Yea, I know. It’s been ages since I’ve updated. Been busy working on a different project which has consumed most of my time over the past few months. Since you last read from me, I’ve been traveling, singing some, taking pictures, and also amassed a bunch of content. After a hiatus, here are some things I need to let you know about.

TWESTIVAL KOTA KINABALU NEWS

Once again, on behalf of Mei and I, CONGRATULATIONS KK and thank you for raising RM22,000 for the Sabah Society for the Blind via Twestival KK. If you want to check out the mural we made, go to Origin Cafe at Karamunsing Capital!

This is something all of you should be proud of. even though we are just a tiny tiny city in Borneo, we did better than Chicago and New York combined, and even beat San Francisco in our fundraising efforts!

4 months ago, some of us from the organizing committee visited the Tuaran Wallace Workshop and got to see the area our funds would be used to develop. We also had a lot of fun learning about how the blind weave baskets, and made complete city slicker fools of ourselves!

Awesome isn’t it? Now here comes the bad news.

Amanda Rose announced, “Twestival has wrapped for 2011. All future campaigns are on indefinite hold as volunteers take a rest and transition after four successful global campaigns, which have raised $1.75 million for over 275 amazing causes! If you’d like to hear first about the future of Twestival, please enter your email on Twestival.com or follow us on Facebook and @twestival.”

What that means for KK is that we can’t organize events under the brand anytime soon, and neither can those other 175 cities who got involved this year. I know that sucks and some of you are going to be pretty bummed out and even angry about that. As the founder for Twestival KK, I just want to touch on this new development moving forward.

When I brought Twestival to KK in 2010, my goal was to do what I could help kids and also to paint Sabah’s social media landscape with a bit more color. Little did I know that collectively over two years, the KK Twestival teams raised almost RM30,000 for two charities.

TWESTIVALS ARE DEMANDING OF TIME AND RESOURCES

However, just within out local city capacity, both teams from 2010 and 2011 were exhausted and depleted of resources after the Twestival events. I can only imagine the toll it takes on the global team, who have to moderate the actions of all cities involved all over the world on a volunteer basis. A part of me thinks that it’s a shame that Twestival isn’t going to happen anymore, but I am also relieved that everybody gets to rest next year.

We had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged children in 3rd world countries as well as help expand the mushroom cultivation program for the blind people of Sabah. That’s huge. Just because we won’t be having Twestival in 2012 (and possibly for a while longer), that doesn’t mean you should stop giving or supporting local causes in Sabah. There are many worthy causes so keep your eyes and ears open!

COLLECTOR’S ITEM TSHIRTS FROM THE 1ST KK TWESTIVAL

So I have 4 t-shirts that I’d like to give away to people who want to keep a piece of the Twestival memory.

Color: WHITE

Men’s – SIZES: M(1 piece), 2XL (1 piece)

Women’s – SIZES : XL (1 piece), L (1 piece)

First come, first serve. All you need to do to get 1 of your friends to like my Facebook page, and then send me an email at jackiemiao.my[at]gmail.com let me know who your 1 friend is. Then the t-shirt is yours! Let the contest begin!

This evening, I met my dad’s Reiki Master Terry Ng from KL, who analyzed a tree I drew to determine my character and personality.

Much like the art and science of handwriting analysis, dendrographology, is said to be entertainingly and amusingly accurate.

What Is A Dendrograph

A Dendrograph is a drawing of a tree that is used to analyze the personality and characteristics of the artist. It is a type of mental photograph of the inner processes of the artist. It is the graphic externalization of the vibrant activity going on inside of them.

My Reading

From this tree, Terry was able to determine (before meeting me) that I was positive, self-assured, and that I hate clutter.

The tree also showed that I was a forward-looking person who is sociable, am down-to-earth and friendly among many other insights.

I was really quite amused by the accuracy of the preliminary reading results, which is why I am sharing this with you.

A Dendrograph will reveal:

* Do you have a high or low opinion of yourself?
* Are you a leader type?
* Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
* Are you finding difficulty in coping with problems at work – or at school?

Realizing the powerful entertainment value of Dendrographology®, you can now enjoy readings at your event. Everyone can and will draw a tree. (Though some say, “Well, this isn’t the way I really draw a tree… I just want to see how you read it.” And then they are amazed at what their tree tells.)

Why Would Anyone Want To Have Their Dendrograph Analyzed?
Here are some of the ways that Dendrograph analysis can be beneficial:

* Understand Yourself
* Check Your Level Of Confidence
* Discover Your Strengths
* Recognize Your Weaknesses
* Discover Your Hidden Talents
* Evaluate Your Will Power and Drive
* Check Your Friendliness
* Reveal Problem Solving Mechanisms
* Understand Others
* Because It’s Entertaining.

How To Get Your Free Basic Reading

If you are interested to get a free preliminary reading of your tree, through an exclusive arrangement with us in Kota Kinabalu, Terry can analyze your tree in person for you.

All you need to do is,

1) Download this form, then draw your tree with a 2B pencil

2 Scan and email it back to me at jackiemiao.my [at] gmail.com by end of day Wednesday, 11 May 2011. Please leave your name and contact number in case we need to contact you.

3) Come listen to your reading in person at 10:00am this Friday, 13 May 2011 at the Kinabalu Club

Please let me know who is coming at jackiemiao.my [at] gmail.com with your name, contact number and also the submission of your tree drawing.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get your reading before Terry heads back to KL. See you on Friday!

You were always a better person inside. All you had to do was peel away the layers. ~ Duane Alan Hahn

ABOUT TERRY

Terry Ng is an accomplished Reiki Master/Teacher with more than 13 years in the field of Energy Healing and 23 years in Kundalini Yoga meditation. He is the 1st Dendrographology Teacher in Malaysia appointed by Nancy Reagan, the developer of the study of Dendrographology®, the art of analyzing and interpreting tree drawings. She took her interest and awareness of mind power to a new level when she began to document concepts of Dendrographology in the early 1980s. Terry is also a JCI senator, and he has been interviewed by major TV channels including TV2, TV3, NTV7 & Bloomberg.

In about two weeks, I’m going to do something I haven’t done in a loooong time. Believe it or not, I’ll be singing in public again for the first time in 6 years. The line-up include Malaysian celebrity artistes Roger Wang and Amir Yussof, joined by jazz musician Rene Barrow, Asif Pishori and the dubtastic DJ Fine China.

The cause? To help raise funds for SPCA Sabah. Twestival KK told their story in February this year, and it was heartbreaking to see how bad some of these animals get treated. (Warning: Graphic images) Thankfully, there are people who are doing something about it and you can help them!

Honestly, when Amir asked me to sing a few weeks ago, I had to think long and hard about it. After all, it really has been a long time since my singing days. Moreover, I’m the only one among them who isn’t a recording artiste or career musician, so I feel so very honored to be invited to perform with them.

WHY I’M DOING IT

Well of course I’m wondering if I can still squeeze out anything in tune but I’m doing it for the sake of the fur balls. Figured I’d take a few rotten tomatoes if it means getting a few dogs and kitties off the streets.

It’s really heart-wrenching to see so many blinded, limping, emaciated dogs and cats with scabies scavenging for meals at the garbage cans around town. They live in a constant state of fear and suffering, often from inhumane treatment. If they’re lucky they become roadkill, and if they’re not it’s a long, slow, painful life of awful suffering.

SPCA KK has been doing a lot of great things to create awareness about animal rights, rehoming, providing food and healthcare to the animals they manage to save. But they need our help to do more.

Also, I believe the Universe didn’t create puppies to be abused but to be loved!

So if you are a kind soul who believes the same, please come join us for a bit of fur ball romancing, at Sullys, 7:30pm on Friday, the 20th May 2011.

There’s lots of items to be auctioned, one of which is an iPad!

See you there and please cheer me on when I start to belt out notes you recognize. That will really bring out the miao in me.

For more information on what the SPCA does, please visit their website http://www.spcakk.org

Last year, I wanted to bring this idea I had to life about letting all our friends and fans all over the world who couldn’t join us be a part of KK Twestival. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to mobilize it to fruition then, but now I’m able to see my vision brought to life with the help of this year’s amazing team!

“FROM EVERYWHERE, WITH LOVE…” MOVEMENT

How powerful do you think social media for social good is? We’ll let you decide! Here are just some of the pictures we received from our friends and fans all over the world in support of our little cause in Sabah!

For more recent updates, please go to our From Everywhere, With Love Facebook album.

WANT TO BE A PART OF OUR MOVEMENT?

If you’d like to show your love for what we are doing to help some of the 1,300+ blind people in Sabah without a job or reliable source of income, you can do so by:-

1) Printing our logo image on a piece of paper (click on image for full size)

2) Find a landmark in your city

3) Take a photo with you holding the logo and landmark behind you

4) Then, email it to us at kktwestival@gmail.com

with these details…

• Your name
• Twitter name
• City
• How you heard about @kktwestival

We’ll be featuring a “From Everywhere, With Love” wall on the day of the event with your photos! Submission closing date is 22nd March 2011!

Happy snapping!

P/S: If you haven’t bought your event tix yet, there’s still time. Call Starr at 088-448620 or go to Origin Cafe at Karamunsing Capital to register!

Source: @fooz for http://kotakinabalu.twestival.com

The Twestival Local animation that we’ve all been waiting for is out!

Congratulations to the Twestival global team, Sliced Bread Animation and my buddy Sam Tsang for bringing this to life. Here’s the birdy he folded for the animation…

Doesn’t it look beautiful?
Do join a Twestival in your city this coming 24th March 2011!

Three years on, Breeze magazine will throw their most exciting anniversary party to date, from 8pm onwards, 26th March 2011 at JUGS Sportsbar. Are you ready to have an amazing evening, mingling around secret agents and Malaysian celebrities? Moreover, you get a free drink with your cover charge of RM15.

The hip-hop label MoveMint’s Vandal and Nadhira will fly in from Kuala Lumpur to appear at the dress-up party. (Listen to Nadhira here).

For more information, visit their event page here.

We need all the help you can offer. Help us spread the digital flyer (below) around:

1. Email it to your work colleagues
2. Blog about it on your personal blog
3. Share it with your friends on Facebook
4. Tweet and retweet it on Twitter
5. Print it out and paste it somewhere everyone can see

We all look forward to seeing you and your friends there!

For more information, please visit http://kotakinabalu.twestival.com and follow @kktwestival on Twitter.

Source: http://kotakinabalu.twestival.com

]]> http://www.jackiemiao.my/2011/03/twestival-kk-event-tickets-now-available/feed/ 1 http://www.jackiemiao.my/2011/02/saying-i-love-you-with-origami-roses/ http://www.jackiemiao.my/2011/02/saying-i-love-you-with-origami-roses/#comments Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:54:47 +0000 admin http://www.jackiemiao.my/?p=6780

Guys, are you running out of ideas on how to impress your darling this year? Try sending a bouquet of Origami roses! Origami is…

Guys, are you running out of ideas on how to impress your darling this year? Try sending a bouquet of Origami roses! Origami is an ancient Japanese folk art of paper-folding that was popular in the 1900s, and it’s now coming back in style again.

If your darling is the type that appreciates creativity, you could ditch the kind that withers and say “I love you” with a bouquet that looks just like this…

As long as the flowers are lovingly folded by hand, they’re a great way to say, “You’re special.” Though you may remember Marie Osmond singing the woes of Paper Roses, these are different because they are made-by-hand. It’s not 1960 anymore, times have changed and so have our tastes. Nobody is singing Paper Roses save a few silver-maned aunties in karaoke clubs!

Just one of these Kawasaki Roses takes over 40 minutes to fold! Two dozens would take 16 hours of labor to make!

It’s a little too late now to order some for Valentines day from Sesames.co.uk, but there’s always another occasion just around the corner for you to send some to your darling. They’re great for your anniversary, her birthday, or any occasion you feel like expressing your love.

But if you really can’t wait till then, you can always pull a few all-nighters and try to make them yourself!

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In this crazy world where looks, money and materialism rule the lives of many celebrities, I know one who has defied convention in favor of baring his heart and soul for humankind to see. Amir Yussof is a singer-songwriter who writes beautiful lyrics that inspire pensive reflection on the choices we make in life. His music speaks to those whose need for honesty come before superficiality.

If you’re in Kuala Lumpur this February 21st, go listen to him perform his Stories from the Heart at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, KLCC.

Amir will be performing original songs from three albums. He’ll be backed by Jamie Wilson, Alber Sirimal and Badar, as they fuse the genres of Latin, folk, blues, country and reggae in an intimate yet relaxed evening with an emphasis on harmonies and lyrical delivery.

Early bird prices are RM38 and all seats are only RM48! Book now to avoid disappointment!

For more information, visit his website at AmirYussof.com

Who says hobbies don’t pay?

My buddy Sam’s quirky knack for paper-folding has finally left his home to hit Links of London store displays worldwide. It’s really quite impressive, not to mention romantic! He made 6,200 Origami Fortune Tellers by hand for the jewelry stores’ Valentine’s Day global campaign.

LONDON

Look at how pretty the London store display is…

To think of the random times he’d fold pieces of paper while we’re out just makes this a little bit surreal…

Mostly, I’m just so very proud of my friend. He’s the bestest person in the world and now everyone will see his labor of passion!

Hong Kong

We even got an image wired by Jo from their Hong Kong store display. It’s so awesome to see his work popping up in our neck of woods! *beaming with buddypride*

What an honor it is to be able to say, “That’s folded by my friend in London!”

I can’t wait to see the shots from New York, Dublin, and Dubai. Imagine how funny it would be if “Made in U.K.” origami went to their Japanese store?

So remember, the next time somebody tells you to give up something you love because it doesn’t pay the bills, remember Sam Tsang and his origami hobby!

For more information on Links, visit http://www.linksoflondon.com. To hire Sam for your origami needs, visit his website sesames.co.uk.