TM 1: Who Am I?

...Transferred from Friendster blog... I think this was my first post. I decided to share the speeches that I had in Toastmasters because a friend suggested it -- she found my speeches very entertaining...

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April 04, 2006

Tonight I've completed the basic toastmasters competence programme.. Basically, it means that I've done ten speeches in front of the TM club members. I'm not sure if I am that competent already but I hope I've improved during the programme.

So I'd like to share with you all the ten speeches that I had...

Let's start with Speech #1:

Who Am I?

I bet most of you thought I was Malay the first time you saw me, right? I’m used to it by now ---cab drivers speaking to me non-stop in fluent Bahasa, a stranger asking, “Pukul Berapa Sekarang?” or a saleslady selling stuff to me using local language. But the moment I speak, they’re taken aback and realize that I am definitely NOT Malay. My name, Eingeleen or “EINGE” for short, also confuses a lot of people especially when communicating via email. Many times I’ve been asked, “Are you German or something?” When I want to be funny, I usually answer, “No, not German, but definitely something… “ But I have never regretted having such a unique name or looking Malay. All these are what make me who I am.

So, who am I?

Well, for starters, I’m definitely Filipino. Whoever has a Filipino friend can agree with me when I say we’re such a fun bunch. Despite all the disasters our country has faced--- typhoons, storms, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions—name it, we’ve had it--- we still remain as a happy and fun-loving people. I suppose it’s how we cope with all these tragedies. Currently, my country is in a political turmoil because of the president’s scandal where her conversation with an election official was tapped and was broadcast on TV and radio. Do you know what the Filipinos did with the recorded conversation? They made it into a mobile phone ring tone! They took it into the next level and even made it into car horns. But don’t get me wrong; we Filipinos do know how to take things seriously. I was one of those who have marched down in the busy streets to oust the former corrupt actor-president. I, as a Filipino, care about my country, but I also know how to laugh at our misery. I guess it’s because we’ve been through a lot already and if we dwell on it more, we will just waste more energy on depression. When I fall—literally or figuratively---, I pick myself up, laugh at my bumble and learn from it. When I’m bored or put in a difficult situation, I try to see the light side of it and find fun in it. Stick with me and you’ll never have a boring day in your life.

My name Eingeleen literally means, “Little Angel” but contrary to what my name suggests, I am definitely one mean fighting machine. No, I don’t like fights nor am I into Karate but I often find myself in the midst of conflicts. I guess it’s because I can’t bear to sit still and keep quiet when I know that injustice is being done to my friends or my loved ones. Back in high school, that’s form 5 here--- I was the confrontation queen. All my friends came to me to help me confront the “enemy” who bullied them one way or the other. I used the strategy called, “confuse and diffuse” – I confused them with words, which eventually diffused their anger. I guess because of that I had picked a few enemies here and there but hey, my friends would go with me to the depths of hell if need be. As Aristotle said, the antidote for a thousand enemies is just One Friend—and I’m sure I have less than a thousand enemies and I have more than just one true friend.

But that was ten years ago. Now, I focus all my fighting energy on my husband. Yes, I am married. Somebody was brave enough to tame the lion in me, and he succeeded in trying to make a cute hello kitty out of me. I guess there’s no turning back when you’re hit by Cupid’s arrow. Now, I am proud to say I am a loving wife. I cook, bake, clean the house and do household chores. My husband helps me once in a while. He calls me Super Wife for having the energy to do all these, coupled with the heavy workload here in the office. But I don’t think I’m alone. I’m just the same as all the working wives out there trying their best to strike a balance between career and family.

So, who am I? By now, you’ve had a glimpse of who I am. I hope you don’t add up my words and think I’m a Fun-loving Super Mean Fighting Filipina Wife. I guess words are not enough to tell you exactly who I am. What I’m trying to say is, the perfect way to know who I am is by being my friend. Hey, I don’t bite… and if you have enemies out there, let me know, it’s been a long time since I’ve used my Confuse and Diffuse Strategy.

Thank you and nice meeting you all.

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Watch out for Speech # 2!