SBTMMeeting #654: Home, Bibimbap and Happiness
On the afternoon of Sunday, 4 October 2026, we held our 654th meeting on the theme "Home". Even though many members had traveled for the holiday, we had a warm and energetic hybrid meeting connecting the room and Zoom.
Theme and question of the day
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Home |
| Question | What is the image of your home? |
| Date | Sunday, 4 October 2026, from 4 PM |
| Format | In person + online (Zoom) |
Role takers
| Role | Member | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chairperson | Sean Park | |
| Toastmaster | Katie Moon | Hosted in English |
| General Evaluator | Sean Park | |
| Table Topics Master | Karen | |
| Reviewer | Sean Park | Verbier Festival |
| Timer | Nadia | |
| Ah-Counter | Helen Lee | |
| Speaker 1 | Yeonsu Kim | Korean, evaluated by Katie Moon |
| Speaker 2 | Sujin Sim | Korean, evaluated by Sean Park |
The theme, and the role takers' answers
Toastmaster Katie Moon introduced the theme in English. She shared her experience of visiting an exhibition by the famous Korean artist Seo Do-ho at the MMCA. The exhibition featured impressive paper installations of traditional Korean, London, and New York homes, reflecting the artist's journey. Katie then asked everyone about the meaning of home, reflecting on her own thoughts about Incheon, where her family lives, and Seoul, where she spends most of her time.
General Evaluator Sean Park also shared that he had visited the same exhibition. He defined home as a precious sanctuary where one can fully rest and heal after fighting tough battles at work.
Review session: Verbier Festival
Reviewer Sean Park shared the second part of his Switzerland trip, focusing on the world-class classical music festival, the Verbier Festival.
- Held annually from mid-July to early August, the festival features around 60 performances across three main venues in the village of Verbier.
- The entire village turns into a musical stage with masterclasses by legendary musicians and free street performances.
- The Verbier Festival Academy also invites outstanding young music students from all over the world to learn directly from the masters.
- Sean showed lively videos and photos of the street performances, bringing the festive atmosphere to the room.
Prepared speeches
| # | Speaker | Title | Project | Language | Evaluator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yeonsu Kim | 니들이 비빔밥을 알아? | Free Speech | Korean | Katie Moon |
| 2 | Sujin Sim | Pursuit of Happyness | Engaging Humors Level 3 Inspire your Audience | Korean | Sean Park |
Speech 1: "니들이 비빔밥을 알아?" (Yeonsu Kim)
Yeonsu Kim delivered an engaging speech about the rich history and legends surrounding bibimbap.
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| Opening | He started by asking the audience which region comes to mind when they think of bibimbap, raising the question of why Jeonju became so famous for it. |
| The Jeonju Legend | He introduced a popular theory involving Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull, who loved eating bibimbap on business trips to Jeonju and suggested the restaurant owner open a branch in Seoul. He also explained how the "Gukpung 81" festival and the 1988 Seoul Olympics established Jeonju bibimbap as a symbol of Korean food culture, presenting AI search results to back up the history. |
| The Jinju Legend | He then introduced Jinju bibimbap, which historically features meat. Legend says it originated during the Jinju Castle battle in the Imjin War when women mixed rice, vegetables, and meat together to feed soldiers quickly. He also mentioned Cheonhwang Restaurant, which boasts a 100-year history. |
| Closing | He concluded that while the original debate is less important than enjoying a delicious meal, SBTM members should be high-class speakers who appreciate the poignant history behind the food they eat. |
Speech 2: "Pursuit of Happyness" (Sujin Sim)
Sujin Sim delivered a warm and humorous speech about finding the true meaning of happiness in daily life.
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| Opening | She opened humorously with an anecdote from a highway rest area, where she realized in that moment that "happiness is nothing complicated." |
| Daily Happiness | She described her morning routine of opening the curtains to look at Ulsanbawi, which gives her strength for the day. Although the feeling is brief before daily worries kick in, she realized that happiness is not about constantly acquiring new things, but about protecting the precious things we already have, such as her family's health and peaceful daily moments. |
| Closing | She urged everyone to find their own "Ulsanbawi" for at least one minute every day, and humorously advised never to skip a highway service area when driving. |
Table Topics
Table Topics Master Karen prepared a unique session using a spinning wheel to select speakers and questions. Participants shared delightful and creative answers.
| Question | Speaker | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| If you could spend the next two holidays any way you wanted, what would you do? | Katie Moon | Remembering how hard her mother worked to cook for massive family gatherings when she was young, she wants to plan a trip so her mother can fully relax without cooking. |
| If you could trade jobs with someone for just one day, whose job would you try? | Nadia | She would love to work as a pet sitter to spend a peaceful and healing day with dogs and cats. |
| You are stranded on a deserted island. You can bring just one person and one object. Who and what would you choose? | Participant | Inspired by the movie Cast Away, they would choose to go alone to avoid potential arguments and focus on survival. |
| If you could make a social unwritten rule legally binding from tomorrow, what would it be? | Yeonsu Kim | Referencing a news article about a shop banning customers over 50 due to informal speech, he proposed a law fining business owners who refuse entry based on age, emphasizing that respect should go both ways. |
| (Self-chosen question) What is the most memorable gift you have ever received? | Sujin Sim | She shared a heartwarming memory of a cold winter night when a family member brought home a warm roasted sweet potato kept inside a jacket. |
| If you had to give a short tour of your neighborhood, where would you pick first? | Participant | They chose a quiet, peaceful walking path in their neighborhood to show visitors first. |
Evaluations
General Evaluator Sean Park led the evaluation session, where constructive feedback was shared.
| Speech | Evaluator | What worked well | Suggestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeonsu Kim | Katie Moon | The engaging opening question about bibimbap grabbed attention immediately. The interactive structure and the closing that reinforced our SBTM identity were excellent. | The speech was great online, but it would be even more impactful to hear it in person next time. |
| Sujin Sim | Sean Park | The sincere and relatable message about daily happiness resonated deeply, and the humorous rest-area anecdote was highly engaging. | Structure the points about happiness (like the Ulsanbawi story) with clear numbering (e.g., first, second) to make it easier for the audience to follow. |
Technical role reports
Ah-Counter Helen Lee reported that filler words were generally low, noting that Yeonsu Kim had an exceptionally clean delivery with almost no filler words.
Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Speaker | Yeonsu Kim |
| Best Evaluator | Sean Park |
| Best Table Topics | Sujin Sim |
Closing
Toastmaster Katie Moon thanked everyone for joining during the holiday season. Although the turnout was cozy due to the holidays, it was a meaningful time filled with warm laughter and deep connections. The in-person attendees took a group photo to close the day.
SBTM meets on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month. Write to sbtm-info@gmail.com to visit or join.