Opening Speech : TIME

Opening Speech - 22nd October 2013

L&G (Ladies and Gentlemen)

Have you ever think, “I wish I have more than 24 hours per day”?

Had you ask, “Why Friday only happen once in 7 days?”?

After meeting a deadline for example, I always feel like, “I can do this task better if I have more time”. Did you experience this feeling before?

So, I am not alone.

Those entire situations happen when we feel like we need more time. I am reading a book, Time Keeper, anyone read this book before?

In the introduction of this book, it has this statement ;

"There is a clock in our walls or the dashboards of our car. We have a schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner date, or a movie. Yet, all around us, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late, a dog doesn not check its watch, deer do not fret over passing birthdays.

Man alone measures time.

Man alone chimes the hour.

And because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures.

A fear of time running out."

But then,  I found a quote, that make me feel like actually we don’t need extra hours in our day or extra day in a week. 

“There is a reason why God limits our days. Why? To make each one precious”

It is like a limited edition product. It becomes so special and the demand is high because it is limited. And for those who have the limited product, they feel so satisfied, “Yes, I manage to collect all the limited edition toys from Mc D, the minions!”

Please allow me to read some sentences from Quran,

By TIME,

Indeed mankind is in lost.

Except for those who have believe and done righteous deeds

And advice each others to thruth

And advice each others to patience

Therefore, to make sure that we are not included as a person that having a MEANINGLESS life, we must keep reminding ourselves or others, especially our beloved one about kindness,+ve things, and we need to be patient about this because it is not always easy. Reminding about good things is including, remind about the importance of saving, of reading, or being nice to others and in our case, remind members about preparing and playing an effective role in Toastmasters. And, we need to be patient when people answer, “I have no time”. And the biggest challenge when we remind a friend, not a TM yet about visiting UTM TMC and they say, “I give lecture everyday, so why should I learn public speaking?”. Remember, we need to remind about good things, patiently, to make our life MORE MEANINGFUL TO OURSELVES AND OTHERS

With the limited of time, eerrm.. let me correct this. To save our precious time, let me proceed by announcing our new SAA. Our club needs new SAA, who will be responsible with the club properties. When I first asked this person to take up the role, I was rejected. This person is a softspoken person but at that time, I see him as very cruel. But then I feel like I have a hope when after he rejected my proposal, he asked me, “Ain, where is our club properties? Like the gavel. And, I feel like I want to buy and fix the light for timer.” I was saying to myself, “He rejected to be the SAA but he actually asking Q showing that he is doing the SAA’s jobs.”

So then, I did not give up and ask again, “Please.. be the SAA of our club.. please.. help us…”
“Haaa.. I don’t like this face.. okay la.. okay la.."

And he is, our new SAA, CC Koh Meng Hock!

Today, our new SAA is the Toastmaster of the Evening. I will now pass the control of the meeting to the Toastmasters of the Evening, CC Meng Hock!

Opening Speeh : CELEBRATE

"CELEBRATE"

OPENING SPEECH – 2^nd April 2014-04-17

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

There are three achievements of this club that I would like to highlight.

First, on 10^th of March, we organized our own CLUB International Speech & Table Topic Contest. I am not sure about you but for me I can feel the different for sending our club member as a VOLUNTEER in Area Contest AND as a CHAMPION of our club contest. After managed to have the 1^st Runner-Up in Area A2 Contest, our Champion, Koh Meng Hock will be contesting in division level. The Division A International Speech & Table Topic Contest will be held on 6^th of April in Sunway College, Tebrau.

Second, on 17^th of March we had the Mini Evaluation Workshop, facilitated by Bin Yuen, and I believe we learn a lot to be a better speech evaluator, not only in Toastmasters meetings but also as a better person when giving feedback to others in our daily lives. Do you agree with me? So, congratulations to all of you, you make the workshop a success!

Third achievement, we have three new members in March; Norliza, old member coming member because of her believe in Toastmasters Journey, Aisyah, a tutor, an enthusiastic friend of mine, our strong supporter who make us having this comfortable meeting room, the cheerful Prof. Sarahaida. I believe, with these three new members, we will have more beneficial meeting, more fun and all of us will improve better. The more is the merrier! 

Ladies & Gentlemen, March 2014 was so special, finally it was ended by our treasurer, Dr. Zaleha successfully renewed our memberships with Toastmasters International. I believe most of us already paid Dr. Zaleha our fees. For those who haven’t, please see Dr. Zaleha later to communicate. Dr. Zaleha, thank you for taking care of our membership renewals. 

Today, we start having meeting on 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month. This decision was made after a survey with questionnaire created and analyzed by Meng Hock, and with cooperation from all members answering the survey. Hope this change will refresh all of us, become more enthusiastic Toastmasters.

And finally, in this special March, two beautiful creatures celebrated their birthday. 1^st, was Dr. Asiah and also myself. Hehehe..  

Again, the more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

Suffering is a Gift

SUFFERING IS A GIFT 

Advanced Project 2 : Moral of the Story (Storytelling Manual)

Have you ever felt that God has been so hard on you? Too much sufferings? Let me tell you a story about Zulik. Her full name is Siti Zulikha. Zulik is a very cute, petite and cheerful friend. She loves to go for karaoke and usually, we will sing Ziana Zain’s song together.
Sekebun cinta nan berbunga…

She is not just all fun – a brilliant Engineering student in UTM; sponsored by TELEKOM. To top that up, she is also an active facilitator in motivational camps, that is where I met her. To me, she is perfect! Brains and fun.

One day, she told a story in front of 80 school students about her schooling days.  At that time, I was one of the facilitators too. She shared with us the dark side of her life. 

When she was in her primary school, she has no friend. No students wanted to play, study or sit beside her; because she was the daughter of a drug addict.

Being the 1^st child of 4 siblings, she faced a tough childhood. Her father couldn’t support the family; leaving her moneyless to school most of the time. Not enough food made her and her siblings look skinny and sick. The title of ‘drug addict family’ had isolated her entire family from friends, neighbours and even relatives.

At that tender age; not only she had to work to help her family, but they also lived in fear; running from the loan sharks. 

“Hey! Where’s your father! We want our money NOW!”

 “We don’t know, we don’t know!”

But she kept herself strong, helped her mother to survive with all her siblings.  

It gets worse. One day they were warned by the loan-sharks with letters and they drove by in front of their house a few times. Terrified, she and her siblings ran away from home for few days, and stayed under a bridge.

I was asking myself what did she do to deserve this? Why?
Listening to her story made me feel like I was watching a movie. I never thought this was happening to Zulik before. What impressed me more, she told the story with steady emotion, no tears at all. She is really a strong girl. 

She told all the students in front of her about her days under the dirty and scary bridge while making fun of it. She said, it was like in the game, ‘survivor’!

I remember she said, “Please don’t tell your teacher that you did not do your homework because of not having reference book, not having internet, have no time, helping your mother, having a lot of school programs. Don’t give excuses! Do you know, when I was staying under the horrific bridge, I still went to school?”

 “And I did ALL the homework. ”

“But, I never hated my father. One day, before I entered UTM, I heard my father told his friend “I am a failed father. I never provide to my family. Can you imagine? She had to go to UTM with her own money? How can a brilliant girl like that have a useless father like me?” Hearing that, I will never hate my father. Never!”

She finally cried; and hugged me. I know she was very emotional inside, but she said she will keep going to inspire people. In fact, she inspired me too. Zulik graduated from UTM as a first class student. She is now a successful well-paid engineer. I am proud for knowing her. 

I carefully asked her, “Can I know, how is your father now?”

Do you know what happen to her father?

Her father is fully recovered from drug addiction, and not only that! Today, he is an officer of National Anti Drug Agency (Agensi Anti Dadah Kebangsaan).

That impressed me the most. I smiled because I just found the answer to my question. She suffered because God was training her to be excellent.

Ladies & gentlemen,

Olives are pressed to get oil. Fruits are squeezed for juice. Flowers are crushed for perfume.

So if you feel pressured, it is just God trying to get the best out of you! And for Zulik, she didn’t only survived the hardship, she succeeded and…  she changed her father!

As quoted from Quran, “verily, with every hardship there is ease”.

 

Ladies & gentlemen, suffering is a gift , in it is hidden mercy.

1...2...3... Go!

I wrote a lot for my Toastmasters speeches. Become the president of UTM Toastmasters Club this term also make me have more speeches, because of the opening addresses. Having ugly handwriting, I prefer to type the speeches using my laptop and save them. Therefore, I can easily post all speeches in this blog, as I wish.

I kept postponing to put all of the speeches I prepared in this blog, but only today, I have the strength to do it. But I cannot post all of them quickly, because not all speeches are well typed. Some of them have a lot of dot dot dot. "Aaarrghh.. It is an excuse, Ain! It is an excuse!" I told myself.

It is a beautiful journey for me as a Toastmaster, so posting the speeches here is like reminding myself the steps had been taken. Reminding the history doesn't mean someone is stuck in the past, but it will deepen the appreciation of today's achievement.


And inspire me to do more.

I am starting to share my speeches. 1... 2... 3.... GO!

A non-CC Toastmaster was Evaluating an Advanced Project

I wrote this on May 2, 2012. Enjoy....

I am a member of Toastmaster International club since last June (2011), and I join a club in Johor Jaya. Now, since I am currently working in Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, I transfer my membership (temporarily) to PRATTically Speaking Toastmaster Club, here. (PRATT is the name of the faculty)

 Today, I took the speech evaluator role. I evaluated a speaker; a Professor while I am a girl who is struggling with my PhD. He was delivering an Advanced Project while I am still working on my basic speech projects (7 out of 10 from Competent Communication manual ; this is what I meant by 'A non-CC Toastmaster'). Enough evidences to show that he has more experiences in many aspects and I have enough reasons to feel more worry. Can you feel that? Can you feel that??!! Wuuuaaaa!!!!

At first I thought I will be dropped as an evaluator (here, members sign up to take a role online) because my first speaker (evaluatee) was sick, so she cannot attend the meeting. So I didn't think that I will evaluate the professor. But one hour before the meeting, I contacted the secretary of the club (because I receive an email from her, so it reminded me to ask), she told me that;

"Actually, you are more than qualified to do Zbigniew's evaluation!!  Since we are a new group, we still give feedback to more advanced speakers.  Even though we may not have the experience, we still have valuable information as a listener and can give them positive feedback and even words of improvement." Ah ha...! A very encouraging email. Toastmasters always encourage, motivate and inspire others.

I only manage to find a beautiful sentence before the meeting as my preparation;

"Feedback is a breakfast for a champion" on the Toastmasters International website. Okay, that is beautiful enough for my speech evaluation. At least I have some preparation!

I arrived 5 minutes before the meeting, and my evaluatee still not there. I don't have his manual so... How can I know what I will evaluate...? Okay, take it easy, Ain... I sat and inhale as much oxygen as I can. I managed to have his manual 10 minutes after the meeting was started. I cannot read with full concentration because people were speaking in front. The president, the Toastmaster, the Word Master and the other speakers. Huh.. I started to prepared my table (two sections) on my notepad, one with a smiley, one with a sad face, to symbolize the good things and the need to be improved aspects. While keep reading maybe 30% from his manual, the 1st project of Technical Presentation.

I believe that the General Evaluator can feel how cold my hand was. Huhu..

When I was at the podium, "owh oh.. how can I give feedback for a professor!! an advanced project! Mommy!! Help!!!", I spoke to myself.

"I am so happy because madam General Evaluator pronounced my name perfectly!"

It was my first sentence. Then people laughed. And, yes, I felt better. (One important tips from my mentor, Ajan. Make the audience laugh to feel less nervous)

I read the objectives of the speech to the audience.. Errr.. I believe, I am not sure how to pronounce few words. I think I wasted few seconds there. And I didn't greet. Zzz...

I gave my evaluation according to his speech. Starting from the title, the introduction, the objectives and the details in his speech. My mistake was....

I didn't choose what I will share and what I won't. So I keep talking 6-7 points written on my paper. Hahaha.. so greedy! I talked in chronological way. When suddenly I saw the orange card! From 4, I manage to tell only 2 suggestions. And... I was speaking for 4 minutes 13 seconds. The timer said, "this make you walk on the red carpet" ah ha...!

I was upset because I describe so much on one or two points, until I have no chance to share one interesting suggestion (at least, for me). Practice more, Ain! I believe that I only need to choose less points @ strengths, not all I observed. Don't be so greedy. (For your information, this is my 2nd speech evaluation in my life)

And feedback from others to my evaluation?

1- Over the time limit... yes

2- I spoke fast... I always get this feedback. So some words were not clear.

3- I used present tense when it should be past tense.

4- only 4 uhm.. (time filler). yes! hehehe..

5- I used an interesting closing (hahaha, luckily I found that 40 minutes before the meeting) and I can see the professor smiled widely!!!

6- I was not judgemental and honest.. hehehehe.. *blushing* I used, "I feel... I think..." instead of, "we cannot see.. we feel bad.." or "you cannot.. it was bad.." (actually this is an email I received from the Mr President.. hee....)
7- One important point, I told that my evaluatee looked at his laptop's screen while talking to the audience at one particular time. I suggested that it is better if he talk (and look) to the audience first telling what he is going to do (he wanted to change a setting on the software : a demonstration) before facing the laptop. So, he will not lost the connection (eyes) with the audience. But I said "... so you will not lost one @ all" referring to the audience.

Good try and I am happy!

Love Weakness, Ignore Strength

Love weakness and ignore strength. In other word, some people love to know and highlight more about someone’s weakness than highlighting and appreciating someone’s strength. And it is not only happened in one way. When people give others feedback, the feedback ONLY will be heard and appreciated more on weakness or things need to be improved while the strength or good things included in the feedback will be ignored by replying with only simple ‘thank you’ or silent smile.

I feel something is wrong here. In a regular meeting of Toastmasters, we heard feedbacks during speech evaluations and general evaluations that including language evaluations. How many of you leave your notebook blank and save your ink when it comes to “…the things I like the most about you are…”? But ONLY pick up your pen to write (read as “pay attention, feel like it is important, and want to remember”) when it comes to “… suggestions for improvement…”?

I witnessed several time, when people show me their blank notebooks or papers with dissatisfied faces, “I have no weakness that I need to improve?” when their evaluators ‘failed’ to spot their ‘weakness’. Not only evaluation by others, one day I was voluntarily giving feedback to someone, when I feel like I can offer him more than his speech evaluator gave him. I gave him three (3) things I like the most about his speech. However, after I finished and said ‘all the best for his future speeches’, he replied “aik? You only wanna say good things about my speech? No suggestion ha?”

I actually could leave the room since the meeting already over and go home as early as I can, no need to waste my time sharing my thought with him, right? Huh…!!!

Do you know, we are not paid to give evaluations in Toastmasters? And do you aware we spend a lot of time and attention to give our best in listening, digesting and give feedback to you? And do you know the meaning of word ‘grateful’?

I don’t feel this is wrong and feel hurt when comes to me giving evaluations; because I always have ‘weakness’ to offer in my feedbacks (the formal @ assigned evaluations). But I feel unhappy when I see my friends, Toastmasters family, don’t feel grateful when they received feedback, as I am, INCLUDING their strength highlighted by others.

When people give me feedback, I am not only jotting down the ‘weakness’ but also the strength. For me, it is MY ASSETS and who will appreciate your assets and gifts more than yourselves?

When people highlight my strength or things I did well, I feel motivated and happy. And I always want to really remember and understand it, so (1) I know when and how I can use that strength again in future. And sometimes, the good things they appreciated were done without my intention. So telling me that kind of strength will be very helpful because then (2) I know, I will need to use the strength again. The more important thing for knowing our strength is, I then start thinking, how I could have that strength. Is it by practice? Someone told me to do so? Or from a reading? So then, (3) when I meet someone else in future that needs that same skill, I can offer him/her how I have that skill.

So, I appreciated people when they acknowledge things I did well. Not listening to them and act like I gain nothing, like ‘those’ people. I have no idea, how can I ignore all praises (pujian) given to me. And I have no idea how people can ignore all praises given to them too.

Please, be happy when your ‘weakness’ highlighted to help you stay hunger of improvement. At the same time, please be grateful when your strength and skill appreciated by others to help you stay hunger of giving to others. Toastmasters are humble, willing to serve for others and happy to improve themselves. We have no space for arrogant people.

Wrong English? So, WHAT?

“She said curry chicken? Should be chicken curry, right?”
“What she said? Rusume? It should be pronounce as RE-SU-ME, right? Hahaha…”

Hello…..!!! At least, they were speaking on stage in front of you and delivering a message and values to you .. and you get benefit from what they said, right? What have you done? You only sitting and have no loud sound? And if you were on the stage, would you successfully delivering the message as they did to you and to me? Simpler question, would you dare enough to be on the stage and tell us what you want to say as they were?

I experienced few times, when I sat beside or near people who were sitting together with me, listening to someone speaking on the stage or in front of us and I felt irritated with this one behaviour. Love to highlight the wrong usage of English or correcting the incorrect language usage the speakers did; more irritate when this kind of people laughs or makes annoyed faces.

I don’t believe Toastmasters clubs are the best place to learn or improve English. For me, English is only the medium of speaking, and more importantly, COMMUNICATING. But I agree that while participating more in Toastmasters will HELP you in improving your English. 

There are people with good English, broad vocabulary, perfect grammar and flawless pronunciation; that I look up to. But they are not necessary can be a very good speaker, can communicate very well and can persuade or inspire others by him or her sayings. Better language is a bonus, yes. But non-perfect language is not an obstacle of efficient communication.

I agree with this more, firstly, when I could happily communicate with a group of cleaners in a government hospital I worked for 8 weeks for my industrial training, last 2006. Why? They were from India and I cannot communicate with them in English or Malay. They only knew Tamil. But after few weeks, I felt happier to go to work when I knew a group of people were happy to see me, and communicated with our body and facial expression efficiently. When we became closer, some aunts gave me food too. Who said you need fluent language to communicate? 

Secondly, when I knew in a Toastmasters speech contest that out of 100 marks for a contestant, only 10 marks are for language usage. ONLY 10! Others are for speech contents, speech organizations, values, body language, vocal etc. So, who said the winner of a speech contest should have better language than others?

I am not writing this to tell you, NO NEED TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH or your language, but I am writing this to tell you, “DON’T LAUGH AT OTHERS WHEN THEY USED WRONG ENGLISH!” because language is not more important than our communicating skills. Language is the tool, but to live with human, we need HUMAN SKILLS.