Toastmasters before and during speaking

Begin, somewhere

Begin!

Does not matter where: just go there, be there.

Begin with something, jump in the water.

The solutions will arrive when you are inside, not when waiting for them staying around it.

May I take a video of you? Say yes, as I did, not knowing where it would lead, why it could be of any interest to do it. What I'll do with it, why does she want to do it? I did not know yet. It will lead to somewhere.

May I go to speak in English to students in King's College? Yes, I'll go. What I'll speak about, how? I was not sure. Taking pictures of patterns in the night? Good idea, but where to begin. Wherever. I begun from the bus, then the street. Try to follow a bike. Take the red buses. It could lead somewhere.

We worked yesterday making a first DVD from some of the 100 video rushes Sana has taken on Brick Lane market with me interacting with people met there, taking pictures of them on my tiny camera.

Here Sana with her camera as we met near the Leicester station, put before a pattern.
Horrible skin on my front, white hair in the wind, slow hesitant steps, and yet the interaction worked and the interaction shows on the video, and also the people's joy of having been chosen, having been photographed.

A wonderful short film on why and how to take photography of people, to use and show the students, to photographers hesitating still. Explaining, also the short 15 minutes are self explanatory.

Yes, we all foreigners arriving in London from different parts of the world have something to offer, to add, to teach. Not only taking, but giving too.

Wonders in London

I adore going each Monday night to Center London, near the Thames to the Royal Festival Hall. Either I go by train or the Tube, arriving at Waterloo and walking to the river, or I arrive to the Charring Cross train station, across the river and traverse the foot bridge, either way the lights, sights, movements enchants me each time with new wonders.

Yesterday, I was looking for patterns for my Afterclass Flickr group "night patterns": I did discover so many, inside and outside too, without forgetting "movement" one of our last classes and "color", from which here are two, combined examples.

The train bridge obscures part of the huge wheel, and a train passes!

I would not have done this image, if it was not all I learned in Afterclass, inspiring me.

But I looked for patterns also inside the Festival Hall, at the entrance, I found this. Lots of different patterns, but also something more.

It still stuns me as does the possibility to go there and have many different activities at leisure. Read a book, speak with a friend, relax, use your computer. Meet with others. Without anyone coming and asking "do you have a ticket? did you buy something? what are you doing?"

Also, even after thousand portrait of "strangers" I remain still in wonder each time someone answer me "Of course, you may!" when I approach them to take a photo.

University of 3rd age

After looking a lot for it, finally it was an unknown lady I spoke with in the train that advised me: go Friday afternoon at New Cross's Goldsmiths College, they have a conference there every week.

The South East London section of U3A meet there, as I have learned later even before, a lunch together for those wanting to socialize more, then at 2 pm Conference, then a friendly thee for those who still want to linger. I did, arriving home towards five when the sun was going down and the temperature freezing.

Yesterday, we had a fascinating speech about Chocolate, in fact the history, geography and preparation of Cacao. I learned a lot about it but also enjoyed meeting different people (of my age, 3rd age).

How many ages there are?

I feel I had more then 7 different lives, and hope to have some more... not as much the age, but the place I lived and with whom counting it it too.

Anyway, the excellent speaker was older then me, and even more interesting there were about the same number of audience as in my Tuesday speech, but they seemed a lot, probably because the class was smaller and we somewhat occupied the space.

Tired today

Is it because I walked? Because on a short walk I took 150 pictures (together with the few when I was drinking a café).

Each day I can not write about a "success" or something that I am happy about, as yesterday, to meet young students from London and being able to speak a whole hour... in English!

Today I went, for the first time this year, at Weight Watchers. In only a few weeks this year I gained back 6 pounds! Aie!

But I really like the pictures I took to use for my thread Urban patterns in my Afterclass group. And even more these flowers that I took as a plus, at the spur of the moment.

Brick lane market's wonderful people

So many interesting, nice people met on the Brick Lane, est London market sunday! He is one of them.

Later, he even posed with me, telling then in French "je t'aime" to prove he does know same French worlds.

Alas, his food, that he gave me to taste then was not all to my liking, lots of fat in it, but it was made friesh on site, almost like in the Palermo market!

So many great people, men and women and so many friendly!
He, for example explained us that his coat dates from the 60th!

I came home, tired from a 'too much' - also, how can friendliness be too much?

Colors, smells, images, perhaps? We went to fast from one to other savoring all that the great market offered us, Sana, at least as good in communications with people as me.

I do hope, today I'll be able to communicate also well with students whose passion is photography and communicating between them, even if we are different in age, we have lots in common too.

As we found, common grounds with the people met in the market.

Brick lane market, Sunday

In fact, I did take around 180 images there, here only around 30 between those I liked most, and also those who did need the least work on them, but even those, I think give the mood.