Two Toastmasters Meetings in One Day

On Thursday, I attended two back-to-back Toastmasters meetings, one in PJ and the other in KL.

For both occasions, I was the General Evaluator. And at both clubs, I participated in Table Topics and was thrilled to be voted Best TT Speaker. Going two for two feels wonderful! 😁😁

At the IJM Toastmasters meeting, I was floored because it was not the IJM meetings I was familiar with during those days when I frequented them. 

This time, the enthusiasm, the exuberance, and the energy was palpable, penetrating, and purposeful.

There were four project speeches and three impromptu speeches on the lineup. And the speeches and evaluations were presented with great aplomb. 

I can't quite describe it, but the environment was ebulliently effusive. I felt it – I absolutely did – and I loved it. 

I really hope they keep this up because I'll be so glad to come back. 

Great meeting, IJM Toastmasters! 

Later in the evening, I was at the Metro Toastmasters meeting. Right in the pulsating heart of Kuala Lumpur. At Ramada Suites By Wyndham KLCC, No. 1, Lorong Ceylon in Bukit Ceylon.

Two project speeches and five impromptu speeches. It was a "quieter" meeting, but I was especially intrigued by the second assignment speech: Kwong Kang Choon with his presentation titled "Treachery of Love". It was deep, dense, and deliberative – the kind of multi-layered speech that you can't just listen to once, but really need time to sit with and digest. 

Overall, it was still an enjoyable meeting. And so grateful for the warm vibes!

I am thankful to be given the opportunity to promote my books and, altogether, from the two meetings, I sold six sets of The Diamond and The Pearls books.

Cracks of Color

Jan Vormann is a German artist who uses LEGO bricks in his artwork. He patches up broken sides of buildings and walls with legos in a beautiful way that turns the structures into art. 

This is one of my favorite uses of Legos that I've come across. And if I may add, it is an incredible and uplifting art initiative! 

Vormann’s global project, known as Dispatchwork, beautifully bridges the gap between childhood playfulness and public architecture. By filling the crumbling, fractured spaces of old stone and brick buildings with vibrant, multicolored LEGO bricks, he doesn't just "fix" a wall – he draws attention to its history while injecting a burst of joy into the urban landscape.

What makes it even better is the interactive nature you mentioned. It transforms regular city dwellers from passive observers into active creators, reminding everyone that public spaces belong to the community and can be reimagined through collective creativity. 

The project was born in Bocchignano, a small medieval village in the Sabina region of Italy. In 2007, he was participating in the "20 Eventi" contemporary art festival in the region. Inspired by the village's historic ruins, he began spontaneously filling the gaps, cracks, and missing sections of its ancient stone walls with bright, multicolored LEGO bricks. 

This temporary intervention launched his famous global street art movement known as Dispatchwork. He describes it as a "multiplayer game" for cities. 

The artistic concept rests on three core pillars:

• Embracing Impermanence: Vormann intentionally does not use glue or cement. The structures are meant to be temporary. He welcomes the fact that children often take the loose LEGO bricks back home to their toy boxes. 
• Highlighting History through Contrast: Inserting modern, mass-produced plastic into ancient, eroded masonry draws immediate visual attention to the wear and tear of historical sites. It emphasizes how cities continuously repair themselves over centuries. 
• Democratic Public Art: The project bypasses traditional art institutions. Through his website, Vormann invites anyone worldwide to "patch" their own neighborhoods, making the act of urban preservation a collaborative and playful community experience.

Vormann and a global network of volunteers have installed LEGO patches across more than 40 cities worldwide. Notable historical and urban sites include Berlin in Germany, New York City in USA, Toulouse in France, Aberdeen in Scotland, and even Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia! 

In KL, the Dispatchwork installation was famously initiated at the historic Pudu Jail (specifically along Jalan Hang Tuah). The intervention done in April 2016 was carried out by independent global contributors named Kaffy, Wikkee, and Caibin, who submitted their work directly to the official Dispatchwork archive. 

True to the collaborative nature of the project, they chose the crumbling perimeter of this notorious, century-old prison site to insert bright, modern toy bricks into the gaps of its weathered structures. 

It is important to highlight that because Jan Vormann’s philosophy strictly dictates never using glue or permanent fixtures, these plastic patches are highly transient. 

Over the years, much of the original Pudu Jail complex has been demolished or heavily redeveloped into modern commercial projects (like Lalaport BBCC), meaning the original 2016 bricks have likely been removed, built over, or taken home by passersby.

Chinese Filmgoers Praise Malaysian Cinema

Malaysian cinema with universal themes are striking a chord with audiences worldwide, helping local films break through international boundaries. 

Moviegoers in China have enthusiastically praised five high-calibre Malaysian productions featured at the China-Malaysia Film Festival 2026, held alongside the 12th Xingtan Cultural Season. 

Officiated by National Film Development Corporation (Finas) chairperson Hans Isaac, the festival was co-organised by Alpha Unit Films & Distribution Sdn Bhd and China Film Industry Group Limited, with support from Finas. 

According to Bernama, the featured line-up included A Mighty Adventure, Ah Beng Vs Liang Po Po, Babah, Abah Says Uncle Mike, and The Last Dive (also known as Takdir Terakhir). 

These five films span multiple languages and storytelling formats: 

• A Mighty Adventure: Silent/No dialogue. It relies entirely on CG animation, visual storytelling, and a universal musical score. 
• Ah Beng Vs Liang Po Po: Mandarin (with some Cantonese). 
• Babah: Malay. 
• Abah Saya Uncle Mike: Primarily Malay (with some multi-lingual interactions, reflecting the real-life Chinese father raising Malay children).
• The Last Dive: Primarily Malay/English. 

Dr Wendy Wong, executive director of Produksi Seni 2020, noted that the response to The Last Dive exceeded all expectations. 

"Chinese film fans appreciate our productions because they tackle pressing global issues. In fact, many praised our films as being on a par with Hollywood", she shared. 

Meanwhile, Nadia Mohd Nadzri, producer of Babah (produced by Nads Media Entertainment Sdn Bhd), emphasised that the film's focus on family values holds timeless appeal across East Asia.

Ryan Lim, managing director of Alpha Unit, said that the team's primary hurdle was selecting titles that would genuinely resonate with a Chinese audience. 

"It was crucial to pick the right mix of films. We held extensive discussions with our partners in China to ensure the line-up hit the right mark", Lim confided. 

"We hope to bring even more high-quality Malaysian films to China soon, and after such a successful start, we are very optimistic about future collaborations". 

Malaysian Tourism is Making Waves

Malaysia’s travel sector is riding an unprecedented wave of global popularity, drawing a record-breaking 21.12 million international visitors in the first half of 2026 alone. 

This massive influx of travelers has transformed the nation's airports into bustling global gateways. 

According to Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), passenger traffic jumped 3.4% year-on-year to 36.7 million in the first seven months of the year, fueled by a powerful surge in summer travel demand from Europe, the Middle East, and across Asia.

[I had followed the Asian Games badminton news only for updates on Pearly-Thinaah. And for sure, from today, I'll be following women's singles squash too].

Malaysia's women's badminton team kicked off their 2026 Asian Games campaign on Sunday with a dominant 3-0 sweep against Hong Kong. 

In that opening tie, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan earned the second point with a comfortable 21-11, 21-17 win over world No. 22 Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam. 

However, the team's run came to an end on Tuesday during the quarter-finals, where Malaysia bowed out with a 3-1 defeat to defending champions South Korea. 

Despite the team's elimination, Pearly and Thinaah provided a massive highlight by securing a brilliant 22-20, 21-17 victory over world No. 2 South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee. 

While the overall exit stung, the top pair's defiant victory had sent a clear message that they are rediscovering their peak form at just the right time. And that's great news, methinks!

World's Most Dangerous Rogue States

The United States and Israel are the world's most dangerous, rogue actors, functioning as the preeminent engine of global instability, and acting as the primary existential threat to world peace through calculated, widespread aggression. 

It is a well-known fact that the US has been at war 222 out of 239 years since 1776. And, since Israel's founding in 1948, the country has been in a state of near-perpetual conflict. 

Today, Donald Trump (far left) and Benjamin Netanyahu (left), both war criminals, represent the new axis of evil.

The war against Iran is their latest handiwork. It began on February 28 and the two didn't just target the Islamic Republic; they murdered the prospect of peace by launching joint, pre-emptive strikes against the country while diplomatic talks were still taking place. A calculated, unlawful act by the US and Israel.

Presently, the grueling war has petered into the current stalemate that brings a temporary lull to the battlefield, yet the rhetorical warfare remains fiercely active. 

On Tuesday, during Trump's address at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, he openly mused whether he should completely "annihilate" Iran and drive the nation into hell with "no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations". 

By using the UN podium to openly contemplate wiping out a fellow member state, Trump brought an indecent irony to his delivery at the United Nations – an organisation founded to save future generations from war. 😡😡😡

The Urban Canvas

Look closely at the city streets and surroundings, and you'll find art hiding in plain sight. 

Creative minds are turning plain urban walls, ordinary cracks and broken fixtures into brilliant visual surprises. 

It is proof that our city streets are actually giant, open-air galleries just waiting to make you smile.