Idioms, logophiles, analytical virtual travel - all in a day's work at EarlyBirds TM

 

Dear Members, Friends, Guests and Fellow Toastmasters of Stage Coach Toastmasters in Hyderabad, India:

 

It became crystal clear how far we have come along since the early days of stage coach travel to the swift click of a button that virtually transports us halfway across the world!

 

It was a beautiful, enriching experience to have a combined meeting this morning.  DTM Kip and TM Kunal explored the world of idioms, and we found that…

 

• TM Priya faces unexpected situations in life as opportunities to “break a leg”…
• TM Carmine knows that there is always “light at the end of the tunnel” as we find our way out of the dark and into the light…
• TM Veena is agreeable to “pull someone’s leg” as a metaphor for using humor with perfect strangers…
• TM Lois pondered about the saying “it is what it is” which undoubtedly is the safest way to confront situations we can’t control.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

Then came the prepared speeches…

 

• DTM Mary Helen regaled us with an on-point, timely speech about her prior physical visits to Toastmaters Clubs in Gaucho Argentina, Ireland (predictably held next to a pub), Bustling Berlin…. And now, thanks to technology, she was able to visit a Toastmasters club in India and made many new friends.
• TM Prachi revealed that her communication style is analytical and told descriptive examples of other styles which wiped her formerly foggy perceptions and were instrumental – but not effective.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As far as evaluations….

 

• TM Marie praised TM Prachi for taking us right along with her on a rollercoaster of emotions and for challenging us to communicate with integrity and trust.
• TM Prathyusa lauded TM Mary Helen for a great topic and perfect timing.  As a speaker, she connected with us, the audience, and motivated our new joiners and guests to embark on the Toastmasters virtual path.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

LOGOPHILE, noun

 

Someone who loves words.

 

A great time was had by all and we hope our new friends from Hyderabad, India, return to visit us very soon!

 

Here is the link to the YouTube video of this meeting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw_Rd8ooXfU

 

 

Spoken Word Poetry. #BrandonLeake https://etcanada.com/news/694619/brandon-leake-recites-emotional-poem-about-his-daughter-during-agt-finals-show-leaves-howie-mandel-speechless/

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Herding Cats, Relationships and Old Dogs - a fun morning at Early Birds

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Mildred flexed our claustrocovid muscles this morning.  Herein our “Closed Encounters of the Covid Kind”…. (Trademark owned by TM Aleta)

 

• I (Ana) self-designated homebody am thoroughly claustrofree as long as I don’t step into crowded elevators.
• DTM Jim D. is not claustrocovid as long as people keep a distance of 6 ft from him.  His breath of open space is a wild motorcycle ride he will take as soon as he leaves this meeting.
• TM Jim G. could safely tech host from a closed basement because he’s had ample training scuba diving in deep dark caverns.
• DTM Kip revealed that while on his honeymoon cruise, to avoid claustrocabin, he played things right on his wedding night by spending the night with his beloved up on deck.  It’s made the marriage last.  Securely enclaved by a Dungeons & Dragons or Game of Thrones backdrop, Kip said he simply looooves the light. Go figure.
• DTM Mary Helen grew up in open spaces; her many imaginary friends rescued her from small box enclosures and turned into an evil twin which occasionally interposes herself between Mary Helen and EarlyBirds.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

We then moved on to prepared speeches…

 

• TM Tom packed a wagonload of EarlyBird monkeys and took us to the Pathways circus.  The magic unfolded and several of us achieved multilevels in our Pathways journey.  Very sly, TM Tom!!
• TM Jeff regaled us with wise advice about healthy relationships… between his Corgi Queen, Daisy Mae, and her little brother, Roomba Dobby, who chases her hair all over the house.
• TM Pam confessed that her rogue cat is indifferent to learning time, he’d rather miaaaauuu loudly when hungry.  Pam is proving that you CAN teach an old dog (Pam) new tricks (Pathways) and that helps her to continue to like her hubby.  This too shall pass.   She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As far as evaluations….

 

• DTM Kip admired TM Tom’s ability to herd cats (formerly monkeys, aka us) and teach us how to game Pathways.
• TM Marie expressed awe that TM Jeff’s Corgi Daisy barked on cue for his speech.  Ah,  these royal breeds are just so used to public speaking….  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Carmine praised TM Pam for her capacity to organize thoughts and reveal aspects of her life and times in a humorous, coherent way.  Sister Pam, TM Carmine loves you!! (In case you didn’t know).

 

The Word of the Day was

 

INTERPOSE, verb

 

1. Intervene between parties.
2. Place or insert one thing and another

 

Example:  DTM Mary Helen had some difficulty to interpose the WOD between her and her audience, but in the end she triumphantly screen shared it!

 

Below is the link for this week’s recording.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k62fjGDZ0iw

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Stones, Plan B and Help! I need somebody, oh yes, just anybody! - this is EarlyBirds

 

TM Aleta launched us off on the subject of stones.  We heard that…

 

• DTM Jim D. counters with a question (to which he already knows the answer) when caught in an otherwise  lose/lose situation.
• DTM Mary Helen has plenty of scars to prove that sticks, stones and words can certainly hurt you.
• TM Jose’s motto in life was, for many years “Let’s rock and roll” and the Stones opening a store in London has made his day.
• TM Beckyjo cannot for the life of her remember the 60s but she thinks getting stoned refers to bliblical times, which she remembers vividly.  Above all, don’t bogart the joint! She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Pam’s granddaughters left no stone unturned on a camping trip to the Appalachians.  It’s in their DNA – Pam used to do it as a child.
• TM Jim G.’s rock of the ages is the Stones’London store.  After all, a rolling stone gathers no moss.
• I (Ana) philosophically pondered about hitting rock bottom and plummeting still further down – until you make a U-turn.

 

In the area of prepared speeches…

 

• DTM Kip told us about his Plan B for Pathways, where a drum circle of ageing hippies and a Toastmaster revealed to him that life is circular, not linear, just like Pathways, and you just keep going round and round….while you look at the Pathways cheeseburger from the side and Mommy will still love you. He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.
• TM Tom cried for HELP and gathered a drum circle of ageing hippy Toastmasters to meet him via Zoom on a Saturday at 8:30 am to overcome the Pathways obstacles created by some bureaucrat who’s never had to climb any mountain, swim any ocean, turn any stone.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

And lastly, for the evaluations…

 

• TM Marie lauded DTM Kip for his poignant analogies, especially when describing Pathways’ multiple choke points.
• TM Mildred commended TM Tom for his AHA moment which led him to recruit a thinktank to propel him forward in his quest to climb any mountain, swim any ocean, turn any stone.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

COUTH

 

Adj.: cultured, refined, sophisticated.

Noun: refinement, sophistication

 

Example: The Rolling Stones’ new store in London is chock-full of couth memorabilia, including mossy uncouth stones.

 

 

Recording of Kip on Free Toast Host:   https://youtu.be/TCbFNsftHbA

 

 

YouTube recording of today’s meeting :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsT3omB035U

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Labor Day, Stardust and the Electoral College - EarlyBirds talks well!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

I (Ana) started us off with Labor Day-related Table Topics.  Some of the things we found out….

 

• TM Jose enjoyed many Labor Days running through the sprinklers and ending up with a big splash in the pool.   Ah those endless summer days….
• TM Chris demurely reminisced about her teenage drive-in movie outings and has lately been spotted with hubby Jim at a converted Walmart parking lot enjoying popcorn and a movie – She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• Guest Bruno Borges lives 30 minutes from the beach in Brazil and plans to bike or ride to the beach and drink lots of Caipirinhas, Labor Day weekend or not!
• TM Mildred has always participated in Labor Day parades, and to this day her favorite part is waving, followed closely by throwing candy to the unsuspecting crowd.
• Visiting TM Prasanna reminisced fondly about childhood picnics at her friend’s house and will restart the practice as an adult.
• TM BeckyJo cannot recall her favorite Labor Day back in the 60s, although she is vaguely sure that it involved lots of water and a boat full of rum runners.

 

And then we heard prepared speeches…

 

• TM Carmine came across loud and clear with his brand new equipment and pondered about the fact that all our fruit and clothes are grown and made  outside our borders.    As a tribute to Orangina, the French soda, he was wearing an orange t-shirt made in Haiti.
• TM Tom told us about the Electoral College and in spite of rude hecklers in the audience, got his point across that the E.C. is what makes the United States unique and is a complex mechanism, not to be tampered with, much like his father’s watch. If we switch to popular vote, we could soon be celebrating Labor Day in May….    He Won Best Speaker Award and Most Improved Speaker Award.

 

As far as evaluations…

 

• TM Mildred commended TM Carmine on his vocal variety, his analogy between stardust and international buffets.  She reminded him to wash his hands constantly with liquid soap made in China.  It’s the easiest to find.
• TM Marie praised TM Tom’s professionalism and poise in delivering his speech and suggested he not be so nice to hecklers and just ask the host to mute them outright.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
•  

Our Tech Watcher, TM Chris, implored  those of us without modern laptops, to refrain from using virtual background because it projects  light out of the sockets of your eyes and frightens the audience.  In other words, it’s the Zoom equivalent of the “red eye” in Instamatic pictures of yore.

  

The Word of the Day was

 

RUDE, noun

 

To speak unkindly, unpleasantly.

 

Below is the link to today’s meeting recording:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJDYc0m4hzQ

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer