Learning to Play a New Instrument: My New Flute

Learning to play a new instrument takes a lot of patience and hard work.

I knew that when I decided to buy a flute in a music store at the mall last week. Having learned playing the piano and guitar on my own, I already experienced the hard work that is involved in mastering a musical instrument. That is why I expect the flute to be no different.

It takes time – a lot of time. And usually, it takes a lifetime of study and practice to realize a musical instrument’s full potential. Nonetheless, if you are passionate enough in what you are doing, you’ll find the journey exciting and fulfilling.

During my first try in playing the flute, I felt quite frustrated because I can’t make a sound. Considering that it takes different styles of blowing to create sounds on different octaves, I knew what I am up to.

First, I tried to experiment on how to make a sound by disconnecting the head joint from the barrel. This way, I was able to concentrate on sound production without the inconvenience of holding the whole body of the flute. Making sound is also more difficult with the middle joint and foot joint connected to the head joint.

In the first two days, I wasn’t able to come up with a good tone. But I knew I have to experiment on blowing the right amount of air across the embouchure and having the right form. For my third day of practice, I was able to produce a sort of a “whistling” sound and I knew I was close to making this instrument sound.

It was fulfilling, and I thought of how fulfilling it could be when I am able to play a full song already on the flute. This gave me motivation to study more and made me more passionate to play the flute and create music.




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The Pac-Man on Canvas: SM Exhibits Arts for Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is one of the most highly decorated boxers of all time, pound for pound. His ferocity and courage inside the cage are admired by millions of fans, and his 10 world titles are just evidence of his skills and talent coupled with hard work and discipline.

These qualities and achievements were expressed by Filipino artist Jun Aquino in his SM Dasma exhibit last June. The 45-year-old Aquino was born in Manila and has been exploring his art talents since his early age. He had worked as an editorial cartoonist and cover art director for the Philippine Free Press magazine for 25 years and is a multi-awarded member of the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (SMP).

His Pacquiao art works started to be noticed by others after he had a mini exhibit in Manila Hotel during the Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy. This was witnessed by MP promotions and TOPRANK CEO Bob Arum who were impressed by his works and later invited him to exhibit his arts in MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Personally witnessing his art was a worthwhile experience. I was amazed by how he captured the passion of Pacquiao in his paintings (mostly depicted by fire) and preserved precious moments like the boxer’s fight against famous foes like Marquez and Sugar Shane Mosley. I can’t help but to admire Aquino after witnessing his exhibit firsthand.

For me, his expression of the Filipino boxer’s fire and ferocity is right on the spot and his works are something to be proud of as a Filipino and boxing fan.













































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That Feeling When You Are Enjoying the Run and then It Suddenly Rains

I decided to run a five kilometer run a while ago. Everything seemed to be fine; the weather was great, my conditioning was perfect and I was bound to finish my target distance. One kilometer remaining, dark clouds suddenly appeared up in the sky and then what I couldn't imagine to happen minutes ago suddenly ensued: hard rain fell from up above.

The sweat that had filled my body was all of a sudden replaced by rain waters. And all I've longed for since then was to be able to reach home as quickly as I can (it was zero visibility during the peak of the rain).

It was frustrating at first, really. I've set a target but was not able to reach it because of an unavoidable circumstance. My clothes were wet, and my shoes were filled with water and were feeling heavy.

I felt relief was on its way when I saw that I was already nearing our house. I exerted one last effort to run as fast as I can for shelter.

After changing my clothes and toweling my wet body, I made some hot chocolate to soothe myself while watching the rain pour outside. The sound of the rain falling in the ground was great to the ear. It was like a consolation prize for a race that I was not able to finish. Suddenly, the feeling of frustration became a feeling of comfort and hope.

Although it rained that moment, I knew that tomorrow or some other day, the rain will stop and I will have another opportunity to run, to accomplish my goals.

The journey toward success should not stop when faced with certain roadblocks. It should always continue. Challenges should only serve as an inspiration to do better the next time.

This day, I was not able to finish my run. Tomorrow, I will definitely run again and finish.

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Keeping Fit: Doing Exercise Program You Can Maintain

Being fit requires more than just enrolling in the gym after the scales hit the number above your healthy weight.



Unfortunately, more often than not, this is the case for you. You tend to be undisciplined in the way you eat, knowing that you can enroll in the fitness gym whenever you want. You become involved in sa vicious cycle of gaining weight then losing it only to get it back again after a few months.

It's tiring, expensive, and frustrating. All the time and resources you spent for hope of a fit body became wasted because you enjoy too much sugar and don't have the guts to refrain from overindulging on your favorite foods. And while doing so, you also forget to exercise, believing that you already possess a healthy body.

That's why it's so important to incorporate physical activities in your daily lifestyle. The best way to do so is to have an exercise program which you can keep up with no matter how busy you are or how few the amount of money you have in your pocket.

Buying kettlebells or Pilates mats won't hurt your pocket. And doing routines using these equipment won't take much of your time. Just 30 minutes a day can give you a sense of accomplishment knowing that you have done something to be productive.

And more importantly, no matter if you gain back the appetite for sugar or fats, you always have the benefit of burning a few calories a day enough to give you a head start to starting to discipline yourself again in choosing the right foods.



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Conditioning Your Mind for a Long-Distance Run

I tried to finish a 7km run last Saturday. To my surprise, I was not able to hit the targeted distance and was able to finish only 5km.

I used to do a 10km run every weekend and had no problem accomplishing the said distance. But for quite some time, I decided to mix my exercises.

I was in proper condition during my run. I was not breathing heavily. My muscles are not aching during the last laps, and I felt strong.

So what had hindered me from finishing the 7km run? I realized it was my mind setting. Although my body is well-conditioned, not running for several weeks weakened my brain’s drive to achieve a certain distance. I still can run, but I lost the willingness to continue.

What I learned

Mixing exercises is certainly not bad for achieving proper conditioning. But I realize that, if preparing for a long-distance race, it is a must to practice achieving my targeted distance twice a month and half of it every week.

By doing so, motivating myself to continue running up to a certain distance wouldn’t be much difficult.

Then why not run the target distance every week? Based on my experience, doing so would be extremely difficult for the leg muscles, affecting speed and performance. I learned that mixing up exercises makes me feel much stronger and improves my pacing and speed.




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Kettle bells: Welcoming a new addition to my fitness equipment

Variation is one of the key elements of a successful exercise program. Imagine doing the same drill over and over again each day, and I wonder if you’ll last doing it for two months or so.




In my own program, I try to make use of different exercises to keep my momentum going on each week. For Monday to Friday, I usually alternate between jumping ropes, weight lifting, and Pilates for cardio and strength. For weekends, I take time to run or go biking.

While thinking of a new program to add up to my existing “mix,” I came across an article in the Internet featuring the equipment named kettle bells. They are described as a full body workout that increases muscle strength as well as cardiovascular endurance. “Now that’s something worth trying for,” I told myself.

It didn’t take long for me to consider buying a pair of kettle bells. For the price of 1,000 pesos each, their potential benefit is worth the investment.

I tried implementing the kettle bells to my workout session for a week, and I can say that their effect on my body is amazing. I feel muscle sores from my shoulders to my legs the next day after the workout, and I also feel light and strong.

Kettle bell exercises can be easily learned through the Internet. There are several sites offering free instructions, and following the drills are easy enough for everyone to memorize and be familiar with.

I guess I’ll be incorporating kettle bells in my program for quite a long time.

Roll the mat: Discovering a new exercise called Pilates

Including an exercise program in your daily activity can be difficult. Luckily, there are some types of exercise that might be considered a fit for the professional lifestyle.

One exciting exercise I discovered is Pilates, a series of poses and movements invented by Joseph Pilates. He was a multi-sport athlete and among those who served as interns for the British authorities during World War I.

He developed a series of exercises to help those who are injured from the war recover, as well as to develop physical fitness. These exercises have later on reached mainstream, known as Pilates, and used by different people.

Pilates is easy to do after work. You just need a mat, a small space wherein you can lie in, and music to get you going. Type of clothes is never a problem, as long as you can do enough stretching with what you are wearing.

The exercise also relieves stress as it requires mind-body coordination. You focus solely on what you are doing, just like moving to another point in time.

Its effect on the body is also prevalent. After only a few session, you’ll already feel stronger and more flexible. You’ll also gain some lean muscles in the abdominal part of your body later on.