Life's a journey

Biking home from work

2009-07-07T17:26:00.002-05:00

I love that my commute takes me past my favourite building in all of Winnipeg.

2009-07-06T17:19:00.002-05:00

Best viewed with the sound to a minimum. Moses Mayes was FANTASTIC! They appear every year it seems, and they're a huge crowd pleaser.

Fire eaters on Canada Day

2009-07-06T01:17:00.001-05:00

Ms. Melissa

2009-07-04T17:41:00.002-05:00

My dear friend Melissa came to Winnipeg for a visit, and I got to meet up with her on Thursday afternoon. We went to lunch at The Current, one of the nicer restaurants at The Forks, and then I gave her a tour of historic tour I have been developing this summer. It was wonderful to catch up with her. I hope it is not another year till I see her again.

Fire eaters on Canada Day [Flickr]

2009-07-04T15:50:20-07:00

Michael Tyas posted a video:

A hot tub goes full circle

2009-07-04T13:51:00.003-05:00

Last night I celebrated a bit of an anniversary. It wasn't specific to the date, but rather the returning to a season. I went to a hot tub party at Tim's. It was the first time I'd been to his place this summer. I was flooded with memories of last year once the smells of the pool and some beer hit my system. Last year around this time, Carolyn and TJ had just met, and Tim and Jane had decided an hour previously to start dating. One year later, one set are married and the other are talking about future apartments. Both couples were in attendance. The turning and returning were a time for reflection.

On top of the WAG

2009-06-27T17:56:00.003-05:00

The other evening, Tim invited me to the grand reopening of the Winnipeg Art Gallery's (WAG) rooftop sculpture garden. They were serving scrumptious appetisers and were showing an exhibition by Joe Fafard. It was a beautiful summer evening, and I had my bike. On the way back to the house, I meandered past the Manitoba Legislative Building and soaked in the evening.

Baptised in BDI

2009-06-23T20:05:00.003-05:00

I have finally visited the BDI icecream store. It's a Winnipeg icon. I can't believe it took two over years to accomplish! The store is right next to the Red River and a converted rail to walk bridge. The procedure is simple: order icecream; the length of the bridge; throw out your wrappers, and; walk back.

I biked there with Meg P.

A Facebook Free Event.

2009-06-22T19:19:00.007-05:00

Last week Mike F suggested we have a potlcuk at our residence, and that we invite people the 'old fashioned way' such as face to face, over the phone, or maybe even text message. Above all, he petitioned, we should avoid advertising the event on Facebook. It was to be a true test of our cultural amnesia, our ability to plan as the ability existed before 2006.

Four people came (only three of which are photographically verified). This might seem like a low turnout, but in actuality we only invited eight people. That is because we did not plan ahead with one another, and all of us assumed that the other had invited the others. We need to sit down and plan the guest list next time. But a 50% turnout was still pretty good.

Also, we had no idea who was actually coming. We got maybes from everybody. Next time I'm going to recommend we ask for Yes or No. Also, we did not know what people, should they show up, were bringing. This caused some problems in the hours leading up to the event, when we got perturbed phone calls from potential guests wondering if there was going to be two servings of meatballs, etc. Again, we need to have some sort of organization. Angie gave great advice. You give the first person who says they're coming the freedom to chose what they'll bring. Then, the next person who confirms, you say "such and such is bringing salad" and that gets the ball rolling. Good advice :)

I'm looking forward to our next Facebook free event!

Two months of infirmity

2009-06-17T20:10:00.002-05:00

I've been sick for, it feels, over two months. It started with exams in April and I haven't been able to recover. Multiple colds, perhaps H1N1, and last night, middle of the night & sleep depriving nausea.

There's something so depressing about vomiting alone.

Alive!

2009-06-15T17:04:00.002-05:00

I biked to and from work for the first time this morning. I managed to beat the bus I usually take. I think I'm really going to enjoy cycling over the summer!

Silence as blog post

2009-06-14T17:35:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted anything in around two months. Priorities for time, a new job, and the need to refresh myself from the busy and difficult school schedule have lead to the silence. My friend Wesley said that my silence was in itself a blog post, and I guess I agree.

Exams went relatively well for me this year, and I am happy with the marks I received in school. My highest mark was a 97% in technical writing, which I was particularly pleased with. I really do enjoy technical writing and also being good at is an exciting revelation.

I was in Guatemala for a week in the beginning of May for my friend's wedding. TJ and Carolyn tied the knot with 34 of their closest friends and family in the Santa Domingo resort in Antigua on May 5. I was there as official videographer for the wedding, and tonight is their Winnipeg wedding reception, where I'll be showing the video to those who couldn't be with us in Guatemala. That country was great, but seven days was just enough time for me to really appreciate coming back home to Canada. I got a little sick on day 3 of the trip and it has taken me a long time to return to 'regular' health. I hope to post some of the adventures from Guatemala soon.

This summer I'm working for a government agency at a national historic site in Winnipeg. I'm designing a really great self guiding interpretive tour using cutting edge GPS technology. It's a wonderful opportunity for me to mesh technical writing and my passion for new media and technology together. I feel very blessed to be working in a professional capacity in only my second year of university! I could see myself doing this type of work for the rest of my life!

Finally, I've rented a bike from my roommate for the season so that I can commute to work. Winnipeg has some excellent bike trails in the summer, and I'm fortunate enough to live between the beautiful Assiniboine river walk and my work. I'll be foregoing the bus pass for the next couple months and getting some wind in my hair.

Finally, I'm still single and starting to feel a little lonely. I'm nearly 27 and still don't have that special someone to share life with, someone that makes me tingle when they enter the room. There may be some contestants, but...I don't kiss and tell.

There's the update in a nutshell!

Polyphasic sleep experiment complete

2009-04-07T13:08:00.003-05:00

It ended over a month ago in a lackluster, anticlimactic kind of way. I was busy with school and hadn't the time to write the final report. Lucky for you, I've got tonsillitis. Here's how it all ended.

I mastered it. I was sleeping for a total of 4.5 hours a day, spaced over 4 sleep periods. And that's what killed it for me. I had spent two weeks fighting through crushing fatigue and strange sleeping patterns and finally emerged victorious, but that's when I realized I had merely crested one of many hurdles. Loneliness was my next enemy, and I had no strategy to overcome it.

Staying up to all hours without needed to sleep is a very lonely experience when it is done without a companion. I didn't notice the loneliness when I was distracted by the tiredness and fighting to fit into the schedule. Once I felt normal, the walls began to close in around me. I tried playing Sim City. I tried Facebook and chat with my international friends, but they weren't always available (or willing to entertain). I began to desire sleep as a way of whisking me to an hour that my roommates were awake, like time travel. So I've discovered the true meaning of sleep.

Time Travel

Coming off the experiment, an interesting thing happened. I could only sleep for 4-5 hours at a time, and when I woke up I felt extremely refreshed and invigorated. Any more than 5 hours, and I felt like I'd been in bed all day long. My guess is that my sleep time became more efficient in the two weeks I messed with it, so 8 hours were compressed into 4. This lasted for a week, but eventually my body's equilibrium had me pressing the snooze alarm once again.

The biggest thing I've learned from this experiment is that I can make it on only a few hours of sleep. I've given up opportunities in the past when I didn't think I'd had enough sleep and wouldn't be able to function. This experiment has proven that I can indeed function, and my previous fears of bone cruising exhaustion were unfounded.

Ultimately, I may one day return to the polyphasic sleep lifestyle, but it will likely only be if I had someone to share all that extra time with.

P.S. I'm not making the video, because it's boring and doesn't reveal any helpful information.

Expecting Tyas Photography

2009-03-27T17:24:00.004-05:00

My sister-in-law has started her own personal photography business! It's called Tyas Photography. Now I have two things to look forward to: becoming an uncle, and her business taking off!

Did I forget to mention that Jared and Amanda are expecting? How silly of me!!!

Homework FREEZE Zone.

2009-03-15T23:32:00.003-05:00

I was feeling really bored. My roommate had been working on an essay all day. I proposed he stop working on his essay. He proposed making a fort.

Polyphasic sleep experiment: day 8

2009-03-06T13:46:00.002-06:00

I have no idea what happened. I went to sleep at 5 AM, as per my schedule, woke up at 9:30 AM this morning. My alarm was set for 8, and class started at 9:30. What happened? I have no idea. I don't think that the alarm clock malfunctioned, nor was it set improperly because I never change the setting. It kind of felt like waking up in a strange house, except it was just a strange time.

I have a running theory that I unconsciously turned off the alarm without forming any memories of the action. To combat this, I've set the Alarm 2 function on my clock, as well as set my cell phone for a few minutes after 8, which I'll put in a different part of the room.

It should also be mentioned that there's something to be said about failing one's polyphasic sleep schedule. It's depressing. Some people eat chocolate or smoke when they get depressed. As a Polyphasic Sleeper, I feel that the most self destructive thing I can do to myself is just curl up under the covers and sleep. So I slept until noon. The shame!

Polyphasic sleep experiment: Day 7

2009-03-05T13:22:00.000-06:00

I've been performing this experiment for a week, and I must say that I'm quite pleased with how I feel, and the extra time benefits are profoundly changing how I schedule my day. Frankly, I find that I can afford to be much more social now that I know I've got all the time I need to get work done. Whether it's spending time with my roommates in the evening, watching a movie, or going on a walk on a beautiful day, I have the time to enjoy more in life, while still getting solid school work completed.

Even working on my courses have become an enjoyable activity, because I can listen to music. Usually music is a mildly distracting annoyance when I'm studying, but I do find that I end up missing it. Vicious circle. Now I can work at a slightly slower pace and still tune into my favorite online radio stations. Listening to good music and getting good work done. It's win win!

As for how my body is taking this: Caffeine really affects me. I feel high when I drink it. This is not to say that I am always feeling drowsy, though drinking caffeine certainly gives me a boost when I'm feeling tired. It never used to affect me like that. I have to get a half caff' from the coffee shop whenever I do indulge. Also, I've been occasional headaches whereas I usually don't get them. This might be due to the different sleep pattern, or perhaps due to the aforementioned caffeine deficiency I've imposed on myself. Probably a bit of both.

I'm looking forward to fully adjusting to this schedule!

Polyphasic day 6

2009-03-03T00:27:00.003-06:00

I've just passed into day 6 of my polyphasic sleep experiment. Things are getting better. I'm adapting to the schedule and feeling more energy and alertness with each day.

Day 3 was the worst. Boredom was my worst enemy. It's not as though I had nothing to do--the reason I started this was because I thought I could use more time. However, in the wee hours of the morning I was struggling to keep my eyes open and any activity seemed like the hardest thing in the world. I cheated, and went to bed early. I also slept in by a couple hours. As I pulled myself from bed, I felt like a failure.

But the renewed energy later on in the day convinced me to keep on trying. And I'm glad I did. Naps have become a lot easier to fall asleep to. I've gone to class twice and remained aware and functional. Last night was the first night I was productive until 5 AM. I managed to study until 3 AM, and then played some Sim City 4 until bed time. Having something fun to do in the final hours of the day is essential to my conversion process.

It's been interesting to see how my time management has been affected throughout this. I feel freer to socialize in the evenings and take it easy while studying, because I know that I'll have an additional 3-4 hours every day to get stuff done.

During the waking hours, I've felt mostly alright, though there have been times that I felt, what I would describe, as somewhere between muscle fatigue and grogginess.

I think that I'll give this experiment another week to prove itself. If I don't feel a marked improvement in that time, I'll end it. I hope to feel fully awake and refreshed, and not like I'm dragging myself from the most wonderful sleep of my life every time I get up from a nap.

Polyphasic Sleep

2009-02-27T17:10:00.004-06:00

A couple years ago my friend Wes told me about a unique sleeping strategy, called polyphasic sleep, involving spaced out naps throughout the day in lieu of a large 8 hour chunk of sleep, which would be labeled monophasic. He said that notable greats used this strategy, such as Winston Churchill, to remain at the helm of command for more hours out of the day. The sitcom Seinfeld popularized the experiment when Kramer tries to copy Leonardo DeVinci's sleeping pattern, which was also polyphasic. The experiment piqued my interested at the time, but I was unable to try it out myself because my current job that I be awake for stretches longer than 5 hours, which is incompatible with the experience.

However, an Internet article floated my way the other day and I was again reminded by this intriguing proposition. Sleep in small chunks throughout the day, the sum of which equals between 2-5 hours. Feel refreshed and aware all the time. Why, if I even tried the liberal interpretation at 5 hours of sleep per day, that would be an additional 21 hours of free time per week en théorie.

Since I'm currently a student with a much more flexible lifestyle, I decided that it was worth a try!

I'm currently into day two. I'm keeping a video diary of my experience, but I'll post it when I can cut it together over a couple days. So far I can tell you that I'm going strong. By midnight tonight, I'll have had only 9 hours of rest in the past 48 hours. Last night was rather difficult, because I'm still adapting to this new schedule and was quite fatigued. That translated in me being unable to do nearly any activity, which lead to an intense boredom. If I do adapt to this schedule, I know that I've got lots of things that I can do with my extra time. The hardest part is getting to the point where I'm feeling well enough to do it!

Wish me luck!

Renee and Amanda

2009-02-27T02:03:00.001-06:00

Renee and Amanda
Originally uploaded by Michael Tyas

Renee is in the city for a couple days! We had lunch with Amanda and then they came over to visit at my house.

Tahoe Slideshow

2009-02-19T22:53:00.000-06:00

Lake Tahoe

2009-02-19T01:14:00.003-06:00

A view from the top of some mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe.

Five years later, in Tahoe.

2009-02-18T03:34:00.002-06:00

The last time I saw Joy, I was standing on a train platform watching her drive away. It was December of 2003, and we had become best friends in video production school in South Africa. Despite the years and the distance between us, we managed to stay in semi-regular contact with one another via telephone and web-cam. She says I was her rock. I say she was my confidante. We never knew when, if ever, we would ever see one another again.

Five years later and we rendezvous in Tahoe to go skiing. Life's a journey, and I'm enjoying this scenery!

Archive

To Tahoe!

2009-02-13T11:52:00.005-06:00

It's officially reading week for me. I just wrote a philosophy test in RECORD TIME and my class commitments are finished until January 23. I'm soo soo excited. You wanna know why? Because I'm going to Tahoe to visit Joy, my wonderful best friend in the world! I haven't seen her in over 5 years! We met in South Africa in video production school. I had a crush on her. She knows this. It wouldn't work out between she and I now (for obvious reasons!) but we've still remained in close contact over these past years. It doesn't even feel like we've been separated for that long!

Joy is working in Tahoe as a snowboarding instructor for the season, which is why she's in the USA.

The plan is that I'm renting a car and driving with my roommate, Mike F, to Tahoe. This afternoon. It will take 27 hours driving straight through, which we're going to try and do. We'll stay at Joy's house for the 4-5 days we're there. We plan on going skiing, skating, and just generally hanging out in real time as much as we can!

I'm really excited and thankful that my roommate has decided to come along with me, for two reasons. The first, and lesser is the costs get split up between the two of us. This is going to be a really affordable adventure. The second, and most important to me, is that Mike will get to meet Joy. He'll develop a relationship with her. And that's huge, because no one else in my life in North America knows Joy at all. Sometimes I think I made her up in my head. Now that my good friend Mike will know her, when I want to talk about her when we're back in Winnipeg I'll have someone to talk to who knows precisely what I am talking about! And he'll be able to share stores with me about her. I feel like I'm bringing a little piece of Joy home with me after this trip. It's not ideal, I know. I mean, we should be neighbours. But this is the next to next best thing.

Below is a map of our driving route. It's nearly 3000 KM each way. Pray for us for traveling mercies at the border and on the road! And here's a song that describes my relationship with my wonderful friend.

View Larger Map

Memories of Petpeswick

2009-01-25T16:27:00.005-06:00

I was reminiscing about Nova Scotia this afternoon, and thought I'd share another Photosynth with you. These were taken from the edge of a golf course that enjoys this stunning view. In the middle of the inlet are tall grasses, where hunters lie in wait for geese and ducks. It was relatively silent on the evening I took these photos.

Activate full screen for best results.

Press 1 for slideshow. Press space for the next slide, and Z for the previous slide.

Rethinking Cell Phones in the Classroom

2009-01-22T00:42:00.003-06:00

This is a photosynth of an article I wrote for my university paper, The Manitoban. The article is posted below, but for added fun I thought I'd photosynth the open page of newsprint on my desk so that you could peruse the article as it appeared, along with a custom graphic.

***

UMEMERG banned from classroom as teachers find received emergency messages to be ‘distracting’

In light of the recent arrests of two teens plotting to gun down students and staff at the University of Manitoba, among other locations, I’m all the more bothered by some of my professors who disallow mobile phone use in the classroom.

UMEMERG is a voluntary emergency warning system, accessible through every U of M student’s JUMP account, that operates primarily through mobile phones. In the case that an emergency was taking place on campus, we could expect to receive either a text message (though you must pay for to the email2text feature on some providers) or a voice message to our mobile phones. This message would warn us in an instant that an emergency situation was occurring on campus, allowing us to take the proper precautions and protect ourselves. There are a host of other emergency systems in place at the U of M, effectively creating a safety blanket to ensure maximum exposure. Examples include intercoms in every classroom and a plan to broadcast instructions over outdoor loudspeakers (scheduled to be operational in the spring).

Despite this, my syllabus for one class states plainly, “Cell phone use in the lecture will not be tolerated.” The instructor then went on to say that the vibrate option, in her opinion, is also distracting and should be silenced, effectively shutting down a critical piece of the U of M’s emergency broadcast system. Now, I know that there's more than one system in place (the intercom in each class for example), but as I recall reading last year in the Manitoban, that system had some “minor issues.” I wonder how minor, and how often they test each intercom to see if it’s working. Should we have to place all our faith in one system for the sake of professors who become distracted in the five seconds it takes for me to pull out my phone, press a button, and put it back in my pocket?

Students are effectively being told that they aren’t allowed to receive these emergency messages in certain classes. Police have explained that a certain class was targeted. Imagine if that particular class also had a “no mobile phones” policy. “What about the intercom system?” someone might ask. I hate to say it, but that system consists of a phone mounted on the wall, not exactly the best kind of system I want to have warning me when my life is in danger. That’s because it is not a foolproof, scissor-proof system. After all, how difficult would it be for a perpetrator to cut one phone cord ahead of an illicit plot, especially in a well-planned attack such as the one we’re learning about on the news? A cellular scrambling device, on the other hand, is much more difficult and out of reach to the general population of disillusioned shooters. So far as fool-proof systems go, the mobile option seems to be the strongest. Yet it’s being stifled.

It’s understandable that professors are fed up with mobile phones in the classroom. The reality is that most students aren’t politely glancing at their phones for five seconds and then returning them to pockets as quickly as possible. I’d be annoyed and discouraged if I witnessed students spending the entire class with their heads down and thumbs wiggling. And to sit beside a fellow student and hear the clicking of a phone pad for 50 minutes can drive me to insanity. But is an outright ban of the mobile phone appropriate? I’d say that a middle ground is the solution. From the front of the class, a professor can determine the difference between a slight glance and a fully engaged text user.

My point isn’t to say that our current system is entirely inadequate and we’re all in imminent danger. I’m saying that some professors’ policies poke holes in the otherwise adequate “safety blanket” the U of M has created, and frankly, this needs more discussion. Either we’ve got a mobile phone emergency system that everybody has unfettered access to, or we’ve got to figure out a better plan that can’t be overthrown by a pair of cuticle scissors. My choice is obligatory vibrate (as opposed to an annoying beep), and the right to glance at my mobile screen without prejudice, glance being the operative term. If that’s really so distracting to professors, well, I guess they should ban coughing, doodling, arriving to class late, the shuffling of papers, the beeping of watches, and a host of other potential distractions that happen in the classroom every single day.

Michael Tyas is a second-year environmental studies student.