To Amanda Bee's Hive……………………Buzz Away!!

Other than improving public speaking and presentation skills, there is also an opportunity to improve on writing, grammar, putting thoughts into words via an update summary of a Toastmaster’s meeting. And with the experience, you can then share it in an article with others. In fact, one Toastmaster member even shared a real life story of how Toastmasters has literally saved a life!

So, here is what I wrote:-

“Dear Toastmasters,

Good Afternoon!

Last Thursday evening we have an outstanding toastmasters meeting, with the guidance of both our mentor Michael Pang and Tejinder (TJ).

It was a fun and exciting evening with our Word of the Day “Outstanding”. The meeting commenced according to our agenda, and we have our Toastmasters of the evening, TJ and Chris, as our Table Topic Master.

Chris was very well prepared with 5 intriguing and challenging table topics with perfectly thought off scenarios for us to talk about. And here are some of the highlights:-

“I think I’ve been tricked by the table topic master, in this age and time there are no such thing as airplane tickets anymore” – Edmund Kang

“it’s nice to stay with all sorts of bugs next to a swamp, I think it’s really a nice place to live in” – Fira

This time around, we have 4 project speeches and best of all we have a toastmaster who broke our record for the numbers of “ahs” which makes the record breaking now marked at 87!!
Thanks to our toastmaster Winnie who put up an open ear diligently noting down all the “erms” and “ahs”.

The 4 project speech speakers was Toastmaster Eddie, Dan Chan, Charlotte and Lam. So now you are guessing who marked the “87” record? ? For us to know, for you to find out ?

Here are some of the highlights for the project speeches:-
“I have gone against my mum’s will, but actually my mum had gone against my will.” – Dan Chan
“sekolah menengah whatsoever” – Dan Chan
“if you have 5 good praises for a thing, I will offer you 5 negative comments for it. I need the balance” – Lam

Last but not least, we have our ballots to vote for the best table topic speaker and best project speaker and the Winner goes to……….
Edmund Kang and Eddie!!!! Congratulations!!!

Both of them have won themselves a magazine from Toastmasters International latest edition as below.

Toastmaster Magazine Jan 2010

This issue of magazine provides a lot of valuable insights from Toastmasters around the world sharing their experience and knowledge gained from attending Toastmasters. One of the topic shared was on “Stage Fright” who was encountered by a Professional speaker and how she overcome it with the “Super Stage Fright Solutions” as well as to “Set Goals for the New Year!”

In one of the articles it says “If I don’t set goals for myself, I find myself very busy but not necessarily accomplishing anything.” Which I find it very true and in everything and anything that we do, we should have a plan and objectives set! It is so very important.

I would like to say that my health has deteriorate after working for 4.5 years (in the same company). Well i am not saying that it is something to do with the company, but it might be due to the nature of work and the long hours sitting. Or probably the chair was not made ergonomically.

I remember during my first year in the company, I had this chair which sat long enough you feel there’s 2 knobs poking the 2 of your butt cheeks and the back support was not good as well, which forces you to sit straight and don’t lean back too much, for comfort I bought a small little pillow from McDonalds – Mr. Incredibles (Jack-Jack’s pillow).

I was mainly doing more of tele-marketing, so more moving abouts instead of just the fingers on the keyboards and mouse and eyes stuck to the laptop screen. Ah that struck another point, the laptop, it was the worst laptop Ever! The screen was dark pale yellow in color which clear shows it is time for change and one of the keyboard key was missing not a very important key though the “upper arrow” key. I was really aggressive that time and pro-active into getting what I want and I highlighted to my boss several times as I was VERY afraid it will cause eye problems / short sighted / Astigmatism.  So good enough after about 6 months, I was given another laptop an IBM, huge and heavy but with bigger screens. I was happy with it, at least something has been done for me and it motivated me to work even harder for the company. (My voice was heard, and action has been taken! *wee)

BUTttt….after a year working, I was started to have a little difficulty seeing things very clearly from afar and even Excel sheets, I need to squint my eyes and leaning my head nearer to the laptop screen! After a few weeks doing so, I realize something is not right and I went for an eye check and accurately I have been Infected with short-sighted! OMG! After 2+ decades bitching about “I’ve got Perfect Vision”

My "classmates" in glasses (3 nerdies)

Now other than just short sighted, I’ve got regular back aches and gastric…oh man…i really need to change this lifestyle! It will be one of my new year’s resolutions! Change this creature of habit!!!

(Also with recent colleague bf’s dad got admitted to the hospital with I guess, hypertension and pneumonia due to excessive smoking, the helplessness in the hospital’s ICU is really freaky to hear) Cheers to Good Health this 2010!