Aveline, my agent friend, invited me to her Dennis Wee Group Toastmasters Club. She coyly told me that it would be her first attempt at public speaking and could I support her. So, as usual, like a heroine, I changed my tuition time to Wednesdays so that I could support Aveline. It was my first experience at a Toastmasters Club! Whenever I hear the word "toastmaster" I think of bread popping out of the toaster! I wonder why the word toastmaster is being used!
I had originally decided to attend a funeral wake after the toastmaster meeting, but not wanting to miss my favourite TV program, "Jewel in the Palace" I decided to go in the afternoon instead. Hence I reached the club meeting just in time to hear Aveline making her speech on "The One and Only". Aveline shared about her childhood, leading to her career path and her current life as a real estate agent and mother with a happy family. It was really interesting to hear different speakers with different topics and a variety of styles. When it came to the table topics, the toast master asked for volunteers from the floor. To my horror, Aveline mentioned my name! I came to support Aveline, and turned out to be sabotaged by her! The topic I drew was "If you could invite a celebrity to have dinner with you, who would you invite?" I mentioned "Fann Wong", my favourite TV star. Though I was quite nervous, I tried to remain calm and speak confidently. I thought I had spoken out of point, and hence was surprised when I was voted best speaker for the table topics!
The members were all very cordial and enthusiastic in their pursuit for excellence and encouraged me to join. I enjoyed the evaluation by the different experts and learnt a lot in that one evening. Frankly, I would rather write because when I am writing my blog, I only face the computer screen; at the toastmasters club, I have to face a sea of audience! I can still remember my first attempt at a debate in school. It was a total disaster as I forgot my words and became tongue-tied!
Since the Toastmasters Club meets only once a month, I guess, I could set aside some time to join Aveline, and together we fine-tune our ability to speak even more confidently and coherently in public. Anyone, care to join us?
Gan Chau :-)
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Public Speaking
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2 comments:
Host: "Now contestants, for your final question of the night, what would you try to achieve in your one year reign as Miss Universe?"
Mary: "I want world peace"
Jane: "I want to help all the starving people in the world"
Choo, here is your moment to use that public speaking skill you've just developed. So what is your answer.....
Unfortunately I do not have what the world regards as a beautiful face or vital statistics of 38-24-38.! Only have inner beauty which the world cannot see but which my 3 dogs could see and feel! :-)
Anyway, just to humour you Thanh, if I were Miss Universe, I would say tht in order to achieve world peace, it has to begin with the family unit. If every family stays loving and united, peace in the country will stablise and world peace will be easier to attain. After all the family is the first social unit.
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