Some of my first exposure to training NLP was to take place in Italy with my good friend and colleague, Alessio Roberti of NLPItaly. I remember sitting in a small piatsa in a wonderful walled town called Città Alta, the upper part of Bergamo with its rich heritage of art and history, discussing a forthcoming course.
I do not speak any language other than English. It is not out of disrespect of peoples tongues, just as people who have worked with me know, I am hopeless at speaking another language.
After many courses over the years Alessio Roberti has grown his company to be perhaps one of the best NLP training organisations in the world, and along with other subjects and the publishing arm, has become the successful person he should be. I am privileged to be involved with him.
One of the translators in Italy who has work with me for a number of years is Elena Martelli.
PhotoReading course in the Hilton Hotel.
Please Elena, coconut, liquorish, and toffee ice cream, all in the same cone, perhaps following a Baffu pizza.
I love working with the participants learning English language in Turkey. I admire the effort and time each puts into the process.
The best way to learn a language is to be fully absorbed in that language you wish to learn, now, our participants spend nine days, from 9am to 9pm with us. Not quite fully absorbed but early.
I try and get the participants to speak at all times in English, lunch, tea/coffee breaks, all the time, even threatening them with a fine of 1 Turkish Lira each time I catch them speaking their own language.
I know I will get a chocolate cake with the proceeds at the end of the course as I sneak-up on them.
As I am watching what I eat, perhaps chocolate cake is something I should not eat, so why not wet their appetite.
How about if I offer afternoon tea at the Ritz Hotel in London.
The Ritz Hotel London
So, if any English language participant visits London, I will take you to the Ritz Hotel and give you tea and cakes in the afternoon, a very British thing.
We can have scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, not good for the diet, but tastes great. We can have cheese and cucumber sandwiches, with the crusts, the est bit of a sandwich cut off. And of course, he cu of tea with milk in a china cup.
I have already taught some of the participants in preparation to the visit to the Ritz, how to hold the little finger, or as we call it in Britain the pinky. As one holds the cup by the handle, the pinky should be held straight so it sticks out.
But, the other requirement is that as I speak no other language other than English, they will have to speak English to me and the waiters.
After afternoon tea, we will have to walk off the calories, so an easy walk from the Ritz Hotel, via Saint James the home of Prince Charles will lead us to Buckingham Palace, where we can see the Changing of the Guards, through Hyde Park to Horse Guards Parade with the soldiers in their various styles of uniforms, pastnumber 10 Downing Street, he home of the British Prime Minister, and on to The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben with its’ special chimes known the world over.
Buckingham Place
The Mall gardens
Horse Guards
Houses of parliament and Big Ben
It could be a costly offer for me. But they are great people.
Many of the people who know me say to take it easy, well I did, I had to, as I was too tired, I only needed to sit down and I fell asleep.
Participants do not believe me when I say I am an introvert, as they see a different person on stage. A trainer who is not afraid to use his voice, body, stories, anything to teach the subject matter.
A strategy I teach the English language participants is to imagine themselves as an actor or actress.
In the latest James Bond film Casino Royale, Daniel Craig became James Bond, he took on the persona, the voice, the stature, the clothes, the look. Like all great actors he became the character in real life whilst being filmed.
That is what happens to me. I put on the trainers shoes, clothes persona.
When I finish the last day, and it is time to tidy up, put away the equipment I have used ready for the next course, it is at that time my mind and body switches off.
Today I am switched off. I will go for walks to my town center, Kingston upon Thames, UK.
I was delivering a Mind Map and Memory course at a major communications company in Turkey. Sixteen employees finding out that they can remember 14 random items by just listening to them once, the planets, how to construct a Mind Map as originated by Tony Buzan.
Yes guys I had a burger but not from McDonnell’s, but from a Turkish takeaway.
The English session in the morning of NLP was not run, and due to the course I was running out of the school, but they the participants, had a rest.
They settled down to a lunch time session but I was not there. As they closed their eyes, my voice was with them, we played my CD of The Castle (buy it by clicking here) .
The drive back to my apartment took nearly two hours, much quicker to take the ferry.
In my mind as we drove back, I thought of those that were doing things I was not, perhaps being with friends eating a meal, something I cannot do, I do not have time, if I did, I would need to relax, but that is seen as not being social, or not etiquette.
Tuesday started off with half my computer keyboard not working, having had the tea spilt over it the previous night.
I could not let this incident distract my trainings, but why not “reframe” it, and use it as a metaphor in the English class. As an international trainer of NLP, I can use my experience to teach a concept via a story to feed the inner mind, the unconscious mind, what you need to know, now, after all the years of experience I find is easy.
I talk about sick dear, and how just one word can affect the way we are, our state, how at a conference, a person stood in for someone who was ill, and how knives, fire and steam came from the participants, but they learnt how to keep state.
I was asked to visit a company in Sisli, on the Western side of the Bosphorus, a computer company which is very proactive on training their staff in communication skills, dealing with clients and staff. The meeting went on longer than we had planned, which meant we missed the ferry back to Kadikoy to conduct the afternoon trance.Upon arrival, I was immediately driven away to another client, one hours drive across Istanbul, in heavy traffic, which seems to be ever presenting traffic jams, a journey taking two hours.
On arrival, it was a joy to meet so many of my previous students, with big smiles on their faces as they greeted me. So many people who know me. Wow.
I know I can do more work with them to help reach the goals, the outcomes they gave me.
The journey back to do the late English class was very tiring, as the countryside drifted past, I am amazed at the amount of new roads new infrastructure there is. New high rise accommodation, flats, apartments, are springing up.
The class starts one hour late, but I am in a good state, so I deliver so much to the participants.
I tell them about the beautiful “female” I saw in Singapore, and the first time my mother met Mee Len, mother never meeting a Chinese person before nor eaten a Chinese meal.
I know that during this session they tried many things, and perhaps liked them.
I added so much to the evening session I was late leaving the office/school, so much so that I missed the last train on the Tunel train, which runs from 7am till 9pm.
I was too tired to think, I needed sleep, rest, but I had to prepare for the next day, iron my shirt and suit, prepare my props to teach Mind Maps and Memory Skills to a major Turkish telecommunication company, and eat a meal.
I hope those who know me realise I am not the Wizard of Oz. I need rest today.
Like we all do, I say words to myself with my internal voice, I talk to myself, especially when things go wrong.
We all do it.
Sometimes I say the wrong thing to people, I use the wrong words in my courses, especially when I ask a participant, perhaps when hypnotised, to do something and and they do not respond, I say words in my inner mind that I cannot write here.
One word I say is “SH-T“.
I cannot say that word out loud. So I now say “Oh Poo Poo“.
My mission is to get the world to say “Oh Poo Poo“.
It makes you smile.
The aggression goes out of the situation.
The bad feelings go.
You can deal with the situation.
Please tell the world, and send me your Oh Poo Poo experiences, either by sending an email [email protected] , or by posting in the guestbook, and help others to smile through their Oh Poo Poo’s.
Why not have a laugh, brighten up your day and others whilst you are at it, visit the jokes and Ironies page. Build more by sending your jokes to [email protected].
No matter where I go in the world, things happen. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Monday night after finishing the English NLP class with NLPGrup, I returned to the apartment in Taxim Tunel, and after a while at 8:30pm, I felt hungry, and decided to get my usual wrap from La Cantine. Plus I needed milk and some Cornflakes, for my breakfast.
On returning, climbing those steep stairs, I had nothing to, as others were out enjoying themselves, perhaps drinking, relaxing, maybe deciding to stay with friends overnight, leaving pets and their family to fend for themselves. I decided to watch the SlingBox TV system. (clink to find out more)
As I watched, I wanted a cup of tea, unusual me late at night, and I had one tea back left. I sat back and enjoyed a hot cup of tea, British style, with milk.
With half my cup of tea left in my hand, the handle, a metal handle collapsed, and the remaining cup fell to the table, and my computer, some of the liquid finding its’ way onto my computer keyboard.
My heart beat at double the rate, I could feel it. My reaction was to say words not allowed on the internet, I had a vision of sick deer.
Nothing, it had happened I had to be calm to deal with the situation, my Oh Poo Poo helped me to quickly clean-up the mess, but my new computer. The keyboard was not working.
I went to bed, with my attention on Mustaphaso that I would sleep, a hard day was to Tuesday, there was not point in crying over split milk, my computer keyboard was dead. I hope my insurance will cover the damage.
The next day, I cleaned more of those internal parts I could access, I do not wish to break and seals on the computer, these could invalidate the warranty or insurance policy.
I love the Turkish people, they are kind, considerate, passionate about their culture, and their state founder Ataturk. I have done a little research on Ataturk which I have added to this blog as Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, please add and correct any mistakes I have made.
It seems that the Turkish people love to know each others ages.
In my courses I get people to introduce each other, and they will say:-
“This is Murat, he is a teacher, and he is 45 years old.”
Why? I as a foriegner find this very strange, but that is one reason I love travelling to different culture, we are all the same, but different.
So, I am asked my age. It is not in British culture, well not mine, and, well, I do not want to look and feel my age. Deep down I feel 18 years old, OK, 21, after my heart proceedure.
Last week on the 13th of March was my birthday, and the NLPGRup staff gave me a chocolate cake, so now I am 95 years old.
The day started off on the wrong foot. The pevious evening the door locking gear had brocken, so I was locked out until nearly midnight until a locksmith obtained entry. In the morning, the lift I had been offered the previous night, to take me from the Westen side of the Bosphorus to the Eastern side acroos the wonderful southern bridge, did not turn up. I had to race to get the ferry.
Arriving 5 minutes late, I suppose one could call the turnout of participants a normal Sunday. Two people were waiting for me. Plus the car that was to pick me up had already beaten me to the school.
We looked at how humans learn, that it was an experiment with a group of cats in Califonia, USA, that led to the discovery of the plasticity of the brain.
We understood that relaxation changes the way the brain can learn, and why sleep is important to each of us.
How can we relax? Just listen to my voice, or buy the CD “The Castle” buy it online, buy clicking here.
I walked down to the ferry terminal after a long day of training and having to cross the Bosphorus from Kadikoy to Beşitaş (Asian to European side of Istanbul), and saw the ferry at the quayside. I raced to the gate only to see it closing majestically with me on the wrong side, and I watched as the ferry glide out of the port.
Once back in Taxim Tunel, I brought a wrap from a little corner café, La Cantine, (now closed), run by a French couple, plus a freshly squeezed orange juice. I was to have a relaxing time, watching British TV on the computer internet through Slingbox.
Slingbox is a great device that plugs into the back of say a satellite or cable TV box, that is then connected to the inter net router at home. Through the inter net connection in whatever country I am in, I can access the Slingbox back home and watch British TV, not only that, I can control the channels I want to watch.
The apartment I am staying in is on the forth floor, with a spiral staircase. Now I am used to running up stairs, but these seem so steep, everyone that climbs those stairs, has to rest half way up. They are a killer.
Spiral Stairs, Tunel Flat, Istanbul
I got to the door, gently holding my orange juice, my mouth watering at the prospect of eating my wrap. But the key would not turn.
Not three months earlier, I had returned back to the apartment to notice on the tough climb of the stairs, that there were pieces of metal laying by each flat door. I knew something was wrong.
On reaching my door, there was no point in trying to turn the key to open the door, there was no locking mechanism there, and the door was firmly shut and locked.
There was no-one in the whole building, I do not speak any Turkish. Oh Poo Poo. I called an ex employee who came to my aid, plus my translator Asu. We called a locksmith plus the police, only to find that yes we had been burgled. I had lost money, a camera.
Although I did not enjoy the experience, who would? I found the police here in Istanbul perhaps one of the most friendly I have encountered, even though we had to communicate via a translator.
The horror of that experience returned as I tried in vain to turn the key.
But I had Mustapha. I had the previous experience to draw upon. I called the same locksmith.
On his last visit he made sure that no-one would be able to break-in again. He was good, so good, that he took from 8:30 until 11:30pm to get in. That will teach him. Perfectionist. (Ho Ho). He had to used brute force.
Once in, it was realised that no-one had entered, it was the failure of the door locking gear. New door I think.
So by mid night I was in bed, knowing that 8am the next morning I would be picked up by car to get to the Eastern side to take the English language participants further along the process I do for easy learning.
8:10 am I get a phone call, asking if the car had arrived, as the person calling the General Manager of NLPGrup, Selva, could not reach the driver, his phone was off.
Only thing for it was to quickly catch the Tunel train and the ferry.
Walking down to the ferry terminal I passed under a bridge that crosses the water of the Golden Horn, and was amazed at the number of people standing on either side of the bridge fishing. There was not any spaces left. I would not like to sail a boat under that bridge. Looking around the Golden Horn, it seemed that the whole population of Istanbul had taken-up fishing.
Golden Horn Bridge
There must be some great memory skills in Turkey.
As we sailed across the Bosphorus I sat in the cold morning air on the outside deck, the sea was awash was quite a swell, and as we entered each trough, the ferry created a spray of salt sea water, refreshing my face, my mind.
As we moored the other side, I noticed how clam the water became, and realised that was the state I was in. Very calm, whilst all about me was in turmoil.
Alessio and Phillip 
Città Alta Bergamo.</p>
<p>I am off to Milan this weekend to give a <b><a href=)
PhotoReading course in the Hilton Hotel.
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