"How we see other people, it's always a reflection of how we see the world."
💬 "The first half was basically an English corner — and the guests loved it!" — Bella
Shared her passion for scuba diving — a hobby interrupted since the 2020 pandemic.
🌊 In the ocean, buoyancy cancels gravity — your body feels weightless, like floating in outer space. She's seen thresher sharks hunting, manta rays spreading wings meters wide, coral reefs glittering under sunlight, and giant sea turtles swimming curiously beside her.
🤝 Got her first diving certificate in Similan Island, Thailand, 2016. Her postgrad classmate → classmate's instructor → her instructor — connections upon connections.
"Saying no is not always simple, but it is the most powerful word."
Three stories about the courage to say no:
📖 Story 1 — The Guest: A few weeks ago in this very room, a guest raised his hand and said "yes" to joining GC. But when Yunduan followed up, the guest refused — "I didn't want to disappoint everyone. I was afraid I would ruin the atmosphere."
📖 Story 2 — The Two Brothers: In the Jin Dynasty, 石崇 would kill maids if guests refused to drink. 王导 couldn't drink but forced himself to save the maids. 王敦 could drink but refused — even when three maids were killed. "Shi Chong is the killer. The people being killed were his family members. It's not my business."
📖 Story 3 — His Own Regret: In high school, he wanted to switch from science to arts track. The principal approved, his family supported — but his head teacher said no, claiming he'd take 10 low-scoring students with him. He didn't dare to argue. Ended up at an average university. Regretted it for years.
As VPM, he won't pressure guests to join. The charm of GC will naturally attract the right people.
Came to learn how to evaluate — and learned a lot from Eva's speech. Eva is always energetic and willing to share, bringing joy to everyone.
Highlights: Vivid descriptions with ocean photos made everyone feel like they were there. Clear structure — from opening hints to experience sharing to the origin story, easy to follow. Connected the human connections in diving to the magic of meeting at GC, expressing cherishment for this bond.
Suggestion: Add more about why she loves diving and how it influenced her — that would make the speech even better.
Long time no hear Yunduan's speech — felt kind and warm. The first story about VPM following up with the guest was so relatable, making everyone laugh. Full of humor.
Highlights: Clear structure — three stories then a point. Good body language and eye contact. Felt like listening to a dear friend's story. The refusal method ("give me time to think, then find an excuse") was very practical.
Suggestion: A clearer conclusion about how to get the courage to say no would make the speech more complete.
🏠 Venue Atmosphere: Many people arrived at 6:45, lots of guests. Room was quiet at the beginning — members should proactively chat with guests to make them comfortable. Shout-out to Bella for quietly writing her name tag without interrupting the meeting.
🎙️ TM Jianghua: Big improvement! Opening question design was great ("Is there somebody you dislike?" — something everyone thinks about). Just forgot the TPE session — next time pay attention.
🎯 TTM Hunter: Loved the new format! Opening rule explanation was a bit complicated (some confusion), but once started, everyone was highly engaged. Voice volume was loud — people were really discussing! This format gave more freedom because you're not recorded and not speaking publicly, so you can share your real thoughts.
📝 Evaluators: All evaluators were warm — not just judging, but connecting with speakers. Especially Ano: evaluation structure is a perfect example — (1) connect with feelings, (2) check if speech fits Pathway requirements, (3) strengths + suggestion, (4) positive ending. Everyone can learn from this!
⚙️ Functional Roles:
"Everyone we meet is like a mirror — reflecting our strength, our fears, our insecurities, and our expectations."
"The biggest discovery may not come from the speaker on the stage, but from yourself sitting in the chair."
"Don't chase the butterfly. Be the garden, and the butterflies will come."
"Social media is all fake. You only see what people want you to see. Don't be a phone zombie."
"No vacation on land could give you any kind of this experience."
"It proves how small and interconnected the world we live in."
Lucy: Thanked Julie for inviting her to be AVO, which let her learn about prepared speeches in advance and融入 the theme faster.
Yunduan: This meeting's table topics was well-organized, informative, and everyone was actively engaged. Perfect!
Guest: The club name "Global Communication" truly reflects its spirit. Creative table topics format, chance to communicate with speakers — never seen before. Very perfect meeting!
Returning Member (away for 1 month): Amazed by how fast everyone grew! Jianghua can now host meetings, Yunduan's speech fluency improved hugely, Julie as Grammarian is so dedicated and structured, Yue's evaluation uses sophisticated vocabulary with clear expression. "Half a month and such big changes — I'm so surprised and happy!"
"Put things from the Circle of Concern into the Circle of Influence. Change yourself first, and you can change the world — because the world comes from what you know and how you think."