Mongols Toastmasters

Toastmasters in Mongolia Finale 2014.10.12~2014.10.26 李向慈Sherry Li, ACS Grand TMC

All things come to those who wait! 待てば、海路の日和あり。

I've been waiting, waiting, and waiting for the moment to return to Mongolia to complete the trilogy of Toastmasters in Mongolia.

The day had finally arrived. It was a lovely sunny Monday morning, August 25th, I received an email from Enkhee in Ulaanbaatar (UB) asking me to go to Mongolia again. She had friends in Erdenet City, second biggest one in Mongolia, wishing to learn communication and leadership skills from Toastmasters. Her company also invited me to conduct a half-day Toastmasters Training in UB. I was overjoyed and replied to Enkhee immediately that I was ready to be back in Mongolia.

三訪蒙古--皇天不負苦心人

重訪蒙古的想法一直到腦海的深處打轉, 不知何年何月才能完成蒙古三部曲?

八月二十五日（星期一）一大早，陽光普照，打開電腦看到Enkhee從烏蘭巴托傳來電子郵件，詢問我再訪蒙古推廣演講會的可行性。額爾登特礦商邀請我前往介紹演講會並培訓員工溝通及領導技巧，我二話不說，當下首肯。

Invitation from Erdenet Mining Company

In a week, I received an invitation email from Jagaa, Chief Finance Officer of Erdenet Mining Corporation (EMC)* Tuesday morning, September 2nd, requesting Toastmasters training agenda for two days between October 6th to October 19th. Originally I planned to fly to UB via Beijing at the cost of NT$16,000, the most affordable price. I contacted my relatives in Beijing because I must stop over in Beijing for one night. I applied for my Taiwan Resident Passport from Mainland China only to know that the airline tickets were hard to get in early October, because of the national holidays in Taiwan and in China. In the end, I booked my ticket to Ulaanbaatar via HongKong at NT$21,697 departing for UB on October 12th, and returning to Taipei on October 26th. I applied for visa (US$40) to Mongolia at Ulaanbaatar Trade Office in Taipei with the barcode 30763997 from EMC.

隔週二的九月二日，收到額爾登特礦商財務長的邀請函，委託在十月初在該公司舉辦二天的培訓課程。原本打算訂由台北經北京飛烏蘭巴托，辦了台胞證，也連絡了北京當地的親結果十月初的機票是一票難求，只好改搭台北經香港飛烏蘭巴托的機票，機票錢從新台16,000上昇到21,697，雖然荷包開始吃緊，不過能搭蒙古航空，也是頭一的經驗又可促進蒙古產業發展何樂不為，稿定機票後隨即前往烏蘭巴托在台北辦事處申請商業簽證(US$40)。

Toastmasters International Area Z13 District #U

I informed Region 13 Advisor Kazuko Kawauchi of my Toastmasters trip in Mongolia and I sought for her assistance and advise to build Toastmasters in Mongolia in Region 13. I proposed Provisonal District 93 (Korea) help the development of Toastmasters clubs in Mongolia because of geographical proximity! Toastmaster Kawauchi answered me immediately about 3 Toastmasters Clubs in Mongolia in Area 13 of District #U. She told me that she would check with Toastmasters International for their clarification with respect to the clubs in Mongolia in view of the ambiguity regarding the jurisdiction of Region 13. Toastmaster Kawauchi is now responsible for 8 districts in Region 13. She will verify with Toastmasters International if District 67 is able to be involved with clubs in Mongolia.

The answers came fast from the headquarters. District 67 will not receive any credit for establishing clubs in Mongolia. If District 67 helps build a club or clubs in Mongolia, the individual that assists can possibly receive credit for either sponsoring, mentoring, or coaching the club but the district itself will not receive credit. No response was given about who is in charge of developing Toastmasters in Mongolia. Toastmaster Kawauchi told me that she is not allowed to help me promote Toastmasters in Mongolia. However, she personally appreciated my enthusiasm and passion to promote Toastmasters and help clubs in Mongolia. She complimented me for being a wonderful example of volunteer servant leader and she is proud of me.

Three Toastmasters Clubs in Mongolia

I contacted 3 Toastmasters clubs in UB listed on Toastmasters International homepage. Toastmaster Frank Goeddeke, DTM, Sergeant at Arms, UB Toastmasters Club, was the first to invite me to attend their meeting Saturday at 11:00am at the Institute of Finance and Economics. Frank also gave me his phone number in case I encounter trouble or get lost. MBC Toastmasters Club was the second to respond. The club contact person on the website is in maternity leave for a while. She referred me to President Namchinbum and club adviser Mrs. Ganchimeg Zagdaa. President Namchinbum wrote me that it would be a good chance for them to see me and he would let me know as soon as he talked to his colleagues. The third was Toastmaster Munkhbileg Janchivdorj, VP public relations of Toastmasters Mongolia Club. He wrote me on behalf of his president and invited me to join their weekly meeting on Wednesdays, on 22nd of October. Then to my surprise, President Namchinbum told me that they couldn't meet me because the head office had a sudden audit in their brewery.

Health Care Collaboration between Taiwan and Mongolia

Dr. Shane Lin, Toastmaster of Formosa club, Head of Pediatric Department, Mackay Hospital, is interested in joint research project on clinical genetics with professors or doctors from children's hospitals or pediatric department in any general hospital in Mongolia. He hopes that I could let them know about his research project and aims, bridge the collaborative relationship. Dr. Lin and I met  to discuss about the issues face-to-face over lunch at 12:30 at Mackay Hospital and gave me his business cards Thursday noon, October 9th.

Support from District 67

Right before my departure for UB, District 67 Governor Eric Liang mailed me two sets of the latest CC and CL manuals, 5 District 67 T-shirts, a dozen of Taiwanese flowery pencil cases for Toastmasters in Mongolia. He told me that whatever I do he would support me. I told Eric that I felt very excited to celebrate Toastmasters 90th anniversary with Toastmasters in Mongolia, Wednesday evening, October 22nd. It would be a great memory for me. I could still remember the fabulous Toastmasters cake at Entrepreneur Toastmasters Club's charter ceremony. Life is fantastic being a Toastmaster!

Remarks: 
*Erdenet Mining Company (EMC) established in 1978 with 6000 workers at present, is one of the biggest Ore mining and Ore processing factory in Asia. EMC was established in accordance with an agreement between governments of Mongolia and (former) Soviet Union. It started its operation in 1978. There are youth group, women's group in EMC. A women's leaders club was established in 2013.