I’m not quite sure about the grammar of The Killers’ “Human” song but it sure is catchy. It is also relevant to what I would like to share with you today.

On December 6, I was honored to be invited to a dance concert. Actually, it was my second time to watch. The Orange Dance Studio hosts several concerts from time to time to showcase what they are passionate about. The first time was magical and the second time confirmed further more that they are united through dance.

These dancing shoes.

I know I am no photography expert, but I like to think that if you can nod your head to the music and get into the rhythm, mix that with anticipation, then you can capture these golden moments. Of course, it helps to have a steady hand and speed-of-light clicking. I hope you will like these pictures.

Dance has always been a part of our lives. And even if we wouldn’t admit that we do silly dances sometimes, it is something that awakens our spirit as humans. We don’t have to be experts to enjoy it. It is accessible. It is free.

In a time when we’re almost in panic mode to prepare for the holidays, our best bet probably is to shake our booties to de-stress. :) Enjoy dancing, guys.

Every worthwhile accomplishment,
big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph:
a beginning, a struggle, and a victory.
- Mahatma Gandhi

According to the ever useful dictionary.com, a sacrifice is the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. Wanna guess what I have sacrificed lately? World of Warcraft

We have a barber shop in WoW. I wish I had a screenshot of my new red, wavy hair.

I still vividly remember that day I had an epiphany, or to be perfectly honest, a disgustingly embarrassing revelation that I was wasting too much of my time in a fantasy world. It’s not the game’s fault, of course. WoW even flashes this message while loading: “Remember to take all things in moderation, even World of Warcraft.” Hats off to WoW - the graphics are magnificent and the game is no less than extraordinary. I truly love the game. But then, I really had to quit.

There was a bit of second-guessing days after I decided to stop playing. My former gamer friend teased me that I am only in hiatus and not really 100% over WoW. Maybe I will come back. Maybe not. I still ask myself from time to time if I will play again. I definitely miss my pet lion named Piolo and I miss the WoW holiday decorations. But right now, I want to invest my time and efforts in my goals. In letting go of WoW, I learned how to prioritize the more important things in life.

It’s one of those “small move, big impact” kind of decisions. It was a sacrifice I felt the most comfortable in. It brought a sense of direction and a brand new meaning to the word commitment. It’s been more than a month, and I cannot be anymore ecstatic about the opportunities that continuously arise for Passionistta. I am very proud to say I am leveling up in real life.

I have always been drawn to notebooks. And the very moment I came across Moleskine, I knew it was match made in heaven. Moleskines are simple, covered in leather, has a small envelope at the back to hold some stuff. Other than the fact that the paper is divine I thought I’d magically be the next Van Gogh or Hemingway just because they used moleskines as well.

I bought it initially so I would doodle in my spare time. Numerous design publications say that it’s a good exercise to draw things. I believe that. It’s an opportunity to great creative and somehow it’s therapeutic.

So I did.

This is my attempt to draw my brother’s dog.

Then, I got busy and forgot about drawing. So I had this what seemed like a brilliant idea at the time to make my moleskine as a crafty organizer. What I liked most about the idea was that I could have as much space as I want in a day. And sometimes, I could skip some days, too. Here are some pages I have made:

Very edwardian. But really I just had to use those dried leaves.

You can tell that sequins and glue are my best friends. The pink and green streaks are actually nail polish.

I gave wings for my World of Warcraft character. I had some cotton lying around that day and these great, oddly-shaped sequins.

A crazy dress. I wanted it to look like a closet.

I found these cute stickers and the colors were quite fitting to use in my birthday page.

Wildlife in rubber bands. The background was made of animal print scotch tape.

I also thought I would dedicate a page for the books that I have read this year.

Don’t you love those crazy eyes? I just want to shake the page again and again so the eyes will move.

After gluing just about anything to my notebook. It got fat.

I couldn’t close it anymore.

It became too bulky to be carried around and it smelled of rubber (haha). I must say it was fun until it lasted.

I have now moved on to Backpack. No more hating crafting disasters. No erasures. I can check it anywhere, birthdays are on repeat every year, my projects’ milestones are incorporated into the calendar, customizable pages, color-coordinated entries. It’s just perfect for me.

I still miss having a regular, non-fat moleskine sketchbook. I will probably get one again but I sincerely promise to stick to filling it with drawings. Or at least not glue too much stuff in it.

Happy Friday, everybody.

My friends are composed of childhood playmates, former classmates, acquaintances, clients, etc. Pretty normal, huh? Lately, I have been experiencing a big shift in my relationship with my friends.

What I have learned is that friendship is not only about people who have something in common. Friendship, in its truest essence, is being present with another regardless of time. You relate, you laugh, you cry, you sway your head to the music together, you share dreams with each other. The evolution of friendship, that’s what I would like to call it. There is depth.

It must be because we are taking control over our own destinies that our relationships portray a big role in keeping up with life. In achieving our own goals, friends offer whatever they can offer even in simply being themselves, to lift us higher. It’s amazing to feel such a connection. Of course, in reality, some friends disappear, some temporarily hibernate. That’s okay. The few ones that have weathered the storms with me, the ones that have re-appeared, the new ones that are building memories with me, they are all enough. I am blessed to have such people in my life.

Thank you, not only for what you have given, but most importantly, for your genuine presence each time.

I’m dedicating this to you all. Every endeavor in enriched when shared with friends.

Booni says thanks.

A lot has happened this year and it’s just a matter of days now before we welcome 2009. One of the many big decisions I have made was to drop my other job to have more time for Passionistta. I must say that it was a tough journey. The overwhelming pressure, the expectations of the people around me, my own great expectations, the effects of the recession written everyday in the newspapers were always in the background.

I like to think that tough times build character. More than anything, it is an opportunity to shine. These past few days as I neared the completion of a full Passionistta overhaul, I felt like an unstoppable energy- it must be the core of my being. I designed and re-designed, in sickness and in health, until I finally came up with this. I am proud to say that I reached maximum contentment because I kept going and going. Thank you, persistence and determination.

I’ll let you in on a secret, hidden beneath the codes of this web page I have this somewhere for inspiration:

I just recently watched an artist’s comeback performance in a certain show in London and I had this glorious feeling. To be perfectly honest, it got me almost teary-eyed that she’s back. It’s an honor to be stepping it up once again at the same time at hers. This is my comeback. And as a true Britney fan, I believe this is my “Womanizer.”