Aurevoir, adieu! Last post for now.

Here is a collage of the pictures "most favorited" and looked and "most interesting" on the photographers site, named Flickr.

Montmartre "Maison Rose" not so far from where I once lived.
Plain but very different tomatoes: interesting by their differences in form and color and tastes
Butte Montmartre in fog, which is not often: many went to see those stairs
An unhappy fish in Athens fish market, still protesting after no more alive
Stop! for children to pass: why was this one taken fast from car so many times favorited?
Two instances of tiny flowers that become clearer as I went nearer, the background fading
My selfie that made me "famous" when I got the best autoportrait of 2005 with it, bad hair day
An affiche of young woman and an older one in almost same position snapped candid in France
Other small flowers almost in macro seen from "profile"

and another collection, perhaps the one most commented on.

Artist shops near Saint Martin canal
Repairing a car in Bucarest centre street
Kissing near the bridge, couple of birds
In the caffee in Paris, simple but speaking picture
A fallen leave on steps in London centre
A man candid, with sad eyes near market in Paris
Two kids with same missing teeth cute at 7 (not at 77)
A corridor I was so afraid to pass, but camera helped me.

Some of them already published others not. Each is a moment in my life, and each one by one can be seen on Flickr and in a special album too.

I will with those stop my photo blog for now.

Experimenting, while sitting in a busy street

I was sitting across Gare Saint Lazare, before a coffee shop, drinking my expresso, and waiting for someone I had to meet. The street was busy all around people walking but I wanted to take out the background noise.

Experimenting with my camera, I tried "point click" : it worked. All around faded. I am still stunned how well it worked and how much a camera different features can change the results.

I still have it and love it!

I met in Greenwich park a lady, older then me, who was originally from Hungary and we begun to see each other and speak in our mother language. 

In 2004, we decided to go together to Tunisia, and found a bread and breakfast motel, a tour to some places in Tunisia was in the package we took. She was tiny and slim, I am the one with the nightgown. 

I had a huge surprise the first morning, to see my nightgown thus arranged as I come back from the beach and the market they took us later. 

I did remember this picture, when I have seen a presentation where the Vision wanted was to get rid of all her things there were old. I still use this to sleep often! Why should I get rid of it?

There is always something to discover, remember

I went to the town museum and found the door closed. Not very happy, I come out from the entrance and my eyes fall on this opened chestnut lying on the floor.

It did bring me back instantly to my childhood park then to the terrace of the house we lived. I played  a lot with those beautiful chestnuts and made a lot of things with them, forgetting I was alone.

In fact, no more alone: I was with the chestnuts ! And a knife my father offered me. The acacia tree across the terrace enchanted me with its perfume and the small river behind the tree quietly accompanied with its music.

"Will I go sometime as far as the water in the river goes?"

I arrived a lot farther, with time.

But going back, even if only in my mind's eye,  is always a good memory.

Dance class two pals come out in the pause

Many years has passed. I am happy for this memory. What a wonderful one! The small blond was my grand daughter now 19 years old.

Walk along the Thames river

That afternoon, it was only 4:30 but the sun set down early in December. I decided to walk along the Thames and see the buildings across and the illumination.

Finally, it is this picture I like the most, caught in the moment.

I arrived tired, to the next exit, took a bus home, but very happy I walked the walk. So many things London can offer if we take the pain to go, to look, to enjoy.

Back to Bucarest after many years

Going back to Bucarest, after many years, here is what I observed on a street corner.

There are young women with bluejeans, looking as if they could be in London, Paris or Washington. That was new and I was surprised. Also, still alas very poor women, selling flowers in the corner here. Captured both of them "candid" without them suspecting it.

The contradiction is what I wanted to portray here, as well as the true street life.

Eggs for Eastern & the story of One Egg

This colored eggs, were taken in Romania when I visited a neighbor, at Orthodox Eastern, in a house I lived for a month. So many of them, so beautiful ! 

Eggs used to cost a lot of money, no more, for us at least.

Eggs, are also used for Seder, the first evening of Jewish Eastern and I found out from Google, eggs signify sorrow and are offered also when someone dies. So many traditions are interconnected in some ways from different religions. 

One egg. 

I was 11 years old, and we just escaped the Nazis, after a year of hiding with papers of an other family, and going from place to place. We were hiding the last three month in a cellar of a villa in Buda. The house was half destroyed by Russian canons but the cellar and first level was still staying when the Soviet (Russian or Turkestan) soldier come in.

For the soldiers, all women they like were fair game. One night, they come, stolen as much as they wanted and left a paper for my mother to come to "potatoes duty" in their camp. We escaped departing at 5 in the morning, so my mother not be raped by their soldiers, by passing the large river Danube from Buda to Pest. As all the bridges were bombed and destroyed, when the German army went away, we crossed on the yet frozen river. 

We went to live for a few days to my mother cousin and my father tried to find a way to go back to Kolozsvar, Cluj-Napica now, Transylvania, from where we come when we fled for a year peregrination and hiding from Hungarian Nazis. The cousins gave us shelter, not food. After a few days we begun to feel more the absence of food, perhaps the only time in my life, as my parents always gave me whatever was available. 

We could not bring any food with us. We did have a little but even that would have been too heavy. The ice on the river not strong enough in March any more, others died because of the weight and the ice broking. As our family crossed early in the morning slowly, the Ice did not Brake (title of my Toastmasters Icebreaker).  

One morning, I went down to a neighbor living in a lower level: she offered me an EGG ! 

I still see myself there, going "home" and showing my mother my treasure. A real egg! An egg to eat! I remember that egg in my hand. Feel it still now, so many years later. We begun to discuss with my mother, how to prepare it. Finally, I accepted to boil it in water, as my mother explained, it is how I do not loose any of it.
The egg was enjoyed.   Egg remained a special treat for me. Three minutes egg, spooned out from its cock or scrambled or 10 minutes boiled and sliced. 

We did not eat an egg or fresh fruits or vegetables for month, by then. Shells were coming down on houses for months, we were not allowed to go out, we lived from what we had taken from the last place we were in a village. In that cellar, for three month. I got one apple in three month from one other cellar the house nearby and that was a special joy.

From the coloured eggs you see in this blog, I was offered three and got to eat one each day with pleasure, as where I lived that time, I did not got yet a heater or boiler in the kitchen. Not because there was not enough food to eat. 

Eggs are hidden in French families and kids asked to find them, Eastern time. Matzos is hidden in some Jewish tradition and kids asked to find them. Eggs are eaten Eastern time, as each remembers something else, as reason to celebrate - the spring that is coming, in my opinion. Or the Escape from being slaves in Egypt. Or the rebirth of Christ. Both religions use EGG for different reasons or symbols, both celebrate at almost same date. In Transylvania, we made colored eggs to offer to boys if they come in visit with perfume, no more with water. In the villages, girls where taken near the fountain... 

I celebrate that I do have one Egg, a few eggs! Taste it, savor it. Remember.

Sky always there

The sky is always there for us, and it is free.

Each time Or often, I see a beautiful, changing sky early morning or late towards the evening, it brings me back to a time of my life when I really needed it. A hope. A pleasure. An enjoyment for which we do not have to pay. Only stop, observe, enjoy.

Also, at that mbment in my life I was driving and crying and did not stop my car. Admired the sun showing me its Beaty while driving, and crying less and less.

Deciding I had to divorce, my husband not only cheating but making future plans with his 20 years younger then mistress, living afar. We went to a common lawyer and decided, as we come out “we are divorced”. We did not feel married only when it was legalized we will not wait for formality.

As usual I worked all week and Saturday drove to the nearest supermarket to buy food for my to children and me. When I arrived to the cassier, gave my card, she told me “there is not enough money”.

What?

I found out that way, my EX still legally husband, has taken ALL money out from my common account. As I had some cash too, I paid for half of what I put in the cart and gave back the rest. Should I say that it was a huge shock for me?

What I will do? How we go till my next paycheck? My eyes blurred. Not the moment, I am driving! I begun to ponder all for which we have still to pay and all that is already paid. And then suddenly the sky begun to play its magic for me.

It was a very important moment and told me I can always enjoy the nature and it is there free for us all.

Spring green: renewal

Today, I will ask questions in my club to a few members and guests. The theme is Renewal. Spring. But there is a lot to tell about spring. 

As well about this special green that exist only at the beginning, and I love a lot.

"You are lucky! Have a taxi."

One of my most cherished moments, photos I have taken. I was traveling with my car, all the way from Paris through Transylvanian villages. It was morning, when I met this woman and I stopped fascinated first by her hat. 

While others were going to the fields to work with bicycle, or a common cart, she was on foot. "My son married, can not help me any more now" and she was going to work on the potatoes field, even old and tired. 

"You are so lucky! You have a taxi." she told me, did not imagine even the car may be mine. She could not even afford a bike. 

I then realized how lucky I am. Yes, divorced, yes, alone, yes... and so on, but I am not so down and my life is a lot easier then hers. 

Every time I look at this picture, I tell myself "I am lucky and well!"

Cornerstone Communicators Pathways Panel

Moderating a Panel is Level 5 Project. 

Yesterday evening, inside the online meeting of the Cornerstone Communicators Advanced Toastmasters club, President Clifford Hurst,
John Kendall moderated the Panel discussion about Pathways.

Excellently prepared and conducted in 30 minutes with four panelists; Elizabeth Jordan and Jenny Chalmers, members of the club, and Aaron Leung and Julie Kertesz (me) as Panelist.

Here is my recording the Panel discussion, "Gallery view so I can see all participants reactions, recorded by Replay Video Capture, uploaded to YouTube. 

Many interesting questions and different answers that give together a great view.

John Kendall was moderating it very well, asking the questions to us directly and with short answers also signaling very nicely when our part of a specific answer run out of time or was answered enough.

After the Panel the club had Table Topics, then Evaluations - and at the end questions to the Panelists from the Audience. Alas, I did not record that part as it come rather a surprise to me after I commented that I regret that we did not have questions from all. 

Creating a Panel in a club meeting is a great idea, and one can do it with at the same time, having less speakers or less Table Topics speakers. Best prepare the club members to gather their questions, prepare them, at the same time as the Panelists. We were very well prepared with questions send to us in advance, so we did have time to think of our answers and then deliver it well but shortly.

Using the wether

Eiffel Tower Paris in wind and rain, also from my car : a picture as not often shown

Early morning mist in North Carolina

Sunny early morning in North Carolina. One of my first landscape pictures.