Week 6, Storytelling, I am not buying what you are selling chump!, Portfolio

The Mongoose image found www.quickanddirtytips.com

I am not buying what you are selling, chump!

Manny the Mongoose lives in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn. It's a beautiful and historical area of New York. He has lived there his whole life, and his father before him and his father's father and so on. They have all served in the Temple since they first arrived in the "New World" or New York centuries ago. It is an important function and honor to have a Mongoose serve in the Temple. It has always been so since the reign of King Yudhishthira in the Temple in the "Old World" of India. 

Image found on Yelp.com

Manny, not unlike his ancestors before him, is well respected on the streets for his wisdom. He carries a keen sense of what is valuable and what is not. He can empathetically feel when someone is sincere and when they are not. It's kinda like a built-in lie detector. It's a great talent to have while working in the Temple. 

However, to most people Manny the Mongoose sounds a bit like a snarky alley rat with a thick Brooklyn accent. He is not a guy who holds back when he has something to say. He can be pretty hard to ignore.

And so it so happens to be one lovely April afternoon in the tiny Bay Ridge Temple. A gaunt, dirty young woman walks into the temple. She is so pale and so thin! Manny could tell right away this is not the type of thinness induced by vanity's sake like some of the people you'd see in the city. 

The lovely lotus-like lady has brought offerings of food and flowers to the deities. And yet it is plain to see the girl does not really have it to give. She herself is close to fainting from lack of nutrition. 

She must have some story, Manny thinks to himself. He puts one hand on his hip and shifts his weight to the wall he is leaning on in the corner where no one notices him.

Many of the other people who have come to offer praise and offerings do notice the frail young woman so seemingly out of place. But only one among them will do anything about it.

"Hey lady, you okay?" asks the little boy. He had just walked into the Temple with his family.

"Yes, thank you for asking, that is very kind of you," says the stranger. She smiles at the boy and then passes out. 

Manny the Mongoose is now on high alert! His tail is all puffed out! He puts his tiny furry hands on his face and mutters, "Oy Vey! What's with this! Somebody shoot me already!"

"Mah, did yous see dat?" exclaims the little boy to his mother. The boy quickly runs over to the lady on the floor to offer her his assistance.

Meanwhile, the other people are doing nothing to offer assistance to the struggling woman or to help the young boy who wants to help her.

Manny is scanning the room of sacred space, looking at the lights emanating from the  hearts of the congregation. They are all wealthy professional people who have come to offer food and gifts to the deities. Yet they all shrink away from the mess of a person before them.

In apathy they will do nothing but what they came to the Temple to do. Manny the Mongoose is smelling the guilt and shame in the room like putrid flesh rotting. It is making his tiny black nose twitch and his usually calm temper rise.

The heart of the young boy who desperately wants to help sparkles in golden amber light, not like the dull yellow of the greedy ones. He acts from kindness in his heart. His wealthy father had lost his job a few weeks ago. His family has been struggling to pay for things yet, the food that they brought as an offering they offer to the young woman to revive her strength. 

Many people in the room are astonished and are judging the boy harshly for this. This too lets out a stink that Manny the Mongoose feels is foul indeed. "That's it! Enough! I am not buying what you are selling, chump!" the mongoose shouts with his loudest roar he can muster.

Manny the Mongoose leaps up on the lectern in the corner of the Temple and he begins to tell the worshippers a thing or two. He quotes to the audience: "Ye kings, this great sacrifice is not equal to a little measure of powdered barley given away by a liberal brahmin of Kurukshetra, who was observing the unccha vow." Then he launches into the tale of  the Brahmin and his family. The audience just stands there with their mouths hanging open riveted in place.

While the audience is in reality shock because a mongoose is speaking English in a thick Brooklyn accent, rehearsing the story from the Mahabharata, they nearly miss the other miraculous happening in the room. The emaciated woman eats the meager meal that the young boy offers and then she is transformed into Lakshmi, the goddess of luck and wealth. She is so thankful for the generous offering that she blesses the young boy and his mother with a gift of prosperity and abundance.

Lakshmi, image found www.eprarthana.com

Author's Note and Bibliography: 

I wrote this story after reading the original story, The Mongoose, found in The Story of the Great War by Annie Besant (1899) found in Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition. This was my favorite story I read this week. It reminded me of a similar story in the Bible about strangers/guests and ironically being in the company of  angels. (Hebrews 13:2 Aramaic Bible in Plain English) "And do not forget kindness to strangers, for by this, some who, while they were unaware, were worthy to receive Angels."

In the original story, The Mongoose, the brahmin had his entire family starving in famine and they sacrifice their last morsels of food to a stranger. The stranger turns into the God Dharma who blesses them with food and abundance. The  "unchha vow" (Sanskrit unchha vrtti) which means living upon grains picked up from fields after the crops have been harvested.

The reign of King Yudhishthira in the Temple in the "Old World" of India is a reference also to the original story where the mongoose is half golden and says the same quote he says in this story. The king makes a huge offering of wealth that does not measure up to the sacrifice as the meager morsel of food that the starving brahmin offers.

I love that the cute little mongoose is the narrator! I usually do not like stories with the whole animal themes, but this story is cute. Almost as cute as the image of the mongoose. He has such a smug look on his tiny furry face. I can picture him telling such a great tale, with his own reasons for pointing out how the kings should be giving away more of their abundance. 

word count; 864 note;286

Week 4, Storytelling, Sita and Rama Unraveled, Portfolio

Rama and Sita

"So, Sita, would you like to tell me what is the worst part?" Dr. Laura smiled at Sita from behind the big exotic teak desk. 

"Yes, of course. After marrying a prince, then being exiled was bad. Being kidnapped by an evil demon was not good.When I literally jumped into fire for Rama to prove my innocence in marriage was the worst, until I found out I was pregnant. Rama left our home to go be the king. It was awful to be all alone and raising his twin sons. But that was, again, not the worst. No, I think the worst is when he..." and Sita broke off a sob raising her delicate royal hand dripping with expensive gold and jewels to her mouth.

"The worst is when he shows up after all the hard work is done  18 years later to claim the glory of the children as if it were somehow all his efforts. I knew he had to be away for his job, but he was gone for so long. I never gave up the faith of our love while he was gone. Rama just does not feel the same way." Sita looked down into her lap, feeling loss and betrayal.

"So, Sita, what I hear you saying is that you are angry and hurt because Rama is king and had to be away while you had to raise the children alone? You still feel the same for him as you always have, but you feel that Rama is not reciprocating these feelings?" Dr. Laura asked.

"Rama, can you take the time now to tell Sita how much  you value all the sacrifice and hard work she has endured alone? Sometimes people really need to know that you aren't just taking them for granted." Dr. Laura spoke softly but firmly as if metered by an invisible metronome.

Rama nervously glanced around the sunny office of Dr. Laura. He was soaking in the exotic sweet- smelling plants, the bookcase full of books that Dr. Laura wrote, colorful glass art pieces, the pictures of Dr. Laura on her travels, the details like the ornate woven rug that was probably from Istanbul by the looks of its superior craftsmanship. It was almost too intense, too difficult for him to look up at the most beautiful woman in the world. His wife Sita was truly beyond compare. 

"It is very kind of you to do so much work for so little thanks in return, Sita. I am sorry I did not tell you how grateful I am for your sacrifices. You and our children are amazing." Rama choked out the words as he fondly gazed upon the face of his partner forever bound.

Dr. Laura was really hoping for a breakthrough today. And soon too. She was looking forward to making it to the new oxygen bar that opened up on Mulholland Drive. Sessions with these high maintenance couples could really be taxing. Self-care is a must!

Oxygen Bar

"You know what, Rama? I think it is your turn to prove yourself to me for a change! Would you walk through fire to be with me and our children? How about if you prove yourself to me by giving up the one thing you cannot live without! That is what I want from you, Rama! Will you give up your job and come home and be a husband and a father?" Sita demanded as she stood up from the couch and flailed her arms akimbo. 

"Yes, Sita, if you will have me, I will be glad to come home." Rama felt his stomach sinking as he had now given his word. This was not the choice he had wanted to make, giving up being the king of everything. But he knew that he had broken her heart too many times...

Sita throws her arms around Rama and they embrace.

Dr. Laura smiles because this is the breakthrough she knew was there. "Okay then, we will see you folks next week!"

Author's Note:
Like some really great humans, Rama and Sita are just so dysfunctional. It really makes for a great story on couples therapy to me. This is a continuation of the last story I had written about Sita and Rama called Rama and Sita Hit a Snag.  Sita has the heart of a saint. In the ending of the movie that inspired this story Sita jumps into Mother Earth. I  have ended it with Rama needing to prove himself by trial of something more modern. Being an active parent: being a good dad and husband is the work of kings and heroes in my opinion!

The animated story of Sita Sings the Blues is awesome. I dare you to not enjoy the clever show! Because I think it's impossible not to laugh, smile, groove to the music and feel touched by the moving stories. 

I like how there is a mixture of tales happening at once. The couple in San Francisco and Rama and Sita. The layers parallel with the Vishnu and Lakshmi avatars. I love the colorful art and melancholic music. The people in the background that are narrating the stories are priceless because they are showing the different variations of the story with their comments, even commenting on what may be original to one version of the story. 

Link to my last story Rama and Sita Hit a Snag

Link to the original Sita Sings the Blues

Bibliography: Author: Nina Paley. Title: Sita Sings the BluesYear: 2008.
word count 687, author count 183

Week 6, Reading Diary D, Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata, The Mongoose

www.quickanddirtytips.com

The Mongoose

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition

Source. The Story of the Great War by Annie Besant (1899)

This was my favorite story! It reminded me of a biblical account about strangers/guests and ironically being in the company of angels. In this case a deity, so equally awesome in my opinion. I love that the cute little mongoose is the narrator! I usually do not like stories with the whole animal thing, but this story is cute. Almost as cute as the image of the mongoose. He has such a smug look on his tiny furry face. I can picture him telling such a great tale, with his own reasons for pointing out how the kings should be giving away more of their abundance. The Brahmin in the story the mongoose told has his entire family starving in famine and sacrifice their last morsels of food to a stranger. 

Week 6, Reading Diary C,Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata,Arjuna and Indra

Arjuna and Indra

Mahabharata Online: Public Domain Edition

Source. Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)

  I found that I was not very drawn to any one particular story in this part of the readings. This story I liked more than the others though. I copied and pasted the part that caught my attention. I like that it is describing a place I would like to go and take a vacation. Tropical resort? Spring Break fever is on my mind!
Indra is the father of Arjuna and they are on Indra's turf where Arjuna is enjoying the lounge lizard life by night. Brilliant. Oh and studies like a Jedi during the day, of course. His divine family gave him a pile of celestial weapons to wield,  so he must learn to use the force!

Thereafter Indra transported his son to his own bright city, the celestial Swarga, where the flowers always bloom and sweet music is ever wafted on fragrant winds. There he beheld sea-born apsaras, the heavenly brides of gods and heroes, and music-loving gandharvas, who sang songs and danced merrily in their joy. And Urvashi, a fair apsara of faultless form, with bright eyes and silken hair, looked with love upon Arjuna, but she sought in vain to subdue him, whereat she spoke scornfully, saying, "Kama, god of love, hath wounded me with his arrows, yet thou dost scorn me. For this, O Arjuna, thou wilt for a season live unregarded among women as a dancer and musician."

Arjuna was troubled, but Indra said, "This curse will work out for thy good."

Arjuna abode in Indra's fair city for the space of five years. He achieved great skill in music and in dance and song. And he was trained also to wield the celestial weapons which the gods had given unto him.

www.besthomedesign.gq

Week 5, Thoughts about comments

Thoughts about comments about leaving feedback on blog posts for introductions as well as storytelling, hmmm. Here goes:

• I love reading the feedback from others even if it appears that the person who commented on it has chewed up my work and spit it out! I love writing and don't always feel like I am good at it. 
• The more specific the comment left the better. I realize the comments being left are there to help. For example, if you tell me I have a spelling error, please tell me what word has managed to slip past my spell check and reading it outloud. 
• I also love it when a reader may tell me if my story is funny, or scary or confusing. I want to know if my intent is showing in the writing. It's super great when someone says my writing reminds them of a movie, or book or author they like. I feel like, hey I could be that cool! 
• I like to give feedback on the style of the page, the images too. I often catch spelling errors and try to point them out. I am horrible at catching much else as far as grammar. I am not there YET! But this course is getting me a whole lot closer!!!

Week 5 , Storytelling, Ari and His Gators

Image: Arjuna and apsarahttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arjuna_and_river_Nymph.jpg

"Ari, it's about time you showed your ugly mug man! What the heavens were you up to? The pictures I got on the cell phone were pretty interesting though." Karl, Ari's brother heckled him. The two boys did not grow up together but they were cut from the same cloth and enjoyed many of the same interests. They had found each other at school and immediately bonded.

"What pictures?" Ari seemed confused by the comment. Honestly, he was a little confused as to what exactly he had been doing lately. Very vivid dreams of gorgeous women, or was it a dream?

"Seriously? I really thought you were sending them on purpose to show me how much fun you were having without me... five gorgeous...here. Look for yourself, it's just mean." Karl was smiling and enjoying the discomfort that Ari was feeling. It's a brother thing.

"Five....wait...oh man it was real. I thought I must have been dreaming. I  know how mid-term stress can really mess with dreams. Wow, I can see why you thought I sent these on purpose brother." Ari was stricken with awe and humor.

The pictures that had been sent to Karl's phone were proof that this elaborate memory was real. Would Karl believe the rest of what he remembered? Would he believe that those women were gators? By the toenails of Indra, no one would believe him. They would surely believe he had been hitting the lotus blossom a little to hard to be believed. Ari himself was not sure if he believed it.

Ari was so far from home. He and Karl, who was like a brother to him, were attending Florida State University and they were on their own. Their parents had sent them out into the world to get an education and find their way in life. The school was great, really great. Karl and Ari both excelled in academics and athletics. They lacked time to dedicate to romantic relationships, but they did not lack eyeballs nor hormones. Even though they lived in modern times, their parents still lived in the traditional ways of India and of arranged marriages. So chasing beautiful women was not something they really thought much about because it was out of their control.

Karl and Ari shared an apartment close to campus. Everything is within walking distance of campus, like the bars. That is what Ari and Karl were up to last night. They were at the rowdy and crowded sports bar grabbing portabella burgers and beers. Nothing seemed all that different than any other Friday night. They had split up for the night when Karl said he was headed to the library to pick up the latest issue of the Indian comic books they read and head home. Ari decided to walk home and on his way home he decided he would stop at the gym and go for a swim to work off his meal of carbohydrates.

 Olympic sized pool image; shalamche.com

Ari liked to swim at this time of night because it was usually deserted. He liked the alone time to relax his mind. This is not the scene that Ari found that night. As he stood by the olympic sized indoor pool, nostrils assaulted with fumes of chlorine, his attention was drawn to the movement in the pool. Five alligators were in the swimming pool. Floating, hovering with their cold blooded eyes peering out of the water. The movement Ari had seen were the eyes of the gators snap open and size him up.

Gah. Ari's blood ran cold. His respiration sped up, senses heightened in fight or flight when the timer went off and the lights dimmed and then kicked on some that had been off for power saving purposes. That didn't help to calm things down. When Ari's sight adjusted, the scene was somewhat different. His pulsed still raced, just not for the same reason.

Five beautiful Florida State Gator cheerleaders were in the pool. Scantily clad. Exceedingly delightful. They all turned their attention on Ari. They were like Sirens of ancient mariners lore that led their victims to their death. Their voices were melodic and inviting.

"Hey, the water is perfect for a dip. Come and join the fun. We won't bite too much!" the voices of the Gators chorused and taunted seductively.

Ari was at a loss for what happened after all that. Without the photos he had sent to Karl, Ari may not have believed it was real. Partly because it sounds a little bit like the story he grew up hearing from his parents. The epic hero Arjuna is supposedly one of their ancestors in the stories of the Mahabharata. Their family is descended from divinity. Arjuna had also had a go with five gator women in his time. Maybe those Gators also had ancestry of water nymphs! You never know, right!

Ari laughed out loud after having a few moments of reverie reviewing the photos on Karl's phone. He smiled and handed the phone to Karl. He paused to rest his hand on Karl's shoulder before heading to bed at 8 o'clock in the morning, the walk of shame.

"I have seen things I cannot un-see. I have done things I cannot un-do. Namaste Karl!" Ari said.

Author's Note and Bibliography: This story is very loosely based on the PDE Mahabharata, Arjuna and the Apsaras,Source; From The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid (1921).

I chose to focus on retelling this story of Arjuna as a hero rescuing five beautiful nymphs who were cursed to be alligators until the fate of Arjuna would rescue them because it seems so different in nature than many of the other stories of Arjuna in this part of the Mahabharata. The whimsy of Arjuna not believing the warnings of the elders that the water could be dangerous and in his hubris rescued the cursed nymphs.

I wanted to retell the story in a more modern way, and with a twist of comedy. I thought it would be kinda fun to have Ari send photos of the five water nymphs having a good time since he was basically unable to resist their charms. That is something that I added because a modern person would think to send pictures of an unbelievable situation. I wanted Karl in my story to be sorta like the brother of Arjuna, Karna. I also wanted to kind of run a thread of reincarnation parallel with Ari being ancestral and reincarnated version of Arjuna. The Gator cheerleaders for Florida State University are a metaphor for the nymphs that were cursed in the original. They are where I drew a lot of my story from. The story nearly wrote itself from there. I am not a follower of any sport, nor do I favor their university, just as a disclaimer!

(word count 863) (author's note 261)

Week 5, Reading Diary 2, PDE Mahabharata: Arjuna and the Apsaras

Image: Arjuna and Krishna
(decoration in Bishnupur, West Bengal, India)

PDE Mahabharata: Arjuna and the Apsaras

Source. From The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid (1921).

This story appeals to me greatly. It is kinda lengthy and depends on parts from the other stories to make it work. I may have to think on how to retell this a bit. I like that the alligator is a nymph. I like that Arjuna wants to go and help the others. I like that his former lover gives him the power to not be harmed by things in the water, with empathy. Love this.