There's something about Singapore
Hey, the background song is dedicated to YOU! (I'm sure u know who right?) See ya soon. =p
Been a while since I pen down an entry. And I decided to cheat a little by letting you guys have a preview of an article that will be featured in two publications: NUS Enterprise (not sure which month) and SPIN Publications. I could not have done it without my friends in BV and S'pore. And to myself, what game do you want to play next? *grins*
There is still time to back out. Find an excuse to leave. Tell them that something happened at home.
“Our third contestant is Eric Feng. His contest speech is There’s something about Singapore.”
Too late. I stood up, shook hands and turned to face the audience. All fifty of them. It started to dawn upon me that my fear of public speaking had never left me. It merely found a strategic time to attack. Right when I was contesting in the International Humor Contest (Division level).
I began. “Singapore is an island 24 miles by 14 miles.”
“About the size of Bill Gate’s living room.”
The audience tittered.
“If this 40 storey building we are in is United States of America, you will know the size of Singapore when you visit the Men’s room.”
The audience burst into laughter.
“Third cubicle.”
The laughter grew louder and more intense.
“Under the toilet seat.”
Even more laughter.
“Let me move on to tell you more about Singapore…”
Everything after that went in a flash.
On hindsight, I still have no idea why I joined the humor contest except for the fact that I have always had this natural ability to make people laugh, or so I thought. The truth is I have this knack of doing the silliest things that cause people to laugh at me. Not that I am proud of it.
But hey, I am going to give myself some credit. Joining this contest had been a serious act of courage for me. It all started with finding a Toastmasters club to join. Imagine an Asian visiting an American club he doesn’t know of, interacting with a group of strangers who are already proficient in speaking (with a cool American accent) and doing it all by myself. But I did. Without getting lost too. And that’s a good thing especially since I have been known to get lost all the time.
And then the next test of courage came along when I was invited to take part in the humor contest. And with a Singaporean mentality, I joined. “Even if I lose, nobody in Singapore knows. So confirm won’t lose face…” And one thing led to another.
What really struck me most throughout the competition period was the tremendous support I had along the way. Living one’s dream is exhilarating. But having your friends to support you and get you there is priceless. My room mates would have me rehearse my speech every night without fail. And then they would unleash their feedback, Simon Cowell style. I would even have friends that would call me in excitement.
“Hey! Just the other day, something funny happened. You want to use it in your speech?”
Now you know where I get my speech material from! And of course, the presence of my friends at the contest was a great morale booster for me. Even Gean, our NCBV program manager was there, despite the odd timing and blistering rain. In my opinion, their presence made a huge difference in the contest. I believe they laughed extra hard at all my punch lines and even offered a snigger at the duds, just to help me score more points. What else can you ask for?
That night, I came home victorious. Not because of the trophy I won but because of the affirmation I received from my new-found friends in Philadelphia. You guys rock!
Been a while since I pen down an entry. And I decided to cheat a little by letting you guys have a preview of an article that will be featured in two publications: NUS Enterprise (not sure which month) and SPIN Publications. I could not have done it without my friends in BV and S'pore. And to myself, what game do you want to play next? *grins*
There is still time to back out. Find an excuse to leave. Tell them that something happened at home.“Our third contestant is Eric Feng. His contest speech is There’s something about Singapore.”
Too late. I stood up, shook hands and turned to face the audience. All fifty of them. It started to dawn upon me that my fear of public speaking had never left me. It merely found a strategic time to attack. Right when I was contesting in the International Humor Contest (Division level).
I began. “Singapore is an island 24 miles by 14 miles.”
“About the size of Bill Gate’s living room.”
The audience tittered.
“If this 40 storey building we are in is United States of America, you will know the size of Singapore when you visit the Men’s room.”
The audience burst into laughter.
“Third cubicle.”
The laughter grew louder and more intense.
“Under the toilet seat.”
Even more laughter.
“Let me move on to tell you more about Singapore…”
Everything after that went in a flash.
On hindsight, I still have no idea why I joined the humor contest except for the fact that I have always had this natural ability to make people laugh, or so I thought. The truth is I have this knack of doing the silliest things that cause people to laugh at me. Not that I am proud of it.
But hey, I am going to give myself some credit. Joining this contest had been a serious act of courage for me. It all started with finding a Toastmasters club to join. Imagine an Asian visiting an American club he doesn’t know of, interacting with a group of strangers who are already proficient in speaking (with a cool American accent) and doing it all by myself. But I did. Without getting lost too. And that’s a good thing especially since I have been known to get lost all the time.
And then the next test of courage came along when I was invited to take part in the humor contest. And with a Singaporean mentality, I joined. “Even if I lose, nobody in Singapore knows. So confirm won’t lose face…” And one thing led to another.
What really struck me most throughout the competition period was the tremendous support I had along the way. Living one’s dream is exhilarating. But having your friends to support you and get you there is priceless. My room mates would have me rehearse my speech every night without fail. And then they would unleash their feedback, Simon Cowell style. I would even have friends that would call me in excitement.
“Hey! Just the other day, something funny happened. You want to use it in your speech?”
Now you know where I get my speech material from! And of course, the presence of my friends at the contest was a great morale booster for me. Even Gean, our NCBV program manager was there, despite the odd timing and blistering rain. In my opinion, their presence made a huge difference in the contest. I believe they laughed extra hard at all my punch lines and even offered a snigger at the duds, just to help me score more points. What else can you ask for?
That night, I came home victorious. Not because of the trophy I won but because of the affirmation I received from my new-found friends in Philadelphia. You guys rock!
posted by Tripp at 4:41 PM
2 comments
