My Journey

Let me start with a powerful statement: This travel is a dream come true.

I’ve always wanted to speak before totally foreign audience. Ever since I started my career as an author and speaker, I made a promise to myself to it cannot be in the Philippines alone. I will go out there and explore the world to see what else can I do with the talent that God gave me. I told myself that I will be out there to speak and influence other nations as I represent a Filipino Dream.

On Tuesday, I started it all.

Sometime in October, I got an invitation from Thomvell International asking me if I can speak at their seminar. Because I’d be accommodated in a five-star hotel, provided with return flights plus meals and a professional fee, I said sure.

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at around 1:30am. I was picked up by a shuttle. The driver was very accommodating and we had some real good conversation. After 45 minutes of travel via one of the finest expressway I’ve seen in my whole life, I arrived at Istana Hotel, a five-star hotel at the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

I took some rest.

In the morning, I felt even more excited. Later in the afternoon, I will take the center stage and face an entirely different audience from what I used to face back in the Philippines. Please take note that I had to speak in English in three hours.

Before I went down for a breakfast, I fixed myself and decided to just be in a very casual attire. I bought a “traditional” Asian dress from Onesimus before leaving Manila but I changed my mind. I got something I’m more comfortable wearing: a black, long-sleeves sweater, which I also got from Onesimus.

After my breakfast, I went directly to Dilema Hall. Karen of Thomvell recognized me immediately. It was a warm welcome.

For a while, I sat down at the back of the seminar hall and listen to other speakers. I had to observe how my audience respond to what they hear. I was introduced to my fellow speakers and I also introduced not only myself but my books, too.

Before lunch break, I was approached by two or three of the participants. I was fixing my speaking gadgets when they asked me, “Are you going to lock the door?” (In Malay language). I said, “I’m so sorry I don’t understand.” She said it in English.

So I said, “Hum, I’m not sure it the door will be locked.”

That conversation is the one I was waiting for! Now, I have something to start my presentation.
By the I realized that I really looked like one ordinary guy next door. I realized that this honest mistake (having myself mistaken to be either a waiter or an assistant of Mr. Luna) is also true in Malaysia!

And honestly, I loved it. That’s exactly how I want myself to be seen. I wanted to look like ordinary and surprise them with something else once I’m already up on stage. This makes a clear difference between the traditional speaker and myself. I make a statement even before they hear my message.

Before my speech, I made sure to test all my speaking equipment. I would hear some participants asking where the speaker is! And believe me, every moment of it made me smile. I just feel happy not be recognized at that point. There’s a sort of mysticality in it.

I was called in front. There was a warm round of applause. As I approach the front, I would look at their eyes almost one by one and still I know they can’t believe that I’m the speaker. And so I assured them. I said, “Good afternoon. Yes, I am the speaker.”

And everyone laughed.

I started my presentation by telling them how a dream such as mine can happen within a lifetime. I started to tell the story of some participants who thought I was a waiter or something. They were laughing to death!

Half of my presentation, the organizer gave me a signal for a short break. I asked the audience if they want a break. In chorus, “No. Proceed.”

I got confused so before everyone, I asked, “Who’s calling the shot here: you or the organizer?” And there was another laugh.

Obviously, the organizer can only give in to the participants so from 230 until 4pm, I went through my lecture. Nobody complained. All eyes and ears were on me. Hands are busy taking down notes. It was a magic!

Finally, we had a break. But instead of going to comfort rooms or take their coffee, the first thing I realized was they were going at the back to check on my book The Obvious. They started to buy and get their copies even without me finishing my presentation yet. They were already asking for my signature and photo session!

I told them that I’m going to sign every book after my session and advised them to go on with their snack break.

After 20 minutes, we’re back on the session. I went through my presentation. There wes never one dull moment again. Everyone was attentive, participative, and passionate with what I teach them. The response was always there. They think every time I ask them a question. They are all in it, really. Speakers feel it when their audience are still there and their spirit already left before their session even ends.

Now, the most interesting part was the overtime. Instead of finishing at exactly 5pm, we extended for 45minutes more! And nobody even complained. Nobody even noticed that we were already extending.
One participant the following day would tell me, “Lloyd, my boss call me up after our session and he wondered why I was still not reporting after 5pm. I told him nobody noticed the time. I didn’t realize it was already 6pm!”

After my session, there was a book signing outside the hall, a photo session with the participants, and a short chat with them. Most of them stayed for a while to talk to me. They wouldn’t want to go yet.

It was part of that dream I was able to make for myself.

I was still high with the overwhelming response, rave reviews, and positive feed backs but I had to take some rest. I went back to my hotel room, 1807.

At around 8pm after my dinner, Viki, one of the organizers, volunteered to take me around the city. It was very kind of him (and his friend at Thimble), to tour me around. I was able to take their train, walk toward the popular Twin Towers, and shop with photos taken as we go around.

By around 11pm, we called it a day. And Viki said I really nailed it. It was not another seminar. I went back to Istana alone via train and resigned from a very successful day!

In the morning after breakfast, I dropped by the session hall to see hw they are doing. They still have the warm welcome for me and some even got surprised I was still there. Again, there “thank you” coming from here and there. They just can’t seem to get over our yesterday’s session.

But I was there to surf the Internet and look for a bus schedule going to Singapore. Part of my itinerary is to visit Singapore and fly out from there back to Manila. After some minutes of searching the net, we were able to confirm that there are still 9 available seats for 11am bus. I rushed back to my hotel, picked my luggages up, and checked out.

When I arrived at the old Kuala Lumpur Station, I was informed that there was only one seat left and I was lucky to have it. Whew! Otherwise, I would have taken the 2pm bus. It wouldn’t be a nice schedule because I’d arrive in Singapore very late at night.

The bus was on time. After I bought the ticket, coffee and snacks were served in the passenger’s lounge. Amazing to know that there’s such kind of customer service there. I hope one day in the Philippines, we will have the same bus company to do that.

Half way our land travel, we dropped by some establishments along the expressway, where I bought some more souvenir items. After about two hours, we approached Malaysia Immigration—and then some more minutes we submit ourselves to Singapore Immigration.

At around 5pm, I arrived in Singapore, took a cab to my hotel in Gelling, took some rest, went around the area, looked for money changer, eat some dinner, went back to my room and sleep.
I woke up at around 6am and fixed my things, went to Changi Airport (after checking my email and Facebook), and look around for some souvenir items. Now, I’m on board Cebu Pacific Flight 5J 802 and I’m enjoying a smooth flight.

This two-nation tour is very memorable to me because I never expected to go out of the Philippines this year. I said should I go abroad for a speaking engagement, it should be sometime in 2010. So this is an early Christmas gift for me!

My stay in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore is another experience in my archive should I need some things to remind myself that dreams do come true if we have the faith and belief in ourselves.

33 out of 35 Malaysian audience gave me 10/10 rating and 2/35 gave me 9/10, which Karen informed me in her email that I got the highest rating among all speakers. She even had an early booking for their March event! I believe they’re bringing me back!

So I thank God for this talent, guidance, and the energy to make my own magic happen in my lifetime. I’d like to extend my appreciation to the organizers, Thomvell International for the opportunity of bringing me to Malaysia, and to all the delegates who are just too warm and passionate in my teachings!

I promise to be back there to see you and talk to you again. I promise to be back with something more. In the meantime, let me keep this memory with you in my mind. I’ll leave this place but not without your thoughts in me. I’ll leave this place but not without my prayers and hopes for you. I’ll leave this place but not without you in my heart.