Skills Developed: Love of Mohawks. Appreciation to not underestimate people named Grace. The ability to formulate 2D thoughts into 3D... lack of sleep...
Overview/Rant: To make up for lost time I decided to undertake 3 different challenges in one week. Challenge numbero uno was that of donning (from the verb 'donner' - to don) a mohawk for a week. Suffice to say my 'mohawk' received various compliments and insults... Firstly- it wasn't truly a mohawk, more a Mr. T haircut... that said I did receive various expected responses from friends and family... BUT there was the occasional person who really liked it... so 'mixed' response would be the best answer to the question that you did not ask...
In terms of a challenge- it was actually quite difficult... You're be surprised how quickly someone will judge you based on your hair style- it wasn't anything major but I found that people were a little shorter with me than usual... shop assistants and bus drivers were less eager to meet me eye-to-eye than what I would usually encounter... of course all this is subjective... it's like when you have a spot on your face and you're ABSOLUTELY certain that everybody can see it... and not only that... they're judging you for the spotty geek that you are...
Actually... I was a bit spotty this week... dammit...
Okay- the 2nd challenge: be a chess master... right so... someone (I can't remember who- I was probably drinking) suggested that I challenge people to a game of chess everyday for a week... while this seems like an interesting concept... I didn't really get what I was trying to achieve... was I supposed to win? Wouldn't I just play people who really suck?
Well I didn't... except Fiona... she didn't know how to play chess... pffth... blondes...
I played 5 games total- 2 via facebook games application... you will be astonished the number of people who reject to play you in a game of chess... it's hurtful... the other three were at a dear friend of mines house warming party... do not ask me why there was a chess board at the party... there just was... so I played 3 games there...
First was against the sexiest half of Team Rocket - James...
I played Pikachu to James's Meowth... need more detail? Find it here...
Second was the Cavan Chess Champion Dallan... me and Dallan have a history with chess... basically the first time we played each other (many moons ago) Dallan LIED to me and told me he didn't play much... then when he beat me he decided to disclose that he was in fact some sort of Cavan Chess Champion... pathological lying? Sign of a serial killer? I don't know... but that look in his eye tells me to watch it...
By the end of this match it was Dublin 1... Cavan 0... Boo yeah...
Last... but not least... Grace...
I was playing a blinder... winning left right and centre... but thanks to 'amazing' Grace... that was destroyed in what can be described as the epic-est of chess games in drinking-chess history. The look of glee on her face almost makes me forgive her for destroying my winning spree...
Almost...
Another challenge was to complete a 2,000 piece jigsaw... I'm going to go out on a limb and admit that I didn't have time (well I did- but I forgot) to do this challenge- so I completed a 3D jigsaw instead... it only had 416 pieces BUT it was 3-D... that's like at least 1.5 times harder than 2D... (that's what she said)
The masterpiece...
Finally- I spent the next week undergoing Polyphasic Sleep... you can read all about it here and I seriously recommend that you do... but simply put- polyphasic sleep means you go to sleep at 6 times periods during the day and nap for 20-30 minutes during those periods. So my day went like this for example
Midnight: 20/30 minute nap
4am: 20/30 minute nap
8am: 20-30 minute nap
Noon: 20-30 minute nap
4pm: 20-30 minute nap
8pm: 20-30 minute nap
People typically take around 90 minutes to enter REM sleep (read more about that here) but with polyphasic sleeping you end up tricking/training your brain into entering REM sleep much sooner. Now- this experiment needs to be conducted over weeks, if not months, to have an effect... BUT I will divulge the experience that I had.
Day 1 - a little tired... the 4am nap was hardest and I ended up sleeping till 5am... but otherwise the rest of the day was grand. I definitely had more time on my hands- but fighting the urge to sleep was my main aim and this time was spent watching TV to keep awake.
Day 2 - more energy than yesterday... managed to sleep all the naps fine and didn't oversleep. Occasionally I didn't actually sleep for a nap, just rested... but I didn't feel like I was lacking sleep in any way! It was really good!
Day 3 - this day was perfect until I went out for drinks in town... a lot of drinks... and suffice to say I couldn't nap in town so I ended up sleeping in the next morning... dammit..
Day 4 - Tried to re-embrace the pattern but couldn't nap due to having a full nights sleep. Went out for dinner and a few glasses of wine that night... back by 1am so I figured I'd stay up till 4am and try recontinue the pattern... this brings us to Day 5...
Day 5 - Woke up at 10am... but managed to get back on schedule by 4pm and kept it up till Saturday... until I had to work at a gig... and was given free drink...
Basically- having read up on this polyphasic sleep and having tried to do it I can conclude a few things...
1.) It seems really interesting and I do think that there are benefits behind it. I was already dreaming when I went for naps by the last day and I did feel that a lot of time had passed even though I'd only been asleep for about 20 minutes.
2.) It is only possible if you choose not to have a social life... you cannot nap in town... you cannot drink heavily and then expect to not sleep... this sleep pattern does not allow for flexibility...
I obviously can't really make a judgement on this because I've barely begun to experience it BUT I am going to keep this sleep pattern up for the rest of the summer with a few minor adjustments...
1.) I will be a polyphasic sleeper on the days where I have not planned a social event/gathering/piss up...
That's the only adjustment really.
But this is an eye-opener to a whole different way of living, especially highlighted in this guys blog (who is also called Steve) who undertook the polyphasic sleeping for a year... and apparently found it really good... except for his social life....
Recommendations/Conclusions: Try a mohawk... although make sure it's a proper one and not the Mr.T mohawk I attempted. Play Chess... it's awesome and beating people from Cavan will make you more of a man. Polyphasic sleep is definitely worth considering if you have 1.) a flexible boss or 2.) no job.
Other stuff: The idea of polyphasic sleep came from Pauric Carroll (another Cavan man) who stole it (as Cavan men are wont to do) from a book called the GAME...
The GAME could be the most important book you ever read. I recommend it to men and women everywhere. Read more about it here.
Future Challenge: 5 different continents (Australia/ Africa/ America/ Europe/ Asia) and 5 different cuisines. So I try cook a meal from a different continent everyday... inject a bit of culture into my life.. other future challenges include getting my blogs done on time...
Random stuff: Let's gangbang this thing and go home...
No comments:
Post a Comment