How has your 2010 been?
Mine has been...
At first half, I had been under medical treatment, so I spent days kind of slowly.
Since June, I had been job-hunting as a bilingual emcee. Since September, I started to work as an emcee, being an English teacher as well.
The turning point of this year was the toastmaster's 10th anniversary party. It was in June.
I was an emcee. The party was big and gorgeous. I had a wonderful experience...
But right after the party, I felt "This isn't it."
I don't want you misunderstand... Toastmasters is wonderful club.
A great activity to participate in, but it is after all, "an extracurricular activity."
While I was emceeing at a Toastmasters party, I thought, "this is what I want to do, but not where I want to be."
I realized I wanted to WORK as a professional emcee.
Since September, I have done Japanese emceeing, and bilingual emceeing (Japanese and English.)
Frankly speaking, I had been frustrated with the job til recently.
I was an wedding emcee at restaurants and estate-style wedding venues before, but hotel weddings are completely different.
I need to be careful with choice of words, meeting with event planning companies...
I felt tired and even felt it might not be my thing.
However, since December, I started to enjoy my emcee job.
After three months I restarted my emcee job, I could finally "restarted" feeling, "I am a professional emcee."
Then, I've done the last job in 2010.
It was December 26th, the international wedding reception party between a Japanese bride and an English groom.
They have a lot of speeches. I needed to summarize them or translate completely.
The groom was an Oxford graduate, an Kung Fu European champion, and a great piano composer.
I needed to explain his study and Kung Fu skills.
I got a lot of pressure, but eventually...the wedding was successful.
I received thank-you e-mails.
The bride and groom said, "the day would not have been the same without your excellent services as our special master of ceremonies."
The bride's father said, "Because of your excellent translation skills, our family and Jer's family could share the same messages together. I think we produced the common background at the wedding party because of your wonderful skills. Thank you very much."
After the party, unlikely after the toastmasters' party...I sensed, "this is it. This is what I want to do, where I want to be, and what I can do. This is my professional service that I can make people happy."
I know I have several things I need to improve as a professional, but I thought, "An international couple should hire an emcee who can speak English, and who knows bridal service well. A wedding emcee for international couples should be able to both. I can do both."
I found my professionalism the day.
Also, I realized how important concentration was.
The wedding's meeting with the bride and groom was three days before the wedding reception, so, I confined myself to my home, writing a script for the wedding.
Then, I watched the Japanese championship of figure skating.
I noticed, winners like Miki Ando or Takashi Kozuka, had no distraction during performance.
I determined, "I'm not an experienced emcee, but I'll do my best without having any distraction."
Finally, my clients were very happy for my service.
My biggest resolutions in 2011 would be, keeping doing the "what I want to do & what I can do" job, as much as I can do.
To make my clients & my students happier, I need to sharpen my skills!
My head teacher at my school got the full score of TOEIC, full score of TOEIC speaking and writing test, first grade of EIKEN, and special A grade of United Nation English test.
He must be much much busier than me, but he has brushed his skills up.
I need to look up him!!
So, I ended up writing my resolutions in 2011...
"Getting the first grade of EIKEN and the full score of TOEIC."
What!? The same as 2010!?
...See you the next year!! Have a happier, better new year!!!
