My Dancing Skill

NOTE: Ito ang ika-limang speech ko sa Toastmasters' Club. Hindi ko nailathala ang ika-apat dahil hindi ko 'yun masyadong napaghandaan (kaya't nasa utak lang lahat), at hango rin ang speech na 'yun mula sa isa kong post dito ('yung "Lengguwahe").

Ang pamagat ng assignment na ito ay "Your Body Speaks". Nangangahulugang kailangang samahan ng body language ang aking talumpati.

Sayang nga lang at hindi n'yo makikita ang aking body language, na kadalasa'y pagsasayaw. Pinaghandaan ko pa naman siya ng todo. Kahit ngayong isinusulat ko ito sa Blogger, naiiisip ko ang aking ginawa at natutuwa pa rin ako.

(entrance background song: "I want nobody, nobody, but you! I want nobody, nobody but you...!")
My dear fellow Toastmasters and friends. Good evening!

That sure was a very enjoyable induction last Saturday. I would like to congratulate everybody for working hard to make the event very successful. We all deserve a round of applause!

While practicing for the presentation, a lot of people thought that I was a natural dancer. That wasn't so many years ago. I , then, had three left feet, which makes me clumsier than someone who had two. I would stumble on my partner, or, worse (action: as if stepping on partner's foot) ...OOPSSS! Sorry.

I didn't learn those “in” dances in my younger days. I cannot dance the Hustle ("Do The Hustle! Doot dit doot di root di rit doo rit...."), El Bimbo ("El Bimbo! Bailamos El Bimbo, Bimbo, Bimbo...."), or even the “Maski Paps” ("Said, Looking fer' job in a city. Said, Working for a man every night and day...."). “Maski Paps” is short for “Maski Papano”, meaning, just move your body and you're already dancing. So, I just concentrated on learning two styles: the Sweet ("Wise men say, looks like rain today...."), and the Very Sweet ("Let her cry for she's a lady....").

(Background: "Last Dance")
I remember when I was in 4th year High School, our school had a dancing party. There was a batchmate whom I had a big crush. All through the night I was so shy going to her and asking her to dance. On the other hand, she would dance to whoever asked her, even those in the lower years.

I realized that the night was getting late. My father is about to arrive and fetch me. A slow music was played and I thought that this could be my last chance to dance with her.

I glanced to her left, then to her right. No guy within ten feet was approaching her. That's good. I slowly went to her. She was looking at the dance floor, where many couples were now dancing. Her gaze did not even go to my direction. She is like a Toastmaster while I'm the Table Topic Master.

I glanced around her. No guy within twenty feet was approaching her. And that's very good. But before I can say, “May I have this dance?” when...SNAP ("So let's dance to the Last Dance....") ...the pace of the music went fast. Oh no! I could not dance to that! I backed off, turned around and walked away. I looked back and saw a swarm of guys walking fast towards her.

However, I believed that I had the genes of a dancer. My grandfather was once a Dance Instructor. Actually, he was the third husband of my grandmother so I cannot claim any blood relation with him. But two of my uncles became DI's. I watched them during family reunions as they danced so gracefully with my aunts. I imagined I could do the same.

They also earned good money. I thought that being a DI was a healthy and profitable second career. If only I can convince my wife...!

A few years back, my boss, who also liked to dance, hired a DI so we can learn ballroom dancing in the office. I learned the cha-cha ("Oh la ruz, Cha-cha-cha, Oh la ruz, Oh la la...."), the Salsa ("Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking...."), and, my favorite, the tango ("La Cumparsita" - "Pam pa ra ram, pam pa ram pam pa ram, pam pa ram pa ram, pam pam!" - with matching dip of partner). Luckily, she's not heavy.

I now reflected how I, once having three left feet, am now down to one an a half. I don't think I'm that good enough to dance with a sexy girl competing in Dance Sport. Still, I know that I gained some skill in dancing, and I learned that skill by observing those who danced very well, believing I could dance, visualizing myself dancing, and did dance, correcting any mistake along the way.

Then, I thought, this could be a good technique in learning a new skill, whether it is to dance, to execute a back hand, to speak in public, to lead a group, or to be honest. First, observe, and, if possible, get a mentor. Second, believe that you can attain that skill. Anyway, whether you believe that you can, or believe that you cannot, you're right. Third, visualize yourself already having that skill. Fourth, actually do it. I think it was John Maxwell who said that even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you don't move. Fifth, correct any mistake and remember that mistakes are not failures but are learning opportunities. Finally, repeat the process until you have mastered that skill.

And to show to you my dancing skill I would like to invite someone to dance with me right now. Anyway, I've already prepared my five pesos just in case I go on overtime.

Music please... (ending music: "Last Dance")

Surveys

May isang gasoline station na may karatula na nagsasabing walo daw sa sampung Pilipino ang naniniwalang ang kanilang gasolina ay nakakapagbigay ng mas mataas na mileage kaysa sa ibang brand.

Matagal-tagal na rin akong nag-graduate mula sa kolehiyo at parang pinag-aralan namin ito sa Logic 101. Turo sa amin, merong mga pananaw na kung iisipin mo ay lohikal nguni't kung iyong susuriin ay flawed naman. Isa na rito ay 'yung bandwagon thinking. Kumbaga, hindi porke't lahat ng tao ay ganu'n ang pag-iisip nangangahulugan na sila ay tama. Pero, lalo na sa advertisements, parang sinasabi na dahil marami ang naniniwala sa isang bagay, tama ang paniniwalang ito.

Gaya na lang itong ipinaglalandakan ng gasolinahang ito. Parang sinasabi nila na dahil maraming Pilipino ang naniniwalang mahusay ang kanilang gasolina, mahusay nga talaga ang kanilang gasolina. "Fact or opinion?", 'ika nga d'un sa exam papers ko noong elementarya.

Nagkaroon ba ng scientific testing ito? Ano-ano ang kanilang controlled, dependent, at independent variables na ginamit? Baka naman ginamit 'yung Honda Jazz with fuel injection para sa kanilang gasolina, at Ford F-1 para naman sa iba. O baka ang walong pinagtanungan nila ay pawang mga kutsero, at 'yung natirang dalawa ay mga drayber ng ex-pats, na walang pakialam kung gaano kagastos sa gasolina ang kanilang sasakyan.

Marahil, ang isa pang halimbawa ng bandwagon thinking ay itong mga ginagawang surveys para sa susunod na eleksyon. Bakit nga ba nagkakaroon ng survey? Ano ang kahulugan ng mga survey na ito?

Halimbawa, si Manny Villar daw ang pipiliin ng karamihan ng mga botante, ayun sa isang survey. Ang ibig sabihin ba nito, si Manny Villar ang karapat-dapat na maging susunod na pangulo natin? Ito ba ang magiging basehan ng ating pagpili sa darating na eleksyon? At ang survey na ito ay may sample size na isang libo't limang daang katao. Ibig bang sabihin na dahil sa ang pinili ng nakakarami sa isang libo't limang daang na'to ay si Manny Villar, siya rin ang dapat pipiliin ng nalalabing mga anim na pung milyong botante?

"Dasalasanansens!", 'ika nga ni Pugo, mahigit tatlumpong taon na ang nakakaraan.

Ang masaklap nito, si Manny Villar ang nangumisyon sa nasabing survey. Maging ang dating pangulong si Erap ay nangumisyon din na gumawa ng parehang survey. 'Yun nga lang, ang lumabas sa ikinumisyon ni Erap ay ang nangunguna raw sa laban ng pagka-presidente ay nagngangalang Joseph Estrada.

Teka, 'di ba siya rin 'yun? Parang kung sino ang nagbayad para gawin ang survey 'yun din ang sinasabi ng survey na nangunguna sa karera sa pagka-pangulo.

At kung minsan, pareho pang kumpanya ang kinumisyon ng magkaibang tao, at magkaiba rin ang resulta.

Malabo 'ata 'yun. Kung sino ang nagbayad, siya ang nananalo? 'Di kaya para tayong niloloko ng mga politikong ito? At ang gumagawa ng mga survey, 'di lamang kasangkot sa panlolokong ito, kumikita pa sila. Para tuloy ang gandang magnegosyo ng pakuha-kuha lang ng survey. Laway lang ang puhunan. Wala namang aakuhing responsibilidad kung ano ang kalalabasan ng ginawa. Parang, "Bayaran mo ako para marinig mo kung ano ang gusto mong marinig." Ang masaklap noon, may karugtong na, "At paniniwalaan ako ng marami!"

Alam ko, may sinulat si Ms. Winnie Monsod tungkol dito sa mga surveys, at anong kahibangan ang paniwalaan natin ang mga ito. Sayang, 'di ko naitago 'yung naisulat n'ya.

Kaso, kahit mailathala muli ni Ms. Monsod ang dati n'yang artikulo, ang mga survey pa rin naman ang paniniwalaan ng mga tao.

Dasalasanansens!!!!

Why Tithe?

NOTE: Ito ang ikatlo kong speech sa Toastmasters' Club. Ang pamagat ng assignment ay "Get To The Point". Kailangang may general purpose, tulad ng to inform, to persuade, to inspire, o to entertain. Kailangang meron ding specific purpose at ma-achieve ang mga purpose na ito. Sa pag-deliver ng speech na ito, kailangang mag-project ng sinseridad at conviction, walang pangamba, at hindi nagbabasa ng notes. Siyempre, malalalaman lang ang huli kung nandun kayo't nakita akong nagsalita. At least, makikita n'yo kung naabot ko 'yung malaman ng mga tao kung ano ang aking general at specific purposes. Nakita n'yo ba?

ISA PANG NOTE: May grammatical error dito. Kita n'yo kung saan?

Two dollar bills, one was a hundred while the other was a one-dollar bill, were about to be put out of circulation by the Treasury Department. As they were awaiting to be shredded, the hundred dollar bill said, "Life has been very good. I've been to different places all over the world, like Paris, London, Tokyo, Sydney, and that most beautiful city of all, Cebu. Yes, I've no regrets; life has been good to me."

"How about you," it asked the one-dollar bill. "What places have you been to all your life?"

The one-dollar bill replied, "Church, church, church...."

Tithing is one of the more controversial issues in churches. There are those that say God has never commanded us to tithe, while others claim that tithing is a biblical law. Then there are others who say that giving ten percent of our income is not applicable anymore since St. Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, removed such a limit. This way, giving to churches is not called tithing anymore, but called love offering.

I will not delve on the legality of tithing, or how much percentage of one's income should be given. Rather, I will show the benefits of giving. I will also use the words “tithing”, “offering” and “giving” interchangeably.

The first benefit is that I believe tithing helps us to avoid "serving mammon".

Consider this. If something is very precious to you, would you just give it away? Won't you rather hold on to this precious something?

Now, consider another. If something is very precious to you, and you freely gave it away, what then do you cherish more, the thing that you gave away or the recipient of that thing?

Jesus warned us of having to choose between God and mammon (Matthew 6:24 / Luke 16:13). By parting with our material goods, we are also choosing which is more important.

The second benefit is that tithing helps the church to continue with its functions.

We may not be of this world, but we are in this world. That means we have to follow the rules of the world, and one of that is economics.

Our places of worship use electricity. Our ministers and missionaries have their basic needs. All these cost money, and our offerings help to defray these costs.

With our tithes, we become a part to bring into reality that petition "Thy kingdom come".

Third, we are blessed when we tithe.

In Malachi 3:10, God dares the Israelites to bring the whole tithes into His storehouse, and see so much blessings poured onto them. It is as if God had made a game with them, to see who can give more. Of course, it is a game which, fortunately, the Israelites will never win, for they can never out give the Giver.

Although some may question the interpretation of this passage, I, for one, have experienced so much blessings when giving to the church. I may still have problems, especially financial ones, but, whenever there is a very pressing need for money, somehow help always comes.

Of course, it is self-defeating if we give because we expect to receive. We'll just go back to the question "which is more important, God or mammon?" And I'm sure Manny Pacquiao will agree with me when I say, “It is better to give than to receive”.... You know!

Tithing, then, is more of a spiritual act than an economic one. Some say that there should be a sense of sacrifice when we give. I heard one priest say, "Give until it hurts."

Of course, God can provide to His ministers and missionaries. Just as He gave manna to His people as they crossed the desert, He, too, can give to the needs of His workers. So, why tithe?

No, God does not need to receive, but we need to give.