Reading Notes: Indian Heroes Part B

The Year of Disguise:

Plot: The Pandava Princes are on their last year of the 12 years of exile. They decide to live in disguise in Viratnagar to hide from Prince Duryodhan. Prince Yudhisthira disguised himself as a gambler, Prince bhima as a skilled cook, Prince Arjuna as a dancer and singer, Prince Nakula as a horse groomer, Prince Sahadev as a cowherd, and Princess Draupadi as a waiting maid. They hid their weapons before entering the palace and asked for an audience with King Virata. After 12 months, Prince Kichaka returns and asks Queen Sudeshna to send Draupadi to his room with food but he embraced Draupadi as soon as she entered his room and then threw a bunch at her when she ran away. Draupadi begged the king for help but he turned her away so she went to Bhima who took revenge on Kichaka for her.

Setting: King Virata's Palace

Draupadi humiliated in front of King Virata: Wikipedia

Bibliography. "The Year of Disguise" from The Indian Heroes:Mahabharata - The Princes of Elephant City by C.A. Kincaid: web source

Reading Notes: The Indian Heroes Part A

The Winning of Draupadi:

Plot: The Pandavas went to Panchala to win Draupadi's hand in marriage. The goal was to shoot an arrow through a ring high above the ground without looking directly at the ring. The problem was that the bow given to the suitors to use was stiff because of the wood used. Suitor after suitor failed to even bend the bow until Karna stepped up and held the bow with dexterity. However, Draupadi refused to take Karna as her husband and stopped him from even trying. Prince Arjuna then proceeded and was dressed as a Brahman beggar. He successfully accomplished the task but the crowd was outraged that a Brahman from a different caste would be marrying Draupadi so they rushed to swarm him but his brothers protected him and then duels started between the princes. In the end, Arjuna won Draupadi's heart and the Pandavas went home. Their mom didn't know what the prize was so she told Arjuna to share with his brothers so they all married Draupadi one after the other.

Setting: King Drupada's palace in Panchala

Arjuna winning Draupadi's hand in marriage: Indian Myth

Bibliography. "Winning of Draupadi" from The Indian Heroes:Mahabharata - The Princes of Elephant City by C.A. Kincaid: web source

Review: Passive Aggressive Voice

My favorite video was The Biology of Positive Habits because I do find myself naturally focusing on the negative whenever something bad happens and it's a downhill spiral for me but I will now try to practice focusing on the positive things! 

This was my favorite graphic from Wednesday's announcements. 

Active vs Passive Voice: Writing with Aesop

Growth Mindset: What is a Genius?

Genius is:

15% Courage

8% Devotion

12% Drive

10% Optimism

5% Persuasion

15% Patience

15% Versatility

10% Adaptability

10% Curiosity 

10% Imagination 

Definition of a Genius: Canva

Week 8 Progress

I am happy with my progress. I was a lot more productive during the first few weeks and then I slowed down quite a bit but I am still making my way through. I just do the assignments whenever I can. I am making my way through all of the extra credit. My favorite extra credit assignments are the growth mindset and tech tips. I also really enjoy the readings. I want to try new writing styles rather than the same ones I have been doing because they're the safe option. I want to avoid doing things last minute and having them build up.

Motivational Quote: Shutterstock

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

The feedback is really helpful! The best kinds of comments are the ones that point out exactly what I can add at certain places or where I need more detail at rather than really vague overall generalized comments. I have gotten better at giving feedback and I like the WWW strategy. It helps me think more out of the box when I read others' writing. I feel like I have gotten to know people through reading their blogs because I imagine their voice and personality while I read not only their stories but posts on their blogs as well. I did the extra credit commenting so I got to meet everyone in the class. My introduction and posts show more of me than I normally show people in person. I usually go pretty deep when I put up posts on my blog that I wouldn't have said out loud. I need to read others' stories in their projects out loud to give even better feedback that I hadn't noticed before. I chose the feedback cat below because I believe that if you don't find the source of the problem in the first place, you're going to keep making the same mistake over and over again.

Feedback Cat: Cheezburger

Week 8 Reading and Writing

The reading and writing assignments are really fun and a good way for me to step away from my other science courses. My favorite reading was the Ramayana aside from some moments where Sita and Rama were not together. My reading notes are helpful and I use them in my author's note too. I am really happy with my portfolio! I might change it to a storybook soon because I realized that I was following a trend with the kinds of stories I write. My biggest accomplishment was getting ahead the first week of class so that I had leeway during certain weeks. I chose the photo below because it depicts the happy ending I really wanted for Rama and Sita. I could start reading out loud to get the full experience in the future readings.

Sita with her children: Ram

Week 6 Story: Amba's Path to Revenge

This story is now at my portfolio.

Scene 1: In the palace of the queen mother Satyavati of Hastinapura to soon be married to Vichitravirya. Enter Amba.

Amba: What should I do? Should I ask him? I wonder if he will listen to my request… No, this isn’t right! I can’t just wait here to be married off to another man when my heart already belongs to someone. I have to plead to Bhishma to let me go.

Scene 2: In Bhishma’s chamber. Enter Bhishma.

Bhishma: What did you want to see me about?

Amba: I cannot go through with this wedding, I am already betrothed to the king of Shalwas and it would be a dishonor to be married to one man but constantly long for someone else.

Bhishma: I understand, you may leave at once.

Exit Bhishma

Amba: I can’t believe Bhishma let me go, just like that. I was ready to hurl myself on the floor in a fit of tears until he let me go. I need to hurry out and leave Hastinapura before Bhishma decides to change his mind and abduct me again. I’m finally on my way to King Shalwas’ palace! He must have been so worried with me being gone all this time. I can’t wait to see the surprised look on his face when he sees me again.

Narrator: And so she skipped happily on her way to King Shalwas’ palace with no idea of what was about to happen.

Scene 3: Entering King Shalwas’ palace. Enter King Shalwas.

Amba: King Shalwas, I have finally returned!

King: Why did you come back? You should have just stayed there and become married off to Vichitravirya.

Amba: I don’t… I don’t understand. I thought you would be happy to see me. I still sincerely love you and have never once strayed from that thought. I am still faithful to you as I have always been.

Narrator: Amba went on expressing her sincere love to the king but he was unmoved. His face still as night.

King: I can’t take you back, you are not the same innocent Amba I once knew.

Amba: Even though you are turning your back on me, the truth will always be on my side and I know I have never committed a wrong against you.

Exit King Shalwas

Scene 4: In the forest. 

Narrator: Amba dashed out of the palace in tears with nowhere to go. She knew she couldn’t go back to Hastinapura after she already talked about being betrothed to someone else but now she wasn’t anymore. She also couldn’t bring herself to stay at her childhood home after all that had happened. She stayed in the forest and then visited the Ashram for help.

Amba: Where did it all go wrong? Why was I abandoned with nowhere to go?

Narrator: And then a thought struck Amba…

Amba: It was Bhishma! He is the one who abducted me in the first place and the reason that King Shalwas won’t take me back! He is the cause of all of my problems, I have to get revenge and turn my life back around.

Scene 5: Amba and Shiva.

Narrator: Amba did penance and fasted everyday eventually growing thinner but she did not care about her looks anymore. After many weeks of constant prayers, Shiva appears.

Enter Shiva

Shiva: What wish can I grant you for your dedication to penance all this time?

Amba: I wish to get revenge on Bhishma!

Shiva: That I can do for you, you will destroy Bhishma.

Amba: But how can I get my revenge on him if I’m here in the forest while he is in a palace full of guards?

Shiva: You will be reborn into a fierce and skilled warrior and will one day have the chance to slay Bhishma.

Narrator: Amba was determined to get her revenge no matter what. She prepared a fire and stepped to end her current tragic state and begin a new life.

Exit Amba

Author's Note: Amba along with two other princesses were abducted by Bhishma so Amba asked Bhishma if she could leave and go to the king of Shalwas who she intended to marry and Bhishma let her go but when Amba went back to the king of Shalwas, he rejected her and coldly sent her away with no affection. She had nowhere to go because she felt so ashamed that she was rejected on both sides so she went to an ashram where she felt that Bhishma was the source of all of her problems. Shiva showed up and said he would grant Amba a boon and she requested that she slay Bhishma but Shiva said she would need to be reborn into a different body who would grow into a fierce warrior to defeat Bhishma so Amba stepped into figure to be reborn.

This is one of my favorite scenes at the beginning of the Mahabharata because there is so much drama that happens and so much goes on in Amba's life from just this one scene. This scene is also crucial to the story line later on as Amba exacts her revenge. I thought this scene would be perfect to rewrite in the format of a play because of how dramatic it was so I did my best to try to write the scene as if people were acting out the scenes.

Amba being reborn :Deviant Art

Bibliography. "Amba" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Mahabharata by Sister Nivedita, web source

Famous Last Words: Snow Days

I enjoyed reading the Mahabharata this week! I ended up reading both parts of week 6 and 7 readings all at once. I didn’t want to stop reading because so many scenes were intense and there was just so much happening. I also liked how you could see similarities to the Ramayana at some points. I wrote an essay this week for my Native American Music class and I enjoyed doing research on the different sacred games that were played and what they represented and then writing about them in my essay. I ended up not writing a story this week for this class because I couldn’t pick out a favorite scene that I wanted to rewrite or think of a way to change a scene. I absolutely loved reading the stories that people have been adding to their portfolio or storybooks. I find it so intriguing to see all of the creative things that people came up with that I had never thought of doing. My favorite one that I read was a storybook that mixed high school musical with the Ramayana. I found it very relatable and easy to understand because everyone was put into everyday terms and situations that we have been through. I want to change how I normally write stories because I usually go with the same theme of changing the ending or writing from a character’s point of view. I will try to explore different writing styles next week! I was thankful at first to have snow days this week until I realized that I still had to turn in assignments through canvas instead of in person and all of my labs got pushed back a week so my timeline feels off. I am constantly confused of what needs to be due when now.

Enjoying the snow: Surf

Reading Notes: Nayaran's Secret

I watched Nayaran's Secret from Seven Secrets of Calendar Art.
Narayan is a God who's sleep marks the dissolution of the world, so the world only exists when Narayan is awake. If no one is there to observe that the world is exist, then does it exist? If Narayan is the observer but he is asleep, then the world must not be there if no one is there to observe it. Hindus believe that people live multiple lives and this is just one of many. Narayan awake is also called Vishnu. The awaking is associated with Shiva. Brahma was angered by Narada and cursed him to be restless until it was time for Vishnu to sleep again so Narada is the cause of many problems. Narada provokes people and fills minds with insecurities and jealousy while Vishnu fixes all of these.

Nayaran: Shimran

Reading Notes: Vishnu's Secret: Detached Engagement Brings Order

I watched Vishnu's secret.
The the first video explains reasons why cows are sacred in the Hindu religion and how Vishnu is the cow herder who brings harmony between humans and nature. Shiva is a bull that we should not strive to be. Vishnu's law upholds Dharma which tells man to not destroy nature. Vishnu also has a measurement scale that is based on love, care, and affection so he turns away from domination over each other. Vishnu determines who does good and who doesn't. Civilization needs a perfect amount of compassion. The second video explains the story of the Ramayana and goes into how Ram was exiled and how he met Sita who went with him on the exile. Ram is also the reincarnation of Vishnu so it connects to the first video. Ram is about laws and conduct while Krishna focuses on love and affection.

Vishnu: Knapp

Review: Alike

My favorite video this week was Alike because it was relaxing to just sit back and watch a video with no words but still get be able to get the moral of the story. I agree that we shouldn't just go through our day to day lives monotonously and forget about creativity. My favorite graphic was the graphic below. I thought it was hilarious to see what a major difference you can have from the presence of a space or not. 

Space Matters: Blog

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part D

Bhima and Dushasana

Characters in the Scene: 

Bhima
Dushasana
Karna
Arjuna
Susharman
Yudhishthira

Plot: Arjuna starts by fighting Susharman but then Karna starts attacking as well so Bhima holds off Karna until Arjuna is done with Susharman. Dushasana comes to aid Karna but Bhima remembers his oath that he made to slay Dushasana and drink his blood for showing his thigh to Draupadi and causing her great shame. Bhima takes down Dushasana, chops his head off, and drinks his blood to everyone's horror.

Setting: Battlefield

Bhima drinking Dushasana's blood:Wikipedia

Bibliography. "Bhima and Dushasana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie: web source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part C

Bhima and Kichaka

Characters in the Scene: 

Bhima
Kichaka
Draupadi
King Virata

Plot: Kichaka spotted Draupadi and requested that his sister send Draupadi to deliver food to his room but when she arrived, he grabbed her by the waist and she threw the plate of food at him while trying to escape. He caught up to her and punched her in the face so she ran to King Virata to ask for help and told him what happened to her. King Virata was afraid to cross prince Kichaka so he just laughed her off and said it was her loss to reject prince Kichaka. Draupadi then went to Bhima to tell him what happened and Bhima told her to request a meeting with prince Kichaka at night and  Bhima would go in her place. Bhima hid his face so that Kichaka wouldn't know who he was later and Bhima continually beat Kichaka until he was unrecognizable. Bhima then told Draupadi to tell everyone that it was her immortal husband that killed Kichaka.

Setting: Prince Kichaka's palace

Draupadi and Kichaka:Wikipedia

Bibliography. "Bhima and Kichaka" from The Indian Heroes by C.A. Kincaid: web source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part B

Wife of the Five Pandavas

Characters in the Scene: 

Five Pandavas
Draupadi
Vyasa
Drupada

Plot: Arjuna won Draupadi as a wife in an archery contest but when they came home and told their mom that Arjuna had won a great prize, she told them to share the prize among them. It was too late at that point to take back what she said so they were conflicted on what to do. Drupada sent his son as a spy who overheard the Pandavas talking so he went back and reported to Drupada who requested the Pandavas come back to the palace. They turned to Vyasa for help on what to do and he said that Draupadi had to be the wife of all five princes because she had requested for a husband five times in her past life and now she was being granted her wish. The five pandavas are also reincarnations of Indra so they count as the same person so Draupadi was married off to each son in five consecutive days going from oldest to youngest.

Story Idea: I want to add more detail to the scene but keep the plot the same because I really enjoyed reading this scene.

Draupadi and her 5 husbands:Wikipedia

Bibliography. "Wife of the Five Pandavas" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie: web source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

Amba

Characters in the Scene: 

Shiva
Amba
King of Shalwas

Plot:
Amba asked Bhishma to go to the king of Shalwas who she intended to marry and Bhishma let her go but when Amba went back to the king of Shalwas, he rejected her and coldly sent her away with no affection. She had nowhere to go because she felt so ashamed that she was rejected on both sides so she went to an ashram where she felt that Bhishma was the route of all of her problems. Shiva showed up and said he would grant Amba a boon and she requested that she slay Bhishma but Shiva said she would need to be reborn into a different body who would grow into a fierce warrior to defeat Bhishma so Amba stepped into figure to be reborn.

Amba being reborn :Deviant Art

Bibliography. "Amba" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Mahabharata by Sister Nivedita, web source

Review: Having Hope

My favorite video from the announcements was the Live to Inspire: Dance because I have spent most of my life watching dance shows. Dance can communicate emotions and a story from the power in each movement. My favorite graphic from the announcements was about hope. I struggle with many of the major science courses that I have to take for my major and I always have to remember to have hope and to not give up no matter what.

Having Hope: Incidental Comics

Famous Last Words: Chinese New Years!

I liked that the readings this week were also about the Ramayana but from a different perspective. I liked reading it from someone else’s point of view because they provided details that I hadn’t thought about or that I didn’t see before when I was reading the first version I read. I also saw how one story could be interpreted so many ways. I did have time to do both portions of the reading and the part I remember the most was the scene between Kaikeyi and Manthara because I previously wrote my story from Manthara’s perspective because I felt like she was misunderstood since she never told Kaikeyi what to do with the two boons in the first version I read. However, in the second version I read, Manthar was truly evil and she did tell Kaikeyi to banish Rama for 14 years. For my future readings, I will probably do research behind the background and see if there are other versions as well that I could read before I write my story to avoid a misguided story with a very narrow scope. I loved the stories I read from other people, I also found people who wrote stories focusing on one character’s point of view. My other classes are stressful as always but I can always depend on this class to de-stress. I really like reading others’ stories in this class and taking the time to sit down and just type away my stress on a page. I hope to get ahead for next week and stay on top of my material so that I can finish the class early. I am excited for this weekend because it is Chinese New Years so my family has a huge celebration so I am looking forward to all of the food and bonding time with my family.

New Year: Metro

Reading Notes: Dharma Ramayana Part A

The Trial of Strength

Plot:
Rama, Laksman, and Vismatria set out on a journey to Mithila. They hear of a bow that has been passed down in the Janaka family but no one has had the power to string the bow until Rama arrived. He was able to not only string the bow but he actually broke the string. Rama won Sita's hand in marriage and then Urmila and Laksman ended up getting married too. They had a huge ceremony and made sure to invite Dasaratha. After the wedding, they headed back to Ayodhya but ominous birds swooped low to foreshadow that something bad was coming. A dust storm formed and out came Parasurama, a sage who had killed many. Parasurama challenged Rama after having heard of his strength and Rama passed his test which revealed that he must be an incarnate of Visnu. 

Setting: On a journey to Mithila

Rama breaking the bow: Quora

Bibliography. "The Trial of Strength" from Ramayana: India's Immortal Tale of Adventure, Love and Wisdom by Krishna Dharma, web source

Reading Notes: Nivedita's Ramayana Part B

Rama's Sons

Characters in the Scene: 

Valmiki
Rama
Lava
Kusha
Sita

Plot:
Valmiki taught Rama's sons: Lava and Kusha to sing about all of the wonderful things that Rama has done and many enjoyed those songs. Rama finally met them and offered them money but they rejected it because they live in the forest and have no use for money. Rama eventually figures out that they are Sita's children and sends a messenger to bring her back to test her innocence again.

Setting: At Rama's palace in Ayodhya

Lava, Kusha, and Valmiki: Detechter

Bibliography. "Rama's Sons" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Ramayana by Sister Nivedita, web source

Reading Notes: Nivedita's Ramayana Part A

Kaikeyi's Scheming 

I wrote notes about this scene from the Ramayana PDE I read the previous week so I wanted to do the notes on this scene again but this time written by a different person to focus on some key differences. The first difference is that the scene starts off with the narrator talking about how Kaikeyi is generous and kind but not innocent enough to avoid being persuaded by evil which foreshadows what is coming. In the PDE version, you don't see it coming. Also, Manthara talks about how Rama's mom might take revenge on Kaikeyi for something that Kaikeyi had done to her in the past. Kaikeyi also gets mad and exclaims that Rama must be banished, but in the other version, you don't find out what she was going to do with the 2 boons until the next scene when she talks to the king. Manthara in this version tells Kaikeyi to banish him for 14 years but she never said that in the other version which is why I wrote my story based on the fact that Manthara was not the one who suggested those things to Kaikeyi but in this version, she did.

Manthara and Kaikeyi: Netzone

Bibliography. "Kaikeyi's Scheming" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Ramayana by Sister Nivedita, web source

Learning Challenge: Reading out loud

When I read the stories out loud, I was able to picture the scenes a lot better because I was focusing on the imagery. I also felt more of the emotion that each character was feeling because I found myself trying to match the tone of the dialogue. It deepened my understanding of the story beyond what the words show. The advantages of reading out loud are catching more details that I didn't before and understanding each character's perspective better. The disadvantages of reading out loud are that it takes longer to finish reading stories and it is often difficult to find an isolated place where you can read out loud and not annoy anyone else in the room. I will definitely try to read out loud when I have time!

Reading out Loud: Powerful

Learning Challenge: Time Challenge

My current 6 hour schedule for the class is 2 hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday which has been working out for me because I try to do all my homework towards the beginning of the week and focus on studying for tests and quizzes that are always on Friday for me this semester. I am getting all of the core assignments done and it's a good stress reliever for me when I do the assignments. I don't think I want to make any changes to my schedule.

Time Management: Life Hacks

Extra Reading: Ganesha's Secret

Ganesha's Secret

The video explains the different components of Hinduism but focuses on the end on Ganesha. Ganesha is a key figure in Hinduism that stands for the union between two opposites. Ganesha came about after Poverty sculpted a child that came to life but Shiva didn't recognize the child as his own because he did not even want children. Shiva ended up beheading the child and Poverty expressed great grief so they attached an elephant head back on to bring the child back to life which brought about Ganesha. 

Ganesha: Patheos

Video Source: Ganesha's Secret 

Famous Last Words: First Round of Midterms Over

I loved finishing up the Ramayana this week. The first two parts from the previous week set up the scene well but introductions are usually not as interesting. The last two parts had a lot more action with fight scenes as well as heroic scenes where Rama saves Sita. One of the scenes that stood out to me the most was when Sita stepped into the fire to prove her innocence after Rama saved her from Ravana. I was also enraged when I read about Rama exiling Sita because rumors were rampant through the kingdom about Sita’s unfaithfulness while she was in Ravana’s captive. I honestly didn’t have time to read the stories or write a story this week, I ended up working ahead so I completed the assignments the weekend before. It’s always enjoyable to read others’ writings because there’s so many creative ways to retell the stories. I liked the ones where it focused on one person’s perspective to really see the emotions and thoughts of that person. I also liked the stories that were told in a more modern setting because it made the story easier to read because one of the things I struggled with in the readings was stumbling over the words I didn’t know and having to look up what the words meant or who the characters were which broke my flow of reading so then it took a while to get back into the flow of what I was reading. This week has been one of the most stressful weeks I have had in a while because I had so many exams on one day so I fell behind in my other classes. I will make sure to be back on track next week for this class and hopefully explore a new writing style! 

Surviving Midterms: Memes

Review: Feedback

I enjoyed this video of Epic Rap Battles of History between Zeus and Thor. They are always very interesting to listen to but I feel like I don't have enough creativity to turn a story into a rap without it being super cheesy. The graphic made me laugh because I wasn't expecting the dad to give an actual lesson. 

Feedback: Lunarboon

Comment Wall

Here is the link to my Portfolio. Please leave lots of feedback!

Feedback: Carleton

Week 4 Story: Rama and Sita's Happy Ending

     Rama was finally able to rescue Sita with the help of Hanuman but the obstacles did not end there. Rama could not look at Sita the same way after all that time had passed while Sita was held in Ravana’s captive. He constantly imagined what was happening while she was away and he could not bring it in himself to take her back the way she was. Sita was outraged at the accusations against her faithfulness because she was devoted to her one and only true love, Rama. Sita stepped in fire because she would rather die than be separated from Rama for something that she didn’t even do. As soon as Sita stepped in the fire, she was saved by Agni, the fire god, who convinced Rama of Sita’s innocence. Rama admits that he knew all along that Sita was innocent. He was hurting while acting as if Sita had committed a wrong against him because he knew that she only loved him but he was afraid that people would spread terrible rumors about Sita if he didn’t prove her innocence so he had to play the part. 

     Rama was crowned as the king after Bharata had saved his place at the throne with the golden sandals. Rama was a fair and just king but also a loving husband to Sita. There was laughter and joy in the air as people enviously admired how perfect Rama and Sita were together. Parents told children stories of the great adventures Rama and Sita went through together during Rama’s exile and how far they have come to finally be able to achieve happiness. After some time, Sita gave birth to two beautiful twins named Lava and Kusha. They had Rama’s eyes and Sita’s hair. The twins grew up learning how to fight and helped defend the kingdom.   

Sita with her children: Ram

Author's  Note: Rumors are rampant about Sita's unfaithfulness to Rama due to her imprisonment at Ravana's. Rama decides to send Sita to exile where she stays with Valmiki and has two sons named Lava and Kusha. Rama still has guilt about killing Rama so he sends a horse for sacrifice but the horse is captured by the twins so Lavashmana leads an army to retrieve the horse but ends up getting killed by the twins. Rama then personally goes with his own army and meets his children for the first time but the twins do not know who their father is. I wanted to change story at this point because I felt so bad for Sita. It wasn't enough that Rama made Sita walk through fire to prove her loyalty to Rama but he has to exile her even after all of that? I changed the story by getting rid of the terrible rumors about Sita and instead replacing them with chit chat of how happy an envious they are that Rama and Sita, the power couple, are finally reunited. I especially want to take out the exile because if the exile never happened, Lakshmana would still be alive too!

Bibliography. "Ramayana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, web source

Learning Challenge: Empathy in Class Reading

In the episode called Hanuman and Sita of the Ramayana, Hanuman provides a wonderful example of empathy. Sita is skeptical of Hanuman because she has been deceived by Ravana multiple times. Hanuman proves who he is to Sita by showing compassion and empathy for what Sita and Rama are going through. He feels agony for the fact that Sita was taken away by Ravana and Sita can sense that empathy so she trusts him. It didn't go into specifics about what words Hanuman used to express this empathy so I don't really know how I can apply it to my life. I do empathize with others but I never know what words to say to make them feel better. I definitely empathized with the characters while reading the Ramayana. I especially empathized with Sita because of everything she had to go with the abduction, accusations against her faithfulness, and then her exile by Rama. How the rest of the characters react to the actions of Rama against Sita help the audience empathize with Sita. I can try adding dialogue from other characters too in order to bring out empathy from the audience.

Empathy among dogs: Medium

Reading Notes: Ramayana PDE Part D

Valmiki's Hermitage

Characters in the Scene: 

Lakshmana
Rama
Lava
Kusha
Sita

Plot:
Rumors are rampant about Sita's unfaithfulness to Rama due to her imprisonment at Ravana's. Rama decides to send Sita to exile where she stays with Valmiki and has two sons named Lava and Kusha. Rama still has guilt about killing Rama so he sends a horse for sacrifice but the horse is captured by the twins so Lavashmana leads an army to retrieve the horse but ends up getting killed by the twins. Rama then personally goes with his own army and meets his children for the first time but the twins do not know who their father is.

Setting: At Rama's palace and then at Valmiki's hermitage

Story Idea: It wasn't enough that Rama made Sita walk through fire to prove her loyalty to Rama but he has to exile her even after all of that? I want to change the story by getting rid of the rumors and instead have people talk about how happy they are that Rama and Sita, the power couple, are finally reunited. I especially want to take out the exile because if the exile never happened, Lakshmana would still be alive too! However, I want to keep the part where she has the two kids!

Sita with her children: Ram

Bibliography. "Ramayana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, web source

Reading Notes: Ramayana PDE Part C

Hanuman and Sita

Characters in the Scene: 

Hanuman
Sita

Plot:
Hanuman finally finds Sita and convinces her that he was sent by Rama to save her by showing her Rama's ring and sympathizing with Sita. Hanuman offers to take Sita back to where Rama is but she refuses to touch any male figure unless it is Rama.

Setting: Ravana's Palace

Story Idea: I was upset that Hanuman didn't tell Rama all he had seen when he found Sita. I could change the story to where Hanuman tells Rama about the fact that Sita didn't go back with Rama because she did not want to be disloyal to Rama by touching another male figure and that she even withstood the death threats from Ravana in order to remain loyal to Rama. 

Hanuman and Sita: Quora

Bibliography. "Ramayana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, web source

Review: Odysseus and Facebook

My favorite graphic this week was Odysseus and Facebook. I find the graphic a very realistic depiction of modern times and very relatable because the "now" is definitely what I do. 

Sirens vs Facebook: Shoebox

The video I found intriguing was Failing Superman. I agree that not all schools should require students to learn the same exact material at the same time in similar settings. Everyone has a different method of learning and could excel in one setting better than another person. I thought it was funny to see things from the superheroes' point of view.

Famous Last Words: Only 3 Weeks in and I'm Already Stressed

I loved that the readings this week connected episode by episode rather than being separate stories. I read both parts all at once because I did not want to stop reading. I really enjoy the story of the Ramayana because there are a lot of romantic and heroic scenes which I live for such as when Rama fell in love with Sita at first sight. I ended up waiting till the day the reading was due to actually read it which made me feel like a slacker. I never let the deadlines define when I complete the assignments. I normally always finish the assignments a week before or at least the weekend before. One of my favorite scenes was when Sita persistently demanded that she accompany Rama on his exile. Her devotion and love for him is astounding. I did try a new writing style this week by writing from the perspective of the villain. I tried to sympathize with the villain and see how things could be seen from their point of view. I enjoyed the different path I took this week with storytelling. It was interesting reading others’ stories this week because I happened to read two different stories that were based on the same original story so I got to see how that one original story could be reinterpreted in so many ways. In the human physiology class that I am a TA for, the professor always says to bring growth mindset to each class and she shares articles about growth mindset on the main canvas page so I always think about this class when I see anything about growth mindset because I was first introduced to growth mindset when I took mythology and folklore. I am dreading my multitude of exams next Friday so I plan on doing all of the assignments this weekend that are due next week. 

The Struggle: YouTube

Week 3 Story: Manthara's Turn to Tell the Story

     Current Story is at my Portfolio

     Hi, my name is Manthara and I need to clarify the misunderstanding that people have had against me for many years. No one ever asked for my side of the story and just assumed the worst about me! I even got dragged across the palace floor for a death sentence without time to explain, but luckily Bharata asked them to spare my life. I always knew I took good care of him growing up. Many have described me in various versions of the Ramayana as the evil, crooked, and old lady that convinced Kaikeyi to banish Rama. They even go as far as calling me short necked, big bellied, and humpbacked. Now it is my turn to tell you the story from my point of view.

     There I was, on the roof of the palace enjoying the breeze and beautiful view of the streets as the palace made preparations for Rama’s coronation. I noticed someone on the other side of the roof and moved closer to discover that it was queen Kaikeyi gazing sorrowfully in the distance. I sympathized with her and told her how I felt it was unfair for her to be loyal to the king all of these years, yet Rama was always the prized child and the only one in Dasharatha’s heart. I felt bad that her son Bharata never stood a chance at becoming king compared to Rama. I consoled Kaikeyi by reminding her that she still had two favors to request from the king because Kaikeyi once saved him and he promised her these favors. I was appalled the next day when I found out that the queen Kaikeyi had threatened Dasharatha with her own life to banish Rama for 14 years and place her own son as the king. I was at a loss for words. I had always thought queen Kaikeyi was a kind soul, but she turned cold. She commanded Rama to leave on the day of his coronation when all of the preparations had been made: streamers and flowers all around the city, a golden throne with tiger skin at the feet, elephants, and even chariot horses. I stood in the corner and watched as she banished Rama while the king wept tears of regret for previously giving Kaikeyi two favors.

    As you can see from my story, all I did was give helpful advice to the queen by reminding her that she had two favors left from the king. I never told her what to ask for nor did I tell her to exile Rama for 14 years! Yes, I admit that I was a little mad from the time that Rama and his little group of friends made fun of my appearance so I told him off about respecting those who are older than him and then he out of nowhere attacked me! I have held a little grudge since but not enough to want to exile Rama. I have been faithfully taking care of the kingdom for years while nursing Bharata and serving the queen Kaikeyi.

Manthara and Keikeyi: Ramayana

Bibliography. "Ramayana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, web source

Author's Note: In the original episode of Manthara and Keikeyi, Manthara despised Rama because of a past incident and went to Keikeyi the day before Rama's coronation to tell Keikeyi to stop it from happening, otherwise Keikeyi's son, Bharata, would be exiled in the future. Manthara reminded Keikeyi that she still had two favors to request from the king after she saved the king's life. Keikeyi demanded that the king banish Rama for 14 years and make Bharata the king instead. I wanted to tell the story from Manthara's point of view because the story makes her out to be a really evil person who convinces the queen to betray the king but Manthara never told Keikeyi what to ask the king for. She never told the queen to banish Rama for 14 years. 

Topic Research: Rama and Sita

For my project, I want to retell the love story between Rama and Sita from Kamadeva's perspective as he watches as a bystander as they fall in love but then intervenes in the end to help save their relationship.

Sita

I think this is a key story to start with because this is when Rama falls in love with Sita at first sight. He knows from the moment that he hears her bangles ring that she is the one for him. The moment is touching and the heart of true love story.

The Golden Deer

This story is a turning point in their relationship where Sita is tricked and then abducted by Ravana. This crucial turn in events puts her relationship with Rama on the line.

Sita Tested

This story is when Rama and Sita's relationship turns for the worst because Rama doesn't trust that Sita was faithful to him while she was away so he doesn't welcome her back with open arms. She then proves herself through the test of fire. 

Rama and Sita: Ramayana

Feedback Strategies

I read Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback that Fosters a Growth Mindset and I also read The Difference Between Praise and Feedback. I agree with both articles in that people should praise the process instead of a personality trait just as Carol Dweck has stated as well. I do catch myself giving feedback with the same phrases that the second article said not to use. I typically begin my feedback comments with "I think..." or "I like that...." when I should focus more on the person I am giving feedback to. I need to learn to take out my feelings and emotions. I have gotten to practice giving feedback all last semester when I took Mythology and Folklore but there's always room for improvement. 

Feedback Matters: Leahy's

Reading Notes: Ramayana PDE Part B

The Chase

Main Characters: 

Sita
Rama
Lakshmana

Plot: Sita is attracted to a deer in the forest that is actually a rakshasa in disguise and asks Rama to obtain the deer for her. Rama successfully kills the deer while Lakshmana and Sita wait in the cave but the rakshasa imitates Rama's voice and exclaims a cry for help to draw out Lakshmana. Lakshmana does not fall for the rakshasa's trickery but Sita convinces Lakshmana to leave her to help Rama because she cannot live without him.

Setting: In the forest

Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and the golden deer: Ramayana

Bibliography. "Ramayana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, web source

Reading Notes: Ramayana PDE Part A

Manthara and Keikeyi

Main Characters: 

Manthara
Keikeyi

Plot:
Manthara despises Rama because of a past incident and goes to Keikeyi the day before Rama's coronation to tell Keikeyi to stop it from happening, otherwise Keikeyi's son, Bharata, would be exiled in the future. Manthara reminds Keikeyi that she still has two favors to request from the king after she saved the king's life. Keikeyi demands that the king banishes Rama for 14 years and make Bharata the king instead.

Setting: On the palace roof

Story Idea: I want to tell the story from Manthara's point of view because the story makes her out to be a really evil person who convinces the queen to betray the king but Manthara never told Keikeyi what to ask the king for. She never told the queen to banish Rama for 14 years. 

Manthara and Keikeyi: Ramayana

Bibliography. "Ramayana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, web source

Reading Notes: Jatakas, Panchatantra, and Other Fables from India

The Golden Goose

Main Characters: 

Goose
Mom
2 Daughters

Plot:

A goose with golden feathers offered to give his feathers one by one to a poor mother with two daughters so that they could sell the feathers and live off of it but the mom became greedy and made a plan to grab the goose the next time he comes and take off all of his feathers by force. However, the golden feathers turned to plain white feathers because they were taken by force rather than voluntarily by the goose and then the goose never came back so the greedy mom was left with nothing.
Moral: Greediness leaves you with nothing in the end. 

The Golden Goose: Ellsworth Young

Bibliography. "The Golden Goose" from Jakata Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt with illustrations by Ellsworth Young, web source

Review

This is my favorite graphic from this week because I can definitely relate. I have had many of those moments where something sounds amazing in your head but you can't exactly portray it on paper but with a little tweaking, it can turn into something closer to what you were imagining. 

Creative Process: Introvert Doodles

My favorite video was Try Everything because I watched the movie, Zootopia with the song in it and really loved the message! I am a huge supporter of growth mindset and I think the song really embraces the concept along with the movie as well.

Famous Last Words: Starting off the Semester

I loved all of the stories that I read this week and had trouble picking a favorite to use as a base to retell my story. I had time to do both portions and ended up finishing a week before the deadline. I remember the story about the cunning crane and the crab the most because I really like stories where the trickster gets tricked. I focused on those kinds of stories last semester in Mythology and Folklore. I enjoyed the writing I did in this class the most this week. I also wrote an essay for my Native American Music class but the creative writing I do in this class is more enjoyable. I did use a new writing style where I changed the characters in the story which I have never done before. I did not read any stories written by others this week but I read almost all of the introductions and I am excited to get to know others through the types of stories that they will write. My other classes have already become a little overwhelming and stressful because I am taking a lot of my upperdivision microbiology courses and I am glad that I have this class as a stress reliever. I really enjoy reading about growth mindset in this class because it helps give me motivation to get through my difficult classes. There aren’t really any connections between this class and my other classes because I mainly take science classes. I hope to stay on top of the reading and storytelling for this class as well as work ahead in the class whenever I can so that the workload doesn’t get piled on all at once. I also hope to maintain composure and not stress out too much over my other classes because stress is horrible for your health.

It's only the beginning: Snap Leadership

Topic Brainstorm

Kamadeva, The God of Love

I am interested in this topic because Kamadeva deals with love and is one of the main genres I like to read about. I have never heard about Kamadeva but I would like to learn more about how he influences love in others. I could retell the love stories from Kamadeva's point of view and his influence on lovers. Online Source

Food

I am interested in this topic because I am a huge foodie and I like learning about the different types of food served in each culture because the food can tell you a lot about the background of a culture. I don't know much about the cuisine but I would love to learn more about it from reading different stories and focusing on the food item and how it connects to the storyline. I could retell the stories with the food in a different setting but with the same meaning behind the food. Online Source

Love Stories

I am obsessed with love stories and the different ways in which lovers can connect as well as the paths that they have to go through in order to stay together. I could retell the stories to always ensure there is a happy ending because I hate tragic love stories. Online Source

Rama and Sita

I am interested in the topic of Rama and Sita because I have heard about them before in a previous history class and I am interested to read about how they met and how they were destined for each other. I also could retell the stories from the point of view of Rama or Sita rather than a third person point of view. Online Source

Rama and Sita: Temple

Feedback Thoughts

I read Eight Things Students Should Do When They Make a Mistake and realized that I need to really learn to embrace feedback following those guidelines. I like receiving feedback so that I can improve my writing but at the same time, sometimes it hurts whenever I read someone's criticism about my work that I may have spent hours on. I also read 14 Signs Your Perfectionism Has Gotten out of Control which I can definitely relate with some of the signs but not all of them. I do sometimes get defensive whenever I receive criticism and "misery likes company" is a common feeling I have had. 

The most productive feedback I have received was from my composition class that I took in high school because we had to peer review each others' essays. A negative experience I have had came from one of the clubs I was an officer for, there was a complaint that there were too many service events on the weekends and they couldn't attend but when I made the event on the weekdays instead, they also complained that they couldn't come. It was a deadlock situation that I didn't know how to resolve. 

Feedback: Truqu

Week 2 Story: The Clever Cat and the Bird

     A community of mice lived happily in the walls of a house with a perfect sized hole in the corner of the kitchen under the cupboard. The hole allowed the mice to sneak out and grab food whenever no one was around. The community began to grow too large and was eager to come out more often to gather enough food for everyone. One of the mice who had been starving for days could not wait any longer and ran out without checking to see if the coast was clear but unfortunately ran into the mom as she was getting ready to prepare breakfast. She screamed and the mouse ran with fright back into the hole.
     The next day, the hole had been covered by the husband and the mice could no longer sneak into the house for food. The neighbor’s cat next door lingered on the fence and saw the mice dreadfully leave the house looking for a new place to stay. The cat thought about attacking the mice by sneaking up on them but the cat could only gain at most two mice by surprise which would not satisfy his appetite. He quickly devised a plan and hoped his acting would be up to par. The cat exclaimed, “I know where you can have an endless source of food if you will let me take you there.” The mice looked at each other skeptical of the cat’s offer. One mouse replied, “How can we trust a cat when we have been hunted by cats our whole lives?” The cat responded, “Well if you don’t want the food, I am fine with eating it all myself.” The mice were desperate for food and made a plan to let the cat take one mouse and show that mouse the place with a so called “endless” food source so that the mouse could come back and tell the community if the cat was lying or not. The cat let the mouse climb on his back and then the cat swiftly snuck the mouse over the fence and into his owner’s house. The cat fed the mouse an abundance of food and then took the mouse back to the community. The mouse went on and on about how content he was from all of the food he had and how there was so much food left waiting to be eaten. The mice all fought to be the next one to go with the cat to the neighbor’s house. The cat took each mouse one by one and ate them as soon as he was out of sight of the other mice. Eventually there were no more mice to eat and the cat grew hungry again.
  The cat saw out of the corner of his eye a bird on a nearby bench. He made the same offer to the bird as he did to the mice. The bird was smarter than the whole community combined. The bird agreed but on one condition, that the cat let the bird stand on the cat’s head so that the bird could see where they were going. The cat went over the fence and into the house where a tall stack of small bones were piled. The cat thought he was clever and could eat the bird as he did with all of the other mice but before he could capture the bird, the bird in the perfect position pecked at both of his eyes and flew away. The cat was not able to kill another mouse again.

A Cat and a Bird: The Dodo

Bibliography. "The Cunning Crane and the Crab" from The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse with illustrations by W. Robinson, web source

Author's note: The original story is about a crane that convinces fish who are living in a dried out pond to come to a fresh new pond with abundant resources on the other side but at the cost of their lives as the crane eats them one by one while carrying them in his beak over to the other side. However, a crab outsmarts the crane and convinces the crane to allow the crab to hold onto the crane's neck. The crane tries to trick the crab like the others but the crab had the upper hand and clipped the crane's head off. I replaced the crane, fish, and crab with a cat, mice, and bird respectively. I switched out the characters to provide another scenario where a trickster  could get tricked because those are my favorite types of stories so I didn't want to change the actual plot of the story.