Adieu 2008!

With this photo, taken from a vitrine in Regent street a few days ago, I am also telling "adieu" to the year that finishes today.

It is not "adieu" it is "au revoir".

Tomorrow the new year begins, new events will arrive. Perhaps not as much shaking up my life as this one, when I changed country, city, place to live and language I communicate, people I meet too. But for sure, surprises will come, bad some but good too.

I am looking forward it with hope and confidence.

My first six month in France were also full as was the last ones in Britain, London and UK is an exciting place to discover at any age.

Regent Street blue hour

The blue hour is when the sun is not yet all down and one can still se some of the details, even when they are not beautifully lightened like here.

Of course, on the Regent street, Saturday, I had no problem of lights on the beautiful buildings all around, all along it. Nor the vitrines.

More problem of course the people who where more suddenly in the dark, and so I took very little picture with people in it, this time.

A balerina

Not only she dances, but makes dances and takes videos of them, and what a graceful pose!

End of year, we review our last year, at least I use to do it, sometimes before the year leave me. This year it was a major jump through the Canal. Even if I have crossed through the Tunnel with the train.

Changing a few miles is not much thing, changing language is not easy and changing country either. But more then anything else it is a change of cultures.

I enjoy a lot the British Culture, very cosmopolitan as I see it so far, also there is a lot to learn yet. I love the seemingly open welcome, wherever I go, also I make a lot of missteps too, as I do not know unwritten customs. Not only each country has his, but also inside it each group.

With time, I'll find a group accepting me where I find myself well, as in France, probably they will be mostly people, who like me have come from some part. On the road, I meet lots of interesting, nice people!

Regent Street the Boxer day

It was an interesting afternoon, with lots of people around and the shops open and even lots of them with sales sign, although I did go there to experience and not to buy.

I did go finally in the new shop of National Geographic and I did finally buy a memory (more then before) for my camera: the prices, happilly for me are falling fast for all those things.

I feel that this, one of the first I took as my bus let me down in Regent street, one from 360, expresses the best what it is about, what I felt that it was. Somehow, the shoes and hands "tell all" about the elegance of the shops around there.

Some others tell the tale of bonded boulevard and small narrow old streets near it, too, I came home tired in spirit but my legs still going well: wonderful considering "me".

Great place, Regent street full of people, even if sometimes it was too much for me, but the other side then proved to be better, more easy to walk, and the side streets that beckoned me too.

It was only that old "sir" I met in a small library, living nearby, who complained "too many people". He never considered moving, just would have liked the place to be again "as I used to be" - I think, in colonial times.

Interesting experience, that encounter too. But why someone who lives in such an elegant street goes to MacDonald to drink his afternoon café?

My mother's birthday

I did give her cyclamens for her birthday, each 26 December, and even if she did pass away when I was only 26 years old, now, about 50 years later, each year I buy one thinking about her.

This one is from last year, but in my window I have this years and day by day I am happy it feels well where I placed it. As I feel well in England too.

Not only my mother birthday is on "Boxing day" but my biggest grand-son's too: he has 15 today! I wish him lots of happiness and a long, healthy life.

I also wish for myself to see him more often, but that is not what is the most important. For him to grow an independent and strong being is. To find his path and be flexible about it.

Each of us has to find, to follow its own. And when we find a wall before us and cannt jump high enough, instead of hurting our heads or soul, to be able to find another one, leading in different direction. Enjoying what we find there.

That is perhaps the most important message of my mother's short life, she did not do it, hurting her heart again and again and again. Not living and enjoying enough, what could be. Also she loved the autumn leaves and was happy with the cyclamens I bough her each birthday, also Boxing day.

I changed my path this year, mother: changed countries, cities, environment. New vistas open now before me. Event at 74 past, one can change the road we travel.

Tulips in April

One can show in so many different ways the pictures we take!

I did upload only one of them (the first in this album, the 6th picture taken from the tulips we found in the middle of the roads, not far from Seine. Today I found them and uploaded all, not only the one I prefered between them, and then I went to Slide Show maker and discoverd it can make prismes from them: here they are for Christmas day, I feel they have Christmas colors.

St Pankras before Christmas

St Pankras and King Cross were both busy for the departures and arrivals, waiting and hurrying to the trains. Eating, reading, discussing, so many interesting happening!

We were about 12 photographers, portraitist for the "photojournalism assignmen: Heading home for Xmas" of the London Portrait Meetup Group, the others had very impressive huge cameras of 2 kg or more!

But even with my tiny one, I could take some not so bad pictures.



And speak with the people, what few of the others did or does.



Speaking with those I take photo of is one of the joys of my "portraitist" life. My life, in general too.