Bittersweet Bliss: My Epic Durian Feast

I am savouring every single bite of the Musang King! 😋😋😋

My stomach is riding the "durian tsunami" and for sure, I am happily wiping out on every creamy, bittersweet bite! 😋😋😋

For sure, the durian is dangerously addictive. It's beyond divine. And don't let its tough exterior fool you: durian pairs an unmatched flavour with incredible health benefits.

In fact, I came across an AsiaOne report on June 30 that dietitians at Singapore's Changi General Hospital certify that durian has good monounsaturated fats, otherwise known as "good" fats, that can help lower harmful cholesterol levels and moderate high blood pressure. 

And the principal dietitian at Raffles Medical Group affirms that these can help reduce risks of heart disease and stroke. 

Durian brings other health benefits which include improving muscle strength and skin health, regulating bowel movements, supporting the nervous and immune systems, and enhancing red blood cell formation as it is rich in potassium, dietary fibre, iron, vitamin C and vitamin B complex. 

The fruit belonging to the genus Durio also has polyphenols such as flavonoids and carotenoids – anti-oxidative compounds that may help decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, contends dietitians from Mount Alvernia Hospital. 

Even more interesting, the claim that eating durians can put you in a great mood is not unfounded. 

Durians contain tryptophan, a food-derived amino acid involved in the production of serotonin – the "feel good" hormone associated with mood regulation. 

"During digestion, tryptophan gets converted into serotonin, which may induce feelings of relaxation and improved mood", a doctor at Raffles Diabetes and Endocrine Centre explains. "Tryptophan is also converted to melatonin, a hormone that controls your sleep cycle and may help you fall asleep easier". 

You should know that I explored this natural mood booster in Chapter 15, "The Happy Hormones", of my public speaking book, "The Pearls of Your Speech" (2025). It's a social chemical that "makes you feel good about yourself, stoking confidence and spurring self-esteem, and nurturing a sense of common bond that stems from status, respect, and loyalty" (page 157). 

Therefore, eating durian absolutely makes sense for a public speaker like me! 😁😁😁

A Toastmasters Homecoming

On Monday, I was at Menara Allianz Sentral, which is located in the heart of the KL Sentral business district on Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Kuala Lumpur, to attend my first meeting of the KL Advanced Toastmasters Club since I rejoined last month. 

It was a homecoming to a club I had been a member of, many, many years ago. 

Rohijas MD Sharif, being the VP Education and Toastmaster had kindly put me down as a speech evaluator for one of the two project speakers. [For those not familiar with the club's evaluation structure, it consists of three stages: the Lead Evaluation, where a designated evaluator shares feedback;   followed by the Open Evaluation, where other members briefly share their insights; and concludes with the Speaker's Right of Reply, where the speaker shares their takeaways and responds to the feedback].

He had also given me five minutes to promote my two public speaking books. [And I successfully finalized the sale of three titles, two TDIYS and one TPOYS]. 

I have to admit though that I was disappointed with my assigned speaker because she failed to meet the objectives of her speech which was about "Managing a Difficult Audience". I had wished she had delivered this speech with the solemnity it warrants. Messages of a serious nature should convey resolute authority and gravitas. And her irrepressible and ceaseless movements did not help at all. 

The above aside, it was really good to catch up with fellow senior members Rohijas and Philip Wong, who have been long-standing members of the club. 

Photos of the said meeting at Emspaced, a co-working space:

June Book Sales Are Better-Than-Expected

June book sales are in the books, and our public speaking line-up has delivered a better-than-expected performance. 

Indeed, sales of both books, i.e., "The Diamond in Your Speech" (2022) and "The Pearls of Your Speech" (2025), have been encouraging. In fact, we sold 28 copies each this month.  

And therefore, our accumulated sales numbers for the said books are as indicated above ☝

If you've not got your hands on our books, c'mon get them today! 

Both these books will transform your next speech!

The Durian Got Invited to Toastmasters

On Wednesday, I boarded the KTM ETS train to Taiping, Perak – claimed to be Malaysia's first modern town – to attend the Taiping Toastmasters Club meeting that evening.

Fourteen Toastmasters turned up for the said meeting.

Ahmad Fakhri and I shared the Diamond Speechcrafting technique, followed by a live demonstration on how the new agentic AI, ADIWIRA app can help speakers craft, fine-tune and elevate their speeches with clarity, cogency and conviction. 

I also participated in Table Topics, the signature impromptu speaking session. 

Altogether, a delightful meeting, made even more memorable because they served durians! Wowee! 😋😋😋

And we successfully moved 6 TDIYS and 5 TPOYS. 

It is here in Taiping that we hit the 1,600 sales with respect to the Diamond book!👏👏👏

Special thanks to Aileen Oon and Taiping Toastmasters for having us at their last meeting of the 2025-26 term.

We returned to home base the following day. On our way back, we stopped at Changkat Jering for what else but durian!