Toasting Around

Toastmasters Will Never Cease To Surprise Me.

Last night I attended a Smartspeak Toastmasters Club meeting at parklands sports Club. Just as well I did because I was stumped.

First the ambience was so relaxing. While someone was at the lectern, the waiter strolls in, fire-star hotel style, napkin hanging on one hand and a glass bearing tray balanced on the other. He his on is way to deliver a cognac, the aroma!

Someone is taking a beer. Another red one.

Claire Jethwa was the Toastmaster. She kept the meeting on the double to the end. The theme, Music. Did I learn about music genre! (the grammarian said to pronounce that as zhahn-ruh , gesture as jes-cher and guest as gest. Gĩkothe! English and it!).

Karim, who oozes humour from every pore, was at his element during the tip session. He even sang (or sung) to us Michael’s “They don’t care about us”. Twice.

Then there was Kuldeep Nayer, the other Gramma cop, besides Wangũ and Nahabi. They had to drag him away from the lectern. He had so much to say. (How I dread the day I will have to take up the grammarian role).

The joke master, Tawfiq is telling a joke about flickering lights when the lights in the room flicker and go off. I thought, hey, that is eerie!

The Table Topics were allotted two minutes each. Most of the speakers were on their feet for more than one and half a minute. That was great.

The climax was when Clare, as parting short, sang ‘climb every mountain’ before handing back the meeting, to David gray the quiz guru.

Did you watch sound of music?

Yes you did.

And then a guest said …see woraimin. To nudge me back to Kenya.