Something exciting upcoming? Here is it!

I have been toying with the idea of arranging an art exhibition or auction for some time now, after Eleanor introduced me to the ever so charming Allie Biswas, who is a painter. Allie felt for my cause and would like to help me.

The idea is to hold an event, such as a cocktail reception or a more formal sit-down dinner, where Allie's paintings will be exhibited and available for sale. Depending on what type of evening eventually decided, you will be able to either bid on the works or buy directly. Of course, a percentage of the sale would go towards my charity to reach the goal of £1,500.

Short Description of Allie:

Allie Biswas is a highly talented, emerging new painter on the London art scene. At only twenty-four, she has had a solo show at the Royal Opera Arcade Gallery in the heart of Mayfair (where the Director booked her on the spot after seeing only two works), as well as exhibiting in a group show of ten up-and-coming painters in New York. On top of this, Allie has been working at the world-renowned Tate Gallery for the past two years, where she has gained first-class knowledge of art history and contemporary art practices.

Allie's paintings are beautiful, abstract works which predominantly experiment with color, shape and texture, and are keen to blur the boundaries between abstraction and figuration. While her work is dark with emotion and seriousness, it is simultaneously filled with brightness and joy. Producing such striking paintings has had Allie noticed by people who enjoy art seriously, and her pieces have already become extremely collectible. (See below.)

As this would be my biggest and most exciting endeavor to date, I need to be sure that we can pull this off with your, and your friends, support. We need your input: honest and supportive answers. ;-) So, just answer the questions below so we can work out how we can really go for it and organize a worthwhile evening.

Questions

1. How likely is it that you would attend either an art exhibition or auction somewhere in Central London?
Not likely, Likely, or Very Likely?

2. Which would you prefer to attend: an exhibition or an auction?

3. Is October to November a good time for you? When exactly?

4. Would you prefer a cocktail reception or a sit-down dinner?

5. For cocktail exihibit, would you pay in the range $10-20 to come to the event? If yes, what would be the figure?
(Note, it is for charity after all.)

6. How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to a sit-down dinner? Is £60 - 80 a reasonable figure for you?

7. Is this the kind of event to which you would invite your friends? If yes, how many?

8. How likely are you to purchase a painting on the night?
Very likely, Likely or Not Likely .

9. How much would you pay for a painting? Please give your minimum and maximum amount.

You can email me your answers.

Thank you so much for reading, and answering my questions. Really look forward for your input so that I can continue to arrange what looks to be a really unique and glamorous night. Sound exciting already!!

Thank you for all of your support so far, everyone. Without you, you know that I wouldn't have even collected my first £1,500! Now let see how we can achieve the other £1500.

Hope to hear from you all!

Ecstacy.

Heliograph.
i can sing a rainbow too.

metamorphosis.
Untitled (mixed small).

My personal fav: birds of paradise.


South of the border, west of the sun.

Running Jacqs at London TRIathlon - No ££ raised

Due to time constraint, I didn't make to raise any ££ from this event. But Lau, my faithful orang-utan backer/runner partner, Seng and I still went ahead with the race. Lau swam, Seng biked and I ran.

Here's our time: RUNNING JACQS (Position 239 out of 417)
Bib# 10180

• 1.5km Swim - 36:20
• Transition 1 - 02:57
• 40km Bike - 1:20:50
• T2 - 01:38
• 10km Run - 50:30
  

Here's the finishing footage. Lucky me, I got to finish the race. hehe... Type 10180

It was a great 1st time experience for all of us, with Lau going for Stockholm TRI in Oct and probably me in next year sprint series. Let's see.

Oh ya, I did my personal best in 10k!

Another donor

D Hulme £24.50

Collection from Argentinian Night

Collection for Argentinian Night is £70.00. There's still a pledge of £20.00 coming... I hope.

Thank you once again for everything! for those who attended. Hope you had fun.

The Star: Orang-utans in danger of extinction

Orang-utans in danger of extinction

By MUGUNTAN VANAR

The Star Online, July 8 2008

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s isolated orang-utan population in Lower Kinabatangan may become extinct in 50 years if steps are not taken urgently to set up wildlife corridors to link forests fragmented by development.

A scientific journal, Oryx, in its latest publication said that although the Kinabatangan population of 1,100 orang-utans was more then enough for their survival, many were separated and isolated in small pockets of less than 250 animals, the minimum number for a viable population.

Affected species: A female orang-utan and her baby in Kinabatangan, Sabah. A study found that the mammals might become extinct in 50 years.

“It is essential that conservation measures are taken to protect orang-utans outside national parks, and these measures will by necessity be specific to each region,” stated the newly-released paper entitled Distribution and conservation status of the orang-utan on Borneo and Sumatra: How many remain?

The paper was written by conservationists and scientists from 16 institutions including the French non-governmental organisation Hutan. The Sabah Wildlife Department and Hutan have been studying orang-utan occurrence in protected and unprotected areas for a number of years.

Together with their partners, they have engaged landowners such as the Sabah Foundation, Sabah Forestry Department as well as private landowners in developing innovative conservation strategies to address the issue of orang-utans in unprotected areas.

Genetic modelling carried out by conservation geneticist Dr Benoit Goossens of Cardiff University and Dr Isabelle Lackman-Ancrenaz of Hutan found that the majority of the isolated orang-utan populations in Kinabatangan would become extinct in less than 50 years if nothing were done to reconnect the populations.

The paper also said that a study which reassessed orang-utan populations in Borneo now found that an estimated 75% of orang-utans in Kalimantan were outside protected areas.

I would like to hear from you ...

What do you think of this piece of art? Wanna see it in real life?

Please comment. Love to hear from you.

Smashing Saturday Night with the Latins

A night of sensual Latin American indulgence .... what other best way to raise some ££ and have some killer time ...

(latest!) London Marathon Fund Raised

LONDON
GL £200.00
IoN Lab £17.40
Private donors £152.00 (02/05)
G Matteucci £64.43 (09/05)

STFC -MNT Center (aka my department at Didcot)
£98.00

Total: £531.83

More on Argentinian Night - Arenin

A sample of the upbeat, shaky bon bon, vibrant Argentinian night ....




----Provided by DJ Sergius ----

Argentinian Night for the Orang Utans

Hey everyone,

Yet again another installment of Orang Utans Event. This time, I have joined force with an Argentinian friend, Gabriel Luraschi on bringing you guys an alternative social event: Argentinian Night - ARENIN!!

We will start with live music, folk and tango performed by Guillermo Rozenthuler and his group, following bythe best selection of Argentinian rock & pop and music from the rest of South America.

And for a complete celebration, the gourmet selection range from

• Empanadas (savoury pastry),
• choripanes (aka chorizo),
• cerveze Quilmes (Argentinian beer), wine, to
  
• Fernet (some bitter drink from Italy which is popular in Argentina).
  

DJ Hernan Atencio - DJ Sergius
Hernan Atencio is Venezuelan and he organizes all the Venezuelan parties. Sergius is Gabriel Luraschi's Argentinian friend and he organizes London Tango Thames festival in front of the Tate Modern every year, plus monthly tango events and Latin American bands concerts.



WHERE?

Date:
Saturday 17 May 2008

Time:
9:00pm - 4:00am

Venue:
Restaurant La Rueda
Unit 1 Tower Place West
London EC3R 5BU
(Next to Tower of London)

Tube Stations: Tower Hill & Monument
Buses: 15,42,78,100,RV1,N15
Parking: Below the restaurant; Tower Hill Coach & Car park £2.50 all day

Ticket: £5 (GET FROM ME NOW !!!)
Contact: Jacqueline Kueh at jacqueline.kueh@gmail.com or facebook event

**The arrangement is that for every ticket I sell, 50% would go to my charity.***

So what are you waiting for? Come join in the fun!

Hope to see you all there,
Jacque
p/s oh ya SPREAD the WORDS!

April 13, 2008 Sunday - THE DAY

The night before, logistic needed to be sorted (yes down to the underwear). Ceria was already dressed for the occasion.

...Chinese Mp3 humming away ... it's 6.20am. The morning started with Weetabix Oatibix and Muller Omega 3 strawberry yogurt. Oh ya... the harden banana flavoured PowerBar. (BTW when did I become such a sport freak?)

On my way to the tube, striking a fatty pose! (I have to admit these pictures just ain't that flattering at all... but they are the only ones I had. Do bear with me if the horrid impact may lingers after this posting!! Even I am horrified by these pictures.)


At Blackheath, walking towards the starting line ...

I called my mom after taking this picture to give her well-wishing for her birthday. My dad was so excited for some reasons, but it was nice to hear that...

Unfortunately, I had the blue starting point, while Sarah, Lindsay, Nat and Lau all started at red. We had to part our way ...


Sea of runners and their supporters...

Trunks load of runners' bags ... and the anxious moment before the race starts at 9.45am. (I was in line for anxiety urge release!)

At the starting line... I was relegated to stage 7 starting point as I put 5 hours finishing time during signing up ... big mistake!

Me at the starting point. With Ceria...

At mile 4-7, being ahead of time, I began to interact with the crowds, high fiving (with Ceria's free hand) to all the kids that had their hands up! But it proved to be too much effort for I started to pant really heavily after a while! Stopped I do to conserve energy for the race instead.

At mile 12.5, half way into the race. It was an amazing sight to run in the middle of Tower Bridge at that hour. The bridge has never looked as good as this! Interestingly, there were two runners that whipped out their disposable camera nonchalantly taking pictures of themselves with the crowd behind them. I thought that was creative!

(sorry it is taken with my phone camera, hence the distortion of the picture!)


More of Tower Bridge when I ran pass underneath it ...

Me desperately trying to capture me on the bridge ... (again unflattering shot!)


Mile 19 was where it hit me hardest! Instead of 10min/mile, I took 20 mins, with longer interval of walking. Maybe I missed everyone along the way, everyone that was supposed to come cheer for me. It was just draining physically and mentally to motivate yourself then. I missed calculated my carbo boom that by mile 17 I had finished all my supplies. Many crazy thoughts ran through my head...

Suddenly I heard this voice from afar, "Jackie! Jackie! Jackie!" in a Spanish accent... It was GAbi! Finally someone I know! (ya after 20miles of running) It was so so sweet to see him there... I was like "take a picture of me" He managed to snap a shot with me trailing away ...



Then on, I was just driven by the newfound spur and the adrenaline rush from the cheering and encouraging crowd of London city, despite the horrible weather! It was hailing and then heavy rain falling. But those energy was like super power.In my head, each mile mark I see would mean one less mile to the finishing line...

At 200m away from the finishing mark, I told myself I would never do this again. I would never put myself through this again...

Then after 4:30:59, I CROSSED the finishing line .... I did it!

Hey I did it! If I can run this one, why not another marathon? I know. I am insane.

Me at the end of the race... with my medal.

I did it!

I did it! I did it!

After 1 year and 4 months, I achieved what I set out in my last year resolution.

I am an official marathon runner! Thanks to this fund raising efforts (instead of the other way round!)

More to come... just need to get hold of all the pictures from everyone to complete my posting.

Cant believe it is actually this Sun!

Yes, the race is this Sun - 13 April.

Butterflies of anxiety filled in my stomach since beginning of the week, to be honest. Slowly I can feel their anarchy in my head too. Even this very moment, typing this blog I am feeling nauseous and affected with intervals of cold /hot flashes. (I don't really discern the two polars as it happened so quick.)

Laterly weather in London has been flickish. 2-inch snow last Sunday. Snow in April! Hopefully weather this Sun morning would be favorable to runners. Forecast temperature is low 6C and high 13C and we might have some light shower.

Some trivial facts of this year's marathon. We would be part of the history this year as it is the centennial history of London Marathon when the 1st guy Dorando Pietri of Italy passed the finishing line in the Olympic, but he did it with the help of the authorities.


He was not the winner of the race, but instead Johnny Hayes from the United States was the official winner. Obviously it was because of the contravention of rules, led to Pietri disqualification. So down in history, Pietri had the trophy for crossing the finishing line first, while Hayes had the medal - the official winner of the race. Could this be the reason why the official prize for the marathon runners and winners is a medal rather than a trophy?

Anyway, my racing kit for Sun is top priority this week. As usual, procrastination, the root of all evil, has its way in me. No I had to wait till the marathon week itself to crack my head and source for the prop and material. Thank to God, I managed to get my act together. Look, I will have this little buddy (yet to give her a name) on my back!


With much creative thinking and after several trial & error, Mie, another PhD student in my lab, and I came out with this great idea to fasten, let's call her, Ceria onto me. With cable ties (like those around plastic bag after shopping at Mustafa - famous Indian 24-hr MegaMall in Singapore), her right upper limb and left lower limb are clutched together so that it gives a firm wrap around me while I run. Then her right lower limb is fastened to her right upper limb to stabilize herself on my back. Her free left upper limb would be used to wave to spectators and runners along the way. Cool ya?

Here's how she would look on me with my racing outfits for that day.



Yesterday, I went to the gym with Ceria to see how it feels running with her. In the beginning, it was just warm at the area where her body was next to. 2 miles into the run, I could feel the humidity and at the end of 3 miles, my shirt was soaked wet at that particular area. Other than that, everything seemed fine, not much abrasion on the side. She seems to hang well on my body even at the speed of 12km/h. Well, with the hope that it would build more awareness among the public of the diminishing habitats and the urgency to conserve this poor species from extinction, I think it is all worth the heat and uneasiness ya? Hopefully God would have the weather on my side, making it slight cooler and DRY... I would have to pray.

Now I really cant wait for the race to come! Wish me luck!

Oh ya, this is Ceria in real life at the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary.