"Healthcare Is A Human RIght" - The 30/30 Project

I didn't know that Ryan Lewis' mother, Julie Lewis has been a survivor of HIV for 30 plus years until several days ago when I watched their interview on Anderson Cooper 360.  Many people nowadays think that HIV/AIDS crisis is a thing in the past, but it's still a reality for thousands and thousands of patients and their family members around the world.

Ryan Lewis and his mom Julie together with the help of Macklemore started a project called The 30/30 Project which builds medical centers around the world for the people who are in need of desperate care in treating HIV/AIDS and other disease. 

Their core message is "Healthcare Is A Human Right" which don't apply to many in poverty and for those who struggle to keep or seek clinical care.  There are many great medications and healthcare that are available to those who can afford it, but people are still dying because they can't afford the basic needs of medicine to keep the disease at bay.

What Ryan Lewis, Julie Lewis, Macklemore and others that are involved in this project have tried to accomplish is something extraordinary and I would love to be part of it.

If you wish to contribute even in a small way, go to 30.30 Project and donate.
Also you can watch 2 video clips of 30/30 Project below and Ryan & Julie's interview on Anderson Cooper 360  on CNN.

Ryan & Julie

Julie Lewis

My Blog

I was slowly discovering that I missed writing my blog in the fall of last year around my birthday. Some of my

closest mommy friends planned a beautiful birthday dinner for me. We dined, had some cocktails and went out to a bar to dance. It was very sweet and it was definitely one of those nights that I wish I could talk about it with the world. But of course, the busy & the lazy part of me just let it slipped away and I didn't even bother to sit in front of my computer. 

Time has passed and days have gone by, I tweet religiously and I pin everything on my Pinterest and re-blogging my nights away on my tumblr, but I still feel something was missing. And I think what's been missing in my life was to writing my day-to-day diary. I think it's therapeutic. 

My writing style is more like sharing my life with countless words in slightly broken English.  I don't do tutorial on hairstyle or food making because there are plenty of bloggers that are simply amazing at it.  What I am great at is to be honest - and write about what I feel.  I will write about fashion or new music that I discover, or talk about how wonderful and tough a motherhood can be.

I think when you're the most honest to yourself and what you write about, and never pretend to be someone you're not, then you can create the most beautiful blog that people will love to read and keep coming back to.  And I truly hope that someday, my blog will be the place where people can't wait to come back for and talk about their life togther..

xoxo

Maki

Hollywood & Washington

Last night was the Annual White House Correspondence Association Dinner.  Like some call it the "Nerd Prom", I think only certain people are interested in one of the biggest events in Washington D.C.  But I think it's drawing more attention as more Hollywood stars are involved passionately in politics.  I personally think it's one of the coolest things to watch which all the politicians, media and Hollywood stars gather under one roof - set aside their differences & mingle with each others.

Joel McHale hosted the dinner this year & he was throwing sometimes hilarious, sometimes boarder line low blows at politicians & celebrities all at the same time. Vanity Fair teamed up with photographer Mark Seliger and took portraits of stars both in Hollywood & Washington for after party. 

I love Vanity Fair & their photography. Their magazine always consists with absolutely beautiful work of art done by the most talented photographers. This year's Vanity Fair/Bloomberg's after party was no different.  I really want to attend this party. How can I arrange it?  Maybe, just maybe, I'll hit some type of Jack Pot that would allow winners to attend the WHCD.  

Oh, would that be nice?  Happy Sunday!!! 

You can read all the details here.

"Portraits By Mark Selinger"

Nancy was probably saying, "thanks a lot for making fun of my face, Joel!!!"

Third Time Is A Charm

We all say that "Third Time Is A Charm" when we fail to accomplish something twice & make an attempt to try again.  I don't want to say that I failed twice, but I once had a fairly popular blog that I stopped 5 years ago.  Then about 3 years ago, I started again, only to quit miserably. 

My children were still small and I felt that by focusing my life blogging was taking away my precious time with my daughters when they needed me the most.  I really wanted to be there and give my 100% to them when they were still home. 

Now they are 10 and 8: Full time elementary school students.  I'm back to my part-time job and still paint on the side.  I tweet regularly, but I realized how much I have things to say when I can only say it in 140 characters - "I miss blogging" 

So, here I am, third try at getting back on blogging.  And I hope this is my true "third time is a charm" moment - to share my life with anyone and everyone who's willing to letting me try. You have to enjoy writing your blog.  You create your own world and open the window for the world to see. But most of all, I want to write for myself. For me to enjoy as a therapy.

So wish me luck.

Thanks so much for stopping by...

XOXO
Maki