Week 13 Reading Diary A: Twenty-Two Goblins Continued

This week I have continued reading Twenty-Two Goblins by Ryder

Twenty-Two Goblins

Goblins: Father and Son, Daughter and Mother: What an amazing little story. I loved the ending to this one. It starts out as all the rest of the tales. The king takes the body infested with the Goblin and carries it to the monk. On his way to the monk the Goblin tells the King a story at the end he has a riddle. In this story a Queen and her daughter are traveling in the woods. Without a husband the Queen and daughter fend for themselves and hide from robbers. A father and son are in the woods hunting when they come upon footprints. A small set and a large set. The men agree when they find the women the Son shall have the person with the small footprints and the Father shall have the women with the large set. When they find the women they ultimately marry them, but as a twist the daughter actually has bigger feet then the queen. So sticking to the agreement the Father marries the daughter and the Son marries the Mother! Pretty Funny. So the Question is What are the relation of these two couples offsprings? The King caring the goblin was stumped. The goblin let the king in on a secret. The monk was going to kill the king to get magical powers! Page Turner indeed!

Conclusion: Okay. So the monk is killed by the King because the Goblin told the King the sham Monks plans to become King of the Fairies. For this the God Shiva rewards the King by promising him the world and giving him a magic sword where while he has it everything comes true!

Week 12 Reading Diary A: Twenty-Two Goblins

This week I read the first part of Twenty-Two Goblins Author: Unknown, translated by Ryder. I had a great time reading this and I would recommended every also read it for your reading diary if you have time... or just for fun! Project Gutenberg has done a great job laying out the text in a way that made it easily accessible to myself and others. I am very appreciative of that. I thought this was an interesting interpretation of an Indian Epic (very different from what we have been reading).

Listed Below are some of my favorite sections from the reading this week. 

The King and The Goblin

Reading A: 

Goblins: Brave, Wise, Clever: These stories are starting out very uniquely. I think the whole idea is interesting and I am excited to see what the conclusion of these stories are! I choose Goblins: Brave, Wise, Clever because I could really draw a connection to the tale of the Deathly Hallows! Being a big Harry Potter fan I really loved to see this connection. So this story is about the King who is trying to bring a goblin, that has taken over a dead body to a monk. The king has promised to do this. While the king is carrying the body the goblin tells a story and at the end of the story the King is forced to answer the riddle, of sorts. If the king answers correctly the Goblin will return to the tree the king found him at and the king will have to start his journey over again. If the king answers knowingly incorrectly then his head will explode. I think these are excellent stories!

Goblins: The Three Delicate Wives: Wow! What a quirky story. So this story begins at a distant land where there is a king with three wives. Already contrary to the so called “normative” culture of America, but that is a little ethnocentric of me... anyways the story continues with the king visiting each of his wives. When he saw his first wife a lotus flower landed in her and she was severely bruised by this instance. The second wife was lying in bed with the King and when the moonlight shone on her skin she was severely burned! Crazy, I know Right! It gets better. The Third wife is walking down a corridor an hears the pestles and the sound alone gave her bruises. OMG IKR?! So that is the story, of the three delicate wives and when the Goblin asked the King who was the most delicate the King answered The one who was bruised by the sound of pestles for she was the only one that was hurt by something that was not physical.  

Week 11: Famous Last Words

This week has been another rollercoaster. It seems like every week I expect the week to be better than the last, but it just keeps getting worse... What gives! Hopefully it all ends soon. I can only hope.
This week I have done two different readings. I thought the readings went really well, and I like both of them. I best remember the stories about Buddha’s life. It was very interesting to hear about the mythology of how Buddha came to gain ultimate knowledge and how he refused to go to Nirvana because he wanted to tell the people of his wisdom and to follow him.

I think my best writing for this week was my storytelling post. I really enjoyed retelling the story of Buddha’s life even though it may not have been the best ending for Buddha. I thought this was really excellent to read the life of Buddha and be able to retell this in my own words! I have also encountered some really cool projects from other people this week.

My other classes this week are going pretty good. I am down to 9 hours now of course work, but it feels like a huge course load. I am excited though because this course, my online course is almost over. There have been no apparent connections between my coursework this week and my other other classes. It is funny because almost every semester I usually feel a connection with my other classes. Good news this week though, I have officially enrolled in my last semester here at the University of Oklahoma. I will be graduating in May and moving onto a PhD program!

Looks like everything is going to turn out just fine!

University of Oklahoma (Image Source) 

Week 11: Review

Screen Shot of Course Announcement from November 3

For this review I decided to review the course announcement about experiment of Maati Baani music. I have herd this music before in the beginning of this course and I really fell in love with their music style. I thought this music was also great. I loved the mix of traditional India music with an electric twist. It was absolutely fabulous.

I recommend everyone take a look at this awesome band and their music.

Week 11 Storytelling: Buddha and Archaeology

Once upon a time thee lived a graduate student that had just received their PhD in Anthropology. This PhD’s name was Buddha and he was so happy because he had just attained perfect knowledge. He was so happy that he wanted to tell the world so he did a live feed on Twitter for one whole week. The second week after his got his PhD Buddha wanted to travel the world with his new knowledge. The third week Buddha, PhD again did a live feed on Social Media, but this time on Facebook so he could reach even more people.

“Wow,” exclaimed an onlooker, “You are so brave for getting all this knowledge. You should go an be an archaeologist.

“No,” Buddha said, “First, I must teach everyone in the world about the knowledge of archaeology. I cannot go on to work full time as an archaeologist, because people will not know about this knowledge if I do not show them.”

Buddha set out on his adventure to educate the world about his knowledge, but he encountered some problems along the way.

First, he went to a small town in western Oklahoma. It was here that he discovered problem number one.

“People of this fine small town. Listen to my story as I tell you the truth about archaeology. Let me educate you on the wisdom I have to offer,” Buddha exclaimed.

Buddha’s words fell on death ears. The people of the small town were too busy doing their daily chores to listen to the words Buddha had to offer.

Archaeology Mammoth (Image Source)

“What am I going to do,” thought Buddha, “how am I going to get people to listen?”

Buddha moved to a larger city. He thought, “Maybe if people aren’t busy farming they will have time to listen.” Again Buddha, PhD attempted to have people listen.

“People of Dallas, I am here to tell you about my ultimate knowledge. Archaeology is awesome and has a lot to teach us about life,” but again the knowledge of Buddha fell on deaf ears as the people of Dallas could not afford to spend time to listening to crazy people on the side of the road.

Buddha went back to his alma mater, not educating anyone. He was sad in his heart, but he discovered that in his heart he was truly passionate about doing archaeology.

Authors Note:
I based this story off of the Life of Buddha. In the original story, buddha attains ultimate knowledge and finds himself unable to convince people of his teachings. He refuses to enter nirvana, in my story nirvana is being an archaeologist, until he persuades people of his teachings. In the end of the story he finally does convince two people of his teachings, but in my story I thought that modern people may have been less willing to hear the story of Buddha. So mine has a sadder ending.

Week 11: Reading Diary B

Source: Buddha

This week I decided to read The Life of Buddha: Part Two Sacred Text (Source Here)

• Buddha has ultimate wisdom, but refuses to enter nirvana before teaching his wisdom to others. 
• He turns girls into hags from seducing him, but is kind when they admit their faults
• Trapusha and Bhallika are the first to have faith in Buddha
• Buddha is hesitant to share his knowledge because he doesn’t think people will understand
• Buddha attempts to make Rudraka hear his words, but instead he preaches to disciples. 
• The disciples do not acknowledge Buddha, but when he tells them “truth” they become faithful in him

Week 11: Reading Diary A

This week I decided to read Shiva

Sati secretly praised Shiva and was deeply in love with him, but Shiva did not offer homage to her father. Shia and Sati ended up marrying each other. Daksha never did like Shiva. Daksha called upon the gods and goddesses to discuss Shiva. When Sati found out she was very upset and told her father she hated him so much she would rather be dead than be his daughter. He became so upset that he killed his own daughter. Understandably, Shiva was upset and got a demon to kill Daksha. The gods and goddesses were very frightened by Shiva’s power and wanted to stop him. They were told to make peace with him. 

Shiva Statue (Source)

Famous Last Words Week 10

I have not done a Famous Last Words post for quite some time now, but when I took Mythology and Folklore I did them all the time. This week was pretty stressful for me. I am finishing up some work outside of coursework. Last week I presented at the Plains Anthropological Conference and I was give Honorable Mention in the 1st annual poster competition. This was a big deal to me as I received some recognition for my time spent on the poster and the research I have been doing. 

My reading this week was the movie by Brooks on the Mahabharata. I was particularly interested in doing this reading or movie, because while I really did enjoy the PDE: Mahabharata I wanted to get a better grasp and understanding of the story. The movie made a huge difference in my understanding of the Mahabharata! I was disappointed in my reading strategy however. For the last couple of weeks I have been cutting it very close to the course work deadline. I have only missed the deadline for work twice, this was last week. I was pretty mad at myself, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The great thing about this class is that when it is over, you can finish early, get your A for the work you put in, and move on to worrying about other classes. 

My best writing for class this week was my writing for my storybook project. I am developing the story of the Ramayana from Karma’s point of view. I added a whole bunch of bells and whistles and I think I am going to end up being very happy with the work I produce. Overall, classes this semester are going well. My half semester course is over and outside of class there are a few things I am stressing about, but I just keep reminding myself that it will all be okay. 

I am applying to a couple graduate schools right now for PhD programs in Anthropology. I have met quite a few great professors from various conferences, and I am now ready to be on my way to graduate school. Six-Isa more years of school and then I might be in the classroom teaching your children... or maybe everything will be online by then and I won’t have to leave my house! Food for thought. 

Reconstructed Cahokia Mounds in SE, USA (Image Source) 

Review: Week 10

(Image Source)

I chose to review the course announcement from Nov. 1st, 2015: Found here. The event, called Day of the Dead Street Festival was an awesome event held at the Lloyd Noble Center. I attended with my family and we had a lot of fun. I was glad to see it here on the course announcements. It is always nice to see cultural events on the course announcements. 

I wish I had taken a picture of my little brothers face painting. He sported a Dia de Los Metros mask. I attempted to explain to him the significance behind the festival, but he was a little more interested in the activities and candy... go figure. 

Week 10 Review Feedback

I really enjoyed watch the Mahabharata video this week. I think the ability to include movies and videos into an online course is really what makes the course great! I wish more classes were able to do this. Also, the inclusion of different formatting to convey similar information to different students. Many students learn differently and I know that I learn a lot better with movies and other visual information. I chose this reading because I really liked the Mahabharata, but I was confused when I finished with the PDE Mahabharata reading. I am very happy with my choice. I would definitely recommend this to any other student. The final scene of the movie was pretty impactful for me. I really like how the ending engaged the reader. I spent a total of about 4 hours doing the reading and reading diaries and storytelling this week. It was an adequate amount of time spent on a project.

IMAGE FROM THE MAHABHARATA (SOURCE)

Tech Tip: Tumblr Themes

There are many themes you can chose when creating your tumblr page. They are very easy to use! For this tech tip you will set up a theme for your tumblr account.

STEP ONE: Click on edit appearance in the upper-right hand corner. It is located under your account information.

Click “Edit Appearance”

STEP TWO: Click Edit Theme.

STEP THREE: Now click browse themes and choose a theme that you like the best. (notice: Not all themes are free to use. Some you have to pay for). When you find a theme you like click “use” and then “Save”. and you are done and your blog will now have a new theme! congrats!

Tech Tip: Pinterest Sidebar

Okay guys. If you have a pinterest you should do this! I did not know that you could actually put pinterest boards all over your blog! So cool. You can see to the left of my page I now have a dedicated html box for my Pinterest board just for this class. Not whenever I update my Pins they will update here too! How cool. I use pinterest to keep track of cool things I see online. For me it is very much an organizational tool. I think everyone should give it a try.

Tech Tip Pinterest Board and Widget Embedding

For this tech tip I created a new Pinterest board. I have used Pinterest before and I really enjoy the process. It is very clean and makes organizing new Ideas  very easy. Here is a link to my Pinterest board I am using for this course.

Tech Tip Google Site Video

For this tech tip I decided to learn how to embed a youtube video onto my blog homepage. It is a little different and did not show up just like the instructions but I like the end product. I embedded Adele’s new Hello song form YouTube onto my homepage. I like this feature because you can see this video and others by her.

Screenshot of my blog with the YouTube videos embedded! 

Google Timer Tech Tip

Google timer Screenshot

For this Tech Tip I investigated Google Timer. It is a timer on your google page that helps with time management and other activities. I think having a timer will be useful for me when I am feeling like taking a break from working on the computer. Having a timer would allow me to schedule my time and be more in control over it. I think a timer is an excellent idea. I could set the timer for a five minute Facebook break or I could set a ten minute relax on the couch break. Oh I like this already!

Jessica’s Big Chance Storytelling Week 10

Curling Image (Source) 

It was the night of the big game and Jessica was excited to be with her friends. This was the last game of her college career! Jessica played for the University of Oklahoma's curling team (i’m not sure if we actually have one of those). Her teammates cheered her on as she stepped up to the starting line. In her head Jessica knew she would make or break the winning shot for the last game of the season. All of her teammates had already gone and she would have to do hers perfectly.

“Okay,” she thought to herself, “just be calm. Just be calm. It’s gonna be okay. You got this.”

Before she knew it she was standing at the end of the long iced runway looking down at the opposite end. Her knees began to shake. There was so much pressure on her to get this last shot. 

She took the starting position and was just about to release when a fan blew an airhorn. He grip slipped and the “puck” went in the other direction. They had lost the game. 

Afterwards, the team went to Fuzzy’s Taco Shop to celebrate the end of their season. Even if they didn’t win the game. Jessica felt awful for losing the game. 

On elf her team members came up behind her. “Hows it going?” He asked. 

“Fine.” She replied. 

“Oh, well good.” He said. 

“Look, I know I sucked tonight. You don’t have to rub it in.” She exclaimed.

“What are you talking about? You did fine tonight. We have all messed up before, no one blames you for not making that shot. 

Jessica thought for a moment. “So your not mad at me?” She asked. 

“No. You did your best that is all we can do, right?” He said. 

“Yeah.” I guess it is. 

Author’s Note: I am retelling the ending of the Mahabharata as Yudhisthira climbs the mountain to enter the gates of paradise. Yudhisthira explains that while coming up the mountain he brothers and wife fell into an abyss. Arjuna, the Twins and even Draupadi all gone. Now Yudhisthira and his dog are the only ones left and they wish to enter the gates of paradise. The voice that comes from the heavens tells Yudhisthira to leave his dog and he can enter paradise. Yudhisthira is outraged that he cannot bring this dog into paradise. A creature that had been through so much with him. Yudhisthira says he would rather stay in the freezing cold and die than go without him. The ultimate sacrifice. Finally Yudhisthira is told that the dog is a reincarnation of his father and he passed the test to enter into paradise, where he found his foes! He did not understand where his family was led. Eventually he was led to his family in ‘hell’ a horrible place. When I finished this part of the movie it made me think about what it is like to go through ‘hazing’ at a fraternity. I wanted my story to be whimsical and not too dragged down, so I made the ending a happy one compared to the sadder version presented by the Mahabharata video.

Reading Diary B Week 10: Brook’s Mahabharata (cont’d)

This reading diary is a continuation of the film Mahabharata by Brook’s. I wanted to keep watching this film because I feel like I learned so much in the first part of the film and I thought continuing with the film would allow me to really understand the full picture of the Mahabharata. So we left off with the Pandava brothers being sent to exile. I found again that the film leaves out some scenes from the PDE: Mahabharata, but overall I thought it did a good job incorporating the most important scenes. I am really starting to get accustom to the acting in this movie. I love how throughout the film I am beginning to get more and more ideas about how I might be able to incorporate Karma, my storybook character into the stories. It is fun and exciting to do this! Both the Pandava brothers and Karna and others get weapons in the film. I think the film has done a good job of wrapping up this complex story and it has helped me better understand all of the characters.

Last Scene in Mahabharata (Source) 

Reading Diary A: Week 10 Brook’s Mahabharata

This week I have decided to start watching the online movie of the Mahabharata. A few weeks ago I red the Public domain Edition of the Mahabharata and while I thoroughly enjoyed this reading I felt like I did not completely understand the epic. So I thought it would be best to watch the movie version, found here, and maybe this way I would get a better understanding of the film. I think the film will make the PDE: Mahabharata make sense! 

I found the beginning of this long film to be really fantastic. After watching the film I do feel that I better understand the Mahabharata, but I did notice that some scenes that were in the PDE: Mahabharata were left out in the film. I thought it was very interesting to see how the characters in the film interacted with each other. It gives the movie version an element that cannot really be describe through pen and paper, or computer screens. I think that is one of the greatest things about this class, the ability to incorporate readings and movies into one class is phenomenal. Thought this first part of the film we find that the five Pandavas brother are wed to Draupadi and they are then all gambled away. the acting in the film really brought the whole movie together!

Ganesha Costume Source

Week 9 Curation

Three Favorites for Week 9: Curation Post

Canva created Tumblr info card

1. Fashions by Indian: Link - This Tumblr is a collection of really awesome India inspired wardrobes for women. This tumblr blog demonstrates just one of the potentials of a tumblr blog. 

2. Canva: Link - This week I learned about making cool “quote” images although I wanted to make mine a little more personal with information about my tumblr for this course. 

3. Awesome National Geographic Article about “Bollywood”: Link - This video/ information series give you all the details about the “bollywood” film industry you could ever want! 

Famous Last Words: Week 9

This week I was unable to complete the readings for Week 9. :(

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Exhibition

This was the first week that I was not able to do the readings, but I was able to do the storytelling post and the storybook project post. So I am pretty bummed about being unable to do the readings. I am excited about the future readings for this class. My best writing this week came from by Storybook Project. You can find that storybook project here. I think this project is all coming together really well and I hope everyone else like is too. I think I have finally nailed down my writing strategy for this storybook project. This weeks assignment showed me that I really do have the ability to write better than I ever thought I could. I added a soundcloud video this week to my storybook. I think this is going to add a little bit of flare I have been looking for into my storybook. I noticed other students peoples storybooks incorporated music and this is what gave me the inspiration to do so. 

This week marks the end of my 8-week course. It was my anthropology capstone course. i am really glad that it is finally over and it is going to give me a lot more free time to work on my other classes for the second half of this semester. 

Last weekend I presented my research at the Plains Anthropology Conference in Iowa City, IA. I was given an honorable mention in the Student Poster competition. Also if you have time, everyone should check out the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art new exhibitions that have recently opened up - Immortales and the Surls Exhibition. 

Quote Creation: Tech Tip Week 9

I made a thing for class that I am really excited about!!! 

Blog Advertisement created using Canva

Storytelling Week 9: The Red and Purple Yummy Berries

Once upon a time, in a land far far away lived a handsome young man named James. He and his partner lived in the woods just outside of town. One day James decided that he wanted red and purple yummy berries, but they were hard to find and he did not feel well that day. 

James called his partner over to him. “Babe, would you please, please, please get the red and purple yummy berries for me? You know they are my favorite and I am not feeling well today.”

“Of course I will do this for you my love.” His partner replied. “I would do anything for you!”

James’s partner was out the door and James stayed in bed for most of the day. 

"Maybe I should do some housecleaning.” James thought to himself. “That would be my partner very happy when they return home.” James started washing the piled dishes and cleaning the rest of their home. 

James’s partner was having a difficult time finding the red and purple yummy berries. “If only I wasn’t color blind!” James’s partner thought to their self. “Then I could pick the red and purple yummy berries and be home by now.” James’s partner decided to pick all the berries they could find for the next three hours. Their plan was to bring them home so James could determine which berries were the red and purple yummy berries. For the next three hours James’s partner pick berries. They picked and picked until the sun started to set. They headed home with a gigantic basket full of various berries. 

When James’s partner return home they found an emptied, but tidy, house. “Hello! Jame’s are you there?” James’s partner echoed in the home. “If you try to scare me I will not talk to you anymore!” They herd no reply. Wondering around the house James’s partner found a note that detailed instructions on the kidnapping of James. 

Kidnapping Note: Source

The note read, “If you ever with to see James again, bring the red and purple yummy berries to the bridge near the abandoned barn.” 

James’s partner quickly grabbed the basket and ran to the location where the exchange was to take place. “James! James! Where are you? James!” They called out. 

Creeping from the shadows James and a covered person appear. “Hand over the basket.” The mysterious person demanded. 

“Okay.” James’s partner said, “Just let James go.” 

The exchange was made and the mysterious person vanished with the basket of various berries. James and his partner returned to their home after filing a police report. The next day, Victoria Brown, was found poisoned. She sat on her living room floor, face smothered in berry juices. 

“I guess we know who kidnapped you now.” James Partner said.

“What berries did you pick yesterday?” James asked. 

“All of the ones south of our home. In the meadow next to the energy factory.”

"Oh, that explains it. Don’t you know that field has poisonous berries due to the waste dumping from the factory. It has been banned for consumption for years! Animals don’t even eat it anymore.” James said. 

“Oh, yeah. I forgot.” James’s partner said. 

And James and his partner lived happily ever after!

Author’s Note: 

I decided to rewrite the story of Rama and Sita and the golden deer. In the original story, Sita tells Rama she wants a golden deer so Rama sets out to get the deer for her. When he returns he finds that Sita has be stolen away. I thought this would be a fun story to practice my ability to create a gender numeral character. It was difficult to do this, but I had a good time. I actually based this story off of real life events. Not that a murder occurred, but this is a situation I could see my partner and myself getting into. I pretty much cracked up the entire time writing it, so I hope everyone enjoys it. 

Bibliography:

Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley. Question Copyright.Public Domain Version http://www.sitasingstheblues.com/

Tech Tip: Embedding Soundcloud Audio into your Tumblr Page - With Pictures! (Week 8)

Hello all. Today we are going to learn how to insert, or embed, a sound clip from Soundcloud onto one of your tumblr pages.

1. Find a song you want to have on your webpage.

2. Click share, underneath the song and then click embed. Copy the code under "Code & Preview"

3. Go to the tumblr blog. Click edit theme in the upper right corner.

4. Scroll to the page you want to upload the sound clip to and click on it. Once there click on <html> on the left side. 

5. Once in <html> mode, paste the code you copied earlier at the beginning or end or the <html> codes. *Shown as pasted in the beginning here. 

6. Click save and you are done. You sound clip should now be at the beginning or end of your page. 

Review Week 8

I chose to write about the course announcement posted on October 17. I am posting from a lovile phone that will not allow me to post a photo. I will add one later. I decided on this post because the cover made me really interested in reading this! I perhaps wil add it to my reading list this semester! Krishna's character is very interesting to read about.




Source: http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/2015/10/saturday-october-17.html?m=

Tentative Reading Plan

Hindu Legends Comic

Reading Options

I would like to do another reading about Ramayana. I like the look of Dharma’s Ramayana and I think it might help solidify my understanding of the novel. If I do the Dharma option it could last up to four weeks!

I would also in the future like to explore Hindu Legends. I think exploring this option would give me a better overview of the culture and might help with my storybook option. 

Lastly, I would like to read at least one contemporary version of Indian Epics. It would be great to get another perspective. Especially if that perspective is more understandable to me through a modern retelling!

Reflections: Looking Forward

Looking forward I am excited about this semester. On a personal note, with my capstone out of the way and I am attending my conference for Plains anthropology this weekend. I will now finally have the time to move forward on this class and hopefully get it finished early so I can focus on other classes! 

Writing: I am looking forward to writing more Karma stories for my storybook --> Karma Tells All

I am not quite sure where this storybook project will be going, but I am confident that in the end I will have a well written and awesome storybook project. I am also excited to explore more versions of indian epics of more stories all together. I can’t wait to incorporate them into my writing. I have gotten a lot of ideas from other peoples storybook projects about how I might be able to give my storybook a flair. For one, I am thinking about adding music to my pages to help set the mood for stories. I like when people add music into their writing and I think it is a creative idea. 

Hold On!

Reading: For the future, I am excited to read more of the indian epics and I am really looking forward to reading some of my classmates storybooks this semester. From what I can tell they are all coming along swimmingly. 

Interactions: Online so far has been great and in the future I do not anticipate it being a problem at all. I am going to continue learning more about fellow classmates and try to keep my head above water. 

Time: In the future I will probably continue my current method of doing this class. Completing one project assignment at a time. In the end this method works best for me and for other students it may be entirely different. 

Location: In the future I will continue to study most likely in my home. I have a tough time studying in crowded places, so home and other quite places work best for me and I haven’t had a problem so far, so I will most likely continue working from home. 

Reflections: Looking Back

The first half of this semester has flown by with rapid pace and I am excited that it is coming to an end. This semester has been one of the most difficult for me, but I am so close to graduating that I cannot help but push through. 

Writing: Indian Epics has not only been a pleasure to read, but a therapeutic getaway retreat from my other super boring classes. The half of the semester I have been really excited for some of my favorite stories I have ever written (see below). In this class I feel like I am free to create and imagine up anything I can think. I have been inspired by the stories we have read and by the stories of other students. I think one of the greatest things about this class is the ability to interact with other students without having to feel like you are critiquing them too hard. This class puts everyone onto an equal playing field. 

Here is a short list of some of my favorite writings this semester: 

James the Unfortunate Sewer Creature - Storytelling Week 2
No Title - Storytelling Week 3 Where I was able to write about archaeology!

Reading: My favorite readings so far have been on the Ramayana. I love the characters of the story and the overall plot. It was easy to follow and was a great story. I think the character Rama made a really big impression on me as well as Bhima from the Mahabharata. These characters play really strong roles in their stories and it seems like no matter what happened to them they would be back on their feet and helping their families! Throughout the class I have learned that 1. I procrastinate like no-ones business. and 2. that I enjoy reading. It has been a long time since I was able to sit down and just read without being hypercritical of the contextualization of an article or other reading material. I love mythology and reading stories!

Interactions: This class has been wonderful working with my time. As a student who is both full time and working part-time (30 hours) I am very happy that I have the opportunity to take online classes to help free up time during the day. I think I am doing pretty good in this class. I get all of the requirements done before they are due, but I know I could do better. I am hoping the second part of the semester I am able to work ahead.

Image Information: Me All The Time

Time: I do not have a scheduled time to work on this course. I mainly do it at night, but I sometimes work on it in the mornings if something is due by noon that day. I almost never work on it during the “normal” 8-5pm hours. I also don’t not set chunks of time aside. I will normally do this course one requirement at a time and I find that it is manageable for me. Reading A will be done Sunday, reading B Monday and so on. This structuring of time is more like a 5 day a week class, but I structure it to be a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday class. I find I am normally to busy on Thursday or Friday to do this online course. My schedule however is irregular and almost never consistent. My main goal is to get work done before it is due, and in this I have succeeded.

Location: study at home. It is where I am most comfortable. I can also do it at Starbucks, but I prefer home.

Week 7 Tech Tip: Known Account

My First Known Post! 

I learned new things today. I decided today to check out a site called Known. I had never heard of this site before, but I was very interested it was it had to offer to me. It seemed to me like another really cool way to stay connected to people you know, or may not know. I think overall I like the site and I would like to continue to use and explore it!

Storytelling Week 7: The List of Things

Jimmy had grown up alongside his four best friends ever since he can remember. When they graduated from high school they all decided that they would all go to the University of Oklahoma together! Jimmy had herd from his older brother that he should join a fraternity to go to parties and meet new people, so he set out to convince his friends to join too. Jimmy was excitedly awaiting his move to a fraternity where he would meet many new lifelong friends. Soon after the start of their Freshman year Jimmy and all of his friends were initiated into a fraternity, but before they could become official members they had to undergo an initiation ceremony. The initiation ceremony had to be completed by all new members and included a lost of fifty strange things the friends had to do. The list, while light-hearted in nature, was meant to make the new initiates feel uncomfortable. One item on the list was to blow an airhorn in the great reading room. As a freshmen who did not know the rules about how to act on campus they were scared they would get into trouble.

One-by-one, the items on the list were knocked off. By the time they reached number thirty-four two of Jimmy’s friends had quit. They could not handle the stress of this initiation. At number forty-three another one of Jimmy’s friends had quit and decided that he did not want to cause anymore trouble to other people on campus. Now it was only Jimmy and his last friend left to complete the challenges. When they reached the end of the challenges Jimmy went back to the fraternity house and proclaim their victory. He was very pleased with himself, but the older fraternity members had a look of dismay.

Dear Frat Boys Article: The Odyssey Online

"You have not yet completed the challenge Jimmy..." one of the members said, "We need you to tell your other friend that he cannot join. We do not like him because he smells weird!"

I don’t understand Jimmy thought. He couldn’t say that to his friend. I would rather not join than alienate my friend!

With amazement the house members applauded... “you did it Jimmy! That was the final test. We wanted to see if you would leave a brother behind. You have proven yourself worth!”

That night Jimmy, happy as could be, discovered that the list of task was just a trick to see how far the initiates were willing to go for the house. All of Jimmy’s friends were at the frat party that night and they stayed friends for the rest of their lives!

THE END


Author’s Note: I am retelling the ending of the Mahabharata as Yudhisthira climbs the mountain to enter the gates of paradise. Yudhisthira explains that while coming up the mountain he brothers and wife fell into an abyss. Arjuna, the Twins and even Draupadi all gone. Now Yudhisthira and his dog are the only ones left and they wish to enter the gates of paradise. The voice that comes from the heavens tells Yudhisthira to leave his dog and he can enter paradise. Yudhisthira is outraged that he cannot bring this dog into paradise. A creature that had been through so much with him. Yudhisthira says he would rather stay in the freezing cold and die than go without him. The ultimate sacrifice. Finally Yudhisthira is told that the dog is a reincarnation of his father and he passed the test to enter into paradise, where he found his foes! He did not understand where his family was led. Eventually he was led to his family in ‘hell’ a horrible place. When I finished this part of the movie it made me think about what it is like to go through ‘hazing’ at a fraternity. I wanted my story to be whimsical and not too dragged down, so I made the ending a happy one compared to the sadder version presented by the Mahabharata video. I think fraternities often get a bad wrap and of course in some cases it may be true, but obviously it is not at all what some make it out to be and that is why I did not want to create a sad ending.

Reading Diary B: Mahabharata Film Continued

This week I continue my epic journey as I come to better understand the Mahabharata. As I end the part of the film I am watching I have stated to think back to how much I actually learned while watching the film, not to mention that as a movie lover, I think the Mahabharata film really gave me another view of the Mahabharata that I otherwise would not have gotten from readings. Just like with the Ramayana, I feel the film was better able to help me understand the Indian Epic.

Son of Bhima and a Raksasi from the Mahabharata Pt. 2

Last reading we left off with Yuddhishthira losing everything in a gambling match. Now the Pandavas and Draupadi are forced into a long exile. The exile scene was not as long and drawn out as it was in the written PDE of the Mahabharata, but I still felt the essence of a long period. Closing in on the end of their exile, the Pandava brothers obtained weapons and so did their foes.


I was very happy to have the opportunity to watch this movie. I am excited to see if there will be other movies in the future. I really liked this film and I think I might end up watching the rest of it anyways, even though it is super long... I guess that would be the Epic Part.

Reading Diary A Week 7: Mahabharata Online Video

Telling of the Mahabharata (YouTube Screenshot)

For this weeks readings I have chosen to watch the Mahabharata Online Movie found here. I chose this movie because after watching the Ramayana Video last go around I found that it really helped me understand the epic. In the public domain version of the readings I was lost when reading the text sometimes. Unlike the Ramayana, the Mahabharata had a lot of action and I was generally confused the length of the story. I enjoyed the YouTube version of Mahabharata and it help me understand the complexity that is the Mahabharata! I thought the movie really help develop the characters in my mind and overall I am glad I had the opportunity to watch it. My favorite part was the beginning when Ganesha agrees to write the story. I thought it was fun and whimsical. Something the Public Domain version of the Mahabharata was unable to provide for me. My next favorite part of the movie for Part A was when Yudisthira gambled away his family and kingdom. It was a very intense part of the movie and I think it added a lot of depth missing from the PDE of Mahabharata. I am really glad I was able to watch this movie and I am looking forward to Part B of this movie!

Week 6 Review

For this weeks review I wanted to mention the Sunday, October 4th’s Course Announcement. I found this post to particularly interesting because this summer I was able to spend a couple of weeks in Israel. The country has a large Jewish population, but I did not know about the Sukkot Jewish holiday. I love learning new things about Israel!

Sukkot Image from Course Announcements

Storytelling Week 6: Departing with Smiles

The great war of the worlds three had finally come to the end. King Andrew had successfully defeated his foes in an attempt to rescue the people he cared for most. When order was finally restored to the Kingdom of Bombay, King Andrew returned to his hometown shining with newly gained metals of honor and pins of gratitude. Months passed by and King Andrew took to his normal daily routines including, taking care of his dog, washing his horses and running his farm.

Lord Andrews partner passed away during the war from congestive heart failure. King Andrew, a kind and good ruler, felt that he could no longer run the Kingdom of Bombay efficiently for his subjects. With a heavy heart he began planning how he would leave the kingdom. He wanted to leave it in the hands of someone who would be better suited to keep his subjects as happy as possible. It took many months of preparation to completely execute his plan.

Yudhishthira’s Journey in Afterlife

First, he purchased a small cottage between a quaint lake and a dense forest. He decided that is where he want to live out the rest of his life. Second, he thought whom he would have as heir to his throne. He did not have any living relatives, nor did he have any deserving friends. Instead he held a public competition to find the most fair person in his kingdom. A young lad by the name of Timothy won the competition and was announced as heir to the throne. The next day, King Andrew faked his death as a tragic riding accident and slipped away into the woods without anyone to notice. King Timothy did a wondrous job in the Kingdom of Bombay. When the old King became curious he would put on tattered clothing and go to the capital city. there he would look upon his former kingdom with happiness, he knew he had done what was best for his people.

Authors Note: This story was based on the Mahabharata Public Domain Edition - The Pandavas Depart. After winning the war between foes Karna and Duryodhana, the Pandavas brothers and Draupadi were told by a sage that their time to rule the kingdom was over. The kingdom was divided among various people who helped in the army and they were counseled on how to live peacefully. The Pandavas brother then cast off their royal garments and walked into the forest never to be seen again. They all died slowly and the Kingdom was left in peace.

Reading Diary B Week 6: Mahabharata

Yudhishthira and the Dog

For reading diary B of Week 6 I continued reading the Public Domain Edition of the Mahabharata. I found the overall ending of this story to be very interesting. As the war between Kauravas with a million soldiers and the Pandavas brother I was not sure what the outcome would be. Yudhishthria attempts to keep peace between the two sides, but he cannot contain them. After the war the Pandavas brother win with the help of Krishna, who dies sadly :(!  Out of respect for everyone that dies, the Pandavas brothers buried all of the men for religious reasons.  Yudisthara and the other brothers including Draupadi leave the kingdom and leave their jewels and clothes.

Week 6 Reading Diary A: Mahabharata PDE

Public Domain Edition of Mahabharata

This week I am continuing to read the Mahabharata Public Domain Edition. Readings 41-60.

Hanuman Statue

The Pandava brothers and Draupadi wander into the forest. They complain about how they lost their kingdom. They live on fruits and roots and face many perils in the woods such as reptiles and wild animals. A brahmin advised the brothers to call upon the sun god. The Pandavas lived in the woods for 12 years! They set aside some food for holy men and the rest for them. All the brothers would faint and Bhima would carry them all on his back and his arms. Krishna visits the Pandavas in the forest. Drapadi exclaims to Krishna that her husbands did not lift a finger to save her from Duryodhana who claimed her as a slave. Krishna comforts her and says that he will help the Pandava brothers and make Draupadi a queen again. Drapadi is mad at Yudhishthira for making her poor. He laments and tells her to forgive. Bhima is also mad at his brother and ask him to go to war, but he refuses and remain to his vow of exile. Arjuna ventures on his own to gather weapons needed by his brothers for the end of their exile. Arjuna went to see his father, Indra, and battled demons. Upon winning Arjuna’s father gave him gold, a diadem and a war shell that sounded like thunder. Draupadi and the Pandavas brother continue toward the Himalayas and are finally rejoined by their brother Arjuna. Hanuman, from Ramayana, meet up with the Pandava brothers and his half brother Bhima. Hanuman explained the four caste to them.

Duryhodina wanted to spy on Draupadi and the Pandavas brothers, but celestial spirits blocked him from doing so. Indra, attempts to protect his son Arjuna from Karna. Karna, born with celestial earrings that provided invincibility were a problem, so Indra stole them, but Karna was given in return a powerful dart that would kill one enemy.

Jayadrauhta stole Draupadi while the boys were hunting. But Bhima quickly beats the enemy and returns her to him. Famous Lakes Riddle Scene. During the last year of exile, the brothers and Draupadi must conceal themselves from the king. They do so by taking up medial task in the kingdom. Brother of the queen attempts to rape Draupadi, but she is rescued by her husband Bhima. Although not publicly. The other brothers cannot expose themselves. Duryodhana went to steal cows from Kind Virata, but the Pandavas brothers step into save the king. War is upon the pandas brothers, but Krishna attempts to settle the dispute, but it was unsuccessful. With the exile over the brothers go to was with Krishna by their side. Karna, (57) finally found out that the pandas brothers were his brothers. He struggles with this reality. An intense battle takes place. Either on Duryohana’s side or the Pandavas brothers side. Arjuna, on the battle field sees his brothers and relatives on the other side and doesn’t want to fight them, but Krishna persuades him to fight. The war begins and Bhishma warns Duryodhana of the doom. Ignored he goes on to lose the war.

Thoughts About Comments

Helpful - Generally, I think people have a difficult time leaving constructive feedback. Why... well to give a good constructive feedback requires a lot of brainpower and CPU processing of what you have just read. It would be helpful if you could force people to give back more constructive feed back. This of course is something that I also have trouble with. It is not only the lack of wanting to do it. I also sometimes feel that I might be hurting someone’s feelings I do not want to enforce my view on someone. It is their story and I feel that many people put a lot of thought and work into it.

Engaging and Helpful - I love to hear what someone else thought about this particular reading. Why did you like this part/ what did you not like? Let me know in the comments, I enjoy reading this.

A good comment engages the reader (by starting out with something you liked) and then analyzes the story and then provides positive and helpful feedback and closes with a general nice comment, like great job!

Tech Tip: How to create a new page on your Tumblr blog

HOW TO ADD A PAGE TO TUMBLR: 5 Easy Steps with Pictures!

1. Go to your Tumblr blog’s homepage

2. Click “Edit Theme” in the upper right corner

3. Scroll to the bottom of the “Edit Theme” section until you see the (+ Add a page) section

4. Once you have clicked the (+Add a page) section you will need to enter your page information including a modified URL address, a page title, and page text. This can all be edited at any time. 

5. Save and Exit the “Edit Theme”. All Done!