Do you hate or love being a timer? Advice for novices?

I used to hate being a timer. I was flummoxed by finding and setting a timer. I listened to a speech and forgot to time it.

Today I was forced into being a timer at the last minute. Another timer didn't turn up and I was moved into the timer role, jointly with one other person. No time to refuse.

We went to be briefed by the Chief Judge.
He reminded us of the different times for the planned speech, impromptu speeches and table topics, test speaker, and evaluations of the test speaker.
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However, I learned a lot from my fellow timer Christy. Firstly, she was keen on being a timer. She thought it was an easy role. Less work than being a judge.

She watched the time on her mobile phone. I knew how to do that. I copied her to remind myself.
1 Pull up all the many icons for apps.
2 Find clock.
3 Select not timer but stopwatch.

Timing Speakers
Wait for the speaker to start. Either:
1 Watch the phone. When you hear the speaker's first words, press the start symbol.
Or, if you think you might miss their miming or gestures:
2 Keep your finger hovering above the start key. Watch the speaker. As soon as they start to speak, press down on the start key.

It sets itself to zero. When the speaker starts speaking you click on the start button.

I think you should have a second phone as backup. My phone kept switching itself off.

I asked Christy to help. She took my phone and went into settings and lengthened the time before the phone switches itself off.

Speakers
I realised why speakers are not allowed to march down the central aisle. People at the front would not hear. Contest chair panics that you are intending to leave the room. If you pass the lights, you cannot see the lights.

In addition to timing the speakers, you need to time other parts of the meeting:

The one minute allowed to judges to mark papers before ballot counters collect ballots.

Break
Time the refreshment break - bring everybody back.

Time the test speaker.

Best Table Topic Speaker - The Turning Point In My Life

At Filcom Toastmasters Club, Monday March 25 2019, I won the best speaker ribbon on the topic:
The Turning Point of My Life

The turning point of my life was when I got married. The day after I got married I discovered there are two ways to put toilet paper in the holder. I always thought that the way my family had done it was the same as the way it was done all around the world. I was wrong.

There are two ways to hang up toilet paper. One is the way my mother did it. That other is the way my husband's mother did it.

We argued about this. For two whole days. On day three we stopped arguing about this. We started arguing about something else. How to boil an egg.

There are two ways to boil an egg. The way my mother did it. The way his mother did it.

The way my mother did it was start with cold water and cook for five minutes. The way his mother cooked an egg was boil the water then add the egg and cook for three minutes.

After two days we stopped arguing about this. He cooked the eggs.

I put the toilet paper in the holder the way he liked it because I was living with him and I was not living with my mother.

Now whenever I look at toilet paper or a boiled egg I remember the turning point in my life.

Angela Lansbury, blogger and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

  

Which animals are unique to Asia? Monitor Lizards and Pangolins. Where can you see them?

In Singapore you can see monitor lizards roaming freely in places such as the Botanical Gardens. (I am glad to say I have never encountered one.) to me, a monitor lizard looks like a small komodo dragon (found on the island of Komodo in Malaysia. You can also see a Komodo dragon in London zoo, in England. A cross between a blown up lizard and a shrunken dinosaur. A very nasty creature. I've seen some horrid videos of komomdo dragons circling an animal, biting it with poison, waiting a day or two, surrounding it, until it drops to its knees and they launch in for the kill and eat it.

Free look at wildlife
Entry to the Botanical Gardens is free. But no guarantee what you will see. You are more likely to see fish and birds. I am glad to say.

Pangolins
This month, March 2019, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari are promoting care of pangolins. I saw an advertising poster beside a bus stop.

Next day I received an email inviting me to the zoo. Children are encouraged to do a series of activities and pledge to protect pangolins and at the end are rewarded with a pangolin pin.

Pangolin, covered in scales from head to toe, curl up into a ball for protection. That's what their name means in Malay.

The pangolin, altogether friendly, has no teeth. On the other hand, it has an enormously long tongue. the tongue is used for scooping out ants. The pangolin eats thousands of ants every year. If you are not a fan of ants, you might give pangolins credit for disposing of ants.

Useful Websites
singaporeair.com
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/make-a-date-with-pangolins?

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

I won a ribbon for best table topic talking about a toy

Toastmasters Club of Singapore met at the Sheraton Towers Hotel, Monday 4th March 2019.

The theme of the meeting was childhood. The topics master, Leslie Lim, had a box of toys. You had to select one without looking, just by putting down your hand and pulling out one toy.

I pulled out a plastic toy which pulled apart.
I turned it over. Behind was a man.

I said, "I've got a car - and a driver!"

It is full of bits which pull out and turn. Imagine the hours spend creating this.

Choosing the colours.
Red and yellow. Or red and green.

My dream has always been to write a best selling song, or write a classic children's book, or create a toy which would bring pleasure to millions of children and adults.

The greatest toys were Lego and Meccano which inspired generations of children to build things. Maybe some of them went on to build the buildings in the great cities of the world. Like here in Singapore. My family go off camping and climbing. But I like to be in a five star hotel such as this one, the Sheraton Towers, with you.

I love buildings and cities not camping. Somebody built this city with shops where you can buy toys like this one.

I've enjoyed talking about this toy, and thinking about it, and hope you have, too.