Advanced Speech (Entertaining) Project One: First 100 days

First hundred days - What comes to your mind?  First 100 days of Obama’s presidency? First 100 days of your new job?

Having worked for 23 years with no real break (..Derek, are you doing mental calculation? Well, (fast) let me tell you I’m still young… but not… 25 like Cecilia).  Having worked for so long, I was… burned out.  So, I took a real… longgggg break. This evening, I’ll talk about first 100 days of my break. It started sometime in May this year (not last year).  I’ll use the word FIRST to describe my break.

Let’s start with the letter i.  i stands for ill.  Just before I leave my job for good, I was down with a bad flu. It developed into a nasty cough .. that lasted for one month. (fast) I jumped from one job to another: both 3 syllables - Accountant …..to… Outpatient.  (fast) Every day, I see the doctor, I work hard to brew and drink Chinese medicine. I sleep about 12-14 hours a day. Trust me…I’ve never been so loyal to a job!  … I even pray that the typhoon will go away when Signal No. 8 was hoisted one evening.  Well, if the clinic is closed, I’ll have no supply of medicine.  You see, the cough was so bad that I’ve to miss Guangzhou Conference – the Guangzhou conference that took place in May.  But Helen was my saving grace - I .. (soft but slow) sold her my tickets.   

After the i, comes Mr. T =Travelling.  My husband & I plan to travel to China Changsha, turn west to Xian, and onwards to Urumqi.  We'll take our backpack and .. hmm.. let our mood decides when we should return .. maybe after one or two months.  Hmm.. Exciting isn't it? (fast) I tell you, the high speed train in China was impressive, the black smelly toufu in Changsha was…(om..) heavenly, the terracotta soldiers at Xian were.. MAGNIFICENT

(fast)  We were on cloud nine… until.. (fast) I found out with my Singapore passport, I could only stay in China for (pause).. FOURTEEN days. (fast) A visa extension will take 10 days. (fast,fast)) So, we decided to fast track our trip - we flew, we skipped some places and ..finally returned after.. (slow)  14… not 40 days.

R for Reading.. I read a book titled Chasing the Dragon's Tail written by Alan Rabonowitz, an American zoologist. Alan wrote about his experience living and working in a forest in Thailand. His job was to study the wild animals in the forest.  I’ll share two interesting incidents from the book: One early morning, Alan found at his front door, a long, distinctive paw scrape on the ground, stench of fresh urine and an animal's track.  Alan knew this animal, he has seen its track in the forest. Apparently, during the night, a big male leopard came visiting and left.. its calling card.   Alan then knelt down, with his hand, made a long deep scrape in the dirt. Stood up and ….. guess what he did next.. (sound of peeing) he..urinated!  Yes! To mark territory, like dogs always do.        On another occasion, Alan visited the tribal people … the Hmong and Karen. The villagers were curious about Alan. They have never seen a white man before.  And the children kept touching Alan’s...(look at chest, touching chest before saying) hairy chest. (still touching chest and say).  One woman even ripped out ... some of his hairs, saying "My boy is sick, I need your hairs as ….(hand close to pray & slowly say)… offering (hand open)….to the spirit!" (pause)..   Matt, do you have hairy chest?

S – time to swing my body! To exercise!  Zumba I dance, muscles enhance and tummy fat…. got no chance!  Actually for this flat tummy, I must say thanks .. to the girdle I’m wearing!  

Last but not least, f is for family and friends. I was in Singapore for two months, taking care of my ageing parents - I helped lift my dad out of his bed, I pushed my mum in wheelchair and I cooked for them. (loud) I’ve a new job, also 3 syllables, it’s called 2^nd Maid.  But this maid got frequent time off.. for shopping and to meet family and friends.

Fellow toastmasters and friends, a break rejuvenates our body and mind.  (fast pace) Take a break every now and then, be it 10 days or 100 days.  Don’t jump from one job to another. Avoid job with 3-syllables unless it is a great job….(slow)  like what I’ve now: (pause) it’s called UN-EM-PLOYED!