If there’s one thing I love more than writing, it’s public speaking.
Two days ago, I was invited to present a talk at a women’s empowerment club and as it was a breakfast meeting, I was meant to begin my speech at 7.30 am. Brrr….it was cold at that time of the day!
By the time I had gathered my stuff and got into the car to drive there, it was past 6.30 am. Sydney traffic! Need I say more. Even at that early hour, the cars crawled at around 10 kms an hour.
Reached the venue with 15 minutes to spare. I decided I’d do my make-up quickly (hadn’t got around to doing it at home). To my dismay, as I ploughed through my handbag, I realised I had left my make-up kit at home. Murphy’s Law! Oh dear! Now, what? I dug around to see what I could find. And came up with my faithful compact and lipstick. Oh well, something was better than nothing. Phew, 10 minutes to spare.
Quick, where was that sheet of paper on which I had typed my speech? Before every talk or presentation, I always like to go through what I’m going to say one more time, just to ensure there wasn’t anything I had forgotten. I walked into the meeting room and felt instantly at ease. The members of the club were so friendly and welcoming. Piping hot coffee, bowls of muesli and freshly made toasted cheese & tomato sandwiches were laid out on the table.
I spoke about my writing journey, how I recently received an offer for my book ‘Diary of an Immigrant Bride’ to be made into a Bollywood movie (exciting!) and of course the topic of ‘arranged marriages’ (around which theme my book revolves). Lots of questions followed. How I adore an interactive audience that wants to know more. I must say, everyone in the group was curious to know more about my protagonist, the custom of arranged marriages in India and my upcoming writing projects.
All in all, it was a delightful morning!