Today I feel in clouds!

My friend, Stephanie, full of wisdom, told me once - when I begin to tell her how everything is so great around me: be aware!

It never lasts if you feel too sure of yourself!

But after each year passed, exam or next step - perhaps we are allowed to celebrate a short while?

I hope.

I become from yesterday, Advanced Communicator Bronze, and also finished my Toastmaster Leadership Manual, two days ago.

Up and continue towards new horizons, from now on.

My next two Advanced Manuals will teach me how to speak in public Reading a text which is not mine, (5 different) and, the other 5 called Speciality Speeches are 5 different each from other but seem fun to me for the moment. How long it will take to finish them?

For the last 10 I did prepare and work for 11 month!

So one day celebration or a few hours at least, do not seem too much for me, are they? It also gives me occasion to remember my late friend, my dear best-friend, Stephanie. I miss you!

Cat : you may!

There are not many cats in London, a lot more dogs and squirrels, or, they do not usually go out, as in France.

This one told me, "Yes, take a photo of me!"

And waited, not moving, looking at how I do it. I love the place this cat stood, it gives I think more strengths of its presence.

very busy two days ahead of me as there are Toastmaster Contests and their preparations - two or even three evenings!

Toastmasters International - Filled with Funny

Toastmasters International - Filled with Funny

Next week, 7 pm Wednesday, Guests Welcome !

Fun : Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest
by the Meridian Speakers Toastmasters Club
at the Spanish Galion Pub's 2nd floor
Centre Greenwich - across Cuty Shark

London, not far from Soho

8 photos, on the road towards the bus, because of the repares on the road I discovered some small streets

A rose ia a rose...

A rose it a rose, not so!

Not only there are so many varieties, but when you say 'rose' each of us imagine something diferent.

Here for exemple are not one but two roses!

For me the rose is mostly a delicate odor, I can feel, a silky touch, even if it has most of the time also thorns!

What you think or see of feel when I tell you Rose?

Moulin Rouge 2008

One imagine 'Gay Paris' as if it was all the time fiesta.

In fact most of people work, the tourists walk and discover, and so on.

Le Moulin Rouge cabaret is a place in Place Blanche were people go to take photo of themselves 'I was there!' very few go to see the spectacle.

In my many years in Paris and around it, I never went.

I did go to the top of Notre Dame and the top of Eiffel Tower and the top of Arc de Triomphe, once. But my favorite place remains Butte Montmartre, where I go back each time I can.

Moulin Rouge is at its bottom. (one sais 'leg' in French) but for the first years I lived on top of Butte Montmartre I did not recognize it as neighbourhood. Once, as I was already moved outside Paris, I went back with a photo assignment and was stunned of the familial atmosphere of the place Blanche.

Not at all pinup girls as I imagined and pimps.


The picture, become the preferred one of my professor who decided that we will exhibit it. But then, I came to London, no time or energy to print a good copy of a photo any more in Paris. Another time...

Preparing to the speech

I still have to learn to make faces - afraid or sorry or stunned, not only smiling - as you can see it is not easy.

I had a meeting nonight, what a pleasure to meet people who all are there for a common goal and understand and complete each other.

They even convinced me not to resign from a role of 'Chair' for which I got suddenly cold feat...

I learned and heard a lot of good ideas too!

TT in Manor park

Making a special 'Hyde park speakers corner' event in Lewisham Hyde park have brought us new members - at least one new for sure, Chang originally from Shanghai.

If people confounds sometime Hungary or Russia, Budapest with Bucarest, so what? I am not sure either from where he is.

But such a nice family, all came to the Park and he gained enough confidence to decide to join us, Lewisham speakers Toastmaster club. I am happy for that, and promise now also to look it up, from where they originally came to London.

Margo wigs

She wanted a few images to show her friends that she bought two wigs, and even the rose one becomes her - which it does! We had fun with backgrounds, wigs, hat and, forgot we hurt or were tired for some time.

Even I tried out once the rose - so funny and joyful to play after 76!

Sunrise with tiny clouds

Three meetings in three nights, a lot for me, also I do not regret it.

Yesterday, I learned a lot, had great ideas.

Of course, today I am beaten.... it will pass.

I can always take photos of the sky through my window instead of running up and down to the Open Houses of this weekend.

We'll see if the energy comes back to me, then...

Sinus arhytmia

I was diagnosed with that this morning, and I see that my symptoms,  'feels dizzy or breathless' some times, are thus explained - more or less.

I feel that it is due mostly to the Thyroid increasing pills I was given.

 Change the equilibrium of hormones is always full of peril.

We will see what the doctor tells me Tuesday, but I am definitively more tired and more often out of breath that I ever was.

Philip & Journaliste/Photographe

At 4th of September we organized a 'Hyde Park Speakers Corner' like even in the Manor Park, behind Locherber Hall.

We meet at Locherber hall in Lee off Lee Hight street every other Wednesday, the 1st and 3rdweeks on each month (unless there is a 5th too) to learn better public speaking skills.

Here, Philip Landergan our Toastmaster Area Governor and Past president of Lewisham speakers speaking with the photographer from the South London Press.

Katrin, our very good VP or Public Relations, invited the South London Press to come to the event, and they send a photographer. At the same time she send a Press Release.

Probably, Friday it did appear the article about us, with a link to our Lewisham speakers website, but I am living in Greenwich.

This morning, my family calls me "you are in the Newspaper" !

Mercury, comes to our house and I run down to see, there were on the floor just arrived, and there was on page four a short but great article using Katrin words about our Club and the Event, and my photo while speaking.

He took quite a lot of photos, so I am not sure why they did choose mine... they even give my name under it!

Well, arriving in London two years ago, it is not so bad to speak in public after only two years!

From place to place

When you are interested, you discover.

Things you have never dreamed of even!

This morning,I received an email about a speech from August's International speech winner. Going to see it at the YouTube, I found a good beginning, stooped short in the middle of a phrase!

As I was already there, I browsed through other Toastmaster winners speeches, particularly the Humorous ones. Not r that, I heard it already, not that, it is badly recorded, finally I found gold.

What is this? A costume party? All or almost all Toastmasters clothed as Arabs from Middle East? I begun to listen to the speech and listen. I learned a lot!

Here is the Speaker and Winner of 1st price in his District's Humorous Toastmaster speech, with a speech in-titled "Job Promotion?."

I did embed it in my Competent Communication blog, so here is only the link to that speech on that blog.

That speech that taught me also more tolerance about people and how they are dressed, as well as reasons why not to want so much to be promoted. A very serious speech message embedded in humour. And showing how to do it, too.

Look at the humour in your life

Not taking seriously what it arrives, looking at the humorous side...

Like this morning, I open the TV early and the speak about the "Foreign Accent Sydrom" that comes after the brain is affected - and, the French being one of the worst!

So if I would have registered as competitor, instead of organizing it, I would have had how to begin. And this morning, instead of being revolted and thinking "I am deranged?" as I speak with a foreign accent that is part French part Hungarian and part American, I am laughing at myself and the TV people who shot it - without adding that of course, those whose accent did not change suddenly... those who have "authentic" foreigner accent - their personality and brain is not changed or deranged.

Also, our personality changes a bit as we learn yet another language to speak, with our old accent or acquiring the "right" one.

Which is the "right" English accent? British? Oxford? Scottish? East London? Irish? Welch? American? Yes, there is a best-seller book:"How to get rid of your British accent" for those living in USA. All "foreigner accents" owners are not brain damaged! Perhaps the person who decided to make that short video and the one who accepted to put it in the news is? Oh, no! They just never thought at the implication of what they were saying and how!

Remember

Sometimes, the note for the day jumps out in the morning and flows out of me, today I had to wait and digest all.

Remember.

Remember not the evil people who did the 9/11 or Holocaust or the rapes of women when entering a conquered territory, remember not even the innocent victims, whom of course, we can never forget.

Remember that one can not generalize.

The so called religious man from a tiny Florida congregation was good to let us remember that and that they were Just People from every nation and religion, and we should never hate each other because of some horrible acts.

My best friend cousin Judith was slaughtered by Nazi Germans in Auschwitz, my neighbour remembers the cries of women gang raped by drunken Russian soldiers. We also know and do not forget of those whom we do own so much.

If a German Pharmacist Bussinesman would not have teached my father what to do and adviced him in detail, I would have probably never reached 11 and would have went into smoke as my cousin, Judith and my grand-mother. If a Russian soldier would not have given two potatoes and taught them how to use it to heal, to my German origin neighbour, her brother's arm would have been lost and perhaps even his life.

There are and were always 'just' people and we can always help and we should remember not to hate one nation or one religion or one people only because some of them did commit evil facts.

I do remember all very different people, and many I even do not know about as I was just ten at the time, to whom I own that I can be now here, after 66 years more then all the others and even if there is no day of commemoration for me, I feel today is as good as any.

Today, I have done my good deed and typed my German origin neighbour's memory in the computer and decided to find an occasion to read her 11 years old ordeal as they had to fled from Russians from East Germany towards West. And even her first horrible Headmaster in England, who made all other children mock the German kids, and the other one, replacing him who with a lot of patience and warmth taught her English.

Remember those who were helpful and not let our roads be changed by evil, that was also Obama Barack and Obama Michelle's discourse today. Greef and do a good deed.

A single rose, waiting

It was the first time I entered that cafee on Old Street, as usually, I go into the more popular café across the road, where I had a few great meals already.

But that morning someone gave me an appointment in there, so I got in and waited for her to arrive.

My eyes fall on a table nearby, where a red rose was waiting for someone to come. I decided to come back, more often to this old man of Italian origin working all alone in his shop.

His espresso was strong, he let me even wait as long as I wanted without rushing me to order, and he has put that rose, one rose on each table in fact. A tiny attention can go long way.

9 minute story: When I was ten years old

Edited version of the tale told at the Blue Elephant theatre, in preparation for the True Tales event.

I like my voice variety but still have some things to add.

It helps a lot to be able to listen and listen again.

When I was ten.mp3

Croissants for French breakfast

Those were 'real French' croissants in the morning at our family special breakfast, three years ago.

We did not eat as this every morning, only special occasions.

I love finally a lot more the fresh baguettes - see towards the left, then the croissants full of butter. But the children did like them and also the pain au chocolate which is lurking under one of the croissants, that was for my grandson, who does prefer it to croissants.

Such pictures taken a while ago come up to me, back to me as someone from the flickr website finds them and comments or make them favorite or puts them in his gallery. Suddenly, with the image, the breakfast at my son's family comes also alive and the small boulangerie nearby open from 7 am, making the city bests croissants.

Of course, there are croissants and croissants, all croissants are not egal even in France or in a city! So much depends on who does them and how. Even more perhaps on how you eat them. At a café bar with an espresso or together with the family a Sunday morning. Each time, it taste a bit different.

Toastmasters and future Toastmasters

Meeting and speaking in the park took out some of the pressures, so it was a great occasion for future Toastmasters too.

As much for him and his kid, so cute!

He came to be near his father when he spoke to us and the father even if disturbed was so nice with his kid!

Later, the child fall asleep while the father listened to other speakers sitting in the grass.

Yes, it was a very worthwhile of ting for many points view.

Come to the Manor Park!

You should regret if you did not come, it was funny and interesting;


While speaking, the movements are important and what happens around and where and how you stand and... so much richer then the only worlds on the paper!
Tomorrow I will show the pictures from the farmer market - or perhaps, on the border, even later, today;

We had a few children that helped us a bit like hecklers but not much - they were too nice and too well behaved and patient too.

He offered me this fun photography and the speaker was not disturbed - continued to speak!
Having many of us give Table topics was a great idea, the time flew fast, even if we did not have lots of public, being out there in the park was fun and, I think also a good learning experience..

Lewisham speakers at Manor Park

We will have our own Hyde Park Speakers corner today from 13 h at the Manor Park in Leewisham, after the Farmer Market in the Park, we will speak in public, answering questions for 1 to 2 minutes.

And having fun!

We do learn to speak to be able to do it in public and today we will be - in public!


This is from Hyde Park Corner event

And here it is Matt speaking and a hackler, who was fun too

Using light

This month' theme in the flickr Afterclass group: Light.

Of course, all in photography depends on lights and shadows, but this time we will specially think about it, use it more consciously.

Yesterday I took 90 images starting with a ball of plums illuminated by the morning sun.

From all angles.

Then, added a vase and then a figurine and suddenly its shadow appeared too.

I do not even understand, how from a picture, it became when I downloaded them 90! One more here, one more from this angle or that one and - voilà.

Good weekend to all!

I do not take myself too seriously

I passed now three million visits to my photos, of course that is for the past almost six years,
bhis was used longtime my photo on flickr and in my blog too,
reminding myself too that I do not have to take myself seriously

one dey I took my old preuche that I did not use for many dozen years and put it on
instantly instead of wait hair I was almost black again as in my youth

I found up the drower an old hat - I do not wear hats usually either
that hat we found at the begining of our falling in love with my second ex in a small village market and for us, bying and using a hat for each of us was like feeling young and playful again so it has many memories linked to it of very good times

it signified for me as this photo that I decided, even alone, to be playful and joyous again