After Intervention, laugh of myself

Selfportrait, showing how I have to protect for a while my eye, after a cataract was removed:

Alas, I lost that thing I have to put at night.

I have put it in a good place I am sure, but where?

At least, I took some photos of it the first day, and today as I see better, I made "cutout" from one of them. The blue is cute is it not? That was its true color! I changed only the skin to black and white.

Having fun of oneself is a great advantage of learning about Humour. Making others laugh is the second and also not bad at all. This year is my Comedy year. I already done two Stand Up comedy workshops and now I will begin a third one.

I finally begin to believe that even if one does not have funny bones one can catch the funny bug.

Toastmasters from UK at Las Vegas Convention

At least two are from UK, I do not know the third. They posed for someone else, I just 'catched' their pause. Those from UK did not have a lot of time for me, but many Toastmasters from all over the world found time to speak lengthly with me.

It was wonderful to meet and speak with those from Japan, India, Australia, African countries, islands, Soudie Arabia, Canada, and even, of course, different states from US! I really understood this time what it means that Toastmasters clubs exists in all those 100+ countries!

That is something I will never forget.

The beginning was great

Indeed, arrived at 7 30 at the hospital, other 8 waiting also their tour, all but one with a cataract at the left eye to take out, we felt as on a chain-work, each asked the same questions and each put drops to dilate the iris in our - left - eye.

I was the first of the nine to be taken in, at 8 sharp and yes, it went well. The doctor was pleased with the result and I did not feel special disconfort, half hour or less later, already back on the chain and drinking coffee and reassuring the others, and a bit after 9 already home.

So let us hope, the rest will be as smooth as the begining.

Were I am hadding tomorrow?

Where am I heading tomorrow?

In Bellagio

Bellagio is across the road from Paris and Bally, on the Las Vegas strip. It was a wonderful experience for me to walk through its corridors, looking up, down, and also in the elegant boutiques aligning it.

Here are some photos of that experience, but the memory remembers them even better.

For the moment. On the long range it is good to see the pictures I took there.

Bellagio, inside

People talk about Bellagio's fountains, and it can be wonderful, also I did not catch them, but entering in it: what a wonderful experience it was for me!

Best pictures from the Sony camera

There are many cities represented on the Strip, Las Vegas boulevard, but I even went last day to Fremont street downtown, with the bus. A covert street, great in the too much warm to walk on, and I have, yet, to add all the photos I took there. Until, I had no more place on my memory card!

Downtown, the mood and the crowd even is different, a lot more 'popular' then uptown. The girls less dressed, more skin showed in casinos, and on the street more fun for kids, the restaurants less expensive. I am happy I finally got there too.

From Croydon to Vegas

We sit together, spoke together, more then with any other Toastmasters from London in Las Vegas.

We were a tribe, from area 35 from London but did not meet a lot with the others other then in passing, fleeting moments. So we two stook together, more.

It was a wonderful convention from Toastmasters from New Zeeland, Japan, Malisia, Saudi Arabia, France, India, all over the world! What a pleasure to see them all gathered together, speaking and enjoying.
I have put my first photos taken from here and there on the flickr, but so many more to add!

I got older

I got older with 15 years, yesterday.

It was a very interesting day, but at the end, too much and too long for my 77 years. arriving home, I did really look it, and more. Plus, on the road, to the hotel, as I took the "wrong bus, I arrived to downtown Vegas, and that in itself was interesting, indeed.

Remaining, only on the main paths, was never really for me, anyway. As we are send to the "wrong path" we discover new things!

Be an Explorer not a Tourist!

I got, used during the conference to the new toastmasters logo, learned new ways, met people from various countries, but those from near did not care much of me, happy I was just tired and did not got ill. In all, I got a lot from my journey, and also the assurance that I am on the right truck.

Now, a last meeting home, then Saturday, my medical intervention. All will go well, hopefully, but I am still a bit apprehensive.

He won!

Malachi was one of ten very good, excellent semifinalists, yesterday afternoon, at Las Vegas Toastmasters convention. e gave a startling, great, wonderful performance.

His personal story, "keep going", teated us not only the endurance at difficult times, but also that we learn very important lessons while in the tunnel.

between those great ten speakers from different clubs, he came out with the third place!

lus, it also will help him and us to learn new lessons.

barely one year with the Toastmasters clubs, he has a stunning ability lo learn ,listen to advices and perform.

e keeps going, giving speeches, practicing.

soon,we will hear from him a new speak too,that,as he told me "comes from the heart" and was easy to learn. I aam waitin, with imptience to see it.

Great beginning

Pat Johnson, opened yesterday the first commers meetin, but almost half of us were new commers in the coference! we are more then 1900 to have come and later, I assisted to a tear drawing defillee with flags - so many countries from all over!

From the Las Vegas Convention

I got my badge and baught some manuals , heavy (and all in all expensive ttoo) even if not one by one. Perhaps, from the computers offered free of use for tm I could some tim add some pictures, too. Soooon.

Firsts discovery

I have to pay the wireless, at the riviera hotel, but across the road, un macdonald, There it is free, open 24 hours ! Also, I got friendly there, while having my breakfast,with great biscuits, all fresh, with a family who came here every year.

Great beginning!

The city bus took me to the other side of the strip, then I walked, - too much on the hot sun taking photos. A bit burned. Finally I realised, but to cross is not easy!

I will have to go around, out, only very early, or near the night.

Vegas, sin city

Arrived yesterday, to my riviera hotel, huge building, clean and cool, (outside is 40)and quiet too. This morning, discovery of what is also called "sin city" main boulevard. the strip is merely five miles long. so, of course, I will take a bus from across, before the CircusCircus hotel.

I would like to sit hight up

today, I do sit, up in the sky for a few hours!

today, I will arrive to the Sin City

will I sin today?

what is SIN ?

hope is sin?

love is sin?

gambling 5 dollars - I will not do more - is sin? or what?

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I fly away and tomorrow will be, if all goes well near there!

Not in Las Vegas, not in Paris either...

Just learned that the Strip, of the Sin City is not on the incorporated Las Vegas town but it is on an Unincorporated place outside the city, and only Downtown Las Vegas is actually 'in'. By being outside, probably permitted the casinos to establish themselves and then grow from there.

Las Vegas taster

Even before departing, I found marvelous things like this video about Las Vegas

Bellagio fountains - Time to say goodbye from Bram Van der Hallen on Vimeo.

Instead of tormenting myself with small low skirmish, trying to put me down, feel bad, just before I go, I am begining now to feel the pleasure the trip will bring me, new energy too.

St Margaret's Church yard

Its tranquillity contrasts so much this morning, with all the riot photos seen on TV yesterday, and even this morning!

Already, in my head my future trip and dreams of all that will hapen in just six days there.

Not quiet, for sure Las Vegas!

And not quiet the meeting with so many Toastmasters coming for the Convention from all over the World and USA too.

I try to concentrate from now on thinking of the lights and colours and hoping for the 'efter' cataract intervention the best.

Getting to know each other

Getting to know each other at home, is a lot more informal and finaly I think gets better results. But we will try different methods.

Soon, there will be others doing it, for me it was the first "new member orientation" - twice in a morning - but I did love it a lot!

And yes, I finally love this new corner of two bookshelfs, not full yet as I did put on one only the books already on the website, and as my eyes bother me a bit lately I did not continue with it.

Lots of books waiting on the floor of my bedroom to be put on the inventory and on the selfs, one after the other.

One day, it will arrive...

Getting older

I am not getting younger, that is sure.

Yesterday, was not my best day either.

As I visited my familly, my son demonstrated how his new telephone can not only take pictures but send them to the web

But I do not loose faith in the future, nor loose faith in the basic goodness of most of people. I am an eternal optimist.

Each time, something bad happens I try very hard to remember my great grand mother saying: something good will come from it!

Translated in an English proverb:
"there is a silver lining behind all grey cloud"

Nostalgie from a Hungarian Emigrant

Wass Albert: Message home

Bavarian Forest, 1948.

Message to the mountains at home:
The movements of stars are variable.
And there are laws for the winds
rains, snows and the clouds
There is no eternal bad weather!
The water runs, the stone remains
the stone remains.

Message to the earth: continue giving,
even when your plants are chewed by locust.
Tolerate, even when ia mole eats your roots.
The world is wached by Order
The precious seed of grain is not lost,
No one will even know about the nettle;
The time will destroy the weeds.
The water runns, the stone remains
the stone remains.

Message to the forest, do not worry,
even when your trees are destroyed.
because the wood is stronger then the knife
from bleeding rests will come again at spring
A new forest in triumph will arise.
And there will always be trees, when the killer
rust has already devoured the iron
and killer hand facied the holy reparations
become a useful material for the underground ...
The water runs, the stone remains
the stone remains.

My message to the house, which grew me up:
even if it will be put down to earth,
all that was taken care for generations
Builders will come and happy again
will dig out your foundations
and on the ancient white stones
walls will be raised, roofs and a church.
thousand builders will come
and will construct a peace wall
not with human blood and ashes
but with holy water and wheat bread
and will build from old stone a new home.

My message to my house, which brought me up:
The fondation is from the God
and the God gives also the will,
which will rebuild the walls.
The water runs, the stone remains
the stone remains.

And my message was to my old friends
who denies today even my name:
If the wheel turns once again,
I'll be your friend even then
and there will be no revenge, hatred, anger.
We’ll give our hands to each other and go
and we will be one goal and one will:
the water runs, but the stone remains
the stone remains.

And my message to everyone
brother, relative, stranger,
evil, good, faithful and ennemi,
whom is in pain, and whose
hands stick of driping blood:
Take care and pray!
Somewhere up in the sky
The stars begun to move slowly
The water runs and only the stone remains
the stone remains.

The righteous and good will remain.
The clean and peaceful.
Forests, mountains, people’ll testimony.
Think about what to do!

On construit already in heaven the sieve
lubricate the shaft of the stars
the industrious angels.
And again the stars will turn
and as the Bible proclaims:
The son of man will be weighted
As each have done, will receive
Because the water runs and only the stone remains
but the stone remains.
----------

Written after the second war, alas some had to wait till 1989, and some were no more there then any more - the verse is said in Hungarian so wonderful by an old actor, who alas, does not live either any more but whose words went directly to my heart

J'attendrai toujours

Do you know this very old, very beautiful song?

I remember it from my childhood, back almost 70 years, when I did not know a word French.
My mother did. She told me, "j'attendrai" means 'I will wait', I will always wait. Without any French, in my childhood, as the pathephone played on my desc, I remember winding it up again and again to listen to this, same, enchanting voice.

Today, I received a gift from France with old songs on CD, but this one is from YouTube for you.

St Margaret's Church yard

Flowers in the sky are beautiful; in blue hour; before the sundown,

Church yard and old tombs can be also beautiful!

As could be fences, and their curbs,

So much to admire around us!

We just have to take the time, to "smell the roses on the way";

Here are some photos from yesterday, as I did arrive for once too early.

Clouds are free

The nature can offer so much to each of us, if only we take time to stop and look. "Smell the roses on the way", enjoy the symmetry of the wild flowers, the colours of a down or sunset, the smell of fresh cut grass.

A memory comes to me from far away, 1975. I was in car, coming back from shopping mail, crying. Not enough money, my husband from which I was separating has cleaned our account and I just learned it, he also told me no man will ever look at me again as woman, and I knew I have to go farther anyway.

Suddenly a red stop, the clouds smiled to me, told me there is life after...

There is life after 77 too and after a cataract intervention too. I just have to remember the clouds speaking to me.

A warm feeling

The small table was near my mothers bed, as long as I remembered, as was the vase which is on it.

The chair I found two month ago, near the garbage, someone changed his furniture.

The kitchen door is open.

Behind my teapot I use seldom, as usually I take a cafe, and the warmer, one can see the table plastic with tulips on the wall, I did buy that in Bucarest just a few years ago and cherish it too.

The sun is coming in the room and warms the small table, old and new memories mix together and give me a warm feeling.

The photo was taken two days ago, when I felt like crying like a baby, but today, I feel serenity with the world around me, and inside me too, even as the window is covered with rain drops.

New month, new class in Afterclass

This photo of the washer girl, bored with her work, while old ladies hairs are washed and young girls smile happy from the wall, is from 02/24/2006.

It is appropriate for the new class "People and their environment." that we have on flickr's Afterclass in August.

It will be a very eventful month for me.

I am going to Las Vegas's Toastmasters Convention, I will have cataract of my left eye removed. And then? That is my apprehension just now.