Scroll II - ADTC Newsletter (Oct - Dec 2021)

THE SCROLL-II QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

OCT - DEC 2021

ARABIAN DREAMS

TOASTMASTERS CLUB

TABLE OF CONTENTS EXCOM 2021-2022............................................................................01 DON'T ASK ME WHY ......................................................................02 A SAFARI THAT CHANGED MY LIFE..........................................03 50 SALUTES TO 50 GLORIOUS YEARS OF UAE ...................05 FINDING MYSELF AGAIN...............................................................06 CONGRATULATIONS.......................................................................07 WHY YOU ARE IMPORTANT .......................................................09 NEW TOASTMASTER.......................................................................10 LET'S GET SMART..............................................................................12 MADAM MOLLY..................................................................................13 JOKES CORNER-LIFE IS FUN........................................................14 THRILLING ADVENTUROUS EXPERIENCE 50FEET ............15 CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION..........................................................18 EDITORIAL BOARD...........................................................................19

ARABIAN DREAMS TOASTMASTERS CLUB

CLUB 1671090 | AREA 30 | DIVISION I | DISTRICT 105

EXCOM 2021-2022

RUTH FERNANDES PRESIDENT RYAN MALCOLM D'SA VP EDUCATION

VENZIL FERNANDES VP MEMBERSHIP

VINISHA HAZEL MENEZES VP PUBLIC RELATIONS

AVIL PINTO IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

adtcdubai@gmail.com

RAHUL ANAND SECRETARY

DON’T ASK ME WHY Don't ask me why Allow me to cry Let my eyes get dry Tears better not lie

No one understands why I have everything you could buy Look at me you would say Happy soul , in every way

I know I can’t walk away Though my heart is not where I stay Broken is it and there’s possibly no way Life’s like that- all would say

I’ve fought the battle in every way I can’t find solace, I lost it halfway I want to cry, today and everyday That’s what I do hiding away

Smile you would say Problems won’t last anyway You won’t understand why But all I neeed is to cry

So don’t ask me why Allow me to cry Let my eyes get dry Tears better not lie

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DR. MUNEEBA ALI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - PQD DIVISION I DISTRICT 105 PAST AREA 21 DIRECTOR 2021-2022

A SAFARI THAT CHANGED MY LIFE!!!

July 16th 2021, changed my perspective of life forever. As we landed at “The Green City in the Sun”-Nairobi, we were embraced by cool pristine winds and hospitality that was genuine and heartfelt. A night in the city well spent with a quick tour of the marketplace ending with good food and a good night’s sleep to rest our bodies for an adventure of a lifetime that we would never ever forget. This is our adventure…

A bond of friendship, a troupe of 6, a group of different ages, decided to explore this incredible planet of ours and touch base with Mother Nature. We headed to Masai Mara, an experience that was about to blow our minds. Checked-in, dropped our bags and we were summoned to our very first safari. The game drive begins… with the 4x4 Landcruiser (practically our home for the next 6 days) maneuvering carefully over the 1510 square kilometers of grasslands of the Savannah.

LORRAINE FERNANDEZ AREA 30 DIRECTOR | DIVISION I | DISTRICT 105 2021-2022

Over the days, we witnessed the infamous Big Five, watched the sun paint the horizon with lovely hues during sunsets and sunrises, the majestic walk of the creatures in the kingdom and the breath taking landscape. We picnicked under a tree and relaxed as the crisp clear air kissed our face and as our bodies touched the earth, we felt the soil so pure, untouched to smell the wild.

We started the day with no expectations, however Mother Nature provided a treat for us to see “The Kill”, the harsh brutality of the animal kingdom played out on the champagne-coloured African Savannah. We witnessed a mother cheetah with a baby Gazelle, training her cubs to run, catch, play and devour, while listening to the Gazelles last mournful cries. Excited with Adrenaline high, I realized that being on a safari isn’t about taking the best pictures, it’s about being in the moment and to have the best experience.

We experienced Africa will all senses, heard the lions roar, tasted the local food, smelled the rain, watched the colourful species of birds and touched the Masai people. A visit and peek into the life and culture of the Masai Warriors – the red guardians of the land, made us realize that poverty and hardships are in no ways obstacles to the glow of happiness, peace and freedom that the Masai radiate.

The 1 week we spent in different parts of Kenya made me realize that, I needed to make travel part of my life. I needed to see the world. I needed to learn about different cultures. I needed to feed my soul with more enriching experiences. The safari is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Back in Dubai I look around, I see humanity caged in a constant dilemma of stress and money, work and family, individuality and society… and I wonder, are we really free? Can we find happiness in the little things of life? Can we truly stand tall like the Giraffe.. as tall as the flat-top Acacia trees? Can we refrain from killing and taking lives like the lions who don’t kill and take life for pleasure? Can we have a good night’s sleep without stressing on what tomorrow may bring? Can we learn to live “Carefree” like the Masai…learn how to live by "Hakuna Matata."

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Safari Clicks

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50 SALUTES TO 50 GLORIOUS YEARS OF UAE

A country is home when you find your inner peace in it. That has just been the way I have enjoyed my 30 years in this beautiful nation. I consider myself privileged to have seen the transformation & disruption this country has created over the decades.

Can you imagine a country with only sand as its main natural resource to be transformed in a quarter of century. Yes that was just done when you look how Dubai’ Sheikh Zayed Road is comparable to New York’s Manhattan! A small nation in comparative landmass or population but big enough to claim a nearly 100% vaccine rate for the whole population.

Disruption has been key to the growth of this country. The ruling family’s vision has only evolved over the years, be it from Oil Fields setup in 1981 or the creation of the Palm islands in early 2000s.

Fifty years might have been a vision to achieve but were definitely on a mission to do so. UAE has been able to emulate the fact that in the race to excellence there is no finish line!

TM RYAN MALCOM D’SA VICE PRESIDENT EDUCATION

FINDING MYSELF AGAIN Ever since I joined Toastmasters, a question I’ve been asked is “Why Toastmasters?” followed by, “You already have a good command over English, and you seem confident enough.”

The truth is, for a long time, ‘Natasha’ took a back seat while my role as a daughter, sister, wife and mother took over. I got caught up in wearing so many different hats that I forgot what it felt like to let my hair down and do something purely for myself.

Enter the dreadful pandemic and as cliché as it sounds, the covid lockdown gave me a chance to stop and smell the roses. I spent quality time with my family, and it made me realize that all the divisions and complications that I kept making was in my head. In fact, I had their full support when it came to pursuing my own dreams and aspirations. Ultimately, the only person in control of my happiness was me.

Taking that much needed first step is always daunting but after speaking with President Ruth Fernandes and attending my first session with ADTC, I felt like this was where I was meant to grow. Now with Toastmasters as my guide, I am TM NATASHA BASNET-CLEMENTS finding my feet again.

I enjoy speaking to people, my passion for writing has returned and more importantly my inner confidence is so much stronger. Toastmasters has helped me chart a new path in my personal and professional life, and I am truly enjoying the journey.

Onwards, Upwards and Forwards.

“Be who you are, and find yourself so you can be your own person and enjoy life with no regret.”

– Bonnie Zackson Koury

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Congratulations

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Congratulations

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WHY YOU ARE IMPORTANT “Though you are as a drop in the ocean, without you, the universe would be empty.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo Have you ever thought about these questions?

Do I really matter?

Why do I exist? What is the reason for my existence?

If yes, it is natural human tendency to have such thoughts running in your mind.

It is all about your thoughts, words, actions and how things affect people, which can bring change in their life.

A couple of reasons that you should know why you are important: 1. You are important because you are alive, you are breathing.

Your life is like a canvas in a frame. The frame is the world and circumstances you were born into. In which you had no control over it. However, canvas is you, your thoughts, decisions and actions.

TM AVISHA GLANY GAMA

Enjoy each moment and be thankful every day. Because your existence matters to your loved ones.

There are the things you do have control over and you can paint your own picture.

2. You are here to fulfil a purpose.

There is no doubt that everyone is born with the purpose. Having goals and objectives, working hard to achieve those goals implies quality of a good human being.

3. It is said experience teaches a lot. You have those learnings to share from your life experience. If you are not there then people don’t have access to the information Your values and beliefs lay the very foundation of your existence. This, in turn, helps you establish your own sense of identity. It is extremely important to always remember who you are and where you have come from. Your identity ensures that you and others will always know who you are.

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NEW TOASTMASTER ON THE BLOCK MEET ANJANA Who is TM Anjana?

I am Anjana Vaswani Kavasseri from Pune, Maharashtra, India.

A resident of UAE since year Y2K. I am 5’8” tall. I hold 2 master’s degrees in Chemistry and Marketing management respectively, both from Pune University. Throughout my school and college life, I have been an all-rounder scoring top marks academically as well as participating in Singing and dance competitions, Shloka & poetry recitals, Sanskrit competition, Modelling, Relay races, Volleyball, Basketball at the National level.

What's Anjana's passion?

I am passionate about life. I want it all I live life as it comes and is always grateful to the Supreme Power above for all his blessings. I am an optimist. Tenacity and resilience are my forte and I strongly believe that “everything is possible”.

What drives Anjana every day?

I believe that I am here for a purpose. The purpose involves making the best of what the Universe continues to bless me with and giving back to my loved ones and society in general. I respect old age and always am happy to spend time with the Veterans listening and learning from their profound knowledge, thoughts, and stories repeatedly.

Why Toastmasters?

Toastmasters has been a dream. I had attended a couple of sessions many years ago and wanted to pursue it as I found it to be a great platform for the advancement of skills in networking and public speaking. While I am confident about my writing skills, I would like to enhance the oratory side and hence Toastmasters.

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ADTC IN ACTION

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LETS GET SMART 1. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind.

What am I? 2. I have a head and a tail that will never meet. Having too many of me is always a treat. What am I? 3. You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy.

4. What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?

5. I help you from your head to your toe. The more I work, the smaller I grow. What am I? 6. Without a bridle or a saddle, across a thing I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I? 7. I'm everywhere and a part of everyone. I am at the end of space and time and existence itself. What am I? 8. Which word in the dictionary is always spelled incorrectly?

9. If an electric train is moving north at 55 mph and the winds blowing east at 70 mph, which way does the smoke blow?

10. Two fathers and two sons come home from the mall. Yet when they arrive home, only three people get out of the car. How is this possible?

11. What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?

12. If a plane came crashing down on the border between Canada and America, where are the survivors buried?

13. I fly without wings and cry without eyes. Wherever I lead, darkness follows. What could I be?

14. What common English verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?

15. I am a five-letter word. I sound the same when you remove my first letter. I sound the same when you remove my third letter. I sound the same when my last letter is removed and I sound the same when all three are removed. What word am I?

TM VINISHA HAZEL MENEZES VICE PRESIDENT PUBLIC RELATION

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MADAM MOLLY “It’s the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom,” – Michael Morpurgo Class 5, A Section: Year 2002 Class Teacher: Roll Number 26; Present Mam was the voice of a student who was waiting for his turn to collect all copy books and take them to the teacher’s room. If you can relate to this then congratulations, you had a great life by carrying those 64 copybooks every morning and being a teacher’s pet!

My childhood life was never the same once I got promoted to Class 5. Pencils changed to PENs, EVS became Social Studies. If that was not enough you had to select another 3rd language, adding up the total number of subjects to 7 in all. A burden only a child would understand of carrying a bag full of 15 books including his tiffin and water bottle. Master Venzil felt that burden when all of a sudden 4 subjects turned to 7. I had select friends wherein I was the first in everything but from the last!

Apart from studies, I wanted to try something different, so I decided to participate in a fancy dress competition, and I told my Mother I would like to dress like a Chef, I practiced my grooves and I was cool like a cucumber on stage until I realized that one cannot play music while performing.

Yikes! I felt like a fish out of water. I had no idea what to do, whom to turn to, or what to perform. So I ended up with a very emotional performance. Well, I simply cried, and Madam Molly said “It's Ok Venzil, you can do it the next time, I know you can do it! ” Next came my class 4 test, where I went down in flames in 1 subject. I was tense as there was no red mark in my marks card. So, to add fuel to the fire, I overrode 34 to 43 which was an insult to injury. My mom was angry and she was in the school the very next day. It was an unpleasant situation, and I was supposed to be referred to the principal of my school, the Milagres School Our Principal was known in the whole Mangalore education system, for his strict action. I was scared and I started to cry again. I promised that I would never do it again in my entire life and I will always do my best in studies. Madam Molly just stared at me and said “I know Venzil will never do this again in the future and he will buck up”. After that day, I never repeated that mistake ever, though I did fail on multiple occasions, but never gave up.

You see it was not about my failure, It was that one person who I always admired in my life, even to date. Not because she was my favourite, but only because this person has been my guiding star who guided me and showed me the right path at every moment of my life. She is the only one, my Hindi Class Teacher Madam Molly. And I am proud and grateful to say that even today she always picks up my phone call if I need any help and support. She is still my “Go To” Teacher, my Mentor and my "bounce off board " if I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Master Venzil Fernandes Roll No: 26, Class 5 Section A PAGE 13

JOKES CORNER – LIFE IS FUN ENJOY SHARE YOUR SMILE WITH WORLD. IT IS A SYMBOL OF FRIENDSHIP AND JOY Why don’t scientists trust atoms?

Because they make up everything.

A man tells his doctor, “Doc, help me. I’m addicted to Twitter!”

The doctor replies, “Sorry, I don’t follow you …”

Why don’t Calculus majors throw house parties?

Because you should never drink and derive.

What’s the difference between a cat and a comma?

A cat has claws at the end of paws; A comma is a pause at the end of a clause.

What did the left eye say to the right eye?

Between you and me, something smells.

What do you call a fake noodle?

Because you should never drink and derive.

What did the shark say when he ate the clownfish?

This tastes a little funny.

What’s orange and sounds like a carrot?

A parrot.

Why did the frog take the bus to work today?

His car got toad away.

What is an astronaut’s favorite part on a computer?

The space bar.

Hear about the new restaurant called Karma?

There’s no menu: You get what you deserve I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high.

She looked at me surprised.

What’s Forest Gump’s password?

1Forest1.

How many times can you subtract 10 from 100?

Once. The next time you would be subtracting 10 from 90.

TM RAMASWAMY KRISHNAMURTHY PAGE 14

THRILLING ADVENTUROUS EXPERIENCE 50 FEET UNDERWATER!!

SCUBA is the short form of ‘Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus’ It was developed in the mid-1940s by the world-famous underwater explorer and conservationist, Jacques-Yves Cousteau (with more than a little help from Émile Gagnan), for the French Navy during the Second World War. After the war, however, diving turned into a recreational sport, which has since been taken up by millions worldwide.

Scuba diving is perhaps the best way to explore the fantastic underwater world, getting up close with the wonders and the secrets of this marine universe, with its breathtakingly colourful and diverse inhabitants. Floating below the azure waters, you are in an ethereal – sometimes hostile – environment, with a limited supply of air on your back and with only your fellow divers as your lifelines. Over the years and the decades, scuba diving has evolved into a non-competitive but a very exciting adventure sport.

Being an Adventure enthusiast, I had an opportunity to do Scuba Diving at Goa, India.

After an hour of training on Scuba Diving in a swimming pool, including the below 3 most important hand signals underwater and breathing techniques, we friends took a boat along with our trainer and sailed into the blue waters for about 1 and half an hour, our trainer stops the boat from where no land was visible and he tells us we have reached the spot, it’s time to Dive!!

Even though we were really scared but none of us showed it on our faces (a good laugh when we later discussed about the feeling of each other later in the night – when heard Time to Dive!!!) Quickly we geared up into our scuba suit with the heaviest cylinder on our backs, which are not heavy at all underwater.

Once we dived into the water it was the time when our trainer told us by action look there, we were freaked out and were looking for a Shark underwater, for our surprise we see a shipwreck and went down to the ship and started to move through the ship corridor and we could see different kinds of colours(Puple, Green Yellow etc) of fishes in a group in each cabin. We were surrounded with colours a thrilling experience. What an amazing feeling!!!! A lifetime memory in a different world for about 45 minutes to cherish!!!

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The first-hand signal that most scuba divers learn is the "OK" hand signal. Join the thumb and index fingers to form a loop and extend the third, fourth, and fifth fingers. ... The "OK" hand signal should not be confused with the thumbs-up signal, which in scuba diving means "end the dive."

A thumbs-up sign communicates "up" or "end the dive." The "up" signal is one of the most important signals in scuba diving. Any diver can end the dive at any point for any reason by using the "up" signal.

This important dive safety rule ensures divers are not forced beyond their comfort level underwater. The "up" signal is a demand-response signal. A diver who signals "up" to a fellow diver should receive the "up" signal in return so that he can be sure that the signal was understood.

The thumbs-down hand signal communicates "go down" or "descend" underwater. The "down" signal is used in the first step of the five-point descent, in which divers agree that they are prepared to begin to go deeper.

General tips for divers: There are a few good scuba-diving operators in the country; do thoroughly check the credentials of the operator, whether the instructors are PADI (or equivalent) certified and whether the equipment available is of good quality.

A reasonable command of English is helpful as the courses involve a basic understanding of physics, physiology, environment, etc.

The minimum age for diving is 10 years – there is no upper limit (for some dives, the minimum age is 14 years).

Even though it might be a little expensive, go with the best.

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General tips for divers: Corals and marine life are national treasures that must be preserved. Corals are also delicate living specimens, so while going diving, please observe the ‘Green Coral Code’: Do not touch, or walk on, living coral – it will die.

While wearing fins, try as much as possible to keep your feet away from the reefs; a kick from your flipper will likely result in an abrupt spill of water, which is enough to permanently damage the coral.

While diving, try and control your descent; a hard landing on the corals can destroy them.

The coral is a living organism – do not break pieces of it from a reef. Picking up corals is strictly prohibited and is punishable with heavy fines. Do bear in mind that it is also illegal to export dead coral – even if it is just fragments of coral lying around on a beach.

Would encourage everybody to experience the fun fulfilled feel at least once in a lifetime!!!

TM CYRIL SAMSON

1. An echo 2. A Coin 3. A Candle 4. The letter “R.” 5. A bar of soap 6. Eye glasses 7. The letter “e.”

8. "Incorrectly"

9. An electric train doesn’t emit smoke 10. They are a grandfather, father, and son 11. Queue.

12. You don’t bury the survivors 13. A cloud 14. Eat and ate 15. Empty (empty, emty, emp-t, m-t)

srewsnA - tramS teG steL

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Christmas Celebration

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RUTH FERNANDES PRESIDENT - ADTC

GLEN FERREIRA TREASURER - ADTC

VINISHA MENEZES VPPR - ADTC

DR. ABDUL SATHAR DIV I DIRECTOR

VENZIL FERNANDES VPM - ADTC, DIV I PR

WITHOUT YOU THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE

Contact: www.arabiandreams.toastmastersclubs.org adtcdubai@gmail.com @adtcdubai adtcdubai_toastmasters Arabian Dreams Toastmasters Club