Awesome message here from Dr. Brene Brown. It was just what I needed to hear. Funny because a friend had recommended her book to me, The Gifts of Imperfection, just recently. I haven't had a chance to get it but definitely plan to. Looking at her website, I'm interested in reading her other books as well.

Check out the site as well, as they're giving away $40 to everyone! I'm thinking of getting a book and a poster.

Off to the studio now to play. :)

Speech 8: Paris

I gave my 8th speech today at TM. It was project 6 from the CC manual, focusing on vocal variety. Yup, I have left this one this late. It's one of the things I struggle with. Vocal variety has been a mainstay of the evaluations I have received ever since I've been a Toastmaster. Well, how did I do tonight, you ask. Hmm.... just okay, I think. I could have donebetter, I know that. It was a half-baked speech, having prepared it only a couple hours before the meeting. I realize that that in itself is an achievement, that I would have the gall to actually speak in front of an audience with a speech as half-baked as what I had, but I still think I could have done better, pushed myself harder. Oh well, there's always the next speech right?

Anyway, tonight I talked about Paris and showed some of my SB pages on Paris. I'll share some of them here as well.

Matoi Sushi Lunch

Because our sushi craving wasn't satisfied the other day, we headed to Matoi yesterday after church. And what do you know, it wasn't open! Again! it was around 11:15am. They open at 11:30am so we hung around. Anyway, I'm glad we sticked around because mm-mm the food was yummy!

I got sashimi teisyoku and agedashi tofu.

And Danni got this beautiful bowl of chirashi. I had a taste of it (couldn't resist!) and it was yum too. :)

Would definitely go back again and try their other sashimi.

And then for dinner last night, I had this:

Isn't that a beautiful thing? My mom made it! It had lettuce, potatoes, shredded carrots, mangoes, strawberries, grapefruit, corn, chicken cubes, and this wonderful heavenly dressing! Thanks Mom!!

Late Entry: Cora's

We went to Cora's for a snack. We wanted to go to Matoi for sushi but at 4pm, they were closed. We headed to Cora's instead to give the sunny resto a whirl. I got this -- banana

hazelnut crepe. Yum. :)

Dan got a crepe as well, called Raspberry 4 Lucie.

Unfortunately for her, it looked better than it tasted. :(

I tried it and it was too sour for my taste.

She also said it had cream cheese inside that she didn't particularly like.

I don't think she enjoyed her dish. :(

Mom and Jaja decided to share this big plate of yes, crepes again, with fresh fruits on top. Yeah, we should have ordered something savoury as well, instead of getting all fruit-y dishes. Oh well, next time we know.

And as for Olivia, after studying the menu for a long time (while playing with her Mr. Big)....

She decided on a cut up bowl of bananas, compliments of the manager. :)

As soon as the bowl was placed in front of her, she grabbed a handful of bananas and placed them in her mouth!

Overall, a nice place to have breakfast or lunch. A bit pricey but I wouldn't mind going back again to try their omelettes or any other savoury dishes.