Edward, MC for meeting 293
As you may have guessed from the title, Edward (Toastmaster for the night) had invited us for a little tasting adventure at Canning Vale Toastmasters meeting 293! It was enjoyable dining experience filled with a myriad of flavours and humours throughout the evening. Let’s recap the menu and the series of programs for the evening.
Appetisers
One of our newest members Elena Lindgren took to the stage for the first time and delivered her very first Inspiration. A powerful message about forgiveness and living life following unimaginable tragedy.
Our table topics master Peter Jordan delivered a host of short and sweet impromptu topics from movies and books to holiday’s and the best gift ever received.
Table topic participants for the evening (Top: Michelle and Megan; Bottom: Lauren and Vanessa)
Michelle shared her best ever holiday – packing only a toothbrush and underwear to go to Bali and Megan’s favourite book was The Diaries of Anne Frank. Such is the power of books they can inspire us to travel to locations we would never normally go. Megan took her mum to Amsterdam to visit the historic Anne Frank museum.
Ming also ventured to the stage with her very first tonic. Whilst jet setting to exotic locations she sat next to a teacher who taught her land ladies daughter. We are all connected with only 7 degrees of separation.
Main course
Presenting the main dishes for the evening (Top: Huili and Rahman; Bottom: Saliya and Eric)
Huili presented a fabulous power point presentation in her CC8 speech about how illusions impact our vision and our interpretation of the world around us. The use of the Ponzi Illusion may well help for the more vertically challenged making limbs appear longer. Illusions can also impair how and what we see in the world so BEWARE what you see is not always what you get! (Even the most experienced Toastmasters are an illusion exuding confidence when such feelings elude them!)
In his CC2 speech, Rhaman presented the winning mindset for becoming a champion. Champions are made not born and all of us have it within ourselves to be a champion merely by changing how and what we think. Think positive, correct, BIG, pure and unique thoughts and we can achieve anything our mind can conceive. Even becoming a millionaire is within our grasp!
Saliya delivered a truly insightful speech to inform and present new information titled Two Diego’s. Diego Mardona – soccer superstar we all know because of the media and Diego Garcia no one knows, again because of the media. In recent history the British government forcibly removed 2000 inhabitants from their homeland to create a military base – the largest base outside of the US. An extreme violation of human rights yet no one knows about this small island and its dark history. The media tells us what they want and “that is the supremacy of democracy”. Saliya’s recommended reading: Island of Shame by David Vine. Read widely, question everything!!
On a lighter note Eric kept us salivating with his CC8 speech Chinese Dumpling. We learnt this magnificent food is associated with prosperity as dumplings are shaped like gold ingots. In dynasties gone by these morsels where considered health food and with all the fat and flavour it’s easy to make the connection to dumplings being healthy soul food. We were informed they are just sooooo easy even boys can make them. Eric needs demonstrate this and bring homemade dumplings to the next meeting!
Dessert
Straight talking Julia got to the point in her role Evaluating the Evaluators telling Lionel as table topic evaluator ‘to give no recommendations is just not acceptable’. In a marvellous CRC (commend, recommend, commend) format Julia gave amazing praise as well as examples on how and what some of the recommendations could have been.
Angelic Angela giving general evaluation for the first time.
To sum up the evening the most angelic Angela with the reddest of lips articulated ever so beautifully what it feels like to take to the stage for the very first time – it is a (#@^….beep) nerve racking experience! Even angelic angels drop the odd swear bombs – 10 out of 10 for audience impact!
Again, another wonderful meeting! Anyway, I hope you are/will be enjoying the loooooong weekend! Don’t forget to attend our meeting on Tuesday after the Easter break! Stay safe and don’t get too drunk like how our Toastmaster did. 😛
— Vanessa