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While most of us cringe at the thought of getting up and giving a speech, Risti Brophy, governor of Toastmasters Indonesia Division I, lives for it.
Today Risti sits down to talk with My Jakarta about her worldly upbringing, the ‘compromises’ that have to be made when you marry someone from a different cultural background and how anyone can learn to become a better communicator.

You haven’t always lived in Jakarta, tell us a little bit about your background.

My father was a defense attache for the Indonesian Embassy and in 1988 he was posted to Rome.

My parents insisted that I complete my high school education at an Indonesian school, so I moved to Wassenaar, Holland, to attend the Netherlands Indonesian School.

Later, I continued my studies in London. I love traveling and I have visited Paris, Antwerp, Cologne, Madrid, Venice, Naples and Edinburgh, among others.

What’s the main difference between Jakarta and the other cities that you’ve lived in?

Most definitely the traffic, but Jakarta has some positive aspects to it like the street vendors, for example, that always make me miss it. Only in Jakarta can you find an abundance of food at any time delivered to your doorstep!

Tell us what you get up to on a typical day?

I work as a freelance communications consultant, which means that I do most of my work at home.

In a congestion-prone city like Jakarta it’s the perfect job especially since I have three young children who still need a lot of attention.

My day typically involves sending my children off to school and their extra-curricular classes, meeting clients as well as meeting friends for the various activities that I do such as Toastmasters Indonesia and yoga.

You’re married to a British national. Can you talk about some of the cultural differences?

My husband, John, is British, although his parents are Irish. When I met him in London, I’d been in Europe for more than 18 months, living in different cities.

For me, there were no major cultural differences because I’d been exposed to different cultures even before I met him. If anything, it’s the different habits that I notice.

For instance, I like to sleep with no light or sound, while he can only go to sleep to the sound of the TV!

Is it tough to come to an understanding ?

The key word here is ‘compromise.’ In any relationship it’s important that both parties are willing to win some and lose some in order for the relationship to flourish.

How do you raise your kids in a multicultural environment?

I always make it clear to my children that the fact that they are half-Indonesian and half-British, well — a quarter Irish to be precise — does not make them half complete. Likewise, they should be proud of their heritage because it makes them twice as rich culturally.

Recently you were elected to an important role in Toastmasters Indonesia, tell us more about it.

My new role is as governor for Division I in District 87, which comprises five areas and includes 24 clubs in Jakarta and Bandung.

District 87 consists of Indonesia, Brunei and East Malaysia, and it’s a great opportunity for me to work together with my fellow toastmasters in the three countries to develop better awareness of the benefits of Toastmasters, which is an international organization that has helped millions of people worldwide to become better communicators and leaders.

What’s your plan for Toastmasters Indonesia?

We have had the honor of being named as the host for the upcoming District 87 Convention in Jakarta, on November 26-28.

Can I come?

Yes, Jakarta Globe readers are more than welcome to join us. They can find information on: http://toastmasters-jakarta2010.info/

In fact, my big plan is to promote the convention to those who are not members of Toastmasters.

The convention will feature many great speakers from District 87 who will present exciting educational sessions on communications and leadership.

The finals of the speech contests will also take place at the convention, which will feature all the winners of the division levels in the three countries.

Give me one tip for public speaking.

I have learned so many great tips from Toastmasters on public speaking, but if I were to give you only one, it would be about the importance of making good eye contact with the audience.

How do you see Toastmasters growing over the next five years?

As a district officer for Toastmasters, I would really like to see more clubs develop in Indonesia because with so many people able to speak good English there is so much potential.

They just lack confidence. On a personal level, I would like to see myself organizing for many great speakers to come to Indonesia and share their knowledge and experience with us.

It would be my small contribution to the community in return for all the great opportunities that I have enjoyed so far.