Soon I will have 3 or 4 days off without really having anything particular to do. I started thinking about what I could do with the time and decided getting a new skill would be a fun challenge.
I want to learn something that is to some extent useful. To me useful is a broad definition from something that entertains others, to something that will improve my life, to something that can make me money, or something that will help me take over the world.
I’m willing to spend time in book study and in the field. In the past I’ve learned to camp in the winter wilderness, program a simple game in visual basic, and a few other things.
So my question is what would you advise someone to learn in a devoted 3 or 4 day period (or what would you learn yourself)? At the end of this period I don’t expect to be a grand master of this skill but be far enough along that I’m can actually do something with it.
I’m interested in seeing your variety of responses.
You could probably learn to knit or crochet in that time, if you have someone to help you with your questions. I’ve often taught people basic crochet skills in an hour. With the amount of knit/crochet skill you can likely attain in 4 days of steady practice, you can make a scarf, a hat, a blanket, a rug, or some simple clothing. (note, you can make some rather complicated clothing with knit & crochet skills, you just will not have enough skill in 4 days to get to that level.)
You can learn to bake bread or brew beer in an afternoon – getting good at it takes practice of course.
I meant to add that I’m willing to travel and spend some money up to about $800.
Thanks for the ideas so far. Unfortunately for me both of those are things I learned as a kid. My grandma taught me crochet (although it wasn’t for me) and my in Jr High a friend and I took up juggling during the summer. I can still do 3 well but the 4 to 5 ball in a circle is now lost to my hands.
You can go from zero to solid beginner skier in 4 days with plenty of expert instruction. My fairly-athletic friend did that on our first ski trip together (we went to Mont Tremblant, specifically because it was rated the #1 ski school on the east coast). Bit late in the season for it in the US, unfortunately.
Assuming you can already cook at the basic level, you could take a targeted cooking class, like pasta-making. My brother did that recently and had a blast.
I started with balls, but soon changed to beanie bags because I got tired of chasing the balls around the room.
I like to think of it as a zen patience lesson. You know you’re going to drop one sooner or later, but you learn not to get pissed about it, but rather learn from it and try again.
It would be a shame to hastily choose a skill to learn in 3 days, only to regret later not choosing what to learn more effectively. I recommend using the first 2 days focusing on learning how to maximize your choosing skills and then, using those new skills, choose the best new skill you could learn in 1 day.
Rather than juggling, I’d get a top of the line yo-yo and learn some tricks. When well done they are impressive at parties, and there’s always the possibility of cold-cocking an innocent bystander.
For a purely intellectual pursuit, you could see how far you can get learning Chinese. Four solid days of intense study should yield about 20 or 30 words, none of which would be remotely intelligible to a native Chinese speaker.
For a physical challenge, try parkour. Break a leg.
What about a musical instrument? I’d bet with an hour or two a day or proper lessons and some diligent practice you could get to the ‘recognizable tune’ level and will be through the pain barrier of beginning to learn. That’s how I began playing the violin, and got past the unpleasant screechy stage pretty quickly (though in fairness I could already read music).
Do you have an amateur theatre locally? I bet they would just be thrilled to have you for a few days. You could learn set construction or how to work the lighting rigs.
How about cold reading or tarot cards? (Personally don’t believe in psychic powers, but I do believe you can do a convincing cold reading with practice). That will always entertain and impress people. You can always tell people it is just a bit of fun.
Sounds like whatever you pick you will have a fun project on your hands.
Oh! Stilt walking, or unicycle riding, if you have some knee pads and a friend who can help you get balance. That’s what I would learn if it was me.
Basic automobile repair? Bike repair? Permaculture? Gardening? Web design? Basic Microsoft Excel? Rock climbing? First aid / CPR / first responder training or their wilderness equivalents (good for those failed winter camping trips)? Kayaking? Workshop on interviewing techniques and/or public speaking? Map and compass usage? Knot-tying? Swimming? Shooting / basic self-defense? Basic bartending?
I’d go with cooking, myself. Cooking can be an art and you can enjoy lots of great meals or dishes in four days. Plus everybody loves you if can cook good stuff.
My specialty is Chinese food. If you go this route I’d suggest beginning with Martin Yan’s books. His recipes can be ingredient heavy, but you’ve got up to $800 to blow (and you won’t need anywhere near that), and in my opinion dishes cooked from his recipes are indistinguishable from those of a good Chinese restaurant. The equipment and techniques are fun, and you’ll enjoy the verbal applause from your family and friends as they sit amazed and delighted at the exotic and tasty dishes you’ll be able to serve up.
I don’t think you can really learn anything in 3-4 days.
The hobbies I have all take years even to get a basic amount of skill (pool, poker, golf, etc.)
About the only thing I could think of was maybe an 8-24 hour certification class for PADI, scuba diving, or first aid.
But, if your expectations are low, magic tricks are always good (assuming you have some prior experience.) A fast way to perform a few tricks is to get a trick deck. I don’t see it on the list at wikipedia, but I used to have one that was marked, stripped, and Svengali’d.
