Ice breaker - Runnin’ against the wind / A bottle of fine wine

It was Clark Powell, who once said “Life is full of opening doors in to wonderful new rooms. But nothing comes for free, not the keys to the doors, not even the wonderful new rooms".

Mr./Madam Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the wee hours of May 30^th, 1981, I opened my first door and emerged naked in to this world. I was the first child to my parents before my three younger brothers. Since then, I have opened many doors, but none of the keys were served on a silver platter. My life has forever been a steep climb, against the wind, BUT as difficult a climb it might have been, the run down the backside of the mountain is always refreshing. This speech, where I have a chance to tell you’ll a little bit about who I am, is like a run down that mountain.

As a kid, I was very close to my father. I would count the seconds to see him after work and get him to read me the same story book over and over again. After he left the country to Oman, in search of a few extra cents, I missed him so much that I became sick. Doctors advised my mother to admit me in to the kindergarten a year earlier so that once I mix up with other kids; I’d stop missing him as much.

Fast forward a few years, I experienced a loss that I still fail to comprehend. I will never be able to put it in to words so I’m not going to talk about it.

Fast forward a couple of years further, I was sitting in a jet plane with my mother, happy as ever since I would be seeing my father, and a little nervous since I was being jettisoned to a strange land where I neither spoke the language nor knew the customs. I will remember that plane ride for another special reason. Fleet manager of Air Lanka, then Sri Lankan Airlines, spotted me and requested my mother for permission to cast me in the Official Air Lanka commercial. And yes, If you remember the advert, I was the kid who was shown drawing on a drawing pad in the comfort of a first class seat with the help of a Model air hostess by my side. While in Oman, I attended an International school; Sri Lankan School Muscat to be specific. My limited English proficiency at the time made it a little tough at the start, both to understand lessons and also communicate with the kids of other nationalities, but I learned fast. Soon I managed to make a couple of best friends, some of whom are still present in my life today.

I schooled in Oman till my London O/Ls after which I was sent back to Sri Lanka to pursue my A/L studies due to a deficiency of good teaching staff for A/L classes. Leaving Sri Lankan school was one of the saddest moments in my life. It was beyond doubt the best school I ever attended. I will cherish some of the memories I mustered eternally. I’m not going to blurt out any of them here; I’d leave that for another speech.

I took up science as my stream for secondary studies since I always wanted to be a doctor. I managed to get through my A/Ls with sufficient results to make it to a British medical college. But what am I doing here at IFS then? Yes, I let the opportunity pass. Medical colleges in the United Kingdom were way too expensive and my father would have had to spend all that he earned and more. I never forget to stop and think how anything I do would affect my family. I never wanted to lay such a huge burden on my beloved parents. Therefore, I decided to leave that 'door' closed and pursue an Information Systems degree offered by the Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. The four years I spent there could not be summarized in a two hour speech. I made many friends and foes. Some of the friends have become integral elements of my life and consider them my brothers from a different mother. I had to work really hard on my studies. Spent many sleepless nights and months of hard work. And finally in 2004, I graduated with a First Class Honors. I was over the moon, since I never wanted to settle for anything less. I started working here at IFS immediately afterwards. I also worked as a visiting lecturer at Informatics Institute of Technology and also completed a Masters in Advanced Software Engineering in 2007, in which I attained the highest accolade granted; a masters with a distinction.

Everything I have gone through and achieved thus far was never as easy as an evening walk in the park. Not even close. I have had my share of luck working for me in many a times. But it’s mostly a result of the hard work and dedication. Most things fail to grab my interest, but if it does, the compulsion to work on it beyond expectations with a blend of my authenticity, has always brought me to the top. Love also had a huge toll in shaping my life. There were those crazy days in the past when little castles were built in air that eventually got blown away with the wind. There was a time, when I was lost in the ashes of the glory times, but now, I’m living without any regression, in the afterglow. They were like northern stars that led me in to the loving arms of my princess, who is crafting the most beautiful episode of my life. She is the closest thing to crazy and might not resemble the 'coke bottle', but I love her in many ways that I never deemed possible. I try and spend the maximum time with my beloved parents and brothers. For they, are the unsung heroes of my success story. I try to not let work override my life. Because first is only a part of the second. As John Lennon would say, "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans".

In short, I’m happy. I have no serious expectations in life and I take things as they come. I’m successful in my own terms. Because if your success is not on your own terms, even if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it’s not success at all. Remember the words of Lily Tomlin, "If you win the rat race, you are still a rat".

The person that stands before you is like a bottle of fine wine, brewed out of the past experiences and seasoned with the lifetime of memories. As a person, I may seem as proud as a Lion in his Lair, but what lies within is a humble heart, wanting to befriend you and be there for you and support you in every possible way. Part of which is the ability to speak up, speak out and reach out. This is the reason I have joined Toastmasters; like others have done for me, here I am learning to reach out, to help others.