The Ice Breaker (Final)

Once, the great Confucius was not able to answer a seven-year-old boy’s simple question. This confident boy asked him, “How many stars are there in the sky?” The clever Confucius simply answered, “My child, if only you can ask me of things that my hands can reach, I will be able to answer your question.” So the child stared back and challenged him, “How many hairs then are there in your eyebrow?” Mr. Toastmaster, ladies and gentlemen, Confucius, the greatest in his generation got confused.

To remove all your confusions about me, tonight I will formally introduce myself. I will be breaking the ice to mark the commencement of our lifetime relationship and camaraderie.

All my life, I lived in Danao City. I love my heritage and I am very proud of my home place. For that, I will not live anywhere but only in the home of the Danawanons. Growing in a small city is simple and with less worries. I had a perfect childhood even in poverty. My thoughtful parents, being aware of the malady of ignorance and mindful of the future sent me to college. I finished my Bachelor of Science in Accountancy with flying colors at the University of the Visayas. After that, I had been employed from one company to another in various accounting positions. Currently, I am a finance staff of PS & SD Finance handling the rebate claims of North America. Toastmasters, fellow guests; I am Asteria Flores Tacumba. You can call me Aster for short. I am 30 years young, still single and available.

My father influences me in everything. No wonder, I become his favorite daughter and the apple of his eyes. He was a firefighter in Danao City and every time he came home every other day, he brought with him the latest issue of newspaper. When he was home, he read newspapers, listened to news over the radio or watched it on television. As a Papa’s girl, I stayed on his side reading newspapers too, even if at that time I didn’t know how to read. My older brothers and sisters used to laugh at me especially when I am holding those papers upside down. But it never bothered my father. Looking back at those moments, I admire him for behaving that way. Silently, he was teaching me the “love to read”.

When I was a child, I always throw questions to everybody about everything. My older siblings hated answering those questions because once started, it’s never ending. But my father was different, he always have answers on everything I asked. Though later I realized that he was just making them up, still I learned a lot from him because he is an avid reader. I also learned a lot from my grandfather. He was smart and to me he was a “wonder old man”. He asked me questions instead of the other way around. He taught me how to answer his questions and asked me again and again every time he got a chance. He will then give me money for every right answer to the envy of all my cousins. When I was in grade 3, my teacher asked a question in our class. It was one of my grandfather’s question but I hesitated as my grandfather was very old (sorry Lo). Nobody knew the answer until the teacher called my name. I stood and recited the definition my “Lolo” taught me and alas I was right! I will never forget it in my entire life. Both sides of my ascendants are really great. I am very proud of them.

I began writing when I was in grade five. I wrote short poems but my father didn’t appreciate them. He saw that I was rewriting only the phrases I read from somewhere. He explained to me something about copyright law which I never understood at that time. The only thing that was clear to me was that, I will be jailed if they found out that I am incorporating their work on my composition. So I stopped.

During my third year high school, a subject about journalism revived my passion to write. I told my father that I want to be a journalist someday. But he said that if only I was a boy, he would let me. He explained to me the risk that evolves in that kind of job. He was right… I will not go to Mindanao and risk on being kidnapped by the Abu Sayaff or bombed by the MILF.

To sum it all, I ended up as an Accountant. After years of accounting works, I met the word blog. It was my younger brother who introduced it to me. He encouraged me to visit Yahoo 360 and from there I believe I’ve gone a long way. I started up composing poems again. I meet friends who also write and I enjoyed reading their blogs. When the news that 360 was going to close down, sparked; a friend invited me to join multiply. I then transferred to multiply, then joined the Yahoo 360 refugee group and then learned the features of the site with them. My writings are mostly about myself, the neighbors I love and my home place.

As I stand here in front of you, I am confronted with mixed feelings. I’m nervous, as I am right in front of the toastmasters and toastmasters to be. At the same time, I am exultant in the sense that I am now on my way to equal your level. It’s like coming from a long and drastic journey and finally reaching to a place you can call home. Ladies and gentlemen… Yes, at last, I’m home.