Table-topics + My 7th speech

Tuesday evening was lots of fun, and quite an important day for me. While this was partly because of the new Glee episode (please see my previous post ^_^), it was also because of Toastmasters.
It was a big meeting for all of us that night, (though particularly for me), for 3 reasons:1) Firstly, we were having a Table Topics contest, which was a pretty huge deal. For those who don't know, Table Topics is kind of a game we play at every Toastmaster meeting, after members have given their prepared speeches. The Table Topics Master gives a random topic, theme or question, one that no one is prepared for, and calls on someone from the audience to speak on that subject for two to three minutes.
Sounds easy, right? Well, it is often lots of fun (we have gotten lots of laughs playing the game), but for some people, it might be harder than you think. Especially when the topics get really random, or they're about something you don't have much knowledge about. The good news is that you can change the subject any time, if you don't feel comfortable talking about it. In a way, Table Topics teaches you conversation skills. If someone hits you with a question you're not prepared for, you need to think on your feet and respond, hoping that you sound half-way intelligent.
So yeah, Toastmasters has these contests in their clubs every year, for Prepared Speeches, Humorous Speeches, Evaluations, Table Topics, etc. It's to stir a little healthy competition for being the best speakers around. There's the Club level, then the District, Area, and Division levels, before you go to the International level.
Our contest at our home club, Beacon Point, was lots of fun. We had 5 competitors, 2 of which were Annette and myself. We drew numbers to see which order we would speak in. Annette got to be third. I CAME FIRST! O,o (Yes, I did get a few butterflies in my stomach.)

2) The second thing was that, somehow, we had the MOST guests at our meeting that night than in any meeting in my recent memory! Usually we have around 8 to 10 people at a given meeting, but this night we had a 10 official club members, PLUS 8 or 9 first-timers who were completely new to Toastmasters!

Since I was first in line to speak for Table Topics, all the added faces in the crowd made my inner flock of butterflies flutter a bit faster. The 4 other contestants left the room, so they wouldn't hear what the question or my response would be. (We are all given the same question. The judges critique our answers.)

When I was finally called upon and asked the question (How do you define success?), I paused, took a deep breath, and started talking in as clear a voice as I could manage. Funny enough, when I was up there speaking, the many people in the room didn't bother me that much. In fact, if there had been less people, I think I'd have been more nervous. Does that make any sense? Maybe a part of me thought that if there were more people, there was more of a chance that people would like my talk. I don't know. But I was sure glad when my turn was over, and I could watch Annette and the others give their responses.

Neither my twin, nor I placed in the Table Topics contest. But it was still really fun. ^_^

3) Perhaps the biggest part of the meeting, for me personally, was that I gave my 7th speech. It'd been weeks and weeks since I gave my last speech, and this time I really did myself proud. The project of speech #7 is to do research on your topic, so I decided to talk about a holiday that is fast approaching: Valentine's Day.

Enjoy watching! ^_^

Return of Glee!!!

I am SO happy that Glee has come back full throttle! Like, more than text could possibly express! ^___^ The last two episodes that have aired this week were, in my humble opinion, the best I've ever seen! I'm simply bursting to tell you guys how much I liked them!!!!! *squee!*

This post may end up being a bit on the long side, because I really want to write about both Sunday's and tonight's episodes. Also, I might be spilling a ton of spoilers!!! Just thought I'd warn everybody.

Here's where you guys can see the Superbowl episode on Hulu. You have GOT to see this episode, if you haven't already. Then I won't feel too much like I'm giving it away for you guys. (Yes, you'll have to sit through some commercials. =P But trust me. It's totally worth it. ^_~)

Wow. That was the only word in my head after I saw the Glee episode that aired immediately after the friggin' Super Bowl! After the big game ended and the post-game show started running, promos kept popping up and hyping up the fact that "Glee is coming up next!" I was totally thinking, "I KNOW! Stop telling me that! >,<" I started thinking that the new episode couldn't possibly live up to all the hype, that I'd be disappointed.

Thankfully, for me, I most certainly was not. ^_^

The story was amazing. I bet the long break since Christmas really helped with the writing. You could tell the people making this episode were going for really BIG! I mean, their budget was obviously enormous! That huge routine with the cheerleaders singing Katy Perry! Sue getting to use a human cannon for her cheer-leading routine! Sue wrecking the principal's office in a mad rage! Plus, of course, the whole Thriller half-time show, where everyone dressed up as the most AWESOME zombies ever! Really, they did a fantastic job with the scary makeup. RAWR!

What really turned me for a loop was the whole "football players join Glee club" plot. I loved it. The kids were totally "No way! Not going to happen!" It completely drew me in, and I liked that Mr. Schu and Coach Beiste made an effort to bring the 2 warring cliques together to make peace. It gave a ton of character development for Kurt's bully, Dave Karofsky. I mean, you still hate the guy, but for at least a while, when he's singing and dancing with New Directions, he's not that bad a person.

One of the most memorable songs in the episode, without a single doubt, was "Bills, Bills, Bills," performed by the Warblers. (Go backward a post to see a video clip of it.) I believe EVERY song that Darren Criss (Blaine) sings on Glee is the best. He never fails. Think about it: "Teenage Dream", "Hey Soul Sister", "Baby it's Cold Outside". Each one is absolutely the bomb! (Later in this post, I'll tell you about the double-dose Darren gave us in tonight's episode. ^_~) But honestly, "Bills" was soooo catchy! I just loved it. ^___^

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And now for tonight's episode, "Silly Love Songs", which had a Valentine's Day theme. Just like the Toastmaster speech I gave tonight! (Don't worry. I'll tell you more about that in another post. ^_~) Get ready for some MAJOR spoilers here. Unless you see the episode here. Then they won't be spoilers anymore. Yay!

Firstly, I MUST say this:

+

=

After the Sunday episode, I seriously thought nothing could top it. But just like before, Glee surprised me, and it did. They did a seriously good job mixing together all the love stories, and making them convincing and real. Well... Puck and the big girl, Lauren's, case is the only relationship I don't completely understand. O,o But I'm not going to argue with it. It's kinda funny. =P

The Finn+Quinn thing was pretty interesting. I can't tell anymore whether I want them to get together, or Finn and Rachel to get together. I mean, he gave Rachel that gold star necklace as a late Christmas gift! So sweet! (I actually got a special necklace somewhat like that for Christmas too, so it reminded me of that. ^_~) Santana was SO mean, giving him and Quinn mononucleosis. I hope she becomes a better character, eventually.

I LOVED that Kurt got a full plot-line for the first time in weeks! I mean, in both the Christmas and Superbowl themed episodes, all Chris Colfer got to be in was one song with Blaine and another few lines each. That was it. >,< Kurt is one of my absolute FAVORITE characters on the show, and I really didn't like at all that Kurt wasn't being included that much anymore. But for this episode, he was! ^_^

It was absolutely heartwarming. Blaine reveals that he has this crush on another guy, this Gap employee, and Kurt, of course, gets heart-broken. After having a chat with Rachel and Mercedes, who give him surprisingly good advice, Kurt agrees to help woo Blaine's crush with the Warblers with the song "When I get you Alone". Unfortunately, while the song was totally awesome (wink-wink ^_~) it doesn't work out as Blaine intended. ~,~ But Kurt is there to comfort him and (I totally gave an inward "OMG!" at this part!) it seems like they are officially a couple! Ever since Blaine became a part of the cast, I'd always wanted Kurt and him to get together, and they finally have! YAY!!!

I know, I know. They are only fictional characters in a TV universe. But I can't help it. Kurt and Blaine agreeing to be boyfriends just makes me so happy, for some reason. ^___^

The thing I absolutely loved about this episode, besides the Kurt+Blaine thing, was all the songs in it. Every single one was a winner. From "Fat Bottomed Girls", the Queen hit Puck used in an attempt to woo Laura, to "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)"(no video, just audio), which Artie and Mike performed (another Michal Jackson song! YES!), to Rachel's fantastic cover of "Firework" (Bad quality. Sorry, but I couldn't find better.), which sounded so close to the original. (I adore the fact that this particular song got Glee'd up. ^_^) The finale, in which the Warblers return to sing "Silly Love Songs" (again, just audio) by Paul McCartney, had to be the best, though. Hey, it's Darren Criss singing Beatles. You've gotta love it! ^_^

The preview for the next Glee episode looked slightly interesting. It seems like Emma finally comes back (I was just starting to wonder what became of her, actually.). I'm not expecting anything from it, though. Right now, I'm just running on my high from seeing 2 totally excellent episodes practically in a row that couldn't possibly be topped. ^_^

Wow. If you made it all the way to the bottom, then you must be as dedicated a Gleek as I am. ^_^ Tell me: what did YOU think of Glee's 2 most recent episodes?

Oh-oh-oh-oh,oh-oh-oh-oh MY GOD!

It's past midnight as I'm writing this now,

so I think I'll just make this post short and sweet. ^_~

Superbowl 45 was AWESOME!

Christina Aguilera sang the National Anthem beautifully!

Probably the most beautiful rendition I've ever heard!

The Half-time show with the Black-Eyed Peas was SOOOO cool!

I loved all the songs they performed. ^_^

The Green Bay Packers won against the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25.

(It's a good thing I was rooting for the Packers.

Not for any particular reason, but I'm glad they won. YAY!)

And, of course, the new episode of Glee that aired after the game was

EVERY BIT AS AWESOME AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE!!!

Seriously, I'm gonna have to write an entirely separate post for how much I loved it. Tomorrow though. This silly vampire is all tuckered out tonight. ~,~ And I need to be practicing for my next Toastmaster speech! O,o

In the meantime, please enjoy this video clip of what I thought was one of the BEST songs in "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle". ^_^ (They were all awesome performances, but I absolutely loved this one. Mostly because of Darren Criss. *_*)

More tomorrow, if I'm able to work it in! I promise! ^_~Goodnight, everybody!

Shiver review

This book was heavily recommended to me by my friend Amy, aka the Simple Little Bookworm (see her review of it here). Since I had read and intensely enjoyed The Book Thief, another novel Amy said I would like, I decided to give "Shiver" a try.

Getting into it, I knew right off the bat that it would remind me a lot of the Twilight Saga, because they were both paranormal teen romance novels. I only hoped that this story would be a better one. Trust me. It was. ^_^

Here are the few key differences that makes Shiver the better read:

~There are only werewolves. No vampires whatsoever! This was a very good thing, in my case. (I've been on Team Jacob from the start. ^_~)

~The book is written so that almost every other chapter is narrated either by the human girl, Grace, and the werewolf boy, Sam. Well, most of it is from Grace's view, but at least not all of it, as was Bella's case.

~There aren't any love triangles. So the story is ultra-simple. Grace loves Sam. Sam loves Grace. That's it. It's like what might have happened if Bella had never fallen in love with Edward, only Jacob.

Besides these things, the similarities to Twilight were pretty strong, but this book somehow seemed a lot better written. The characters seemed more like real, multi-dimensional, good-hearted people. The rules of this fictional world (some people can turn into werewolves, but only when the temperature gets cold) were acceptable, with some suspension-of-belief.

Most of all, the 2 lead characters, Grace and Sam, were characters that I truly wanted to see get together. They treated each other like equals, even though one of them obviously had super-natural powers that the other didn't. (This is unlike the relationship in Twilight, where Bella basically treats Edward like a god, and she doesn't understand why he's in love with her, because she has low self-esteem.)

I'm not sure what else I can say without giving away the story, but suffice it to say that I really liked it. I hear that this is only the first book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, though I believe Shiver does quite well, even on it's own. (Except the ending felt strangely anti-climactic. O,o) Well, perhaps I'll read the other two in the series, Linger and Forever, when the latter comes out this July.

Thanks, Amy. 2 for 2, you have steered me in the right direction of a good read. What do you have for me next? ^_~

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btw, I also wanted you guys to check out this new song I wrote on my poetry blog. Tell me what you think. *_*

Rabbit-rabbit

Don't ask me why, but at the beginning of each month, this is what my parents say to each other. Haha, they make a contest out of who'll be the first to say it. My dad nearly always wins. (Nearly. My mom wins some too.)

It's just a fun and cute thing to say, isn't it? "Rabbit-rabbit!" ^_^

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So yeah, in honor of it being a "rabbit-rabbit" day, with a brand new month ahead of us and all, I thought I would check out how I've been doing on my resolution list so far. Let's see...

1) This year I found a great place for me and my family to sing Karaoke on the weekends, so that is way cool. ^_^

2) I wrote 1 poem and 1 short story this month. O,o Wow, that doesn't sound like a lot! I'm going to have to step up for February! (No problem. I'll probably write lots of poems for Valentines. ^_~)

3) Read 1 totally awesome book, which was "The Book Thief." I am now reading "Catcher in the Rye", which is a very interesting book, but I doubt will go on my totally awesome list. Recently though, I did pick up "Shiver" from the library and peek at a few chapters, and that looks really great! Thanks for recommending it, Amy!

4) I've decided to give up on my goal of never seeing previews. It is just too difficult for me. Yes, sometimes they spoil the whole movie, but previews are fun to see! They make it easier to judge which movies I'll likely be seeing. So from now on, I won't be running away from the previews. (But I won't be looking for them, either.)

5) Much earlier this month, I had the chance to meet a celebrity at a book-signing event, but I didn't go. I was super excited to meet her, because that would be part of my "shake hands with famous people" goal, and I wanted to tell you about meeting her, but since it never happened, I didn't talk about it. Well, you're reading about a girl who could have met Whoopi Goldberg, but didn't. *shrug* Oh well. I reserved her book from the library, anyway.

6) Another goal that I'm sad not to have kept is that I haven't been keeping track of the people I "make happy" every single day. That is, I kept track of them for about 2 weeks, and then I just forgot to keep up. But it was a good experiment. It made me realize that everyone has their own definition for being happy. Besides, you have no idea how many people you can make happy every day just by being there. ^_^

Finally, lucky number 7. I thought I'd end us on a very happy note, because this was the very best goal I accomplished this January. That was my "meet at least 3 virtual friends" goal.

Well, I met someone. ^___^

WHAT?! I met HIM? Are you serious?!?!? I've been friends with this kid for 2 entire years, and I only met him, virtually in person, in January 2011!!! How could I not tell everybody that I met Jacoby freakin' Nielsen???

Well, to tell the truth, I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it. ^_~

But yes, just a few days ago, I met my first, longest and best friend in the blogging world for the first time ever, using a webcam. We stayed up late, ended up talking for more than 3 hours, and just had tons and tons of fun. (It is always a party when Jacoby and I have a conversation like that. ^,^) My brother and sister even got to meet him too, so that was way exciting!

So thank you, Jacoby. You were really exciting to meet in person. You are crazier, funnier and much more awesome in real life than you could ever be with text (and that is plenty awesome in itself. ^_~). I can't wait to go even further and meet you off-screen someday. Hahaha.

I wonder who'll be the next friend from here I meet... Skype, anyone?