So what do you do on a typical Thursday morning? For me it’s hanging and gabbin’ with friends doing sweepers and voice sample recordings for the ultimate English radio station in Kota Kinabalu, Hitz.fm. Not very typical for sure, but oh-so-fun! Sure, it’s hard to say if either of us are looking at a life career in radio, but to offer our American, Canadian and Anglo-Americano-contaminated accents to the airwaves is something that we get a kick out of. Here’s hoping our pictures will inspire you to do something different today

We spend too much time living in the ‘what if’ and need to learn to live in the ‘what is.’ Rev. Leroy Allison

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretzky

Above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

What great thing would you attempt if you knew you could not fail? – Dr. Robert H. Schuller

If you recognize any of our voices in the coming days and weeks, do say hello at the comments section below! Also, please take a moment to like my Facebook page. I get a lot of free stuff and can’t use all of it, so I want to be able to share that with you!

Have a blessed day!

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

Want to get fit but don’t like being indoors? Now there’s the Big Bad Borneo Bootcamp, a military-inspired, outdoor ‘group-based’ interval training system that brings all the fun of working out to the beach! Dubbed as the most talked-about fitness workout in Malaysia, Bootcamp is now available in Kota Kinabalu!

Sounds like a lot of fun, but wonder what it is like? I gave it a try two weeks ago and enjoyed it very much! The certified coaches aka Drill Sargeants were there to instruct, demonstrate, and also motivate us to do various high intensity interval exercises. We were put through some cone drills which included doing as many squats, sprinting, and crawls as we can. Eventually as we get the hang of it, tires, sandbags, and rope-battling will be introduced to the mix.
No need to be afraid though. While it is results-focused, bootcamp is designed for all fitness levels. The idea is you want to challenge yourself enough to get leaner and fitter. The system uses some strength and conditioning principles, but the main purpose is to lose weight and tone up in an uber fun group-setting. The team-building element of bootcamp is a great way to gain new friends while doing something great for yourself!

The sessions run early in the morning at the break of dawn. This might raise an eyebrow or two, but it is the best time to reap the benefits of bootcamp. Working out early in the morning jump-starts your body’s metabolism, teaches you discipline, and also allows people enough time to freshen up for work or classes. Moreover, it’s not scorching hot so you’re not battling the sun and trying to workout at the same time!

The trials run for the whole of March at 6:00am on Tuesdays and 6:30am on Wednesdays. After which, the real program will be at 6:15am every Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays.

The thing I love about the BBB bootcamp is the excellent coaching from Core Fitness. The PTs are passionate about your progress, and their positive spirit makes you forget that you dragged yourself out of bed for it. At bootcamp, the coaches are guiding you on posture of the exercises and they motivate you through your own fitness goals. Check out the truck-pushing! Look at how fun these girls are having…

Awesome right? The drill is timed as well so you can see yourself getting stronger over time.

After 50 minutes of high intensity routines, we finish off the 1-hr session with cooling down and stretching. (very important!)

As you can see, bootcamp is really fun! We were allowed to have some free-flowing humor as long as it does not get in the way of the workout. People can express their joy for life in comical ways and still break a smile after a hard workout!

There will also be a body measurement assessment every month and physical fitness testing to track your progress. Core Fitness cares about how you are going along, so you can look forward to seeing results…

But to see changes, you are recommended to do 12 sessions a month, or 3 times a week. In a month, you will be feeling leaner, more energetic, and have more stamina than ever before. Rain or shine bootcamp will be on, but if classes are canceled due to extreme weather conditions, replacement sessions will be conducted.

So why not take this opportunity to try out on your own? You’ll love it, because it’s really fun and you’ll get to meet lots of new friends. The best way for me to describe the Big Bad Borneo Bootcamp is like a whistle-tastic outdoor PE session that is a little bit like OBS (Outward Bound School), but in a more accessible, doable way. I highly recommend it!

Tomorrow is the last day of the free trial, so don’t miss it! Be there at Tanjung Lipat (Likas Bay area) tomorrow morning by 6:30am and experience bootcamp for yourself! For more information on how pricing and how to sign up, contact Core Fitness gym at 088-448-119 or go to their http://www.corefitness.com.my. See you there!

My friend Jamie’s KAYU sunglasses aren’t the only thing Hollywood stars are wearing. On the opening night of Tom Ford‘s flagship boutique on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles last month, Livia Giuggioli was spotted carrying KAYU’s Denise clutch. Here are some of the pictures from that sighting! Even Marie Claire U.K. and Glamour U.K. has some nice shots of them!

We’re delighted that she has amazing taste, but more than anything the Denise mother-of-pearl clutch is really a spellbinding piece…

For every handbag purchased, KAYU donates US$15 to buy one backpack and school supplies for a child in Cambodia. They make their donations through the non-profit Awareness Cambodia. To find out more about Awareness Cambodia, go to www.awarecam.org

KAYU is also a proud sponsor of 3 pairs of sunglasses to Twestival Kota Kinabalu Local 2011.

You can buy KAYU’s bags and glasses on their website www.kayudesign.com (they ship international), and in Asia at www.stylesofia.com.

For 3 years, the people of Sabah were campaigning against a planned coal-fired plant that could have destroyed part of the earth’s marine heritage in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Green Surf tirelessly rallied on with their cause for a coal-free Sabah, which the global media covered extensively.

In spite of an unlikely outcome in the people’s favor, the state government announced in February that the planned coal-fired plant has been scrapped!  To celebrate this victory, Green Surf will be throwing a “Power to the People” party at Tanjung Aru Beach on April 1st, 2011. Here’s the flyer (click to enlarge):-

I hope to see you there. Here’s to a coal-free future for Sabah!

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!