Haha it is a despicable act, but I’m not gonna let my blog go blank for a few months! 
You see, for the past three months I’ve not been posting anything, but now I’m gonna shamelessly repost an entry for each of the empty three months, highlighting the major events to ganti balik! Here we go!
Two major events, both Toastmasters related, happened in March.
First, the Area Level speech competition, which was held in SHELL IT International Sdn. Bhd., home to the Cyberjaya Toastmasters Club. This club is the OLDEST Toastmasters club in Cyberjaya, hence claiming the official name.
Remember back in February when I very miraculously won the club level competition? Now this is the next level, to represent the club and compete with the champions of the other Toastmasters Club in the area! 
Another representative of our club is Taufeeq, a very respectable and experienced English Teacher.
As I have mentioned in my last post, the type of speech that we were participating in is called the Table Topic Speech, which is a kind of impromptu speech where you are given your speech topic only when you are standing on stage.
Perhaps due to the fact that most Toastmasters members are working adults, I was given a speech topic that I was most UNqualified to speak of.
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“What is the one advice that you would give to a newly married couple?”
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Since I was only allowed to offer ONE advice only, I would have blurted out “Mr. Bridegroom juz try not to embarrass us men tonite LOL”, if I had not (in time) looked down at the very serious faces of the Chief Judge, Area Governor and a number of important-looking VIPs and Club Presidents all peering up at me grimly expecting a very knowledgeable and enlightening speech something like that.
I shall not disclose the content of my speech that day but suffice to say I blabbered some utter nonsense (to me), as best as I could, and tried to be funny. The audience very accommodatingly laughed! LOL!
In the end, it appeared that I managed to impress the judges and I, very unbelievably, won FIRST RUNNER-UP! 
To add to the pride of our MMU Toastmasters Club, Mr. English Teacher TAUFEEQ got first place and will represent the area to compete in the Division Level!
It was a truly a glorious day for our club as our dear Vice-President of Education, Alia, had also won in another speech competition and our club being a relatively new and the only student club in Cyberjaya, sapu-ing three trophies in an area competition is something that had never happened before!
Haha who said students are noob speakers? 
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The second major event of the month was the EMCEE WORKSHOP!
After months of negotiations and arrangements, we managed to have prominent creative communicator and advertising consultant ATM-G JON TAN, with more than 25 years of experience as an EMCEE and public speaker, to grace our event as the principal speaker!
Now how great this guy is, is plainly beyond words. The few of us who had worked with him could simply feel the incredible professionalism radiating from his words and actions!
Ariff (Left-3rd above) was the Organizing Chair of this event. Being the Deputy Organizing Chair, I was already nearly suffocated under the intense pressure of Jon’s professional expectations, imagine poor Ariff. That’s just how crazy our speaker is! 
In addition, the seminar was attended by delegates from huge corporations across four states in the peninsula like Sime Darby, Shell, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Bank Negara Malaysia, Petronas, and even the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya! Imagine the stress!
A small delegation also came from the Corporate Comms. Department of MMU, showing support from our own university!
Apart from the ‘official’ goals of educating the public and elevating the public speaking standard of blah blah blah, the REAL reason behind this event is to raise funds for our club. Since Toastmasters is a non-profit organization, by-annually dues paid to our club are all eventually paid to Toastmasters International, therefore our club desperately needs MONEY!!
As the official club Treasurer, I was also charged of handling all the financial ins-and-outs of the event. Collecting workshop fees alone made my wallet fat fat happy happy that day… but unfortunately none of the stacks of money are mine. >.<
The event was a huge success and I think I’ve grown a few years older after going through it. =P
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Deja vu. This has to be serendipity. Chanced upon this blog, while I was “googleing” keywords. One year has passed. Thanks again, James and your team for the spunkiness to organize and manage the big event, with the minimal of human/other resources…and pulled it through.
I remember, during and after the event, many (and that’s many) participants (including from the big corporations) giving credit to you guys for the stupendous effort. They were indeed very happy with the running of the event.
It’s indeed my blessing to have met and be touched by people like you and your team, who dared to live up to international standards!
Hi Jon! The blessing is ours to have had you conduct a workshop in MMU! You taught us a lot during the course of preparation and it was great working with somebody as experienced as you!
Please, do come and visit us some day. We are aiming for President’s Distinguished club this term and we’re gonna get it! =D