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. 

Reading Notes: Jakatas

The Cunning Crane and the Crab

Main Characters: 

Crane
Fish
Crab

Plot:

A crane convinces fish that 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.
Story Idea: Instead of using a crane and fish as the main characters, I could use a cat and mouse instead but still keep the story the same because I really like the story. 

The crane and the clever crab: istorybooks

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

Learning Challenge: Pomodoro Technique

I tried the pomodoro technique by pulling up my GRE practice problems and setting the timer to 30 minutes and I focused on the task for that set amount of time with a short 5 minute break right after. I really liked using the timer because I knew in my mind that I could have a break after 30 minutes so I did my best to work out as many problems as possible in 30 minutes so in the end I was more productive even though I gave myself breaks.

Pomodoro timer: Dribble

Learning Challenge: I wish my teacher knew....

I teared up when I read the notes that the students left about what they wish their teacher knew. It's heartbreaking that the kids are having that internal struggle but feel like they can't share the information face to face with their teacher. I have never participated in an activity like that before.Ways to practice compassion and empathy are to try to offer up your time for whenever someone needs someone to talk to. You don't have to force someone to tell you about what is bothering them but be there for them when they are ready to talk to you or just be there to give them a hug if they don't want to share.

I wish my teacher knew: Morgridge

Learning Challenge: Deskercises

My favorite article was Deskercise! 33 Ways to Exercise at work. I liked that the exercises were more inconspicuous so I wouldn't cause too much attention if I started deskercising. My favorite exercises that I will probably try out are the stair master, wall street sit, last man standing, patient printer, seated leg raiser, shoulder shrug, and posture perfecter.

Shoulder Shrug: Deskercise

Learning Challenge: Read an Article

I read Get Off The Couch Baby Boomers, Or You May Not Be Able To Later and learned that prolonged sitting can lead to immobility in the future. It was surprising because in the study conducted, the participants ranged from ages 50 to 71 which is not too old. That is still middle aged adults with a long life ahead of them but not being able to move due to prolonged sitting. I have never thought about how long I actually sit in a day because all I do is sit in classes all day and then I go home to sit and study or do homework the rest of the night. If I have free time during the breaks, I also just sit and binge watch for hours without moving. I will definitely try to remember to get up and jog or move around every hour to avoid sitting for too long.

Couch Potato: Uncyclomedia Commons

Learning Challenge: Read an Article

I read New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy and I never knew that worrying makes our brain feel better since it activates the brain's reward center. I also didn't know that gratitude releases serotonin. I have known that touching releases oxytocin though from the psychology classes I have taken in the past. I want to try these rituals now and hope to see more positivity in my life as well as others around me.

Virtual Hug: Giphy

Learning Challenge: Learning about Sleep

I read How Sleep Deprivation Decays the Mind and Body and learned that sleep deprivation leads to depression, high blood pressure, weight gain, heart disease, and even death. I knew that sleep deprivation could lower your immune system and cause many different issues but I never bothered to look into it because then I would be concerned about how sleep deprived I am all the time. I spread myself thin every semester so I get very little sleep every night but sometimes I feel like I don't have an option other than staying up. One day, I will try to sleep more by lessening my crazy schedule.

Sleep Deprived: Medical News Today

Tech Tip: Browser Bookmarks

I do use bookmarks and the bookmark tool bar on my google chrome browser but I never knew that I could create folders! I have definitely started using folders after reading about this tech tip because I have so many bookmarks that it takes forever to go through the list to find the bookmark I am actually looking for. I also never knew I could synchronize my bookmarks which is really useful because I go back to my hometown every weekend from norman so I switch computers constantly and find it hard to remember which computer I bookmarked which web page on and I end up getting frustrated because it takes me awhile to find the webpage again.

Tech Tip: HTML Link

This is my first time using HTML directly; I have never written one before. I successfully made a clickable link though on one of my previous blog posts.

Tech Tip: Google Map of Seoul, South Korea

I created the map to Seoul because it is somewhere I have always wanted to visit and plan to go to one day when I graduate!

Google Timer Tech Tip

For time management, I always make sure not to procrastinate and I do the assignment as soon as it is assigned or as early as I possibly can. I also make myself little goals to accomplish everyday to stay on top of my busy schedule. I do use the google timer to give myself 10 minute snack breaks in between assignments. 

Alarm Clock: Pxhere

Growth Mindset: Learn from Other Students

"I've learned new study habits and also to be adaptive in each class. For instance, when I take a class I try to find a strategy that will help me learn more for that specific class, which is sometimes much different then how I study for my other classes."

Learn to Adapt: Padlet

I have never thought about growth mindset in this way because I study the same exact way for every class. I cram all of the information in my head the night before the exam and it may not be the best way to study but it has always been successful for me so I continue my habit even if it means severe sleep deprivation during my exam. I should try adapting to new study habits for each class.

"I have always heard people talk about how they always got A's in high school, but once they hit college, they no longer felt smart anymore because they did not get A's. People get praised for the grade, but not for the effort itself"

I want to work on praising myself for the effort that I put into studying rather than the grade I get out of it because I am usually left really disappointed whenever I get a test back and the score doesn't reflect the amount of time and effort I put into studying. 

Listen, Learn, Adapt: Digital Marketing

Growth Mindset: Study an Infographic

I already knew that mistakes lead to improvement and that you can train yourself to be better at a subject but something that I didn't know was that thinking that you're awesome at something is a fixed mindset. It makes sense that there's always room for improvement though. I want to explore the "I'll never be as smart as them" statement by observing others and seeing how I can improve. 

Infographic: Growth Mindset Resource

Growth Mindset Cats on Pinterest

I chose this growth mindset cat because my parents have always compared me to my older siblings and other people my age and it has always made me feel like I wasn't enough so I stopped trying because I thought I could never be as good as others were. However, I eventually realized that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and I was going to do the best I could no matter how my achievements were compared to others.  

Be confident in yourself: Growth Mindset Cats

I chose this growth mindset cat because I am pretty shy so I find it hard to ask questions whenever I need help, but then I end up assuming my answer is right rather than confirming with the teacher and then I end up regretting not asking questions later when I find out that I misunderstood the concept the whole time. 

Ask away: Growth Mindset Cats

I like this growth mindset cat because it is definitely true that not succeeding in something makes you feel pretty terrible but it doesn't mean that you wont' be able to succeed next time or at anything. Mistakes are there for you to learn from them.

Failure doesn't define me: Growth Mindset Cats

Growth Mindset: Making a Motto

Whenever I don't do so well on a test or something goes wrong, I mope and my mistakes consume my every thought to the point where I don't want to do anything else other than think about how I should have done better. This motto constantly reminds me that I can't keep harping on the past and that I need to learn from my mistakes in order to move on. It won't help me to stay sad about something in the past that can't be changed. 

Motto: Canva

Growth Mindset Acronym

I made this acronym because I believe that you can only grow as a person if you have the heart and passion to want to learn and obtain knowledge.

Growth: Canva

Tech Tip: Quotemaker

Inspiring quote: Quozio

Tech Tip: Pinterest Research

I typed DIY crafts into the search engine on pinterest because I enjoy arts and crafts in my free time so I wanted more ideas on what projects I should do next. I found many different ideas but these wooden coasters and light bulb aqauriums caught my eye because I already have the materials at home ready to make these! I also found other boards that I liked that pinned the same item that I was interested in. 

Popsicle Stick Coasters: Industry Standard Designs

Light Bulb Aquariums: Soap Deli News

Typing Game Tech Tip

I enjoyed the Ninja Cat v. Zombie Dinosaurs game! I tried out several of the other games at the suggested website and I liked Typing Adventure the most because you could see from the perspective of the character. I first learned to type in my 6th grade keyboarding class and she would just assign us keyboarding games to play everyday to improve our typing skills. I used to handwrite notes in class but the speed at which lectures are taught now require me to type my notes to keep up. I can type around 120 words per minute but my accuracy is not the best so I would like to improve that.

Typing Racer: Typing Games

Collage Tech Tip

Images of my friends and I: Photos taken by Patricia Troung

I used BeFunky to create my collage! 

Tech Tip Poster

The English proverb was found online at PhraseMix. The graphic was made with AutoMotivator. The original image is from Trendir. 

Tech Tip: Pinterest Board and Pinterest Embedded

My pinterest board for this class can be found at this link. I have used pinterest before to look up recipes or cute craft ideas but I have never actually created a board of my own and pinned things on my board.

Tech Tip: Weather Widget

I added a weather widget to my blog following these instructions.

Weather: Clipart

Reading Options

I want to explore the stories with curses in them! I think they would be interesting and entertaining to read.

Mahiravana: A Magician Outwitted
The description sounds fascinating from the kidnapping and sacrifice. I also think the title is enticing!

Subhadra: Beloved Sister of Krishna and Balarama
The description sounds like there is drama because Subhadra gets married to someone else unexpectedly.

Tales of Arjuna: The Exploits of an Exceptional Warrior
I am excited to read about the mysterious monkey and why the forest burns down.

Tales of Arjuna: Comic vine

Typing Test Tech Tip

I tried Key Hero and Speed Typing Online to test my typing speed. I liked Key Hero more because I got a dramatically higher typing speed on Key Hero compared to Speed Typing Online. Speed Typing Online had harder phrases that took me a bit longer just to sound out so it slowed down my typing. I would like to improve my accuracy for sure! When I take notes in class, I can type pretty quickly but there are often many mistakes so later when I go back to read my notes, sometimes I can't interpret what I was trying to say. I took keyboarding classes in middle school but I haven't practiced typing since.

Typing Speed: Typing Test

Growth Mindset Cats

I chose this growth mindset cat because I believe that when people passively go through the motions in the path that others set out for them, they lose passion and drive to actually discover new things that would fulfill their dreams and goals.

Be a leader: Growth Mindset Cats

I liked this growth mindset cat because it motivates me to actively take control of my life. 

Take control of your life: Growth Mindset Cats

This growth mindset cat reminds me that I can't expect accomplishments and goals to just come my way but I need to actually go out and put in the effort to achieve my dreams. 

Follow your dream: Growth Mindset Cats

Tech Tip: Creating a Motivational Quote

Motivational quote made by Rosa Tran on Canva

Time Strategies

I read The Myth of Too Busy and thought it was really useful! I find myself thinking that I'm too busy all the time and I end up just stressing out and wasting time while I wallow in self pity but if I prioritize certain things in my schedule and take it one step at a time, I won't stress out as much. I also read 3 Steps to Recapture Time and agree with their tips on time management. I really do need to learn to say "no" to avoid spreading myself thin but I find it very difficult to do. This is something I really need to work on! My biggest time challenge this semester will be trying to balance all of my difficult classes with the extra curricular activities I am involved in. I have a habit of piling too much on my plate every semester but I have learned not to procrastinate and I always make little goals for myself to make sure I achieve everything I need to before going to sleep every night.

Time management: Wikimedia Commons

Technology

I really enjoyed using google sites for the project last semester because there were many ways to design the layout and they were all aesthetically pleasing. I definitely utilized all of the links for graphic creations for the extra credit. Those were my favorite! I didn't get through all of the tech tips last semester so I'll try to do the rest of them this semester. 

Technology: GSA

Assignments

I am excited to get back into the reading and storytelling! I ended up finishing early last semester so I didn't make that much progress on my project but hopefully I'll be able to complete it this semester. The growth mindset, tech tips, HEART, and famous last words were my favorite extra credit assignments but I still plan to utilize all of the extra credit options. 

Extra credit meme: Meme

Growth Mindset

I first heard about growth mindset in my psychology class in highschool and then I really got to embrace every aspect of it in the Mythology and Folklore class last semester. I wholeheartedly have the growth mindset to get me through everyday at school through the mini goals I make for myself to accomplish tasks. I also constantly remind myself that progress rather than perfection is what I should be striving for whenever I mess up so that I'm not as hard on myself. I loved all of the extra credit opportunities for growth mindset last semester and I am excited to explore more this semester. 

Growth Mindset Quote: Elite Daily

Introduction to an Adventurous Girl

If I could sum myself up in one word, it would have to be clumsy! I once dislocated my knee while watching a movie and I have sprained my ankle quite a few times from falling down the stairs or just tripping over air. I am a micro-biology major entering into my senior year at OU and currently a teaching assistant for Human Physiology. I aspire to be a physician’s associate one day in urgent care, pediatric orthopedics, and then wound care. I have 3 older siblings (yes, the last time we took a picture together was at my brother's wedding). I hear a lot of people say that they don't get along with their siblings but I spend a lot of time hanging out with my brothers and sister.

                                       

                           

  My family at my brother's wedding: Photo taken by Kristina Gaines

When I'm not spending time with my family, I go on food adventures with my friends! We like traveling to different places to try new foods but we are also very broke so we gets weird looks as we split everything we order 5 ways.

My friends and I at Woodward park in Tulsa: Photo taken by Rosa Tran

I love being outdoors so some of my favorite activities are playing volleyball, swimming, and hiking. I sadly couldn't do any of these activities over winter break because it was so cold outside. I also stress bake in my free time because what is stressed spelled backwards other than desserts? I am definitely a foodie. My favorite dessert is matcha green tea ice cream but my favorite place that sells this ice cream is called Matcha Love in Plano, Dallas so I’ll find myself taking road trips just to go eat. 

                                        Ice cream from Matcha Love: Photo taken by Rosa Tran

To work off all of this food that I eat, I run around the park and my neighborhood with my dog Leo. He is a super energetic golden doodle that I love to death!

Leo the golden doodle: Photo taken by Rosa Tran

I also cook so I don’t have to spend too much money on eating out all the time. My favorite type of food is Korean food, it used to be Italian food but I used to work at an Italian restaurant called Pepperoni Grill at Penn Square Mall for almost 5 years, so now I am really tired of eating Italian food all the time. Not only do I like trying different types of food, I also like anything relating to arts and crafts such as crocheting, knitting, folding origami, painting, card making, and more!

Storybook Favorites

Epic Festivals of India

The storybook's main photo drew my attention immediately with the vivid colors and I saw that the storybook was about festivals which I love reading about because I can learn more about a culture from observing their festivals. I also really liked the storybook's background and word choice such as "A Calendar of Enchantment." The introduction is very detailed and even includes a list of dates of all of the festivals. I like how the student used the first person point of view as a tour guide for the introduction because it drew me in.

Holi, Festival of Colors: NBC Photoblog

Tales of Kailasa

This storybook has a great cover photo that drew me in and continued to have a multitude of photos for each story. The photos help the audience imagine the scene at which the story is set place. I like that the student used different colors for the title, introduction, and body paragraphs of the stories. Each story also has a different color font so the stories contrast from one another. I also enjoyed the change in sentence structure as the author changed from first person point of view at the very beginning to third person and then worked in dialogue. What's different about this storybook is that it also has a tab that directs the reader to the original blog. 

Mount Kinnaur Kailash: Wikimedia Commons

Gambling and Curses Lose: Real Love Wins

The title drew me immediately because I was curious about what the stories entail. I also enjoy reading love stories so I knew this would be the story book for me. The introduction is very interesting and leaves me wanting to continue to reading the rest of the stories in the storybook. I like the dialogue and the conversation between each character in the introduction. The cover photos are all intriguing and match the stories well. 

Damayanti and the Golden Swan: Image Source