"If I could turn back time...

... I would not."

My opening line for the The Star Public Speaking Competition this morning.

My mom asked me to enter last year but I was too reluctant because I felt that I wasn't good enough. So I told her that I'd enter this year. Which I did. When I came across the ad in the news paper just the day before my microbiology finals, I cut the entry form, filled my details, got my mentor's signature, got my dean's signature, got the college's stamp, posted it with the RM10 requirement and mailed it straight all in about 40 minutes. Efficiency, I like:)

So I got the letter to audition today. If I passed, there would be a workshop which I would attend tomorrow. And then go to semi finals at national level, and then the winner would go to London to go for the ultimate finals:)

When I arrived at Segi college, I saw my name was the 3rd name. Bad news, good news, who knows? But I'm used to it. At the briefing, I handpicked at random a title which I would have 30 mins to prepare and 3 minutes to deliver. I unrolled the paper: "If I could turn back time". *smile* The girl beside me whispered, "You're lucky."

When we entered the hall, I was one of the first 10 speakers. I realized I WAS lucky because the guy who sat next to me got "Global Economic Crisis" and the other guy next to me got "Fear". Other topics were "Sports", "Me Myself and I", "Recycling", "My Ideal Life", "The Beauty of Malaysia".

There were 100 participants today and they need to shortlist to 30. If you're in for the semi finals, the judges put up a green card. If not, it's red. If not sure, it's yellow and you have to wait til the end of the day to know.

Well, I gave my opening line. Not as much of an attention grabber as I wished. Proceeded on with a story about "the worst day of my life being the Youth Leadership camp where my champion brother overshadowed me in his awesome speaking skills wherein I cried in the end and wished that I could turn back time. But then had I turned back time, I would not have become the person I am today." The bell rang right then and I was so shocked because That was 2 minutes already?!? SO I had to quickly wrap up and state my closing which was call for people to "Make decisions that would make you not wish to turn back time and that if it was something you can't do anything about, live a life of no regrets."

I got a yellow card.

I knew it already the moment I finished because I totally lacked content. NO POINTS AT ALL! I went on and on at the introduction about my personal story- I've been practicing so much on 7-minutes speeches that I didn't time myself properly. And also lack of delivery- I tend to stay in one spot. Language was okay.

Thank God my dad was there to continuously tell me "It's okay", else I would have screamed at myself in frustration. It's all in the process of learning and having fun!:) Which I did enjoy myself.

It's 6pm. The competition is already over and I didn't get a call. There must have been some awesome 90 other participants today. Ah, next year insyaAllah will come. And an awesome speech I shall deliver!

For now, gotta focus for 24th March. Participating in upcoming Area C1 International Speech Competition!>_<