The Vox #34 by YAT Club

THE VOX WITH. FULL. THROTTLE.

YOUNG ADULT TOASTMASTERS CLUB NEWSLETTER AREA 2, DIVISION C, DISTRICT 20, REGION 11

ISSUE 34 - TERM 2021-2022 - RELEASE: 30TH JUNE 2022

A BRIEF INSIGHT.... WHAT IS TOASTMASTER?

ABOUT PATHWAYS!

It is a world leading program in communication and leadership development. It has a membership base of 357,000+ with 16,000+ clubs worldwide. Bahrain alone has over 60+ clubs. The program is innovative, giving leadership experience and qualities through actual practical implementation through given roles in each meeting. Effective communication skills is gained through progressive speech projects, impromtu topics and helpful, constructive evaluations from fellow members. Our club takes the program to a whole new level, by involving the best of what youth can offer. We are innovative and creative and determined to give our best.

Pathways learning experience is an evolved version of the educational program dedicated to improve your skills to ensure you level up personally and professionally. The program caters to your needs through providing 11 paths highlighting more than 300 competencies developed around 5 core competencies .

If you want to be a better speaker and leader, for both your career and personal life, come join our meetings as a guest and see the difference. Our club meets every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 7:30 pm. RSVP to our VPM, if you are interested to join us!~

DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP

EFFECTIVE COACHING

PERSUASIVE INFLUENCE

ENGAGING HUMOR

MASTERY PRESENTATION

The program is interactive and available online so that you can carry it with you anytime, anywhere while you can access it with a click of your finger! It also gives you real-world, transferable skills available in 9 languages with select paths available in Korean and Tamil.

INNOVATIVE PLANNING

STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

TEAM COLLABORATIONS

MOTIVATIONAL STRATEGIES

VISIONARY COMMUNICATION

TOASTMASTERS LEVELS To Young Adult Toastmasters

Member (You)

To Area 2

Club (A group of members)

To Division C

Area (A group of clubs) To District 20

Division (A group of areas)

To Region 11

District (A group of divisions)

To TMI

Region (A group of districts)

Toastmasters International (A group of regions)

FROM THE DISTRICT It's a great honor to be featured in the Young Adults Toastmasters newsletter, especially when requested by our Immediate Past PRM TM Maram! Her service towards the District last year has helped not just during her term, but in our current term as well. It made my life easy as many toastmasters already knew about the brand without my help. Her creative Awards are still used this term and hopefully in the future as well. She has indeed created a legacy! It comes as no surprise when Young Adults continues to win awards in the District! The vibrant creative PR work seen from Young Adults social media makes anyone want to join this youthful club! If I were in Bahrain, I wouldn't want to miss your meetings. My home club is another club filled with young adults - called Desert Pioneers Toastmasters Club! If anyone were to come to Kuwait, I would like to happily invite you to our club as well. When I migrated to the UK last year, I promised my toastmasters friends that I would be there for them as long as meetings are online, but never did I think I would be offered the role to serve as Public Relations Manager - a role that I always wanted! A role that I thought I would never be able to take as I am moving from the country. As I took the role, I am probably the only PRM who doesn't reside in any of the countries of the District. Working with the district office, many had warned me that I may not have a pleasant experience, but they were wrong as we have a leader who takes care of you, empowers you and is always there to back you up! I would like to thank our DD Alifiya Lakdawala for this opportunity. And our amazing office team had a great camaraderie that I truly cherish. I can proudly say that I was living the dream this past year. To many it may come as a surprise that I have never been a VP PR in Toastmasters. Even in my career, I am not dealing with anything related to Public Relations. With hardly any

FROM THE DISTRICT leadership experience in my career, Toastmasters has helped me unleash the leader within. I can proudly say that I am currently where I am thanks to our members in District 20. It's only with their support, encouragement and learning in moments of fun that this was possible. I learned soft skills that have helped advance my career. Though I have received awards in Toastmasters, I believe the true reward is when we achieve greatness in our life thanks to the skills we learned in Toastmasters. If you haven't taken up a leadership role, I would say that you are missing out on the best that Toastmasters has to offer. For me I wanted to explore how it would be to lead a team, to delegate and motivate others!

I AM NOT THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE WORLD, BUT I SURE CAN PICK SMART COLLEAGUES -FRANKLIN ROOSEVELTand I owe my success to my amazing PR team! I am so glad they accepted my request to be a part of the team. We learned and explored various PR strategies that had helped our District and our members. This year we had the most number of awards compared to any other year, our social media reached new heights, we explored various new tools, hosted events that benefited the members - personally and professionally. Thank you for believing in me, encouraging me, and empowering me.

Last but not the least, I hope that we are not just bound by our responsibilities in Toastmasters, but by the relationships we made! Looking forward to staying in touch. 'True wealth is not a matter of Bank accounts and assets. It's in the values we live and share as well as the people we keep in touch and care.'

Allen Paul

DTM ALLEN PAUL

D20 PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER 2021-2022

OUTGOING

PRESIDENTIAL

ADDRESS

Dearest Members, fellow Toastmasters, and guest readers, If there is one word that describes the recent few months at YAT, it is enthusiasm. I can still remember the moment when we decided to gradually resume in-person meetings. Considering that we were one of the first clubs to start this, there was understandably a lot of worry about the pandemic restrictions and our general safety. What eventually tipped the scale and got us through all the initial hiccups with the setup was the enthusiasm from our members and executive committee, the eagerness to connect and together, side by side, face the challenges of becoming better leaders and communicators.

This enthusiasm is the hallmark of our club and has sustained us through a difficult time. Membership was a problem in general for many of the Toastmasters clubs in Bahrain; it was after all a time when potential members would think twice about getting on yet another online meeting after going through enough of those at work or university. Despite this our club has grown, and I attribute iit to the enthusiasm of each member. It’s a very infectious positive energy; you can see and feel it in our members every time they welcome a guest through the door. Even though I could only attend online via Zoom, that spark of enthusiasm was very much alive to me and is what would have enticed many of our newest members to join. For our members, both old and new, this enthusiasm continues to shine through in the roles that you take up and the speeches that you deliver. It is a bit of effort to take on either a speaking or functionary role at the meeting, but our members continuously embrace their roles and assignments with gusto, once again ‘infecting’ everyone with the excitement of participating in the meetings. In addition to that, some of our newest members have also demonstrated just how enthusiastic they are about helping to run the club by taking up po-

OUTGOING

PRESIDENTIAL

ADDRESS

positions in the executive committee for the new term. What’s next for our club? Hopefully more excitement, more passion, and more enthusiasm. The Toastmasters journey is a challenge that is not easy but approaching this goal with a positive and enthusiastic mindset will make it worth it. If we were able to keep our spirits up during a time of online meetings, we will certainly reach new heights now that we are able to work in person together on bringing out the best version of ourselves. As we begin this fresh new term, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the dedication you have shown to both your own goals of becoming a better communicator and leader and to our YAT family; as well as the support that you have given me and the outgoing executive committee in making our club a haven for anyone willing to improve. Thank you for making every meeting special for each other and for our guests, many of whom have decided to join the YAT family after seeing the zeal, creativity and excitement that turns our meetings into ‘moments of enjoyment’ that are the best moments to learn according to our founder Dr. Ralph C. Smedley. I also ask that you extend an even greater level of support to the new executive committee led by your incoming President TM Sara Taher. This is your outgoing President, TM Rod Ybardolaza, signing off and wishing the club, the new officers, and current & future members all the very best in the upcoming term.

Rod Kevin Ybardolaza

TM Rod Kevin Ybardolaza CLUB PRESIDENT 2021-2022

INCOMING

AREA 2 DIRECTOR

ADDRESS

"When a collection of brilliant minds, hearts and talents come together, there is only one expectation – A Masterpiece". This quote truly defines the club’s drive to not just achieve greater heights but also create an environment that reflects their vision they want to achieve. I can proudly state that I am also a member of the Young Adult Toastmasters Club, and it gives me a great honour to have witnessed what YAT can achieve, when they put their mind to it. YAT is truly a testament to the quote by Ralph C Smedley “We learn best in moments of enjoyment”. Let me take this opportunity to thank the executive committee under the Presidentship of TM Rod Kevin for laurels they accomplished during their term. Every ExCom member had a plan set in action since Day 1 and they strived very hard to execute everything as much as possible, keeping the members’ goals and visions in mind. Congratulations for your and the members' positive outlook in the face of adversity. You have demonstrated that the secret to success is planning your activities and executing the plan. Your achievement of 10 DCP points as of date is a testimony to that. You have maintained your concentration on the objective despite the bumps and obstacles along the route. YAT continues to make the journey of toastmasters exciting and enlightening for every member. I believe that 2022-2023 will be yet an exciting journey to embark on with YAT and I can’t wait to witness YAT in action, with the amazing ExCom elected to such leadership positions under the Presidentship of TM Sara Taher. Let’s seize possibilities and look for them in every obstacle we encounter. The capacity to develop other leaders and watch additional leaders emerge, brings the most fulfilment to a leader. Let’s spread the word about the virtues of being a toastmaster because it is only through the dynamic expansion with new members that we can maintain the movement's vitality.

Sarah Ebrahim

TM Sarah Ebrahim

AREA 2 DIRECTOR ELECT 2022-2023

IN THIS ISSUE..... ARTICLES BELIEVING IN OURSELVES - NO MATTER WHAT! BY MICHELLE D'COSTA

A PENGUIN LOVE STORY! BY AKBAR KHAN

BEYOND THE ART! BY AMEENA GHAREEB

A CAKE REVIEW BY ROD KEVIN YBARDOLAZA

CHANGING JOBS BY SARA TAHER

WHAT'S NEW? FIND THE DIFFERENCES (CHALLENGE) KEEPING UP WITH THE YATERS YAT'S FIRST EVER PODCAST FAVORITE SECRET CUPID MESSAGE

MEMBERS

S' QUOTES "Jobs fill your pockets but adventures fill your soul." TM Beena MC

BELIEVING IN YOURSELF -

NO MATTER WH BY MICHELLE D'COSTA

At some point in our lives, we might have felt that nothing seems to go according to how we planned or imagined it to be. This is when reality kicks in and makes us realize that in life nothing is ever predictable or goes according to plan. This might have made us feel devastated and we might have given up on our goals / our passion / our career/ our physical health / and most importantly- our mental health. The list could probably go on and on. This is when we know we have hit our lowest lows and probably need to push ourselves a little harder each day for motivation to do things we normally used to do before. This is the battle we have to first conquer with ourselves first.

Growth is indeed uncomfortable. We need to know that growth requires us to go through the uncomfortable stages and get used to facing turbulence during the process. This helps in making us stronger when faced with unpredictable or unforeseen situations. We learn to deal with life head on no matter what – stirred yet unshaken. We need to grow through what we go through. It does take a toll on our mental, physical and spiritual health in a significant way. We even may lose our patience, our temper levels are on the rise and everything seems to go haywire, but we need to rise back up on our feet and dust ourselves off and push through.

HAT! Many things may not even make sense to us in that moment, and we will not realize what is happening, but we need to stay strong no matter what, and believe that everything in life happens for the greater good. Nothing is constant in life, except change. So once we are faced with challenges, we learn to adapt and grow. We become stronger than our old self. The only thing stopping us sometimes is our own selves. Once we let go of all the chains and limits we set on ourselves, the heights we can reach are never-ending and nothing could bring more happiness than that achievement. Only when we have experienced the lowest of lows, can we experience the joy of small wins/ achievements in our lives. The struggles, challenges and every sorrow life has thrown at us, will all be worth it later once we look back. This is why we must believe in ourselves no matter what and keep going towards our dreams and goals. Never giving up on them no matter how long we have been trying each time. One day it will all make sense as to why it has taken so long and all the struggles that we faced was part of the process to prepare us to be the stronger and better version of ourselves.

MEMBERS

S' QUOTES "Traveller is the one who should look forward to the journery, instead of the destination." TM Sarah Ebrahim

A PENGUIN

LOVE STORY! BY AKBAR KHAN

“2020 might be the worst year but at least I have you” The precious gems are hidden, it is not easy to find them. I found mine in the midst of COVID. When people were completely packed in their safe place in fear, where people were not meeting their relatives and friends, where people were adapting to working from home, where the world was facing the biggest pandemic, where the country borders set the barriers and there was no means to even return back home, I found the love of my life in COVID air. Let me take you to the only positive flashback of 2020 where it all started. One day, I was sitting with one of my best friends in a cafe, I noticed he was browsing a matrimonial site, out of curiosity I asked him about the site, and he told me that you can find a prospect for you on this platform, called ‘Shadi.com’, so I made fun of him, saying there is no such thing that exists online. Because being from an Indian society, our minds were filled with the fact that ‘only your parents can find a suitable life partner for you to be happily married’. But this guy was very serious on this platform so he forced me to create my account, just to challenge me that this platform actually works. So I accepted his challenge and created my profile. After a week, I started getting prospects' invitations from the GCC, India and other parts of the world. I was so amazed! So, the first prospect where the communication took place was from Canada, but it didn’t work out. The second prospect came from Dubai, and again, it didn’t work out. The third and last prospect where I’ve been pitching for 2-3 weeks saying, ‘Can we connect now?’ turned out to be the most special gift I’ve been blessed with from the Almighty! and here I found my penguin, my love at first sight!

Guess what? Parents got involved and we started talking. We started knowing each other. Time got scheduled for the calls. 5 PM - Laiba’s call

I used to call her as I left my office and the call used to end when I reached home to change my clothes. Just imagine our video call was also scheduled. Video calls were on weekends. “Saturday at 11 AM”. We used to dress nicely. Trust me, Laiba used to give different charms on the video call. Beautiful and elegant. I used to crave for the video call and the scheduled calls took place for a few months.

Soon after my parents visited her place for the first time and the Roka ceremony took place. “Roka'' is an Indian tradition where the man’s parents give a ring to the woman as a gift which means that the girl will be a bride-to-be for their son. Though it was just formality as we already confirmed to each other on our calls Haha. After Roka, there was no schedule for calls nor video calls. Whenever we got time, we would call each other.

A PENGUIN

LOVE STORY!

BY AKBAR KHAN

Good morning, Laiba turned to good morning, Baby. After a few months, we decided to have a proper engagement. Just to tell you, we haven’t met each other yet. Everything was still “Virtual” before the engagement. So finally, I booked my tickets and was super excited to meet my penguin. It was something different. Emotions were uncontrollable. Heartbeats were rising. I was trying to frame or write something to practice my speech. I was having terrible nights of thoughts and mixed feelings. Nevertheless, I took the flight and went to India excitedly and took the special golden ring for her from Bahrain.

Everyone at my home was waiting for me for two reasons: one, I was traveling after 22 months. Two, I was getting engaged. Everything was planned from my place to Laiba’s place. My Parents were so happy to see me after a long time. This trip was worth traveling though I had to go through many COVID tests, but it was worth it. My full family were there at Laiba’s place after two days of staying at my place. We went by train and it was so fun spending long hours with family. Blessed! Laiba’s parents came early in the morning around 3 AM to welcome us to the City of Nawab “Lucknow”. My heartbeats went rising even more as I landed in Lucknow. Whatever I had prepared disappeared. Seriously, I was so numb. We went to Laiba’s house for breakfast, and I was trying, peeping, and moving my head left and right to see her but no success. Although, she saw me and sent me a snapchat of me having Chai. The same day was the engagement night and we managed to meet for the very first time in person. FaceTime, WhatsApp, Messenger, Snapchat, Instagram are nothing when you see the love of your life in person. I cannot express in words about her beauty, her smile, her eyes, my god. I wanted to sing her song, but I did not want to spoil the mood. Yes! I sang really badly with wrong lyrics. We met for the very first time and she exceeded my expectations. When my parents said, how is she in person. I said, “Mummy qabool hai” which means super yes. I went to the hotel to get dressed for the evening ceremony. I wore a suit with a bow. Everyone praised the outfit I wore even Laiba loved it.

Relatives, friends, and family were all set for us to exchange the ring and cut the cake. Since I’m a romantic guy, I kneeled down to her and put the ring on. I heard a loud laugh and people were clapping and giving us blessings for this new life ahead. We had a fun family dinner, and I couldn’t control my emotions. I was so happy to be with her. We planned for a lunch date the next day, went to Taj Lucknow and we gossiped about everything. We clicked great pictures and had so much fun spending time together. Getting to know her more and learning about each other was a true bliss. We asked the security guard to click the picture because we shared the same bandwidth of clicking pictures everywhere. Laiba took me to every place that was near and dear to her. I was on her scotty and my life was at stake because riding a scotty in India is another horror story if you are living aboard. The way Laiba was driving was so crazy. But other people, they might be cursing me for sitting backside as Laiba was riding. I know right! She took me to her school, college, and the streets where she used to hangout and market as well. I thought to myself, I have gone to all the places now in Lucknow, thanks to her. Departure was not always a happy moment. We were all set to leave Lucknow. Laiba dropped me to the station on her scotty. There was a silent moment all the way to the station. But we were so happy that we got fixed and got to know each other a lot in a short time. This was much needed. We boarded the train, I gave her a hug and said goodbye to Lucknow and Laiba. “Alvida Lucknow, Alvida Janeman”.

A PENGUIN

LOVE STORY! BY AKBAR KHAN

I traveled back to Bahrain after a few days and I was carrying a lot of memories, hopes and love. At the same time, the second wave of COVID hit India very badly and people were dying like flies. No place to bury or burn the dead which was all over the news across the world. With more restrictions for Indian travelers in GCC and the rest of the world, we decided to get married in October 2021 but COVID cases and third wave news to kick off in October made us decide to get married in July. Things took place in a God speed that we all went super busy with shopping, booking hotels, booking tickets. Everything was looking so messy at first but eventually everything took place nicely. We were sad that our relatives would not be able to make it as there were limited guests allowed in the hotel. Only 50 people were allowed. We boarded the train as “Barati” Groom people and the big day was another day at Laiba’s place. We reached the hotel and had a good breakfast. We decided to have Nikkah at day time and program later in the evening. We both were wearing white dresses for Nikkah and had a blessed Nikkah ceremony in presence of both the parents, relatives, and friends. This is the moment where we said “Qubool Hai” three times to each other and marked the new beginning. Parents had tears in their eyes, and everyone was congratulating and giving us their blessing. We were officially “Husband and Wife” which sounded so funny to us because I was 25 and she was 22. Later in the evening, we all were dressed in full wedding attire. Laiba was looking stunning in her bridal dress, and she made her entry with a beautiful song while I welcomed her on stage with a hook dance step. You all must watch the video on Instagram. People brought so many gifts for us.

Laiba and I had a personal photo session for half an hour, and we made sure that the photographer did not leave any pose untaken. In the end, I gave up on food since I was super hungry. We were making memories for sure. We went to the Maldives to celebrate our Honeymoon. Laiba also came to Bahrain where we are making our home a better place to live. We traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and the next stop will be announced soon for our first anniversary.

Thank you for reading this and being part of our family. Love you All.

MEMBERS

S' QUOTES "I hope our paths cross one day, because I will never forget how home feels like." TM Sara Taher

BEYOND THE BY TM AMEENA GHAREEB

I’m sure all of you have seen theatrical plays before or at least movies. You may have wondered about a certain character looking so realistic! Or an injury in a movie that made your jaw drop because you kept on thinking of how it’s done! In these plays and movies, you get to see many characters with different types of makeup. As an SFX makeup artist! I get to bring life to unreal characters. Yes, we are talking about monsters, zombies and all types of fictional characters. In addition to that, I can also create a very realistic look by just using makeup. I can turn a young person into old by adding some wrinkles and white hair, or creating an injury like a bruise, a cut or a burn. What many people may not realize is that there are a lot of types of makeup. We have the most common one which is beauty makeup. This type of makeup is used to enhance and beautify people. Also, there’s theatrical makeup and cinematic makeup. They both deal with creating a character. However, cinematic makeup is more natural and minimalistic. While theatrical makeup can have very apparent lines and a lot of glitter. To make sure that the makeup doesn’t fade away with the theater's bright lights, and to also make sure that all the audience, especially the ones in the last row, are able to see the character. Makeup plays a very important role, whether in theaters or movies. It gives the actor more confidence, and it makes them believe in the role more which definitely enhances their performance. “That’s one of the things I love about makeup – you can change your whole attitude by just doing your eyeliner or lipstick differently.” – Beyoncé. SFX makeup is definitely a great occupation filled with fun, challenges and new experiences. However, it’s not just about makeup. Therefore, makeup needs the right costume to

E ART! complement it, as well as the right face features, the right acting and of course the right lights settings. If you were to watch a kids play and one of the characters had a green makeup, to represent an ogre for example, and the lights of the play switched to red, that means the character will not have a green look anymore, but it will turn into an unpleasant brown shade. That’s exactly why you need to understand all components before working as an SFX makeup artist because it’s not only about applying makeup and you’re done. It’s about putting all these elements together and working side to side with the director, stylist, etc. 2016 was the year my journey to the SFX world started. Every summer, I would register in a program in “Youth City”. Youth City is an event organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, it includes a lot of activities and programs. That year I had absolutely no idea which program to choose. All I knew was that I wanted to develop myself and have fun. I chose the first program, which was the Toastmasters program. At the time of registration, it seemed to me that yes Toastmasters will develop my skills however it didn’t seem fun to me. That’s why I started looking for another program that is purely for fun! I came across the SFX makeup course and I had no idea what it was actually about! But the word “Makeup” looked appealing and fun to me! and that is why I chose it. The courses started, and here I was on my first day in SFX makeup. The introduction started and I was very lost at that moment. The introduction was theoretical, I learned some new interesting facts and I was introduced to this type of makeup. On the first day of the course, we also got to finally hold the brush and the paints! and the first thing we learnt was bruises. I created a bruise that day, took a picture of it and sent it to my sister telling her “Some dumb lady accidently hit me with her brick looking bag”. I thought it was very obvious that it was a joke. But apparently not! I got so many calls from my sister and my parents asking me if I was okay! That feeling of making people believe that I was hurt just by using different techniques and paints was an accomplishment to me. I looked forward to every day in the course just to give my best performance! I was doing an amazing job for someone who had no knowledge in makeup in general.

BEYOND THE BY TM AMEENA GHAREEB

Days went by and it was the last day of the course! I still remember my mentor “Seddiqa Alansari” on the last day telling me very powerful words which I still remember even after 6 years like it was yesterday. She said “Ameena, you are very talented and you should continue on in this field and not waste your talent. This field is all about practice and the more you practice the better you’ll be!”. The sense of belief that I felt from her was high and to receive such motivation from her meant a lot to me. I took her advice and bought an SFX makeup set and started posting simple work on Instagram. I got a lot of support from my family and friends. But, I was thriving for a chance to work with someone on a short movie or something similar to that. However, I wasn’t so lucky. Few months passed by and I got a text from my previous mentor calling me to work with her on this theatrical play filled with zombie characters. I was honestly jumping with joy at that moment. Of course, I accepted her offer and worked with her on that play. Finally, I got my first payment ever! Which means I can improve my makeup kit. I am having a blast throughout my journey in SFX makeup. But as we all know that with every success, you will face some obstacles in your way. Even though my family has been nothing but supportive, I still faced some issues because of this career path. When I worked on the TV series I would only reach home by 1 or 2AM. My parents totally disagreed with this and they’d fight with me daily regarding this matter. In my last semester in university, I had makeup work 12 hours every day. So I would only go 2 hours to university and then head directly to the filming site. I barely had time to sleep, study or do my assignments. At that time, I was really short on money that I had to think of where to spend the last 1BD on? Food or petrol? Of course, petrol always wins. Not only did I face such obstacles, but I was also bullied by some other makeup artists in the same field because I wasn’t using the high-end brands of makeup as I was only using what I could afford. There was this makeup artist who once said “Oh! Who does this CHEAP brush belong to?!”. That didn’t really help with my confidence at that time.

E ART! Even though I got bullied and a lot of obstacles came my way, with each job I had, I started having more makeup jobs. I became more experienced, and I started working with celebrities. I worked for Bahrain TV. As well as different famous actors in Bahrain such as Ahmed Sharif, Adbullah Bushehri, Salwa Bukheet (Um Hilal), Mohamed Yaseen (Baba Yaseen), Ali Ghurair, Sua’ad Ali, Jaber Alnaghmosh, Sami Rashdan, Jaffar Alsari, Hasan Mohammed and many more actors and artists. I have worked in both theater and TV. I worked on TV programs as well as TV series. I am really proud of myself to make it this far. However, I do want to develop myself more in this field. There’s so much more to learn and I have the motive to improve! That’s why I started looking for places that would teach SFX makeup. But I couldn’t find any in Bahrain. I started looking for other places outside of Bahrain but they are expensive and I cannot travel and leave my studies and my job here in Bahrain. Not only that but SFX makeup supplies are very hard to find here and if you do find them then they are very pricey. SFX makeup is a very underrated field in Bahrain. There aren’t many experienced makeup artists and there are no SFX makeup supplies or courses. More courses should be conducted and the supplies should be easily accessible and shouldn’t be so hard to find. Because of the lack of supplies and courses in Bahrain, I felt like quitting this career path and not proceeding in it. It was hard to find any costumes or SFX makeup supplies and even if you did find them, then they would be super expensive. Because of this I felt like there’s no chance for development in this field. It’s not an easy field at all and what makes it even

BEYOND THE BY TM AMEENA GHAREEB

harder is the lack of support from others. I have been called to many jobs without a pay. They would expect me to do the makeup look for them without paying me. Their excuse was always the same, which is “you will gain experience; you will have something to showcase in your Instagram and when we get another job, we will definitely call you!”. All of this seemed like a great opportunity for me. But I was fooled by them. I worked with them and believed their excuses and that only cost me a lot of effort and a lot of makeup material which drained my energy as well as my money. I then came to the realization of my worth as a makeup artist. I started to only accept the jobs that would pay me and the ones that were challenging and would love to work in them. When I did that I became satisfied with my work as well as feeling appreciated. In any work related field, even if it was just a hobby, you must know your self’s worth to avoid any injustices you may face during your journey in that path.

E ART! In the end, I would love to be a known makeup artist. To get calls from everywhere, not just Bahrain to take jobs of different series and different movies worldwide. This is more than just my dream, this has been a goal in my life. Something to look forward to. This is what it has been all about, making this dream a reality. and as Helena Rubinstein once said:

“Whether you are sixteen or over sixty, remember, understatement is the rule of a fine makeup artist.”

MEMBERS

S' QUOTES "I just want to be great as being me." TM Fahad Ahmed

CAKE REVIEW BY TM ROD KEVIN YBARDOLAZA

Fellow YATers and Dearest Readers, Toastmasters to me has always been an avenue to acquire more knowledge, mainly of course in public speaking and leadership, but also in a multitude of other topics that could be useful in life, such as…. cakes. Think about it, you’ll want to be sure about what cake you get if you ever have to buy one for your boss, your Penguin (non-YATers, please reach out to our VP Membership to understand what a Penguin is in our club) or your family member as getting the right or wrong cake could have life-changing consequences. It is therefore my solemn responsibility to guide you in this matter, through our first ever YAT Cake Review. To start with, I want to share with you why I feel I have some experience with cakes; I can bet with 100% confidence that I eat more cake than you or anyone you know. I have had cake for breakfast, pre-lunch, post-lunch, dinner and midnight snack. I can finish an entire cake on my own before the bakeshop’s best before recommendation. Within my family, it doesn’t matter whose birthday it is, I always feel like it’s mine as I end up finishing all the cakes. Leave a cake in my fridge at your own peril, the cake will disappear as if Thanos had snapped it out of existence. Before we start, in true Toastmasters fashion, I am sharing with you the judging criteria: Taste: Self Explanatory Price: Anything below BD 2.5 per slice is cheap, 2.5-3.5 is normal, and above 3.5 is just pricey Other factors: Like uniqueness, design etc. Would I eat it again? If I would, so should you.

Another note, I’ll be leaving out of this review any cakes from what I call the Triumvirate: Lilou’s, Le Chocolat and Cake Boutique. As a Bahraini resident, you would have almost certainly tried one or more of the cakes from these shops due to their popularity here, so I thought it best to spread awareness on the other options out there instead.

Without any further ado, let the cake fest begin!

W TIRAMI-WHO?

CARAMEL MACCHIATO TIRAMISÙ -NINO’s o Nin

re of g. That pictu in k in th e r ’r u w what yo e the regula lik g in th o n Alright, I kno s u look culinary hiato Tiramis cc a M l e e appropriate m ra th a C ve lie e b I them a s out there; bat, I’m giving e th ff tiramisu cake o t h ig R d’. ert. The ‘deconstructe onplace dess m m description is co is th n soak nique take o sso) is used to re sp e l a point for a u su u e an th ea m , ffee (rather th mascarpone cr e th to macchiato co in d e nd bove and mildly ble The price is a l. e m ra ca the ladyfingers h it d w the dish is drizzle lso must put in a lly a n o rs and the entire e p g you r kes, considerin into a regula ts n e n o p m co average for ca parated nd mbine the se d this cake a ye jo n e lly a work to reco re n ; b ut I on your spoo e it b u is m ra ti for more. would return

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CAKE REVIEW BY TM ROD KEVIN YBARDOLAZA

YOU MAKE IT L IL T IT E K A C P CU

SELECTION OF SIX FLAVORS -CUPCAKE BOUTIQUEI personally don’t like c upcakes; I th with the id ink that wh e a of a cu p oever came cake sacrifi cake for p up c e d a ll the goodne ortability. H s o s w o ever, in th f a real diversity, I e spirit of decided to in c lu tr s ion and y o u t so m e Boutique. I’ cupcakes fr ll have to o m a pologize fo Cupcake con s u m e d r the lack all six before o f p h o tos, I had I realized I n Saffron one eeded a sna was the one p . T h e Pistachio that stood o that was n ut, a nice fla ew to me. v o r c ombination The rest of Pistachio R the flavors aspberry, C (P is ta chio Nutella arrots, Red six mini cu , Velvet) were pcakes were … a c c e p ta b s e le curely pack . Th e (similar to th ed in a lon e on e s u s e d g , th to in box pack coffee points on a capsules), s ppearance o a th n d e y score packaging. point for Va I would also lue for Mon g iv e e y , but overall them a being inferi , my opinio or to regu n o n la cupcakes r cakes rem challenge, ains uncha in case any n g e d o f y o u h av (open to other cupca e any reco kes). Warnin m m e n dations on g: If ever you not, under do try this b any circum a k e s hop out, do stances, bu ch e e s e ca ke y their min . I love che iS a n Sebastian esecakes in crazy abou general and t the San S a m particularly ebastian ty injustice. pe, but the ir version is pure

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(INSERT INTER ESTING

TITLE FOR BASIC CAKE HE RE)

RED VELVET CAKE -CAFÉ CHANTILLYgot red velvet has , n a e m I . e k this ca y no caption for ite this, man sp e D r. ve e I honestly had s st cake Velvet in my f the simple d e R l a e id e h to be one o it right. T (not just a ill don’t get st s p o sh ocolate flavor e k ch a f b o t in h a s a delicious sponge that h ); and has a g n ri opinion has a lo co d o fo s commit that has red me bakeshop o (s g plain sponge in st o fr se ). The r cream chee eir red velvets th n o Mascarpone o m a e cr ular rmer using just reg ted near the fo ca lo r, a a the crime of (S lly anti ch of e from Café Ch an added tou t o g ’s It Red Velvet cak t. a ly th d in achieves exact are macerate t a th s e n Saar Cinema) o t swee k es not the overlys red velvet ca a r fa s a l a n berries (fresh, io n-tradit if of the cake, no ost expensive lm a ’s it y sa syrup) on top ld ce, I wou k it’s good . As for the pri it e lik I t u , but I still thin b is , o lly g a u ct a e k ow tiny the ca udget. you consider h hurting your b t u o h it w y rl la y regu enough to enjo

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CAKE REVIEW BY TM ROD KEVIN YBARDOLAZA

BOURGEOIS / O G O T T N A W FOR WHEN YOU MASTERS) T S A O T F O E ID S ‘BOUGIE’ (OUT

DARK CHOCOLATE BRULÉE -THE ORANGERYH a ve yo u e ver looked at a paintin witness to th g and realiz e work of a ed that you m a s ter? After firs were Dark Choco t setting my late Brulée, e y I e k s n on the ew that I w the layers so as in for a tr clearly defin e a t. e O d bserve in the cake perfectly as slice, layers each is disti th a n t c a tly delicious re done of dark Vah . The outer c lrona choco o a ti n la g te (around 6 is made balances th 5% by my re e sweetness c k o n in of the inner g), which the coating layers. The fi is a chocola rs t la yer in from te mousse, crème bru wrapped aro lée, followe u n d d by a la a layer of chocolate g yer of bord anache, the e rl in e-dark milk n a layer of bits of Ferr sponge with ero Rocher w h at tastes lik near the bo dollop of lig e ttom for te ht chocolate x tu re . T h c re e re is a am on top; value to th in my opinio e dessert a n n , d it a is dds n o just there fo d e d u ct a p r aesthetics oint for the . I’ p ll ri have to ce, conside small enoug ring also th h to fit in m a t th y is palm but I d slice is you’re ever o believe th looking to a t it is w splurge on orth it. If elevated ve a cake, pa rsion of yo rt ic u la u rly on an r mainstrea beeline tow m chocolate ards The Ora c a k e, m a k e a ngery.

W CARROT CAKE -THE ORANGERYretty e is usually p k a C t o rr a C mble nd Velvet, the hu ed sponge, a ic p -s n o m a n Like the Red n into a ci rsion from t is blended cheese. The ve m simple. Carro a e cr r o e n rmal for a ith Mascarpo nd what’s no yo e then frosted w b p e st a ineapple is once again and bits of p s in The Orangery is ra e it h taste ’s got nuts, w you can again d n a e g carrot cake; it n o sp the sting. As easure inside sed in the fro u s a w hidden like tr , m a e cr ust like ther than just sive range (j n e xp e that cheese, ra e th in quite , it too falls the slice size is t u b ), u for the price n e m ery’s at is e in The Orang in and one th ra h a B in s everything els e k rrot ca of the best ca generous. One mmy. visitor to my tu t a e p re a e b going to

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(FOR BOTH CAKES)

CAKE REVIEW BY TM ROD KEVIN YBARDOLAZA

KE LET ME EAT CA

AMAL CAKE -LET THEM EAT CAKESometimes , you want to h a ve ch oc o to feel too late cake, b guilty abou ut you don’t t y o u want r diet by h Chocolate B aving a de rulée. Simp c a le d e d n o t es the job m Dark that I recom ost of the ti mend the m A e m , a al Cake fro nd for bakeshop in m L et T h em S aar so sm a E a ll t th C a k e, a at you migh by too fast. t miss it if yo It’s a dark u a re chocolate s driving chocolate m ponge cak ousse filling e w it h between th a light with a cho e sponge la colate gana y e rs a n c he. That’s a d topped there, but im lot of choc pressively, th o la te repeated ese again h not overly s ave distinct weet, so yo fl a v ors and are u can enjoy con s e q u e n c this repeate es. Another d ly w ith minimal part that I li range, whic ke, the pric h is a barga e is in the chea in for the qu p ality of this c a k e.

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STAR 5 : S K N A E BL FILL IN TH AKE? C R A T S _ MENT, _ H S I L B A T ES

BLUEBERRY VANILLE -DURRAH LOUNGE (WYNDHAM GRAND HOTEL)one to invite some e lik ld u o w I cakes, r stance on cup ls (even five-sta te o H : e p ty o Similar to my re ext ste mind on this n ed to try the d ci e d I s. e k to change my f e good ca round floor o lly don’t serv g ra e e n th e t g a s) fé e a n o urrah C seemed e cake from D ill n a V y rr e e description b e th Blu se u ca e b n types. Grand Hotel more commo e th f the Wyndham o e n o n’t erry and d the cake is t. The blueb p ce n interesting, an co in g d the only interestin the sponge an h it w ll e Alas, it was w d n ’t ble r that usse just didn ottom, and fo b e th s rd chocolate mo a w see to h ad late layer you e third cake I th s a w is h caramel choco T . is again do ot be trying th ll, their cakes e w s a s se ca reason, I will n r e othe also café and in th bakeshops. I e id ts u o t tried from this a vailable d to add to the ones a re a p m nable end, an co so t a o n re n u e th s (so ++), price towards excluding taxe s e k consider their ca ir e th te und, they quo y the bill. salt to the wo you have to pa ce n o n o ti la asty reve giving you a n

SCORE: ______

(yes, I’m that mean honest)

CAKE REVIEW BY TM ROD KEVIN YBARDOLAZA

D THE DAILY GRIN

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CAKE -STARBUCKSecialty all these sp t u o k e e s t cakes uld no iew for the dividual wo v in re r a la g u g in d re a cent lso inclu Admittedly, Cake is de s , s o I am a p te o la h o s c e o k h a C b and o ur Classic patisseries pair with y ucks. Their to rb t ta e S e w t s a r g offe methin r off usually on ld be bette king for so u o o lo w re u a o y u k o en y on rte (I thin enou g h w h sophisticati g not their fo in y k rl c a la le c is is e gh it eir cak le, coffee, thou pastries). Th flavor profi r ry a o il v a s im s ir e ry th ne of e ve a ve opting for o me becaus sponge ha to e g th in s ri d n rp a bit su n a ch e something his is a little i.e. the ga g T n . s ti s c e le e p s x e u s e layers s o I wa tics, the from Lilou, rendering th s e k a c the aesthe ir e n o th t e e v g ti a y g e a ne e. Still, allegedly, th cake scores le shell to m e rt th tu , a y ll n a o n s io arnacle either. more. Addit n’t too bad s look like b is le e c ro ri d p n e a s th hip , the void, and chocolate c a k e. I m ea n C ld actively a u o te w la I o c g o in h eth the L az y C it’s not som tement to go for their ta r rs e e v d e n ’t u n o : D is an Warning #3 ay but it w . a e iv g d a de for this cake g a in y is a p r e e m ft a n ld feel a e n t you w ou tm in o p p a dis

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W SPECIAL MENTION: AL MANAR BAKERY ng you have to ha n e h w e m ti e nth, th ap s end of the mo bank. Or perh e th m o fr e It’s almost the g messa that sweet text on food which y e n o m g in d on till you get h it spen er case, a think it’s wort ’t n o d st ju for you. In eith d u o yo o g t o n is trusty uld clearly say ey have some th , ry e the doctor wo k a b r a n a e b een would be Al M of the cakes I’v e m so good option n a th r tte to not re not only be o guaranteed ls a re a cakes which a y e th ns, ed a e above sectio feel like we ne I , e ic sl r critical of in th e p 1 n BD o-to nk. At less tha awarma’. My g h S e ik L p break your ba a e h irt-C gory entitled ‘D t as well. new price cate kes are decen ca r e th o ir e th but is the Milano,

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Ladies and Gentlemen, that concludes it for the first ever YAT cake review, I hope you find it useful in guiding some of your cake decisions in life. Just remember, if ever you need my help in assessing a new cake, just get me a slice (or a whole) and I will be happy to assist, free of charge.

Rod Ybardolaza President, Cake Addict Connoisseur

MEMBERS

S' QUOTES "No one can do it alone, but we can do it together" TM Maram Al Aradi

CHANGING J BY TM SARA TAHER

“New year, new me” is a statement that has been overused in the past couple of years, so for my new year I am proposing a new statement that represents exactly my year, and that is “New year, new career”. We always hear that stepping outside your comfort zone, generates such an undesirable feeling that we all dislike, and I really thought that with the experiences I went through in life and with the uncomfortable situations I have been in, somehow, I mastered the “stepping-outside-your-comfort-zone” dilemma however, the decision of changing my job proved me wrong. The end of 2021 and the start of 2022 shocked me to my core and made me experience not only stepping outside my comfort zone but also the art of “Letting go”. I left a job that I was 100% comfortable at, in terms of management, working hours, location, workload and flexibility because I truly believed that in order to grow, you will always need to challenge your comfort zone. It started with me applying my CV to the opportunities that I believed fit my qualifications and experience. I also went through so many interviews that some of them I rejected and others that rejected me. Until I found this one particular offer that matched my expectations and career path, as soon as I said yes to it, that is when the challenges started to arise. I started to feel uncomfortable, hesitant and anxious. My very peaceful mind was no longer peaceful. It started questioning me with the most difficult questions. As soon as I closed my eyes every night I heard “Do you REALLY want to change your job?” “But you are comfortable here” “what if they are giving you false hopes” “what if the work environment is bad, you know that’s your nightmare” “you know money is not everything right?” “Do you really think you will develop there?” “Are you sure though?”. Being a person who loves to sleep and can do it with her eyes closed, I found staying awake more relaxing than going to bed and I started to look for every single distraction that can

OBS potentially shut those questions down. Things got even more complicated and stressful when my previous company offered me a counteroffer in order to convince me to stay. That smart move added more to my list of non-ending questions. I had nights that were sleepless and days that were spent in avoidance of those questions that were playing on shuffle in my mind. Until one day I woke up and I chose that there is no way I can survive this situation and the only way to get through this is by facing those questions. I took a moment to take out the questions from my mind and wrote them down on a piece of paper. I stared at them, and I promised myself that I will accept the new offer ONLY if I am at peace and comfort with those questions and there is no way I can be at peace and comfort if I do not get the answers for those questions. Once I wrote the questions down, I also made a table of two columns and listed the two company names and compared the advantages and disadvantages of both places. At that point, I thought that this table would clear most of my doubts, but unfortunately, I was wrong since the comparison was almost a tie!! I spent another few days in confusion and discomfort until I decided that it is the time that I need to humble my strong independent personality and I should seek more help from my surroundings. So here are a few steps I took that significantly help me in my decision-making:

CHANGING J BY TM SARA TAHER

Making the unknown a known: The fear of unknown “known as xenophobia” hinders us from taking a decision if we feel unfamiliar with the outcome, so the more you know about a particular matter, the more you will be comfortable with it. I started to read a lot about the company I am moving to, the business they run, their product, their net sales, their history, how it started, and how it is going. I even looked up the employees who work there via LinkedIn and checked their background. Linked through LinkedIn: The social platform LinkedIn is known to be a very powerful tool for job seekers, employers as well as employees. I used this tool to my advantage, and I approached people from the organization who I felt could benefit me with information with regards to the work environment, management commitment as well as workload. Confirming the thoughts: The fact is that, if an organization is interested in you, they would do everything in their power to make you join them, so feel free to ask, ask as many questions as you can until you get the answers that satisfies you. Always remember that during job interviews they were not easy on you, now it is your turn to not be easy on them! Calling up a friend: Sometimes and unfortunately, we tend to forget our worth and what our capabilities are. Calling a friend who has always been supportive is definitely a huge emotional boost. A friend who is wise enough to highlight to you your strength, what you have that others lack, what makes you unique and how strong you are to overcome such life decisions.

OBS An expert eye will never lie: (for real though the title of this step sounds dope yeah?). Anyways, the last and most useful step I took, is that I felt free to approach elders who experienced the same field. People from my circle, such as friends, relatives or even neighbors. Especially those who tried multiple jobs at multiple different organizations because such people were at some point experiencing the exact feeling that I have and I for sure will learn something from their experience.

Dear reader, let me tell you that now I am six months in with my new organization. I am so glad that I did not allow fear to stop me from taking this decision. Today I am learning more, I am being challenged harder and developing faster. Looking back, it is mind-blowing how the very dark tunnel I was in gave me the shiniest ending. “Our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT - How did you Toastmasters?

hear

Social MediaInstagram posts.

about

LinkedIn/

- What made you join? 1. To improve my communication skills on a personal and professional level. 2. To build new and meaningful connections with people who inspire me. - Why YAT? The young crowd with a nice fun vibe that it possesses – is what attracted me to join this club. - What are your goals for your Toastmasters’ journey?

MICHELLE D'COSTA

To bring out the best version of myself and everyone around me. Along with that – learn to take responsibility and develop my o.

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT leadership skills with practice. - Describe yourself! I am an individual who loves meeting new people and getting to know different cultures. - Lastly, is there anything else you would like to say to the YATers or anyone reading this? No.

MICHELLE D'COSTA

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT - How did you Toastmasters?

hear

about

First time I heard about Toastmasters was in 2015 as I watched Dananjaya Hettiarachcchi-World Champion of Public Speaking 2014’s speech “I see something in you”. But that time I was not aware, Toastmaster is having clubs here in Bahrain. It was TM Jithin Shaji, who invited me to experience a toastmasters’ meeting. - What made you join?

JATINDER KALER

I joined Toastmasters because I loved the supportive and friendly community, where everyone helps each other not only to learn and practice public speaking, but leadership skills also to network with people from different walks of life, work together on different projects and grow together. - Why YAT? From day one I came to know ab-

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT out toastmasters, and the first time I visited the club, I loved the energy. I joined YAT because this club has very young and multi-talented members. Looking forward to learning from all YATers and feeling myself younger 😊😊 - What are your goals for your Toastmasters’ journey? I want to focus and improve my writing and communication skills by participating in delivering speeches at the club. - Describe yourself! I would describe myself as someone who is highly motivated, a people person. I really enjoy meeting and working with a lot of different people, and I am known for being a great listener, whether I’m engaging with colleagues or interacting with clients. - Lastly, is there anything else you would like to say to the YATers or anyone reading this? No.

JATINDER KALER

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT - How did you Toastmasters?

hear

about

I came to know about it from a friend of mine and social media. - What made you join? Great potential in each member, Comfortable environment and friendly vibe. - Why YAT? Friendly chemistry between each member and how comfortable and motivated a guest feels in each meeting. - What are your goals for your Toastmasters’ journey?

AMAN MIRZA

My goal is to have fun along with learning a lot from fellow members, gain confidence and leadership skills. - Describe yourself! I am a sensible doer, whatever I

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT I do I plan it out, set goals and then try to achieve them bit by bit. I consider myself a focused person, I can multitask but I rather do 1 task at a time to get it done then move on to the next one. I might seem quiet and on my own, but I am an outgoing and fun loving person. - Lastly, is there anything else you would like to say to the YATers or anyone reading this? I want to thank YAT members for pushing not even me but everyone to become a better version of ourselves.

AMAN MIRZA

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT - How did you Toastmasters?

hear

about

I’ve known about Toastmaster since 2017 from Youth City 2030. I was there in the Toastmasters program but I never knew how to actually join a Toastmasters’ club. - What made you join? Toastmasters is a new challenge in my life. It is a new step for me as I am trying to move on and cut all negativity from my life. Toastmasters is the new start I need. - Why YAT? Because YAT has an amazing atmosphere and the members are very helpful and supportive. So I feel like it’s the right place for me to develop and rise.

AMEENA GHAREEB

- What are your goals for your Toastmasters’ journey? To develop, accept new challenges and support others!

NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT - Describe yourself! I am a cheerful person who will make you look terrifying with a brush, kind hearted and sweet. - Lastly, is there anything else you would like to say to the YATers or anyone reading this? To those who will read this. You are strong, you are amazing, and you are one big happy family.

AMEENA GHAREEB

YAT'S MEME PAGE What others see in an online contest...

What others DON'T see in an online contest...

No one: Me: *judging the guest that came in casual*

No one: Guests during business session:

You: *spends so much with mentee explaining the project Mentee: *fails project* You:

Special prize for first 3 winners

FIND THE DIFFERENCES

Hint: There are 10 differences

KEEPING UP W

YATE Writing a book for publishing and creating an Islamic planner. - TM Sarah Ebrahim -

Currently focusing on myself and trying to prioritize

health

and

well

being

over

everything else. - TM Michelle D'Costa -

If it isn't obvious already, HORSE RIDING!~ - TM Maram Al Aradi -

Baby/Wife-sitting! - DTM Khaled Ismaeel Growing a person

- TM Najla Qamber -

WITH THE

ERS More concentration on work only. - DTM Ahmed Rizvi -

Playing football. - TM Anas Abdulla Busy with job. - TM Beena MC -

Lately I’ve been doing what is equivalent to a lack of anything. There comes a point in someone’s life where nothing leads to anything, so what’s the point of doing something? Yes, there is no use, therefore there is nothing to be done :) - TM Mustafa Mohammed -

KEEPING UP WITH THE

YATERS I started to prioritize myself. Focusing on my both physical and mental health. I started as well to be very selective on where to invest my time and who to spend my time with. throughout the days we get really drained and exhausted over things that do not add any value to us or to our lives. So prioritizing these few things made a significant impact on my self development and positive mindset. - TM Sara Taher -

Lately i've been cooking , also improved my tag of ' Being late most ot the time ' tag to ' Being late always' umm is thats downgrade or an upgrade ? Oh yes also doing stand up ! - TM Sean D'Costa -

Sketching.

- DTM Nada Qamber -

Baby sitting 😁 😁 just kidding. My new jobs keeping me as busy as baby sitting. - DTM Oswin Fernandes -

YAT'S FIRST EVER

PODCAST

BY MARAM AL ARADI

Click Me!

I have always believed that if you don’t challenge yourself and try new things, you would never know what and how it feels, and you will not improve as Morgan Freeman said, “Challenge Yourself: It is the only path which leads to growth”. That is the idea that I had when chose to do “Create a Podcast” project. The word podcast has been growing significantly in the past couple of years and I have always wanted to attempt being a Talk Show host like Steve Harvey who inspires me a lot. The purpose of the podcast is benefiting our members and the Toastmasters community from our 4 YAT horsemen, for those new in the organization, to attempt participating in these contests, lose the fear of judging and competing and get to know each contest in depth from our experts. In addition, showcase our YAT members, their experiences and personal tips that lead to their success. Enjoy!~

FAVORITE SECRET

WE ASKED OUR YATERS ABOUT T

Cant wait to see you grow into an influencing speaker on TED talk, you have a drive and passion.. all power to you.. you are one of the best YAT has.. all the very best Sarah... we love you at YAT.

TM Sarah Ebrahim

Always remember your worth and never compromise for anything. You literally deserve the best and nothing less.

TM Michelle D'Costa

The perfect example of a true gentleman , I think if friendship had a championship you'll ace it ! Unfiltered unabashed conversation just the way I like it ! Whether you win the toastmaster championship or not I feel you've championed life already ! We are gonna go a long way bro ! Much love & Mad respect!

TM Anas Abdulla

You ain't daddy's little princess ! You were born a QUEEN ! Such a go getter it gets intimidating at times but that's why your both aspirational and inspirational! Admire your charisma !

TM Maram Al Aradi

Uncle Rizvi, you welcomed me into the club and made sure we were taken care of when we were outside of the club. Thank you for being the mentor, father figure and making Toastmasters feel like home away from home. May you always be blessed with love and abundance like you've blessed me with the same. <3

DTM Ahmed Rizvi

Do you ever look at someone and just wonder ‘What is going on in their head?’ Yep that’s me.... to you 😁

TM Mustafa Mohamed

T CUPID MESSAGE

THEIR FAVORITE CUPID MESSAGE

Spread love and happiness

TM Beena M. C.

Here's what I understood from the cupid letters -I'm not a snowflake -I might be funny enough do stand up -Someone is envious of me -I'm a zero -I'm scared of my wife -I could write a book called ' Go to hell' -I'm a misfit and they Love me bro !

TM Sean D'Costa

Ayyyy my buddyy!!! thank you for gossiping with me the most and always being my relief valve whenever i am overloaded with steam haha!. not that type of steam, the stinky one LOL i meant odorless steam. okay. bye

DTM Khaled Ismaeel

The tea is always strong and pleasant with you. For its not the tea that makes it good, but the company itself.

TM Sara Taher

When there is the Nada, there is peace.

DTM Nada Qamber

You are loved and supported. I am so grateful that God put you on my path. You are a blessing I never thought I needed. Thank you!

TM Najla Qamber

EXCOM REPORTS

SERGEANT AT ARMS OUR INVENTORY

Notes: 1. Role player sheets are logged and replenished. 2. Cannot order ribbons until July 18 when online store reopens. 3. Handover to Upcoming SAA TM Ameena is completed. 4. Zoom subscription must be cancelled. 5. Ungiven ribbons must be figured out.

TM Mustafa Mohammed

TREASURER OUR FINANCES

Notes:

TM Oswin Fernandes

1. Our finances look stable with decent surplus. 2. Ah Counter collection was challenging. 3. The old membership fees will be implemented since we are 100% physical which are BHD 90/-. 4. Handover to Upcoming Treasurer will be done before the term ends.

SECRETARY TOASTMASTER OF THE YEAR SUMMARY REPORT It has been an incredible journey in YAT 2021-2022. I would like to appreciate each and every member of YAT who had put in such great effort in taking up various roles, completing the levels, representing YAT in Area and District meetings, participating and competing in various competitions, ultimately bringing fame and glory to YAT. Today YAT is in limelight, it’s because of the energetic and enthusiastic members. Hats off to each and every one of you. As the secretary, I must record the minutes of each meeting, take note of the amendments (if necessary), conduct a quorum if required. This year was a challenge for me as I had to keep the report up to date. Every month our members enroll by taking up roles outside the club. Well done guys! It sure is an amazing and learning experience being the secretary of YAT.

TM Beena M. C.

VP PUBLIC RELATIONS OUR SOCIAL PLATFORMS

TM Maram Al Aradi

Notes: Prepared and executed a podcast project thus reviving the YouTube Channel Released two newsletters in the term Many active prospects via IG Completed handover to VPPR Elect TM Michelle

VP MEMBERSHIP CLUB ROSTER FOR 2021-2022

Notes: Inducted 11 members so far Won Smedley Membership Award Several prospects will be attending joining hopefully soon.

and

TM Najla Hameed

VP EDUCATION Phew! That was a long and dramatic rollercoaster ride for everyone! However, what I am glad for is that the ride ended up with so much happiness and achievements. This term for me was deeply challenging, from personal development aspects as well as club leadership aspect. There have been multiple incidents that I was pushed outside my comfort zone, and I am glad that for most of those incidents I was able to control my actions and behavior. I am confident that this experience added a lot to me and prepared me for my upcoming role as the president. Despite the struggles, our members performed great with their paths. New members who joined this term such as TM Anas Abdullah was able to complete an entire path! This shows their dedication and desire to self-develop.

TM Sara Taher

Other than the induvial achievements, we have succeeded in all the areas of the Distinguish Club Program and that’s what lead to Young Adult Toastmaster Club being one of the outstanding clubs in the area this term. Thanks for the members, ExCom team and specifically Madam VPM TM Najla Hameed for her help in bringing in as many guests as possible and growing our family! We are looking forward and confident that in the coming terms we can maintain such performance and achievements!

VP EDUCATION Distinguised Club Program Report for 2021-2022

CLUB PRESIDENT With the installation ceremony meeting held on the 15th of June, YAT has completed 24 meetings for the term. The icing on the top of the cake; we have achieved 10 out of 10 DCP points, becoming a President’s Distinguished Club for the second year in a row, a win that our members and our club officers have contributed. The handover for the officers of the new term is nearing its completion which, along with the upcoming club officer training, will make them ready to lead the club this term. Our online presence grew this year through the quality content posted on our social media

TM Rod Ybardolaza

pages including a series of podcast sessions containing tips and tricks from our experienced members. Our presence in the competitions have also been impressive this year, with our members making it all the way to Division level. Membership growth has been tremendous this year, with the club attracting new members through the efforts of our outgoing VPM. YAT’s monthly executive meetings were conducted regularly and with actionable ideas to improve the club’s overall standards and performance. We know that this is just the beginning and that a new level of success will be achieved in the coming term because of the teamwork at YAT.

DISTRICT AWARDS

AUGUST 2021

DISTRICT AWARDS

SEPTEMBER 2021

DISTRICT AWARDS

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021

DISTRICT AWARDS

NOVEMBER 2021

DISTRICT AWARDS

DECEMBER 2021

DISTRICT AWARDS

JANUARY 2022

DISTRICT AWARDS

MARCH 2022

DISTRICT AWARDS

MARCH 2022

MEETING POSTERS

MEETING NO. 270

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MEMBERS RECOGNITIONS

INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR MEETING? We meet every 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 7:30 pm. Currently at Fraser Suites - Seef Please RSVP to our VP Membership TM Afzal Khan +973 33857816

ALL GUESTS ARE WELCOMED!~

YAT'S ME ROST

EMBERS TER

THE VOX YOUNG ADULT TOASTMASTERS CLUB NEWSLETTER AREA 2, DIVISION C, DISTRICT 20, REGION 11 YATbh

Young Adult Toastmasters www.yatbh.org

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE ISSUE 34 - TERM 2021-2022 - RELEASE: 30TH JUNE 2022