Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Haishuo’s 7 minutes to Basic Wine Tasting.
No matter what you are tasting, all the tasting skills are the same. There is an easy way to remember. Take a look at your face, from up to down, there are eyes, nose, and mouth. That’s the sequence you should employ in tasting, no matter you are tasting cheese, chocolate, or of course, wine. So how do you do that when it comes to wine-tasting?
First, you have to choose the right goblet. Different species of wine go with different kinds of goblets. The goblet is wide in the top to grant enough room for the fragrance and the aroma of wine to roam. Next, how to hold the bottle? There is a hole in the bottom, please insert your thumb and always show the wine label to the one that you are serving. Turn the bottle when you finish pouring out your wine.
Tasting begins. First, with your eyes. Tilt your goblet at 45 degree and see your wine against the light. It will be better if the background is white. I understand that there might not be whiteboards everywhere, but papers and tissues are easy to get. This is to make it easier for you to appreciate the color. There are few things there you are looking at in this phase. 1. The rim of the wine: the old and thin will be wide, and the new and thick will be narrow. 2. Wine legs: Shake your wines a bit and see the legs on the wall of the goblet, the thicker the wine is, the longer the legs will be. The material of the goblet will make a big difference, so make sure you use the same kind of goblet if you are comparing among different bottles.
Second, with your nose. Tilt your goblet and smell the wine from different parts of the goblet. Smell might change. There are professional categories for smell. The acronym is PSANDFF: plants (grass or mushroom), spices (rosemary and cinnamon), animal (leather and musk), nuts (almonds and hazelnuts), dried fruit (when it’s really sweet), flowers, and fruit (berries and citrus). However, please bear this in mind: you can always use any familiar smell that you have in your mind. There is no rule in this. The only skill you have to know is to recall the familiar smell that you have in your mind.
Last, with you mouth, the most important part of tasting. Don’t hurry to swallow your wine. Some wine-tasters may even gargle to allow the wine fully wander in their mouths. There are three phases. The first phase is called Attack Phase. There are four things that you have to pay attention to. In this level, you taste what the wine brings you up ahead. The acronym is SATA. They are Sugar level, Acidity, Tannin (Mouth-puckering), and Alcohol. The second phase is called evolution phase. The phase indicates the taste that the wine brings you on your palate. The most interesting part in this phase is that you may start to note some interesting smell that you are not unable to notice when you smell it with your nose. Some smells will come out and say hi. The last phase is called the finish. The phase starts when you swallow your wine. This is the best part of the wine tasting. Let all the taste on your tongue, palate and everywhere else come together for the orchestrated play, and you may close your eyes, shut down one sense to sharpen others, and allow it to wake your taste buds.
Ladies and gentlemen, drinking too much is definitely bad for your health, but a goblet a day is beneficial. Allow me to explain why Helen and Ben have their shares for today’s meeting. Helen’s birthday is 3 days later, July 24th. And Ben’s wedding anniversary is today. I would love to propose a toast and wish you Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary. Cheers! Toastmaster.
2009年8月9日 星期日
2009年7月18日 星期六
090718 Serving Your Higher Cause
Serving your Higher Cause
Haishuo Lee
If I could show you a simple way that you can keep yourself fully motivated for your whole officer term, would you be interested? Would you? Great!
The night when spring convention ended, I wrote letters to all friends that helped me along the way, especially previous 2008 world finalists. I was surprised to have so much of their help, and I truly appreciated what they did for a friend that had no more than a few email correspondences. Then something occurred to me. If they were all world finalists, and they were willing to help me revise my draft, I should send their email addresses to Judy and asked her to reach out for their help, in that way, Judy might have a better chance of winning on inter-district contest. So I did, and days ago, I had forward the mail to Alice.
Looking back, I knew why I did it. Not because I was noble, nor because I was humble, but because I was selfish. Why? Because I was serving my higher cause. Every time I was abroad and presented my research paper, I always put the map of Taiwan and its location in the world on my first slide. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t support nationalism, and I am not a racist. I am just really proud of being a Taiwanese, and I would love my audience to know the lovely country I am from. So what’s my higher cause? Yes, I want to glorify Taiwan on the international stage, and since this year I am not good enough, it will be great for me to help whoever is going. So that’s why I did it. I am serving my higher cause.
What’s a higher cause? Don’t ask me. I might not be able to provide your answer. Ask a parent who runs into the burning house; you have the answer “Children”. Ask a fireman who runs into the burning house; you have the answer “duty”. Ask a miser who runs into a burning house; you have the answer ”Money”. Ask a group people who sacrifice their Saturday afternoon for an excellent officer training; you have the answer “Toastmasters”! The very fact that you are sitting right here, right now, means that you love the club and you will be devoting to it, right? So, people do have different higher causes, and you have to know yours.
So what’s good about higher causes? One of the things you’re really going to love about higher cause is how much energy it can give you when you face challenges or problems. It’s the ultimate reason for your motivation. Imagine how good you feel when you know where you are going, why you are going and what keeps you going, isn’t that wonderful? What’s better is: you don’t have to go and search for it like a quest. It’s there, within your very own soul. The only thing you have to do is open up yourself, and honestly tell yourself what you really want and why you want it.
For example: How to identify your higher cause in Toastmaster? Ask yourself these questions: “What’s important for you in your club success, why are they important?” “Why did you take the challenge and devote your time and effort to be a club officer? What do you want to achieve, why?” You’ll know your higher cause as you answer yourself these questions. The sooner you identify it, the sooner you will turn your engine of dreams and passion to extreme power. The better you integrate every member’s higher cause, the stronger your club will be. I’m not telling you that your club will be a huge success in a blink, but let’s make this a beginning.
Now, I would love to serve my higher cause again. As a member in Toastmasters for 9 months up to now, the most surprising thing that I’ve ever heard is “Divisions can never cooperate really well as they have to compete at least twice a year”. It might be true, but I know that in the face of shared honor and glory, people always unite. For me, it’s not important that someone from any division win a district championship any year, what’s important is that someone from district 67 wins a trophy on the international stage and shows the world that people from Taiwan know how to speak. It’s really important, is it not? If we all help Alice, then we know we are standing together for our glory and honor. Does that seem fair and good enough? You might want to invite Alice to your club to practice or at least walk to her later and tell her how much you would love t o support her. So here is my plea. Let us all stand together; let us persist. Let us keep trying and improving, and one day we will show the world that even non-native speakers can be excellent speakers; and language barrier shall not be the barrier for great minds alike.
Our Division E governor Justin once told me, “When the world champion Jim Key attended the convention in Taiwan, he told us that ’Toastmasters speakers don’t say thank you when ending their speeches, because their speeches are gifts for their audience.’” Sincerely, I hope this one could be a gift for you, not only for Alice, but for all of you.” As you sit here, listening to me, you might want to let your partners know what your higher cause is, and how you want to achieve it. Why don’t you do that after the training or sometime in the near future, and make it a gift for your partners, members, and of course, your friends?
Haishuo Lee
If I could show you a simple way that you can keep yourself fully motivated for your whole officer term, would you be interested? Would you? Great!
The night when spring convention ended, I wrote letters to all friends that helped me along the way, especially previous 2008 world finalists. I was surprised to have so much of their help, and I truly appreciated what they did for a friend that had no more than a few email correspondences. Then something occurred to me. If they were all world finalists, and they were willing to help me revise my draft, I should send their email addresses to Judy and asked her to reach out for their help, in that way, Judy might have a better chance of winning on inter-district contest. So I did, and days ago, I had forward the mail to Alice.
Looking back, I knew why I did it. Not because I was noble, nor because I was humble, but because I was selfish. Why? Because I was serving my higher cause. Every time I was abroad and presented my research paper, I always put the map of Taiwan and its location in the world on my first slide. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t support nationalism, and I am not a racist. I am just really proud of being a Taiwanese, and I would love my audience to know the lovely country I am from. So what’s my higher cause? Yes, I want to glorify Taiwan on the international stage, and since this year I am not good enough, it will be great for me to help whoever is going. So that’s why I did it. I am serving my higher cause.
What’s a higher cause? Don’t ask me. I might not be able to provide your answer. Ask a parent who runs into the burning house; you have the answer “Children”. Ask a fireman who runs into the burning house; you have the answer “duty”. Ask a miser who runs into a burning house; you have the answer ”Money”. Ask a group people who sacrifice their Saturday afternoon for an excellent officer training; you have the answer “Toastmasters”! The very fact that you are sitting right here, right now, means that you love the club and you will be devoting to it, right? So, people do have different higher causes, and you have to know yours.
So what’s good about higher causes? One of the things you’re really going to love about higher cause is how much energy it can give you when you face challenges or problems. It’s the ultimate reason for your motivation. Imagine how good you feel when you know where you are going, why you are going and what keeps you going, isn’t that wonderful? What’s better is: you don’t have to go and search for it like a quest. It’s there, within your very own soul. The only thing you have to do is open up yourself, and honestly tell yourself what you really want and why you want it.
For example: How to identify your higher cause in Toastmaster? Ask yourself these questions: “What’s important for you in your club success, why are they important?” “Why did you take the challenge and devote your time and effort to be a club officer? What do you want to achieve, why?” You’ll know your higher cause as you answer yourself these questions. The sooner you identify it, the sooner you will turn your engine of dreams and passion to extreme power. The better you integrate every member’s higher cause, the stronger your club will be. I’m not telling you that your club will be a huge success in a blink, but let’s make this a beginning.
Now, I would love to serve my higher cause again. As a member in Toastmasters for 9 months up to now, the most surprising thing that I’ve ever heard is “Divisions can never cooperate really well as they have to compete at least twice a year”. It might be true, but I know that in the face of shared honor and glory, people always unite. For me, it’s not important that someone from any division win a district championship any year, what’s important is that someone from district 67 wins a trophy on the international stage and shows the world that people from Taiwan know how to speak. It’s really important, is it not? If we all help Alice, then we know we are standing together for our glory and honor. Does that seem fair and good enough? You might want to invite Alice to your club to practice or at least walk to her later and tell her how much you would love t o support her. So here is my plea. Let us all stand together; let us persist. Let us keep trying and improving, and one day we will show the world that even non-native speakers can be excellent speakers; and language barrier shall not be the barrier for great minds alike.
Our Division E governor Justin once told me, “When the world champion Jim Key attended the convention in Taiwan, he told us that ’Toastmasters speakers don’t say thank you when ending their speeches, because their speeches are gifts for their audience.’” Sincerely, I hope this one could be a gift for you, not only for Alice, but for all of you.” As you sit here, listening to me, you might want to let your partners know what your higher cause is, and how you want to achieve it. Why don’t you do that after the training or sometime in the near future, and make it a gift for your partners, members, and of course, your friends?
2009年6月16日 星期二
090616 Become Hsinchu Toastmaster VPE
20090616
I become Hsinchu Toastmaster Vice President of Education.
I will try my very best to fullfill everyone's potential.
Setting up goals and coach all of them.
Make all of them soar in the coming year. :)
I become Hsinchu Toastmaster Vice President of Education.
I will try my very best to fullfill everyone's potential.
Setting up goals and coach all of them.
Make all of them soar in the coming year. :)
C6 delivered on 090616
Evaluation by Brian:
1. Pause before deliver the speech, to get the ensure that your audience is concentrated on you. At the same time avoid rushing.
2. Maybe change the opening and offer more curiosity.
3. Try to conceal your smile. They are killers when you want to show sadness.
Language:
You don't say "offer companion"; you say "offer companionship."
----Script----
Today I want to tell a story about Paul, one of my best friends, who taught me the importance of offering companion to those that really matter to you in the last week of August, 2006.
August, 2006, in another long, hot summer afternoon, I heard my favorite ring tone ”Por Una Cabeza” (music). I took it, and there came my friend Austin’s voice. “Hey, Paul is dead. You know that?” “Stop kidding. This is not fun at all.” “No, I am serious. He is dead. He passed away this morning. He went to bed then never woke up. Just call his sister to make sure.” Ok, You wanna play. Let’s see. As his sister was my landlady one year ago, sure I had her number. In no time, I started calling. The first. There was no answer. The second, still no. The third, it went through. As I heard her voice on the other end, I knew it was real. She wasn’t crying. Her voice was not sad. It was…desperate. “Hi”; “So it’s real, huh.”; ”I see, when is the funeral?”; “September 1st, morning,
People say that the five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. To me the first stage was that afternoon. I called all the friends we both knew, hoping someone would wake me up from this nightmare. Maybe it’s a practical joke. Maybe by the day I arrived his funeral venue, he would simply jumped out from the coffin and shouted “surprise” with his mischievous smile. I meant that’s exact what he would do: setting up a party with all the details just for a birthday surprise. However, I did not get what I want from others. No. Either they have their days ruined by receiving the news from me, or confirmed the terrible news.
What happened next was even more dramatic 2 days before the funeral, I learned from the weather forecast that the strong typhoon, Bilis, was about to hit
That night, something happened. To tell the truth, I thought that wasn’t a dream, and I honestly hoped it wasn’t. I woke up and heard the wind and rain storming outside of my window. Paul was sitting on the edge of my bed. I was so happy to see him and shouted “Hey, so after all, you are still alive.” He smiled with profound sorrow, then shook his head. “So it’s real?” I was almost crying as he nodded. “Then will you be happy if I invite more friends to see you off?” He smiled, happily, then vanished. That’s the time that I was finally starting to believe all this. After all, you know, he told me in person.
On the day we met in the physical world again, he did not jump out from the coffin, shouting “surprise”. He was there, calm as always. Starting from that moment, I missed no important occasion of my great friends, as at least as I thought, he told me in person: he would be happy when we friends went and bid him farewell, wished him Godspeed. After all, maybe that’s what we really need in our life: companion from people that really matter to you. Yes, companion from people that really matter to you.
According to the Japanese Manga “One Piece”, the moment that people really pass away is when the world forgets them. In that definition, Paul still lives with me, every single day. Now the speech comes to the end, and I know my audience is going to clap their hands. This round of applause goes to you. Paul. May this round go to you.
2009年6月12日 星期五
To do list
1. Body Shape.
2. Pronunciation.
3. Preparation.
You win not because you are good, but because you pay more time and effort.
2. Pronunciation.
3. Preparation.
You win not because you are good, but because you pay more time and effort.
2009年6月2日 星期二
Toastmasters and Speaker Roles
June 2nd, 2009. Today I will be the Toastmaster of the meeting.
I was stopped from being toastmaster and the speaker at the same time for the worry of taking too many roles at the same time.
I thought I shuold be the one that knows the best how much I can take.
I mean, what I really want to say is this...
Only people who go to extremes get extreme results.
Extreme results are what I want; extremes are what I will do.
I was stopped from being toastmaster and the speaker at the same time for the worry of taking too many roles at the same time.
I thought I shuold be the one that knows the best how much I can take.
I mean, what I really want to say is this...
Only people who go to extremes get extreme results.
Extreme results are what I want; extremes are what I will do.
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