Eka Devi

Perfect imperfection

Good afternoon my fellow toastmasters and all the audiences. Today is a very splendid day for me because I deliver my very first speech as a toastmaster. You know how it feels exactly right?

Let me start with a question,

Are you familiar with a singer named John Legend? Then I’m sure that you know this line from his popular song. I’ll sing it but promise me you will not focus on my voice, instead, you will focus on the lyrics.  This is the song,

'Cause all of me, Loves all of you, Love your curves and all your edges, All your perfect imperfections  

If you check this song from the beginning to the end, you can see that the writer of the song tries to show us how he loves his love although there are flaws or something imperfect on her. He doesn’t say that her couple was perfect, but still, he is crazy about her, and loves her with all his heart. And in my ice breaker speech, I’d love to deliver  a speech about myself, I, with all my perfect imperfection.

Born 28 years ago in Lampung, I’m currently a mom of 1, a teacher and a freelance translator. I’m not a perfect woman to live a life as a full day school teacher, a mom of a half year daughter, and a freelance translator altogether.

As a mom, I cannot give my full attention to my little daughter. I leave her during the day to take care of other children and leave her with her aunt. I can’t always be the one who feeds her 3 or more times a day. I can't always be the one who baths her in the afternoon. But, because of this imperfection, I always try my best to have quality time whenever I'm with her.

As a teacher, I’m also imperfect. Although I major English for education, I didn’t write a thesis about education because I don’t really like the technical things in teaching like lesson plan, syllable and etc. Instead of writing about education, I wrote a thesis analyzing Barrack Obama’s speech. But, trust me, I always try my best to be a good teacher for my students with my knowledge and skill. And that is why I’m here now as a toastmaster, because I want to develop my skill to make it benefit for me personally in term of new community, and for students to develop their skills. Today’s education is heading to 21^st century education that requires out students to be globalized, creative, innovative and collaborative. As a teacher, how am I supposed to create 21^st century skilled students if I don’t develop myself?

Now as a freelance translator, I’m imperfect too. I frequently finished my works very close with the deadline.  Although I graduated from English department, I’ve never upgrade myself in a translation development like what I’m doing now in toastmaster. I’m still learning, learning to translate better, learning new vocabularies and learning to give the best service to my customer.

Now, how about as wife? Well…I’m sure.. although almost every morning I leave the house in a mess because of rush hour, although I don’t regularly serve tea for my husband, although I don’t always look pretty in front of him, I’m sure that so far, he says the same thing as John Legend sings to his couple, he loves all my perfect imperfections.

I spent my childhood until my young age in a small village in Banyuwangi. I studied in a private  elementary school which only had 5 classrooms for 6 levels of classes. I didn’t have English subject in my primary school but, when I was on the 6^th grade, I started to feel curious about English because I used to listen to the radio broadcasted from Bali. Banyuwangi is quite close to Bali and it was easy to receive channel from Bali radios.

Just before I entered a state junior high school, I told myself that I had to study English because I would meet students from state school who received English lesson in their primary level. Then I asked my parents to buy me a dictionary and because nobody knew English in my family, I started to read the tenses part in the dictionary. I felt I know very little English but I didn’t understand.

In junior and senior high school, my favorite subject was English. However, there was a problem, I couldn’t use active English.  All the scores were all for the writing and grammar things, while I really wanted to speak in English. It was quiet hard to have active English that time because I lived in a small village, only if you go to English course you could get partner to speak English, and that’s only with the tutors.

Things changed a bit as I went to university. I was still passive until my second semester, simply because I wasn’t used to. But then, I joined a debating club that explored more skills on thinking and speaking. And that’s how I started to actively speak in English. Ah, I once had an experience of joining a speech competition held by toastmaster, but I was disqualified because I was overtime. I hope I’m not disqualified today. Ms Aris, kindly alert me before the time’s up please. After that disqualification, I kept toastmaster name in mind, but all the busy days kept me away from it until some months ago.

After all the journey with English since I was 6^th grader, I’m now an English teacher and a freelance translator. My students know English a lot earlier than me. They develop their skills a lot faster than I did and I realize that I must also improve myself.  

I spent my childhood until my young age in a small village in Banyuwangi. I studied in a private  elementary school which only had 5 classrooms for 6 levels of classes. I didn’t have English subject in my primary school but, when I was on the 6^th grade, I started to feel curious about English because I used to listen to the radio broadcasted from Bali. Banyuwangi is quite close to Bali and it was easy to receive channel from Bali radios.

Just before I entered a state junior high school, I told myself that I had to study English because I would meet students from state school who received English lesson in their primary level. Then I asked my parents to buy me a dictionary and because nobody knew English in my family, I started to read the tenses part in the dictionary. I felt I know very little English but I didn’t understand.

In junior and senior high school, my favorite subject was English. However, there was a problem, I couldn’t use active English.  All the scores were all for the writing and grammar things, while I really wanted to speak in English. It was quiet hard to have active English that time because I lived in a small village, only if you go to English course you could get partner to speak English, and that’s only with the tutors.

Things changed a bit as I went to university. I was still passive until my second semester, simply because I wasn’t used to. But then, I joined a debating club that explored more skills on thinking and speaking. And that’s how I started to actively speak in English. Ah, I once had an experience of joining a speech competition held by toastmaster, but I was disqualified because I was overtime. I hope I’m not disqualified today. Ms Aris, kindly alert me before the time’s up please. After that disqualification, I kept toastmaster name in mind, but all the busy days kept me away from it until some months ago.

After all the journey with English since I was 6^th grader, I’m now an English teacher and a freelance translator. My students know English a lot earlier than me. They develop their skills a lot faster than I did and I realize that I must also improve myself.