I’ve already mentioned in passing that I joined the Toastmasters Club with Gec.
Thanks to my public speaking experience from preschool to college, I already
have some ~communi-kay-shen skillz~, but I wanted to enhance them and to meet
new people while doing so. With Gec’s support, we went for it.
We decided on the Metro Manila Toastmasters Club after reading that
they met near my office. They meet every Monday at 7PM, alternating between the Rotary Center in Roces (a few minutes’ walk
from my apartment) and Il Padrino in East Fairview (their delicious
pasta is worth the commute).
Finally, something to look forward to at the start of the week!
I made my mind up to join right after my very first meeting. It was that good, you guys. Everyone was very friendly, warm, and welcoming. They made you feel right at home with their conversation, and were interested in what you had to say.
The meeting itself was
very enjoyable. Talented speakers gave speeches about various topics. The
evaluation, I was glad to discover, was given tactfully and in such a way that
it was constructive. No wounded feelings or pride here—both praises and areas
for improvement were discussed. This is important because as a TM, you
naturally want to improve, and proper feedback is the best way of achieving
that.
Last Monday, I gave my
very first prepared speech as an official member. That speech is what we call
the icebreaker. You’re supposed to
introduce yourself to the group by regaling stories, anecdotes, or whatever
makes you feel like the audience has gotten to know you better.
I started mine by
saying:
"When I was planning my icebreaker speech,
I thought it was going to be easy. All you have to do is talk about yourself,
and that's easy for me to do because I'm very self-absorbed."
That pretty much hit the
nail on the head.
After my speech, I
received feedback: mostly positive, but also a note that I tend to speak too
quickly (a symptom of nerves). I also got questions from other TMs curious
about what I said in my speech, and asking me to expound about my life. Haha!
It’s nice to know that my speech intrigued them. :-) No doubt they’ll be
hearing more about myself in the weeks to come.
So far, my time in the
club has been immensely satisfying. If you’re looking for a fun way to spend
Monday nights, drop me an e-mail at ela_kaimo[at]yahoo[dot]com and we’ll make
sure you have a full TM experience!
