Would you leave your lover over garlic chips? I nearly did once. The smell, the look, the lingering after-breath….gross!
Our opinion of garlic chips was but one sought by innovative Topicsmaster Fergal, who used image prompts to get us thinking and bingo numbers to keep us on our toes. Mine was a lone voice on the issue. Merrilyn and Martin LOVE them. Never mind your haute cuisine, cheesy garlic chips ruled. Jam on toast was, however, a no-no for Merrilyn as was juicing for Sarah, who won best topic for her eloquent dismissal of liquidised vege. Food shopping is a ninja-style job for Deirdre, just flying through the aisles with her trolley, whilst salt was voted number one condiment of the evening (by me and an enthusiastic Maria).
La France, the home of good food, was the theme for the night as chosen by thoughtful Toastmaster, Gerry. Sarah, our 
grammarian, chose ‘solidarity’ as the very apt word of the day after the terrible attacks on November 13th.
James gave a thought-provoking talk on ISIS in the open mic session. “Bombing won’t solve this,” he warned.
And for the speeches, John told us the remarkable story of the Battle of Britain as project one of the advanced storytelling manual whilst Fiona recounted the somewhat gruesome story of Oedipus using Powerpoint.
The nicest surprise of the evening must have been Dan’s recital of a poem he penned himself in solidarity with Paris. It was quite touching and I’ll leave you with it here:
(Next meeting is Wednesday, November 25th and on Thursday, December 3rd we have a joint meeting with Dublin club which will be an excellent opportunity to hear new speakers, experience a new club and move out of your comfort zone to talk somewhere new – DON’T MISS IT!).
‘Paris in the Autumn’‘
A city built with grace, hope, beauty and literary life
Where lovers meet and toast each other in the fading light,
Church bells ring to mark the modern pilgrim’s journey,
In the trail of Joyce or Beckett’s yearning.
The shimmer of the sun upon the Seine,
Marks a wine-celebrated lunch come to an end
The wander past the spire of Notre Dame,
Down through the History of a cobbled lane.
Tree-lined Boulevards guide the walker Home,
The day is dying, but he is not alone.
Paris lights up, a vision of magnificence unsaid,
A monument to the best of, the Living and the Dead’
Fiona O’Meara, 18th November 2015
VPPR Vox Populi
vppr@voxpopulidublin.com
