Actually I attended my second to the last club meeting last night. I hope to the attend the meeting next month. I did my 2nd advance project speech and it went well. There were a lot of people who attended and a few new members and repeat guests. I did not spend a lot of time in preparing my speech but it turned out well. I felt confident the moment I stepped up to the podium. It's like my anxiety disappeared. Finally after experiencing public speaking for nearly 3 years, I feel that I have turned a corner. I still felt some initial trepidation as I waited my turn but it all disappeared when I started my speech.
I felt exhilarated after the meeting and I was glad I attended. I plan to finish my advance manual but I still have 3 more speeches to do. I have about 3 weeks left before I leave. Hopefully I can find a club who is willing to let me do my speech at short notice. As a last resort, I hope to do 2 speeches in my last club meeting. I am getting busy these days with Toastmaster, hoping to maximize the experience so I can benefit when I arrive overseas. I will be an evaluator tomorrow and I also plan to participate in the division speech contest at the end of the month. I am going with a bang so to speak.
My fellow members were a bit sad of my leaving. My friend's wife said that it was depressing if he announced the news. I will miss them because they are a fun group. I did not bring a camera to get pictures but I think I have quite a few in the blog site. It's only now that I feel the pain of departing and leaving friends. The other day, I had dinner with my old friend in Chinatown. I hope I can have dinner with him every week until I leave. Together with my close friend at the office, it will be sad day leaving them. But changes happening in the office forces everyone to adapt. I fear that the office will soon disappear in a few years. Hopefully, it will turn out for the best for all.
Last Wednesday was a good day for my future posting. I got news about the offer and the approval of the visa. It was all so positive despite my anxieties. I was foolishly thinking of so many demons that none appeared. I was working myself into a frenzy with my silly ideas. Happily, it all turned out well and I am just stupidly worrying. I keep seeing demons in every corner. The good news plus my successful speech at the club meeting was a wonderful milestone for me this week. It's at these moments where one feels at one with the world.
So next week I hope to get the visa package where we need to go to the local embassy and have our passports stamped. This will clear the way for the move. Afterwards, I hope to finalize the flat rental and arrange for the transfer of my stuff. The training and preparation for my project will soon be winding down. My replacement is doing well as well as the support staff despite all the problems we currently face. Luckily, things are getting done and the deadlines allow us to re-focus and complete the needed tasks. The support in headquarters are positively helping us. I think my departure will be seamless. Of course there will be a lot of problems but I think the team will be ready to face them.
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