More than a Week Later...

The Leadership Training for Toastmasters went really well last weekend. It got me all fired up to get more members in our club and inject some new energy. I proceeded to update our info at the local paper and post our meetings on this online event announcements page. I even got a call a day later from a prospective guest!

Well last Thursday came and went and the guest never showed. Only SIX members showed up too. - plus a previous guest that came again making us a grand total of SEVEN. After being in a sort of convention with hundreds of Toastmasters from different clubs from all over the region and seeing such enthusiasm, it was a bit of a bummer seeing only SEVEN people. The good news is that despite the low turnout, our guest decided to join us.

I have a possibility of having my first sale tomorrow. I'm really excited about it.

In the meantime, I've been attending my leads group and I went to my first ever Chamber of Commerce Mixer. It was FANTASTIC!!!! There were at least 100 people there, all happy to talk to one another and I met so many wonderful business people, some of whom would make great referral partners. I've already got meetings set up with some of them next week. I love meeting new people, especially positive, forward thinking people with enthusiasm and optimism. A free Mai Tai and glass of wine helped the words flow flawlessly. ;)

I only wish I had done this while living in Bangkok. Sort of a tangent, but I look at what Andrew Biggs has done with his career. He's an Australian living in Thailand for many years and speaks Thai fluently. His background is in journalism, but he also taught English, if I'm not mistaken. He now hosts a show on a Thai TV station, has authored numerous books on speaking English, and now owns and operates an academy. What an ambitious man. Most the westerners I encountered did little more than complain a lot on the job (myself included). This guy kicked it up a notch or several, and got WAY ahead. How satisfying that must be....

On the subject of Thailand, next week I'm also editing the text for the next Speak Like a Thai series. Last time Golf and I partnered up with Benjawan (the author) and her American husband to do the accompanying CD to the booklet. American male and female, Thai male and female speakers, respectively. I love that sort of work, so FUN!

Regional Leadership Training

In about a half hour I'm leaving to the Toastmasters Leadership Training session. I was nominated to be VP of Public Relations for my local Toastmasters club. Right now I'm in charge of keeping our website up to date, and I'll be in charge of promoting our club. This will be great experience because I will need to promote my own service within the community and I'll learn how to do it effectively!

One more bit of good news - I should be HOPEFULLY landing my first sale later this coming week! The CEO of the business development group I belong to referred me to a prospect who is very interested in what I have to offer. Thank you thank you!!!!!

Aidan!

Golf drew this picture of Aidan a few days ago and it looks so much like him that I had to scan it and share it with the world. My husband is actually quite talented and was the illustrator for a book called Thai For Lovers.

It's dumping rain

We're in the middle of a pretty significant storm here, and man am I glad I don't have to go out in it today! Actually if it weren't for the very strong winds, the downpouring rain isn't much more than the rainy days I used to experience in Bangkok.

Back then on those days I was ever so grateful that I did't have to commute in a car or standing for hours in a crowded bus because I worked right across the street from the school. I'd heard horror stories of people getting caught up in traffic jams from flooded streets and downpours that lasted for hours and hours and hours. Can you imagine leaving your office at 6 and not getting home til 10?!?!?!? I've heard that Thais carry little pee cups to deal with the many hours they are stuck in their cars... well, I can see it being used easily for men, but for the ladies, I can't see it happening.

My best friend Mellie commutes with her husband one hour each way to their jobs (they work for the same company) and this morning would have been an absolute misery to have to endure. The beauty of both Golf and I being self employed is that we have the choice of whether or not we venture out in this mess. Needless to say we're staying in! I even discovered, to my delight, that I have all the ingredients to make Chicken Cacciatore for dinner tonight!

Sawatdee Pii Mai!

That's Thai for Happy New Year!

Speaking of Thai, at around 9 AM PST, I logged on to one of my favorite websites that shows multiple web-cam links to various parts of Koh Samui. 9 AM our time was midnight there and it was so fun to watch the Thais ring in the new year.

Like most families with small children, we did not go out last night. Instead I listened to Art Bell on the radio. Every year on NYE he takes phone calls with listener predictions on what they think will happen in the upcoming year. Here is part 1 and here is part 2. He also reads the predictions from the current year (2007) that were made NYE in 2006 to see what came true. It was fun, but I did doze off and on til midnight. Golf then woke me up to hear fireworks and wish one another happy new year.

We plan to go to the temple this coming weekend. If we went today it would be far too crowded, so we'll wait for the crowds to subside. I also would like to have my isolation tank experience this week as well, as part of kicking off 2008 with some introspection and meditation.