2Week #13: September 6th - September 19th: Magic / Party Tricks

So, to get back in the game we decided it was time to enhance our party trick skills. For this 2week we are going to push ourselves to learn magic tricks / party tricks to perform for our friends at social functions. It's always nice to have a few tricks in your bag- and we're going to enlarge our repertoire over these 2 weeks.

Good to be back and keep on 2weeking!

Apologies

As you may have noticed this past summer we did not do many 2Weeks. Much of this was due to my travels to the US then Burma. We will begin 2weeking again shortly when Tom returns from his trip to Cambodia. Apologies again to all you dedicated 2weekers (and everyone else, too!).

Tom's Review #12 - Visualization

I enjoyed the process of completing this 2Week, in that it made me think about some aspects of my life that I wanted to change. I originally thought that I wouldn't get as much out of the 2Week because I didn't have a specific goal in mind. Through following the steps in the article I found that I did want to change some things, particularly my health. I specifically decided to focus on rock climbing, eating better, and building exercise into my daily routines.

At first I did not like to do the progressive relaxation exercises, but the more I did, the easier they became and the more I actually felt relaxed. I was a bit skeptical my first time, noting to myself that I was already totally relaxed - how could I do so further (without falling asleep)? After doing the exercise I found that I was in fact more relaxed, and that I enjoyed the state. Doing periodic relaxation exercises, I felt more able to slip into these states, and that it was a more whole feeling.

I felt a little silly writing down elements of my goals and drawing pictures, but I think it helped me convince myself that this is truly what I want, and give me the energy to work towards it.

Overall, I strongly recommend this 2Week to anyone who is trying to accomplish something, or wants to make a change, but doesn't know what or where to start. I only got up to unit 6, but I hope to work through it, and finish the process in the future. I also feel that some of the relaxation and creative exercises were useful in and of themselves to gain some clarity in thought.

2Week or too weak?

2Week complete

Visualization extended

As the two of us are back in the States for a brief period, and with Spencer focusing on a major spiritual journey, the visualization 2Week will be extended until Sunday, June 27th.

This will give us opportunity to make it further with our visualization exercises and goals.

2Week #12: June 7th - June 20th: Visualization

After taking a quick 2Weeking break, we are back on track with a powerful tool for creativity and self-development.

This 2Week will explore the technique of visualization.

This article defines visualization as "creating a mental picture of something. Visualization is important because it makes the future become more clear. Seeing yourself already achieving your goal makes your brain believe that attaining that goal is possible."

The master text that we will be using for this 2Week is The Art of Creative Visualization: A Self-Teaching Workbook by Patricia F. Hare. M.A.T., M.A.

An online version of her book is available here for viewing. We strongly recommend you read through this text to get the most out of your visualization experience.

The 5 basic steps of visualization are:
1. Determining a goal—your vision

2. Picturing what it will look like when you get it—your happy end result

3. Focusing on it often—regular visualization exercises

4. Charging it with energy—bringing in the emotional content

5. Allowing it to happen—letting go and receiving

This book outlines a 6 week program, and after 2 weeks we should only be on Unit 5 out of 10. Because of this, we will also pair this with daily visualization exercises from this site. This way, we can begin visualizing immediately while also following a more complex guide to follow through with if we so choose.

Take the time to read through some of the posted material and for visualization. Feel free to use your own resources instead for visualization if you feel it fits you better.

Good luck!

We'll be visualizing a 2Week complete!

A 2week Week Break: June 2nd-June 6th

We're declaring a 1 week break in our 2weeking schedule and will be restarting with a new 2week (TBD) beginning on Monday, June 7th.

2Week #11: Tom's Review

Starting off on this 2week was reminiscent of our first 2week where we gave the axe to sugar. What made this one harder I feel was first - the removal of all carb foods (in a country where meals around carbs), and second - the reintroduction of carbs in the first part of the day. I found myself in the first week bingeing on carbs during breakfast and lunch in anticipation of the evening. I was more unhealthy these past 2 weeks then I normally am if i just listen to my body.

I also was much weaker this time around. I adhered to the 2week for the first week until I was faced with saying "no" to beer during a small shindig that we hosted. Being too stubborn to stick to other alcohols, I ended up taking the weekend off the 2week, restarting monday, and lasting again until maybe Thursday. This is the first time I have blatantly disregarded a 2week, even after failing. It is time to shake the apathy out of my spine and straighten up a bit!

2Week or weak end?

weak end

2week #11 Spencer's Review

This 2week was initially my idea and I persuaded Tom and my girlfriend it would would be a good one.

The result: FAILURE. I failed, and badly. This was by far the most challenging 2week to date. Cold showers? Piece of cake. No sugar? Easy.But Carbs are LIFE for me, it turns out. After 4 PM I convinced myself and my girlfriend to eat hamburgers, pizza, and desserts at night. She tried to protest in the name of the 2week but the call of the powerful carb was just too strong and we both succumbed to it in the end. Out of the 14 nights of 2weeking I failed 4 of them and the other 10 were miserable.

I take responsibility for the failure of this 2week and I hang my head in defeat. The night carbs beat me soundly. I will definitely enjoy my nightly carbs in the future, but I'll try to eat just a little bit less in remembrance of these two god-forsaken weeks.

2Week or too weak?

Weak End

2Week #11 May 17th - May 31st: No Carbs After Four

We're doing another dietary 2week this time around. You always hear how terrible carbs are- Atkins asks you to stop eating them completely.
In this diet you aren't supposed to eat and carbohydrates (breads, cereals and the like) after 4 PM. The original diet plan is reviewed here and gets a 7 out of 10 from a diet review site http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/reviews/no_carbs_after_5pm.htm

There's supposedly a full diet plan in a book out there, but we're not into that. Just the Carb Curfew. We actually got this idea from two Brit friends of ours who have sworn by it.

Happy 2weeking, maybe we'll see a difference after 2 weeks?

Tom's Review #10 - Write it

I enjoy writing and I find that it can be an enjoyable and sometimes cathartic experience. I don't have a great ability for staying on task when I write, and I find myself either providing way too much detail or wanting to blurt out information in list form. I tried writing a few things, the most notable being about subculture in Taipei. I enjoyed fleshing out some ideas, but at the end of the day it was all over analytical with no real narrative or direction. I enjoy short stories a great deal, but I think I'm far away from writing my own. I guess like with everything, I just need more practice. I hadn't written for a while, and it was nice to reignite a little spark in this area.

My schedule has been in so much turmoil lately that I found myself not able to complete the 2Week every night. I came to the realization that I need to plan out my 2Weeks better - If I want to keep 2Weeking then I need strategy. Some plan of action to better commit myself to this project that I feel strongly about. Possible 2Weeking planning form on the way.

2Week or Weekend?

Weekend

2week #10 Spencer's Review

I like to write, I enjoy the process of writing. I've had a few ideas of sci-fi short stories kicking around and I finally got the chance to put one of them on paper. Fact is, I always tell myself how good a writer I could be and that writing a good book would be easy. It always seems like something is easier before you actually do it.

I wrote my story about "genetic memory" whereby people in the future could look at your genes and retrieve memories about your ancestors. It was supposed to be about a galactic civil war in which the main character ends up being saved by his enemy. His grandkids down the line are then forced into servitude for the family of his savior as a means of political reconciliation. Sounded great to begin with but my story couldn't hold a plot line. I kept deviating from one futuristic idea to the next. A host of unbelievable characters and three or four flashbacks later and I could tell the story was doing the oozlembird.

So, my dreams of becoming a famous writer without really trying died along with the story about three days ago. I diligently worked at it for about a week and a half and then put it down like a dying dog. Oh well. My ideas need more time to incubate... that's my excuse. Maybe sometime in the future I'll try to resurrect it.

2Week or too weak?

Weak End

2Week #10 May 3rd- May 16th: Write it, Creatively

This is a simple 2week of self expression. We have some great ideas kicking around in our heads with no motivation to put it into writing. So, we decided this 2week will be dedicated to penning our creative thoughts. Be it sci-fi stories, fiction or autobiographical this 2week is about inking your ideas and letting the creative juices flow!

The Challenge is to try to put at least 20 minutes of concentrated effort into creative stories on a daily basis.

Who knows, maybe we'll put up some of our stories for feedback from you other wonderful 2weekers. And vica versa? It would be cool to see yours as well.

2Week #9: Tom's Review

Upon setting out on this 2Week, we knew that the process of training ourselves to lucid dream would last much longer than two weeks. I found myself really getting interested in the subject. The idea of testing one’s own reality and completing memory exercises to practice really appealed to me. My favorite part of this 2Week was the Prospective Memory Training where you memories a list of cues for each day, such as: see a red car, hear the telephone ring, handle money, etc. When you see these things, then you test if you are dreaming. You are basically helping your brain build up its memory for responding to cues you have previously memorized. Truthfully, I never went through a day remembering to test myself at each cue, but I would like to keep this training up for that very reason.

I did well keeping a dream journal and reading the book during the first week. But the second week, I was swamped with work. When you don’t get enough sleep, the amount of dreamtime is severely reduced. My dream journal is embarrassingly sparse. I would like to continue doing this 2Weeks and see where it takes me because I believe it has been very worthwhile.

2Week or 2Weak?

Ongoing

2week #9 Spencer's Review

Controlling your dreams. Talk about the holy grail of imaginary parties and experiences. Initially I really put my all into this 2week. I read the book, did the mental gymnastics and visualized success. Did I get a lucid dream? Sort of. More like half way lucid. Or I might have forgotten. Either way, it was cool to try.

Here are some top (G-rated...) quotations from my dream journal . Please note I wrote these in a sleepy stupor directly after waking up:

1. "I think there were zombie rats, which we were fighting. But I can't fully remember."
2. "Dreamed I owned a set of lizards that lived inside a rock wall at my elementary school. Tried to take them out for a Show & Tell. Mommy was very upset with me... had fast multiplying lizards of all sorts - Both looked like hedgehogs."
3. "Joined a small posse of raiders headed by Bob and Favrell. Had big sticks, had to salute and call each other names."
4. "Groups of people wanted to extend hands across the desert, a line of people across the desert by holding hands."
5. "Recurring image of acid politics"
6. "Teaching in a post-apocalypse, Hedgehogs teaching little kids w/ Kristin - none of them remember anything, kids turn into hedgehogs"
7. "Getting a comb by being hit by a bus."
8. "At a scouting conference in a hick-town... then I got to the conference where these thugs start killing people. They get shot and blown up, my left molar is killing me and it's split down the middle, need to see a dentist.
9. " 'Healthcare' shower had a 'seduce' function. Talked to Gran about going to Kowloon."

From the above few quotations you can already see that hedgehogs are one of my dream signs. I'll continue searching for more as I go on. I'll be keeping my dream journal by my bed far into the future. Hopefully I will begin to actually lucid dream; but re-reading dreams is fun as it is.

In sum, I loved this 2week. On a number of occasions I turned over after waking up and was too lazy to write down my dreams. I could have been better at it, but for the most part I think I deserve a 2week complete!

2Week or too weak?

2Week Complete

2Week #9 April 19th - May 2nd: Lucid Dreaming

This next 2Week will focus on the exploration of Lucid dreaming. Although this dream technique may take a much longer process than simply 2 weeks, we will start out on the path, and at the very least have a record of our dreams.

What is lucid dreaming?

Lucid dreaming is dreaming with consciousness. It occurs when the individual realizes that they are dreaming and can influence their own dreamworld.

"Empowered by the knowledge that the world they are experiencing is a creation of their own imagination, lucid dreamers can consciously influence the outcome of their dreams. They can create and transform objects, people, situations, worlds, even themselves. By the standards of the familiar world of physical and social reality, they can do the impossible."

Lucid dreaming has been reported for centuries, the first on record being Aristotle's On Dreams

Why lucid dream?

“Dreams are a reservoir of knowledge and experience, “ writes Tibetan Buddhist Tarthang Tulku, “yet they are often overlooked as a vehicle for exploring reality. In the dream state our bodies are at rest, yet we see and hear, move about, and are even able to learn. When we make good use of the dream state, it is almost as if our lives were doubled: instead of a hundred years, we live two hundred.”

How to do it?

All the quotations from this post, and our overall guide for this 2Week will be the book Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming. We strongly recommend you find this text to follow if attempting the 2Week with us. This presents a comprehensive step-by-step method for achieving lucid dreams. The following is step 1 through 5 as listed in the guide:

1. Keep a dream journal

Keep a journal in which you record all of your dreams. When you have collected at least a dozen dreams, proceed to the next step.

2. Catalog your dreamsigns

While continuing to collect dreams, mark the dreamsigns in your dream reports. Underline them, and list them after each dream description.

3. Classify each dreamsign using the dreamsign inven-tory

Next to each dreamsign on your list, write the name of its category from the dreamsign inventory. For instance, if you dreamed of a person with the head of a cat, this would be a form dreamsign.

4. Pick target dreamsign categories

Count how many times each dreamsign category (inner awareness, action, form, or context) occurs and rank them by frequency. Whichever occurs most often will be your target dreamsign category in the next step. If there is a tie between categories, pick the one that appeals to you.

5. Practice looking for dreamsigns while you are awake

Make a habit of examining your daily life for events that fit under your dreamsign category. For instance, if your target category is action, study how you, other people, animals, objects, and machines act and move. Become thoroughly familiar with the way things usually are in waking life. This will prepare you to notice when something unusual happens in a dream.

In this 2Week

• We will keep a dream journal and record all that we can remember from our dreams.

1. Ask yourself, "what was I dreaming?"
2. If you cant remember, then "what was I last thinking or doing"
3. build a story from whatever you can remember and title it
4. It needs to be recorded immediately after you wake up, you cannot wait or go back to sleep

• Read Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold
• Begin to look for dreamsigns!

Good luck, and sweet dreams!

Here's a link to the book: World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold

2Week #8 Tom's Review

It is amazing how something as simple as cleaning up could make such an impact on your life. I've always said before that the cleanliness of my room reflects the stresses of my work week and what place my head is in. I'm starting to think it might have been the other way around now. I have felt mentally more organized and ready to start my day. Coming back to a clean apartment was coming back to a home. Messes bother me now.

This has been a 2Weeking lifestyle that I will be holding myself to continue. I feel more responsible, productive and ready. I really feel that this 2Week has been a big step for me, perhaps one I may look back on as a turning point in my maturity. I ran into people this weekend who told me I look different; older. I told them that I had started making my bed. They understood.

2Week or too weak?

2Week Complete

2week #8 Spencer's Review

Of all the 2weeks we have done to date this one made the most lasting impact on me. To have a clean house, a clean living space, is such an invigorating feeling. To come home and not be barraged by a swarm of disgusting scents and sights is liberating. Like living in a new paradigm.

For the 2week I was less careful with my room as the main living space and kitchen that Tom and I share. I was better with my room than usual but not as anal as I was with the shared space. However, I believe I was cleanly enough to complete the 2week.

I will, and I say this with caps, WILL continue this 2week and make it a part of my daily habit. I've done it for 2 weeks and it really wasn't all that difficult. It's just about making cleanliness a consistent behavior.

So happy I did this. So happy Tom and I did this together. It has changed our lives for the better.

2Week or too weak?
2Week complete!

2Week #8 April 5th - April 18th: Next to Godliness

"Cleanliness is next to godliness."

This 2week challenges us to keep our entire house clean for 2 weeks straight.

Look. We are 20 something year old bachelors. We know we live like slobs most of the time and our living space reflects our lack of cleanliness. A rare house cleaning happens once in a blue moon.

We also recognize that our house feels better when it's clean and we are happier when our surroundings are tidy. But, even with the knowledge of how to make ourselves feel better we usually let laziness overcome keeping a clean living space.

This 2week is about keeping it clean! On Monday we are going to do a massive full house clean. Dishes, floor, personal rooms, kitchen, bathroom the whole shebang. Then it is our personal charge to keep it that way for the next 2 weeks. When a mess is made we immediately clean it up. No more clothes strewn on the floors and couches. No more rotting dishes in the sink. We are cleaning up our act and keeping it that way!

And all of you shall bear witness to our solemn pledge. For those joining in, as with every 2week for some this may be easier than others.

2Week #7 Spencer's Review

I end this 2week a better person. The 2week pushed me to open up my options and cast my gastric net a bit farther. I found that I have made patterns in my life. After school I eat this, before tutoring I eat that. After I found a handful of decent places I found that I refused to look any farther.

After this 2week my local dining options expanded two fold. The gem I discovered was a delicious Guangdong / Hong Kong style restaurant that makes dishes I only thought you could find in southern China. My anxiousness is palpable to eat there again.

There were a two occasions where time constraints forced my hand to buy something I had eaten before. However, this was because someone else bought it for me while we were studying. Also, when I was in Hong Kong I ate at a restaurant I visited two years ago in the name of nostalgia. I don't think that counts! Even with those small slip-ups I believe I kept with the spirit of the 2week and made myself try new places during the entirety of the challenge. That was the intent and I found some treasures along the way. Great 2week all around.

2Week or too weak?
2Week complete!

2Week #7 Tom's Review

This last 2Week really opened my eyes to my neighborhood around home and work. Not only did I find delicious food from new places, but I found new streets, new tea shops, stationary shops, and shortcuts. I am surprised by how little I knew of the food and the streets around places I frequently visit.

This 2Week also was excellent for my Chinese. Usually I just fall into the rutt of ordering the same thing at the sameplaces without looking at menus or trying to order something different. This time I had to strech my reading and speaking to order. I hadn't considered my failure to branch out more as an extention of my limited Chinese, but I found in part that it was.

This 2Week had provided me with a better understanding of the places around me, and I now have a much broader set of dinning options. Excellent 2Week!

2Week or too weak?
2Week complete!

2Week #7 March 22nd - April 4th: Scavenger

This next 2Week is focused on broadening our knowledge of our neighborhood. It is so easy to stop exploring, especially around where you live. Often times meals consist of rotating through convenient restaurants even when you know there is something better to be found.

For this 2Week, you may not eat food from any restaurant you have previously visited. You are to go out and find the places you have been missing, uncover the hidden gems, peek down the alleys, and peruse the plates.

As this 2Week has some potential to restrict you in unwanted ways, we have made some stipulations. Use your discretion, but try and follow the essence of the 2Week.

1. Everyday items such as water/milk that don't vary from shop to shop can be purchased at any location (although we encourage you to find alternative places as well)
2. Social obligations such as team dinners or work events are allowed
3. You may take a fellow 2Weekster to a restaurant if one of you has not been. It's a community - share the wealth!
4. The 2Week is for restaurants only, but bonus points if you expand it to all types of shops.

This should be a great 2Week to expand your options around your home school or work, and by the end of it you should have quite a nice list!

Good luck, and happy hunting!

2Week #6 Tom's Review

In my opinion, this was one of the best 2Weeks that we have had yet.

When first beginning this 2Week, I was immediately reminded of my experience before learning meditation. I found that If I was in the right mindset, that these 5 minute breaks were wonderful for self-reflection. I gained a lot these past 2 weeks through this 2weeks, and I found myself looking forward to my breaks.

Where this 2Week became difficult for me was actually when I had free time. I enjoyed breaking up my busy work days, but when I had time, my schedule of the 2Week became fuzzy, and I wouldn't fully concentrate. I had no problem waking up for sunrise after a night of drinking, but I did find it difficult to keep my prayer schedule when I had a free day. I think the difference is that when I was busy, the 2Week became a time for myself, when I had no work, it became a chore.

I got out what I put into these prayers. If I relaxed, and focused my thinking, they were endlessly valuable. If I was not in the right mind, it was wasted time. It was a learning experience for me to punctuate my day with prayer the way a Muslim might (although nearly not to the same extent). I did well with the 2Week, but alas abandoned it during a rugby tour in Manila. Even thought I did not complete this 2Week, I am still taking much away from it.

2Week or Too Weak?

Too Weak

2week #6 Spencer's Review

This 2week was by far the most difficult. In theory, it sounded great. It sounded deep, immersive and life changing. Exactly what a 2week should be.

But, it was exactly these elements that made it tedious and difficult. After the first three days of effort I began to lose it. I got up at 6:05 AM every morning to pray with Tom, but after that I lost track of time and found myself making up for the prayers in the last hours of the evening. I would get caught up in my life and totally space making time for the prayers. Or, when I did remember it, I was pressed for time to complete it. This was not the way I imagined the 2week working. Furthermore, when I sat down to pray I could not keep my mind from wandering- planning my day and thinking of other things. Perhaps this is mental weakness on my part. Either way, I failed miserably actualizing the goals of this 2week. Both in doing the prayers and keeping my mind in the right space.

If I learned anything it's the sheer commitment of doing something 5 times a day. I am in awe of devout Muslims who make this practice a daily ritual. To reaffirm your faith on a daily basis is one thing, and to do it 5 times a day is an astounding commitment. I only prayed for 5 minutes, while actual Salat takes much longer. Maybe it is easier when every one around you is also doing the same thing and you grew up doing it. Regardless, I am humbled by how much dedication this tradition takes and am glad I at least tried to experience it for a mere 2 weeks.

2week or 2weak?
Weakend

2Week #5 Tom's Review

When first starting this 2Week, I had planned on picking up many new activities so that I could have fun while exercising. My schedule was thrown off a bit by a new contract for work though, so I missed out on regular fun things through out the week like rock climbing or sprint training. I could really tell the difference between enjoyable exercise, and forced exercise.

Doing something with a friend made it so much easier to follow this 2Week. Running alone versus running with Spencer was like night and day for me. I did much better workouts when we did them together. It felt good to exercise everyday - it really filled up my schedule, but I felt more accomplished because of it too. Some of my exercises were better than others, and there were a couple days where I did minimal exercise. Even so, I do feel that I accomplished the 2Week. Perhaps it was not with flying colors, but enough so that I felt the benefits of an active lifestyle.

2Week or 2Weak?

2Week Complete

2Week #6 March 8th - March 21st: Prayer / Meditation 5 times a day

This 2Week was inspired by a professor of Religious Studies from Occidental College. During his Islam 101 class he suggested that we, as students learning about Islam, experience the commitment of praying / meditating / taking a moment of silence five times a day following the times of Salat. (Salat is the practice of praying five times a day and is one of the five pillars of Islam. As such, it is an integral part of a Muslim's faith and religious practices.)

More information on the practice can be found here

The times of prayer are:

• Salat al-fajr: dawn, before sunrise
• Salat al-zuhr: midday, after the sun passes its highest
• Salat al-'asr: the late part of the afternoon
• Salat al-maghrib: just after sunset
• Salat al-'isha: between sunset and midnight

(During this 2week these times are not set in stone but we are going to try to get it as close as possible without it adversely affecting our work and studies) Here's a cool website that can help with specific times if you want them

This is a significant commitment in one's life and we want to experience what it is like to organize your day around five set times as well as recognize the devotion required of this traditional Muslim practice.

This 2week is NOT Salat as practiced by Muslims and we don't intend it to be. It is meant to be completely secular and is not advocating for Islam or any other religion. The "prayer" can take the form of silent meditation, reflection or any other in way in which you feel comfortable using that time. All we recommend is being in "the right state of mind" for those five minutes. We will not be using prayer rugs, wudhu (washing the body before prayer), prayer movements or facing Mecca, etc. We will simply find a place for about five minutes during the above times to sit and pray in our own way.

Through this 2Week we hope to gain a partial understanding of what it is like to organize our thoughts and day around these five times and to reflect on ourselves and those around us.

We pray for a 2Week complete!

2Week #5 Spencer's Review

Exercise every day. That sounded pretty easy, especially after the month of exercise I got in in Thailand. But that was a different animal. Living in the urban jungle with all the stresses Taipei residency has to offer wears down on the mind and soul. Getting home after a grueling day makes going to the gym a heroic feat. These past 2 weeks were especially hard given that I started a new semester of school and I'm doing more extracurriculars on the side. All added up and it became a little overwhelming. (That and I got a new, sweet computer this weekend and I of course had to build it and play on it for an excessive amount of time. That didn't help my motivation either.)

I did exercise every day of this 2week, though. I pushed it pretty hard on most days and definitely felt good about most of what I did. In fact, I note this as the fastest 2week yet. But, I do not feel satisfied with the amount of exercise I did every day. In one day it was just a 7-minute ab workout (the day I got home from Thailand) another day was a measly set of wall-push-ups and ab rolling. In my book these don't count. So, even with the personal pressure of a 2week staring me in the face I still didn't finish it to my standards. Alas, with a heavy sigh I need to say this was a personally failed 2week. I could have done better.

2Week or Too Weak?
Weakend

2Week #4 Spencer's Review

Sorry to totally mess up the order of things in the blog. This review is, sadly, a few days late. I was hiking/getting lost (really) in the rain forests and jungles of Thailand without internet access. I have only just returned to my home in Taipei and am able to write this review.

I have noticed in myself an either anti-social wariness to meeting new people or a feeling of almost complete confidence. It is rarely between those ends of the spectrum that I find myself. However, through this 2week I tried to battle my inner hermit (when he reared his ugly head) and force myself to meet new people even when I was feeling like being by myself. I met so many more people this way and conquered some of my inner social demons.

I thought of keeping track of the people I met- but rather I decided to remember their stories. I've found a passion of mine is listening to what other people do for a living. I like to know how people make their way, earn their keep, and contribute to society. For some this meant hauling oil in northern Canada, for others it was sailing across the Pacific in a sailboat holding down the nightwatch. I met one guy who was an airline steward and I listened to a locksmith tell his tales. A hostel owner, an electrician, an airplane mechanic, a SCUBA diving instructor, a carpenter, an editor for museum exhibitions- each one I met and listened attentively to their stories. In turn I met these people and saw a reflection of myself. What is it that I'm going to contribute to the world? What will my profession and title be, and thus a part of my identity? Each story I heard I found myself trying their role out in my mind, to see if it fits me. As I have yet to hold a 40 hour a week job so I find he very idea of one fascinating. To put so much time into something, to get paid and eat because of it. If nothing else I learned how important it is to love what you do. And when I get to that point I'll try my hardest to make sure I do something I'm passionate about. Otherwise, I'm just wasting my life. You hear this axiom many times but finally I saw just how true it is, and how applicable it is to my future career.

2Week or Too Weak?
2Week complete!

2Week #5 February 22nd - March 6th: Exercise!

For this next 2Week, we will be focusing on personal health and fitness. Regular exercise can help you both mentally and physically in numerous ways. Just look at some of the reasons listed on our favorite women's health website

With all of this in mind, the next 2Week is to exercise everyday. Although a single workout will suffice, think of some ways to keep yourself more active throughout the day too. Try riding your bike to work and taking the stairs.

We recommend to try and make this as fun as possible, doing something you enjoy instead of something monotonous and undesirable. Think of how you feel after you exercise, and its effect on your mood and health.

Making a plan is suggested, scheduling your exercise can help you make sure that you go through with it.

Good luck, and happy huffing!

2Week #4 Tom's Review

When traveling, conversations can come pretty naturally. I had some interesting conversations with people, and connected on more ways than I thought I would through this 2Week. These 2 weeks, I definitely jumped on more opportunities to meet people that I normally do, and moreover, I was much more receptive when people began chatting with me. I enjoyed speaking openly with strangers, and found that if I didn't attempt to put up any sort of front or censor my emotions, than we often connected deeper. That all being said, "walking the talk" can be harder than it seems - especially after exhausting and grumpy days of traveling.

Going into this, I think that I needed a bit more strategy, or something to remind me to jump on conversations more readily. There were days that went by that I certainly did not have a meaningful conversation with anyone new. If I had put in more effort and broke a few more social norms, it would have been very possible. Groups are often actually very easy to approach, and receptive to newcomers, and the times that I didn't speak to anyone was because I was not in the right place mentally.

This activity takes some effort and guts, but overall, this is a great and recommendable 2Week. I suggest a commitment to yourself before you undertake this 2Week because it is less tangible and it can be easy to let potential interactions pass by like I did.

2Week or Too Weak?
Too Weak.

2Week #3 - Journalog - Tom's Review

At various times in my life, I have tried to keep a journal. It seems that no matter how much I want to make this a habit, it excapes me. I began this 2Week on schedule originally, and then found myself not in a good place to continue. I gave it a real go these past 2 weeks, and I still did not keep it up daily.

When I began this 2Week, I inspired myself by reading over a very old journal of mine that I wrote in Tibet. Re-reading this helped me find meaning in the recording of ideas, and I went on to write my best journal of the 2Week. I kept my journal for a week through the excitiment of learning to scuba dive, and the prospect of being an instructor myself in the future. I enjoyed journaling when I was in a good place. Later on throught the trip, I became very jaded with a lot of Thailand. Instead of being driven to write about it, I just started to shut down. Perhaps I could have delt with these feelings better if I had written them down, but I just felt unable.

I feel that was a good and telling 2Week, and I wish I could have stuck with it.

2Week or Too Weak?
Too Weak

2Week #4 February 8th - February 21st: Walk the Talk

As 2Weeking founders and legends Tom and Spencer have been reuinted in Thailand, we hope to maximize on our experiences through this next 2Week. We suggest this next 2Week and the previous one to anyone exploring a new place, although it could be just as rewarding to break your routines at home.

The next 2Week is to have at least one conversation with a new person every day. We will let you devolop your own criteria for what this entails. The major goal of this 2Week is to broaden your social horizons and allow yourself to develop deeper connections with the people around you.

Don't limit yourself to only a single interaction but just enjoy the process of meeting new people!

Note from Tom

Due to my busiest work week yet in Taiwan I unfortunatley found myself to unable to complete the journal 2Week on time. I will be doing this 2Week in conjunction with the next. As always, 2Weeks can be done on any schedule, and do not need to follow the dates on the site.

My review to come.

Love, Tom

2Week #3 Spencer's Review

These past two weeks I have been cycling from northern Thailand to Bangkok. My trip, as all such adventerous ideas, was laden with unexpected disasters and unforseeable benefits. I loved it, despite sleeping next to a highway, my bike breaking down on the top of a mountain and food poisoning that had me bedridden for days. As such, tt was all wonderful material to write and review- and by far the best time to keep a journal in my life was the past two weeks.

With my little notebook and a pen I tried to document the way that I perceived my trip. After I finished it, I went back over all my entries and it gave me so much more PERSPECTIVE! I started with such excitement, then in the middle I was all about business. When I was sick I was depressed and angry with things that had enchanted me about Thailand only days before. It showed me how much my emotions change over time and how that affects my general perception of my trip and the relationships I had created during it. Pictures could never do that, which I had originally relied on to document my traveling. Through the journal I gained an outside perspective on my development as a travelre as I could step back into the moment after it had passed. This was a very enlightening and almost scary realization. I change so much over time- all dependent on my mood, environment and situation. I could have sworn I was more stable than that...

As with the other 2Weeks, I want to continue keeping a journal. I made it a habit whenever I sat down for a meal to write down what had happened that day and what I had learned. I will try to take a bit of time, hopefully often, to write down what is going on in my life. At least it will provide me with more insight into my ever morphing multiple personalities.

2Week or Too Weak?
2Week complete!

2Week #3: January 25th – February 8th Journalog

As our last two 2weeks have focused on limiting ourselves, this next one will be about adding something. The challenge is simple: keep a journal for 2 weeks and write in it at least once a day. How much you write, and the format, are up to you. Use any method you choose- a computer, moleskin notebook, video log, anything that allows you a chance to record your thoughts.

We have both tried keeping journals in the past but could never get in the habit of continuing them, hopefully this can be a starting point for more writing and reflection.

There are numerous reasons for keeping a journal. Now let's find out what those reasons are on a personal level.

2Week #2 Tom's Review

I’m standing in my bathroom naked, eyes fixed upon a sign that reads: “harden the fuck up.” It’s cold out, and I am losing body heat fast with no clothes in my unheated apartment. I flip on the water, trying to separate the connection in my mind between this action and the icy water to follow. I take quick short breaths as I dance around under this freezing waterfall. Water off. I nurse my frozen body with shampoo and body wash before going in for a second plunge to wash it all away. Day 1 complete.

The Navy shower was a great 2Week, and really helped me understand how much water is wasted in the bathroom. I have a new idea of what taking a quick shower means, and I may employ it as a time saving device in the future. I also know that I won’t be such a wimp when I use unheated showers in the future. Showering with cold water was by far the most difficult part of the 2Week. On a cold winter morning it takes a lot to get psyched up for the plunge. Anticipating the shower was worse than the shower itself and if I simply walked into the bathroom and turned on the water than the whole process was much easier. Each day it got easier and I came to really enjoy the wake up. I didn’t feel any less clean from this shower, but I did feel more refreshed when I stepped out. Apparently blasting yourself with cold water is good for both your skin and your heart too! In the future I feel like I will limit my shower time, and I am happy to have the Navy Shower as a practiced bathing method to use whenever needed.

2Week or Too Weak?
2Week complete!

2Week #2 Spencer's Review

I begin this post with an anecdotal fact about myself followed by a swift defense of my 2weeking behavior. I normally get up at 9:50 AM for class at 10:00 AM, giving me little time to hop in the shower. It's only after I return that I'll give the ol' body a rinse. For THIS reason, I was not as unfortunate as Tom to take the dreaded Morning Navy Shower. Rather, the warmer afternoon tended to be my washing time. I did do a few mornings, and it was like being clocked in the face with ice cubes of pain. My short hair would take the initial attack of freezing water, and the rest of me would shiver and shake as I drenched myself as thoroughly as possible. I would then turn off the water and give myself a swift lather of soap with scrubbing, and then water down again. It never took longer than 2 minutes. I would like to add that a cold shower in the morning certainly wakes you up in case anyone is looking for something more effective than a double espresso (I needed both on some mornings).

I did learn something from this flagellation process. I waste A LOT of water during my normal shower time. I've been known to just daze off under the warmth of a flowing shower. 60 gallons I could waste in one go... at least. You could easily drown a few people in that much water. I'll be more aware of this in the future.

The only small confession I have to make is while my girlfriend was in town we rented out a private hot springs bath at a hotel. I don't believe these 2 baths I took to be antithetical to the purpose of the 2Week, but it is certainly worth mentioning. The water was going to be used anyway and it's non-potable: so it's ok! Right? I think so.

Overall, this was an excellent 2Week and it was suggested by a community member. So, it just goes to show that we take your advice to heart! Hope others out there enjoyed the 2week as much as we did.

2Week or Too Weak:

2Week complete!

2Week 2: January 11th – January 25th 2010

The Navy Shower:
This was a suggestion by one of our rugby teammates. He said that he would be doing this 2Week with us.

As explained here, a navy shower is used on naval vessels as a means of water conservation with limited on-board supplies of fresh water.

Premise: People should conserve water, regardless of where they live. For us living in Taiwan, it's even more important as we live on an island with scarce fresh water resources. We are bringing attention to the way we use fresh water daily and how we can conserve this valuable a commodity. We are also conserving energy by not heating up the water. 2 for the price of 1.

According to this article a navy shower takes 3 gallons, while a normal shower takes 60 gallons. That adds up over a lifetime.

How to do the Navy Shower:
1. Turn on the water and stand directly under it- no time to let it heat up.
2. Turn off the water immediately after your body is wet.
3. Scrub with soap and shampoo.
4. Turn on the water again to just wash off the soap, shampoo etc.

Should not last more than 2-3 minutes.

2Week #1 Tom's Review

2Week: A Sugar Free Me

No sugar for two weeks? Ahh, I’ve been living on an endless supply of chocolate and cake that pours in from my kindergarten job here in Taiwan! My first realization was that almost every meal or snack that I was accustom to eating had some form of sugar. Total dietary revamp and exploration of bland alternative was left to follow. In truth, I found much more enjoyment in food in this time, seeking out items not masked by this white, powdery, addictive “cane.” My mood and energy seemed to improve during this 2Week, and the cravings went away. I realized I really didn’t need much sugar, and that I feel much better without those bursts and crashes in energy.

The hardest part of the 2Week for me was social pressures for eating sugar. Try saying no to a friend who buys you a whiskey and Coke at a bar. You should have seen the sad look in little Evelyn’s eyes when I told her that I could not eat her birthday cake… or the sad look in my own eyes when I couldn’t eat any of the brownie cake made for my own birthday this week. Some people understood the project and some couldn’t grasp it. I had a few people try to convince me that I could get away with just one little bowl of ice cream, or that it would be “our little secret.” When people did this, I began to think about how unaccustomed people are to saying not to things.

From this 2Week, I felt like I was able to practice some self-control, and I think the exercising of it was good for me. Stick to your values! I also learned some about food processes and unexpected items that had sugar. Truth be told I needed to do more research than I did. Ketchup has sugar in it? What! I ended up consuming products that were not entirely free from sugar, and although I kept on truckin’, my consistent mistakes earned me a big fat Weakend. I will continue to keep a low sugar diet, and I feel like I know how to eat healthier too!

2Week or Too Weak?

Sadly, my first 2Week was a Weakend

2Week #1 Spencer's Review

Spencer's review- Two weeks is way longer than I thought. It turns out I had sugar addiction- bad. The first few days I had to fight off the temptation of buying a candy bar before class every day. The urge to eat a bowl OF unhealthy cereal became a physical battle with my body. Then, after about 5 days, it became easier. A simple no to cookies or cake and the craving was gone. Before, if someone put out a plate of cookies before me I wouldn't stop until they were all eaten, even if I was the only one chomping away at them. I saw a movie with a few friends with homemade cookies. Even though they were right in front of me, the week of practice I had under my belt let me say no with ease. I've learned a tremendous amount of self-control, far more than I thought I could possess. It was astounding how much sugar I was eating in a day. I started paying attention to the food I was eating and its sugar content. Even daily staples like corn flakes had some of it. ketchup, as it turns out, does too. Sugar is pretty much in everything I eat on a daily basis. That was eye opening. I will say that I succeeded in accomplishing the fundamental goal of the 2Week, but I don't deserve a badge. I still did eat things with sugar in them- even though there were trace amounts, i.e. corn flakes, kethcup, some breads etc. I said no to all forms of candy and sweets, but I did eat SOME sugar. So, I give myself an honorable mention, but not the badge. To truly go without any sugar of any kind is a heroic feat in modern times. Please let me know if someone out there does succeed in that. The reason for my success is Tom. Without the element of friendly competition and honor I don't think I would have made it. A promise to myself is far easier broken than one to my best friend.

Conclusion: I'm going to try and continue this 2week and see how far I can go with it. My sugar addiction was debilitating and unhealthy. I had never realized the extent of it. I feel better, I feel healthier. That's worth far more than a bowl of frosted flakes in the morning. I'm exceptionally glad I did this. Now I know that it's possible to overcome the addiction and I've won the hardest part of a battle I have been losing since childhood. And it's on to the next challenge.

2Week or Weak?

Weakend

2Week #1 Sugar Free Me! 12/26/09 - 1/9/10

Yup, this was our first challenge. It came to use while we were watching American Gigolo late at night- getting fat on Pocky and Christmas toffees.

It had always been a goal of ours to kick the candy habit, and thus 2Weeking was born out of a bet. Could we go 2 WHOLE weeks without processed sugar?

So, Challenge #1 is: No Processed Sugars!

No candy, soda, cake, cookies, milkshakes, Frosted Flakes :( etc...

If you complete this challenge you get the Sugar Free Me Badge of Courage.

2Weeking Dates: Saturday, December 26th 2009 - Saturday, January 9th 2010.

Good luck 2Weekers and try for no weakends!