Confessions of a Toastmasters Addict

I didn't know what toastmasters is until a good friend, Malou Joy told me what it is. The irony though is that she is still a guest in toastmasters meeting while i am working already on my 8th basic speech project. (This is a challenge to her! hahaha. After all she loves the feeling of being challenged)

We were exchanging correspondence about toastmasters since i am working now in Bacolod while she is in Cebu, when my wanting to refine my public speaking skills fired up. I then searched for toastmasters in Bacolod and voila i found myself now a member of the Riverside Toastmasters Club. We hold our meeting every Saturday at 7 in the evening at Sugarland hotel.

Some toastmasters would ask me who brought me to toastmasters. With a grin on my face i would say. None. I brought myself to toastmasters.

Then that marked the start of my stalwart love for toastmasters. At first i was jittery thinking on my feet when i answered my first table topics, but now i have toastmasters for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

My addiction to toastmasters give me these trophies to reckon!

MELAMINE IN FOCUS

When the feisty senator Miriam Defensor Santiago blurted out in the senate inquiry about the anomalous ZTE deal, that corruption is traceable to Chinese civilization, many raised questions on the verity of her statement. Now after 53,000 Chinese children are ill, over 12, 800 are hospitalized, and four infants died, who dares to challenge Miriam. I dare not! All these evidence are pointing to her statement. Indeed, Mhelliton Sillador Jr,, in his winning prepared international speech, was right in his disposition and I quote, “Blame it to China”.

When the breaking news came out about the menace brought by Melamine present in milk, itt did not instantly panic me. Not because I am a coffee addict but because I understated the atrocity it could get. Then I realized that milk is as ubiquitous as the billboards of Angel Locsin and Piolo Pascual. Cookies, candies, crackers, cereals, chocolates, and a lot more milk-derived food products could also be tainted with melamine. You see how unscrupulous these food companies from China are.

Going into the meat of the matter, we should know the basic facts about this urgent health concern. What is melamine? Where is it used? Why is it abused? What are the dangers of these chemical when ingested? And what are the symptoms of melamine poisoning?

On the first and second question, Melamine is a cheap, industrial substance which consists of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. This is not a food-grade chemical. I reiterate, this is not a food-grade chemical. It is prized for its durability and is used to produce a wide range of brightly colored dishware, bowls, containers, utensils, and coating for wood and textiles.

Why is it abused? Since melamine contains plenty of nitrogen atoms it shows up as a protein. Example of a protein molecule is the white part of the egg. The effect is that these will falsely bolster protein level in these food products. In other words, these manufacturers can use melamine to make their products appear more nutritious.

Melamine is not toxic, but inside the body it can cause formation of stones in the kidney which can eventually lead to kidney failure and death. You might ask why is it that the majority of victims are infants or children? The answer is that the infants have still premature kidneys which are very susceptible to the damaging effects of foreign material. If one is poisoned of melamine the symptoms are irritability, little or no urine, high blood pressure, blood in urine, and signs of kidney infection.

In 2007, pet foods containing melamine was shipped from Chinese manufacturers to pet food companies in the US and elsewhere. After a Canadian pet food company announced this, the US Food and Drug Administration fielded thousands of similar complaints across the US.

Last month, September 2008, under pressure form the New Zealand government, which had received complaints that a Chinese manufacturer was ignoring reports that its baby formula was sickening infants, China made an investigation. By September 22, nearly 53, 000 Chinese children were ill, over 12, 800 were hospitalized, and four infants died caused by kidney stones and other renal failure. In that same date BFAD temporarily stopped importing milk products from China.

In this current time when everyone joins the rat race, it still pays very much to be very vigilant! Our health is always our greatest possession!