SOCIAL SERVICES BRIEFING
Last night, Laura, Regina and I gave a presentation on our Centre's programmes and services at the Nee Soon South CC which was just a few blocks away from us. We weren't really sure who was going to be there, but all we knew was that we would be meeting MP Ms Lee Bee Wah. What's more, MCYS and NCSS representatives would also be present. Thus, compared to other types of events, this was no ordinary, small-scale briefing. So, the 3 of us put together a PowerPoint presentation (kindly compiled by Laura) to give an overview of Daybreak's programmes and to explore possible avenues of collaboration with the other social service providers.
Before the 8pm briefing, we had a simple buffet dinner at 7pm. Regina and I saw the theatre that the briefing was supposed to be conducted in and I guess both of us almost gulped because we didn't know there was going to be that many people (about 50 or so). It was scary for me, but still, I just remained calm and composed on the outside and prayed in the Spirit to keep my nerves under control. Regina also did the same cos could see she felt very nervous about the entire thing.
At 8pm sharp, Ms Lee opened with a note of welcome in Mandarin. I turned to Regina and whispered, "Will we be giving our briefing in Mandarin?". Regina said 'No', so I shrugged that thought off. A few moments later, however, a man seated next to me, who was actually from the CCMC (Community Centre Management Committee), turned to me and requested for Daybreak to give our briefing in simple Mandarin besides conducting it in English. Feeling a bit stunned and yet wanting to be polite, I told him I would ask my colleagues and then turned to let Regina and Laura know about the request. It was an impromptu thing, but we were game for it, so we boldly stepped forward when our turn came.
We were the last to present because MCYS and NCSS presented first. Their reps also did a bilingual briefing on the spot, so it wasn't so bad. Laura went first, then me, and then Regina. I prayed God help us, anoint us, let us speak so fluently and clearly... and thank God everything went smoothly in the end. Even for the parts in Mandarin, we managed to keep them simple and short. Half of the time, I was trying my best to hold the mini microphone as close to me as possible because I wasn't used to speaking into that gadget. I was also reminding myself to maintain eye contact with the audience while translating the points on the slides into Mandarin. And when everything was over, all of us heaved a deep sigh of relief! But it's a breakthrough for us as well. We may have felt a bit jittery along the way, but the important thing is we stepped out and did our best... and I believe we will go from here and get better at it in future.
Last night, Laura, Regina and I gave a presentation on our Centre's programmes and services at the Nee Soon South CC which was just a few blocks away from us. We weren't really sure who was going to be there, but all we knew was that we would be meeting MP Ms Lee Bee Wah. What's more, MCYS and NCSS representatives would also be present. Thus, compared to other types of events, this was no ordinary, small-scale briefing. So, the 3 of us put together a PowerPoint presentation (kindly compiled by Laura) to give an overview of Daybreak's programmes and to explore possible avenues of collaboration with the other social service providers.
Before the 8pm briefing, we had a simple buffet dinner at 7pm. Regina and I saw the theatre that the briefing was supposed to be conducted in and I guess both of us almost gulped because we didn't know there was going to be that many people (about 50 or so). It was scary for me, but still, I just remained calm and composed on the outside and prayed in the Spirit to keep my nerves under control. Regina also did the same cos could see she felt very nervous about the entire thing.
At 8pm sharp, Ms Lee opened with a note of welcome in Mandarin. I turned to Regina and whispered, "Will we be giving our briefing in Mandarin?". Regina said 'No', so I shrugged that thought off. A few moments later, however, a man seated next to me, who was actually from the CCMC (Community Centre Management Committee), turned to me and requested for Daybreak to give our briefing in simple Mandarin besides conducting it in English. Feeling a bit stunned and yet wanting to be polite, I told him I would ask my colleagues and then turned to let Regina and Laura know about the request. It was an impromptu thing, but we were game for it, so we boldly stepped forward when our turn came.
We were the last to present because MCYS and NCSS presented first. Their reps also did a bilingual briefing on the spot, so it wasn't so bad. Laura went first, then me, and then Regina. I prayed God help us, anoint us, let us speak so fluently and clearly... and thank God everything went smoothly in the end. Even for the parts in Mandarin, we managed to keep them simple and short. Half of the time, I was trying my best to hold the mini microphone as close to me as possible because I wasn't used to speaking into that gadget. I was also reminding myself to maintain eye contact with the audience while translating the points on the slides into Mandarin. And when everything was over, all of us heaved a deep sigh of relief! But it's a breakthrough for us as well. We may have felt a bit jittery along the way, but the important thing is we stepped out and did our best... and I believe we will go from here and get better at it in future.
posted by Sabrina at 4:53 PM
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