Holiday

A new home

Meeting 962 marked SZTM’s first evening at a new venue: the International Talent Station in the Greater Bay Area, on the second floor of Changfu Jinmao Building. The larger conference room meant members had to bring their own laptops for the projector, and the extra space made a difference. As one member put it: “而且新场地好漂亮 拍出来照片都不一样.”

Jason arrived early to set up the room and brought 24 strawberries for everyone. “24 颗草莓，到得早的领一颗.” Christy and Toto also brought snacks, Middle Eastern treats from a recent trip. The holiday spirit was real.

Prepared speeches

Four speakers took the stage. Alison opened with a Level 1 ice breaker on health. Ivy followed with “The Magic of Happiness Right Now!” from her Presentation Mastery pathway. Susie shared “The Story of Laid Off,” a personal account that came together on short notice after she stepped in as a backup speaker that same afternoon. Candy closed the session with “Begin with the End in Mind.”

The evaluators had their hands full. “突然 3 分钟的 evaluation 时间好短 不够，大家都 OT,” one evaluator observed, finding three minutes far too short to cover everything.

Word of the Day

The Word of the Day was “Aloha,” the Hawaiian greeting that carries the meaning of hello, goodbye, and love all at once. A fitting word for a holiday-themed meeting in a brand-new space.

Beyond the meeting

Earlier that day, good news arrived: Poornima, who had been out of contact for several days, was confirmed safe. “Poornima is safe! I got some news from her husband and she will come back this week.” She would be back in time for the upcoming area contest.

Meanwhile, the club’s growing visibility drew some excitement. The Greater Bay Area Talent Station had begun promoting SZTM, prompting one member to declare: “大湾区河套为 SZTM 代言，咱这算官方后台了，威武哈！”