O2 North Greenwich night

A Dynamic view of this blog?

Let us try it together.!

The same blog, it seems can be viewed in different ways. Let us discover together how this work.

I am, usually an early adapter, and I decided that this blog could be the test, how it works.

I did try it, but it has still long way to go - so I reverted to the usual view of the blog. The idea is great, each can see a blog as he wants it, as a Magazine or Timeline or Flip-chart or Mosaic and so on, and even those can change still as we wish. Alas,  not only it deforms non usual pictures, but also declares some pictures unavailable in one view while they are available in another view.  And even more, it is very slow and the information not so easy to read. Plus, it gets rid of all the PLUS I offered in the both sides of the blog.

I will try later, when they correct some of this features. Test with another blog perhaps, my 'test' blog that is read - only by me.

Shaving, me???

At 77 years old, one has to accept what life gives to you, you feel your bones, your eyes are in mist and yes, from time to time you have to use the shaving cream your son offered you.

Perhaps with time my eyes will improve, the one the cataract was removed see more "normal" and the other less yellow, but meanwhile the best is to laugh at all.

Make fun of yourself! Life seems easier to take from then on.

I was so sorry of myself yesterday and afraid I would not be able to read as before - for the moment I can not - and do not see 'normal' either, but finally I found the 'comic's way' to deal with it: making fun of what is.

Accepting and laughing of one's life is finally the wisdom I need to go through this, and other tough periods of life.

So I made fun of the necessity to shave and use even shaving cream that I refused longtime before.

All my Stand Up workshops did lead to something; lifting some of the burden and finding at what to laugh and make others laugh too.

Lunch at my 77 year birthday

Yes, that was two month ago, I am now way past 77.

Why can I not be every day good to myself and eat resonably?

This times I discovered ice cream sticks and at each small frustration, hopp, one more. I did gain two stones in the last two years,

My eyes will not see better, I will always find some new problems before me in the life, so that is no solution, I know.

Usually I see the cup half full and not half empty. I have to find that back, fast,

Hole in the Wall

It is always rewarding to become an Explorer, and take side roads even for a short while

Here just passing nearer to the Watterloo station, toward the Thames and the London Eye and my meeting at Zen Café.

Great to be out, all the days last week but how good is to stay home also now for two days! Going early to bed yesterday, my end for next Sunday wrote himself and this morning will put all on computer.

Inside a pub an old reminder

I also re-read yesterday Ralph Smedleyùs Basic Training"s second project "Be in Earnest" - what a refreshing language! More I read and even study, more I fall for him and his way of writing as if he was talking with me through time and space, directly.

An old picture pops up

Sometimes, someone, discovers some old picture I have taken and brings back to me old memories.

This morning, this one, taken 6 years ago during a trip in Transylvania.

I had a free week and decided to take the same trip that I took when I was 22 the first trip alone in my life. That time it was with train and bus, six year ago, I was 72 I drove,

In one of the places I met a student who wanted to go back to the city I was heading and I took him and his girlfriend in the car, Then he asked if we could make a detour to visit his parents, They were not home,

We did meet his grand parents and on the way out the village this neighbour who came to speak with us and almost did not let us go, so much she was happy to speak,

A very full day, many pictures and memories come back this morning, because someone somewhere somehow found this picture and liked it,

London Eye Saturday morning

I had a meeting in a great place, Zen cafe accross the London Eye. What an occasion to go towards Embarkadere underground and take photos of some of many interesting things happening all around,

Wall Art near Portobello

Nova Portobello teaches mostly imigrants to England, living nearby. Some speak very well, others very little English.

Yesterday, assisted at Johanna Yates storytelling workshop, telling a short story about how I arrived in London. Warm reaction and it did gave them courage to tell soon their own stories.
Next month, next workshop with same people, or almost same and listening to their first stories.

Grant's whisky and some books on storytelling

My story was good.

Alas, when they filmed it, I consented to be cut, and the life and excitement was cut our of it. Even so, 60 people voted for me. 100 more voted for the one who had the first price. Good for her!

I gained experience of the importance of not letting my story be cut, badly, and how one makes a film, and next time to stand up more about my opinions, too. I gained also of course some money and yes, a gift of a box of great Whisky.

Yesterday, we tasted it at my son's place, and they also liked it a lot.

Tonight, I will tell a story about a Holiday that changed my life, again showing how a bad thing can turn to good. Sorrow to happines. Frustrating events to new confidence in ourselves.

How far?

How far from Blackheath to Orpington?

How far from Lewisham Orpington?

It all depends.

The distance did not change, but the time required does.

On my Transport for London it was 90 minutes with only buses, and 55 minutes using bus, train and bus again.

Yes, but....

Probably I did not look for Sunday.

Probably I did not look for 9 30.

I waited for the next train to arrive, more then 50 minutes! So, yes, it took a bit more time and waiting outside is getting cooler suddenly and Sunday the wating rooms are closed,

But I did arrive, and it was great once there, I made a long walk, ok, long for me... I have to do it more often!

More interesting

I think, a door near Temple is more interesting with someone passing fast then just the door alone.

It gives it life. Happening.

I think a colourful banana is more interesting than one in black and white.

It all depends.

I think, when one tells some problem we had, frustration or worry, it gives more humour then if we tell what went well.

So, telling my presentation yesterday went well, this morning I see better, I am again optimist, is no fun.

But sometimes, the reverse will come and I will be able to make fun of it!

Wonderful.

The world in black and white

Because of this month's theme, black and white photography, on the Afterclass group, photography Masterclass, now in its 61th month already.

I went out looking at the world around me in black and white.

I knew that my first digital camera had that feature, but until yesterday, I did not know I have it on my latest camera too.

Nothing is completely black and white, as in life either, but many shades of grey.

And sometimes a subject cried for colour, and I gave him, for a moment, changing.

In all, I was stunned how much one can express, indeed, in black and white, grey nuances only.
Forms come out often better, nothing distracting.

But even some portraits worked well indeed, as this free journal I caught abandoned on the stairs near the underground station.

While I was taking photos of it, its pages begun moving, changing, by the blowing wind.

And the young woman, reading on the bus, this is one of the three photos I have taken of her, while the bus stopped a moment. 

Thanks Maz Hewitt, fellow photographer from Zurich, giving us the push to try a bit more the black and white photography, and showing us its beauty in the Afterclass group.

Last minute

I was so tired, psychologically and physically perhaps too, that I almost did not go to the Meridian club Contest.

As I spoke with myself to go or not, and looked who else speaks, I discovered with surprise that we are only two. So I dressed last minute and went.

I found the title on the bus, and I stick to the beginning even if I had second thoughts and other ideas last minute. It worked, I made people laugh from the start, and at least 3 Table Topics speakers put something about it in their speech.

So yes, the workshops of this year have some results, and also the many speeches I give in every occasion. Even more, I felt a good contact with those present, what a wonderful feeling!

The only problem is that now I will represent my Second Club and not the one where I am president, at the next Contest. But they are a dear club to me who seen me grown and gave me a lot of opportunity to speak.

Eurotunnel: j'ose

I dare, I should dare, I will dare.

That is what I was telling myself, three years ago, as I crossed the channel in the Tunnel with my car.

J'ose, I dare like the 5 year or 3 year old kid dared that time, when she was asked to stand up on the box and tell.

I had no idea, that across the Channel, I will stand up and dare to tell my stories. I was just trying to give myself courage, by putting this photo before me as I drove from France to England, where I did not know what will wait for me.

Now or never, I have to change my life, even if it is past 74. If nothing else, I can take photos of London, of people there, they did let me the last time I visited.

This time is not for visit, it is for at least one year to stay, perhaps three. I enter in the 4th year now and just realize how much premonition this photo held.

This will go

No excuse any more, I have now the right to do light house cores.

I have to begin, I already begun, to make some order in my bedroom.

As I knew people can visit, the living room looks nice (I think) and warm, but I left all the mess on two piles (covered) in my room. This morning I realized, I had no more excuses and begun to go through them.

Slowly, of course, but a good beginning.

Sometimes

Sometimes, it is enough of one rotten, to cause havoc, to disturb all the world around.

One fruit, of a whole tree full of them, a family member in a once happy family, or a stranger who arrives with hate in his hart.

Everything can change and nothing be the same again. It is easy to say "avoid" troublemakers, negative people, destructive ones, but when it is in family or company or near you, the ties are not easy to break.

So much thoughts come in mind remembering 9/11, but also remembering the terrorism in the undergrounds of Paris, London, Moscow, and Tokio. There is less commemoration of those, and other similar events, and who knows how to begin remembering all the innocents killed in the glob during last century.

I did not have television 10 years ago, so I learned slowly, understood slowly what happened, reading books about it.

There would be so much to say.

David Jones Leads Stand Up Comedy class

Perhaps, there is still a last place?

Anyway I am in and very happy to go to the first of 8 classes tonight.

David is a specially nice fellow, here the day he won the Table Topics contest, one or two years ago at the Division B contest.

He is also an Excalibur Speakers Club fellow, we will be three or four from the club, and two from my other club, and all others as I believe Toastmasters too.

A very different atmosphere for sure from the School of Comedy class in February of this year. From each, the learning is different, and familiarity and adversity have each their advantages.

More easy to mock or make humour from a class where I felt like a fish out of water!

It is easy...

From Holborn station you take Picadilly line and change at Green Park to Jubilee, they told me.

Piece of cake!

I also remembered at Green Park there are elevators to go up or down, as it is also a line going to Heathrogh Airport's new terminal 5.

Yes, but....

Between the two elevators a long long long corridor! And I was already tired. Happy enough, my legs did not hurt, this time but still it seemed a long way.

This photo was taken looking back at the trajectory already accomplished.

Been there, done that.

Red Lion Square, Conwey Hall

25, Red Lion Square, at Conwey Hall, a master entretaining storyteller and Toastmaster come from North of England to give us a seminar on Storytelling.

Andrew Brammer is a performer and entretaining storyteller with stories about the years around 1975; his childhood years; but the tips and suggestions he gave us are applicable to all kind of storytelling.

He also illustrated his seminar with one of his stories and parts of others: how much energy he puts in them! Lots of evocative movement and change of pace and voice too, speaking adjectives and metaphors.

My style of storytelling is a lot less theatrical and more based on character then action, plot; but as he so well told us; there is not one best way to tell stories; each does it on his or her own individual style.


The small room was full of Toastmasters having come from different parts of London clubs, it was a pleasure to see some familiar faces and to make new friends too.

We all came out of it with things to ponder and digest and use. As Andrew told us; a storyteller uses snippets from here and there; everyone and everywhere, even if the most of the stories come from our own experience.

Lots to think about, so my first outing after my operation was really worth while.

Already living room different!

Not only things can be different, but lately, my living room changes day by day - almost. Actually, I did not change so much outside, as rearranged things inside the drowers, lately.

My family moved and are happy in their new place. School have begun for my grand children in Maryland and begins now also from those in Greater London.

And for the first time, I go out after 10 days, to participate in Andrew Bremmer's workshop in centre London, about storytelling. We will se what he has to tell and even more how he tells it about the subject of Storytelling.

Things can be different

After my son has brought me back the furniture that was in his big house, and did belong in fact in this apartment or was mine, all looked stuffed.

I just could put them so they are not one on the other, already a relief.

What can I do? What can I do to make the living room look less full? Give it more air?

Suddenly, it came to me.

What if, I move the table that was near the window for three years, between the sofas in the corner and uncover it, so it seems less *there* ? Here is the result. The living room respires again. The table is in a place where the sun does not penetrate and I can put my computer on it without reflections. I even took my breakfast here this morning!

At the same time, I discovered that from the newly added sofa chairs I can look at the TV; just changing a bit its angle, without having to look at the window, as before.

How difficult is to SEE things we can change in our life, how much we hate to change usually, and how much change can bring us!

Memories and "things"

That is an autoportrait from 2005, used long time as my flickr profile.

I like it so much, still, even if it is so much not me somehow,  not because of the photo quality, but it reminds me of the time I decided not to take myself seriously.

So I took from the top of the drawer dusty old black hat, that had some significance for me. 15 years before, we did buy that hat with my then future second husband, (at the time of pic ex), as symbol of our new life and all we will dare to do from now on.

I also took out a forgotten chesnutt colour wig from its box and put it on my white hair, that was the sign of my defiance from my first husband time, way back, wig that I did not even remembered I stiil had.

And put on also a black boa.  I use this one still nowadays for my Stand up Comedy routine, it still gives me the same 'defiance' feeling and right to play.

And posed with them, defiantly in the garden. Put it on as my flickr profile, and used it long time.

Too much light

I am well. No head ache. Did not become blind. The cataract operated eye is no more in mist.

But there is too much light everywhere.

I have to close my curtains.

For the first time in my life I am waiting for grey days...