Toastmaster Program for School Leavers...

It is a wonderful experience to be there in PERMATA to join a profitable program. I was called by En. Shari while I am on my holiday at Kelantan. At the day as what God fated, I went to Kuala Lumpur. I was there at 1130 GMT. As I reach Pekeliling Bus Hub, I called my sister. She told me that she was at the escalator near the STAR-LRT station. I met her there. We were planned to take a wonderful breath in SOGO before I went to Sg. Besi. My cousin was waiting at the Sg. Besi LRT Station. It just 15 minutes in the SOGO, my cousin called me and said that they are on the way to that station. I was so shocked. I just remembered that I haven’t called my cousin to tell her that I’ll be at SOGO to accompany my sister. I rushed off to the station. I hope the train will move faster. I reached Sg. Besi around 1330 GMT. It is an embarrassment or me because I’d make my cousin and her husband waited for me for about one hour. We just drop by her house to take our lunch. At 2 o’clock something, we were heading to Petronas Management Training Sdn. Bhd. It was situated at Bangi Institutional Area. An area which most of the training centre was allocated. It was a big area with hostel inside it. I’m the earliest participant to arrive there. I was checked-in at 1500 GMT. I thanked my cousin, Kak Teh and Abang Ridwan that send me there. I just sit in the room after my cousin went home. They need to prepare for their business at night market. So, as what I hoped, they sent me earlier there. I’ve called my friends to dissipate my boringness. I called Mad. We initially talking about which are more important career; engineer or doctor? Finally we made the most accurate conclusion; both careers are depending to each other. While I was talking to Mad, my roommate came in to the room with his family. They were shocked to see me inside the room and my time of arrival too. I’m please to see them. His name is Nazrul Hafiz. Please to meet you, Nazrul! Nazrul and I just keep waiting in the room. Finally, we heard a couple of click sound from the door. We glad to see our new roommates, Razi. It’s my pleasure to meet him. At last, before dawn, we accept our last final roommate. His name is Nazirul. I’m so charmed to know him. We then, were going downstairs to take our dinner. There we met our neighbors from the opposite room. Tan was taking his dinner together with Akmal and Hanif. After performing our Maghrib prayer at the pray hall, we went to LR Sapphire together. There we met En. Norman and we did have our brief introduction to the course and about other participant. There I started to met Raja Shahadan from Kelantan. I met Fatin, Aini, Syimma, Murni, Amilia and Nabilah too. It was a wonderful experience to know them all. We had a two-day course there.

This is the list of our class member:-

1. Ahmad Ibrahem (KISAS)
2. Amilia (KISAS)
3. Nazrul Hafiz (SEMESTI)
4. Syimma (SEMESTI)
5. Hanif (SMKA SHAMS)
6. Murni Wadaah (SSP)
7. Nabilah (SSP)
8. Nazirul (SERATAS)
9. Aini (SMK Geliga, Kemaman)
10. Razi (SMK La Salle, Klang )
11. Fatin (SAMURA)
12. Tan (St. Michael Institution)
13. Akmal (MRSM Taiping)
14. Raja (SMS Tengku Muhamad Faris Petra)

During our first class, I was shocked to see the trainer’s name. He is Azmi Shahrin! The person that had come to my college to give keynote address to our English Week Launching Ceremony. I was also had made a brief research of his background while I was completing my task during English class. Well, it is easy to learn something from a person that we knew than learning something from stranger. Well, as an introduction, we acted as interviewer to our friends. We sat in a group that consisted of boys and girls. It is a new thing to me to sat one table with girls. Then, we need to present our friends to the rest of the class. During that session, we learn how to apply our body gestures. It was more confident if we talk with our hands in Muslim prayer position. First thing to do if you need to give a speech in an occasion is;

1. Prepare and practice
2. Take deep breath.
3. Look at friendly, smiling and happy faces.

We also were being taught by Mr. Azmi that in order to overcome our nervousness, we need to gain more experience. Well, I am actually hoped that I’ll join a Toastmaster club someday. Along that day we learnt about something important; removing our speech crutches such as ‘um’, ‘ah’,’ok’ and etc. We also learnt that the words that end with ‘t’ and ‘te’ have the ‘teh’ sound. Well, I can’t give some example because it is needed to do by practical. In the evening, we learnt about speech organization. There is a template to help speakers in organizing their speech.

Introduction

- Tell audience what you are going to speak.

- Benefits to audience when they hear your speech.

- Briefly state what is your point.

Body/Content

- State your idea

- Elaborate it

- State example

- Repeat

Conclusion

- Summarize your points

- Call for action

We then practice our new knowledge in our speech. I choose to present about ‘The person I admire most…’ It is an interesting topic since I choose to talk about my mentor, Faisal Tehrani. I made a moderate speech. But still, I tried to apply all my knowledge that I get there. Hah! I’m almost forgot to tell you’ll that word end with ‘k’, ‘ke’ and ‘c’ had the ‘keh’ sound when we pronounce it. Words that end with ‘p’ also have the sound ‘peh’ in its pronunciation. Again, I can’t demonstrate it! Heheh..It’s okay. If you want me to teach you how to pronounce it, you can easily add me as your contact in Yahoo Messenger. I can show you there. So, just add me at penulis_pahang@yahoo.com. We end our session that evening at 1700 GMT. We were then performing our Asar prayer before we have our indoor and outdoor game activities. I’m initially choose to have a ride around PERMATA. I went cycling with Akmal. It was so boring. PERMATA just don’t have interesting place for us to sit. I do suggest to PERMATA for having a small lake and automatically add more facilities especially in water sports. Then, after returned the bicycle to its place, we just borrow the pool set from the reception counter. I played it with Akmal. It was my first time playing that game. At the beginning, it was hard. But, after got tips from Akmal, I know how to play. We played two games in 30 minutes. After returned the pool set, we waited for our dinner. It was wonderful as that time was our last dinner there. We just don’t know what to do that night since PERMATA offer no games or activity at night. It maybe to protect others’ privacy. Again, to dissipate my boringness, I called Zoolhelmi. He is going to Langkawi for a holiday with Safwan (a.k.a Cipon). I slept that night at 10 p.m. something. Hmm…The next day started and I’m impatience to start our class. Well, that day we learnt how to speak under pressure. It is indeed, we talk without anticipation when there was pressure on us. Haha..You know what? Mr. Azmi gave us a topic for us argues with. The topic was women are better leader than men. We are divided into Teruna and Dara Team. Teruna team consisted of seven boys and Dara team consists of 6 girls and Raja, act as the leader was the only boy in that team. It is quite tough for us. We need to prove that women are better leaders than men since we are proposing the topic. It was hot! Haha…I’m not meant to being snob or arrogant but debate is my cup of tea. Well, I did practiced what I learnt at KISAS. It called debate strategy. It is important to let your opponent mentally and emotionally down. I did it well. After having the special debate, we had given some time by our trainer to prepare our manifesto since we are being one of the candidates in Malaysia 13-th General Election. I choose to found my own party named People Right Party (PRP) my manifesto is just one; to give the right of petroleum and national treasure to the citizen. With the right that people have, I can do the entire manifesto from other party. Haha...So simple, right? Alhamdulillah, I do it well. After debate and campaign session, we took our lunch. I sit together with Raja, Mr. Azmi and my other friends. After chatting with my friends for about 5 minutes, a PETRONAS worker join us in our table. His name is Mr. Saiful. We enjoyed our last lunch. At that time, Raja said that he want to be CEO of PETRONAS one day. That attracts our trainer’s attention. During evening last session, we were given an interesting topic; what is the most important thing will I do if I would be the CEO of Petronas. Haha…I’m not shocked to hear that topic. “As expected...”, I said it to myself. Hmm…that time, what in front my eyes was a blank foolscap paper. There was a watermark on the paper wrote ‘PERMATA-INSTEP’. I got an idea. What is the purpose of PETRONAS found this subsidiary company? I quest it in my mind. Realizing one of the purpose why PETRONAS founded Petronas Management and Training Sdn.Bhd. a.k.a PERMATA is to increase its workers’ productivity, I choose to increase my company productivity if I am the CEO of PETRONAS. The speech is handled after we had our last topic. We learnt about vocal variety for the last topic. There are 4 elements in varying our vocal;

1. Volume (Loud or soft)
2. Tone (High or low)
3. Speed (Fast or slow)
4. Pauses

I prepare for the last speech before the graduation speech. I’m actually practice my practice in front of mirror. So, I ask permission from Mr. Azmi to go to the toilet. Inside the toilet, I practice in front of the big mirror inside it. The result is, not bad! Mr. Azmi said that I’m almost complete speaker. Haha…I just use my skill in acting. In acting we use such skills to attract audience and to emphasize important things. After finishing our last speech, Mr. Azmi gave us a topic for our graduation speech. The topic was ‘What is my ambition and what make it important for PETRONAS?’, I was shocked when I’m called by Raja as the first speaker. Just imagine what happen to me that time, I told Raja that I don’t want to be the first speaker just because I’m not ready. I just gave a speech that not properly managed. I just talk whatever I got in my mind. It was the worst speech I ever had in the 2-day program. At least, I learn something. I just finish my course after 1800 GMT. After that, I packed my things and get ready to check out. It was the saddest time for me.

Ok..see you in my new entry..