The Tea-Master's Column

This is one of my favourite speeches. Part of the 6th project on mastering words and sentences. This is also special since I won the Best Speaker Award after beating the Big honchos in Toastmasters Club. Its black as ebony. Its beautiful as a maiden in a black gown, as smooth as silk, as shining as diamond. Yet its silent as a grave, mischievous as a black kitten, mysterious as an owl, hideous as the witch, ominous as the blind bats. It’s the canopy that hides the sunlight – yes you are right, am talking about the Night. I fear it, yet I fantasize and am fascinated with it. This is my beauty – my Black Beauty. I had gone on a long tour with my friends during one of our winter holidays. It was evening when it started raining heavily – the winds were howling, the thunder rumbling. We all got drenched and were shivering in cold but there was a lot of excitement within us because tonight was a special night. Finally, the rains stopped and we boarded the train. We switched off the lights an...

The is my fourth Toastmasters speech. The focus was on body movements (BM) and hand gestures (HG). I had chosen Durga Puja as the script itself offered places to demonstrate HG & BM aptly. Also its a tribute to Maa Durga whom I had revered since childhood. Come September, as the dark rain clouds retreat back to give way to the blue skies and feathery clouds (HG), the fragrance of the shiuli flowers and swaying of kash flowers (HG) – the stage is all set to welcome the Mother Goddess to her home. Ya devi sarvabhuteshu, Vishnu mayeti shabdita, Namastastyai Namastastyai Namastastyai namo namaha Good evening Ladies & Gentlemen, fellow Toastmasters, distinguished guests and friends. I guess, you have already guessed the topic of my speech “Durga Puja in Bengal”. Legend goes that Mahisasura – the demon King had prayed (HG) hard to Lord Shiva for years and in the end he granted his a boon (HG) to be Immortal. Knowing that no mortal can ever kill him, the proud and haughty king started...

This is my 3rd Toastmasters Speech delivered in March, 2002 on "Structuring the Speech" India is the land of often bewildering diversity. It is a jigsaw puzzle of people of every faith and religion, living together to create a unique and colorful mosaic. There is a festival for every reason and season. Every celebration centres on rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes, music, dance and feasting. The first festival is Makara Sankranti held in the month of Jan. It is celebrated throughout India as a harvest festival – way of giving thanks to the elements of nature that help man. In Tamil Nadu and AP, it is celebrated as a 3 day festival – Pongal. In Assam as Bhogali Bihu & Punjab Lohri. In North India, a ritual bathing in the Ganga is important on this day. A big fair is held at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers – called Magh Mela. Also, the season to fly kites – the evening sky is awash with...