Unbelievable

I first joined Toastmasters sometime in 2015 and the club that I joined was Morison Muscat Toastmasters Club (MMTC)

Eventually, in order to get exposure to diverse audience profiles and to satiate my appetite for challenges, I took membership in other clubs with their own unique flavor and learning possibilities.

To me the journey to becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster – the most coveted aspiration for any TM has been an exciting rollercoaster at super speed.

I have delivered back to back speeches, on multiple consecutive days, in different clubs and have been applauded for my efforts and quality that brought in.

I had performed the role of MC in very creative and memorable ways.

My participation in Speech Contests have been a phenomenal learning experience while giving me some delightful wins and undesirable losses.

Now, MMTC usually has at least one TM who becomes a DTM every year and this accomplishment is celebrated on their anniversary.

It was on the 10th Anniversary of Morison Muscat Toastmasters Club that I was felicitated for achieving my DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster). Thank you MMTC.

The end of one journey marked the beginning of another. I restarted my journey and this time in the new Pathways curriculum, delivering my first speech, Icebreaker speech titled ‘Unbelievable’.

Here is some inside info:

I planned to build on this concept of ‘Unbelievable’ for my International Contest Speech but parked it for later.

Here is the post on “Unbelievable”

Many years ago, my parents who hail from Kerala were living happily in the nice green Army Cantonment of Secunderabad which is the poor but beautiful sister of Hyderabad, in India.

There were birds, there were bees, there were flowers and I am told there was cool breeze. Something happened. I was born.  

I was cute, I was fat, I was round, pretty much like how am I am now, although without the beard! 

They looked at me and said, “Unbelievable!”  

One day my mom’s friend asked her – ‘How do you manage to carry him? He is so heavy.’ 

Indeed I was heavy! 

My mother responded, rather philosophically, “You will not feel the weight, if the baby is yours.”   

Profound! I looked at her through my half-open eyes and told myself, “Unbelievable!”

I am grateful to her for bearing me and to a lot of other people for bearing with me!

I studied in 7 schools across India in my 10 years of school life. I learnt 7 languages…which does not include body language and foul language.

I was a good student. So my dad said, “Thou shalt become an Engineer!.” 

“What Engineer? Doctor is what he will be!” confirmed my mother.

Ultimately, when my friend Chandu said, “Anna, Medical College has more girls than Engineering College”, the decision was made.

I wrote my medical entrance exam – twice. My name was nowhere in the list. Everybody said, “Unbelievable.” 

My father said, “I told you so!” 

I studied Botany, Zoology and Chemistry for my Graduation. This made one thing very clear. I will study something else for post graduation. 

Something else what? I did not know.

Once I saw my neighbor’s son wearing a nice, impressive white shirt. Like Will Smith in the movie ‘Pursuit of Happiness’, I asked him, “What have you studied? Where do you work?” He revealed the secret, “MBA, MRF. It’s a White Collar Job.” 

I decided. I will do MBA.  

Now MBA meant writing an Entrance exam and my track record with Entrance exams have been unenviable.  

Guess what! I cracked it in the first attempt. “Unbelievable!” 

I did my MBA, joined a company called BPL Limited in Sales and Marketing. I finally got a job. A white-collar job! 

Over the years I have worked in India, US and Middle East in technology and business management jobs. I don’t have an Engineering degree, but I have been managing Engineers. “Unbelievable.”

I have had a successful corporate career at the intersection of people, technology, emerging markets, digital transformation and leadership. 

Every now and then, I look at my at my collar. What do I see? Pale yellow. 

It was white in the morning. Looks pale yellow now. So much for the mystery of the elusive white collar? “Unbelievable!”

Like most things around me, I am a series of unbelievable trials and errors. 

I tried to be fair. The fairness cream made me fair – only on the palm.

I tried to sing. But ended up discovering the loyalty of my friends and the quality of my enemies. 

I wanted to lose weight and started working out. I lost most of it in a couple of weeks. No. Not the weight. I lost…interest. They said exercise…I said extra rice.Last few years, I have been struggling with HIV problem…Hair Is Vanishing problem. 

I dabbled in journalism and advertising for some time. I love reading, writing – stories, speeches and an occasional poem. 

They told me that the world is going to end in year 2000. It did not. It just got postponed to 2001 when I got married to Smitha, who has been my wife ever since. 

We have two adorable kids, Richa and Ryan. Adorable – when they are sleeping.

I stumbled upon Toastmasters through a random conversation with a friend and dropped into one Club. I was intrigued at the proceedings there and joined them and have had a great experience as I honed my skills as a speaker who could comfortably address a wide variety of audiences.

I became a Distinguished Toastmaster in less than 3 years which was a record of sorts in Oman. I have had folks come and tell me, “I came to listen to your speech.” Such words of encouragement spurred me to produce content and deliver speeches in all categories of speeches like Humorous, Entertaining, Special Ocassion, Interpretive, 

My name ‘Bipin Kuriakose’ is a tongue twister. It took 8 years of my life to pronounce it correctly and 28 years before I got its meaning…thanks to Google.

Kuriakose means ‘God’s own’…derived from Syriac language. 

Bipin means ‘magnificent’, derived from Sanskrit…unbelievable! 

Life is a series of unbelievable moments tied together. We go through life searching for that invisible force that connects all of them. 

I believe in the power of that infinite force, and I hope that when I finally find Him he would hug me and say, “You, my child, you were so messed up. I never thought you will make it. You indeed are unbelievable, for you had been fearfully and wonderfully made in My image and likeness.”

Meanwhile, it turns out that Aaron Beverly wins the World Championship of Public Speaking at Denver. Guess what was the topic? “An ‘Unbelievable’ Story!”

Cheers Aaron!