Week 15, Reading Evaluation

I have enjoyed so much of this class it is hard to say what my favorite parts are. I certainly enjoyed all the reading I read. I think I like the variety of ways to enjoy the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The comic books, graphic novels, books, movies and having the audio files to help my auditory memory has been amazing. I think that my favorites are:

•  Epified Mahabharata
•  Sita Sings the Blues
• Hindu Calendar Art

I love how the class is set up to read a great story I choose, then I get all inspired to write something great too. It seems well balanced. I love when people get super creative with their blogs. The background and fonts, images and overall feel are so fun to share. I love being able to do that with my writing. Learning to write for online visual response is different and fun.

I don't remember seeing this option for fun stories, so you may already know about it. But I have run across it in my online adventures. It may be fun  story to inspire others to want to read and retell.

• Little Krishna - The Darling Of Vrindavan (Full) [English] This is the cute cartoon story of baby Krishna.

  

  Disney HD Wallpapers: Disney Cartoon Little Krishna HD Wallpapersdisneyhdwallpapers.blogspot.com

Week 15, Reflections

Reflecting Pool, Garden Fairy Photograph

www.a-portrait-place.com

As I reflect back on this class and what skills I will take with me into other tasks I am awed.

For starters, I am a mess with technology. I do my best and try hard to keep up. Using this format of online learning greatly increases my skills. 

I am also low in the area of following directions sometimes. This class is nothing but following directions. This increases my skills and has increased my confidence in myself.

My whole college career has been mostly about facts. I started off in general education, then focused on business management. Then psychology. Then religious studies and history. It has been wonderful, but lacked creativity overall. I was a short story editor for my high school magazine in the 90's. I fancied myself to be a short story writer as well. But I quit writing as an adult. I lost a lot of knowledge of how to write. I drive myself crazy with my grammar and punctuation mistakes. 

This class was helpful to show me where I lack skills, so I can improve them. It has showed me where I am strong. I am strong in creativity. I can tell a good story. I can see similar patterns in many genres of literature, myth, religion and life. 

As far as writing goes, well, I have plenty of room to improve in grammar and punctuation. And good thesis statements will soon be a moot point. I cannot wait for that to cease. But I would like to pursue writing stories. I have some great ideas. I think maybe this summer (so I have time) I think I need to absorb a grammar and punctuation textbook and stop my bad behavior. 

I remember when I was in high school and I was reading all the great writers and we would go over how they had their own peculiar styles. I really wanted mine to be okay with poor punctuation or spelling and I told my teacher once that is what I was doing in some paper I had turned in. She red-marked that paper like someone nearly bled to death on it. I told her it was my writing style. She told me I had to become a famous author before she would accept it. I wonder if she still looks for me as a famous author! I have secretly or not so secretly always wanted to be one. But I lacked the confidence. 

Taking the courses that I have chosen while at OU have been wonderful. Latin has opened my eyes to what I did not even know about English. I am not good at either! But I have a better understanding of how it all works and gives me direction to focus on improvement. Writing a gazillion research papers in college, in Chicago style, APA, MLA, ASA, business proposals and business communications have given me a wide range of experience with writing. But I like short story telling the most. This class reminded me of that!

I really love reading books. It has been hard to squeeze time in to read for fun since I have been in college. This class was an opportunity to read so much fun stories. I also took the mythology and folklore class last semester, so I also count that class with this one as far as the selection of available readings. I love mythology but had not read it since I was a kid. These classes along with a few of my other classes have brought them back in a big way and I am in love all over again with the ancient world and myths worldwide.

Both of these classes have moved me out of comfort zones. I have read comic books, graphic novels which is something a bit new for me. Also, I had always avoided the Indian stuff because I could not pronounce the names. This class was amazing with that because I was reading the stuff as I listened to it being read aloud and now I can say those words easier. The epified movies also made an enormous difference with being able to say some of the words. I am no longer intimidated. I am so grateful for this!

I don't have any idea what lay ahead for me after I graduate in December. I try not to stress it. Long ago I have my life to a higher power who directs me to where I need to be. So I know that I will go where I am needed. But I really hope and want to work in a library. A place full of books and knowledge. So many great stories to be surrounded by....sounds like heaven. I have always been a library rat. I hope this rat gets the cheese!

Portfolio

Welcome to the portfolio page where I will be retelling the timeless stories of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. 

This is a fun project that I have enjoyed and I hope you will enjoy my attempt at retelling the stories! 

(Source: worthless-lies)

THE RAVEN, THE SERPENT, AND THE BRACELET

If you like stories full of puns and fun, this is the story for you! The moral of the story: "The wicked often fail to appreciate kindness in others, and compel them to work their ruin."

Lord Ganesha image found on Google images www.astrogems.com

Please enjoy the story I have written about star-crossed lovers who are aided by Lord Ganesha. I had a really great time writing this story in the setting of a city I used to live and work in.
Summer Love

The Mongoose
 image found www.quickanddirtytips.com

Here is a sassy little story that I had  fun writing. I wrote it with a vision of a cartoon in mind. It's all about integrity.

I am not buying what you are selling,chump!

Rama and Sita

Here are some stories that I want to share about Rama and Sita in couples counseling. I have changed the story quite a bit from the original. In the original stories, as beautiful as they are, I had to ask myself how would a modern version of this story play out? Maybe I watch too much television, but I sorta thought it would look like a sitcom. 

The story begins with:

Rama and Sita Hit a Snag 

Dr, Laura's office image found on Pinterest

The drama continues to unfold here:
Sita and Rama Unraveled

Week 1, Storytelling,The Raven the Serpent and the Bracelet, Portfolio

(Source: worthless-lies)

THE RAVEN, THE SERPENT, AND THE BRACELET

There was a quaint little red brick house in the cul de sac of the suburbs of  Oklahoma City which housed a sweet little nuclear family with the 2.5 kids and a dog. A regular American Dream come true. The tan brick house next door to the red brick house in that same cul de sac also housed a family with 2.5 kids and a dog, all of whom felt they were part of the American standard of middle class life. The two families shared many things in common, such as the neighborhood they lived in, family size and newspapers.

The two families also had many differences. The Ravenwoods that lived in the red brick house had a subscription to the local newspaper. The next door neighbors, the Serpents, also had a subscription, but for some reason found it necessary to steal the Ravenwoods' paper too. They had just moved to the house a few weeks before. The missing newspaper really angered the Ravenwoods as they were dependent on having the paper for their family's daily routine.

So, Mr. Ravenwood confronted Mr. Serpent one morning about the incident in question. Even though Mr. Ravenwood had been bothered by the uncaring manner that Mr. Serpent had shown, Mr. Ravenwood kindly extended an invitation to Mr. Serpent and his lovely family to come over as a friendly gesture. "Would you and yours please come and join my family tomorrow for a lovely backyard barbeque?"

Mr. Serpent was not only taken aback by the confrontation by Mr. Ravenwood's accusations of stealing, he was enraged about being invited to a backyard barbeque where animals' flesh would be being burned and consumed! He had no qualms at all about telling Mr. Ravenwood as much. He narrowed his eyes and answered, "Absolutely not! We Serpents are vegan vegetarians of course!"
 After  yelling rudely to Mr. Ravenwood, the brooding Mr. Serpent slithered off back into his tan brick house in the cul de sac.

And all this got Mr. Ravenwood to thinking.

That night Mr. Ravenwood decided to set his trap for Mr. Serpent. He had thought long and hard about how to make sure that Mr. Serpent would no longer be stealing his newspaper, and end the troubles for good.

The other house in the neighborhood cul de sac was the grey brick house. The grey brick house owners, the Queens, cooperated with  Mr. Ravenwood to set his trap.The family had a video camera for anti-theft surveillance, and they set it up so that it got pointed right at Mr. Serpent's house and also at Mr. Ravenwood's house in order to prove that in fact Mr. Serpent was stealing the newspapers.

Once the video footage had been recorded of the incident, Mr. Ravenwood presented the evidence to police officer Jewele Bangle. Mrs. Bangle found that it was enough proof to to have Mr. Serpent arrested for theft. Mr. Ravenwood watched smugly as Mr. Serpent was sped off in the back of the squad car. And once again the cul de sac was ideal.

Bibliography:
"THE RAVEN, THE SERPENT, AND THE BRACELET"Copyright (c) 2000-2015 Indian Fables by Ramaswami Raju (1887) Yesterday's Classics, LLC. All Rights Reserved. T h e B a l d w i n P r o j e c t@mainlesson.com

Author's note:

The story caught my attention on the list of fables. I to chose to read this one because of how iconic ravens and serpents are in folklore. I had great fun in the retelling of the story of the bird and the snake.The animals seem to find their way into all sorts of legends, myths and stories the world over. The moral of the story is,"The wicked often fail to appreciate kindness in others, and compel them to work their ruin." I find it is an interesting motif that is found in many great stories.

The original story is about a raven and a snake who live in the same tree, and the two animals just act according to their own animal nature, such as the snake eating the baby birds in the nest because it was hungry and needed to survive. The raven being a very intelligent bird tried to reason with a snake, who was of course not willing to cooperate. The snake in the end was killed because the angry bird sought revenge on the snake for eating its offspring and for being rude. I tried to keep with the same moral of the story, but change the setting to make it more up to date and human related. The bracelet reference is the officer, Jewele Bangle. Punny?

word508note217

Week 9, Storytelling, Summer Love, Portfolio

Lord Ganesha image found on Google images www.astrogems.com

Ganesha The Remover of All Obastacles

 Amar Chitra Katha 

Vol 509

and 

Star-Crossed Lovers 

Amar Chitra Katha Vol 661

Author's Note:

I chose this reading  because I love this guy, Ganesha! This is a very new experience for me, as I am not familiar with reading comic books at all, much less one from another culture. So, I am going to move out of my comfort zone of doing the same thing and do something brand new! I will be drawing from two comic books to tell this one story about star-crossed lovers who get a little help from the remover of all obstacles.


In the comic book version of Ganesha the remover of all obstacles, the story involves the creation of Ganesha by his mother and the drama it causes for his parents and how he gets an elephant's head. The comic book version of the Star-Crossed Lovers is about a young man who goes to study with a Guru to learn the art of being brought back to life after death. He falls in love with the Guru's daughter and they have an affair. But once the young man learns the art he leaves and breaks the young lady's heart, but she gets over it.

 I am choosing to create the setting of the story to be in a city I used to live in Sedona, Arizona, and I used to work at the Center for the New Age store. I also know a famous bronze artist there. I have changed most of the names to protect the actual people. I am including many photos in echo of a comic book theme that uses so many illustrations to fill in the ideas that words do not express.

Summer Love

Sedona, Arizona www.visitarizona.com

Jay loved his job at the local farmer's market in the colorful little desert southwest town of Sedona. He had recently moved to Sedona, Arizona  to work with John, a master artisan of bronze sculptures as a student aiming to learn from the best. Jay had to work at the farmer's market to support himself while he was in town.

Jay at the farmer's market
image found
www.carlsbad-village.com

 He worked by day and practiced sculpting at night at John's studio. 

 Sedona, Arizona Studio/Gallery at HozHo Plaza
www.jamesmuir.comwww.jamesmuir.com

He first met Elisse while at work at the farmer's market. Jay was working at the booth selling fresh organic prickly pear cactus jelly and raw desert honey. Elisse was out running errands and stopped at the market to grab a quick wheatgrass to get a boost of energy.

Wheatgrass
image lbjpersonalsolutions.com

Elisse felt a shock of energy that had nothing at all to do with the wheat grass. When her eyes locked with Jay's at the market it was as if the fates had brought together the binary set of magnets. She felt her cheeks flush and she smiled and then went on her way to getting her list of chores done.

Jay could not shake the feeling he got from the beautiful stranger he exchanged a special smile and moment with. He felt rather smitten, but who knows if they would even see each other again. Sedona is a resort town where people come and go.

 Later that evening after his shift at the market and before the night session at the studio Jay had to go grab some dinner. He enjoyed a salad on the patio at the trendy Oak Creek Brewery at Tlaquapaque and then began his leisurely walk to the studio. On his way he stopped at a store. The bright colors of the mural caught his attention, so he decided to go in.

Center for the New Age image found on Pinterest

Jay went into the store and in the entryway stood a six foot tall statue of the Hindu god Ganesha. The statue was made of bronze. It was strange for Jay to see an elephant's head on a human body as he was unfamiliar with the backstory.

Jay was greeted by a store employee welcoming him to the store and he took the opportunity to ask about the statue.

The beautiful young lady named Carla answered," The elephant-headed deity is the son of Parvati, who is the wife of  god Shiva. His name is Ganesha and he is the remover of all obstacles. Something tells me that you could use some of his help." She smiled and laughed her blue eyes twinkled.

"It is that obvious, huh?" Jay chuckled and smiled. He was of course thinking again of the lady he had an exchange with earlier that day. Jay thought to himself, "Ganesha, help a guy out to find his girl. That is the obstacle I face today."

Carla brought Jay a fresh bowl of milk to offer to the statue. "Here, this is what Ganesha likes to drink. If you want him to help you, offer him some milk."

Jay was sure his face was betraying him and showing his lack of knowledge and in addition, a bit of skepticism. "Wow, this is new. Okay, thank you." Jay took the bowl and set it down in front of the bronze of the deity.

Bowl of coconut milk for Ganesha

image found 

www.bluelightlady.com

Jay looked for a bit around the store. It was interesting. There were books, jewelry, crystals, clothing, candles, psychic readers and aura photos. It was not really his thing, but he was glad he stopped in and he went on his way to the studio up the road a ways.

When Jay arrived at the studio he was astounded to see Elisse. The girl from the farmer's market earlier. 'Man, that Hindu deity Ganesha really works fast," Jay thought to himself. As it turns out, Elisse was John's daughter. John was the master artisan of the bronze  sculpting and owned the studio. Elisse had been gone on a business trip and had returned just the day before.

Jay and Elisse worked together over a summer creating the wax statue that is made before pouring the bronze cast. It was a small piece of art, but it was a symbol of perfection to the star-crossed lovers. Jay and Elisse fell passionately in love that summer. With art, with each other, with life.

The Arizona desert heat dancing on the red sandstone rock can really bring out the primal forces in people. It starts with a buzzing in your soul. You want to hike to the tallest red butte and meditate under a full moon in a drum circle. You want to drink wheatgrass and have your fortune told. You begin to believe in soul mates, destiny, and the magic of the gods. Every day is like a day in paradise.

But alas, all good things must end, right? It would appear to be the case for the young star-crossed lovers. The thing about being star-crossed is that it doesn't last. It always ends in tragedy. The summer drew to a close and so did the love affair for the two young artists.  Jay had to return home. He really had a great time that summer. He grew in so many ways as a human in so many new directions.

When he thought about his future, Elisse was just not in the picture. Jay had a psychic reader tell him all about how their souls unite in each lifetime to teach each other lessons but it is not a relationship meant for mundane life. So he said his goodbyes to John and Elisse. They were sad to see him go. But that is Sedona for you- people come and go.

John, Elisse's father, was glad to see his daughter so happy and accomplished. He was also very impressed with the young apprentice's work. Jay showed amazing talent and great progress in such short time.

Osho Zen Tarot Deck 

image found 

www.bluelightlady.com

word count 986 note 269

Week 14, Reading Diary D, Sita's Ramayana

Author: Samhita Arni

Artist: Moyna Chitrakar

Title: Sita's Ramayana

Year: 2011

Sita's Ramayana

pages 111-end

Ravana is dead. The war is over.

Rama gets the city and the honor of crowning a new king. 

Sita is free. Rama is of course a hero, he saved her.

For all the good that does. The cannot be together, again.

His war to save his honor has left a blood soaked trail and women and children with out fathers, brothers and husbands.

Sita in her state of innocence and purity is deeply hurt.

Sita jumps into a fire, but the god Agni leads her out because she is indeed pure.

Rama and Sita jump in their UFO and head back to the kingdom they had been exiled from.

Ayodhya.

Sita gets pregnant.

Rumors.

She gets left in the forest.

Abandoned.

The forest hears her grief.

Again, like Snow White, the nature kingdom are there as her companions.

She has a son Lava.

Bam, magically she has his twin, Kusha that a hermit, Valmiki, made for her.

Usually only a man gets to be the wise person, dweller of the forest.

Sita takes on a male role by staying in the forest.

Hanuman, Lakshmana and Rama get beat in battle by the boys.

The boys then get raised by their father as warriors

and poor Sita jumps into the earth.

Week 14, Reading Diary C, Sita's Ramayana

Author: Samhita Arni

Artist: Moyna Chitrakar

Title: Sita's Ramayana

Year: 2011

Sita's Ramayana

pages 72-110

It appears that everyone tells Ravana to stop being foolish, and give Sita back because it means ruin to the whole of Lanka if he won't stop. He is like a pitbull and is relentless and refuses to budge from his mission. His son is killed without honor. I think it is important that the story points this out and also adds how war itself is without honor.

The magician that tries to deceive Hanuman also is lacking in honor. He tried to poison the cute monkey man and then tried to get him killed by the crocodile. Hanuman frees the crocodile who was trapped in the body by magic and tells Hanuman of the deceit. The good guy wins, the bad guy never does for long.

Hanuman goes to retrieve the herb needed to cure Lakshmana and can't find it, so he brings the whole hill. I am sorta wondering right now if this is how it normally looks in other depictions too. This looks to me like the pinecone thing that the Persian kings have.