2016 / 2017 Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests

" An Experimental Learning Experience!!"

I was rushing from my office because the contest was about to begin in few minutes which comes only once in a year and at the same time weather scared me with full dark clouds, thunder and lightning over my head. I was too obstinate to keep moving until I reached to the venue. Somehow I managed to reach the club by 7 pm and it started to drizzle. I was happy, anxious, excited and yet too angry at my boss in office for what he said, “You do your speech and come back to work immediately”. I was one of the contestants on this day in our club Humorous speech and Evaluation contest 2016/2017.

I’m a kind of speaker who always loves to speak last. That day because of my caring and yet unmanaged boss, I had to ask my lovely contest toastmasters- Wendy Sim and handsome Foo Fung Jiun that I would like to speak as the first speaker in humorous as well as in Evaluation contests with my heavy heart. With that I had to change my favorite speaking slot number from 5 to 1.

By the time contest venue Money Mastery -KL Toastmasters club was once again jam packed with chuckling audience to enjoy and entertained by the contestants.

Contest Chair the very lovely and yet very pretty Yap Ooi Yee, she was busy organizing the contest and sweating to make this contest successful at any cost. I was heartfelt to see new members like Mandy, Wenny and Chitirra helping so actively in full swing. Half of my brain was on my phone to see if my manger calls me to get back to work.

All set to learn, inspire and laugh out loud tonight when the SAA (Sergeant- At -Arms) Sharian Raj, CC called contest to order exactly by 7.15 pm.

I started feeling nervous and breathing tight when I looked at the massive crowed.  When I looked at other contestants, noticed they are hiding their nervousness through their sweet and gentle smile and say as if, bro we are in the same boat.

Soon after the contest chair’s opening address Contest Toastmaster Wendy Sim called my name Manish Kumar – Run, Run and Run and I ran from behind of the audience to the front.  All were surprised and stared at me with no clue, and soon all realized it was just a speech Title. 

I did, my performance I can’t say was the best because best were yet to come. I tried to inculcate a simple message into the audience’s mind-  Run, Run and Run - every day, irrespective of days Sunday ,Monday or time morning or evening because reward of running everyday is so big, that you can’t just imagine that bigger in your mind until you run regularly. I shared my experience, how I became LCD from CRT in terms of thickness; also in the next level how I achieved LED thickness from LCD simply by running everyday early morning. There was a time when my best friend, Priyanka told me once when my friends used to say a 5 little Coca Cola bottle- Manish either you do something for yourself or God definitely will do. On this, I went straight to a temple and said, God either you make me slimmer and taller or make my friends fat and short just like me.  That means I was not just fat and I was obese. Finally I killed the biggest killer of my life and I killed obesity simply running every day. I also told my audience it’s time to become SMART LED and showed them ways, by doing Gym, mediation, swimming.etc, which I still do constantly from the past 5 years.

I can be your inspiration or you choose someone else to be, but never stop running. Having said that, I had great time with my speech when my audience acknowledged me; however I missed many funny parts of my script. On the other hand, Mathew P.- was getting ready with his Bicycle. Not really bicycle -a speech title called Bicycle. What do I have to say about Mathew, he is my inspiration, I have always dreamed to speak like him. The moment he jumped on the stage and holding a green color card painted with a picture of a bicycle. I guessed, it was definitely some funny childhood story he was going tell us, and that was what he exactly did. While learning how to ride a bicycle how he fell down and checked If nobody noticed him and tried to act cool. I too had the same experience when I was small and I think I know you too would had the same experience if you have tried, especially with a big bicycle. He really entertained us and inspired us. 

By the time, CP Lau was getting nervous, Mathew-WHY LIKE THAT? CP Lau not just entertained us but also convinced us with real time example why like that. Audience was enjoying, smiling, giggling and laughing. It was mesmerizing moments to see.

It was Ken’s turn, Ken was searching a ground to intrigue audience mind and asked who thinks he/she is a sucker. No takers! 

Why, because no one wants to be a sucker right? Hahaha ! A sucker gets the shorter end of bargain, being taken for advantage, taken for a ride. Ken accepted that he born to be a sucker. He started with natural nourishment, using pacifier in primary school and punished by parading in the hall of fame (Shame).  He met at work many suckers around. Toxic people- suck your energy, called energy suckers. Hahahaha...

Ken said a wife is a sucker for someone who can make her laugh and say sweet nothing to her. He has been married for 30 years and makes puns of his interactions with his wife. All married members of the audience laughed out loudly.  I didn’t understand why so loudly, my friend who was sitting next to me said, you get married 1st.

My friend’s, world really needs suckers, not everyone can win who can make the world go round. It’s okay to be Sucker but be a smart sucker and has the last laugh. So, join me and say I’m a sucker. All applauded with soulful laughter.  Kevin Khoo was also not behind anyone. He shared with us, how to find different types of personalities that are needed to create a dynamic team, sounds great right? True my friends, if you really know the technique you can have super productive team at work. 

The meaning is very clear, to know the potential of someone who is good at what and bring them in that team that only a effective leader can do and a leader could be anyone me, you or anybody. In Toastmasters we practice how to be an effective leader.

It was time to have evaluation contest.  You will not believe our most daring speaker SS Cheng who had never done any evaluation in club meetings but he dared and evaluated our test speaker directly in evaluation contest, hahaha!  My eyes remained wide open for 100 meter long and 500 meter wide and nearly for 2 minutes without blink. I saw him evaluating. Hats off to you SS Cheng, you were awesome.

Time really flies, soon time came when Chief Judge Gerard A peter he got an envelope in his hand and moving towards Contest Toastmaster Wendy Sim. Guess what this envelop would have, some surprise. It was the moment of the truth. All the contestants once again felt nervous with their hope and ready to face the moment of the truth. Soon announcements were made.

Our Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Ken Chan once again crowned as winner in Evaluation contest and Mathew P. was crowned as Humorous speech champion. It’s not easy for everyone to make someone laugh; only champion can do. 

It was an experimental learning experience. Life is short my friend. So, laugh and make all others laugh. Let’s be the part of Toastmasters community and give your best to world champions of humorous public speaking. You too can be. Being a contestant in the Humorous speech and evaluation contest, for me it was another level of experimental learning experience which can only be experienced. I saw, how an ordinary person can develop extra ordinary skills from their numerous practices to spread sea of laughter in the world.  I also evidenced leadership on this day from our young leaders. Usually we practice leadership in every meeting by taking up different roles voluntarily. Each role demands different set of challenges. Here, our challengers were so actively doing their roles like multimedia support by Chitirra, Sergeant- at- Arms (SAA) Mandy ,Wenny and Sharian  to make sure the every second contest is going smoothly. With that wonderful time we came to an end to finish our contest. I hope you will join us once again to support of our champions in Area level contest which is on 24th September 2016. Money mastery will rock once again. See you all. Time to say Good night. we shared our one of the best moments and a a warm hug to each other and in this way another wonderful night registered in the history of Money Mastery-KL Toastmasters club.

Yours Sincerely,

Manish Kumar, CC