Choice

The Workshop

This was a workshop meeting. Edwin delivered an 18-to-20-minute keynote-style speech on “Seeking Happiness,” drawing on Schopenhauer’s philosophy to explore what happiness really means and how to find it. The topic had been brewing in the group chat all week. “还是谈幸福吧，正好下周我的 workshop 的主题是寻找幸福，听完后大家 TT 来聊一聊,” Edwin wrote when proposing the theme. The response was warm: “你真的是大家的幸福源泉.” Another member put it more grandly: “哲学家叔本华，头马有 Edwin.”

Table Topics followed naturally from the workshop, with Jason leading the session on the theme of Choice.

Ice Breaker

Maecenas took the stage for his first-ever Toastmasters speech, “Brief Autobiography of My First 23 Years.” His speaking slot came courtesy of Toto, who was on a business trip in the Middle East but still coordinating roles remotely: “下周我那个演讲名额给你做破冰演讲哦.”

A Big Week for the Club

The meeting came during a milestone week. Two days earlier, Stella had announced in the group: “我们的主席杰出俱乐部 DCP 已经达成！” The club had reached President’s Distinguished Club status for the term. Two new members also joined just before the meeting: Mayme and Camellia, both attending for the first time.

Meanwhile, the group chat had taken a detour into geopolitics earlier that week. A discussion about tariffs spiraled into a running joke about what would happen if Toastmasters disappeared from China. One member suggested “深圳国际牛马” as a backup club name; Edwin even drew a logo for “SZNM - 1st Shenzhen NiuMaster club.” He then steered the conversation back to Tuesday’s agenda: seeking happiness felt like the right antidote.