Ok guys, one more Speech from Toastmasters. Please do not think I am running out ideas for my blog. This one was long due. The aims for this speech project focus on selection of words and phrases:
My Tryst with the Extraordinary
It is three in the afternoon and we are still driving. We started at 4 in the morning (its been 11Hours!!) and have covered more than 600 kms but we are not tired. The roads are, how should I put it, DEAD STRAIGHT, consisting of 30-40 kilometers long stretches. You just have to look straight and you can see the road kissing the clear blue sky at the horizon. In fact, we had to hardly change gears as our car cruised at 150 Kms/Hr on the Formula 1 track like tarmac. The landscape has changed though, from lush green fields in the morning to dusty, brown and barren stretches now. Moreover, the arid land signals that we are nearing our destination. Till now, to say the least, the journey has been different. After all, we have driven right through a dried up lake, zipped past numerous Havelis and Royal Villas, and just seen a group of 20-25 Bikers, clad in all black, cruise on their giant Enfield bikes towards our very own destination. It has been an incredible journey till now but we wonder what else is in store for us as our real journey is yet to begin.
Mr. Toastmasters, fellow toastmasters and dear guests, fasten your seat belts and ride along with me on a road trip to the royal Indian state of Rajasthan.
Our first destination is the blue city in the heart of Rajashan : Jodhpur.
The first thing that strikes you when you enter the city is the presence of colors. In fact the city personifies the colorful spirit of Rajasthan. The women wear colorful dresses, flaunting all the possible hues of red, blue, yellow and green. The men dress conservatively in their plain dhotis and kurtas but, take my word for it, their turbans are the most colorful ones I ever seen. Even the long, funny looking, overstretched auto rickshaws flaunt colors as a newly wed bride flaunts her jewelery. The use of color is so profound that it appears as if all the colors in the world have conspired with people of Rajasthan to mesmerize all the travelers.
After soaking in the colors of the city, we wanted to experience royalty, so we headed towards Mehrangarh fort. As we entered the fort, we were welcomed by tall guards sporting intimidating moustaches. Immediately, we were directed towards a lift. A lift in a fort? We wondered. The guard announced " The tour starts from the top". Now the real fun began. As we came out of the lift on the top floor, we immediately realized the strategic importance of the fort. The fort is located at the highest point in the city, making it ideal for reconnaissance. Huge cannons capable of ripping through any armor are placed along the walls. No wonder that the fort has never been conquered. Moreover, the whole city is visible from the top. Small houses, big houses, hotels and shops, all are painted in blue. It appears as if the sky has come down on Earth to savour the beauty of the fort.
As we went deep into the fort, there was a sense of royalty in the air. The daggers, the swords and the royal dresses of kings and queens were displayed in the Fort museum. But the most awe inspiring ones were the huge palanquins. These majestic structures, which at one time served as royal transport, personify the luxury and authority of the Royals. After enjoying the beauty of the fort to the hilt, we sat on the fort wall as the sun set and wondered what else is in store for us as we decided to drive towards Jaisalmer.
The great golden city of Jaisalmer rests in the heart of the Thar desert. If Jodhpur is the heart, then Jaisalmer is the Soul of Rajasthan. Without doubt, it is one place where you can experience silence. Just go and sit in a lonely corner and you will not only hear yourself breathe but also hear your own heart beat. As we drove through the desert towards the Khuri dunes, we experienced enormity. As far as our eyes allowed us, we saw sand dunes, one overlapping the other till they met the sky. The sun played hide and seek as the dunes rose and fell. The sunset and sunrise were majestic. I had never seen a sun that big. As the sun descended in the lap of the dunes, I stared at the whole disc and somehow felt loosing myself as thoughts about life, its purpose, the cosmos and its existence overwhelmed me.
As the night enveloped us, we decided to stay in the desert although we were warned: It will be a cold night. We were given sleeping bags and extra blankets to protect us. I gave a stupid smile thinking " What an irony, Sleeping bag and layers of Blanket in the desert" and tried to sleep. But mother nature had other ideas. She wanted to share more, show us more. As I opened my eyes at around midnight, I realized that there was too much brightness for a night sky. I could literally see the light Grey sand ( looks Grey at night) in the milky light. I wondered where the light came from. I was sure there was no moon that night. But then how come so much light!! As I braved the cold to peep out of my sleeping bag, I saw an army of stars spread across the night sky. It appeared as if someone had sprayed white paint on a black Canvas. Dear friends, I was witnessing the milky way in all its glory. Apparently, the pollution levels are so low in the desert that you can see the milky way clearly. Something almost unthinkable in metros.I dazed at the stars with a feeling of contentment and fell asleep thinking that mother nature had kept the best for the last.
Of all the incredible thing in Rajsthan, the one that I remember the most is the feeling of Vastness. The realization that we human beings are just a small peg of the giant wheel called Universe. Kings and Queens will come and go, Lords and Bishops will come and go but stars, deserts and rivers are timeless. Therefore, there is no point in worrying about trivial tangibles, in fact life is all about valuing the intangibles such as love, faith, friendship and peace.
As we turned back towards New Delhi, we knew that we had experienced something extraordinary, something unique. In those 4 days, we had tryst with royalty and experienced actual serenity. We had realized the fragility of human existence. In totality, we had experienced the magical state of Rajasthan.
Over to you Mr. Toastmaster.
Good project overall. The evaluator really liked my topic selection. He told me i did justice with it. But he also told me , there could have been more purposeful stage movements. Ahhhh.. I have to get this correct.. lets see.. may be next speech.
Cheers!!!
- Choose words and grammar which communicate clearly.
- Choose words and grammar which appeal to the senses.
- Eliminate jargon.
My Tryst with the Extraordinary
It is three in the afternoon and we are still driving. We started at 4 in the morning (its been 11Hours!!) and have covered more than 600 kms but we are not tired. The roads are, how should I put it, DEAD STRAIGHT, consisting of 30-40 kilometers long stretches. You just have to look straight and you can see the road kissing the clear blue sky at the horizon. In fact, we had to hardly change gears as our car cruised at 150 Kms/Hr on the Formula 1 track like tarmac. The landscape has changed though, from lush green fields in the morning to dusty, brown and barren stretches now. Moreover, the arid land signals that we are nearing our destination. Till now, to say the least, the journey has been different. After all, we have driven right through a dried up lake, zipped past numerous Havelis and Royal Villas, and just seen a group of 20-25 Bikers, clad in all black, cruise on their giant Enfield bikes towards our very own destination. It has been an incredible journey till now but we wonder what else is in store for us as our real journey is yet to begin.
Mr. Toastmasters, fellow toastmasters and dear guests, fasten your seat belts and ride along with me on a road trip to the royal Indian state of Rajasthan.
Our first destination is the blue city in the heart of Rajashan : Jodhpur.
The first thing that strikes you when you enter the city is the presence of colors. In fact the city personifies the colorful spirit of Rajasthan. The women wear colorful dresses, flaunting all the possible hues of red, blue, yellow and green. The men dress conservatively in their plain dhotis and kurtas but, take my word for it, their turbans are the most colorful ones I ever seen. Even the long, funny looking, overstretched auto rickshaws flaunt colors as a newly wed bride flaunts her jewelery. The use of color is so profound that it appears as if all the colors in the world have conspired with people of Rajasthan to mesmerize all the travelers.
After soaking in the colors of the city, we wanted to experience royalty, so we headed towards Mehrangarh fort. As we entered the fort, we were welcomed by tall guards sporting intimidating moustaches. Immediately, we were directed towards a lift. A lift in a fort? We wondered. The guard announced " The tour starts from the top". Now the real fun began. As we came out of the lift on the top floor, we immediately realized the strategic importance of the fort. The fort is located at the highest point in the city, making it ideal for reconnaissance. Huge cannons capable of ripping through any armor are placed along the walls. No wonder that the fort has never been conquered. Moreover, the whole city is visible from the top. Small houses, big houses, hotels and shops, all are painted in blue. It appears as if the sky has come down on Earth to savour the beauty of the fort.
As we went deep into the fort, there was a sense of royalty in the air. The daggers, the swords and the royal dresses of kings and queens were displayed in the Fort museum. But the most awe inspiring ones were the huge palanquins. These majestic structures, which at one time served as royal transport, personify the luxury and authority of the Royals. After enjoying the beauty of the fort to the hilt, we sat on the fort wall as the sun set and wondered what else is in store for us as we decided to drive towards Jaisalmer.
The great golden city of Jaisalmer rests in the heart of the Thar desert. If Jodhpur is the heart, then Jaisalmer is the Soul of Rajasthan. Without doubt, it is one place where you can experience silence. Just go and sit in a lonely corner and you will not only hear yourself breathe but also hear your own heart beat. As we drove through the desert towards the Khuri dunes, we experienced enormity. As far as our eyes allowed us, we saw sand dunes, one overlapping the other till they met the sky. The sun played hide and seek as the dunes rose and fell. The sunset and sunrise were majestic. I had never seen a sun that big. As the sun descended in the lap of the dunes, I stared at the whole disc and somehow felt loosing myself as thoughts about life, its purpose, the cosmos and its existence overwhelmed me.
As the night enveloped us, we decided to stay in the desert although we were warned: It will be a cold night. We were given sleeping bags and extra blankets to protect us. I gave a stupid smile thinking " What an irony, Sleeping bag and layers of Blanket in the desert" and tried to sleep. But mother nature had other ideas. She wanted to share more, show us more. As I opened my eyes at around midnight, I realized that there was too much brightness for a night sky. I could literally see the light Grey sand ( looks Grey at night) in the milky light. I wondered where the light came from. I was sure there was no moon that night. But then how come so much light!! As I braved the cold to peep out of my sleeping bag, I saw an army of stars spread across the night sky. It appeared as if someone had sprayed white paint on a black Canvas. Dear friends, I was witnessing the milky way in all its glory. Apparently, the pollution levels are so low in the desert that you can see the milky way clearly. Something almost unthinkable in metros.I dazed at the stars with a feeling of contentment and fell asleep thinking that mother nature had kept the best for the last.
Of all the incredible thing in Rajsthan, the one that I remember the most is the feeling of Vastness. The realization that we human beings are just a small peg of the giant wheel called Universe. Kings and Queens will come and go, Lords and Bishops will come and go but stars, deserts and rivers are timeless. Therefore, there is no point in worrying about trivial tangibles, in fact life is all about valuing the intangibles such as love, faith, friendship and peace.
As we turned back towards New Delhi, we knew that we had experienced something extraordinary, something unique. In those 4 days, we had tryst with royalty and experienced actual serenity. We had realized the fragility of human existence. In totality, we had experienced the magical state of Rajasthan.
Over to you Mr. Toastmaster.
Good project overall. The evaluator really liked my topic selection. He told me i did justice with it. But he also told me , there could have been more purposeful stage movements. Ahhhh.. I have to get this correct.. lets see.. may be next speech.
Cheers!!!
