Waffling in Melbourne.

[reynardo]

Some of you may well know of the after-dinner speaking group, Wafflers, that I go to in Sydney. Once a month we dress in really good clothes, have dinner, and then a set number of people (who've had at least 4 weeks to prepare and who always leave it to the last minute) talk on the topic that the chair for that night has chosen. Rarely boring, often quite interesting, and definitely a lovely way to spend a Friday night.

Not that it would happen for a couple of months (more likely not until June or so), but I'm looking for a show of hands here. This also isn't a binding promise - I won't stalk you to make you come all that often.

But the question is: In Melbourne, would you be interested in once a month, on a Friday night, dressing in black tie or at least something fairly formal (Goth is fine), paying approx $40-$50 per person for dinner, dessert and wine, and talking once in a while for 10 minutes on the topic of the night?


[Poll #1351318]

Also, if you have ideas or comments, please feel free.

Comments

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

I <3 public speaking! I used to do lots of debating/speaking many, many years ago. AND I've done both stand-up comedy and impro comedy. I would love to have an audience from time to time! :D

[wingedkami.livejournal.com]

I would be interested if I lived anywhere near you. :) It sounds rather like Toastmasters (except most Toastmasters clubs don't involve formal dinners).

I just looked to see if there's a Toastmasters club in Melbourne. There are 24 clubs. I think I need to look at a map and see how big Melbourne is.

[mr-figgy.livejournal.com]

The Toronto NaNoWriMo group can tell you that I impersonate a balloon leaking air really really well. I'd love to subject your friends to that, knowing that it'll be brief or I'll get light-headed and eventually pass out. :)

[chaos-crafter.livejournal.com]

You need another option on that list.
Something like "Oh i'd love to but there's no way I'd be good enough."
You know me, hardly reticent when it comes to public speaking, but the idea of doing so in a more formal setting trips all my competition/performance-quality buttons.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

It's not competitive - I probably should have made that clear. The chair is specifically prohibited from making comments on the evening's speeches, and they're not critiqued or graded at all.

Some of the utterly best speeches I've heard are people talking about the disaster of their pre-wedding camping trip, or the day they had to explain to customs that they really were taking a box of baking powder overseas...

[chaos-crafter.livejournal.com]

Ah, and maybe I wasn't clear either. I don't think _it_ is competitive. It's just my competitive streak is triggered by that sort of circumstance.

[tenner.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a lot of fun. Now I just need to be able to afford the $3,000 monthly airfare to come.

[pallagia.livejournal.com]

I totally second that.

[xenex.livejournal.com]

I'd change it from "NOOOOOOOO!" to "MAAAAYBE!", though.

[the-funkmeister.livejournal.com]

That sounds, quite interesting.

Wouldn't do it evey month, but once in a while sounds like a good way to catch up with people for semi-sane conversations :)

[shadow-5tails.livejournal.com]

Being realistic, I don't think I could afford the money or energy for something like this more than occasionally. I'm beginning to worry that I'm overcommitted this year as it is...

[lokicarbis.livejournal.com]

I'd be more interested in this if there were some way to make it, well, cheaper...

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

It's going to depend on the venue we find.

And, of course, by then you'll have an amazing job and be able to afford it with no problems.