I had my hair permed this afternoon in order to wow golden ladies at the New Year Party hosted by Toastmaster Trini Ding at her karaoke lounge Wednesday morning, the first day of year 2014!
For 2014, my resolutions are as follows,
1. Know two local plants in depth. Two plants (shell ginger and bald cypress) were studied extensively and intensively in 2013;
2. Talk to three strangers everyday by asking three people on the street to take a photo of me or with me!
3. Make five pop-up and illustrated books. Two books (A Pleasant Journey to the Earth--The Center of the Universe & The Big Mouth) were handmade in 2013.
4. Read 200 books;
5. See 200 movies;
6. Make 500 friends;
7. Register 100 articles on this blog;
8. Perform 10 shows on stage;
9. Travel in two foreign countries,
10. Stay young and passionate!
2013/12/31
2013/12/29
2013/12/20
2013/12/19
2013/12/18
From ATM-B to ACS
I received the award confirmation from the headquarters this morning. My ACS (Advanced Communicator Silver application) was processed and the packet will be shipped to my address shortly. It was a giant leap for my Toastmasters journey. Many thanks must to to Toastmaster May Hwang for submitting the application for me!
After joining in Toastmasters in May 1986, I took it easy to complete my communication manual. I got my CTM on July 26, 1993, and my ATM-B on April 4, 2001 (Public Relations. Communicating on Television). Then I took a long recess before I thought it was time I applied for another educational award with two advanced manuals: Interpretive Reading (the blindman's hat 12/21/2000, the belle of Amherst 8/10/2004, the plum in the golden vase 3/19/2005, the romance of western chamber 12/15/2005, UNICEF 9/2/2006) and Speaking to Inform (create new dimensions 3/14, 2001, top of the world 4/8/2001, Mediterranean osculation 6/9/2001, Constitution Rewrite-Article 9 6/13/2001, Study, family and life 12/16, 2004).
In order to get ACS, I submitted two recent workshops from Better Speaker Series (BSS) and Successful Club Series (SCS), including "How to be a Distinguished Club" from the SCS at Grand's Installation Ceremony in July and "Using Body Language" from BSS at Grand's New Members Orientation in November.
The packet arrived with a congratulatory letter on achieving ACS from Daniel Rex, Chief Executive Officer.
Better Speaker Series (BSS): Beginning your speech/Concluding your speech/Controlling your fear/Impromptu speaking/Selecting your topic/know your audience/Organizing your speech/Creating an introduction/preparation and practice/Using body language
Successful Club Series (SCS)
Moments of truth/Finding new members for your club/Evaluate to motivate/Closing the sale/Creating the best club climate/Meeting Roles and responsibility/Mentoring/Keeping the commitment/Going beyond our club/How to be a Distinguished club/The Toastmasters education Program
After joining in Toastmasters in May 1986, I took it easy to complete my communication manual. I got my CTM on July 26, 1993, and my ATM-B on April 4, 2001 (Public Relations. Communicating on Television). Then I took a long recess before I thought it was time I applied for another educational award with two advanced manuals: Interpretive Reading (the blindman's hat 12/21/2000, the belle of Amherst 8/10/2004, the plum in the golden vase 3/19/2005, the romance of western chamber 12/15/2005, UNICEF 9/2/2006) and Speaking to Inform (create new dimensions 3/14, 2001, top of the world 4/8/2001, Mediterranean osculation 6/9/2001, Constitution Rewrite-Article 9 6/13/2001, Study, family and life 12/16, 2004).
In order to get ACS, I submitted two recent workshops from Better Speaker Series (BSS) and Successful Club Series (SCS), including "How to be a Distinguished Club" from the SCS at Grand's Installation Ceremony in July and "Using Body Language" from BSS at Grand's New Members Orientation in November.
The packet arrived with a congratulatory letter on achieving ACS from Daniel Rex, Chief Executive Officer.
Better Speaker Series (BSS): Beginning your speech/Concluding your speech/Controlling your fear/Impromptu speaking/Selecting your topic/know your audience/Organizing your speech/Creating an introduction/preparation and practice/Using body language
Successful Club Series (SCS)
Moments of truth/Finding new members for your club/Evaluate to motivate/Closing the sale/Creating the best club climate/Meeting Roles and responsibility/Mentoring/Keeping the commitment/Going beyond our club/How to be a Distinguished club/The Toastmasters education Program
2013/12/15
2013/12/01
A Christmas Carol
2013/11/28
2013/11/23
2013/11/14
2013/11/06
2013/11/02
2013/11/01
2013/10/27
2013/10/20
Dracula LIVE in Taipei
Many thanks to Ruth for inviting me to join the Red Room community "dedicated to listening" and to help her achieve the mission of Red Room Radio Redux (R4) to bring the spoken word to a wide community using simple techniques of readers' theater and radio drama. As global citizens, I cherish the opportunity to learn the finest of the Western literary heritage with our Eastern friends and re-kindle an appreciation of the great stories and poems of literature and find common purpose with the literature of the world.
It is time we journeyed in time to the golden age of radio to hear Bram Stoker's classic tale of mystery and horror with the energetic and enthusiastic R Fourers!
Three Live Shows: Saturday 10/26 at 4:30 & 7:30 PM
Sunday, 10/27 at 2:30 PM
Vocals: Sarah Brooks, Marina Burana, Thomas Mayfield, Manav Mehta, Nate Murray, Colin Norman & Nic Sando.
Foley effects designed and executed by Sherry Li, Marina Burana
Tickets are on sale at the door starting 1 hour before each performance.
Students (200) & General Public (300)
Reservations:
Most of our seating is free-form on our rugs or free-standing.
We have a limited number of actual chairs: please let us know if you require/strongly prefer.
Write to us at r4.radioredux@gmail.com
We'll gladly keep your name at the door and look forward to seeing you!
For more information on Red Room Radio Redux:
http://www.redroom.com.tw/red-room-radio-redux/
2013/10/19
A Tiebraking Judge--Joint Area C1 & C4 Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests
Be it a joint Area C1 & C4 contest, there were 8 contestants from C1 and 1 contest from C4 at the humorous speech contest, 8 contestants from C1 and 1 contestant from C4 at the evaluation contest! I can't help reflecting upon the proper alignment of Toastmasters clubs in each area. It's not only about the club numbers, but only the club character (community, corporate, campus, government) and club quality (high, medium, low) in each area. Take Area C1 for example, there are five clubs, including 2 strong community clubs (Legacy & Galaxy) and 3 campus clubs (FJU, Soochow, NTUT). Under Area C4, there are three clubs, two community clubs (Excellence & Hualien) and 1 campus club (NTUST).
Eight humorous speech contestants had their strengths in their ways. Everyone of them had a chance to place at District level. It was not hard to imagine the keen competition with a full house of laughter from the beginning till the end. The champion speaker Toastmaster Michael Woods (Legacy) talked about how much he wished to get ride of his old cell phone and what his cell phone taught him in the end. The first runner-up Toastmaster Moses Mo (Galaxy) talked about his super idle. After his beloved wife got retired, she decided to join EMBA course diligently. The second runner-up Toastmaster Carol Liou talked about her experiences with boys. It was a pity that 5 contestants had to miss the opportunity to represent Area C1 to compete at Division C contest, including Ingrid Hsueh's (Legacy) My Husband's Girls; Crystal Chien's (Legacy) Just Listen; Sophie Chen's (SCU) Culture Differences; Godfrey Wu's (SCU) Fish Tank & HOt Pot; Philip Botha's (NTUT) Sacrifice.
The target speaker was Eric Chan from MOFA Toastmasters Club. He delivered his third speech (get to the point) about APEC Voices of the Future 2013 at MOFA Toastmasters Club Thursday noon, October 17th. Being his individual evaluator, I was happy to see Eric take the challenge as a target speaker at the Joint Area C1 & C4 Evaluation Contest to be evaluated by 9 evaluation contestants. I was happy to see his improvement of contents and delivery in three short days. And I saw with my eyes that speakers are made in an encouraging and supportive learning environment. The evaluation contest was competitive among the contestants. The official ballot of a tiebreaking judge was of use!
After the contest, I joined the Dream Parade in front of the Presidential Hall. Wow, how I felt excited and recharged when I saw energetic elementary school kids from aboriginal tribes all over Taiwan. The blend of costumes, floats, music, and participants of all ages reminded of the Mardi Gras in New Orleans when I was a graduate student between 1979 and 1983. I was overwhelmed at those at age of 60 plus ladies dancers in sexy dazzling colorful samba outfits It was a thrill to follow the parade crowd for an hour with drummers and dancers of all ages on Chung-shan South Road and Jen-ai Road. I looked forward to joining the samba beauty competition for ladies over 60 in 2015.
2013/10/17
Round Robin Evaluation
Was I happy to see Toastmaster Jenny Chen and Simon Hsieh at MOFA's meeting featuring two round robin evaluations for Toastmaster Weiling Chen and Erik Lahdekorpi Thursday noon, October 17th. Like all competition events, from spelling bees to baseball, sportsmanship isn't just reserved for athletes on the field. The sportsmanship is a tradition in sports and competition that players handle both victory and defeat with grace, style, and dignity. Jenny and Simon's demonstrated the spirit of sportsmanship with encore congratulations to Weiling and Erik, two winners at the Area H1 humorous speech contest and valuable recommendations to compete at Division H humorous speech contest at Tatung University Sunday afternoon, October 27th.
It was the first time for me to attend a round robin evaluation, given the fact that I had been a Toastmaster for 27 years. According to the club meetings and meeting roles at Toastmasters International, some advanced clubs have a Round Robin evaluation for the speakers. In addition to the designated evaluator giving an evaluation recorded in the member's manual, the other members around the room are asked for additional comments on the presentation.Division H Governor Lawrence was the Round Robin Master. He assigned 5 evaluators for each humorous contest speaker. Each evaluator was given 1 minutes and 30 seconds to give kisses and kicks. Toastmaster Jenny Chen, Simon Hsieh, Pierre Chen were in my group to give dos and don'ts to Erik Lahdekorpi, the champion at Area H1 humorous speech contest. It was stimulating to learn more what a good speech is. It was exciting to experience the energy and enthusiasm from the floor, how how members help members grow in the field of public speaking!
Are speakers born or made? In Toastmasters, speakers are made in a positive and supportive environment. Good speakers have a pocket of speeches handy. Good speakers seize the stage to excel. Not only does it take time for speakers to give birth to good speeches, but they also need acquire the skills to involve the audience to convey the messages successfully.
A speech contest is only the starting point for speakers. We need to reflect upon the thoughts what we could have done better when the memories were still fresh. At the same time, we need to move forward to work on the next speech contest. A winning speaking is made by preparation, preparation and preparation, nothing else but full preparation!
As a senior member of Grand, I am happy to have diligent and enthusiastic members in search of excellence in our club. As Area H1 Governor, I am happy to see the support among Toastmasters clubs in Area H1.
2013/10/13
A Judge--Area H3 Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contests
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Area H3 humorous speech and evaluation contests
took place at Arris, Sunday afternoon, October 13th. As I live in Hsin-tien, Arris is in the neighborhood. It feels good to participate in the community event, not to mention a Toastmasters event in my community. As a life Toastmaster, it is one of my goals to charter an English speaking community Toastmasters club in Hsin-tien. When I'm as old as Toastmaster Richard Fong (90+), I wish I could walk to the Toastmasters club meeting from home.
There are four Toastmasters clubs in Area H3, Leadership Village didn't send any representatives. Two contestants from each club participated in humorous speech contest and evaluation contest. Being one of judges at Area H3 contest, I found it hard to select two winners from each contest, as all contestants had their strengths and weakness in their own ways. Nate Murray (Price Cutter) talked about his bargaining experiences in China. Jason Liu (Be Quiet) talked about looking for a quiet place to study in the city library for his examination. Kenny Chang (What's the Boy) talked about the career path of a software engineer to elementary school kids. Maria Kang (Two Devils) talked about her two sons as two devils to punish her. Tim Cheng (Facial Expression) used all kinds of facial expressions to add impact to his speech. Vincent Chuang (My Dear! Why?) talked about the shopping behaviors between men and women. When Area H3 Governor Christine Liu announced the winners, I noticed that some judges exchanged looks at one another. I'm sure each judge had their winners in their minds, but it's no use protesting after the contest result was announced. On top of that, there was no issue of legibility and originality.
Target speaker Paul Lee told a touching story about his college classmate Winnie who went to the US bare hand not being able to speak a single word of English. She started working at a restaurant with only food and shelter, no salary. Then she got a job at the casino. Her house got bigger and bigger with the advancement of her job at the casino. It was a motivational speech. Many thanks to Paul Lee, a long time no see friend in Toastmasters!
Target speaker Paul Lee told a touching story about his college classmate Winnie who went to the US bare hand not being able to speak a single word of English. She started working at a restaurant with only food and shelter, no salary. Then she got a job at the casino. Her house got bigger and bigger with the advancement of her job at the casino. It was a motivational speech. Many thanks to Paul Lee, a long time no see friend in Toastmasters!
2013/10/12
A Contest Master--Joint Area H1& H2 Humorous Speech & Evalution Contests
After a quick lunch rendezvous, we walked to the Lecture Hall on the 15th floor at 1PM. To my surprise, I saw the contest chief judge Toastmaster Ron Chen sitting alone waiting for us. As the contest master, I was happy to be able to go over our responsibilities with Ron to make the joint Area H1 & H2 contest successful! Chief Judge Ron was responsible to brief the judging criteria and the protest. I announced the contestants order, speaking area, and timing rules.
Area H2 Governor Kendrick Huang must be very popular in Toastmasters. He was successful in recruiting NINE judges to the joint Area H1& H2 Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contests. It was without doubt that Kendrick and Alex spend a lot of time and put a great amount of efforts to make the joint contest enjoyable and fair for contestants and the audience.
As much as I love to join humorous speech contest to hone my sense of humor, I'm not entitled to participate in any speech contest in 2013-2014 as a Toastmaster District Officer. Fortunately, Toastmaster Jennie Chen from Grand Toastmasters Club came to me for advises. Was I happy to I help her with the speech contents, deliveries! When I saw Jennie deliver her speech "Blind Dates or Not"on stage, I experienced another dimension of speech contest and I felt good for Jennie and for myself. Even both contestants Jenny Chen and Simon Hsieh from Grand didn't place, but they gained valuable experiences for their future performances on stage. MOFA claimed all humorous speech and evaluation trophies. President Charles was proud to announce, "At MOFA, we don't cultivate speakers, we attract speakers".
Millions of thanks to Kendrick and Alex for organizing the contest and making a lot of laughter as single and available gentlemen at the match making episode with two single and available Jennies, Toastmasters Jenny Chen from Grand and Toastmaster Jenny Tzeng from MOFA during 5 minutes preparation time for evaluation contestants. The target speaker and the audience enjoyed a happy break before the evaluation contest reconvened!
At the end of the contest, Division H Governor Lawrence announced the Division H humorous speech and evaluation contest at Tatung University Sunday afternoon, October 27th, followed by Division H New Members Orientation and Costume Party at Mackay Hospital in the evening. I was happy to know that Lawrence and I were born on the same month, the same day, but different years, two decades apart. Hooray, two libras are on the way to make Division H a president's distinguished division in 2013-1014.
2013/10/09
I'm 58!
As far as I can recall, I never miss my birthday. When I was a little girl, I insisted on sitting between my parents on my birthday dinner, when other young kids sat at another table. When I grew older, I loved to receive birthday presents. It had been a headache for my mother to purchase a birthday present in gold when she was alive. I insisted on a gift in gold from my parents because it last forever. Now, I don't like any birthday presents, because I've already had more than I can need. I like birthday parties just the same. It is a special day for me to think of a new resolution for my life on my birthday. It feels good to be surrounded by family and friends.2013/09/26
A Chief Judge--MOFA Toastmasters Club’s In-House Speech Contest
Seldom do I worry about Toastmasters contest rules, as I'm more of a speaker or an evaluator than a helper in Toastmasters. Year 2013-1014 is a learning year for me to know all contest rules in order to serve well as a chief judge or a contest chair upon request!
The opportunity to be a chief judge came sooner than later. I was invited to serve as a chief judge at MOFA's in-house humorous speech and evaluation contests Thursday noon, September 26th. I sent the contest rules to Education Vice President Weiling Chen in advance. We enjoyed a successful contest featuring three humorous speakers Eric Lahdekorpi, Vincent Liu and Pierre Chen; four evaluators Erik Lahdekorpi, Pierre Chen, Charles Teng, Sammy Su and target speaker Moses Mo, President of Galaxy Toastmasters Club.
All contestants were requested to fill out a certificate of originality and eligibility before the contest begins. A chief judge should not be a judge unless absolutely necessary. When contest is over, make sure that 1st and 2nd place winners fill out the notification of contest winner form. Make sure that the next level chief judge receives this form along with the each speaker's certificate of originality and eligibility.
At the club level, use five judges if possible. At the area level, at least five judges or equal representation from the clubs composing the area are required. At the division level and above, at least seven judges or equal representation from the Areas composing the Division or the Divisions composing the District are required. One of the judges must be a tiebreaker judge. This judge should be a member of a club that is outside of the contest jurisdiction; i.e. for a club contest, a member from another club; for an area contest, a member from a club from a different area, etc.
Three ballot counters and two timekeepers are required. All judges, timekeepers, ballot counters and sergeant-at-arms should be briefed before the contest begins. Judges sign the bottom part (below the dotted line) of their ballots. Contestant names are filled across the top of the ballot according to the draw of order. Along the side of the ballot are the judging items. When a contestant finishes his/her speech, write what the contestant's score to the right of each judging item and in the column for that contestant.
One minute of silence will be given after each contestant finishes his/her speech for judges to write down the score and to add up for the total score for that contestant. When the contest is over, keep silent till judges complete the ballot and fill in the bottom part. Only write down the choice for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place contestant, plus judge's signature and printed name. When the contest is over, turn in the bottom part of the ballot to the ballot counters, who will be collecting them. Destroy top part of the ballot at some location away from the contest site. Try not to sit next to or near any of the contestants. As the tiebreaker judge, every contestant must be ranked on the ballot, not only the three winners. The ballot will only be used if there is a tie for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place; otherwise, the ballot will not be used.
Only judges or contestants can make a protest. Protests can only be based on eligibility or originality. A protest must be made to the chief judge or contest chairman before the announcement of the winners is made. After that, it's too late. The contestant must be given an opportunity to respond to the judges on a protest regarding originality. Then, the judges will vote as to whether or not they concur. A majority vote of the judges is needed to concur.
The contest chairman will privately tell a contestant that he was disqualified on the basis of eligibility before the contest adjourns.
Timekeepers should start the stopwatch, when the speaker utters his/her first world or obviously begins speech with gestures or sound equipment. Lights/signals/flags for low, middle, and high times should be shown. Leave high light/signal/flag on; do not turn it off even if speaker goes over time. Backup timer keeps time in case primary timer does not pay attention or his/her stopwatch malfunctions.
Sergeant at Arms should secure doors at the beginning of contest. Nobody can enter/leave room until the contest is over and all ballots have been collected. However, if anybody insists on leaving/entering the room, they can only do it during the one-minute of silence between the speeches.
Oly the chief judge, a ballot counter or a timekeeper can bring the error to everyone's attention, when the announcement of the winners by the contest chairman is incorrect or in the wrong order. The contest chairman should be immediately interrupt while making the announcement and should be told privately by the chief judge what the correct order should be or why a contestant should not be identified as a winner.
Ballot counters go around the room to collect the ballots from the judges when the contest is over: Get the timer sheet from the timekeeper. Leave the room with the chief judge once all ballots and the timekeeper sheet is collected. The chief judge and the ballot counters should count the ballots in a different location other than the contest meeting room. Tiebreaker ballot shouldn't be used unless there is a tie. All ballot counters and the chief judge observe ballot counting to make sure no errors occur. Make sure to look at the timekeeper's sheet for any disqualifications based on time. Each judge's ballot must be signed. If not, the ballot is discarded and not counted. Use the Counter's Tally Sheet form to tally the score. Write the names of the contestants along the top of the form. Write the names of the judges along the side of the form. Don't write down the tiebreaker judge's name. Write the appropriate number of points given by each judge under each contestant's name. Then, add up the score for each contestant. If there is a tie for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, follow the tie breaking procedures. Refer to tiebreaker ballot, only if a tie exists. Look for contestant names on tiebreaker ballot that are tied. The highest ranked contestant on tiebreaker ballot wins tie.
Once the 1st place contestants are determined, the chief judge will write this down and give it to the contest chairman. If any of the contestants went over time, write down that “a contestant was disqualified on the basis of time” but not the contestant's name(s).
Code of Ethics of a judge: 1, to demonstrate the utmost objectivity; 2, neither to time the speech nor to consider the possibility of under-time or overtime of a contestant's speech; 3, support the contest rules and judging standards, refrain from public criticism and revealing scores and ranking.
The opportunity to be a chief judge came sooner than later. I was invited to serve as a chief judge at MOFA's in-house humorous speech and evaluation contests Thursday noon, September 26th. I sent the contest rules to Education Vice President Weiling Chen in advance. We enjoyed a successful contest featuring three humorous speakers Eric Lahdekorpi, Vincent Liu and Pierre Chen; four evaluators Erik Lahdekorpi, Pierre Chen, Charles Teng, Sammy Su and target speaker Moses Mo, President of Galaxy Toastmasters Club.All contestants were requested to fill out a certificate of originality and eligibility before the contest begins. A chief judge should not be a judge unless absolutely necessary. When contest is over, make sure that 1st and 2nd place winners fill out the notification of contest winner form. Make sure that the next level chief judge receives this form along with the each speaker's certificate of originality and eligibility.
At the club level, use five judges if possible. At the area level, at least five judges or equal representation from the clubs composing the area are required. At the division level and above, at least seven judges or equal representation from the Areas composing the Division or the Divisions composing the District are required. One of the judges must be a tiebreaker judge. This judge should be a member of a club that is outside of the contest jurisdiction; i.e. for a club contest, a member from another club; for an area contest, a member from a club from a different area, etc.
Three ballot counters and two timekeepers are required. All judges, timekeepers, ballot counters and sergeant-at-arms should be briefed before the contest begins. Judges sign the bottom part (below the dotted line) of their ballots. Contestant names are filled across the top of the ballot according to the draw of order. Along the side of the ballot are the judging items. When a contestant finishes his/her speech, write what the contestant's score to the right of each judging item and in the column for that contestant.
One minute of silence will be given after each contestant finishes his/her speech for judges to write down the score and to add up for the total score for that contestant. When the contest is over, keep silent till judges complete the ballot and fill in the bottom part. Only write down the choice for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place contestant, plus judge's signature and printed name. When the contest is over, turn in the bottom part of the ballot to the ballot counters, who will be collecting them. Destroy top part of the ballot at some location away from the contest site. Try not to sit next to or near any of the contestants. As the tiebreaker judge, every contestant must be ranked on the ballot, not only the three winners. The ballot will only be used if there is a tie for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place; otherwise, the ballot will not be used.
Only judges or contestants can make a protest. Protests can only be based on eligibility or originality. A protest must be made to the chief judge or contest chairman before the announcement of the winners is made. After that, it's too late. The contestant must be given an opportunity to respond to the judges on a protest regarding originality. Then, the judges will vote as to whether or not they concur. A majority vote of the judges is needed to concur.
The contest chairman will privately tell a contestant that he was disqualified on the basis of eligibility before the contest adjourns.
Timekeepers should start the stopwatch, when the speaker utters his/her first world or obviously begins speech with gestures or sound equipment. Lights/signals/flags for low, middle, and high times should be shown. Leave high light/signal/flag on; do not turn it off even if speaker goes over time. Backup timer keeps time in case primary timer does not pay attention or his/her stopwatch malfunctions.
Sergeant at Arms should secure doors at the beginning of contest. Nobody can enter/leave room until the contest is over and all ballots have been collected. However, if anybody insists on leaving/entering the room, they can only do it during the one-minute of silence between the speeches.
Oly the chief judge, a ballot counter or a timekeeper can bring the error to everyone's attention, when the announcement of the winners by the contest chairman is incorrect or in the wrong order. The contest chairman should be immediately interrupt while making the announcement and should be told privately by the chief judge what the correct order should be or why a contestant should not be identified as a winner.
Ballot counters go around the room to collect the ballots from the judges when the contest is over: Get the timer sheet from the timekeeper. Leave the room with the chief judge once all ballots and the timekeeper sheet is collected. The chief judge and the ballot counters should count the ballots in a different location other than the contest meeting room. Tiebreaker ballot shouldn't be used unless there is a tie. All ballot counters and the chief judge observe ballot counting to make sure no errors occur. Make sure to look at the timekeeper's sheet for any disqualifications based on time. Each judge's ballot must be signed. If not, the ballot is discarded and not counted. Use the Counter's Tally Sheet form to tally the score. Write the names of the contestants along the top of the form. Write the names of the judges along the side of the form. Don't write down the tiebreaker judge's name. Write the appropriate number of points given by each judge under each contestant's name. Then, add up the score for each contestant. If there is a tie for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, follow the tie breaking procedures. Refer to tiebreaker ballot, only if a tie exists. Look for contestant names on tiebreaker ballot that are tied. The highest ranked contestant on tiebreaker ballot wins tie.
Once the 1st place contestants are determined, the chief judge will write this down and give it to the contest chairman. If any of the contestants went over time, write down that “a contestant was disqualified on the basis of time” but not the contestant's name(s).
Code of Ethics of a judge: 1, to demonstrate the utmost objectivity; 2, neither to time the speech nor to consider the possibility of under-time or overtime of a contestant's speech; 3, support the contest rules and judging standards, refrain from public criticism and revealing scores and ranking.
2013/09/18
Grand Toastmasters Club's Apéritif Hour
Toastmaster of Evening Zoy Juang was curious about the favorite countries of assignment takers at Grand Toastmasters Club's meeting Wednesday evening, September 18th. My favorite country is China! It is big with many scenic and historic places to see. On top of that, I love Chinese food.
Before the meeting, there was a warm gathering to celebrate the Moon Festival (the 15th day of the 8th month) 2013, four days holidays from Thursday (9/19) till Sunday (9/22). Toastmaster Jimmy Wu donated three pizzas, Zoy brought vegetable salad and dessert soup, Helen made Tuna salad, I brought a can of spice tuna with a box of crackers from Thailand.
I cherish the tradition of Grand Toastmasters club, apéritif hour before the meeting . In order to warm up members and guests, Granders are enthusiastic to arrive early to set up the meeting venue and to bring food and drinks to share. Every member knows early bird can enjoy the apéritif hour to chat, to eat, to drink, and to catch up with members and to make new friends.
Being a Chinese, I love to meet up with family and friends at a table full of food and drinks. I am thinking about preparing a special dish to Grand Toastmasters Club meeting from now on while I'm the Area H1 Governor! Many thanks to Toastmaster Zoy Juang who deserves all the credit to take initiatives to make the tradition by bringing her best dishes to club meetings every time!
Before the meeting, there was a warm gathering to celebrate the Moon Festival (the 15th day of the 8th month) 2013, four days holidays from Thursday (9/19) till Sunday (9/22). Toastmaster Jimmy Wu donated three pizzas, Zoy brought vegetable salad and dessert soup, Helen made Tuna salad, I brought a can of spice tuna with a box of crackers from Thailand.
I cherish the tradition of Grand Toastmasters club, apéritif hour before the meeting . In order to warm up members and guests, Granders are enthusiastic to arrive early to set up the meeting venue and to bring food and drinks to share. Every member knows early bird can enjoy the apéritif hour to chat, to eat, to drink, and to catch up with members and to make new friends.
Being a Chinese, I love to meet up with family and friends at a table full of food and drinks. I am thinking about preparing a special dish to Grand Toastmasters Club meeting from now on while I'm the Area H1 Governor! Many thanks to Toastmaster Zoy Juang who deserves all the credit to take initiatives to make the tradition by bringing her best dishes to club meetings every time!
2013/09/10
Sunrise TMC's in-house Evaluation Contest
It was a great pleasure to be invited as a judge at Sunrise Toastmasters Club's in-house evaluation contest Tuesday evening, September 10th. Many thanks to EVP Brighter Lin for giving me the opportunity to reconnect with one of the best Toastmasters clubs in Division H, District 67. It felt like yesterday when golden ladies Toastmasters Trini Ding, Kate Hsu, Pamela Yang and I joined Sunrise TMC's year end party in 2009 in the rain!
It was the first time I participated in a Toastmasters club's in-house evaluation contest of eight judges. They were Lawrence Huang, Division H Governor, Dawn Lin, Area A1 Governor, Yvonne Kao, Area C1 Governor, Harry Fong, DTM, Helen Chen, DTM, Michelle Fan, Juilin Chang, and myself, Area H1 Governor. If each judge were given 2 to 3 minutes to comment on the in-house evaluation contest, there could have been a judges' contest!
The target speaker is outstanding President Allen Lu from National Cheng-chi University. Allen made an impressive speech about how to cope with insomnia with valuable know-hows. Allen did an intensive and extensive research about sleeping problems in Taiwan. With the good support of statistics, Allen aroused the interest of the audience about the modern ailment. He used a couple of medical jargons, such as serotonin (a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain) and enkephalin (a neurotransmitter that is induced by exercise to suppress pain). As a pharmacist, I like Allen's informative speech to medical professionals . But to a Toastmasters audience, I wonder how many people could take home the medical terms of neurotransmitters except Dr. Lawrence Huang, the pediatrician at MacKay Hospital.
It was a good tradition of Sunrise that all club members join the in-house contest. Twelve contestants broke a leg after Allen Lu's speech. They were Edward Wu, Muriel Weng, Joe Lin, Thomas, Linda, Ellisha Chang, John Tsai, Vincent Chuang, Pamela Tung, Daniel Lai, May Liau, and Kelly Chen (in evaluation order). I was overwhelmed by the passion and enthusiasm to excel among young and energetic members of Sunrise Toastmasters Club.
After the in-house evaluation contest, I hang around with a few members for the second round at McDonald's. President Joe Lin was a good listener from the beginning to the end. I was happy to witness his growth in Toastmasters in the past five years, from a college graduate to a father of a two months old son. Nai-ling was excited about her new web work at Tao-yuan airport. She was eager to acquire Japanese language to serve the customers from Japan. While Kelly was hesitant about getting married, Vincent, Brighter, Joe, and I encouraged her to take the challenge to invest in marriage. If falling in love is an impulse, staying married is definitely an art of business. In marriage, not only does a Toastmaster become a better person, but he or she also make the better half a better person.
It was the first time I participated in a Toastmasters club's in-house evaluation contest of eight judges. They were Lawrence Huang, Division H Governor, Dawn Lin, Area A1 Governor, Yvonne Kao, Area C1 Governor, Harry Fong, DTM, Helen Chen, DTM, Michelle Fan, Juilin Chang, and myself, Area H1 Governor. If each judge were given 2 to 3 minutes to comment on the in-house evaluation contest, there could have been a judges' contest!The target speaker is outstanding President Allen Lu from National Cheng-chi University. Allen made an impressive speech about how to cope with insomnia with valuable know-hows. Allen did an intensive and extensive research about sleeping problems in Taiwan. With the good support of statistics, Allen aroused the interest of the audience about the modern ailment. He used a couple of medical jargons, such as serotonin (a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain) and enkephalin (a neurotransmitter that is induced by exercise to suppress pain). As a pharmacist, I like Allen's informative speech to medical professionals . But to a Toastmasters audience, I wonder how many people could take home the medical terms of neurotransmitters except Dr. Lawrence Huang, the pediatrician at MacKay Hospital.
It was a good tradition of Sunrise that all club members join the in-house contest. Twelve contestants broke a leg after Allen Lu's speech. They were Edward Wu, Muriel Weng, Joe Lin, Thomas, Linda, Ellisha Chang, John Tsai, Vincent Chuang, Pamela Tung, Daniel Lai, May Liau, and Kelly Chen (in evaluation order). I was overwhelmed by the passion and enthusiasm to excel among young and energetic members of Sunrise Toastmasters Club.
After the in-house evaluation contest, I hang around with a few members for the second round at McDonald's. President Joe Lin was a good listener from the beginning to the end. I was happy to witness his growth in Toastmasters in the past five years, from a college graduate to a father of a two months old son. Nai-ling was excited about her new web work at Tao-yuan airport. She was eager to acquire Japanese language to serve the customers from Japan. While Kelly was hesitant about getting married, Vincent, Brighter, Joe, and I encouraged her to take the challenge to invest in marriage. If falling in love is an impulse, staying married is definitely an art of business. In marriage, not only does a Toastmaster become a better person, but he or she also make the better half a better person.
2013/09/05
A Speech for Single Nobles at MOFA--Life 123
Upon the invitation of President Charles Teng of MOFA Toastmasters Club, I delivered the following speech at a special meeting Thursday noon, September 5th, to encourage single diplomats at Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get married and settle down!
Life is about setting goals since the first burst of crying. Whao, Whao, Whao......What a beautiful world in front of my eyes! Life began with the crying for love!
Let's begin Life 123 with Mathematics 101. How much is zero plus zero? How much is zero plus one? Yes, one is the starting number to infinity. One plus as many zeros following in the bank account as you wish, so long as you can stand on your feet. Health is No.1. You're No.1. Single is one. While single, invest in yourself to the best of your ability!
But it takes two to tango. One plus one is greater than two. That's the power of love. While in search of true love, we must be courageous to take the risk! Love is art, but marriage is life. Marriage is a bliss. Better late than never. A couple grow in intimacy and privacy. Take Ogre Shrek and Princess Fiona for example! After they find Mr. & Miss Right, they are happily married ever after!
In marriage, we learn to compromise with the better half more than we with our parents or colleagues. The relationship between a husband and a wife is the most important bond in human beings. When we are loved by our spouses, we learn to love others and ourselves. The feelings of being in love prompt us to achieve our best! In marriage, we learn to trust in others. From a stranger, our spouse becomes a family. From old family to new family, we entrust our life in another person. In 25 years of marriage, I give my husband a credit rating of AAA to pay my bills.
Three's company! Human beings are social animals. In Toastmasters, we learn communication and leadership skills in public. It's the public we interact with to gain our strength and energy. We give and take to complete life in the society. We spire upward in a group to feel high together as a team! Birds of a feather flock together to get the momentum to fly across the ocean!
From 1 (single) to 2 (marriage) to 3 (society), we are connected to the world! One is to stand on your feet, to invest in yourself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Two is to get married, to invest in your relationships. Three is to involve yourself in the society, to invest in friendships. From one to three, one step at a time. Don't expedite the flow. Otherwise haste makes waste.
There is a Chinese saying, "when we reach the third age, we need old friends, old partner, and old home." Marriage is vital in human development. For those who are single, please be constantly on the lookout for your better half to complete you! Wish you a happy marriage ever after, and become a better person in the life 123.
Life is about setting goals since the first burst of crying. Whao, Whao, Whao......What a beautiful world in front of my eyes! Life began with the crying for love!
Let's begin Life 123 with Mathematics 101. How much is zero plus zero? How much is zero plus one? Yes, one is the starting number to infinity. One plus as many zeros following in the bank account as you wish, so long as you can stand on your feet. Health is No.1. You're No.1. Single is one. While single, invest in yourself to the best of your ability!
But it takes two to tango. One plus one is greater than two. That's the power of love. While in search of true love, we must be courageous to take the risk! Love is art, but marriage is life. Marriage is a bliss. Better late than never. A couple grow in intimacy and privacy. Take Ogre Shrek and Princess Fiona for example! After they find Mr. & Miss Right, they are happily married ever after!
In marriage, we learn to compromise with the better half more than we with our parents or colleagues. The relationship between a husband and a wife is the most important bond in human beings. When we are loved by our spouses, we learn to love others and ourselves. The feelings of being in love prompt us to achieve our best! In marriage, we learn to trust in others. From a stranger, our spouse becomes a family. From old family to new family, we entrust our life in another person. In 25 years of marriage, I give my husband a credit rating of AAA to pay my bills.
Three's company! Human beings are social animals. In Toastmasters, we learn communication and leadership skills in public. It's the public we interact with to gain our strength and energy. We give and take to complete life in the society. We spire upward in a group to feel high together as a team! Birds of a feather flock together to get the momentum to fly across the ocean!
From 1 (single) to 2 (marriage) to 3 (society), we are connected to the world! One is to stand on your feet, to invest in yourself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Two is to get married, to invest in your relationships. Three is to involve yourself in the society, to invest in friendships. From one to three, one step at a time. Don't expedite the flow. Otherwise haste makes waste.
There is a Chinese saying, "when we reach the third age, we need old friends, old partner, and old home." Marriage is vital in human development. For those who are single, please be constantly on the lookout for your better half to complete you! Wish you a happy marriage ever after, and become a better person in the life 123.
2013/08/08
A Demo Speech at CDE (Center for Drug Evluation)--Toastmasters Wonderland
Upon the invitation of D67 Lt. Governor Marketing Caroline Kiang, DTM, I delivered the following speech at the first demo meeting at Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE)" on Father's Day Thursday noon, August 8th, to a full house of drug evaluators to encourage them to charter a new Toastmasters club at CDE.
Good Morning! Welcome to Toastmasters Wonderland. My name is Sherry Li. I'm your tour guide this morning.
In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a girl named Alice who is feeling bored while sitting on the riverbank with her sister on a summer afternoon, when she notices a talking White Rabbit. She follows it down a rabbit hole when suddenly she falls a long way to a curious hall with many locked doors of all sizes. She finds a small key to a door too small for her to fit through, but through it she sees an attractive garden.
She then discovers a bottle on a table labeled "DRINK ME", tied around it has magically appeared on the table. Alice drinks the every last drop of the bottle's liquid and finds that it tastes absolutely delicious (it had a flavor of cherry tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffy, and hot buttered toast, all mixed up).
She then finds herself shrinking down to reach the key which she has left on the table. A cake with "EAT ME" on it causes her to grow to such a tremendous size her head hits the ceiling.
Through the process of "Drink Me" and "Eat Me", Alice went through the transformation to see the world in different perspectives, an adventure of self-discovery designed by an English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll.
In Toastmasters Wonderland, we also go through the process of self-discovery by being a communicator and a leader. When we stand up and speak up, we bite a piece of "Eat Me", we become big and we want to convey the message to the audience, we want to share our secret to happiness in public. When we become a club officer, we sip a bit of "Drink Me", we become small and we want to serve our club members by receiving voices from all walks of life.
"KISS ME" & "KICK ME" are two encouraging ways an individual evaluator gives to the prepared speaker by being an active listener and thinker to encourage the speaker and the audience to move up to another level of delivering and listening to public speeches. The team spirit of spiral upward movement is most cherished in Toastmasters Wonderland. The law of attraction—Energy empowers Toastmasters to achieve their goals in life.
In 1943, Maslow proposed a theory of human motivation. His hierarchy of needs include physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, self-actualization. In Toastmasters Wonderland, the practice field of self-actualization, enable members to satisfy the human needs to the highest hierarchy.
Are you ready to pay US$ 6 dollars a month to visit the Toastmasters Wonderland (with a copy of Toastmaster Magazine August issue in hand, the cover page of a rose garden in summer)? Toastmaster of the Day!
Good Morning! Welcome to Toastmasters Wonderland. My name is Sherry Li. I'm your tour guide this morning.
In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a girl named Alice who is feeling bored while sitting on the riverbank with her sister on a summer afternoon, when she notices a talking White Rabbit. She follows it down a rabbit hole when suddenly she falls a long way to a curious hall with many locked doors of all sizes. She finds a small key to a door too small for her to fit through, but through it she sees an attractive garden.
Through the process of "Drink Me" and "Eat Me", Alice went through the transformation to see the world in different perspectives, an adventure of self-discovery designed by an English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll.
In Toastmasters Wonderland, we also go through the process of self-discovery by being a communicator and a leader. When we stand up and speak up, we bite a piece of "Eat Me", we become big and we want to convey the message to the audience, we want to share our secret to happiness in public. When we become a club officer, we sip a bit of "Drink Me", we become small and we want to serve our club members by receiving voices from all walks of life.
"KISS ME" & "KICK ME" are two encouraging ways an individual evaluator gives to the prepared speaker by being an active listener and thinker to encourage the speaker and the audience to move up to another level of delivering and listening to public speeches. The team spirit of spiral upward movement is most cherished in Toastmasters Wonderland. The law of attraction—Energy empowers Toastmasters to achieve their goals in life.
In 1943, Maslow proposed a theory of human motivation. His hierarchy of needs include physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, self-actualization. In Toastmasters Wonderland, the practice field of self-actualization, enable members to satisfy the human needs to the highest hierarchy.
Are you ready to pay US$ 6 dollars a month to visit the Toastmasters Wonderland (with a copy of Toastmaster Magazine August issue in hand, the cover page of a rose garden in summer)? Toastmaster of the Day!
2013/08/07
Competent Leadership Manual
Rarely did I have a chance to serve as a timer at a regular Toastmasters meeting, I was happy that I learned to control the time at Grand Toastmasters Club's meeting Wednesday evening, August 7th. I was one step closer to my goal to complete the competent leadership manual to get my CL before June 2014.
Being a timer, I learn how an effective speaker organizes his/her speech in a timely manner. I also learn how an evaluator optimizes the limited evaluation time. For 2 to 3 minutes evaluation, a good time control to cover analysis, recommendation and summation is a matter of live and death.
Being a timer, I learn how an effective speaker organizes his/her speech in a timely manner. I also learn how an evaluator optimizes the limited evaluation time. For 2 to 3 minutes evaluation, a good time control to cover analysis, recommendation and summation is a matter of live and death.
2013/08/03
2013-2014 Divisions C&H 1st Officers Training
It was a big success of Division C & Division H Officers Training at Mackay Memorial Hospital Saturday afternoon, August 3rd.
In the first half of the officers training, Division Governor Joy Tsai talked about "Thrive in District Recognition Program", followed by Lt. Gov. Education and Training Eric Liang's "Motivating Achievement" and Lt. Gov. Marketing Caroline Kiang's "Establish and Support New Club".
After intermission, Area C1 Governor Yvonne Kao and I led the Group 1 to discuss how to achieve success as a club officer. Group 1 was the biggest group of 24 club presidents and acting presidents. We were given 30 minutes to come up with the annual goal to achieve the best possible Distinguished Club Point (DCP). In order to give every president a say, Yvonne and I broke the big group into three small groups, so that as many problems and solutions as possible could be collected in time.
As the President group, we were called upon first to give the conclusion. Two club presidents were selected to represent group 1 to share the vision of group 1. I was excited to see many enthusiastic presidents eager to stand up and speak up. I look forward to working with Area H1 club presidents in the year to come!
In the first half of the officers training, Division Governor Joy Tsai talked about "Thrive in District Recognition Program", followed by Lt. Gov. Education and Training Eric Liang's "Motivating Achievement" and Lt. Gov. Marketing Caroline Kiang's "Establish and Support New Club".
After intermission, Area C1 Governor Yvonne Kao and I led the Group 1 to discuss how to achieve success as a club officer. Group 1 was the biggest group of 24 club presidents and acting presidents. We were given 30 minutes to come up with the annual goal to achieve the best possible Distinguished Club Point (DCP). In order to give every president a say, Yvonne and I broke the big group into three small groups, so that as many problems and solutions as possible could be collected in time.
As the President group, we were called upon first to give the conclusion. Two club presidents were selected to represent group 1 to share the vision of group 1. I was excited to see many enthusiastic presidents eager to stand up and speak up. I look forward to working with Area H1 club presidents in the year to come!
2013/07/18
The Final Curtain Call
I didn't know much about Hugh Lee! I didn't see any of his theatrical works on stage when he was alive. I was touched when I read about his philosophy about theater and life from the news after he passed away early Tuesday morning, July 2nd. Hugh talked about three elements in life, i.e., imagination, humor, and love. I took interest in knowing more about him.
I signed up for his funeral service on the internet because I was curious about the unprecedented funeral of its own kind. After I arrived at the funeral venue at the Flower Expo, I passed the security check, I found my seat (row 14, number 70).right before the sound track equipment. It was a seat of a panoramic view. On the windy morning, I saw huge posters of Hugh Lee flying in the air. Yes, he was with us.
The Final Curtain Call Memorial Service of Taiwan troupe founder Hugh Lee took place at ten o'clock at Flower EXPO Hall this morning, July 18th. It was full of laughter and tears. The memorial service started with President Ma Ying-jeou's commendation award, followed by three videos of Hugh Lee legendary life and farewell speeches of Hugh's wife, daughter and son on the stage. Nearly 3,000 people participated in the farewell gathering, I was one of them. Even I couldn't stay till the end as I needed to rush to MOFA Toastmasters club meeting at 12 noon.
I was so happy that I made it to say goodbye to Taiwanese Theater Master Hugh Lee at the last minute. I shall see his master piece Can Three Make It? with my lady Toastmasters on Chinese Valentine's day, Tuesday evening, August 13th. Better late than never!
I signed up for his funeral service on the internet because I was curious about the unprecedented funeral of its own kind. After I arrived at the funeral venue at the Flower Expo, I passed the security check, I found my seat (row 14, number 70).right before the sound track equipment. It was a seat of a panoramic view. On the windy morning, I saw huge posters of Hugh Lee flying in the air. Yes, he was with us.
The Final Curtain Call Memorial Service of Taiwan troupe founder Hugh Lee took place at ten o'clock at Flower EXPO Hall this morning, July 18th. It was full of laughter and tears. The memorial service started with President Ma Ying-jeou's commendation award, followed by three videos of Hugh Lee legendary life and farewell speeches of Hugh's wife, daughter and son on the stage. Nearly 3,000 people participated in the farewell gathering, I was one of them. Even I couldn't stay till the end as I needed to rush to MOFA Toastmasters club meeting at 12 noon.
2013/07/17
The Biggest Super Lotto in Taiwan History
Toastmaster Gavin Chen was the first-timer Tabletopics Master at Grand TMC Meeting Wednesday evening, July 17th. He prepared five up-to-date Tabletopics questions for Helen, Billy, Yoland, sharen and me. And I won the best Tabletopics speaker award!I was so thrilled when Gavin called upon me to answer the last question,what if I won the super lotto of 23.6 billion NT dollars*, what I would do! It was not the first time I answered the kind of question, it became easier one time after another.
With a big smile on my face, firstly, I invite members and guests at the Grand's meeting to travel around the world. A joy shared is a joy doubled. Then I set up a fund to help those in need. In stead of giving money away, I lend the money to those who has a business proposal in mind. I follow the Microfinance strategy proposed by Nobel Laureate Muhummad Yunus**. Last but not least, I reserve one third of the fortune for the Toastmasters International founded by Dr. Ralph Smedley.
PS:
* The sole winner of the super lotto walked away with 19 billion dollars net after tax Friday evening, July 19th. The lucky number is 1, 2, 6, 12, 30, 36, the 2nd area number is 3. I am curious about the story of "It Could Happen to Him or Her"!
** Toastmaster LJ Lamb supplied me with The Myths Behind Microfinance, recent revelations about Muhummad Yunus in the alleged misuse of $100 million by the Grameen Banks.
2013/07/16
Shanghai, Taipei
Upon the invitation of incoming President Mike Yang of Leadership Village (LV) Toastmasters Club, I joined the club officers discharging and Installation ceremony at Tatung University this evening, July 16th.
LV TMC is regarded the Toastmasters graduate school in District 67, featuring the highest percentage of DTMs and past district governors. LC TMC meets once a month at an awesome room equipped with state-of-the-art telecommunication facilities. Toastmasters Toshio Yada (矢田敏雄) and Yoshikazu Kawakami (河上悅和) from Bashamichi Advanced TMC, District 76, were on-line to join the first Video-TMC meeting via skpe this evening.
During the first half of the meeting, District 67 LGM Caroline Kiang was the sole prepared speaker. She gave a dramatic talk using the Advanced Manual--The Entertaining Speaker. She used 6 minutes and 58 seconds to deliver a dramatic story about a couple separated across the Taiwan Strait since 1949.
She opened her speech with a young female protagonist Jennifer singing "Nightlife in Shanghai 夜上海" gleefully, who just came back from a romantic trip in Shanghai. Then Jennifer told a story about her grandfather Steven, a solider came to Taiwan in 1949, leaving his pregnant fiancee behind with his best friend Robert. After his early retirement, he ran a noodles shop in Manga (萬華), working hard day and night to support his family. After work, Steven drank Kinmen kaoliang and sang "Arrest Susan 蘇三起解" to curb his nostalgic emotions. Upon Steven's request, Jennifer visited Shanghai with a green pouch (an exchange token of love) in hand, she ran into the grandson of her grandfather's sweetheart on the street. Jennifer's serendipitous encounter with her half-brother connected Steven and his sweetheart after 60+ years. When Steven told his sweetheart, "I always have you in my heart", his sweetheart replied, "your love is my final destination".
Caroline delivered her speech with excellent vocal variety by singing a popular Mandarin song and a famous Peking opera. She used the green pouch to enrich her body language and facial expressions. The contents and structure of her story were witty and full of twist. My suggestions for her dramatic talk would be to change her speech title from "Shanghai, Taiwan" to "Shanghai, Taipei". In her story, she had prelude, five scenes, and epilogue. She could take advantage of extra 30 seconds to add more dramatic dialogues to balance with the narration to achieve the best entertaining effect.
On early Tuesday morning, July 2nd, the Taiwanese Theater Tycoon Hugh Lee passed away at age of 58. He left with us three elements in drama and life. They are humor, imagination, and love. Caroline Kiang's prepared speech was of humor, imagination, and love. It was a blissful and demanding task being her evaluator. Being an amateur actor, I enjoyed her dramatic talk, so did the audience, I believe.
Many congratulations to Mike Yang for shouldering the challenging responsibilities of the most Avant-garde TMC in District 67. And thanks to him for being my evaluator of Speech Evaluator, Project 1, CL Manual. Also thanks to Caroline Kiang for inviting me to be her evaluator and prompting me to remove the dust on novels of O. Henry on my bookshelf.
LV TMC is regarded the Toastmasters graduate school in District 67, featuring the highest percentage of DTMs and past district governors. LC TMC meets once a month at an awesome room equipped with state-of-the-art telecommunication facilities. Toastmasters Toshio Yada (矢田敏雄) and Yoshikazu Kawakami (河上悅和) from Bashamichi Advanced TMC, District 76, were on-line to join the first Video-TMC meeting via skpe this evening.During the first half of the meeting, District 67 LGM Caroline Kiang was the sole prepared speaker. She gave a dramatic talk using the Advanced Manual--The Entertaining Speaker. She used 6 minutes and 58 seconds to deliver a dramatic story about a couple separated across the Taiwan Strait since 1949.
She opened her speech with a young female protagonist Jennifer singing "Nightlife in Shanghai 夜上海" gleefully, who just came back from a romantic trip in Shanghai. Then Jennifer told a story about her grandfather Steven, a solider came to Taiwan in 1949, leaving his pregnant fiancee behind with his best friend Robert. After his early retirement, he ran a noodles shop in Manga (萬華), working hard day and night to support his family. After work, Steven drank Kinmen kaoliang and sang "Arrest Susan 蘇三起解" to curb his nostalgic emotions. Upon Steven's request, Jennifer visited Shanghai with a green pouch (an exchange token of love) in hand, she ran into the grandson of her grandfather's sweetheart on the street. Jennifer's serendipitous encounter with her half-brother connected Steven and his sweetheart after 60+ years. When Steven told his sweetheart, "I always have you in my heart", his sweetheart replied, "your love is my final destination".
Caroline delivered her speech with excellent vocal variety by singing a popular Mandarin song and a famous Peking opera. She used the green pouch to enrich her body language and facial expressions. The contents and structure of her story were witty and full of twist. My suggestions for her dramatic talk would be to change her speech title from "Shanghai, Taiwan" to "Shanghai, Taipei". In her story, she had prelude, five scenes, and epilogue. She could take advantage of extra 30 seconds to add more dramatic dialogues to balance with the narration to achieve the best entertaining effect.
On early Tuesday morning, July 2nd, the Taiwanese Theater Tycoon Hugh Lee passed away at age of 58. He left with us three elements in drama and life. They are humor, imagination, and love. Caroline Kiang's prepared speech was of humor, imagination, and love. It was a blissful and demanding task being her evaluator. Being an amateur actor, I enjoyed her dramatic talk, so did the audience, I believe.
Many congratulations to Mike Yang for shouldering the challenging responsibilities of the most Avant-garde TMC in District 67. And thanks to him for being my evaluator of Speech Evaluator, Project 1, CL Manual. Also thanks to Caroline Kiang for inviting me to be her evaluator and prompting me to remove the dust on novels of O. Henry on my bookshelf.
2013/07/04
A Leap of Faith
The moment I walked into Room 428, I was given a copy of two B4 pages of a Toastmaster magazine article by the incoming President Charles Teng. The title of the article is "Poise in Politics—Diplomats hone their language sills in Taipei club". It was written by MOFA Toastmasters Club's outgoing President Wei-ling Chen, published in Toastmaster Magazine July 2013.
It's been more than two years since I last attended MOFA's meeting. I was more conscious about what to wear as an Area H1 Governor today. I selected a beige business suit to look professional and authoritative. I put on a pair of flat beige color canvas shoes, so that I wouldn't look too tall. It felt good to be underdressed and to be less invisible once a while. Still I was called upon by Tabletopics Master Charles Teng to answer the first tabletopics question. All four tabletopics were surrounded around the incoming International President George Yen.
I was asked, "What would you do if you were George Yen as the IP 2013-2014?" Wow, from an Area Governor to the IP, it was a very long ladder to climb! It is a long journey but easy! Nevertheless, I was thrilled to be given the chance! Lewis Wolpert's chilling little book on old age "You're Looking Very Well" prompted my first thought. I talked about the importance of wealth and education for senior citizens to live well. Being the world's biggest non-profit education organization, the Toastmasters can develop more programs for the third age. In addition, we can't neglect education programs for college students. Fortunately, I was not asked to give an impromptu inaugural speech in George's place!
"Rome is not build in one day, neither is a toastmaster developed in one day", I opened my evaluation of Toastmaster Howard Chien's C-10 Speech "A Leap of Faith". Howard demonstrated how he transformed from an introvert to an outspoken in Toastmasters in less than a year. His sincerity and good command of the English were his strengths. I encouraged him to apply rule of three by giving three stories to build the climax of his achievement of CC to inspire the audience.
MOFA has talents! District 67 has talents. Taiwan has talents. It was my impression about MOFA meeting today. It was a productive meeting today, featuring one prepared speaker's C2 speech and two prepared speakers' C10 speeches. At the very first meeting of the new fiscal year, MOFA got one DCP point. Being Area H1 Governor, I'm proud to have MOFA in my area. And I vow to perform my duty to the best of my abilities to make MOFA a President's distinguished club in 2013-2014 when George Yen serves the International President.
Many thanks to outgoing President Wei-ling Chen for two boxes of super-delicious macarons. I was lucky to have one as I sat in the front row. I picked up the pink one with raspberry flavor, it melted into my mouth the moment I had my first bite. Wei-ling just came back to MOFA after delivering a baby daughter. She delivered her farewell speech to echo the theme photo of the day is "A New Life".
After the meeting, I walked along the Kaitakelan Boulevard. I saw a big Royal Poinciana Flame Tree in full blossom. With a bamboo broom by the pavement serendipitously, I reached high to collect five matured pods in the air. As much as I was contented with the productive meeting at MOFA, I was thrilled to make eco clothes hangers from the huge pods in front of MOFA for my wardrobe!
It's been more than two years since I last attended MOFA's meeting. I was more conscious about what to wear as an Area H1 Governor today. I selected a beige business suit to look professional and authoritative. I put on a pair of flat beige color canvas shoes, so that I wouldn't look too tall. It felt good to be underdressed and to be less invisible once a while. Still I was called upon by Tabletopics Master Charles Teng to answer the first tabletopics question. All four tabletopics were surrounded around the incoming International President George Yen.
I was asked, "What would you do if you were George Yen as the IP 2013-2014?" Wow, from an Area Governor to the IP, it was a very long ladder to climb! It is a long journey but easy! Nevertheless, I was thrilled to be given the chance! Lewis Wolpert's chilling little book on old age "You're Looking Very Well" prompted my first thought. I talked about the importance of wealth and education for senior citizens to live well. Being the world's biggest non-profit education organization, the Toastmasters can develop more programs for the third age. In addition, we can't neglect education programs for college students. Fortunately, I was not asked to give an impromptu inaugural speech in George's place!"Rome is not build in one day, neither is a toastmaster developed in one day", I opened my evaluation of Toastmaster Howard Chien's C-10 Speech "A Leap of Faith". Howard demonstrated how he transformed from an introvert to an outspoken in Toastmasters in less than a year. His sincerity and good command of the English were his strengths. I encouraged him to apply rule of three by giving three stories to build the climax of his achievement of CC to inspire the audience.
MOFA has talents! District 67 has talents. Taiwan has talents. It was my impression about MOFA meeting today. It was a productive meeting today, featuring one prepared speaker's C2 speech and two prepared speakers' C10 speeches. At the very first meeting of the new fiscal year, MOFA got one DCP point. Being Area H1 Governor, I'm proud to have MOFA in my area. And I vow to perform my duty to the best of my abilities to make MOFA a President's distinguished club in 2013-2014 when George Yen serves the International President.
Many thanks to outgoing President Wei-ling Chen for two boxes of super-delicious macarons. I was lucky to have one as I sat in the front row. I picked up the pink one with raspberry flavor, it melted into my mouth the moment I had my first bite. Wei-ling just came back to MOFA after delivering a baby daughter. She delivered her farewell speech to echo the theme photo of the day is "A New Life".
After the meeting, I walked along the Kaitakelan Boulevard. I saw a big Royal Poinciana Flame Tree in full blossom. With a bamboo broom by the pavement serendipitously, I reached high to collect five matured pods in the air. As much as I was contented with the productive meeting at MOFA, I was thrilled to make eco clothes hangers from the huge pods in front of MOFA for my wardrobe!
2013/07/03
A Grand New Beginning
At the first sight of President Sharen Chan, you are impressed with her graceful demeanor, so was I when I first saw her in Grand two years ago. When Sharen delivered her inaugural speech at Grand's Installation Ceremony Wednesday evening, July 3rd, I couldn't help wondering if she was Kate Middleton in disguise, the Duchess of Cambridge. Sharen won the hearts of the audience with her sweet smile by vowing to lead Grand to be the President Distinguished Club in her term.
Grand's Installation Ceremony 2013-2014, 38th Anniversary, as well as House Warming Party took place at the new meeting venue, Catholic Sanipax Socio-Medical service & Education Foundation. It is right across Roosevelt Road from Cardinal Tien's Institute. The address is 8F, No. 245, Section 3, Roosevelt Road. Many thanks Helen Lin for finding the new sweet home for Grand.
Upon the request of Past President Gina Cheng, I helped her prepare Salad Nicoise with the ingredients of boiled King Oyster Mushroom, Chicken Breast, Eggs. To our surprise, it became the most popular dish on the table. Both Gina and I love French Cuisine, maybe we can jointly prepare more mouth-watering appetizers for Grand's regular meetings in the future.
It was a gathering of grand families, Past President Arlene Chen was seven month pregnant, Past President Annie Chou brought her first grader son, Past President Helen Lin brought her kindergarten twin daughters. In twenty years, they will become Toastmasters!
Many congrats to hardworking outgoing President May Hwang for winning Grand Select Distinguished Club in District 67 2013-2014. We gave her a big round of applause, hugs and kisses, and a special photo album at Grand's Installation Ceremony. Helen and Gina came up with the wonderful idea of Grand President's Photo Album and it'll be definitely become one of Grand's traditions from now on!
After the ceremony, it was a quarter to nine, still early. I invited a few members to hang round. We gathering in a circle to mimic three animals (elephant, giraffe, monkey) in a group of three. No matter who was called upon, the center person must mimic the animal head, the side persons must mimic hands and feet. The popular warm-up exercise of drama class worked well to build teamwork among members. Maybe we should try more group games before or after the regular meetings in the future.
Grand's Installation Ceremony 2013-2014, 38th Anniversary, as well as House Warming Party took place at the new meeting venue, Catholic Sanipax Socio-Medical service & Education Foundation. It is right across Roosevelt Road from Cardinal Tien's Institute. The address is 8F, No. 245, Section 3, Roosevelt Road. Many thanks Helen Lin for finding the new sweet home for Grand.Upon the request of Past President Gina Cheng, I helped her prepare Salad Nicoise with the ingredients of boiled King Oyster Mushroom, Chicken Breast, Eggs. To our surprise, it became the most popular dish on the table. Both Gina and I love French Cuisine, maybe we can jointly prepare more mouth-watering appetizers for Grand's regular meetings in the future.
It was a gathering of grand families, Past President Arlene Chen was seven month pregnant, Past President Annie Chou brought her first grader son, Past President Helen Lin brought her kindergarten twin daughters. In twenty years, they will become Toastmasters!
Many congrats to hardworking outgoing President May Hwang for winning Grand Select Distinguished Club in District 67 2013-2014. We gave her a big round of applause, hugs and kisses, and a special photo album at Grand's Installation Ceremony. Helen and Gina came up with the wonderful idea of Grand President's Photo Album and it'll be definitely become one of Grand's traditions from now on!
After the ceremony, it was a quarter to nine, still early. I invited a few members to hang round. We gathering in a circle to mimic three animals (elephant, giraffe, monkey) in a group of three. No matter who was called upon, the center person must mimic the animal head, the side persons must mimic hands and feet. The popular warm-up exercise of drama class worked well to build teamwork among members. Maybe we should try more group games before or after the regular meetings in the future.
2013/06/28
Division C and H Leaders Joint Meeting
Hooray, it's Friday! The joint Division C and H Leaders Meeting took place at Taipei CKS Community Center near Shan-dao Temple Friday evening, June 28th. Before the joint meeting, I spent a quiet afternoon at Taiwan Music Institute in the neighborhood, listening to the newly published CDs of singing bowls by Hans de Back!
Being an early bird (30 minutes in advance as usual), I received the pizza and barbecue chicken dinner delivered by a part-time working college student from PizzaHut. I ate a barbecue chicken leg while it was hot! Yummy~
When Division C Governor Sterling Hsiao and Division H Governor Lawrence Huang arrived together, we took a few photos with aliens on exhibition with the special permission from the community center volunteer lady who opened the door for me and ate a barbecue chicken with me! A joy shared is a joy doubled!
The joint meeting started at 7:10, ten minutes behind the schedule. Before dinner, Sterling organized three group games to mingle the leaders, Save Your Friend, Cat Chases Mouse, Fall Back on Your Partner. After the warm up exercise for 30 minutes, everyone was so hungry that nobody complained about the cold pizza and barbecue chicken!
After 30 minutes dinner gathering, Lawrence went over main points from District Leader Training in Taichung Sunday, June 23rd, followed by a joint discussion among Division C and H leaders about the collaborative work in coming fiscal year, including communication platform and judges database.
It was ten minutes to nine when Division C and H Leaders were grouped separately. Everyone was eager to know what to do and how to do well. And we had to call it a night after the fire alarm rang for 10 minutes non-stop. The biggest challenge I face now is to charter a new Toastmasters club in Area H1 in 2013-2014, as I wish to get President Distinguished Area Governor the sooner the better.
Being an early bird (30 minutes in advance as usual), I received the pizza and barbecue chicken dinner delivered by a part-time working college student from PizzaHut. I ate a barbecue chicken leg while it was hot! Yummy~
After 30 minutes dinner gathering, Lawrence went over main points from District Leader Training in Taichung Sunday, June 23rd, followed by a joint discussion among Division C and H leaders about the collaborative work in coming fiscal year, including communication platform and judges database.
It was ten minutes to nine when Division C and H Leaders were grouped separately. Everyone was eager to know what to do and how to do well. And we had to call it a night after the fire alarm rang for 10 minutes non-stop. The biggest challenge I face now is to charter a new Toastmasters club in Area H1 in 2013-2014, as I wish to get President Distinguished Area Governor the sooner the better.
2013/06/23
What Gets Measured Gets Done
Time Wasted is Existence. Time Used is Life. ~Edward Young
Hooray, I'm one step closer to become a DTM! Many thanks to Division H Governor Lawrence Huang for inviting me to be his Area H1 Governor and giving me the challenging role in district leadership.
To my surprise, I received an email from Lawrence after Grand TMC's last regular meeting 2012-2013, Wednesday evening, June 19th, asking me to join his Division H team and to shoulder responsibilities of Area H1: for Grand and for MOFA, and to start a new club in Area H1.
Lawrence has a Toastmasters road map in hands. He wants not only to cultivate his own leadership skills but also to be in a position to discover, nurture, and foster new leaders with values of integrity, honesty, and strength. These leaders can speak eloquently from their hearts in intelligent pursuit of the best interest of those around them. Lawrence thinks of possibilities to pursue and options to expand in Area H1.
First and foremost is to expand membership for MOFA and Grand. At MOFA, there are lots of good people and strong talents that deserve to be publicized. MOFA plans to go into colleges to look for new members who major in international relations, diplomacy, to enhance the membership. College and graduate students will meet Taiwanese diplomats, like a mini-internship.
Lawrence plans to create a stronger Division H identity by strengthening inter-club and inter-area relationships. In this network, we connect anyone or everyone to make friends with one another. Through personal networks and information channels, division leaders gain more membership that strengthens the foundation of the Division.
I attended 2013-2014 District Officers Training from 10am till 2pm at Star Era Banquet Hall in Taichung, Sunday, June 23rd. As I was probably the last district officer to join the team, my name was not printed on District Offers Roster 2013-2014. I saw many DTMs, ACSs, ALSs, CCs, CLs, mine is still ATM-B which I achieved on the 4th of April 2001. Obviously, I'm a decade behind my fellow Toastmasters. I'm desperate to speed up to catch up urgently!
The Area Governor package includes a congratulation letter from Kristen Rolapp, District Services Manger, two handbooks (District Recognition Program and District Leadership Handbook—A Guide to Effective District Management), and Speech Contest Rulebook 2013. In addition to reports to Toastmasters members, I can get access to reports exclusive to district officers. I'm feeling excited to run my share of the world biggest non-profit educational organization.
Now, I look forward to an exciting year to work with Toastmasters members in Area H1 and to work with Division H Governor Lawrence Huang to make Division H the best division in District 67.
2013/06/22
AFA's Fourth Cooking Class
I'm a follower of Anatolia Formosa Association (AFA)'s events. I want to know more about Turkey! Why?
It began with a cup of Turkish coffee at AFA on the first Saturday in January 2013 with the invitation of Toastmasters LJ Lamb, followed by a scrumptious Turkish breakfast in on the third Sunday in January. Ever since, I've read books about Turkey. I've watch films about Turkey. And it's the third time I visited AFA today, Saturday, June 22, to learn "Lahmacun" so called Turkish Pizza and yogurt drink "Ayran" with young and pretty Toastmaster Kelly Hsu.
There are reasons why I love to visit AFA. Among them, I think to be with the sweet Turkish women is the main reason. Whenever I am at AFA, I feel warmly surrounded by friendly Turkish ladies with sweet smiles on their faces. I feel at home instantly. Not to mention, the free Turkish Food and drinks at AFA on the 21st floor overlooking the beautiful Taipei!
I don't have any Turkish gentlemen friends. I assume Turkish men are handsome. Take a recent breaking news for instance. Yamur Kursat Ersagun, a Turkish student at Tamkang University, claims he has had hundreds of affairs with Taiwanese ladies since he came to Taiwan five years ago. Ersagun's case brought up a heated table topic about the Cross Cultural Romance (CCR) in Taiwan .
At AFA, there was not a Turkish gentlemen Saturday afternoon. It was a full house of young people interested in Turkish culture, Turkish food and drinks. Lahmacuns are easy to make and are super delicious. Every participant was given a chance to work with the dough and to make a piece of lahmacun. We all enjoyed AFA's 4th cooking class. Now, I can't wait to give a lahmacun party for Toastmasters friends in the near future.
Lahmacun Recipe Yield: 10-12 Lahmacuns Prep. time and baking duration: about 2 hours
Ingredients for the dough:
1 tsp dry active yeast
0,5 tsp sugar
1+1/2 cup of warm water
4,5 cups of flour
little oil to brush the dough
Ingredients for the topping:
12 oz of minced beef
1 big onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp of butter
1 medium tomato
1 tsp of chili pepper
salt according to your own taste
It began with a cup of Turkish coffee at AFA on the first Saturday in January 2013 with the invitation of Toastmasters LJ Lamb, followed by a scrumptious Turkish breakfast in on the third Sunday in January. Ever since, I've read books about Turkey. I've watch films about Turkey. And it's the third time I visited AFA today, Saturday, June 22, to learn "Lahmacun" so called Turkish Pizza and yogurt drink "Ayran" with young and pretty Toastmaster Kelly Hsu.
There are reasons why I love to visit AFA. Among them, I think to be with the sweet Turkish women is the main reason. Whenever I am at AFA, I feel warmly surrounded by friendly Turkish ladies with sweet smiles on their faces. I feel at home instantly. Not to mention, the free Turkish Food and drinks at AFA on the 21st floor overlooking the beautiful Taipei!
I don't have any Turkish gentlemen friends. I assume Turkish men are handsome. Take a recent breaking news for instance. Yamur Kursat Ersagun, a Turkish student at Tamkang University, claims he has had hundreds of affairs with Taiwanese ladies since he came to Taiwan five years ago. Ersagun's case brought up a heated table topic about the Cross Cultural Romance (CCR) in Taiwan .
At AFA, there was not a Turkish gentlemen Saturday afternoon. It was a full house of young people interested in Turkish culture, Turkish food and drinks. Lahmacuns are easy to make and are super delicious. Every participant was given a chance to work with the dough and to make a piece of lahmacun. We all enjoyed AFA's 4th cooking class. Now, I can't wait to give a lahmacun party for Toastmasters friends in the near future.Lahmacun Recipe Yield: 10-12 Lahmacuns Prep. time and baking duration: about 2 hours
Ingredients for the dough:
1 tsp dry active yeast
0,5 tsp sugar
1+1/2 cup of warm water
4,5 cups of flour
little oil to brush the dough
Ingredients for the topping:
12 oz of minced beef
1 big onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp of butter
1 medium tomato
1 tsp of chili pepper
salt according to your own taste
2013/06/16
2013/06/15
2013/06/10
Taipei YMCA Oratorio Choir's Verdi Requiem 2013
Many thanks to Toastmaster Lydia Lin for inviting us to a splendid performance of Verdi Requiem by Taipei YMCA Oratorio Choir at National Concert Hall Monday evening, June 10th!It was a joyful evening to be surrounded by Toastmasters, including International President Elect George Yen and his lovely wife Jorie Wu. I was thrilled to have a group photo with 指揮/孫愛光、女高音/林欣欣、次女高音/翁若珮、男高音/楊磊、男低音/林中光. I had their signatures in my Verdi Requiem 2013 Program in hand!
2013/05/19
The Scottish Play at NTU College of Medicine
It was a busy day! I got up early to claim my lost cosmetic bag which I left behind at Chorus Concert at Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Yung-ho the afternoon before. I was lucky that I didn't lose my bag, otherwise it would cause me a big fortune to purchase another cosmetic bag plus the make-ups.
It was an extraordinary day! I ran into a senior high school classmate whom I had not seen for four decades! It was a productive day! I participated in two live performances at NTUMC's Round Theater. It was a joyful day! I enjoyed three parties, a new book launch party in the afternoon, Red Room Radio Redux dinner party at Yoshinoya of NTUMC Food Court and a Buffet dinner party at NTUMC Museum.
The Scottish play is a story of a brave general who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King. Consumed by greedy ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth kills the King, and takes the throne. He becomes a tyrannical ruler, as he is compelled to commit more and more murders to protect himself. The bloodbath swiftly takes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into realms of arrogance, madness, and death. After 6 performances of Macbeth, 4 at Taipei Fringe Festival 2012 and 2 at NTUMCArt 2013, I learned to be conscious about the life cycles to step into, the virtuous circle and vicious circle.
It was a fulfilling day. Evelyn and I showcased the best foley effect to the best of our abilities to accompany the radio drama with a big round of applause from the floor. It was a blissful day! I saw many Toastmasters in the audience at the round theater. And I made acquaintance with many young and talented NTU medical students!
Million thanks to Ruth Giordano, Director of Red Room Radio Redux, to bring the talents from all walks of life in Taipei and make Shakespeare come alive at NTUMC!
It was an extraordinary day! I ran into a senior high school classmate whom I had not seen for four decades! It was a productive day! I participated in two live performances at NTUMC's Round Theater. It was a joyful day! I enjoyed three parties, a new book launch party in the afternoon, Red Room Radio Redux dinner party at Yoshinoya of NTUMC Food Court and a Buffet dinner party at NTUMC Museum.
The Scottish play is a story of a brave general who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King. Consumed by greedy ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth kills the King, and takes the throne. He becomes a tyrannical ruler, as he is compelled to commit more and more murders to protect himself. The bloodbath swiftly takes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into realms of arrogance, madness, and death. After 6 performances of Macbeth, 4 at Taipei Fringe Festival 2012 and 2 at NTUMCArt 2013, I learned to be conscious about the life cycles to step into, the virtuous circle and vicious circle.
It was a fulfilling day. Evelyn and I showcased the best foley effect to the best of our abilities to accompany the radio drama with a big round of applause from the floor. It was a blissful day! I saw many Toastmasters in the audience at the round theater. And I made acquaintance with many young and talented NTU medical students!Million thanks to Ruth Giordano, Director of Red Room Radio Redux, to bring the talents from all walks of life in Taipei and make Shakespeare come alive at NTUMC!
2013/05/05
RRRR Tragedy of Macbeth
Evelyn Philbrook and I are the foley designers! Come see us make noise for voice actors to achieve the best theatrical effect on stage!
Date: 19 May 2013
Time: 2:30pm & 7:30 pm
Venue: Round Theater, National Taiwan University Medical Center
Address: No. 1, Section 1, Jen-ai Road (台北市仁愛路一段一號)
2013/04/20
Memory Walk
Seven Presidents of Grand Toastmasters Club participated in the Memory Walk organized by Alzheimer's Disease International Conference 2013 in Taipei Saturday morning, April 20th. They are the Incumbent President May Hwang, six past presidents Frank Tsao, Sherry Li, Helen Lin, Erin Ke, and IPP Gina Cheng.
Many thanks must go to Past President Helen Lin for inviting Toastmasters to join Alzheimer's Disease International Conference 2013 as volunteers. A short volunteers briefing with MCI was held Tuesday evening, April 16th. IPP Gina Cheng and I were assigned to be in charge of the registration of Memory Walk--the meaningful event for 3,000 people, young and old, to walk to remember.
Gina and I were excited to put on the red volunteer T-shirts the moment we arrived at Taipei Convention Center at 7:30 Thursday morning, April 18th. We had great time meeting up with many interesting delegates from abroad. Gina walked a long way with a doctor in need to get his Dexamethasone eyedrop at Taipei Medical School Pharmacy. She walked twice to the bus station on Hsin-yi Road with two lady doctors, one from Tunisia and the other from Saudi Arabia. In the meantime, I sat at the memory walk desk flirting with handsome gentlemen from abroad speaking all possible languages I can think of! They all encouraged me to stay happy, to cherish the present, and not to worry about the Alzheimer's Disease. It was indeed fun to participate again in the medical conference which I'd been missing for a long time.
Memory Walk started from 7:30 Saturday morning, April 20th. Incumbent President May Hwang brought along the club banner. While walking around the Taipei City Hall for about one kilometer, we were excited to showcase the solidarity among Granders to get involved actively and passionately in this important social event in Taiwan.
President Erin Ke's better half Joel Wright was interviewed by a local TV reporter about his opinion on recent Boston Marathon Bombing on our way. Joel was not worried about the terrors in Taiwan. He was happy to join the crowd to walk to remember! Erin, Joel and I had a lovely brunch together at a cafe' in the neighborhood after the early morning walk.
Many thanks must go to Past President Helen Lin for inviting Toastmasters to join Alzheimer's Disease International Conference 2013 as volunteers. A short volunteers briefing with MCI was held Tuesday evening, April 16th. IPP Gina Cheng and I were assigned to be in charge of the registration of Memory Walk--the meaningful event for 3,000 people, young and old, to walk to remember.
Gina and I were excited to put on the red volunteer T-shirts the moment we arrived at Taipei Convention Center at 7:30 Thursday morning, April 18th. We had great time meeting up with many interesting delegates from abroad. Gina walked a long way with a doctor in need to get his Dexamethasone eyedrop at Taipei Medical School Pharmacy. She walked twice to the bus station on Hsin-yi Road with two lady doctors, one from Tunisia and the other from Saudi Arabia. In the meantime, I sat at the memory walk desk flirting with handsome gentlemen from abroad speaking all possible languages I can think of! They all encouraged me to stay happy, to cherish the present, and not to worry about the Alzheimer's Disease. It was indeed fun to participate again in the medical conference which I'd been missing for a long time.
Memory Walk started from 7:30 Saturday morning, April 20th. Incumbent President May Hwang brought along the club banner. While walking around the Taipei City Hall for about one kilometer, we were excited to showcase the solidarity among Granders to get involved actively and passionately in this important social event in Taiwan. President Erin Ke's better half Joel Wright was interviewed by a local TV reporter about his opinion on recent Boston Marathon Bombing on our way. Joel was not worried about the terrors in Taiwan. He was happy to join the crowd to walk to remember! Erin, Joel and I had a lovely brunch together at a cafe' in the neighborhood after the early morning walk.
2013/04/07
RRRR Treasure Island on ICRT
Ruth turned on the radio before 12 noon. We were excited to listen to the Treasure Island on ICRT. Every actor seemed to listen to the radio with great concentration and satisfaction. At the end of the broadcast, everyone shared a piece of mind about the good points and room for improvement in the future. It's a pleasant gathering to harvest the hard work in the past two months drilling on the script of Treasure Island.
Many thanks to Evelyn Philbrook for her TAIWAN HUMMUS RECIPE from dry beans (uncooked) or cans (fully cooked) to be mashed to puree in blender.
(Made in a blender. The only cooking necessary is the chick peas and yellow onion until clear(garbanzo beans). These should be soaked overnight. We soak overnight ahead of time and put them in the freezer so they are always ready to go into a cooking pot with water. In a hurry? Buy two cans of 8 oz cans of garbanzo or chickpeas precooked)
3 Tbl of fresh garlic (I think this is two strong – I will try 2 Tablespoons next time)
1 tsp of cumin seeds (ground up) or buy powder
1/4 cup of ground sesame seeds or powder black or white or tahini
2Tbl of sesame oil
2Tbl of olive oil
2 Tbl of soya sauce
2 Tbl Chinese vinegar
3 cups of garbanzo beans or ltwo drained and rinsed chickpea from cans
3 pieces of fresh coriander or 1/8th tsp powder
1/2 tsp of dried chili powder and or black pepper
May not need 1/2 tsp salt (add more later if needed soy sauce has salt)
1/4 cup of water (use cooking water after cooking garbanzo beans)
optional: 1/2 medium onion – cook yellow onion, or use one spring of green onion
optional:juice of one medium lemon or lime (fresh)
Put garbanzo beans on to cook with plenty of water to cover them. Add a half teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water and be ready to skim off(remove) the froth (bubbles). When they are done frothing, pour this water off and add new water without anything added, boil until beans are tender. If you are using frozen, pre-soaked beans, 10 or 15 minutes after adding the new water is probably enough. If the bean don't seem quite soft enough, put the lid on the pot and let the beans set in the hot cooking water for a while more.
Then pour off all the water into another jar, be ready to add some to the hummus. Usually there will be more left over for adding to soup or other dishes.
As soon as you put garbanza beans on to cook, you can begin with the other preparation.
Blend garlic, cumin seeds and onion first, then add everything else. Leave the beans until last so you can fully blend all the other ingredients.
As beans are added, also add just enough garbanzo bean "soup" so as not to overload the blender, but not so much as to make the mixture too soupy. I tip the blender to take pressure off the blender blades and to help get the beans down to the blender knives.
Pour final mixture into a container and refrigerate. We find it keeps easily a week, maybe longer. Usually we eat it up before then. Serve with multigrain crackers, heavy bread, or with carrot, celery, cucumber, or brocolli stix.
It is better to mix this together and let is set over night, then taste it the next day. If it is too strong with lemon, or garlic... you can add mayonaise, or plain yogurt to taste, or more chickpeas.
2013/04/06
Fly Butterfly Fly
Life is a sum of decisions. ~Albert Camus
It's a rainy Saturday. As always, it rains during the Tomb Sweeping Festival in Taipei. It's said to be auspicious to sweep the tomb when it rains. Yes, we're looking forward to another fruitful year of 2013!
After attending Grand TMC's Past President Helen Lin's celebration luncheon for her twin-daughters' 2 years and 5 months birthday, I rushed to support my voice drama teacher's live storytelling of James & A Giant Peach at Taipei City Library Jing-hsin Branch. Without delay, I hurried back to Jimmy's place to set the movie venue for today!
Only five people showed up at the first movie & dinner gathering in April. I wouldn't have expected more as I had received a few text messages on my mobile phone requesting for a break during Tomb Sweeping Festival for four days, from April 4th till 7th. Joy is visiting in Beijing for two weeks, so we changed the gathering venue to my brother Jimmy's Lounge in Hsin-tien.
At 2:30PM sharp, we started watching the Butterfly Effect (2004) directed and written by Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber. It's a thriller film about a young man Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) suffering from blackouts of significant events of his life. Upon family psychiatrist's recommendation, Evan keeps a diary of his blackout moments from the age of seven, so he can remember what happens. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories by reading his diary. He travels back into the body of his past self and rewinds his life journey. While he uses his powers to fix his past to save his childhood friends just to know that worse results happen than the past that he is trying to change.
After the first thriller movie, we had a 30 minutes discussion. Mr. Hung praised the acting job of Ashton Kutcher playing Evan Treborn, especially that of Amy Smart playing Kayleigh. I like the story telling skills of Director Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber to flash back and forth to keep the full attention of the audience. In the theatrical version, Evan becomes a successful physician himself at the end of the movie. But, I was told that Evan dies in the directors' version. To be or not to be, might be directors' answer to the question of Hamlet. Just like Evan could travel back in time 13 years ago to change his destiny, I wish I could see all movies of 2013 when I am 70 years old in 13 years. That makes a sound reason why I write this blog! Whenever I write, I feel the control of my destiny, the power of decision making, the flutter of butterflies in the soul of imagination! No writing, no soul!
Lola rennt (1998) is a another thriller film, written and directed by Tom Tykwer. It's about a young woman Lora (Franka Potente) in Germany who has twenty minutes to find and bring 100,000 Deutschmarks to her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) before he robs a supermarket. After Lola receives a panicked phone call from her good-for-nothing boyfriend Manni who lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a mobster. Lola, desperate to save his life, reassures him that she can get the money to him by noon. Three different tracks happen along Lola's run, with every person she comes into contact with, their lives take on completely different forms, as shown by 30-second photo flash montages. The movie seizes the full attention of the audience for 81 minutes. From the first frame the film plunges into action and adventure with breakneck speed, and we find ourselves cheering for Lola right to the end.
After two nerve breaking thriller films, we had fusion food for dinner followed by a delicious chocolate Banana cake brought by Judy for dessert. The movie theme of April is "Destiny & Decision". Do you believe in destiny? Are you confident about the decisions you make for your future? Let's hope that we make right decisions at the right time, and create better lives for the future!
It's a rainy Saturday. As always, it rains during the Tomb Sweeping Festival in Taipei. It's said to be auspicious to sweep the tomb when it rains. Yes, we're looking forward to another fruitful year of 2013!
After attending Grand TMC's Past President Helen Lin's celebration luncheon for her twin-daughters' 2 years and 5 months birthday, I rushed to support my voice drama teacher's live storytelling of James & A Giant Peach at Taipei City Library Jing-hsin Branch. Without delay, I hurried back to Jimmy's place to set the movie venue for today!
Only five people showed up at the first movie & dinner gathering in April. I wouldn't have expected more as I had received a few text messages on my mobile phone requesting for a break during Tomb Sweeping Festival for four days, from April 4th till 7th. Joy is visiting in Beijing for two weeks, so we changed the gathering venue to my brother Jimmy's Lounge in Hsin-tien.
At 2:30PM sharp, we started watching the Butterfly Effect (2004) directed and written by Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber. It's a thriller film about a young man Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher) suffering from blackouts of significant events of his life. Upon family psychiatrist's recommendation, Evan keeps a diary of his blackout moments from the age of seven, so he can remember what happens. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories by reading his diary. He travels back into the body of his past self and rewinds his life journey. While he uses his powers to fix his past to save his childhood friends just to know that worse results happen than the past that he is trying to change.
After the first thriller movie, we had a 30 minutes discussion. Mr. Hung praised the acting job of Ashton Kutcher playing Evan Treborn, especially that of Amy Smart playing Kayleigh. I like the story telling skills of Director Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber to flash back and forth to keep the full attention of the audience. In the theatrical version, Evan becomes a successful physician himself at the end of the movie. But, I was told that Evan dies in the directors' version. To be or not to be, might be directors' answer to the question of Hamlet. Just like Evan could travel back in time 13 years ago to change his destiny, I wish I could see all movies of 2013 when I am 70 years old in 13 years. That makes a sound reason why I write this blog! Whenever I write, I feel the control of my destiny, the power of decision making, the flutter of butterflies in the soul of imagination! No writing, no soul!Lola rennt (1998) is a another thriller film, written and directed by Tom Tykwer. It's about a young woman Lora (Franka Potente) in Germany who has twenty minutes to find and bring 100,000 Deutschmarks to her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) before he robs a supermarket. After Lola receives a panicked phone call from her good-for-nothing boyfriend Manni who lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a mobster. Lola, desperate to save his life, reassures him that she can get the money to him by noon. Three different tracks happen along Lola's run, with every person she comes into contact with, their lives take on completely different forms, as shown by 30-second photo flash montages. The movie seizes the full attention of the audience for 81 minutes. From the first frame the film plunges into action and adventure with breakneck speed, and we find ourselves cheering for Lola right to the end.
After two nerve breaking thriller films, we had fusion food for dinner followed by a delicious chocolate Banana cake brought by Judy for dessert. The movie theme of April is "Destiny & Decision". Do you believe in destiny? Are you confident about the decisions you make for your future? Let's hope that we make right decisions at the right time, and create better lives for the future!
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