Lowdown – 23rd of July 2008 meeting
Howzit Toastmasters!
Theme
Wednesday night’s meeting was truly “lekker” with its own special South African flavour. We opened the evening with the sharing of our favourite colloquialisms and some of the Toastmasters really had us giggling with their descriptions of our amusing local lingo. Some of which included the term “clutchplate” which is apparently the name given to some of the residents who live on the other side of the “boerewors curtain”. Another one we all are using quite frequently these days is the word “eish” in order to express our displeasure at the rising fuel prices and interest rates. There are those of us who have had the experience of baffling an Englishman over the use of our phrase “see you just now” which is understood by us as “see you soon” but on closer inspection really sounds more like “see you this instant”. What a strange bunch we are!
At the start of the meeting
Richard Riche, our toastmaster for the evening, provided us with some of his favourite uniquely South African additions to the English language. The words “bra” or “bru” refer to a male friend. If someone is behaving unfashionably we may refer to that person as a “chop”. Take care not to confuse the locals if you are overseas by referring to your swimming attire as your “cosy”, and if these locals tell you an interesting story, you may get a confused look if you respond with the words, “Is it?”
It was great to have our president, Andrew Timberlake, back with us after a month long sojourn in London with his family. Nice to have you back, Andrew!
Flicka Steenberg, our grammarian for the evening, provided us with an exceptionally interesting word which I doubt many of us had ever heard before. The word is “Coprophile” which means fossilized dinosaur excrement. Other variations of this word are “Coprophilial” and “Coprophiliac”.
Sharad’s first speech!
Our first brave prepared speaker for the evening was Sharad Mistry who shared his life story with us in his CC1 titled “How Times Have Changed”. Sharad grew up in the small town of Lenasia in Johannesburg South. He told us what it was like to live in a house with six other family members and only one bathroom! The challenges of high school, the joy of arcade games and the rat race of the IT industry have all played a significant part in his journey. He reminds us to slow down and live for today. This was an excellent CC1 indeed.
Isobel on Weddings and Funerals
Isobel Joubert presented a meaningful CC3 entitled “Weddings and Funerals” about the importance of making time for our extended families in our busy lifestyles. She gave us a thorough game plan of exactly how to go about creating a memorable occasion that enables all family members to feel part of the day. She reminds us that we really shouldn’t wait until a wedding or a funeral in order to reconnect with our families!
Kendal Hunt on the Law of Attraction
Kendal Hunt certainly got our attention with her CC5 entitled “The Law of Attraction”. An ancient “Secret” is revealed to a disappointed housewife and as a result her life is changed dramatically. She discovers that her thoughts actually create her reality and by a change of mindset she can attract good things to herself. When asking the universe for
her desires and believing that she has already received them, a powerful frequency is emitted and her desires are manifested.
Danie Roux on Self-Deception
Danie Roux presented a serious CC8 and had us all captivated. His speech entitled “Self Deception” taught us an important lesson in honoring oneself as well as others in order to build stronger relationships. We should help others freely and willingly instead of sitting back and believing that it is our right to receive, which only results in creating a “box” of self deception.
Graham Nicholls on Audacity
Our final prepared speaker for the evening, Graham Nicholls, provided us with some very practical and useful information in his ACS7 titled “Toastmasters and a Little Technology”. Graham demonstrates how we can use a simple digital recorder in order to rehearse our speeches and to record our speech ideas while we are driving. Alternatively, download the free software “Audacity” from the net to enable you to record and edit your next speech. What a great idea!
Table Topics
Richard Riche involved us all in the formation of some very creative Table Topics:
Graham Nicholls – Reik Neethling in an abattoir who clicks his pen a lot
Danie Roux – A proctologist in a cemetery who refuses to ask for directions
Karen Geyser – Nelson Mandela in Alaska who snores
Christa Roux – A toilet cleaner in Jacob Zuma’s office with a negative attitude
Courtnall Machanick – A professional bokdrol spitter at a buffet eating with mouth open
Kendal Hunt – An accountant in a bar who keeps touching the pc screen
Flicka Steenberg – An animal artificial inseminator in Jacob Zuma’s office
Our very thorough evaluators provided the speakers with valuable feedback:
Evaluation Session
Kirsten Long evaluated Sharad Mistry’s speech
Andrew Timberlake evaluated Isobel Joubert’s and Kendal Hunt’s speech
Kirsten Long evaluated Danie Roux’s speech
Sue Munro evaluated Graham Nicholls speech
Christa Roux kept track of the time taken by the prepared and impromptu speakers as well as the evaluators.
General Tips
Sue Munro gave us some useful general tips to remember for our next speech:
If you are speaking use and own your space and stand back so you can easily see everyone in the room. Also, dress one up from the audience in order to acquire authority and gain credibility.
Hark Master
Christa Roux, our Hark Master, caught some of us out with her questions:
What was Richard’s South Africanism?
How does one stay “out of the box”, according to Danie?
What did Ronda call the “Law of Attraction”, in Kendal’s speech?
Message from the District Governor
Graham Nicholls, our District Governor, had a message for us:
We are a “President’s Distinguished Club” (second year in a row), which puts us in the top band of clubs in the world! The use of our CL manual is crucial to obtaining this status again. We are awesome!
On a Point
Kendall Hunt made a special point of acknowledging the committee members for their fantastic effort in keeping our club running as smoothly as it does!
Wishing you all a weekend of braaivleis and beer to the tunes of Kurt Darren! See you all at the Humorous Contest on the 4th August!
Karen Geyser
4th Dimension Toastmasters
Public Relations Committee Member