Member Articles
TREMBLING & MUMBLING TO TOASTING & MASTERING
Mastering the art of public speaking was my childhood dream, except that I never acted upon it. I loved the English language and would write every now and then, but conquering my inner demons to present myself on stage was something I could never bring myself to do. The broken pieces of my self were littered along the red carpet to the podium, and I couldn’t step on them. School days were over, and so were my college days. Somewhere along the way, I started believing in myself and pieced myself together, but by then, the opportunities to practice public speaking were few and far between. Setting upon the path to mastering public speaking remained an unfulfilled dream in some neglected corner of my heart.
I was invited to join Toastmasters by a friend around 2018, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I badly needed a push, but that push wouldn’t come until four years later. In October of 2022, I got a call from Toastmaster Shaheen about a meeting. He asked me to join him for a meeting and mentioned that I should be in formals. Thinking it was some kind of a business meeting, I showed up at the venue. That was the first Toastmasters meeting I attended in my life.
Self development is a rewarding journey in itself
I saw stellar performances from two Toastmasters that day — Toastmaster Cindy and Toastmaster Jithin. “I should be able to do this someday,” I said to myself. That meeting was the push I needed. It rekindled the desire in me to master the art of public speaking. In the same meeting, I announced my willingness to join the club.
Three months passed, and in January of 2023, I gave my icebreaker speech. I realized I had a lot of work to do to catch up for all the years I had lost. I set out on the pathway with fiery passion, deciding to trust the process and forget about the results in the short term. I can tell you that few things in life can give you the satisfaction that you find on the path to self-development. After a few speeches, I started noticing improvements in myself. The silent satisfaction that it gave was better than that feeling when you are on a diet trying to lose weight and one day you realize you are one size down.
TM
THAUSEEF
THAYYIB
Fast forward to January 2024, and I had completed three Levels by then. It was contest time. To my own surprise, I qualified in three different categories from the club — two firsts and a second. The speech I gave at the Area Level contest was my first speech outside the club and also the first to an audience of more than 20 people. I yearned for the opportunity to face bigger audiences and conquer my bigger fears.
Thankfully I qualified to Division and got the opportunity to face about a 100 people.
I returned home with a contended second place, ceding the first place to a much better contestant from whom there was a lot to learn from.
Were there setbacks in my journey? Yes.
Were there unexpected turns of events that made me dream and then shattered that dream? Yes.
But reflecting back on the past year since the beginning of my journey, I realize I have gained much, and I’m truly grateful for that. What I have gained is mine alone, and that is something no one can take away. I have chosen the path, and I am looking forward with hopes and dreams to where this path is taking me. While I’m on the path, I will start giving back from whatever I have received.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But dont hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.
From the poem Ithaca by Constantine Cavafy
Sharing Onam smiles with MESAA
Celebrations were scheduled to start in the afternoon, and we began the day by arranging the floral carpet ‘pookalam’ at our venue. I arrived at the venue all dressed up, and I could see a few of my team members had already started the preparation of the pookalam. I happily joined them, though I was given different responsibilities.
The flower carpet was a collective effort, majorly by every one of us who reached earlier, and small touches added in by those who reached later, to create a seamless beautiful design of the Pookalam. The vibrant color and beauty of this floral carpet filled the air with festive mood. I enjoyed watching guests enter the venue with family and friends.
Gastronomic delight and a communal feeling of eating together give a great sense of happiness. As the day went on, we organized games and activities for both kids and adults. We had the traditional Tug of War/Vadam vali, lemon and spoon race and the Uri adi. This was the most fun part of the celebrations. The laughter and cheer filled the atmosphere as we competed in these games, which also strengthened our bond as a team.
Celebrating Onam with MESAA is a memorable experience. I was missing home; as in the last five years, this was the first time I was away from my home for Onam. However, being with this team felt at home, a celebration of togetherness. The final resounding cheer of ‘Aarpo’ led by Jithin, which is a traditional chant to represent pride and unity, is something that will forever echo in my heart and will be remembered every Onam. It was indeed a day making cherished memories.
Breakfast with MESAA TM
On a crisp Friday morning, a group of friends from the MESAA Toastmasters Club gathered at Kalha restaurant for a breakfast meetup. The idea for the gathering had been suggested by Samra in the club’s WhatsApp group, and it had been met with enthusiasm from everyone.
As the friends arrived at the restaurant, they greeted each other warmly with handshakes and smiles.
They were excited to spend some time together outside of the club’s regular meetings. Being a Friday morning, the restaurant was not busy with customers, so the friends were able to find a large table to accommodate their group.
The menu at Kalha offered a wide variety of traditional Arabic breakfast dishes, and the friends ordered a little bit of everything to share. They had hummus, baba ghanoush, foul medames, shakshuka, labneh, and zaatar manakish. They also ordered a variety of pastries and fresh fruit.
The food was delicious, and the friends savored every bite. They ate at a leisurely pace, chatting and laughing as they caught up on each other’s lives. They talked about their work, their families, and their travels. They also reminisced about their shared memories from their time at MES School.
After breakfast, the friends lingered at the table for another hour, continuing to talk and enjoy each other’s company. They discussed everything under the sun, from local events to developments in technology to movies to songs to space trips. That led to another idea of doing movie nights together.
By TM Thauseef Thayyib
Secretary
MESAA TM
It was some quality time spent together and they all agreed that the breakfast gathering had been a wonderful way to connect with each other and create new memories.
With a strong desire to recreate that meetup on a regular basis, the friends parted and went about their days.
TRIBUTE TO DTM NISHA SHIVRAM
c_williams19
Your Title Goes Here
Club VP-PR
Gratitude
here’s one for all MESAA TM
Club Members
Joining MESAA Toastmasters club would probably be one of the most impromptu and best decisions I have taken in 2022 when the club was chartered. The first year was filled with new experiences and awkward encounters where I had to push myself beyond my comfort levels to be able to deliver good speeches. I was able to gain confidence in public speaking, craft compelling presentations, and work on ability to connect with diverse audiences only with the supportive environment of MESAA TM club.
Being at DTAC’23, I realized that there’s so much more that we can build within this club which led me to taking up the VP-PR club officer role. Even though the role sounded easy, my tenure in the last one year has taught me that there’s still more room to grow and I wish that our club expands in the upcoming years.
Beyond the skills and roles, the best part of MESAA Toastmasters has always been the people. I’ve met inspiring individuals and received constructive feedback that really helped me grow personally. Almost every other General Evaluator who walks in to our meeting would definitely be taken back to their school days being in a classroom. Such is the camaraderie amongst us. An initiative that I have been working on last year was to capture speaker portrait photos and the recent portraits are proof of how MESAA TM churns out the best speaker in every individual with each meeting. And it has been my honor to capture their moments of growth in every way possible.
The vibe in our club is truly something special. Thank you again for being a part of this journey with me.
