rants and raves

rant: gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 20:03:00 +0000

@sirbentley.thedood will do the hibernating now

A couple months ago I wrote that I am taking this blog out of hibernation. I sorta did. I wrote here to help clear my head and heart. But everything I wrote was so...scrambled, like my brain and emotions. Things in my life have been a little wonky. Nothing earth shattering, just meh. In many ways it feels wrong to me to feel the way I do. I am healthy, I have family and friends that love and support me, I have a roof over my head and many of life's luxuries. I have plenty to be grateful for. What more do I need? I felt petty complaining about what was happening in my tiny little bubble. So I chalked a lot of those emotions up to stress, hormones, lack of sleep and a bruised ego. What has pushed me to reflect on my mental/emotional well being is watching friends and acquaintances bare their own heartaches and struggles. I admire their bravery. And I am grateful to see that broken and flawed is more the norm than Instagram perfect. AND more importantly, you can come out of the trials stronger than before. Other people's honesty have been a wonderful reminder everyone is a work in progress.

For me, when things get tough, I get overwhelmed. It feels like I'm drowning and free falling all at the same time. It is easy for me to go down a rabbit hole of self-pity and despair. I tend to focus on the what I'm lacking. I look back and question what I could have done differently. It never leads to anything good. And if I go too far down that rabbit hole, it takes some hard work to get out. But I try to only have these moments in private. It's very Asian of me. In Chinese, it's called saving face. You don't show how broken and beat down you are. You don't ask for help. You bury the pain and repress those feelings and keep pushing forward. You never let people know how shitty things really are. I am well aware that this isn't healthy. And I will say, as an almost 40 year-old adult, I'm much better at seeking help and reaching out for support. But the tendency is still there.

So to help with what I've been going through, I've been reading up on self-care, gratitude and mindfulness. These are things my kick-ass yoga teacher, Laura, incorporates in our practice. There's been studies and articles that talk about the benefits of being grateful and focus on the positives in life. It can be something as simple as being thankful that you got the last blueberry muffin at breakfast or something as grand as receiving a cancer-free diagnosis. I am choosing to see the silver lining in shitty situations. I'm also learning that it helps to set myself up for little wins and accomplishments. It does wonders for my bruised and battered self esteem. I like being able to cross items off a to-do list. And sometimes a little win is taking stock in the positives and being grateful for all the things I have.

So today I am grateful for:

Having the luxury of time to spend with my family and helping my parents move into their new home
Being healthy to do the heavy lifting and move things so my parents do not have to
Having wonderful friends that encourage and support me even when I'm being irrational
A husband who's got my back
A house full of doggos to love me unconditionally

My Accomplishments

Washed the dishes in the sink
Wrote a blog post for my long hibernating blog AND posted it

rant: out of hibernation

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 04:37:00 +0000

So, this blog has been in hibernation for a bit. 😂 (complete understatement)

Possibly it was because I had nothing to say.
Possibly it was because I had too much to say.
Possibly it was because I had nothing going on.
Possibly it was because I had too much going on.
Possibly it was because I was too scared to write down what I wanted to say.
Possibly it was because I didn't think anyone wanted to read what I had to say.

But most likely, it was the fact that I focused my attentions elsewhere. Other things became my priorities. Other things occupied my time.

I started this blog years ago to work on my writing skills. I wanted to be better at communicating my thoughts. I wanted to be able to say what I meant clearly. I wanted to make sure when I spoke, verbally or typed, that people understood me. Part of this exercise was for professional reasons; part of it was personal.

So, after several years away, I've decided to come back and revisit this space. I'm under no illusions that people stop in and read what I have to say, but that was never the purpose. I created a space where I could put my thoughts down for my own reasons. Selfishly, this is my space. If I'm able to help someone along the way, great! That would totally be icing on the cake. (yum....cake!) But I know it's a big pond out there. There's a lot of information being shared on the interwebs daily. Maybe I just want a tiny sliver of that.

Therefore, if you've stopped by randomly or miraculously still follow my blog, welcome...and thank you 😄 Bear with me as I get back into putting my thoughts on "paper". I hope you enjoy yourself here, or at least get a chuckle out of it.

💛,
M

rave: qui - june 20, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:15:00 +0000

QUI "The Makers" from PUBLIC SCHOOL on Vimeo.

so i've been patiently waiting and watching to see what the awesome-sauce paul qui is doing here in atx and all over the world. and i've been especially interested in how the incubation of his namesake restaurant has been progressing. the vague "opening spring 2013" has me sitting on the edge of my seat waiting and wanting.

so when public school posted the above video, my excitement increased by a million fold. not only because a date has been set (06/20/13!!!), but because this video provided a rare glimpse into how much heart, thought and soul paul, deana, and their team have put into this gem. i've never had a doubt the food will be amazing. in fact, i'm already drooling. and no doubt the space would be gorgeous just based on paul and deana's sense of style. but what impressed me and made me love the restaurant, and can't wait to eat there even more is the immense amount of thought, consideration and austin that have been included. the way paul talks about wanting to make this space something that will impact his community and the genuine-ness of his intentions are evident when he speaks about qui. and that fact that he sourced locally - not just for ingredients to cook with, but everything from aprons to architects - speaks volumes of what kind of heart this restaurant will have. with their fearless leader leading the way and keeping true to himself, i can only see amazing things to come for qui.

so here's to counting down the days...

update:

just saw the article on eater austin (http://feedly.com/k/1b18x8t) and it talks about food! omg...06/20/13 can't come soon enough.

rave: target x 3.1 phillip lim 09.15.13

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:21:00 +0000

phillip lim is the next major collaborator with target. who's excited?!?!

myw13 shared an Instagram photo with you

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 03:43:00 +0000

Hi there, myw13 just shared an Instagram photo with you. Visit the following link to see it: http://distilleryimage8.instagram.com/05f26ca2911011e287db22000aa803d4_6.jpg

myw13 shared an Instagram photo with you

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:31:00 +0000

Hi there, myw13 just shared an Instagram photo with you. Visit the following link to see it: http://distilleryimage4.instagram.com/e519bbb6813d11e294a422000a1f9874_6.jpg

myw13 shared an Instagram photo with you

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:35:00 +0000

Hi there, myw13 just shared an Instagram photo with you. Visit the following link to see it: http://distilleryimage8.instagram.com/7130f10a770711e2a6b122000a9f3070_6.jpg

rant: dads singing princess songs

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 05:00:00 +0000

uh, this is precious.

the article explains what made these dads do this.

and it is amazingly sweet.

i think it's awesome when dads are willing to play princess and tea parties just because it makes their little girls happy.

so dads with daughters, go put on a tiara and have some tea and cookies while singing princess songs!

rave: target + neiman marcus full look book

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 23:44:00 +0000

target + neiman marcus full look book was released today on a bullseye view. the release happened in conjunction with target's 50th year celebration. and the collection did not disappoint. i can totally see something for everyone. below are some of my favorites. i'm not sure how many of these will end up being gifts though...

Altuzarra for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Old Fashioned Glasses ($49.99), Shaker ($49.99) and Tray ($79.99)

love love love!

Brian Atwood for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Leather Gloves, $49.99

Jason Wu for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Girl’s Printed Dress, $59.99

Lela Rose for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Top, $69.99

LOVE this!!!

Oscar de la Renta for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Pet Bowl, $29.99

rag & bone for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Shot Glasses, $19.99 (set of 4)

Robert Rodriguez for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Top, $79.99

must have this...

Thom Browne for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Women’s Blazer, $129.99

i've been looking for a navy blazer

Tracy Reese for Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection – Dessert Plates, $39.99 (set of 4)

so anyone else excited?!?! i'm sure it's gonna be a mad house and all sorts of craziness. i hope their online shopping infrastructure is ready to take the influx of activity come december 1. as for their sales people, i'll be praying for you. :)

rant: goodbye my pup

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:11:00 +0000

view full image

Yesterday I had to put The Pup to sleep. It was probably one of the hardest things I've had to do. His tumors were causing him too much pain and strain on his body. He out lived his prognosis by about 1.5 years so I'm grateful for the extra time together. He would have been 12 this November. I could not have asked for a better dog. I'm gonna miss you my love.

rave: these are a few of my favorite things

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 04:47:00 +0000

this video has some of my favorite things all wrapped up in one:

jeremy lin

basketball

street markets

and hello kitty

what's not to love?!?!

rave: kiernan shipka

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:56:00 +0000

love the show she's on.

love her character.

love her closet and sense of fashion (and she's only 12!).

love her. (pointe, testing for her black belt, makes her own clothes, can laugh at herself, plays guitar and piano, likes to cook.)

can't wait to see what kiernan shipka will do in the next 5 to 10 years.

and for an in depth look at her closet, check out this post on the coveteur!
i'm kinda jealous...
i'm sure she will be (if not already) taller than me. i wonder if she'll let me have the clothes she's out grown...
and i'm not sure why i didn't know of all these high end kids clothes i can tap into...i'm already obsessively searching...

you can follow kiernan on twitter @kiernanshipka and instagram @kiernanshipka

rave: FNO 2012

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:25:00 +0000

rant: mckayla maroney = mini posh spice

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 03:21:00 +0000

i have been obsessively watching the 2012 summer olympics. i have always loved them and watched religiously. my favorites are gymnastics, diving, volleyball, basketball and swimming. so this past week has been crazy exciting and emotional (more on that in a later post) and all the royal sightings have been fabulous too.

but just on a quick note on mckayla maroney. she is a mini victoria beckham! the whole time b and i watched, i just couldn't get over how much mckayla resembled posh spice. she even has the bitch stare down. maybe they will get to meet at the closing ceremony when the spice girls reunite...

rave: target + neiman marcus = omg

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:37:00 +0000

Last week I read the announcement and I had to double check. And it's true: Target & Neiman Marcus are doing a collaboration! And it is a BIG one: A limited-edition holiday collection of gifts featuring 24 of America’s most preeminent designers is in the works.

Together, the two companies have enlisted their designer friends to create a collection of more than 50 gifting products, from apparel and home décor to pet products, sporting goods and more. The collection will hits all Target and Neiman Marcus stores AND Target.com and NeimanMarcus.com on December 1.

All of the participating designers are members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which is why Target and Neiman Marcus will be donating $1 million to the organization. The donation will be used to support fashion design talent through scholarships, mentoring and business development programs.

Today, both blogs shared a video with us showing the world a sneak peak of the super secret stuff that has been happening for months now. (I'm still not sure how they kept this major news with so many people involved quiet for so long without any info being leaked. They must have tapped into the Apple/Steve Jobs method.) Cameos from some of the designers and "stuff" they are working (and their fabulous offices!) is great eye candy. So watch it!

The anticipation of seeing finished products is killing me. *sigh* Now I'm super excited about holiday shopping. I better start saving my pennies...

To stay in the loop as new information becomes available in the months ahead, please visit NMdaily.com and ABullseyeView.com regularly. On Twitter, please follow @NeimanMarcus, @ABullseyeView and #Holiday24 for the latest buzz.

rant: I've been bitten...

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 05:39:00 +0000

by the home improvement bug. Seriously, this is getting out of control. Who knew that by cleaning and reorganizing my closet and deep cleaning the kitchen (part 1...part 2 happens tomorrow) it would suddenly inspire an obsession in renovating. So this is my current list:

Granite counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms. I'm leaving this one to the pros. Leaning towards Kashmir White granite or something along those lines. And since I'm replacing counter tops in the kitchen...
Backsplash update in then kitchen. Leaning towards subway tiles or mini subway tiles. I'm having internal debates about how the smaller mosaic type tiles will hold up in 5-7 years. Will they look dated? Also not sure if I like the busyness of the look.
Bathroom fixtures, lights and mirrors. Might as well update. Especially the faucets but putting up framed mirrors will also help. May possibly DIY the master mirror by framing it with moulding due to sheer size.
Kitchen cabinets. My contractor confirmed that my doors and fronts are wood so i can sand and stain them (Yah!) I plan to DIY them. (I've lost my mind.) Here's to 3-6 weeks where my kitchen will be taped off to look like a scene from contagion.
Paint. I want to repaint the entire interior...by myself. (Yes I'm insane.) After some discussion and though I have come to the conclusion I will commit to painting the master bath and bedroom. I may possibly paint the second bathroom since it is a crazy red with a faux finish so I can't match paint to fix the dings. The rest of the house I plan to ignore...for now.
Fireplace. I want to try and tile over the big pink brick giant in the room with some ledge stone. If is screw up the ill have someone fix it :)
Bathroom shower. Need to re-caulk all the silicone since it looks gross. Simple enough.
Kitchen island. I want to DIY a kitchen island out of kitchen cabinets, the put casters on it and have the guys replacing my counter tops install a slab of granite/butcher block on top. Anyone want to help me?!?
Front door. Replace it. Just found out that everyone at home depot/lowes and lots on the interweb are on crack. I don't HAVE to replace the frame also. I can just replace the door and hardware. My contractor is awesome.

I think that is it so far. I've lost my mind and I'm going to give my husband a heart attack.

Damn you pinterest.

rave: spring has sprung

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:22:00 +0000

yards of dirt

the last couple days have been a little crazy. all this warm weather had b and i scrambling to get our yard and garden prepped and ready. so monday we had yards of dirt dropped on our driveway. then the hard work of moving all the dirt to where it was needed began. we composted the front lawn, the front flower bed and the back flower bed with the dillo dirt and filled the two garden beds in the back with gardening soil. a week ago, we had some guys come out and remove the shrubs in front of the house. some of them were 50%-80% dead from the bad drought last year. most were in horrible shape from lack of pruning. aside from that they were starting to cover up the house. i could literally walk out and no one would see me because they were 5 inches taller than me! so new shrubs also went in. to say the least, we were wiped out but everything looks so much better already. so all the hard work was well worth it.

before & after

found a couple nest of lady bugs in the empty new garden bed

backyard all filled, trimmed and composted. ready for veggie planting!

today was another home improvement day. our plumber finally came out to repair a leak that we discovered a while back. it's been the strangest thing and leaking under the weirdest conditions. so we're happy to get some of the problem fixed and one step closer to solving the problem. here's hoping this is the end of it and all we need to do is patch up the drywall in the garage.

leak fixed

so with all this going on, i haven't been focusing too much on cooking. but i've been trying to actually use some of the pins i've pinned on pinterest. so monday night i made the commitment to try smitten kitchen's buttermilk roast chicken. i'm a loyal follower of her blog. seriously, every recipe i've tried has been fabulous. go check it out. ok, back to the chicken. if you love the flavor of fried chicken but want to be healthier about it, you need to make this. and yes, marinating for at least 24 hours is worth it. just be patient and let it sit in the fridge...you won't be sorry.

ready to back after 24 hours

once i committed to making the chicken, for the life of me i couldn't decide what to serve with the chicken. i was too excited about the chicken. my initial though was that i should find something to do with the rest of the buttermilk in my fridge. so i started out looking for a scone recipe. but then i saw the blue cheese scallion drop biscuit and my mouth started watering. i glanced over the recipe and saw that it also baked at the same temp as the chicken and i knew it was the perfect side. the only problem was i didn't have blue cheese and b doesn't eat it either. so i used what i had on hand - brie! i was a little worried at first. i've never made biscuits from scratch before and i'm subbing ingredients. now that i've made them, i'm not sure why i don't make them more often. they were so quick and easy! when the oven was preheated, first in went the chicken. then 15 minutes later the biscuits joined them. another 15 minutes, both were done!

ready for baking

done

i ended up serving up a side of veg too to balance out the meal. if i had collard greens or mustard greens they would have gone great too. it was a perfect dinner after several long days of work. i will be making both of these recipes again very soon.

rave: sxsw keynote from the boss

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:32:00 +0000

unless you've been living under a rock you would have heard last week was sxsw here in austin. it still amazes me how huge this has become. i remember back in college (which was a while ago) when it was this crazy weeklong hoopla during spring break where we got hear music from bands from all over the world. but now it's become an multi-event that involves, technology, film, fashion, and food trucks. everyone comes and wants to be here. it's amazing! i mean, cnn rents out an entire restaurant and makes it their homebase for the week, perez hilton & rachel ray throw parties, every brand, band, film, product, app wanting exposure is here, and celebrities galore...crazy i say!

anyhow...a lot happened and i could go on for days about it but i just don't have the time or space to do that today. BUT i did want to share with you something. i did not have the privilege to attend any of the official sxsw stuff this year but parties involved have been really nice about sharing, posting, and streaming content. npr posted the full keynote address given by bruce springsteen a couple days ago and i finally got a chance to watch it. and i have to say...watch it. it's 50 minutes well spent.

seriously, click this link and watch it.

i'm incredible jealous of the people who did get to hear him in person. go watch...you'll be glad you did.

Open you ears and open your heart

Don’t take yourself too seriously
And take yourself as seriously as death itself
Don’t worry
Worry your ass off
Have iron-clad confidence
But doubt
It keeps you awake and alert
Believe you are the baddest ass in town
And…You suck!

It keeps you honest.
Be able to keep two completely contradictory ideas alive and well inside of your head and heart at all times
If it doesn’t drive you crazy, it will make you strong
And stay hard
Stay hungry
And stay alive
And when you walk on stage tonight to bring the noise
Treat it like it’s all we have
And then remember it’s only rock n’roll

—	Bruce Springsteen - SXSW keynote address

rant: tom colicchio's spicy fish stew

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:27:00 +0000

just saw tom colicchio post this on his twitter...think i'm gonna try this later in the week. hope he post an actual recipe one day :)

Tom Colicchio's Spicy Fish Stew

Sweat Pancetta

add chilies, cook gently for 2 minutes

Add two bunches green onion, white part only, reserve green top. 1 knob ginger julienned & 3 cloves of garlic. cook for 3-4 minutes

Add 1 cup white wine

Add 2 dz. title neck clams, cover cook on medium until the clams open

Remove clams set aside and keep warm add 6 oz flaky white fish, I used cod.

add sprig of basil, cook covered 2-4 m

Add small cherry tomatoes

add bay scallops gently place clams back add chopped green onion tops.

Add blanched bok choy

Finish with chopped basil and dill & a generous squeeze of Lime

all via tom colicchio's twitter feed

rant: dvf hearts gapkids

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

i don't know how i missed this, but i'm glad i saw it in my inbox yesterday. gapkids and dvf are collaborating. i love dvf! although i'm surprised she is doing a kids line, i'm so happy she is. they clothes are precious and so bright and fun. i can't wait to see them in person since my friend j is having a baby girl later this year. and selfishly, i can some times fit in xl kids clothes so i'm excited to see if there's anything that would fit. i mean, how cute is this collection? i love the gray and green dress and the blazer...adorable!!

source: tomandlorenzo.com

rave: louis vuitton + marc jacobs + paris = beautiful love affair

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:38:00 +0000

wow.

i don't have enough words to describe louis vuitton & marc jacobs paris fashion week show. it really is over-the-top and lavish. i did not get to catch the live webcast, but did watch it the next day. and really...omg! and if you saw the spring show (just the set up alone is awe inspiring) this was equally if not more impressive. before we even get into the clothing and bags, let's just address the steam train. yes, a train. a louis vuitton train. how apropos since LV is all about the bags and the original pieces were steamer trunks. what a statement! it provided a focal point and such a romantic, of another era theme for the show without taking away from the actual stars. it makes me want to travel by train...and own some LV steamer trunks. you really need to watch the show to see the amazing-ness of it all.

as for the rtw fall 2012 clothing and bags, oh, i think i'm in love. as models/passengers stepped off the train, each girl was escorted by a porter carrying her beautiful LV bags. the clothing were in a-line, bell silhouette providing a very feminine feel without being frilly. and the bags...they were beautiful as always. there was so much visually to take in: the cut of the clothes, the sparkling over-sized buttons, the luxurious fabric, the sky-high mary janes, the hats, the sunglasses, and all the bags in a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors and materials.

all images of clothing from wwd

source

all images of bags from purseblog

source

louis vuitton and marc jacobs really outdid themselves again. i cannot even fathom what they are going to do next. whatever it is, i'm sure it will be visually stunning from the smallest detail to the showcase itself.

as if the fashion show was not enough to close out paris fashion week, the louis vuitton marc jacobs exhibition at the louvre’s les arts decoratifs opened with a star-studded event later that evening. LV has posted the recorded version of the live broadcast which you can watch on their website. i cannot believe marc jacobs has been with louis vuitton for 15 years! i love how marc brings a bit of street edge, whimsy and intrigue to such a classic iconic label. i am a huge LV fan. i can still remember my first LV bag purchase and love affair has just continued to grow. there are so many pieces i covet. on my one-day-i-must-own wish list is a travel trunk. and if i were dreaming really big, i'd like an vintage piece.

photos courtesy of bryanboy.com

bryan of bryanboy.com attended the beautiful affair and you can read all out his experience on his blog. if you happen to be in paris between march 6 and september 16, i highly recommend checking out the retrospective. just to be able to see the collection all in one place would be breathtaking.

rant: rest in peace, leslie cochran

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Photo courtesy flickr.com/chainsawpanda

rest in peace leslie.

austin will miss you.

photo courtesy of statesman.com

rave: louis vuitton and hong kong

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:06:00 +0000

“From the porthole I could barely distinguish her in the magnetic, all-encompassing night. When I was striving to, she was there, bathing in this particular evening amber light. Hong Kong was graceful and slender, a soft fine head of hair with dark highlights; a distinctively feminine silhouette. Her youthful visage was slightly obscured by sea mist, half-open shinny eyes sparkling like a set of mirrors locked on the nearby mountain. Her perfumes, her colours and sounds were responding to each other in my mind. Mildness of Victoria’s harbour, wild vegetation and the sound of high heels calling us into its protective streets. Hong Kong drags forsaken sailors to the extraordinary, the strange and the unexpected. Its ambassadors, wise and elegant women, pull the strings from avant-garde parlours. The city has a certain stubbornness that surpasses willpower and rather comes from a compulsive need to impose its own personal guidelines upon the world, a city that remains both very close and infinitely remote at the same time.
This is the truly feminine impression the city laid upon me.”

Text and film by Jean-Claude Thibaut

from the louis vuitton website

this is the first film in a series on cities around the world, where louis vuitton is using gender as a lens to interpret the city's identity. it such a emotive and visually stunning piece. maybe i'm baise since hong kong is home and one of my favorite places in the world. i cannot wait to see the others as they come out.

rant: invisible children

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:37:00 +0000

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

have you seen this? if you've been on the internet the last couple days (especially twitter, facebook and/or instagram) i'm sure you've come across invisible children, stop kony, or make kony famous. this video is very powerful and definitely brings to light the horrific things this man is doing and the situation in central africa. there has been an outpouring of support from all over, from celebrities to the younger generations that thrive in social media. there has also been quite a bit of opposition and criticism about the organization and the founders. with anything that explodes in popularity, scrutiny and condemnation is inevitable. people have lambasted everything from what they are doing isn't helping central africa at all to the salaries of the founders.

invisible children has drawn a lot of attention to the situation in uganda/central africa, who joseph kony is and what the lord's resistance army (LRA) is doing in a very short amount of time. people are gaining more knowledge. and that is the point, right? organizations and causes are always looking for exposure and a way to get their message out. with society today being very information savvy, people do their own research. so with all this information at our finger tips, we are given lots to chew on. some times causing a big splash with something flashy is the only way to get noticed, to get people hooked in. and once they are interested, it is much easier to engage them.

in my last job, i was having a discussion with the ceo about a marketing ploy gone slightly wrong. we were issued cease and desist orders and all sorts of not so positive press. i thought i was in some serious trouble. but what he said to me has stuck. press is press right? good and bad press both brings us to the forefront and brings exposure. people are intelligent and will make their own decisions. but the fact that we are being talked about and recognized is what's important right now. once they know who we are, they are more likely to listen and know more.

there's no doubt that kony is a horrific person doing unfathomable things. i can say with full confidence most 99% of the people tweeting, supporting and sharing the video above had no idea what the LRA or who kony is before this video. and without the work of the invisible children organization, we would have gone on being ignorant of the situation. so whatever your feelings are about invisible children organization, what they are doing and how they are doing it, watch the video above. if you choose to support them, (or any organization in fact) i encourage you to do your own research and dig deeper. so do they.

"But, credibility in the eyes of policymakers, fellow non-profit workers, LRA-affected communities, and YOU is our most important asset, so we would like to encourage you, if you have critiques, to get specific: find facts, dig deeper, and we'll gladly continue the conversation from there. If encountering something you disagree with, suggest an alternative to what we are doing- and we will absolutely take heed. If it's a matter of opinion, taste, humor, or style: we apologize, and will have to agree to disagree. As the poet Ke$ha says, "we are who we are."

Let's focus on what matters, and what we DO agree on: Joseph Kony needs to be stopped. And when that happens, peace is the limit. This is the beautiful beginning of an ending that is just the beginning. We are defending tomorrow. And it's hopeful." - invisible children's website

source

rave: what I did with my extra day

noreply@blogger.com (mywong13) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 05:42:00 +0000

happy leap day! so what did you do with a whole extra day?

i had the privilege of volunteering out at johnson's backyard gardens today. jbg is homegrown in east austin. they started growing vegetables in their holly street backyard in 2004. the goal was to provide the austin community with the best quality locally grown, organic vegetables possible.

they are in the process of planting transplants and needed some help. jbg is where i get my veggies from when i hit up the farmers markets so it was really cool to see where the food i eat comes from and help do some of the work. it was a productive work day and it felt great. we got good and dirty as we planted fennel, kohlrabi, and rutabagas. it was my first time sitting on a mechanical transplanter and it was a good hand-eye coordination workout. it became like a game for me. haha! there were 12 chutes that rotate clock-wise and at the 11 o'clock postion the chute opens drop the transplant into a hole in the ground as the tractor pulls you down field. so you had make sure the chutes were loaded while you balanced a tray on your lap and gently detached the baby plants from that tray. it was awesome!

i also got to meet some really great people. one of the other volunteers is the baker for one of my favorite restaurants, olivia. so we chatted and filled the chutes and fixed the rows for several hours. i have to say this has been one of the most enjoyable volunteering opportunities i've had in austin. as we headed back in, one of the farm hands asked if we were coming back tomorrow (haha!) i said not tomorrow but maybe next week or the week after. oh! and the icing on the cake is, for volunteering, you get to take home a csa box of veggies! i think that is very cool :) look at all the pretty veggies and fruits i got!!

so, i have to say, my extra day was very well spent. can't wait to go out and help again! thank you jbg for a wonderful leap day!

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