Bare essentials

In 2005 I took a young Hungarian student with me on the way from Szovata, a small traditional cure town of Transylvania to Kolozsvar (Cluj-Napoca), he was also a photographer in soul.

A new but very good one!

On the way, he asked me if we could make a detour and visit his parents, father in one village and mother in one another not far from the road either. We did not find either of them, only his grand-parents, home.

His paternal grand parents house was bare, had only the minimum essentials. Electricity but not water inside. They welcomed us with a huge breakfast, very 'peasant one' with saussage and bakon and bred.

Somewhere, it must be a root nearer to English one because the breakfasts are in fact quite similar, even if the town, for quite a time, Hungarians stilck to very little and mostly milk and coffee and bread and butter.

Butter is an expensive comodity in some parts and you have to have money to buy, the father of my young photographer was away to find mushrooms in the forest hills, to sell it in the market.

I wondered how the young got on to study, but then I realized he did live at friends place when giving exams and at his girl friend parents place the other time.

His other grand father was a bit better of, still not really well, but at least they had more 'things" also again, no water inside or WC. But at their external one, I found a Harry Potter decoration inside!

We went to lots of places, made an 8 hour trip from a 4 hour on, but it was such an eventful and full june day!

At the end of the day, the young gave me pictures on a CD to do what I want with them, I did put on some as "Zoli's pictures" on Flickr, but I did also some who I am happy to have been rediscovered yesterday by someone, like this one in front.

Going to the image, you can then see the whole set of it, if you desire. I could tell a lot of stories about them, but perhaps, they do speak for themselves.

True Tales from Grants Whisky

About True Tales from Grant’s Whisky


Great web site - I like their way of speaking about family and tradition too.

True Tales is an event in Manchester the 8th October at which I will participate.
Listening about the story of the current leader's grand father,
I remembered my own grand grand mother's distillery.

About the same time, the end of the 19th century towards 1880,
after her husband's eary death, leaving her alone with 6 children
- her 7th having died when only two years old -
the oldest, only girl and my grand-mother, only 14 year old,

my grand grand ma Paula took over the alcool distilery and continued instead of her husband
not easy at that time a woman leading a factory in a small town!
she finally, succeed and also to make the bussness threave,
and the family grow up and gave them good professions,

and married my grand mother...
who would have rather become piano player,
but that, is yet another story

Paula, my great great ma, was a character
that I tried to follow in my life
full of compassion and optimism too,
even as she lived many years blind,

she taught me a lot when I was 12 and she 92

My next story will be perhaps about her

Three million visits!

I can hardly believe, but on my flickr Stats it shows my photos just passed the three million visits!

I try to put on, what I see and like - rarely even dislike - around me.

Like this baby on the back of her mother in the bus, sleeping.

She or he was so cute and so far away with 'my way' of carnying for a sleeping baby, but I do understand well that each culture is different and not better of worse from each other.

A little later, the mother took out her very modern portable telephone and begun to speak. The baby continued to sleep. I took also a candid picture of her on phone with the baby on her back but this is the image I prefer. I was 'contre lumiere' so one can not see well the speaking mother anyway.

Here is a link to my photo-collection,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joyoflife/collections/
It would be difficult to find anything between, now around 42 000 photographes if there were not classified and tagged, but in flickr there is easy to make smaller sets and then from them collections of related images.

I still did not find such a great image data base for my computer. Still hoping... meanwhile, even me keep track of my images from the flickr site and all the others that I did not put on, slowly fade away.

Burlington Arcade

There are so many interesting Arcades and places to discover in London, only if my legs will permit it.

I hope.

The day of 23 August when I passaed by they hurt so much that I almost could not come home and next day even not stay on my left feet.

Today, if not far, I went again in center and I even did not remember I had feet - what a joy!

Those are some joys of a person who is, finally past 76 now. Of course I know a 86 old lady that walks with her dog day by day at least an hour. So it is not only the age...

Dawns from my window

As early riser, I have in my London flat the pleasure to see the dawn from my living room.

One of the mornings this week it was like this, with a sky without clouds.

As the sun rose slowly, it become lighter and also greyer, more uniform.

The day after, yesterday, there were hundreds scattered small clouds painted rose and moving slowly: a feat for the eye, even if not easy to catch their beauty in a photo.


and later they scattered even more and the sun lightened the sky


We hope or aspire for a quiet life without many ups and downs, to go quietly on the chosen road. The worst thing, it seems, the Chinese hope for their enemies is: "Have an interesting life"

I did have an interesting life with lots of downs and ups, two ex husbands and a few strong loves; love and betrayals.

I lived in 6 countries including this one now, and lots of different cities, most of it in Paris, but the most difficult was to move away from Kolozsvar - now Cluj Napoca to show his old roots - my birth town, the town of my youth. After that, every time I had to change, it was more easy.

Only twice did I change because I wanted it.

Once going away from my husband from which I was recently separated with my two children, to be more quiet, and farther, from Paris to work in Washington for an after doctoral research. Second time, two years ago coming to London, to follow my son's family and make, perhaps, again, a new life.

What I found is song in great songs by singers and written in novels and poems: When you can not follow the quiet broad chosen road, and have to deviate toward unknown paths, you discover, with time, wonderful new horizons.

Life has taken me lots of places and was shattered many times - that makes lots of memories and stories to tell!

If I could

If I could take photos always as I see,

This is an example.

Those are so great in real life but only some of their magic showed here.

If I could apply all the advices I listen to, would also be great!

Only human, I can also try to do my best.

Lookiing down in London

After looking up in. Paris, looing down in London

We went to the restaurant at Fortnum & Mason on Picadilly, I was disapointed by the quality of food, but even more that we coud not get into the nice and almost empty tea room upstairs and the restaurant we did get was so far from its beauty!

Great service, but the food could have come from a frozen food platter that I could have had for one tenth of the price!

But the shpo is beautifully decorated and so many things showed with taste thqt it is worth the visit. Not the restaurants at least not the one we were.

Paris: looking up in Paris

After the "Beach" along the Seine, we went up and found ourselves near the Pont the Arts and the entrance to Louvre's Cour Carree, Square Place - wonderful memories.

Long long time ago, in 1976 I went there to see a Russian ballet for free, ticket received as the first 100 who asked from a TV magazine, It was my birthday and it was the first time I was alone, after my separation from my husband.

I felt lonely.

Near me two old ladies spoke - in Hungarian!

After heistating, I begin to speak to them in my mather language that I did not use for a long time.

Stephanie, remained my friend until her death, thirty years later, and what a wonderful friend!

From the cour Carre, we went to the main place with the new Pyramide and from there towards the Petit Carroussel, near it there was a Paul bodega and we sit down to have a sendwitch. What a full day!

Looking up

There is a lot around there to look up too.

Looking down, and around.

I also took a lot of pictures of people, even children photographing their parents.

I arrived home to Argenteuil with my neighbour Rozalia and more then 120 pictures.

Paris Plage - photo story

ParisPlage v1
Uploaded by julie70. - Exotic and entertaining travel videos.
Come along with us!

Now or never told at Spark London

It aas almost a year ago - I almost forgot it, and Spark brought me back now,

It is also a hymne to ToastMasters in general and in London, And yes, a year later, also in October, I will be telling a story in Manchester. Waw, what a road. Thanks to the Toastmasters in Meridian Speakers club and in Lewisham and all over London, and thanks also a lot to Johanna from Spark London inviting me to speak here and there, from that October on.
Now or never
Here is a link to that speech a year ago

Back to London

Why do I need a social event?

That is what I asked myself - and I almost did not go to the Cuty Shark Tavern, also it is not so far and it is a nice place near the Thames with a great view too.

I am happy I went.

We were about 15 from our club there and had a lot of great discussions and yes, my father has told me a very long while ago, around the table there is a different better 'bonding' between people.

Here is our president, a bit in the back in this picture and another of our club members, who once begun a speech telling "I learned from Julie the importance of storytelling" so now, I tell you a story, me too. Thanks, Jeremi! That was the best compliment I could get.

Sam, oranized the gathering, she is a great organizer, I admire her a lot.

So many wonderful people in our club!

I also spoke more with others and got to know them better.

It was a great event!

Paris Plage

For a few weeks, in Paris, each summer there are no cars speeding but people, even if not many, feeling as if there were... sea side.

Reading, playing, chatting with each other.

We even found tourists in their sleeping bags or speeding with their luggage!

It is also a great occasion to stroll along and look at the other side of the river, the Statue of Henry 4 on horse, the loughting man from the bridge, the old magnificent houses.

Take a photo to prove you have been to the beach (plage) before going up on the other side to Louvre. Or sit down and dream.

Come and stroll along with me for a while.

A small market in France

Argenteuil is a few miles north west of Paris and it has four or five Markets - this is called Val Notre Dame Market and it is where my neighbours go the most often; so they know all the sellers or most of them, at least the ones that sell food and not clothes.

But I also bought a pair of black shoes for ten euros there.

Paris is magic

Yes, it is a great city, but its magic is not only on the Louvre, the Grand Boulevards and the Tourist's places.

There is a lot more in it.

One of the images I like most, has no bright colours to attract, nor a special name to remember.

After having visited the expo Paris d'Amour at Hotel de Ville, we went down along the Seine to visit "Paris plage", when the usual place where cars go along is transformed for summer for a place of leisure for people.

It is not "Paris plage" also I took and will show you another time images from it, that I liked most, but these old houses taken from the other side of the river.

First, I wanted to take only the steps going down toward the river, then I remembered an old picture I have taken of similar houses way back a few years. Was it in 2004 or 2005? This is a special Paris not taken perhaps by many and even more important because of it.

I have made a whole collection of sets "a week in Paris in 2010" inside my 'one week in" collection, and I will add from now each day new pictures and new sets to it. Every time, I say "oh, I like this best!" then another and another arrives.

Just after I take them, all seem important and choosing impossible.

Later, the 'dust settles' and I can make some choices more easily. But each has its own magic and interest, and each of us finds something else interesting. In fact, the images one after other, give a taste of a Week in Paris - or two days in Paris and the rest in Argenteuil, a few miles only from the city.

Dream and reality

In the dreamlike place, inside the Reminescence center, accross Blackheath Station there is summer the sky is blue and in an instant we feel as sitting down enjoying the sun

But as the bus takes me towards my appartment, I look out

it rains and it is not hot at all - that is the reality now here

I am still happy to be home!

Leaving - arriving

Charles de Gaulle airport 7 in the morning

Arriving at Luton Airport near London, 9 am English time with Easy Jet

South London: park

I went to Paris and back, but the pictures from Paris has yet to come, if my Mac wants to put them on, if not, after I rest a bit, I will see what happens.

Soon I will be back, at latest - tomorrow.

Here is another pictures I like a lot from the 1st August South American Carnival of London.

Dance during the Parade

One of a few very short videos I took at the Parade, Sunday - they do give a taste of what I have seen and enjoyed.

Yes, you may!

South of London, a shining lady telling me how to arrive to the park. She is with the others who assure the order.

May I?
Of course! she tells me and gives me a warm snile.

It is only her hands that show a bit of tension, Myself, I did not observe them until I decided to publish this nice image to you, here. How many great and interesting moments I had last Sudnay!

Old photo, a photographe from near Paris

2006. December.

End of year festival for the portugeze comunity of Argenteuil, near Paris.

I am asked to take photos of the children and dances : I do.

There is another photographer with very professional material taking also a few photos.

I meet him in the hall, selling the journal for wich he is the photographer. Or giving them away? They are written in portugaize, so I can not read it. But he does accept for me to take a photo.

Old memories. Some one discovered yesterday this old photo on my stream. I rediscover it: I like how the journals are on his arm and seem so tridim, as if there were before my eyes.

Soon, I will take new photos in the same city.

Life is up and down

We were not many tonight, so it was not easy to organize the meeting, but it is summer and we did have fun.

We also had two excellent speakers, whom you would not have said they are only at their 1st and 2nd speech, and great guests speakers with Table Topics at the meeting. That means, some of us spoke 1 minute, others 7, but all of us could express ourselves.

I am happy to go in October to speak before a greater audience, that will give a great occasion for me to go beyond my confort level, to learn something new, to communicate with yet another audience.

I do love communicating with the audience, telling them personal true stories in a way they can feel well about themselves even if the story sometimes is sad. Humor in sad stories is even more important.

I will try to find even more humor to put in it.

Soon, I will be back, writing again.

Carnaval slide show

South America comes to South London

Carnaval Del Pueblo in London_0126

South London.

Carnaval del Pueblo - of Londoners from South America.

I do not know what Pueblo means - but the carnaval begun at the Elephant and Castle and went stright towards South.

As there were repairs, also not in action, on the 53 line, I arrived late, the carnaval had already departed. So I begun to go towards them, and took them from the end.

Even if we were quite a lot to take photos and videos, most of the time I could walk near them, only two or three time in almost an hour was I told to go farther.

So many colours, costumes, masques - and dances, too, but mostly, people! Colourful, interesting, the time flew fast, till my camera protested: no more place in the memory!

My memory was full by the time too and I arrived at the start of the Carnaval, as they were near the park.

A few seconds only to remember - I will make another with all the small parts together later.

I entered the park and set down with an ice-cream.

Then, shops, on the way and a long long walk. I was tired by the time, but it took almost 45 minutes walk to find the 63 bus and then change to 456 and then wait and wait for an 53 to take me back.

Hours, then spend with the pictures - and it is not yet finished. There are many of the 200 and took that I really like, but I can put only one of two on the top. Which one?

I stopped finally on this one, so much movement in it!

I will have days and days to show you some and speak about them too. How wonderful, London's diversity!

I did not have to go to South American countries, they came to me.

Paris 2e garnment disctrict

In 2007, the year before I came to London, I have decided to visit the 20 arrondissments of Paris, one by one.

Discover some new streets, take photos of the mood, the people, in each of them.

I did begin with the 1st and 2nd and then, as someone asked me to go there jumped to 13th, but slowly I did 'take on' all the twenty.

Some places I went 'back' also I knew them already, but most of them there were streets that I did not know before.

In three hours, or two when I was tired, I did what I could, most of time enchanted by what I have discovered.

One or two weeks later, on I went to the next arrondissment.

I should publish a book and tell also some stories about each adventure, one by one!

After I finished the 20 the first time around, I went to discover the Bridges on the Saine, but those did not finally attract me, enchante me as much as the streets full of people, or some more quiet, where I discovered different aspects of the city.

While still on the bridges, I decided to come to London, and I thought I could do the same here. Alas, London is so much bigger! And instead of 20 there are 36 bouroughs here!

So, I went first to markets and festivals.

Today, I will go to one of the festival I have not been yet, Latin American Carnaval!