Damn you Rubik’s cube

After 4 hours, I managed to finish Rubik’s cube for the first time ever (I’m so happy!). In my childhood I never had one but I remember playing with it for a while in my cousin’s place once. A couple of weeks ago, a friend’s play triggered my curiosity again and I decided to buy it.

For me, after reading some general instructions, it was not hard at all to cover the first two layers and reach a state that seems almost done. Almost. The damn thing was laughing at my face after several failed attempts from that point on. “You are a fool!” – The cube kept telling me.

So I succumbed to step-by-step instructions. “Solving Rubik's Cube for speed” by Lars Petrus was the most comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide I found. But that doesn’t mean that the last layer is as straightforward as the other two. It’s not. There are several different moves and combinations that you must memorize. Lars names them after people (Bruno, Sune, Allan, etc.) and I guess it’s his friends and family - Though it seems like he is casting a whole generation of his family. Even if you get the logic as I did, it is almost impossible to see it 10 to 14 steps ahead of time, so only logic won’t help you.

Now, I think I can finish it in 30 minutes. I will keep practicing for a while in my free time to see how fast I can get. My target is a 3-year old kid that can solve it in less than 3 minutes. And lets ignore a 6-year old who solves it in 37 seconds...