Hair Is Everything

After Division A Advanced Manual Training on the last evening of August, I was all lifted up to work on the Interpersonal Communication Manual. Tonight, I completed the project 1 Conversing with Ease to my satisfaction. I wanted to thank Toastmaster Lester Lin for being my individual Evaluator, President Naomi Kao for being my role player. Toastmaster Gordon Brook gave a friendly remark before I concluded my Project 1 speech within the time limit.

I arrived at the Brown Cafe' before 6:30PM. It had become one of my habits to arrive at the social functions 30 minutes ahead of time, just in case I might go astray on the way, say running into a handsome guy for instance. Besides, there is a Chinese saying, "A slow sparrow should make an early start".

I followed the sign to the huge second floor only to find a few customers. Before I I sat down, I was approached by a weird young man.

"Are you a Prestige member," I asked him with a friendly smile. "Where is the stage," I tried to be polite. And walked to the counter to get myself a cup of hot water.

"Do you work," he asked. "No, I don't," I replied and wondered what a question it was to start a conversation. Then he looked at me from head to toe, and commented, "you don’t look like a person who works". By then, I knew that he was not a member of the Prestige Toastmasters Club member. The episode came to an end.

It has been a long while since I last joined Prestige club meeting. As I could recall, probably for only a couple of times before it was split into two clubs, Prestige and Premium. It felt good to back to Prestige club to see old Toastmasters friends and make new ones, especially the guests—the potential Toastmasters.

I didn't realize the meeting room was at the far end corner until I heard SAA Matt Chang start setting the room in order in a hurry. I took a back seat for myself in order to be able to observe the meeting and to remember all faces and names of the participants of the evening.

President Naomi arrived, followed by Good old fellow Gordon. We started a joke session about hair. I asked Naomi if she would be my role player for my speech. When Toastmaster Jennifer Chen walked into the room with magnificent manicure and pedicure, shiny straight long hair. She caught my immediate attention. I should have asked Jennifer to be my role player if she would have arrived earlier. I asked her if she would play a silent role in my speech. Jennifer gave her consent at once. She would make a perfect model in a scenario of a hair salon.

When I was told that Jennifer prepared the yummy authentic Vietnamese spring rolls for the refreshment during the meeting, I was drawn to her for the second time. After she told me that the spring rolls were made by her Vietnamese friend, I was a little disappointed, because I was enthusiastic in writing about the cooking Toastmasters in District 67.

I felt extremely flattered to be evaluated by Lester Lin this evening. He was the Trainer of the Advanced Manual-Interpersonal Communication. He said a lot of sweet words and evaluated my speech by SEX (start, execution, exit). When he uttered the word out of his mouth, Oh, I was all ears, so were the audience, to the unique evaluation method I had never heard before. To be honest, a woman at my age, I was on cloud nine to be conjured up the idea of SEX. (Ha! Ha! I had better get a hold of myself like Hold住姐). In conclusion, Lester Lin encouraged me to use open questions skillfully to let the role player express more opinions and viewpoints. He also recommended I wrap up the speech with a more powerful conclusion.

Serendipitously, Toastmaster Robert Huang, the role play partner of the demo speaker Neal Stovicek of Project 1 at Division A Advanced Manual Training, was in the audience. He is the Marketing Manager of ShowLin Hair Salon. Robert offered me a few suggestions about the correct usage of the words in the hair business during the intermission.

After the meeting was over, Naomi, Jennifer and I hang around till Mr. Brown was closed at 10:30PM. We continued the women chitchat for another 15 minutes on the street. With the extra time, we could move to the fourth level of communication. I knew that Naomi was going steady. I knew that Jennifer was in charge of a beauty salon and she was the best beautician in eyelash extension in town.

Now I'm excited to work on Project 2—The Successful Negotiator, with an aim to get a good beauty business deal with Jennifer in the near future.

~~Hair is Everything~~

It was a scorching afternoon. I was in a hurry to meet up with my lady friends for afternoon tea!

Taxi~~~

A middle-aged taxi driver backed his yellow cab and stopped at the curb with precision, right in front of me! The back door was open, and I slided myself in the passenger seat. "The Mall, Please", I said. Then I took out the Advanced Manual--Interpersonal Communication from my bag and started reading.

"Your hat is pretty", the taxi driver started a conversation. "Thank you", I replied. I thought it was my day to run into a taxi driver with proper attire and adequate demeanor in Taipei. On top of that he listened to the classic music on the radio.

"I wear hats to cover my gray hair", I tried to continue the small talk with the special taxi driver to apply the communication skills in Project 1--Converse with Ease. "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life," commented by the driver.

Forrest Gump's mother was right. Life is indeed like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. Wow, isn't life amazed to run into a stranger of wisdom in a moving container for a short while? What can happen to two strangers when they bump into each other, from the frist impression to friendship, partnership, to relationship!

Conversing with a stranger is never a piece of cake. But it's fun to explore the possibilities of interpersonal communication. In our everyday lives, we interact with people in a variety of situations, clients at work, strangers on the street, and family and friends. Being a good conversationalist has a great impact on our personal and professional lives. Every friendship and business relationship begins with a conversation.

Skillful conversationalists know four levels of Communication:
Level One: Small Talk (the weather, immediate surroundings, current events)
Level Two: Fact Disclosure (occupations and hobbies)
Level Three: Viewpoints and Opinions (personal viewpoints and opinions)
Level Four: Personal Feelings (personal problems)

In case of an encounter of a short time span, the tetralogy of Conversation might be of use:
Opening with Friendly Gestures
In Search of Common Grounds (Mutual Understandings)
Information Exchange (Sparks of Life)
Finale in Gratitude

In the role play, I attempted to converse with a stranger in a hair salon. We talked about coloring the hair and the various hairstyle, from bobs to bangs, straight to shorn. I was told that the hair we wear says a lot about who we are. And I am curious about my hairstyle personality.

When it comes to coloring my hair, I...
Opt for subtle highlights and occasional touch-ups for grays. I usually work with the stylist. I don't mind trying some new things, but only if I know it's right for me.

PS:My Hair style and Personality
60% Stylish and refined, you have a taste for the finer things in life. You take the time to make your hair look perfect every day, and you're not one to shy away from a new product or tool. You're up on the latest trends and have worn your hair in many styles, but never stray too far from the classic, clean lines you've always loved.

20% Fun-loving and bold, you are always up for an adventure. Your hair has been permed, bleached, teased, and maybe even shaved -- and you don't regret a single style. Most often though, you opt for a short, tousled cut that reflects your confident, outgoing nature -- and doesn't get in the way of your fun.

20% Casual and friendly, you value practicality above all else. When it comes to haircuts, you opt for styles that won't interfere with your active life or take time away from things that are really important, like family and friends. Your hair has almost always been medium-length with a few layers, either in a ponytail or tucked behind your ears. And for good reason -- the look highlights your good-natured, laid-back style.