Man's Best Friend

President, toastmaster of the evening and friends. Yesterday a report in the news channel caught my eye. There was an adoption drive organized by the Action of Singapore Dogs, and 80 dogs were up for adoption. As I watched the news clip my heart melted at the sight of these furry friends, all waiting to go to a good home. And so tonight, I was moved to share with you my experience as a dog owner and hoped that after my speech you will be motivated to adopt a dog for your family too.

I still remember that fateful day that I stepped into the pet shop at Balestier 8 years ago and looked straight into the dark brown eyes of a golden retriever puppy. She has a sweet dainty face as compared to her sister, both just arrived from Australia. It was love at first sight. I know we are destined be with each other for the rest of her life. I have to admit, it was out of impulse that I decided to buy a dog. I was merely window shopping then! But that moment of folly turned out to be the best decision of my life. Six months later I was not repentant at all, I fell in love yet again, to a second dog, a husky cross, adopted from an accidental litter by a husky mother and a golden retriever father. She is no 3 from a litter of 8. And so I stopped at 2, my family is now complete with Hana and Pika.

To be sure, life with 2 babies at home was not easy. From house breaking to obedience training, it was a journey filled with both toils and sweat. House breaking was the toughest, I still remember crying over having to clean the floor for the tenth time in the same day when they are still confused over what to do when they need to go. It took me one whole week for day and night cleaning before Hana got the idea. And thank God it only took Pika, the cleverer one, couple of days to get the same. Indeed, those were the darkest days of our lives. Obedience training was another tough one, from teaching of simple commands such as sit, stay, to the tough ones such as heel and about turn. I felt like I was training a circus full of pigs, that all that I got were blank stares and panicked looks. Little did I know that it was through such hardship, toils and sweat that strong bonds were built between us. We were inseparable from then on.

My labour finally paid off after they grew out of their puppy age. Hana and Pika turned out to be the bright sparks in the family. They inject life to an otherwise lonely house of a homo sapien by their silly games such as tag of war or chasing your tails. Imagine being greeted by yelps from behind the door even before you step into the house and opening the door to 2 ecstatic kids celebrating your return by bringing their favorite toys to you and leaping up and down. It is as though your presence is everything to them and you are the only person they ever wanted in their whole life. It feels good to be needed!

Over the years we got so used to each other's mannerism that every glance, every expression and every move is immediately understood. When I am angry at them there is no need to shout, I just need to stare into their eyes and they will hung their tails between their legs. When I am sad and sat there crying, they will come and gently put their heads on my lap. They never need to say a word but it was all the comfort I needed. However, be not deceived! Dogs are naturally born opportunists. They play you at their fingertips with their pearly eyes and pitiful look. Your heart will melt when that happens and you ended up giving in to them, usually with a treat in your hand.

Some say that dogs make better companions that humans, and I fully agree. Where would you find a person that never talks back at you no matter how much you scold them? Dogs are gentle creatures and wait patiently for you to give them just a little bit more attention and that’s all they ever really asked for. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope tonight, I have given you a taste of the joy of being a dog owner, and I hope you are now motivated to adopt one yourself.  Just remember though, dogs are for life, your love for them will be reciprocated million folds, and you will find that while they needed you to take care of them, it is our four-legged companions that complete our lives. 

Thank you. Toastmaster of the evening.

Self-evaluation - did a fairly good job at memorizing the speech, but neglected on timing the speech delivery. Found out it is too short during actual delivery and had to improvise additional content; which resulted in incoherence and a lot of fillers.

Missed out on the Ah-counter report this time, but I am so sure it is a record high.

Cheese - Red Leicester

An English Cheese - Red Leicester

I have always been a cheese lover, cheddar was my first love, for it was the most common cheese available. My colleague, many moon's back, introduced me to varieties other than cheddar after I started working. Red leicester was something that I kinda liked, since it is so similar to cheddar, only slightly more orange in colour. Annatto, aparently a very common food colouring extracted from the seed of the achiote tree, found in the Caribbeans, added to the typical cheddar taste, a peppery nutmeg edge. It made in more interesting that the more cheddar.

I came across this McLelland's at the supermarket today, and decided to pick it up. I was particularly surprised at how smooth the taste came out to be, especially if it is parted with a medium bodied red, which I conveniently have a bottle on hand. I find this cheese best at room temperature rather than when it is harder, coming out straight from the fridge. Certainly it is a perfect accompaniment to a late night cap before bedtime.

What Woman Wants

This joke was circulated to me just for laughs, but it triggered quite a lot of discussion on why it is difficult to understand what woman wants. Honestly, the situation applies to man as well. In essence do we know for sure what anyone really want? Sometimes we don't even know what we ourselves want, let alone expecting others to know what we want. If we really want to know, start by knowing ourselves better first...

Young King Arthur

was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.The question was: 'What do women really want?' 

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man. And to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princes, the priests, the wise men, and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer. But the price would be high as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but first he would have to agree to her price.The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table, and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunch-backed and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.. He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden.

But Lancelot, having learnt of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus: 'What a woman really wants?' She said, 'A woman wants to be in charge of her own life.' 

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth, and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was.

The neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom. And Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and, Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen was sitting by the bed.

The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth become her horrible and deformed self only half the time, and be the beautiful maiden the other half.

'Which would you prefer?' She asked him. 'Beautiful during the day .... or at night?'
Lancelot pondered the predicament.

During the day he could have a beautiful woman to show off to his friends,
but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch!
Or,
Would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day?
But by night a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous moments with?

And Lancelot's choice is given below...
BUT... please make YOUR choice first before you scroll down below... ?

Knowing the answer the witch gave to Arthur for his question,
Sir Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

 Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time..
Because, he hadrespected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.
Now... what is themoral to this story?
The moral is...
1) There is 'witch' in every woman, no matter how beautiful she is!
2) If you don't let a woman have her own way, things are going to get ugly! 

So, be careful how you treat a woman and always remember:

IT IS EITHER ' HER WAY ' OR  ' NO WAY ' !!

To Understand and Be Understood

There is a saying that goes: “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood.”

Good Evening President and fellow toastmasters.

Today I would like to touch on a topic that is close to the hearts of each of us – To understand and be understood. In my profession as a human resource practitioner, I had the opportunity to be exposed to various personality tools that would help me to understand a person’s character and work style very quickly. Such tools are commonly used as a quick snapshot of a person’s complex personality. DISC profiling tool is one of them. It is a tool which I use quite frequently when conducting interviews. I find it useful in helping me to size up a person’s working style quickly, so that I can determine if the candidate is suitable for the position he is applying for. Tonight, I would like to share this tool with you and also a few tips on how to read a person.

In 1928, Dr William Marston, the inventor of this DISC personality profiling tool, advocated 4 typical patterns of human interaction – Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance, hence the acronym DISC. The first pattern – Dominance, demonstrates a personality that loves a challenge and is what we call a high D person. Such a person is always ready for competition, has respect for authority and responsibility, probably because this person is also in a position of authority. In our daily interaction with people, how would we know if a person is high D, you might ask? Observe the handshake and the eye contact. High D people has very firm handshake, even to the point of being crushing; and they have very steady eye contact, probably because of the confidence and pride, coupled with a forceful and direct personality.

In contrast, the second behavioral pattern – Influence, demonstrates a more outgoing, persuasive, warm temperament as compared to the high D pattern; what we call a high I personality. If I am a high I person, my handshake would not be as overpowering as what I did just now. Instead, it would be a more friendly and warm one. High “I”s are predominantly interested in people, and can sometimes become a little too intimate on a first-name basis at the first meeting. So if you introduce yourself as “Richard”, in the next instant, he may call you Dick, and starts to put his arms around your shoulders as a friendly gesture. Such is the nature of a high I person, as it is natural for them to make friends very easily. As they are usually crowd pleasers, they can quickly become the center of attention in a party. Could anyone make a guess at what profession would a high I person excel in? Sales!

Moving on from a social butterfly to a sentimentalist, we have the third behavioral pattern, Steadiness. A high S person is undemonstrative because he is very reserved and controlled. Instead of hordes of acquaintance, such a person likes to build a close relationship with a relatively small group of intimate friends. A high S person gives people a warm feeling, a sense of security and will lend you his listening ears anytime. In fact, he can spend the whole day listening to you speak and may not talk a lot. You may have to poke him a bit if you want a response to your chatting! Among your colleagues, family members and friends, how could you identify such a personality? Look for something that he frequently uses – a pen, for example, and see if there is a label with his name neatly written on it. Chances are you will find it. High S people are sentimentalist; they take care of each and every one of their possessions and can be extremely protective of it.  So the next time you find a pen with a name written on it, please return it to the owner, for all you know, the owner may just have sleepless nights thinking of this lost pen of his.

Coming to our last, but not least, behavioral pattern – Compliance, we see that a high C person iloves details, facts and guess what? Rules! A high C person is methodical, has an eye for details and is probably your most humble, loyal and hardworking employee in the company. Stable and order, rules and procedures, theories and facts are the guiding principles of a high C person. A very good example of a high C person is.. me! I live by demonstrated facts, proven theories and precise details, and at work, I need a To-Do list to start my day, without which I will feel directionless and be at a loss. I cannot do anything else unless I have this list on hand.

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight I hope I have given you a flavor of 4 major patterns of human behavior. From a dictator; high D, to a motivational speaker; high I; to a childcare teacher; high S and finally to a CFO; high C – DISC. We see the differences in people and hopefully will start to understand the people around us a little bit better. It is also such diversities that made our world interesting.  So let’s get into the Christmas spirit today and make an effort to understand the people around us, and we will in turn be better appreciated as well.

Over to you - Toastmaster of the Evening.  

This is my speech for the P2 - Organize Your Speech, the Competent Communicator program delivered in the December meeting. As usual, I was not well prepared in terms of memorizing the speech. In addition, I was not mentally prepared to start, which resulted in a weak opening.

Areas for improvement - 

1. There is too much content for a 7 min speech, which could not sustain the interest of the audience.

2. I was pacing the stage and I don't even realize it!

3. The opening can be improved, and forget about a cliche quotation! Need something that will create an impact!

4. My closing is also weak and needs to be more compact.  

Ah Counter - 16!! (This is a result of lack of preparation)

Right... I need a break from the next speech.

2011 French Film Festival - Lucie Aubrac

The last french film in this year's film feast, and what an impactful film it was! My only regret was that this was the only film I caught in this film fest! I must catch more of such films in the years to come. No Hollywood movies can be compared to such films, where sets are simple and the appeal is entirely based on the strong storyline and an even stronger acting skills of the actors. 

Lyons, March, 1943. Raymond Samuel (Aubrac is his alias in the underground) and Lucie, his wife, are active in the resistance movement against the Nazi occupying forces. Story has it that Raymond is arrested in Caluire, at the house of a doctor named Dugoujon, along with Jean Moulin. Lucie's passionate love for her husband drives her to risk it all and try everything to snatch her husband from the clutches of the Gestapo. Her efforts contain a mixture of violence and romance and seem to spring from the fertile imagination of a novelist. However, the film is based on the true story of Lucie Aubrac, 'Ils partiront dans l'ivresse", published by Les Editions du Seuil.

There is a quote where Lucie was teaching a class of girls on ancient history. "Today's news shall be tomorrow's history. We learn about history to know who we are today."

Of Fantasies and Make-Belief

Good Evening Mdm President, fellow members and honored guests. Today on the occasion of my first prepared speech, I have the pleasure of introducing myself to you a surrealist. Now, how am I a surrealist? Before I elaborate further, I need to define what exactly is a surrealist? According to the most trusted encyclopedia of our modern day, the Wikipedia, a surrealist is one that thrives on dreams, make-belief and alternative realities, and today, may I present, a true surrealist in the making, yours truly, me. So, in what way am I a surrealist? Well, although I have to admit that I would not dare to place myself on par with true surrealists like Salvador Dali, Valentine Hugo and Andre Masson, I believe that I truly have a surrealist lurking somewhere deep within me,  the reason being, the choice of books that I read over the years of my life. Therefore, tonight, allow me to share a bit of myself, through my love for reading as a life-long hobby that I have always had.

I vaguely recall that my earliest childhood memories consisted of not Barbie dolls, teddy bears or little cute cookery sets, but books, and not just any books, but books on fantasies and science fiction. I come from a family of bookworms, which essentially is quite an understatement. My father is a Chinese teacher and he immersed himself in Chinese poetry that is his passion. My mother is.. what you know, a Chinese teacher too, and she loved Chinese history and in particular the literary history of Chinese opera. As such, from young, the only toy that is in abundance in our house are rows and rows of books. So what a bored little girl do, but read?

In Primary School, my first story book was by Enid Blyton, and I recall, it was The Faraway Tree. It talks about climbing up a very very tree to reach a magic world where adventure begins. Very quickly I devoured the whole series and moved on to his Wishing Chair series followed by the Adventure series. Very soon, my room was just full of his books and I loved every single one of them. In such books, Enid Blyton talked about worlds other than the reality, of places that were filled with magical creatures such as fairies, globins and elves; and exciting adventures that did not involve studies and exams. Enid Blyton opened my eyes to a whole new world of fantasies that can only be found in books, and it is through such stories that I gain such out-of-this world experiences! Many years later, when I grow up and sometimes when I think back, I realized that while Enid Blyton talked about strange places and exciting adventures, he is really talking about life, joy and hope of a beautiful future for a little girl that lies on her bed, reading away. And so, by primary six, and many Enid Blyton books later, my parents was dismayed to find that they had to get me glasses and forbade me to read in bed!

Come Secondary School, my appetite for fantasies and adventures led me to the most famous and longest running, highly successful science fiction series of the world universe – Star Trek! I followed Captain Kirk to “boldly go where no man has gone before” and moved on to the next frontier of worlds filled with strange civilizations such as the Klingons and the Vulcans. I got so addicted to them that not only did I read, I even follow every episode of the series on TV, including the re-runs! Like every teenager, I go through the age of idolizing movie stars and it was no surprise that my idols during that time were William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelly. Granted they were not the most famous or most handsome of all actors of that time, they were nonetheless idols that I dreamed about in my sleep. So needless to say, instead of being a McDonald kid like the rest of my classmates, I spend my time in the fiction section of the public library. And yes, I was by far the most nerdy looking girl in my class.

Some people say that we grow out of silly childhood obsessions as we grow older, but I beg to defer. My Star Trek days turned into more serious fantasies, and darker magic, worlds made from Gods and kingdoms ran by witches and wizards. David Eddings became my new love in my Junior College days, influenced by my classmates. His Belgariad and Malloreon series accompanied me through many late nights and even days of skipped classes and missed tutorials. My addiction was very bad, to the point of failed exams in my first year of college, and I had to give up Physics. How could I cope with studies while trying to cast a spell and learning curses? I am no superman. I always used to tell myself, Physic is never a subject for me, because it is too logical, too mathematical and too real. Secretly I think I am a witch, a good one at that. Where in the world of physics would you be able to defy all 3 laws of thermodynamics but in the world of fantasies?

Sad to say, as I moved on the university and subsequently working and pursuing a career, I lost the chance to ever pick up a book to read regularly. Finally, fantasy books gave way to Time magazine and Management books by Steven Covey, and I became an ordinary human being again. But, I never forget those wonderful days where I lose myself in a world of make-belief, and one day, I vow to pick up a book again, where fantasy and reality blurs and science and magic merged. Till then, may I leave you with a word of encouragement, pick up a book sometime, and may it be a fantasy one that brings you on a wonderful adventure. Live long and prosper! Thank You.

_________________

This is a prepared speech prepared for Project 1 - Ice Breaker and delivered at the toastmasters. This is the speech as it is written originally. The actual delivery differs probably about 30% of the time.

Self-evaluation: Too long, lacks time control, too nervous, no eye-contact and could not remember bits from the last few paragraphs.

Speech evaluator's assessment: Grammar is bad and gender's mixed up for Enid Blyton. Need to pay more attention to details. Need to end with reference to the beginning for completeness.

Ah-counter: 7!

Richard III - CLARENCE sleeps

Sorrow breaks seasons and reposing hours,
Makes the night morning, and the noon-tide night.
Princes have but their tides for their glories,
An outward honour for an inward toil;
And, for unfelt imagination,
They often feel a world of restless cares:
So that, betwixt their tides and low names,
There's nothing differs but the outward fame.

After Clarence falls asleep, Brakenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, enters and observes that between the titles of princes and the low names of commoners there is nothing different but the "outward fame", meaning that they both have "inward toil" whether rich or poor.

Thought: Are princes very different from paupers? We are all but made of dust; we make do with what life gives us. So who are we to get puffed up and put ourselves higher than others?