WSC's Thirty-eighth Meeting

Members of the World Speakers’ Coalition Kuala Lumpur gathered on Wednesday – our 38th meeting – for our monthly do. 

It was organised and hosted by Shanti Rajendran. The monthly event was held at Roppongi 35. 

Located at Level 35, Pinnacle PJ Tower A, 35, Lorong Utara C in Petaling Jaya, it is billed as the highest Japanese rooftop restobar in Malaysia and you get a good view of the PJ skyline. And at night, it looks stunning.

A good attendance with nine members and one guest, Mary Magdalen.

Given that this is the Year of the Snake, Shanti opted to have speeches that centered around snakes. And so, our meeting theme was Voices of Vipers: Myths and Societal Perceptions of Snakes.

Naturally, my speech is on the Chinese zodiac sign for 2025. FYI, the snake (蛇) is the sixth of the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. And the vibes are all about renewal and regeneration. 

Still, snakes take on a less-than-virtuous role in a myriad of scenarios. The popular board game Snakes and Ladders sees player’s fortunes plummet when they land on a square with a snake. A snake called Kaa is cast as a villain in The Jungle Book. Voldemort possesses a massive snake called Nagini that he orders about in the world of Harry Potter. And of course, we can’t forget the serpent’s role in the Garden of Eden, as it tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

Though the snake gets a bad rap across many Western cultures, the reptile is actually celebrated and revered among Eastern cultures. And its "year" can be expected to be one of positive transformation as people slither into new beginnings – assuming they’re willing to move on.

After the speeches, we had a spot of karaoke singing and Alan and Samuel belted out their favorite oldies.

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