First Runner-up

By Sherry Li

At five o'clock in the afternoon, I was still working on my prepared speech. It's a monologue featuring Don Quixote with his impossible dream 500 years ago and me with my impossible dream at present. It is about my dream of being a supermodel dressing in bikinis on the catwalk in Paris at the end of 2009.

I was the second to arrive at Grand Toastmasters Club's meeting venue, five forty-five to be exact. Sophia arrived earlier to help me rehearse my monologue with the set, prop, and lighting at the lobby. I tried on three wigs to choose the best one for the first act. There are three acts in the monologue of seven minutes. First Act, I daydreamt about being a supermodel; Second Act, I fought in the field to become a supermodel; Third Act, I attempted to reach the unreachable star with my last ounce of courage.

I'm grateful to many members who helped me upon my last minute request. Helen Lin helped me with the powerpoint & music; Sophia Chen with costume, hair, and stage; John Lin with the lighting. Thank you all for helping me place the 1st runner-up at Grand's in-house speech contest.

And now I'm all ready to compete at Area H1 speech contest Saturday, March 21st. It'll be another magnificent interpretation of the impossible dream of Don Quixohe de la Mancha of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra in 1605. Come see me in my supermodel spring fashion of 2009!

To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...

And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach ... the unreachable star ...