Hahaha aww I’d love to get paid for these things...
1. Every month, since Summer 2005, I try to find 20 new artists/bands to get into. This started off as just a mish-mash of songs that I liked, all thrown together but has slowly turned into something else… I concentrate on a particular genre of music now each month, or at least have some kind of theme. I call them my ‘Monthly Playlists’ and I’ve spent hours and hours doing these when I should be doing other more productive things… I also spend a lot of time now ordering the songs too – from start to finish and making sure the mix between each song on my iTunes flows nicely as well.
2. I look for old songs to cover and re-make into my own style – I try to find songs spanning different genres as I generally believe people like more genres of music than they say – either because they’re embarrassed or have a pre-conception about it. I’ve found this in myself as the more I’ve pressed myself, the wider my taste has become. I still have a bit of an issue with stadium rock though and 10 minute guitar solos… lol :-(
3. I also write music, mainly on guitar, piano or on a software programme called Ableton Suite. The lyrics and the vocal (melody/performance) are most important to me and when I’m writing, this is what I spend most of the time on.
-- Desde Mi iPhone
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
BEDM#5 - Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends.
Well… I only have one blogger friend – the person I stole this Blogging every day idea from…
Soooo… Lee I have known about 12/13 years now (what???!!!) – he is the kind of person that if you don’t know the answer to something, you can ask him and he’ll always have a pretty good idea about it! He’s smart, loves Mac products (before the world went crazy for Mac), and has an awesome sense f humour. I remember once I was with some mates and we met Lee outside the club and I ran up to him… I was all gothed up with metal spikes and scratched all his neck – I felt awwwwful! And he didn’t create the slightest bit of fuss at all, just laughed it off and carried on with the night :)
-- Desde Mi iPhone
Soooo… Lee I have known about 12/13 years now (what???!!!) – he is the kind of person that if you don’t know the answer to something, you can ask him and he’ll always have a pretty good idea about it! He’s smart, loves Mac products (before the world went crazy for Mac), and has an awesome sense f humour. I remember once I was with some mates and we met Lee outside the club and I ran up to him… I was all gothed up with metal spikes and scratched all his neck – I felt awwwwful! And he didn’t create the slightest bit of fuss at all, just laughed it off and carried on with the night :)
-- Desde Mi iPhone
BEDM#4 - Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it
“In a world where you can be anything you want, BE YOURSELF”
It's easy to find admiration for others, and it's easy to look at someone else's life from a distance and think how confident and focused they are... But how about feeling that for yourself? How about believing you have things perfectly under control...and that you're going to do the best for yourself, whatever happens?
A good relationship with yourself is an integral part of having a decent and happy existence and many people don't have that. I'm trying though, and that's the main thing.
-- Desde Mi iPhone
It's easy to find admiration for others, and it's easy to look at someone else's life from a distance and think how confident and focused they are... But how about feeling that for yourself? How about believing you have things perfectly under control...and that you're going to do the best for yourself, whatever happens?
A good relationship with yourself is an integral part of having a decent and happy existence and many people don't have that. I'm trying though, and that's the main thing.
-- Desde Mi iPhone
BEDM#3 - Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable
I commute from East London to Sussex every day for work… it takes 1 hour 30 mins each way so it’s a bit of a trek! I use the travel time wisely though to either study Spanish or listen to the previous night's recordings and make notes on them. There’s a bus that collects people from the station and takes us to the office. And unless someone actually talks to me directly on the bus, I nearly always keep my headphones on, deep in concentration. But I always feel so guilty and anti-social… Despite this though still I can’t quite seem to drag myself away from my tasks at the time.. So that’s my uncomfortable thing – the judgement of others!
-- Desde Mi iPhone
-- Desde Mi iPhone
Playing tomorrow in London - The Victoria, SW8
If you're in the area, I'm heading down to the Open Mic at the pub Victoria near Battersea Park tomorrow night to play some tunes! Will be there from 8pm...
Victoria, 166 Queenstown Road, London, SW8 3QH
Victoria, 166 Queenstown Road, London, SW8 3QH
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Thursday, May 2, 2013
BEDM #2 - Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at
BEDM 2 - Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at
Losing Weight
I believe I am good at losing weight. I’m saying this because I feel like I have ‘cracked’ the code; I have found the way that works for me.
I lost nearly 3 stone (17kg) but before that I had tried many, many diets, joined many gyms, and I worked hard in those gyms for months at a time on running machines, exercise bikes, cross trainers… And don’t get me wrong, I saw results, but never enough to compared to the sheer amount of gut wrenching time and energy I was putting into it.
Once upon a time, I read somewhere that to lose a pound of weight in a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week. This means eating 500 calories less than you actually need every day. After many years of struggle, this seemed to be an outrageously simple concept. But it really is that simple…
What’s harder is the motivation, finding the will-power and sustaining this; everyone lacks this sometimes because we’re HUMANS! So I’ve written below the things that helped motivate me. And this is just for me, different things work for different people…and the key is tailoring a list of things for you.
• Keeping a food and exercise journal. I'd say this is paramount - the number one thing for me.
• Learning about Nutritional Information charts (all items but particularly calories, fats and sugars) and educating myself on the foods I’m eating.
• Finding out how many calories MY body needs
It took some time to work out how many calories my body needs a day – for the average man it is said to be 2,500. However in reality, mine is nowhere near as high as that figure. Partly because I’m not exactly the tallest person and partly because I reckon I just have a slow metabolism.
• Using my daily routine to incorporate whatever ‘health’ choices I’d made. Routine is important partially because it takes the ‘choice’ out of things sometimes eg. Walking past your favourite Sausage sandwich shop every morning – take a different route instead or brushing my teeth earlier in the evening so I’m not tempted to snack again.
• Changing your mindset – quality over quantity. Reduce portion sizes, really taste the food you eat, eat slowly.
• You’re eating less, so what you DO eat, choose wisely. Cut out processed foods, eat lots of veg, eat fruit and keep the balance between protein, carbs, fat. Eating well is important because when you’re creating a calorie defecit, you’re going to feel a little weaker – so you need all the nutrients you can get Also - take a nutritional supplement – make sure you’re not missing out on any vitamins whilst you’re eating less.
• Drinking more water / green tea. It’s good for you and it helps make you fills you up.
• Find a friend who also wants to lose weight - sharing the experience with someone helps a lot too.
• I try to limit my Carb intake at night time – I am less active in the evenings, and so there’s less opportunity for my body to use the energy. For the same reason, I try not to eat late at night.
• Eating one of your meals after cardio exercise – there have been studies that suggest that calories burn off more quickly within a certain period after exercising (it’s about 30 mins I think)
• Think: what is your reward? Is it having that chocolate bar you want or is it feeling healthy, lean and fitting into your favourite clothes? Leaves notes or pictures around the house to motivate you.
• Don’t deny yourself everything! If I want chocolate, I will eat chocolate. But I will eat a small portion. Once I have tasted it, I feel satisfied.
• Don't leave yourself starving. If you're hungry in between meals, eat something. Being hungry will make you miserable and weak. Whatever you eat, just make sure its within your set calories range for the day.
• Keep yourself busy – this is also to do with changing your mindset. When dieting you feel like you’re enduring something awful – but you need to just accept it and get on with your day. Think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. When you have lost the weight you want to, you'll be eating an extra 500 or so calories a day again - thats where the lifestyle change comes in because you can't go back to your old habits otherwise the weight will return.
• Obviously, exercise, 3 x times per week for 30 minutes minimum – something that gets your heart rate up. Exercise releases endorphins in your head and makes you happier. Happier mind = less moping = less snacking.
• Be creative – find what works for you, and see how you can do more things like it. An example for me is that I found foods that I loved that were low in calories and so I ate more of them as a treat to myself – for me this was chicken and prawns.
I spoke to a friend who said she would never be able to open a chocolate bar and just eat one piece and be satisfied – so for her she said that wouldn’t work. But also don’t assume defeat because you can’t imagine something; thinking positively is a massive part of being successful in anything.
At the end of the day YOU control your OWN mind and you’re more powerful than what you realise.
Losing Weight
I believe I am good at losing weight. I’m saying this because I feel like I have ‘cracked’ the code; I have found the way that works for me.
I lost nearly 3 stone (17kg) but before that I had tried many, many diets, joined many gyms, and I worked hard in those gyms for months at a time on running machines, exercise bikes, cross trainers… And don’t get me wrong, I saw results, but never enough to compared to the sheer amount of gut wrenching time and energy I was putting into it.
Once upon a time, I read somewhere that to lose a pound of weight in a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories per week. This means eating 500 calories less than you actually need every day. After many years of struggle, this seemed to be an outrageously simple concept. But it really is that simple…
What’s harder is the motivation, finding the will-power and sustaining this; everyone lacks this sometimes because we’re HUMANS! So I’ve written below the things that helped motivate me. And this is just for me, different things work for different people…and the key is tailoring a list of things for you.
• Keeping a food and exercise journal. I'd say this is paramount - the number one thing for me.
• Learning about Nutritional Information charts (all items but particularly calories, fats and sugars) and educating myself on the foods I’m eating.
• Finding out how many calories MY body needs
It took some time to work out how many calories my body needs a day – for the average man it is said to be 2,500. However in reality, mine is nowhere near as high as that figure. Partly because I’m not exactly the tallest person and partly because I reckon I just have a slow metabolism.
• Using my daily routine to incorporate whatever ‘health’ choices I’d made. Routine is important partially because it takes the ‘choice’ out of things sometimes eg. Walking past your favourite Sausage sandwich shop every morning – take a different route instead or brushing my teeth earlier in the evening so I’m not tempted to snack again.
• Changing your mindset – quality over quantity. Reduce portion sizes, really taste the food you eat, eat slowly.
• You’re eating less, so what you DO eat, choose wisely. Cut out processed foods, eat lots of veg, eat fruit and keep the balance between protein, carbs, fat. Eating well is important because when you’re creating a calorie defecit, you’re going to feel a little weaker – so you need all the nutrients you can get Also - take a nutritional supplement – make sure you’re not missing out on any vitamins whilst you’re eating less.
• Drinking more water / green tea. It’s good for you and it helps make you fills you up.
• Find a friend who also wants to lose weight - sharing the experience with someone helps a lot too.
• I try to limit my Carb intake at night time – I am less active in the evenings, and so there’s less opportunity for my body to use the energy. For the same reason, I try not to eat late at night.
• Eating one of your meals after cardio exercise – there have been studies that suggest that calories burn off more quickly within a certain period after exercising (it’s about 30 mins I think)
• Think: what is your reward? Is it having that chocolate bar you want or is it feeling healthy, lean and fitting into your favourite clothes? Leaves notes or pictures around the house to motivate you.
• Don’t deny yourself everything! If I want chocolate, I will eat chocolate. But I will eat a small portion. Once I have tasted it, I feel satisfied.
• Don't leave yourself starving. If you're hungry in between meals, eat something. Being hungry will make you miserable and weak. Whatever you eat, just make sure its within your set calories range for the day.
• Keep yourself busy – this is also to do with changing your mindset. When dieting you feel like you’re enduring something awful – but you need to just accept it and get on with your day. Think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. When you have lost the weight you want to, you'll be eating an extra 500 or so calories a day again - thats where the lifestyle change comes in because you can't go back to your old habits otherwise the weight will return.
• Obviously, exercise, 3 x times per week for 30 minutes minimum – something that gets your heart rate up. Exercise releases endorphins in your head and makes you happier. Happier mind = less moping = less snacking.
• Be creative – find what works for you, and see how you can do more things like it. An example for me is that I found foods that I loved that were low in calories and so I ate more of them as a treat to myself – for me this was chicken and prawns.
I spoke to a friend who said she would never be able to open a chocolate bar and just eat one piece and be satisfied – so for her she said that wouldn’t work. But also don’t assume defeat because you can’t imagine something; thinking positively is a massive part of being successful in anything.
At the end of the day YOU control your OWN mind and you’re more powerful than what you realise.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
BEDM: Day 1 - The story of your life
Blog Everyday in May.
Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less
I was born on the coldest day of the year in 1982. By default, I consider myself lucky; I grew up healthy, with a good education, two parents who loved me, a sister who was there for me in my troubled teenage years, and one true lifelong infatuation: music.
I loved my childhood and whilst many friends were racing each other to grow up, I was happily exploring my own Piscean world. I grew up with abrupt force when I realised I was gay.
I love cooking Indian food, drinking red wine and laughing. I find languages and other cultures fascinating; the more I learn, the more I understand the world and myself. I always regretted ceasing my German studies but now I’m learning Spanish to remedy this thirst!
I’m open minded, independent, overly self-critical and feel constantly oppressed by the responsibilities of modern living. I lose myself easily – which is a good thing creatively but not good in your path of life. I’ve been working as an IT Consultant in SAP since the mid-noughties, it’s a good job.
As for music; listening is my library of fantasy worlds where I can explore wherever I want to. Writing is my journal, my therapist, a dreamscape and singing is my release. I’ve played many instruments, had a bash at DJing and amateur music journalism but more than anything I love to write and sing.
Religion is not important to me; being a decent human being is.
Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less
I was born on the coldest day of the year in 1982. By default, I consider myself lucky; I grew up healthy, with a good education, two parents who loved me, a sister who was there for me in my troubled teenage years, and one true lifelong infatuation: music.
I loved my childhood and whilst many friends were racing each other to grow up, I was happily exploring my own Piscean world. I grew up with abrupt force when I realised I was gay.
I love cooking Indian food, drinking red wine and laughing. I find languages and other cultures fascinating; the more I learn, the more I understand the world and myself. I always regretted ceasing my German studies but now I’m learning Spanish to remedy this thirst!
I’m open minded, independent, overly self-critical and feel constantly oppressed by the responsibilities of modern living. I lose myself easily – which is a good thing creatively but not good in your path of life. I’ve been working as an IT Consultant in SAP since the mid-noughties, it’s a good job.
As for music; listening is my library of fantasy worlds where I can explore wherever I want to. Writing is my journal, my therapist, a dreamscape and singing is my release. I’ve played many instruments, had a bash at DJing and amateur music journalism but more than anything I love to write and sing.
Religion is not important to me; being a decent human being is.
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