National Day of Mongolia

I was still planning my itinerary in Japan when I received the invitation to the Mongolian National Day in Taipei by Mr. Choidorj, the Representative of Ulaanbaatar Office in Taipei, Monday morning, November 1st.

I met Mr. Choidorj for the first time in early January, one day before I departured for Ulaanbaatar to charter a Toastmasters club. Mr. Choidorj was kind to see me in his office and spent one hour introducing his country to me. With his help and advice, I felt more confident about my Toastmasters mission in Mongolia. And I felt less scary flying alone to a country where I knew nobody in person.

I was very excited when Mr. Choidorj invited me to attend his National Day Dinner Banquet. How could I miss the chance to meet with his beautiful wife and many Mongolians and their Taiwanese friends at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on November 26th? I flew back from Japan on the Thanksgiving Day, one day before the National Day of Mongolia.

The banquet reception started at 6:30PM. Mr. and Mrs. Choidorj stood at the door to greet all guests, including foreign diplomats, government officials, Taiwanese business elites, and Mongolian students and employees in Taiwan. It was a warm and glorious party.

At 7PM, Mr. Choidorj delivered a heartfelt welcome message on stage to thank Taiwanese people to help him achieve many important missions in Taiwan. My toastmaster friend Mayumi Hu was impressed with Mr. Choidorj's outstanding presentation skills. Mayumi told me that she attended many National days in Taipei, Mr. Choidorj was one the best speakers.

On the huge screen, a video of Mongolia was played to introduce the Mongolian cultural and people to the audience. A talent Mongolian singer and student performed a couple of songs in Mongolia and Mandarin on stage. He won a big round of applause from the floor. He reminded me of the happy time in January in Ulaanbaatar for three weeks with Mongolian friends.

Mr. Choidorj is interested in seeing a toastmasters club soon be chartered in Mongolia. He agrees to visit a Toastmasters club in Taipei where I deliver a speech about his country. It is my sincere hope that Mongolia will be the 104th country to have the Toastmasters clubs where people can learn the communication and leadership skills in a friendly and positive environment.