During one of our practices on the lead up to our Just Kick back for Charity event on the 7th of February, we recorded an impromptu video of a cover song that we ended up performing.

So if you missed out on our live performance, this ones for you.

This is…

“Paper Bag” by Fiona Apple.

Thanks for the life you provided to your family. Although I will probably never understand the struggles you’ve been through in your life, it makes me feel proud and humbled to be a part of your life. You are a mother of 12,  a grandmother to many more, and on top of that a great grandmother that lasted for more than a decade,

Thanks for showing me that life isn’t about how much you get to accomplish, but about sharing the moments that matter with the people you love.

And although we barely spoke, watching you smile in the presence of your family always brought warmth in my heart.

I know your in a better place now.

Rest in peace.

Much love & respect,

Adam

… to ending up like this.

Let me explain…

Saturday the 4th of February marked the day of the Melbourne DayGlow Festival.

DayGlow is a newly established music festival renowned to be “The World’s Largest Paint Party”.

Now your thinking “Ah, that explains the rainbow unicorn jizz covered photo above!” “No wonder your covered in paint!”

DayGlow 2012 was held at the Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse.

To cater for the thousands of attendees, a gargantuan tent was put up in the middle of the grounds.

Rocking up at 4pm, I was pumped and ready for an afternoon of paint, music and celebrations.

Nothing prepared us for the visual celebration that followed.

Everybody was covered in neon bright paint.

People were running around and shouting screams of excitement as shooters armed with paint bottles targetted their next victims.

It took only seconds before I was greeted with ‘friendly’ hugs and pats by strangers I would probably smack the living daylight out of if it weren’t for DayGlow that I greeted with a hearty smile.

We had VIP tickets, and VIP entrants were given a bag with a token for a free bottle of paint and a T-shirt that read Music Is My Drug.

Bottles of paint was purchaseable for $10 each. Bloody expensive if you ask me!

So I supressed my desire to become the next Picasso and let my body become a canvas of artistry.

People were just so willing to squirt their fluids everywhere.

o_O

Awkward phrases aside, everything happened so quickly.

With the doof doof  playing in the background, the music soon took over my body like a trance.

On stage there were paint canons that sent explosions of paint upon musical climax.

The festival was seperated into two sections; indoors and outdoors.

Paintbottles were restricted outside, but it didn’t matter. Everyone was already covered in juice.

An outdoor DJ booth continued playing to cater the a chillout session.

The water-based paint wiped off as easily as it stuck on

The festival went on until nightfall.

As the sun slowly set and darkness took over, the laser lights gleamed brighter into the night.

The arena stayed packed to the brim as the people waved their hands frantically in the air to the music.

The main stage was glorified by the names of The Stafford Brothers, Bombs Away, Timmy Trumpet, Sebastian Morxx & many more.

In my five years since turning 18, this was the first music festival I ‘ve attended.

Loud music and head bopping had never been something I thought I’d enjoy, but coupled with the presence of an amazing group of people, it turned out to be pretty legendary!

Its general knowledge that music festivals are normally accompanied with illegal supplements.

Here’s proof that you can still have fun without the need to pop pills! I have never and will never condone such behaviour.

Besides, MUSIC IS MY DRUG!

Consisting of the beautiful sounds from vocalist Gwenda, accompanied by yours truly Adam Tam on Guitar, and a surprise guest act teaming up with JFK that is sure to blow your mind away, its true that missing out on this glorious event will destroy thousands of hopes and dreams for the young and disadvantaged across Australia. Fact!

Alongside a number of profound acts including Broken Scar, Christina Peng, Mel Toh Band and more, Just For Kicks will be performing in alliance with Limelight’s The Smith Family Appeal campaign this Tuesday, 7th Februrary 2012. Come by and help FVE and The Limelight raise more for The Smith Family as thousands of disadvantaged kids head back to school in 2012!

What do The Smith Family do? The Smith Family is a children’s charity helping disadvantaged Australian children to get the most out of their education, so they can create better futures for themselves. Help break the cycle of poverty through access to education.

So come support Just For Kick support The Smith Family support the young and less fortunate across Australia. (Support-ception!)

Want more? Check us out on facebook to catch a Blooper Reel!

Families & friends host open houses, celebrating the joyous event with lots of food, drinks and warm smiles. The color of red flood the streets, buildings are brightly lit, and oriental symbols wishing a happy and prosperous year decorates the cityscape. This is Chinese New Year in Malaysia.

However, I cannot say the same for Australia. The streets of Melbourne remain unchanged as people roam ignorant and unaware.

So celebrating Chinese New Year in Melbourne would require a different mind set.

This new years, I made it a little more special by preparing a surprise feast at TamVilla!

Oranges! Although they aren’t the proper mandarin orange, Chinese New Year is never the same without them.

To start off, I prepped some snacks. There was Seaweed Biscuit Crackers & Hot Peanut Balls, followed by a serving of Tau Sa Pie.

When dinner time rolled around,  I plated some “Fish” Siu Mai & Man Tao as an entree.

And as a main, we had a whole Roast Duck a la our local Chinese Restaurant!

Tish also cooked up a delicious serving of Tofu & Beef.

And to top it all off, a bottle of Single Malt Glen Morray Scotch Whiskey! (Man, I am getting old…)

Chinese New Year is a time to celebrate with family. But although my family was scattered across the globe, I got to spend the beginning of the Dragon New Year with my Aussie family.

My housemate Daniel had never heard of, let alone experience, Chinese New Year, which was a treat I’m sure he enjoyed. He’s even learn to say “Gong See Fa Chai”!

Gong Xi Fa Chai from the TamVilla family!

Hope you enjoyed my first ever Rage comic! :)

—

So I woke up today only to find that the Twitter-sphere was trending on SOPA & PIPA.

A couple months ago I wrote a short post and joined the protest against SOPA by including a censorship strip over the AdamTam.com banner.

For those still in the dark, SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is a bill to combat piracy. Fair enough – with the amount of pirated content that goes around, I’m not against the means of creating an anti-piracy law to protect those who work hard to distribute their skills.

The issue at hand is that the written bill is vaguely broad.

For example under the legislation, SOPA lays out the definition for a “foreign infringing site” as one where “the owner or operator of such Internet site is committing or facilitating the commission of criminal violations punishable under [provisions relating to counterfeiting and copyright infringement].” The problematic word is facilitating, as it opens the door to condemning sites that simply link to other sites.

There are many various articles written all over the net if you want to get more in depth at what this bill really means.

[ American Censorship | Ask Slashdot | Lifehacker | Mashable | 1st Web Designer | Guyism ]

Surfing the internet this morning (which may not be possible soon!), I found a couple clever illustrations (not created by me) that I would like to share. I hope it helps you clarify the situation, even if just a little!

Nedroid

So what can you do to petition against SOPA?

Contact a representative.

Educate yourself about the bills.

Who supports SOPA and PIPA?

Most importantly, spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, Blog or Email! The internet needs you.

—

3 weeks went by as quickly as I expected. My trip back to Malaysia was insightful, to say the least.

Despite the holidays being over, one does not simply restart from where one left off. I’ve struggled to get back into routine. My body prefusely refusing to obey the commanding orders of my lazy brain every morning. Damnit body, Y U NO listen to my brain!

And then came Sunday! It was as literal as a day could get…

Baking in the warm summer sun was the icing on the cake that made everything feel complete.

And the BBQ was the cherry on top!

Glad to be back. Let’s get the ball rolling for an amazing 2012!

Cliche as it is, I will countdown the top 11 memoirs over the course of 2011 to my most cherished memory of them all. Let’s begin.

11. Getting back into Web Development & Programming

Including my return to web development into this list is probably more of a self obligation than anything else since this blog probably wouldn’t be around otherwise!

Having worked full-time for a year, I’ve come to a self-realisation of my career objectives and possible future prospects, and I’ve once again rebuilt my withering passion for coding & programming that I once had a long time ago.

[Read more about my life in web development]

On top of that, I’ve learnt the simple basics of objective-C language in programming an iPhone app, which I’m sure will open up many doors for me in 2012 and beyond.

Just made my first simple calculator app on iOS! #highfive

November 21, 2011 8:11 pm via Plume  ReplyRetweetFavorite

@adamtam

Adam Tambakau

10. The introduction of Dota 2

If you’ve scoured my blog, or have known me throughout my teenage years, you may know about my undying love for a strategic computer game called Dota, or Heroes of Newerth, or Dota 2!

[Read more about my love for the dota genre]

Dota 2 is scheduled to be released some time in 2012, so you can believe me when I say that 2012 will most definitely have a lot more in store to look forward to than ever before.

9. Just For Kicks

Although JFK was formed in 2010, I couldn’t exclude it from my treasured moments of 2011. As of now, there is no further details as to what is really happening in the duo, but I do believe there is definitely more brilliance to expect before what may be the end.

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” Eleanor Roosevelt

8. Go Karting in Sunshine

One of those random unplanned event that turned out to be a fun-filled memory that I will keep for years to come.

Probably marked the day I also gained a true friend I would treasure for the rest of my life. You know who you are.

[Read more about my Go Kart experience]

7. The Laser Eph-ing Arena

A birthday bashed turned modern warfare. 10 full grown young adults against kids half our size. Duck, squat, point & shoot was the key. Sweat & laughter was the goal.

[Read more of the laser tag escapade]

6. Tish’s 21st Birthday

Every year, my sister Tish’s birthday would fall on Halloween day, making room for the possibility of having exciting themed parties with full participation from family, friends and fellow guests. Turning 21 in October 2011 called for a celebration bigger and better than ever before.

Turning our house into an open space for booze, music and social experimentation – this was definitely a night unforgettable. There were highs and lows but despite my pain and suffering, 2011 wouldn’t be the same without it.

[Read my birthday speech for Tish]

5. Christmas Dinner with the TamTams

Although this only happened just last week, it marked an essential point in 2011, signifying a complete year and celebrating my accomplishments with my truly blessed family.

The food, the people and the decor was truly a gift from god. Words cannot describe my weakened heart everytime I think about this monumental season.

[Read about the endless feast and celebrations on Christmas eve]

4. Mister Mode Fashion Night Market

Mister Mode was an idea incepted by 3 young girls completing their final year uni project in 2010.

What many probably don’t know is that Mister Mode no longer involves 3 young girls. Instead, only one of the three remained, constantly urging it to the forefront of her dreams. That girl is Tish, my sister and founder of Mister Mode.

As as much credit as she gets, she deserves. I am happy to be involved in the upbringing of Mister Mode, and although in the background, I would like to take this opportunity to give myself a pat on the back as well, as Mister Mode wouldn’t be who it is without either Tish or I.

[Read about the 2011 Mister Mode recaps on Mister-Mode.com]

3. Falls Creek’s “The Trashbag & Binliner” Snow Trip

There are no words. Just a 3 hour video of an unforgettable journey to the land of white.
(Below are 1 minute trailers for each day. Follow the links below the video for the full-day video!)

2. The State We Brought The Sunshine To

Queensland 2011, the trip that started the 2011 year off with a bang. Everything that is now began at this point. What is, what was and what will be is a derivative of our 4 day weekend trip to the beautiful sunshine coast of Queensland.

[Follow the story of Queensland 2011 here]

1. Moving into TamVilla

What can I say, 2011 was a life changing experience. Moving away from the city to the suburbs opened up my eyes to a lifestyle so different from what I once considered the norm.

But what really made it the experience like no other was the company that became involved in my life. The word TamVilla is derived from the formation of two family names, Tam – pretty self explanatory, and Villa from Villalobos, our exotic Venezuelan flatmate.

Daniel has opened my eyes to many things I would probably never experience in my life. Whether that is a good thing, I cannot say!

No only that, life has a way of bringing people back together when you least expect it. 2011 gave me the opportunity to rekindle the friendship with my best friend of age 12, and I count my blessings every single day.

Thank you for an amazing 2011.

This Christmas season has been an absolute treat for me thus far, spending time in a beautiful new apartment which overlooks the Kuala Lumpur cityscape, all whilst spending valuable memories with my much beloved family.

And to top it off, a grand feast of a Christmas banquet as prepared by the gorgeous ladies of our household.

And with the joyous festivities of giving coming round to a close, I’m much obliged to share with you the mouth-watering photos our celebration last night!

We started off with round of Cheese & Crackers and a large tray of Crossaints.

Followed by a serve of Baby Wieners & another serve of Golden Chicken Nuggets.

A colorful serving of Uncle Ah Han’s Nonya Kuih…

… and luscious Yam Cake.

Also served was salads & pasta..

… and Tish’s signature homemade Duck Risotto!

And even with all that food, somehow Christmas never feels completely complete until the oven beeps, the platters aligned, and the foils removed. Let the carving begin…

The Garlic & Lime Baked Chicken.

Roast Beef & Gravy.

And a glorious Turkey with Glutinous Rice & Chestnut stuffing!

Let the feasting BEGIN!

Hah, that wasn’t all. Stuffing my face would be an understatement at this point, since there was still desert yet to come.

A beautiful baked Apple Crumble, optionally served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

And lots of butter-full Cupcakes & sweet sweet Macaroons.

“Yum!” was the extent of my vocabulary all night long.

After dinner, gifts placed under the Christmas tree were exchanged as the laughter of kids & adults alike filled the room with joyful spirit.

And an impromptu performance by my youngest sister Kye Tamm on the guitar, and me on the Ukulele, while we serenaded the stuffed tummies of rest of the family!

I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful blue 2011 Christmas celebration. Thank you all & God bless.

Merry Christmas & many happy returns from AdamTam.com!

It’s been a whole week since my arrival back on home soil and ever since, I have not stopped stuffing my face with the local delicacies only Malaysia has to offer.

Here are a few things to share about my experience so far…

I’ve shopped like a hormonal pregnant lady.

Get lost in a shopping centre parking lot.

Experience tasteful local dishes.

In many forms, shapes and sizes.

Met the cutest (Samoyed) puppy ever.

And a literal scaredy cat.

Get caught in the worst of KL.

Yet bask in the magnificence of the beauty of the urban landscape.

And best of all, meet the friends and family I haven’t seen in forever!

I miss you Malaysia. One week has gone by too soon…