Reading Notes: Ramayana Online edition, Part C

A monkey god is a very funny concept to me, even if it's not meant to be. I like to add comedy like this to my stories.

The concept of various quarrels having a long history is something thta I will think about a lot.

It's cool when actions of characters (like Rama's seemingly dishonorable killing of Vali) can spark great controversy amongst scholars.

The "people" of the monkey kingdom having different looks between them is an interesting idea.

Rama's sitting and waiting for the rainy season to end must be  agonizing for him, making it therefore agonizing for the reader who imagines himself or herself in Rama's position.

Rama seemingly has gained much respect and power from several people, even though he was exiled.

Rama's exiling still haunts him even though it seems as if it happened forever ago.

I love the inclusion of animals in these stories and how they are actually very critical in the tellings.

Rakshasis and raskashas always seem to be in the worst place and the worst time for the main characters. This idea is something I could use.

Sita must be a grand prize considering all of those who wish to be with her throughout the Ramayana.

I see many storytelling aspects regarding "heroes" and "villains" in the Ramayana that could have potentially influenced many stories throughout the world.

It always seems as if in the end, Rama will get his way.

The betraying by Vibhishana is an awesome part of the story that I will definitely implement in some way into my story.

                                        (Here are a few artistic representations of Sita. Link)

Bibliography: Public Domain Ramayana, link to the reading online.

Feedback Thoughts-Week 2

• Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head

• Overcoming the Fear of Feedback
• Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset
• Key Characteristics of Better Learning Feedback

Feedback, whether giving or receiving, has always been something that I have never been great at. Reading these articles has given me ideas on how I can get better. As far as receiving feedback goes, I feel this is the most important. I think the idea from the first article I read are key to receiving feedback. Having positive voices in your own head can increase the ability to work and receive feedback. One must also be able to receive feedback from somebody because different perspectives offer different ideas that you may haven't thought of by yourself. 

                                             (It's important to give feedback that is beneficial. Link)

Giving feedback has been hard for me ever since elementary school. The reason for this is because I never wanted to be too critical of somebody when I felt my work wasn't great itself. I have grown and learned that what's important is to help others and not specifically worry about your own work while examining others'. The last article I read got the gears going in my head but clearly laying out the key characteristics needed. Giving user friendly feedback is what especially stuck out to me, as I know that feedback must be substantial and not generic.

Week 2 Story: Burlish wants his Sandals back

Never come between a man and his sandals. These are the words that Rama assumed were told to every young child growing up, as his father told him, his father's father told his father, and so on.

But apparently not.

"Sita! Sita!" Rama screams for his wife. 

"What's wrong, Rama?" Sita asks."Did a jealous enemy try to kill you again?"

"No, Sita, worse. My sandals have been stolen. How am I supposed to walk around with bare feet? You know I have thin skinned feet!"

Sita, not believing Rama, begins searching for the sandals. On the forest floor, where Sita generally finds Rama's sandals every other time they've been 'stolen', she finds a note. The note reads: "You will never see these sandals again. They are mine." Sita immediately rushes the note over to Rama, who is still frantically looking for his sandals, hoping maybe he just misplaced them.

"I found a note!" Sita tells Rama.

Rama snatches the piece of paper out of Sita's hands. Rama reads the note with a stone look on his face. He recognizes something. This isn't just anybody's handwriting, this is the writing of the most notorious rakshasa on the planet...Burlish. A ten foot tall reptilian humanoid being who lives in the Ganges river, Burlish is feared by all of those who know of his existence.

Rama has dealt with Burlish before. Long before Rama met his wife Sita, he was a lonely man. Walking from village to village, scavenging. One day as he was getting a drink of water, he saw a pair of sandals next to the water. Rama saw nobody around, so he assumed they had been forgotten. On the bottom of the sandals was written "victim #425: He fought hard." He thought this was weird, but he took the sandals anyway. Rama puts them on and quickly realizes they are the most comfortable sandals he has ever worn. Suddenly, Rama hears a loud voice come from a figure in the water.

"Where are my sandals?!" 

Burlish spotted Rama on the edge of the river, wearing the sandals. He had heard stories about him, but he didn't think he really existed. Rama began to run. He had a head start due to Burlish being in the water. Rama buries himself in bushes and dirt under a tree. Burlish runs past him, not noticing him. Rama makes the conclusion that Burlish keeps souvenirs of the people he has defeated. Rama continues his journey in his comfortable sandals. 

 

Rama thought that would be the last time he ever had to deal with Burlish. He was wrong. He wanted those sandals back. They were the best pair he ever owned.

 

"Oh, well." Sita said. "You will have other sandals."

 

"No." Rama said. "I need those sandals. Burlish doesn't deserve them anyway. He had to defeat a hopeless person to get these!"

 

Sita sighs.

 

Rama sets off to the Ganges river. He knew Burlish would be there with the sandals. He would reach the river by the next morning.

            (Rama's special sandals. Link)

Bibliography: Public Domain Ramayana, link to the reading online.

Author's note: One thing that stood out to me was the sandals in the Ramayana that were used to represent Rama. Based on that, I decided to make a story that involved Rama and sandals.

Reading Notes: Ramayana Online Public Domain Edition Part B

I think it's a nice touch to a story to keep an important character like Bharata out of the loop" so to say.

Also, Bharata's absence leave's the reader with a "Oh my, what is he going to think when he gets back?"

It must be hard for Bharata to go through the funeral process knowing that Rama is somewhere in the wilderness thanks to a jealous wife.

Having something such a sandals to represent a character of Rama's importance is something I could add in my story.  

A battle against an evil force such as a demon is something that could benefit my story greatly, as it adds a dash of drama.

The turning point regarding the rakshasa that sets the story for the rest of the Ramayana could be a concept that I use in my story.

Humanoid figures add a decent touch to any story.

It seems as if Rama is basically unstoppable against any demon or negative force. I do not want to add a sense like this to my story.

I like when behind the scenes things happen (things the main characters don't know about, but we the readers do.)

I'm surprised that Sita was distracted by a Golden Deer.

The imitation of voice is something that I think adds a very nice touch to the Ramayana that I didn't think would happen.

I'm glad that Sita refuses to sleep with the rakshasa.

I can just imagine a visual of Rama's frustration and sadness. I liek whe na story puts this into my head.

It is always cool when a main character from any story encounters somebidy who has been waiting for them for a long time, leaving the main character bewildered.

                                       (Another interesting Ramayana pic I found. Link)


Bibliography: Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition, Link to Reading

Reading Notes: Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition Part A

I could use specific descriptions to describe things in my story, much like is done in the Ramayana.

No son being born by any of the queens seems like a common problem that has occurred in many stories throughout history.

I would be able to create many fake characters that could represent various ideals of life, like what is done here.

Drama between "gods" and human counterparts has always been of interest to me.

I also think it's cool to have a character that can't be defeated to the gods. This adds a new dimension that I had not previously known.

I wold like to include evil characters or demons, like rakshasas, to my story.

Giving inanimate objects "spirits" connected to them is a concept that I hadn't thought of that I may use.

Real places on earth such as Sagar island that have a supposed connection give me many great ideas.

A character who is duped like Ahalya could give a beneficial part to my story.

Heavenly and eternal love like that of Rama and Sita is a must have for me in my story.

Rama is the type of character that I admire most in stories, as he was able to overcome great adversities and win Sita.

Paradhurama's size makes me think of many ancient stories, such as Greek ones.

A whole family finding love is not exactly the type of thing I would include in my story, butvI still find it respectable.

I'm pretty sure I read a play in my History of Theater class where a character faced a similar problem that Dasharatha faces, regarding choosing a son to be the heir apparent.

A jealous mother such as Kaikeyi is always a nice addition to any story.

Rama is so loyal to his father, that he will even unfairly go into exile...my type of character.

The jata hairstyle is very intriguing to me, and I may include it into my story.

The death of a character like Dasharatha makes me feel sad, yet I'm not exactly mad about it because he let his jealous wife talk him into exiling Rama.

                                        ( I thought this image online about learning lessons was interesting. Link)

Bibliography: Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition, Link to Reading

Greg's Growth Mindset

I have not heard of Carol Dweck or growth mindset before, but I am absolutely very intrigued right off the bat. Anything that promotes people to be better in their everyday lives, is awesome to see. In a world full fo such negativity, it is important to remain focus on the things that we can control in order to better ourselves. When we are trying to learn new things, putting in that extra effort stimulates the mind, even if we fail. This topic of a growth mindset is undeniably accurate in this world, as Dr. Dweck describes. I will definitely try to implement the growth mindset challenges in my everyday work from now on. The one I find most intriguing is writing in a new style. By using a new writing style, I feel you would almost feel like a new person, when in actuality you are simply exploring new functions of your brain that you hadn't come across before.

(It's OK to fail. Common Sense)

Time Strategies

In my opinion, time management is the most important issue for college students to address. As I’ve attended school, I’ve always struggled with it. Over the past few semesters it has been crucial for me to create a detailed schedule in order to maintain the goal of graduating by this fall. I think it is really cool that we are able to create our own time schedule that fits us best. This is especially awesome because I work and don’t get home until late at night sometimes. Who wants to do homework after having four classes and then a work shift? Not me. The only strategy that works really well for me is, I typically like to work ahead. This way I don’t procrastinate. Speaking of procrastinating, the article that stuck out most to me is How to Beat Procrastination by Caroline Webb. Obtaining the information from this article is very vital for me, as I am someone who has had terrible procrastination in the past.

(Definitely not the preferred method. Why We Procrastinate)

Reading Options

The Ramayana that I have decided to read for week 2 is the Public Domain Edition. The main reason I chose this version and not the Narayan version is because of all the many influences from various authors that went into it. While I am sure Narayan’s version is fantastic, I would like a little more variety in my readings.

The topic in this class that interests me the most is the overall creation of stories. I have never done anything like this before, and I’m always open to trying new things. In addition to trying new things, I have always been interested in learning new things. I have taken classes such as Religion in Everyday Life and African American Buffalo soldiers. Learning about things I never even knew existed, as well as learning about other cultures, has always interested me greatly. I am very grateful that I attend a University in which I am able to take such classes.

( This Image interests me because it makes me want to create a story for it. Image info)

Week 1: Storybook favorites

The Four Elements

The Four Elements is the first storybook that I decided to choose as one of my favorites. The main reason I chose this storybook is because of the interesting topic the author chose. I have always been of fan of things concerning the four elements of nature. I feel the introduction for this storybook did a very good job of explaining why they chose the four elements. Also, the picture in the introduction drew my attention in a good way. The layout of this storybook made it very easy to navigate, as it related back directly to the way it was explained in the introduction. The various stories about the different characters who were created by the individual elements was highlighted well, due to the design layout.

                                   (Nature Collection, Geninne, Website: Geninne's Art Blog)

Tales of Love

Tales of Love was a very intriguing storybook to me. Normally I am not one to care much for love stories, but the introduction to this storybook made me very interested in the topic. I loved how the introduction for this storybook laid out the different ways love is played out in the various situations. The design for the storybook with the topics of Separation, betrayal, and reunited, was a perfect fit in my opinion for the message that the author was trying to convey.

Indian Travels

As somebody who wishes to do a heavy bit of travelling around the world one day, it was easy for me to find the topic of this storybook interesting. I could feel the excitement the author had for their journey immediately as I started reading this storybook. This excitement even made me feel like I was going on the journey with them. Also, I feel relating the trip to created stories was another positive touch to the storybook that definitely made it more readable. This backstory for the storybook was the main reason I chose this as one of my favorites.

Introduction to Greg Silver

Hello, all. My name is Greg Silver. I am a senior and my major is Communication. I am a former accounting major. I decided to switch to Communication in the Spring 2016 semester as I was tired of the repetitive nature of accounting. With my communication major, I am able to examine a vast area of the social sciences that have always interested me.

But enough about school. First, I think it’s important to know my music tastes. Music is a big part in my life, as I play it in the background every chance I get. I am a huge fan of hip hop, but mostly just rap. The rap that interests me the most is the kind that tells a story or informs the audience of something they may not have known before. My favorite rapper of all time is Lupe Fiasco, but I must say that J. Cole is quickly catching up to him. (J. Cole went double platinum with no features). Lupe Fiasco and J. Cole not only rap intelligently, but also with such great emotion that you feel what they are feeling in most of their songs. I can listen to rappers like them all day long and never get tired of it.

The next biggest thing to know about me is my love for sports. I love OU football, but OU basketball more. I am one of a few people who can say this, and I’m proud of that. I have attended most of the OU basketball home games since I have been a student. Last year was one of the most fun years for me, as OU made the NCAA Final Four. (We’re not going to talk about what happened to them when they got there). It was especially cool because I was able to see the whole process that led up to that NCAA Final Four run. That is something that I will forever cherish.

Those are the main points about me and I hope to get to know you all!

                                                   (I'm on the left in the stupid hat. Link)

Week 1 Story: Jake's and Susie's Holiday Journey

It’s that time of the year again…the holidays. This is a joyous occasion for most, but for Jake and Susie, it’s met with great dangers. See, their festive and fun-filled holiday house is surrounded. Surrounded by what you ask? Their worst nightmares…almost too many to count.

Every year, the, young brother and older sister must make the hard choice of which direction they will take to get to their holiday home.

If they come from the south, they will face quicksand, a crazy hermit, and poisonous mushrooms. The north, vampire bats, a firing range, and toxic waste may doom them. The east, a Japanese soldier and evil spirits could end them. The west, snakes and a temple of doom could threaten them.

After much talking back and forth, the brother and sister decided to approach their holiday home from the south. Surely, they could avoid the quicksand, outrun the hermit, and not ingest the mushrooms.

As they were packing and preparing for the journey to their holiday home, Jake began to feel uneasy about all of it.  

“Is this even worth it?” He asked his sister Susie.

“Of course it is!” Susie rebutted. “Do you not want any of the presents left by Santa?”

“Ugh, I guess.” Jake replied.

As Jake and Susie approached the quicksand, it finally set in that this was, once again, real. Luckily for the brother and sister, they made their way around the large area of quicksand.

Next, the brother and sister passed through a massive field of mushrooms. Jake (without Susie knowing) picked up some of the mushrooms and put them in his pocket to save as a souvenir.

The two were over half way to their destination, then Jake sees something in the corner of his eye.

“Did you see that, Susie?” asked Jake.

Before Susie could respond, a crazy hermit ran from behind a tree, grabbed her shoulders, and began to shake her.

“Why are you here?! You will pay for this!” screamed the hermit.

Jake, remembering that he had poisonous mushrooms, ran to his sister’s defense. Jake forced the mushrooms into the face of the hermit. The hermit collapsed.

“Jake, you saved me!” screamed Susie.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Jake replied. “Let’s just go open some presents.

(Holiday house. Picture information)

Jake and Susie opened the door to their holiday home. Inside sat their presents. Next to their presents were their parents, looking very nervous.

“Thank God you’re OK!” Their mother yelled. “That’s it, I’m sick of this Martian tradition. I don’t care how bad global warming has gotten on earth. We’re moving back there.”

Author's Note: While viewing Tom Gauld's cartoon, a ton of ideas came into my head. Obviously, all of the things surrounding the holiday house are dangerous. Knowing this, I was able to use my imagination and write a story I felt made sense with the cartoon.

Bibliography: "Map of the Area Surrounding our Holiday Home," a cartoon by Tom Gauld from his book ROBOTS, MONSTERS Etc. Web source.

The Lloyd Noble Center- My favorite place!

The Lloyd Noble Center: I grew up as a huge OU basketball fan, making the Lloyd Nobel center one of my favorite places on earth. As a student, I have been to most of the OU basketball home games at the Lloyd Noble Center where I have witnessed many thrill filled games.

(Crowd shot with fire, pre-game. OUHoops forum)

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Website: https://sites.google.com/view/tragicstories/home

                                                   (A Yaksha. Link)

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