Borough Market - unknown photographer

Profile of an unknown photographer.It was not easy to take, because even if he did take others, he was not so happy when he observed I try to take him.

But he did not look at me or said "no" so I waited to catch the right moment, the profile I needed for my Afterclass group. Here is is.

I could not choose the background, but I got the profile.

Tomorrow, we'll be only two competing at the Meridiam Club, the president of the club, who won last year, and me. I do not understand why, because there are lots of Competent Communicators in that club.

I told my story, but still only in my mind, twice today. Later on, I'll have to tell it with voice and movement, again, at least twice. I found a better beginning, but now, I have to stick with it, and not change it again.

And I like my finding about how I realised I am good in listening with empathy and connecting, I think that will stick to people's mind, weather I win or not, a lot less important.

To learn use the skills from the accomplishments we were proud of, is. To gain self confidence, and go for a work we love and we are good at, is.

Borough Market with Whitney

I did succeed Saturday, to demonstrate how the people we take images can be happy and how can we approach them friendly, and then, leave them a bit more confident of themselves as they were before meeting us.

Even Whitney, opened up, begun to take photos, then go towards others herself and feel better then at the beginning. We also succeeded to leave men and women, young and less young, happy about themselves.

Giving them the attention they needed, the confidence they lacked a bit, going away as they felt better about themselves.

This was my favourite in the market. As I took photos of him, his face also showed him more and more happy about it. I hope, he'll remember his Saturday proposing Granola, and meeting that old woman taking photos of him, and telling him "you made my day!"

First flowers 2010 Blackheath, London

The spring has to arrive! I had enough of the colder weather, and I want to see the fragile green of leaves!

Today, the weather seems nice, the sun rises and the sky accross my window became suddenly redish. So wonderful, for the first time in my life perhaps to have an orientation and a window that lets me enjoy the dawn!

No, I will not jump now to take a picture, it changes every second and it enchants me, but the fire of the sky is for you to experience. If not through a window, get out to enjoy it one day!

Soon, center London, Chering Cross and all what is arround there, I'll take photo, anyway....

Queen Elisabeth Hospital

First visit to an British Hospital.

In the last 20 month, I did not need it, but now, they had to take blood from me for a test. I was stunned!

First, it is so huge, there are two bus stations from one entrance to the other. Second I was the 239th! Any-time my tour will arrive?

Not more then an hour! I was told.

One more hour, without eating?

Looking at the crowd waiting, I was sceptic about the hour, too.


But when my number was called in room number three, from the eight, in a few seconds and without the pain I feared, to receptacles were full of the required blood. Thank you!

Now, wait for the bus, buy some fruits and bred near home, I arrived back near noon. Tired. Full of adventures that, now, I could see as "interesting".

And near home, just stop, and take photo of some of the multitude of wonderful flowers.

Yes, take time to smell the roses! And, before, to look to what is around us - so many great are.

Dare to fail

Between all my Toastmaster Speeches, from the Competent Communicator Manual, the most important for me, personally, and who knows, perhaps to my fellow Toastmasters who listened to it, too, was the one with the title "Dare to Fail".

Also it was given at the Humorous Contest, this one had a very serious message.

At the time, I have given six speeches, now I did complete the Competent Toastmaster manual. But my message does not vary.

Dare to Fail.

I did fail in some things at each task from the manual.

1. Did not have time to finish my Ice-Breaker speech (but had good contact with the audience and got hooked on continuing to give others.)

2. My transitions were not clear enough for the Organize well task.

3. My point got across well, but my ending was not strong enough at 3rd

4. I did speak with short words and phrases, but "what was your point, I was asked" after the speech, and yes, we have to use each time all we have learned before. But too much concentrated on "how" I forgot the "what" that got diluted somehow.

5. Body language usage is the main point of the 5th speech and at the end I was told my Voice Variety was great, implying, but the body...

6. Voice variety not so good but great body language, I was told at the 6th, but because of the content, I won this time the "best speaker of the evening" award.

Then, came my Dare to Fail Comic speech. I won at club level!

7. Do research, made me going to read great books, other then the Competent Communicator manual, but I overwhelmed my audience with too many points. Or, we do learn at the 2nd speech not to do that...

8. Using visual aids, was a flap from the point of view of visual aids but many remember it as the speech that showed them the importance of the Pause. And I did stick to one main point. So it was a mixed bag.

9. Persuade. This was a speech when I spoke of the importance of Storytelling in a good Speech, and demonstrated it. I still think it was a great one, but my evaluator told "but I was persuaded of its importance before already". I also learned through my speeches to take what I want from the Evaluator, and to leave and not worry about the rest.

10. Inspire. How to inspire an audience? That was a question that I dreaded to answer. It took me a lot of time to find my individual answer, and for doing it I went back to my early childhood's events. I did ok, but some told me "could have done it with less body language". Possible.

So, you see, you do not have to fear the tasks from the Manual.

We do it each time as we can best, and we do learn each time and progress slowly. I can not see myself, but I am told, in a year, as I did go through the Manual, I did make a lot of progress, even if I failed so many times.

Lewisham Speakers, a year ago

The firsts images, taken a year ago (more or less a few days), at Lewisham Speakers Toastmaster meeting.

I admired this speaker and his confidence in speaking, moving, gesticulating. I have even not given yet my Ice breaker, my first speech. And soon, I'll be, in two weeks, giving a speech for the International Speech Contest!

At the same club, of course, not on "higher" levels!

Preparing that speech, opened to me, as often a walk to memory line when preparing a new speech or story gives me, a whole new view to a part, more then a part of my life;

Not only that part, I wanted to speak about, when due to necessity, I had to change all in all my "carrier" my job, my profession, but also lead me to understand two important things.

First, even before having read that book, The Hidden Job market, about which I want to speak, the book that helped me, as others, understand more about all the skills I had, far broader then I did believe before, but also that before reading it, I already knew, that everyone works best when he or she finds the work more adopted to her or his own skills and job condition pleasures.

When I was chief of chemist lab, in north of France, that is what I found out and given to those working under my supervision. Each girl had the work she was the best to work in. And her best environment to do it.

I also found out, this morning, while pondering the speech, that in my childhood, I wanted to become a writer. Being obliged to change, from chemist, to business woman, company creator, buyer, seller, teacher, I not only distributed hardware and software related to Apple and Macintosh products, but also wrote a book.

Two books.

I closed somewhat the circle and found back the way to my childhood dream that came true.

All that, because, a day, someone, when I looked for a job in my usual work told me "You are too old. You are woman. You are not born here."

Brighton postcard

No, it is not about the Tory's conference, just about our walk in the nice sunny winter day.

Somehow, for me, this represents a "postcard from Brighton" but unlike the young girl with the fur coat sun bathing on one of them, it is "all seasons".

It is still winter?

For me today the spring has begun, as the first flowers came out invading the small square nearby. Blue, yellow, white, colourful. But the pictures I have taken so far are more "impressionist" images as they are not clear. I'll go back, and take more, but not today.

Or, I'll ask my grand children, back from school, to take some with less shaky hands.