps at noon, I do not remember exactly any more, I have asked a few if they permit me to take them.

"Of course" they told me, all.

A young man eating, relaxed perched on a small wall. An older man, with his pipe: with or without it, he asked me. With, my father used to... it is a nice memory.

And these two women sitting together.

I did not tell them, why I asked. They did not ask me. That was not a good memory. One of the woman's face brought up in me very bad memories. "Once upon a time..." it did happen to me too.

I still have to find a way to tell it, then it will probably heart less. But they were so cheerful, happy I did ask them too, I remarked them too, found them interesting also. I did.

Life has its ups and downs, I feel now up and I am almost afraid what will bring me down again suddenly. But long long time ago I was down and it took a lot of time to go up again.

But I did. I did.

Lewisham Speakers 1st Anniversary

Paul, from the London Cardinals club, an accomplished Toastmaster, with great ability to speak and evaluate others speeches too, sitting near Tania, who entered the first time a Toastmasters meeting and did even not dare to stand up, while speaking a few words to us.

But Tania, joined yesterday evening, and will improve her speaking skills rapidly! That is all what Toastmasters is about.

I have asked Richard, who joined recently, to welcome Tania, to give her confidence, with that occasion I am sure he realised how long he has gone since he joined and was panicked to stand up. Yesterday, he even gained the Best Topicspeaker award!

So many have contributed yesterday not only that our meeting goes smoothly and we celebrate together, but also to the cohesion of our club. I felt a real enthusiasm, and perhaps for the first time, I felt I did a good job for the members of our club (and guests) to feel good.

Toastmasters Humorous contest winner

Bob Ferguson, from one of the London Toastmaster's club won the Humorous contest with a funny speack about how the Chips creap up now in all our life.

Not the chips made from potatoes, but the one in the "microprocessors", which are a bit everywhere nowadays.

I met Dorothea, the Editor of "TheLondonSpeaker" blog, a while ago, she is announcing, then present, at every workshop in London. I took Bob's photo because she asked me to do so, but this one, them together come out best.

So many pictures, but even more, so many people met, so many interesting Toastmasters - as Louanne said "I went in Dublin to the Toastmasters club to met interesting people." Finally, she got out also lots of other things from it.

Me too.

I learned so much this year! And yes, also met lots of great people, weather they are at the very beginning, fearful yet to stand up and speak but daring it anyway, or have years and years of experience speaking in public.

Each of us has something to say, and each has a story being, each is a nice human being.

Well, perhaps with the exception of only one keeping to say on a slip of paper "I did not understood anything from what you said, and you should have told something very different." Meaning, finally he did understand what I said, otherwise how could he tell what I did say?

I must have hurt him with something way back, but I even do not know who he is. And beside, many others, do remember well what I did say, one time or other, and tell me that it did help them to remember, to understand, and so on;

Toatmasters is a great organization, and only human too. I am happy to do my part in it. Help beginners, help those who do not understand yet, do not know how too...

York mid November

The trees more bare then in London, and the evenings cooler.

York is a beautiful old city, but no bus in the evening, or almost not, either Sunday morning. Yes, the taxis are not expensive, but very rare and not so easy to catch.

I almost regretted not having paid to stay at the Hotel Royal York, near the Station where the Toastmasters Conference was held. Specially, Friday evening, in the cold rain, until I discovered no bus any more after eight pm, and Sunday morning, when I went out at seven at the door of my Guest House, leaving the key inside, and discovered, after forty minutes, no bus until almost ten!

Finally the shop, open, called for a taxi, that arrived, 20 minutes later! It was almost eight, not to late for the conference, but waiting with a bag in the morning was no fun.

The conference was fun, for three days!

I'll tell more about it, tomorrow.

Neighbourhood

This is my favourite entrance, around here.

It looks like they agreed to make the entrance at the same time, similar. I like to imagine it is the same family or friends living there.

I have taken this entrance in the spring, but with the leaves of the fall, fallen on the entrance, I feel it is more "living".

So very British, too!

The Death and the very old woman, told

Would you like to listen to a story?
A Hungarian folk story I found, translated and adapted.

"Do not give up, in face of adversity, do whatever possible to go on!"

The Death and the Very old woman.MP3

Or look at this, also telling the tale, but with some images at the same time.

The Old Woman and the Death
by julie70

The Death and the very old woman

The Death and the very old woman

A Hungarian folk tale, translated, adapted by Julie Kertesz

my first Advanced manual Story, given yesterday at my Toastmaster Club

Once upon a time, far away from here, over the sea and the mountains, lived alone, a very old woman. She was old, but she was always doing something, never stopping all day long. She didn't even had the time to think of Death.

But finally, one cold winter evening, after she had drinken her hot milk with honey, as she was preparing to warm herself under her feathered duvet, someone knocked at her door.

"Who can it be? No one comes any more to visit me."

The door opened, the Death entered in her house.

"Well, old woman, you lived enough, pack up and come with me !"

"Oh, Death, dear good Death, I am just not ready yet, let me wait until I finish this quilt!"

"Impossible, what to wait? I'll take you now!

"Oh, give me ten years... five years more... at least, one year !

"Impossible! I wrote you already in my BOOK, and once I write down something..."

"Give me at least one more day, only one more."

"No way!"

"Just a few more more hours then, let me remain here at least until tomorrow, so I can finish my work and prepare to be ready to go!"

What he could do?

The old woman had pleaded so much, she spoke so well, she was so persuasive that finally, the Death said to himself, well, he can give her a bit more time to prepare herself to come with him.

"See you tomorrow, then"

"Oh, Dear Death, thank you, but my memory is no more so good, my eyes see less well then before, please write on my door with huge letters: I will return Tomorrow!"

The Death took out a chalk and wrote on her black door in large letters "I will return Tomorrow", exactly as the old woman asked him to do, and then, finally, he left.

The old woman went to bed and lay down under her duvet a bit more relaxed.

But too soon the next day arrived and in the morning, the Death was back, again.

"So, old woman, I am here to take you! But now not a word! Come!"

"Oh, dear Death, just look at that door! There it is written, by you, is it not? There, in your own handwriting: l will return tomorrow! Tomorrow."

The Death looks at the door, and indeed it was there in his own handwriting I will return tomorrow.

So, he went away and come back.

Day after day, each time, the old women pointed to the door, and the Death went away to return the next day, as it was written by his own handwriting.

Finally, after seven month and seven days, he had enough.

The cold snow begun fall on his neck as she arrived to the door and he got so angry that with the humid sleave of his cloak, he erased the words from the door.

"Now, you come with me!"

"Oh, give me at least one more hour!

"Well, if you have lived so far, I can give you another hour to live. But I will be back after an hour, and I will take you! And not one word more, you will not open your mouth, ever again!"

The Death went away and the old woman begun to shake like a leaf. Her bones rattled, her remaining teeth too, her hands shook.

"How to get out of that, now? What to do? I have to hide!"

To hide, where?

She remembered the barrel of honey in her pantry, and fast, almost without thinking more, she slipped inside it.

But she could not put all her head in the honey, she needed to breath, her nose and eyes remained outside the barrel. "That's not good. If I could see out, he will see me too, the Death will find me here."

So the old woman climbed out of the honey barrel, dripping from honney, looking around for another place, until she decided to hide inside her quilt.

She tore her feather duvet's cover and hid inside it.

Her hair, her body, her face, everything become fluffy, (flàfi) the light chicken feather of the duvet clinging to the honney. She could barely respire!

Will that be good enough?

The Death arrived. He looked all around the house.

"Where are you, old woman?" He did not see her anywhere.

But alas, the old woman could not breath any more, the feathers clinging to the honey and her nose, so she rose out of the bed, all covered with feather on her body, her face, her hair, everywhere.

When the Death noticed the feathered Monster rising from the bed before his eyes growing bigger and bigger, that Monster who probably had eaten the old woman and could harm him too, that Monster coming towards him, he was so frightened, that he ran out, ran away, ran as fast as he could.

He ran and ran, far, and farther, he ran accross the mountains and the ocean, and never again dared to return to take that old woman. She perhaps lives even today in her little house in the middle of the hills, far away from here, still working day by day joyfully, as no one ever heard of her any more.

___

I had to tell the tale, to understand the point of it: DO NOT GIVE UP in face of strong adversity, tells the Hungarian peasant wisdom.

Life's mysterious ways

Google talls me that Djibouti published some of my photos of 2006, and on the side of Kertesz because I looked if I did have some others published too (yes)I discovered videos.

That was one of them. André Kertész interview in English. His English is shaky, he puts often French words in it, his humanity and images and views on the photo wonderful.

This is a four part interview, one can go to the YouTube to see the rest, I did like the 3rd better, but one has to begin, I think at number one, no?

Mysterious ways to discover real treasures, now more and more on the web and available.

Part two of "Our inner child"

This is the part more applied to my Toastmaster experience and the club I was seeking, at least in the beginning. It also tells how I do when I have a problem to solve, a barrier to go around.

And finishes with the realisation that telling a personal story is important. Good for the teller and a gift for the listener.

Inner child TM 2.mp3

Blackheath fireworks

Another Toastmaster, arrived in London a few years ago from south of China,  came to visit me today, and together we went to see the fireworks nearby.


A wonderful day, afternoon and evening, spend together!

Our Inner child - part 1 of speech number ten

The beginning of the 10th ("Inspire") speech from the Competent Communicator Manual of Toastmasters, as I have prepared it.

In delivering it, I "played this first part" with a small box I stood up with the photo of the three year old child I was and a chair I sat down when at 5 my inner child got hurt. Adding to it as I did it, more then it is on this beginning.  I think the "proms" and the body language helped me and the audience to understand it better.

Ih the second part, I'll put also here, I spoke how the Toastmasters helped me to find my Inner child and after 70 years go on a Stage again. The Stage was Canal Café Theatre about which I told little in this speech which was mainly to inspire others to tell their personal tales also with confidence.

Inner child 1.mp3

Flash or no flash experiments

As I do not have, for the moment, off-camera flash, I experiment "flash or no flash, from nearer and farther, and so on.

I use very rarely flash, usually, but this month I'll try more.

Still tired and so I try do have a few days "nothing", that means, beside sleeping and eating, buying food, some easy reading.

No learning!

And almost did not blog either, but finally I decided, I could not miss that!

Competent Communicator

Of course, I do not become "competent" because I have completed my ten speeches from the Competent Communicator Manual, but I did learn from them, one after the other and did a splash finish.

It was just in ten minutes, even if I have left out parts of it to finish in time. It was "inspirational" and Matt told me he even had that "special sensation on his back" - emotion?

I had a lot of problems preparing it, and it could have been better had I more time or had I left out even more parts of it - next time, will do. But the message, did pass and was emotional and educational too.

It is good to feel, i can do it, when I really put everything possible in it.

I'll have to rest now, still a bit tired from the effort.

What goal to find for the next year?

For the Veteran's

They seem somehow not real, but they were two nice boys, in training, at the King Cross station. Proposing "poppys" for veterans and their families.

It is very popular in England.

Distinguished people wear them on their costumes for weeks, every where, from the parlement to the underground stations.

Finally I have also one, also I am not sure I'll show it.

I remembered my grand father, who remained ill all his life, after the first world war, difficult for him and difficult for all his familly, because he became a tyran after that, too. Everything had to be arranged around him, his needs, his ideas.

In the morning, he did not rise until my grand mother brought his breakfast in the bed. And the toast had to be just so, the egg not one second more or less. No one else ever could eat in the bed!

That is why I love it, even if it is me who brings it for me...

My grand mother loved to play piano and was very good at it, but "noise" disturbed him. She could play only when he went out to work. Music was noise.

But my grand father loved me, best between his grand children and I was the only one not afraid from him, perhaps it is why he did love me, so? He came and told me, when I was just seven: "you can ask me any question you want, I'll answer. And if I do not know the answer I will look it up in a book and come next week and tell you!"

He even succeeded to convince me that I have no luck and so it is not interesting to play at lottery, I'll only loose money!

He was proud that he served his country, until his country betrayed him, also I am not sure he wanted ever to believe in that. "I always did my duty!" And he did, until the end. What he did believe.

But he always criticized also his wife, I read a letter he wrote ho her at her 70th birthday: "you are wonderful, excuse me if I see all the small faults all the time...."

That is what the veteran's day, made me remember.

The veterans, and their family.

End and begining

That street like this does not exist any more, a night of wind and rain finished the warm colors and now they are more leaves on the ground then on the branches.

The fall finished.

The winter begins.

Tomorrow, the last, 10th manual speech from my Competent Communicator, "last" one to become "Competent" in Toastmaster sense, which of course means only that I'll have to practice again and again, but this time choosing a speech, that I WANT from the Advanced Communicator manuals.


First, the Storytelling, then some others too.

I still have the manuals from 30 years ago, and I'll ask some more, so it is a bit sad and I am a bit afraid of my 10th speech that still did not "gel" changing from day to day, but also proud of myself: I did it!

In January or February someone told me "you cannt do it in a year!" and here I am, ten month later, finishing it.

Of course, I had to join two clubs, give speeches at every occasion, two of the ten in yet another club, but I did prepare them all carefully and with lots of time given to prepare them. I learned a lot through preparing and delivering it, and now, I'll have to apply what I learned.

I even learned a lot about myself!

The fall's end

One rainy and windy night was enough, the leaves falled, gave up, most of them, no more decorating my street

Here is the "before and after"

Ghost story for Halloween

A story in 18 images - does it tell something to you?

is there any I should take out from them?