It’s my 1st time attending a Toastmasters Annual Convention. For me, the experience is like taking a roller coasters – the cart has already came to the finishing point before you’ve enough fun. Like a roller coaster, there are ups and downs all blended together in the 3 short days.

The evening before the English session starts, I received a call from the videographer that he’s about to quit and drive back to KL. While the committee are running around to create/ solve the problem, I was having my hair cut at the saloon. That Samaritan must have been shocked to see a customer coming in with more calls one day then he’ll make a month. My face projects more worries than senior top management in a bankrupting corporation. But after getting myself groomed up, I drove down to Gurney to get the problem solved.

Being a photographer for such a convention is really an honor. This shows that I’ve gained enough trust to cover the whole event all by myself. Unfortunately, it’s a voluntary job, and to make things worse…there are cameras all over taking away the eye contact from the official photographer (a.k.a. yours sincerely). After all the work I’ve done, I was not being recognized on stage.

Why are those cameras there anyway?

And you think that’s it? After working all day, I go back to the room with a room mate who talks so much I can’t have a good evening rest. He is so immaculately hygienic that he took a whole hour staying in the shower while I wait outside without a key.

But, the convention is not all that bad. I’ve managed to meet up with Lincoln (MMU classmate) who happens to sign up with Gurney TMC. I sat together with him for lunch just to catch up with old times. What I didn’t know is that he is actually home to celebrate is 25th birthday. See-la, what kinda person am I forgetting a forgetting a close friend’s birthday.

Joanne from Gurney TMC with Lincoln

I’ve been getting guidance from Christopher (Dell) in photography. Besides, I’ve also met up with one of the judges from the Division S contest, congratulating me for my inspirational speech. She even hinted that my name was placed 1st on her list. District officers and convention delegates have also been friendly and helpful to me.

After all the work I’ve done, the International President 2007-2008, Chris Ford approached me and gave me key chain that writes “a gift from your international president”. At that very moment when he holds my hand, my life changes 101 times. I learnt that, when you’re doing something noble, it might not appear that way to everyone. But for those few who appreciate your effort, be thankful to them.

Your's Sincerely with the International President


Finally, receiving the gold medallion from District Governor


Receiving Eagle pin from Club President

Labels: Toastmasters

This must be the funniest joke I've received today. Thanks Jack.



Updates:

Over the weekends, I've contested in District 51, Area S4 International Speech contest. Thanks to the help of my mentors, I've managed to win and proceed to the next level - Division S...which will be held in the 23rd of March. The excitement is flowing all over me...wish me luck.

Labels: Toastmasters

2 weeks ago, I was jotting down points on my laptop during TLI2, nothing turns up
Last week, I was still struggling with a title for my speech
Last night, I'm having trouble getting the pieces of idea together
I tell myself, just go up there and talk for 5~7 minutes. Just like any other 1st timer in a speech contest.

But in the morning, my mentor have a look at my speech and tell me...I can make it. He gave me some pointers, and guide me in the delivery.
Just a few hours ago, I went up the stage and touched the hearts of the audience. When I'm sitting there listening to the other contestants "I tell myself, I'll be going to the Area Contest!"

I even called up my mentor and tell him the good news. Sadly, when the results were announced, I only came 2nd. WHY WHY WHY??? I dressed smart,the delivery is smooth, and it touches people's heart. But why did I lose out so easily? And then I got to know that the expression on my face is all being hidden under the shadow. Damn, the stage "feng shui" was just not right for me.

3 hours after the competition, now...I'm listening to Watson Russell's "Faith Of The Heart" to soothe my dissatisfaction. Will I quit? Hell no! I'll move on and complete my assignments and one day....I'll certainly reach the top. Congratulation to the winners, and I got faith...that I'll go wherever my heart and will takes me --- Reaching for SOARING heights.

Labels: Toastmasters

I used to think that it is a no-no for a person to deliver the same speech twice in his life – EVER! It's like using the same word twice in a sentence. It would be disrespect to the audience, and the speaker will tend to slack down. But I’m wrong.

After delivering my first speech on Tuesday, I received so much good comments that I don’t know how to deliver something better in such a short time (Saturday). I don’t have enough time to prepare for another topic, and yet I don’t want to bore my listeners with the same speech. I consult my club president, and he just tell me, “Don’t worry, you are speaking to a different group of people, just treat it as another speech”.

And he’s right, when I get my FUD away (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt), I sat down, read through all the comments given to me on Tuesday, and modify the script again, adding in more vocal varieties and gestures. When I presented on Saturday, I can really feel it that I actually improved a lot. Even though there are pauses and jerks, but the difference is quite significant.

Yesterday, I agreed to do an assignment for our Club meeting. But I didn’t have enough time to prepare the script that my speech went hay-wired. I tried to pull out, but there are just not enough speakers as other members chicken out the last minute. So, I have to do it. The points are there, but the way I delivered it is like putting in the wrong ingredients into the soup at the wrong time. I can’t forgive myself despite the fact that the evaluator has passed me.

I can’t sleep properly and today I decided to look back at the script and write everything over again. Instead of moving on to the next project, I’ll really like to redo the same assignment with a totally different way of delivery.

Lesson learn:

1. Despite having hundreds of articles on the same topic all over the world, we have to customize our speech to suit the needs of our listeners.
2. Delivering the message twice is never wrong. Just be sure that your next delivery is better than the previous one.

Hopefully this will be the last time I regret delivering a bad speech. In the future, I will make sure I prepare well before agree to present on stage (unless it’s the Table Topics session).

Labels: Toastmasters

Being a Toastmasters member allows one to improve both a person's communication and leadership skills. It's not just paying up the membership fees that one will automatically gain both of that. We have to earn those skills through practice, and practice naturally takes time.

The reason behind my lack of posting is because of the recent "Speech Contest" season. This time around, all TM Clubs are having their Humorous and Evaluation Contests. These are 2 separate contests....one is to make the audience laugh for 5 ~ 7 minutes, while the other is to try Evaluating someone else without humiliating them.

As I wasn't prepared to be competing, I volunteered to organize the event for my club. It's a win-win situation for me, as:-
1) I've done the same role before last February, hence all the materials are with me
2) I wanted to be evaluated for my Leadership manual
3) Someone needs to take up that role so that other members can join the competition

The program went on smoothly, and I did managed to found some hidden talents some "non-active" members have. Also, having help from other clubs does help at the very last minute. So, as they helped me complete one of my Leadership assignments, I return the favour twice by being a test speaker TWICE in the same week. Huh? Test speakers are the "scape goat" for the Evaluating Contestants to compete on...see who gives the best evaluation.

So that's the Assignment 6 of my Competent communicator manual. Despite receiving a lot of positive feedbacks...being evaluated by 10 people who I hardly hear from is some pressure. So I rested for a few weeks until I receive the video of me speaking in Vistana. I did so badly as compared to other speakers....there's still a long way for me to improve myself before I can actually be speaking in front of an audience who's actually paying to hear me speak. Let's see how long I'll take to achieve that.

Status: Completed helping up in Area contests. Surprisingly both contestants from my club managed to win the Area contest and training hard for the Division level. Can't wait to see them SOAR in the coming contest next month.

Labels: Toastmasters

I was the test speaker for Vistana on Jessica’s request. Over the weekend, I rehearsed in front of her for a few times, she gave me a few hints of improvement and it helps. But hours before my speech, I saw my unprocessed photos being published on the intranet, and the publisher is so naïve to post it up without giving me (the photographer) any credits. As a photographer, my photos are like a part of me as important as semens are to men, or how important virginity is to ok…enough of these.

Since Choobee helped me in making an impressive speech, I decided to buy her the mushroom she has been eyeing for in QBM. I don’t find anything interesting about the “cuteness” she’s talking about … but I will do anything to make her happy, as I’ve received tremendous applause from the floor. It’s different to be presenting a speech and be evaluated by 4 experienced toastmasters, but if everyone else is also giving me a good critique, that is something to be proud of. So I bought her the present to her house on purpose, she was grateful and happy that she hugged it tightly when I gave it to her.

But sadly I found something worrying when I was there. How would you feel if you have dandruff growing on your head? I’ll surely scratch it so hard I’ll bleed my forehead. But this baby of mine (yang2) doesn’t know how to complain. When I see him, he only knows how to jump on me and lick me while whacking his tail that is enough to spin a generator’s turbine.

When I found out, it’s already too late. There’s a flea colony growing on his thick hair. We spent a whole evening yet cannot finish killing all of them. After I gone home, Choobee continues to catch the flea one by one until midnight. Pity her.

Thursday evening I went to check again as her mom says that she already spent 3 hours with the fleas. But I still managed to find a lot hiding under yang2’s fur. Worst case I’ll have to shave him bald and let him grow all the hair back.

Labels: Relationship, Toastmasters

I think I still owe the readers my Toastmasters Division N&S Joint Installation Dinner on the 28th of July @ Bayview Hotel. So, here's the write up.

I was never a good writer, if I was, I'll be known as Kenny Sia, not just Neoh-the-Photographer. In that case i'll just do the photo taking while leaving the reporting to someone more competent. Like this girl Joanne Tan from Gurney Toastmasters Club.

Here's the link to MY PHOTOS, and HER REPORTING.

And no, she does not ask permission from me to post it up. But since my name has been credited, and she did a nice work labelling the photos, I couldn't complain. Thanks Joanne, just put a link back to my blog will be a good barter. [The Link]

Labels: Toastmasters

I've always get it from friends saying that working at Dell is Hell. This evening was the first time I visited DELL's factory. Managed to find my way there thanks to the guidance from my collegue. I was 20 minutes late because I my nap turns into an hour long sleep. As I'm approaching it's compound, I can see the Blueish logo just light up which matches the color of the sky. The security lets me in despite Christopher missed out my name from the list. After taking my name and identification, he showed me the way to the conference room.

At the same time, I bump into Prema from the Corporate Comms which I get to know from my internship in Seagate. She greeted me right on the gate, but I think it was too spontaneous for me to response. Anyway, she stoped her car by the side and came down to offer me a lift to the conference area. We had some catching up in her car before she showed me thier office, which is much dynamic and friendly working environment than all the offices I've been working in. She showed me her desk before showing me the way to the particular room where I'm supposed to meet the other toastmasters. My first impression in Dell was so good, I wonder how people are complaining that it's in hell? All I can assume is that we always think that the grass is greener on the other side.

The organizing committee has already started, but they welcome me in with a great smile. Unlike the meetings we have in our club, Dell has coffee and tea served in their rooms, projectors and power points all nicely placed. It was our post mortem meeting, and we started to criticize the food, congratulate everyone for the success, suggesting ways of improvement and balancing up the spreadsheet. All in all, everyone is having real fun while solving real-time problem. I get to know more about the toastmasters, amoung that Chris is 6 years my senior (he looks so young!), and Nenek used to be a nurse by profession. That's the kind of working environment I wish to be working on day-in day-out.

While chatting with my friends working there, I found out that Dell Penang has not yet made any plans to support Ubuntu in Malaysia. I've left my name with them and hopefully they will get back to me once they receive good news from their parent company. But unless there's no internal leakage, I'll most probably get to know about the news before them. Thanks a lot to Engadget and Gizmodo's feeds that I get from my Google Reader.

During the JID (joint installation dinner), Christopher lost his PDA phone while playing some game session. The girls took him out for a walk while the rest of us put some money into an envelope. Before calling it a day, Nenek told us how she found out he's born in rabbit year and Joanne managed to make one cardboard foldup that looks like a rabbit for him. Inside the "rabbit" we put our "contribution" as well as signing our names on the rabbit's tongue. That's the spirit of fellowship in toastmasters, when we see someone is in trouble, we'll help up if it's within our reach.

After the meeting, I have a breif chat with Prema over the net. We usually see each other online but hardly talk to each other. Found out a few more facts from her and got to know about the news of other trainees that has already been working in various places. There are only a few people which I can start freely express myself linguistically without worrying they think that I came from Mars. Among those are Prema, Ming Zheng and Irene. It's good to have a nice fellowship like this after spending most of my time alone working in front of my computer.

Side note: I've agreed to help Mr Heah up as the secretary for Area S4, I'm sure there are more chance for me to meet new faces and get to know people who looks towards the same goal.

Labels: Friends, Toastmasters

I have not been that nervous since the days I hiding under the blanket, escaping the fact that my FYP submission date is drawing near.

Will be attempting my 4th Toastmasters assignment tomorrow, which won't be a big deal. The larger pressure I have is on learning up how to write a business plan, one which is not being evaluated by CGPA or grades, but a plan which is able to generate profit.

Here are the observations I have so far:
1. It's hard for people to adopt new products
2. People prefer to stay in their comfort zone, despite complaining about it everyday
3. Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD)

Once these ideas are being cleared from their mind, you will gain the market. Selling and marketting is a totally different field from the engineering course that I've been through. Will need to take an intensive "MBA" with my personal trainer. Hopefully I can "graduate" with a yatch under my girlfriend's name.

Back to my assignment rehearsal, must make a good impact on tomorrow's presentation.

Labels: Education, Toastmasters, Ubuntu

Our Toastmasters club is having our in house contest. Since I'm asked to be the Organizing Chairperson, you know why I am out of action for the past few weeks.

Valentine's day was satisfactory, thanks to my partner for being so forgiving and cute as always. I have a tough time listening to people, and so do I have a bad temper that goes seriously wrong when things doesn't move my way. More on the event on my other posts...

Thanks to everyone who has helped me up in the roles given. Have made the event sucessful thanks a lot to my boss for not giving me much job to do before the CNY.

Our joker Mr Sabri managed to truimph in the International Speech Contest while our VPE received the Championship from the Table Topics contest. All the participants are very well versed, fully prepared, and nicely presented. Congratulations again... see you again in Area S4 & S6 competition in Vistana Hotel on the 10th of March. I'll be there taking pictures with Christopher.

Pictures will be shown later, for now, I'll indulge myself with all the knowledge I have waiting for me to discover in the stack of magazines dating back to January. Promise...more updates coming up.

Labels: Toastmasters

Last week was TLI2 (Toastmasters' Leadership Institute), but I'll find some other time to write about that for the next few days, but now let me share with you some things I've learnt from DTM Dr Dunstan Chan, who is a Member of the National Association of Parliamentarians, USA.

A procedure is drawn to solve conflicts in the management of NGO. The rules origin from a book written years ago buy a person called Henry M. Roberts on the book called Robert's Rules which is now already run it's 11th edition print.

Before I walked into the seminar, I was expecting a serious talk on such a serious topic. But throughout the meeting, we learn how to facilitate a meeting, promote harmony, and to how to carry a motion, a debate and casting a vote. Dunstan also highlighted a few of the wrong concepts in our society, and courageously joke about important people with higher ranks and how westerners are highly respected in our country.

During the speech, we also learnt that TMs are trained not to ruai berandau which means being long winded in our current society, but it is an oral tradition of the Ibans which is important in the long houses where no other entertainments are available.

One difference I found conpared with another organization I usually go for meetings is that TM meetings doesn't need to use music to welcome/thank a guest speaker. The crowd's applause and the speaker's command of language is already music to the ears for me. I can't say I understand all the words he uses ( Germane, Rescind and "previous question") which are jargons as far as I'm concerned.

The only regret for me is that the session is a bit too short, concised and insufficient. To get the concept it's good enough, but to really understand the 1700 page thick book, it'll need at least a semester of college study. I'll try to get my hands on a copy of the book after I've finished the notes I've printed on Red Hat Linux 9. A lot more materials to read, and I'm no longer young so need to absorb as much as I can before my brain starts failing.

Reading up is a good meal for the brain. People stops reading/learning once they get their degree, or PhD. But to me, education non-academic will be much more benificial to us. I've been thinking of getting a MBA, but Irene opposed me from it, as she believes that I'll be learning more practical information by practice while learning, things like Linux, and Photography. Maybe taking up Business Mgmt one step at a time...only time will tell.

Thank you Dunstan for the great seminar, and thank you the organizers to allow me to join in such an informative event.

Labels: Toastmasters

Attended their meetings as a visitor. Knowing the culture in Toastmasters, it's easy to get along. I've already known the Toastmaster of the evening, and some of the members who were working in the same place as I am.

My collegue is attempting his first assignment, the same one I did last week in-house. He was bad in his granmar, but it's a good attempt for him to step out of his comfort zone and speak up. Mr Y is vulgar in nature, and 4 letter words might be the most common english term he use during work. But I do hope that with the Toastmasters program, he'll learn to gain respect and improve his English at the same time.

I've also learn a new Tamil word - "Chandran" which is one of the words to describe Moon. I've also get to understand more about the 4Cs in diamond, and motivated by Jessica who presented an uplifting speech. I've also met some TM from Intel TM Club, and also a meticulous English teacher who taugh all of us what "articulatory verbs".

Table topics is rather eye opening, where we have to make up a story out of a few words mixed and match by another person. Most of them barely make a sentence out of those 5 words, but it is a good attempt from Peng Yew. The Vice President of Education (VPE) for this club is an officer in the place I work, hopefully I can arrange to have my assignments done that as well.

Labels: Toastmasters

My first speech in front of my fellow Toastmasters (TI). I was so eager to get it out since I sign up for the project. According to the club's president, he only managed to take up the role after joining TI for 6 months, and I tried to pushed mine earlier through the tight schedule.

My Mentor DTM Shankar, is very enthusiastic in making sure I don't make a fool out of myself. Dad has been friends with him for a very long time, and as a favour to my dad, he feels the obligation to guide me despite not being asked. Last Friday, I've shown him my first draft which he asked me to write it all over again. I'm glad he did attend the meeting and see me perform.

To my surprise, most of the top people (who have been working there since I was born) are there listening to me talking, this includes the HR manager, IE manager, Accounts head, and a lot of department managers. Am I afraid? Sure! I almost feel like peeing on the floor before I start. But things have been a little different once the Toastmaster of the Evening introduced me, and get me on stage.

I speak it all out, enjoying myself in front of the crowd and make eye contact and sudden pause here and there just to make sure the audience understand. One thing I've managed to learn today is that I actually can manage a laugh or two on people's face. Yet I need to learn to manage my time and to control my flow of thoughts. My assignment is suppose to be 4 to 6 minutes, before I get into my conclusion, the Red light is already on. I didn't managed to show the pictures I've taken to the attendees. Anyway, I'm glad I've get through with the first project and I'll be looking forward to my future assignments to come.

After the meeting, John.Y gave us a treat at the canteen for completing his Competent Communicator manual. The food is better than those normally served during lunch time. But anyway, thanks to TM, I can save up money from dinner.

Labels: Toastmasters