Reading Notes: Two Promises Revived- Narayan's Ramayana Part B

In the chapter "Two Promises Revived" in "The Ramayana" it begins with a man named Dasaratha who wants to give his thrown to someone younger. He has done his work and spent many years on the thrown and wants to spend the rest of his days resting. He then decides to give his throne to Rama because he is competent and younger. I will change the characters but keep the initial plot. I will twist the story to include Superman's Father Jor El and Superman, Clark Kent/ Kal El. I will have the plot centered to be on their planet. In the comic books superman gets sent to Earth when he was a baby because his planet was going to explode. Instead I will have Jor El be like Dasaratha and pass down his kingdom of Krpyton to Superman, or Kal El. The journey within the story will show how superman who did not have power comes to many as he becomes a hero of many planets. Just like in the chapter there were many obstacles that got in the way, my characters as well will have obstacles to overcome in some way. With an expecting turn in the chapter Rama does not become king because Dasaratha wants him to achieve higher spiritual welfare. So in my story I can have Kal El say to superman in the end that instead of governing over their world that he should govern over ours. Superman will then become the hero we were raised to know about and love. In the end a man by the name of Baharatha was selected in place of Rama to rule. He even took his sandals as symbol of reigning on the behalf of Rama. I decided to change my story for Superman also to help his cousin Kara El/Supergirl to be a part of being a hero to Earth. She will be like Baharatha who carries herself and has powers like superman but has her own fate to rule in her specific ways. In the end of this chapter the ending is not as good for the characters for Rama gets exiled and Baharatha finds out he was cursed for his previous actions, but I wanted my characters to have a happier and more complex ending.






Resources:
Narayan's Ramayana Link to Reading Guide
Superman and Supergirl

Feedback Thoughts: How You Can Improve if Your Thoughts Do

As you go throughout life giving an getting feedback is a part of it. Whether you are on a sports team and the coach is calling the team together about the game, or a boss talks to his coworker about the job he has been doing. Feedback is inevitable and crucial to a workplace and its employees because that is how a corporation gets better. I read an article about receiving feedback and it was called, "Using Harsh Feedback to Fuel Your Career" by William Treseder. He talks about getting rejected from the marines helps him become better and reach is goals more. On the opposite end is giving feedback. When you speak to a child you have to be very precise on how you choose your words. If not then the child could either be a person who is too hard on themselves or to into themselves. All of that stems from how they are treated and praised growing up. The article about the difference between praise that I read is what cultivated this idea of how important words are in a situation. I believe this is something I could take away for my everyday life. If everyday I thought a little bit about what I should say before speaking then less arguments could occur. If I thought before I spoke then maybe everything I say sounds more articulated. Another article said it similar when it says you should pick and choose which kind of praise you give children because it is important. They said that it is better to be present for a child then give them words that will boost them up too much. The article "Presence, Not Praise" by Maria Popova reveals that in the end children do not need too much praise by they need someone who is around to love on them. The last article I read is titled, " Why Rejection hurts so much-and what to do about it" by Guy Winch. This article explains how to overcome reaction and key things you have to focus on. Things meaning boost your self worth, focus on social connection, and don't involve yourself in self criticism. He believes that self worth is key to receiving feedback well. He also says that as social mammals we need connection to feel wanted and needed. Lastly, it is important to love yourself and say kind words to you in order for you be able to say kind words and do kind actions to others. These articles showed how I can better give and receive feedback. I should not take words people say too personal but focus on what is being said so I can approve as a person.








Feedback











My Resources

 Why Rejection hurts so much-and what to do about it by Guy Winch. 

Using Harsh Feedback to Fuel Your Career William Treseder

The Difference Between Praise That Promotes Narcissism vs. Healthy Self-Esteem By Poncie Rutsch

Presence, Not Praise: How To Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Achievement Why instilling admiration for hard work rather than raw talent is the key to fostering a well-adjusted mind. By Maria Popova

Growth Mindset: Eastern vs Western Education

When I was younger I remember being called on by a teacher to come to the board. I also remember being very reluctant and shy to even get out of my desk. My palms were sweaty and my cheeks were flushed with the same color as my vibrant red shirt. As I walked steadily toward the board I thought to myself, "Oh man do not mess up."



If you took a poll in America and you asked, "Have you ever been called on by a teacher and did not want to be?", many would answer yes. I read the article, "Struggle Means Learning: Difference in Eastern and Western Cultures", by MindShift. The article is about a man named Jim Stigler, a professor from UCLA, who went to Japan and sat in a Japanese classroom. He was doing research at the time about the difference between Eastern and Western culture education. He soon found that Eastern culture believes struggle is opportunity. In Western Cultures like America it is believed struggle is the reflection of your intellect. Eastern cultures believe struggle is a part of any journey and is a must to achieve your goals. Struggle in a way to them is a necessity. Separately in Western cultures intelligence is a direct reflection of who you are and who you become. Unlike in Asian cultures they believe intelligence is not who you are but an obstacle you can overcome if you can battle with your inner demons.



I really enjoyed reading the article. It makes me sit back and think about how I am in school. I beat myself up when I mess up sometimes and when I receive a bad grade I feel disappointed. But education is not who I am on the inside. I am more than just a student. I am a wife. I am a world traveler. I am more than what meets the eye.



Resources:
Struggle Means Learning: Difference in Eastern and Western Cultures
Baby Picture
Children with Globe

Week 2 Storytelling: The Bride and Her Prince

 She stepped out onto her hotel balcony and looked into the distance. She could see snow capped mountains and frozen trees that stood planted along the streets winding up to the mountains. Amelia was overwhelmed by the stillness of the she felt in her heart. The wind moved wistfully  across her rosy red cheeks as they were beginning to get stiff from the rigid air.  Her wedding day was tomorrow and she could believe it came so fast. His name is Edward. Edward is this wealthy businessman who is humble and kind. He won her parents hearts instantly and hers soon after. They met through a mutual friend after her heart was broken. She remembers the day like it was yesterday. She was rolled up in a bowl on her king size bed and tears rolled continues down her cheek. If not him then who?. Her relationship to him was passionate. They fought practically all the time and loved just as fiercely. The night they met was magic for him and it didn't take her long to take a liking to him. He was tall with dirty blonde hair and sweet brown eyes. Women stopped to stare and men wished they could be him. He was a catch. The moment he first saw her he knew that he was done with searching. His life finally began. Amelia instantly felt like he was a snob. She thought his good looks would make him uptight and mean. He seemed pompous and that's what her judgment was going to be. He soon proved her wrong of course and fell deeply for him. It wasn't his persistence on wanting to get to know her or the way he would stare at her when he was on the other side of the room. She believes to this day it was the way he stood tall through everything he has been through. She admired him. Edward was unlike that. He grew up with wealth and is still considerably wealthy so hard work was never taught. He can captivate a room with his grace and looks but when it came down to experience real life issues he fell short. Somehow she wished he would be able to understand and relate to her.


The day came and went with a quick blink of an eye. Today is the wedding day and Amelia was putting on her dress for the first time with her made of honor Alice attending to her. She zipped up her dress and fluffed it out while Amelia was trying to stay tightly put. Her heart was pounding and her eyes were watering. "Could is be my everything? Maybe there has to be more." She kept repeating to herself. Then the time came with the church bells ringing and she walked with her white satin ball gown. Amelia's hair was curled and clipped halfway up with a flower clip. This was the big moment. She walked down the
multicolored stone floor toward the churches alter.  There he was with his solid baby blue eyes and dark brown hair. She felt like a model walking in her gown and looked into the many faces that arrived to see the big day. They sat in white chairs on both sides with lights streaming above them. She walked steadily toward him and then came to a stop. She let go of her father's arm and  stood in front of her soon to be husband. She smiled at him under her veil and a smirk appeared on his face.
Suddenly the door of the churches flew open. A lanky man with sweet brown eyes and dirty blonde hair came running in. He screamed, " I OBJECT." The crowd turned and stared blankly not knowing what to make of the scene. Amelia broke down. She cried out, " Allen is that you really you?" This was the man that made her heart skip a beat. The man that crushed her heart when they ended. The man she lay awake at night wondering if it is a dream or reality. She kissed him passionately in the middle of the aisle. She knew now he was it. The fighting they did and the craziness that comes with being together is all worth. Waking up next to him will always be worth it.



Author's Note:
I rewrote the wedding scene within the book, Narayan's Ramayana. The two lovers were destined to be together in this story. Rama just needed to prove he is worthy of Sita the princess.  He had to use a bow to show that he is worthy and even though when their eyes met they knew it was love he had to jump through some obstacles. Instead I made my characters normal people but instead the obstacle was that he had to stop the wedding showing he is the man that deserves her heart. I used the pictures that I did because when I think of a couple on television that fought a lot it was the notebook. I chose the wedding photo because I somehow found one of a couple in the mountains.

The Notebook
Wedding Photo

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana,Part A

I am reading through chapter 2 called, "The Wedding." Within minutes of ready the chapter I was amazed at how well the scenery is described. I would like to start my story off by describing a beautiful scene in front of me but maybe twist my story to be in front of massive mountains. I would tell the story in a woman's perspective and display her thoughts. As if we were listening to her speak about her wedding day and what she sees in front of her. There will be snow capped mountains in distance and big frozen leafless trees. The air will be blowing but just a slight breeze and everything is still. Then as a move into a different setting the readers can hear my characters thoughts and how she does not want to marry the man that she will see at the end of the aisle. She will describe how she longs for the man much like the story and he will long for her too. Except instead of Rama seeing Sita and instantly falling in love I will make my characters best friend. My character will have parents that do not agree with them marrying and will try and make the two at odds with each other. Continuing with my story and how Sita father used the bow as a way to find the right match my characters will have a similar fate. Instead I could allow my main male character to fight the groom and win the lady's heart.

Image Information


Narayan's Ramayana, "The Ramayana Shortened Modern Prose Version of the India Epic"

Growth Mindset

Reading through different aspects of Growth Mindset was intriguing. I feel as if personally I fall short with having the growth mindset. I enjoyed hearing Carol Dweck point of view about the 'Growth Mindset'. I like that she says to look at life and failures as NOT YET. Instead of looking at a situation like you are done because you didn't reach your goal try and keep in mine a failure today can be an accomplishment tomorrow. The point of the 'Growth Mindset' is to not give up. I have only been at OU for about a week so far but I know I will be successful if I never stop trying. I was speaking to my husband the other day about my last school, which was Texas A&M. When I first started going there I had a social life, good grades, and a focus that many others failed to have and then situations happen to where I went out less. My grades started to suffer and I became unhappy. I realize now after looking through different aspect of the 'Growth Mindset' that my mindset in fact changed. What happened was I stopped enjoying my situation, I stopped enjoying school, and for a period my friends. My mindset changed and with that everything else did too. The best thing we can do is keep our focus, follow our dreams, and make an imprint in this small world.


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Time Strategies

During this assignment we were told to blog about time management and through this assignment will help us decide how we will spent this semester getting our work done. I read,"11 Ways Successful People Mismanage Their Time", by Aine Cain. I think this article was simple and well written and a lot of good pointers that many readers can take something away from. Two reasons that stood out to me about how people mismanage time were procrastination, and getting easily distracted. If you were in a room with college students and asked, "Who in here while doing something for school put off the homework for any particular reason," almost all of them I feel would raise their hand. Its hard as a college student when you're trying to figure out who you are away from your parents and how to make a mark on the world. Great ways to combat this is to schedule out your day. I know what works for me does not work for others but scheduling helps me stay on task. During the day I have school and then after I work so the majority of the time I stay up later to finish homework. At night is the only time I truly have to sit down and focus. For me that is a perfect time to start because I don't have to worry about being late to work or focusing on what is happening in class at the present time. Another writer by the name of Caroline Webb wrote an article called, "How to Beat Procrastination", has said that some procrastination is ok and normal but to find a way to get your mind focused. Another thing I like to do is to visualize what needs to be done and how great it will feel to accomplish everything that is set before me.


Image Information

Reading Options

Ramayna's Choice:
During this assignment we were told to choose a version of the Ramayana. I decided to choose Narayan's Ramayana. Some reasons I chose this version was because of the writing within the book. I decided to look at the writing styles of each version and was pleasantly surprised by Narayan's Ramayana. I like how each sentence flows well together and how easy it is to understand. Another reason I decided to read this version is because of the authors' history. As I was reading some on Narayan I was amazed about how much he accomplished through his life. He was this marvelous novelist and short story writer. He is compared to William Faulkner as one of the best writers of all time. Narayan has also won many awards for his writing and has left many speechless through his elegant writing that will stand throughout time.

Other Interests:
One major aspect of this class I am looking forward to is mythology. I have always had an interest in mythology and the different types of theories that have come to be within it. I remember as a child watching Hercules and how powerful I felt because I somehow thought I could be that big and strong someday. I have never read any India mythology before and cant wait to see how the stories unfold. Honestly I do not know much about Indian culture and I have never been to India and that's why I feel I will get a lot more than just better reading for better writing.


Hercules

My Storybook Favorites

Happily Ever Whatever:
One of the reasons why I read this storybook was because of the title. Its catchy because a reader can easily see the story is probably about fairytales but it also reveals it could be with a twist. I liked how the author chose fairytales and put her own spin on it. Instead of her writing in a style as if she read the fairytale she writes it as if she is a huge part of many fairytales. The fairytales she speaks about are her friends who she has attachment to. I liked reading the way the writer describes her authentic emotion on how she wished she could have her own prince charming. Every part of what was written was clear and concise. Although I felt the layout of the blog could have been more flashy. When I think of fairytales I think of flashiness and spark. I felt like her layout could have more of that.

The Afterlife: A Dog's Tale:
A Dog's Tale is about a dog who does not appreciate his life and runs away. He then falls asleep after wandering around and wakes up to realize he is in dog afterlife. The writer takes you through each phase the dog must go through so he can come to the realization that his life is not so bad. I felt the writer did a great job at taking stories that were read and twisting it to make it their own. The author's note were well written and explained properly on why certain situations were brought up in the story. I also liked the layout of the story and how pictures were incorporated so the reader has a great visual of the story as it progresses.

Oliver's Adventure:
This was probably my favorite story mostly because the protagonist in the story is a cat. The writer takes you into a cats mind and tells the story through his perspective. The cat and his kitty friend see ghosts in their human's home when they are away. They speak to the ghosts and the story is about how the cats confront the ghosts and help them. I like how the author uses the cats to create the foundation of the story. The introduction was well done. The writer first talks about the cats and gives you an insight into their different personalities as well. The layout of the story was well done as well and the pictures posted were fitted well into the piece.


  A Dog's Afterlife                                                                                   Oliver's Adventure

Introduction to a Girl Just Trying to Figure Life Out

Hi my name is Anna Dragg but most people call me Annie. On my school ID it shows Henley because we have not switched it in the computer system as of yet. I am newly married to a hardworking man named Mark Allen Dragg. We met in the Navy during one of our military trainings. If you ask him he will tell you it was love at first sight, but for me it took time. It took me about three weeks of knowing him before I knew that he was the one I wanted to marry. Now here we are. Besides the fact that I am a wife and a sailor I also aspire to travel the world. I have traveled to Germany about 3 times. While I spent my time in Germany the destination I most desired going to see was a gate. I know it doesn't sound that flattering but the Gate known as Brandenburg Tor has a lot of historical meaning that truly speaks to me. After getting through school and work, I then traveled to France. The Eiffel Tower is something you get a sense of amazement from seeing. The last Country I visited was China. It is a very unique and cultural place. I had been a vegetarian for four years and while in China I ate a Frog leg. It was awful and I will not consume meat ever again. I love traveling the world and making friends along the way. I like to be surrounded by the unknown sometimes because it helps me get out of comfort zone; Traveling provides all that for me. Also another known fact about me is I really like to ski. My husband and I recently went to Colorado and skied and snowboard together. The feeling of being on top of snow capped mountains and breathing in the vast mountain air is breathtaking to me.


Images Location

Week 1 Story: The Woman From The Moon

There once was a woman from the moon who came to Earth to save it from impending doom. She had beauty that could not be erased and her destiny was to save the human race. Then she fell in love with the enemy and had to choose between him and what was meant to be. He promised her riches and promised her a good life but for her something deep down was not right. She prayed to the goddess of the moon and said," Oh what shall I do." The moon replied, " Follow your heart  and the rest will come to you."  The woman got up from her knees with a sigh of relief and knew what needed to come next. She ran to find him to try and turn him good so they could be together. Then the news finally spread sharing he was shot in the imminent war and his life held on by a thread. She could not believe this is what could be and fell to tears soon after. The newspapers the next day said he tried to save Earth and sacrificed himself for the greater good. Everyone was in disbelief. They did not believe there was any good in him because he constantly acted like his awful father Ken. The woman couldn't believe this is what their fate ended up being. She realized it was not her fate to save the world and that it was the man whose life was taken too soon. What the town soon learned is to not judge someone's character too soon because you never know what they were going through. The man was kind hearted deep down inside but was hovered by an evil man his whole life. He always wanted to save the world but never wanted his father to know. His life was taken sneaking on the battle field and now others can exist after him.


Picture Information

Author's Note:
The short story that I wrote was inspired by a nursery rhyme. It begins with a man being from the moon and tumbling down here on Earth. Instead of a man I changed it to a woman who came down from the moon. The next part of the nursery rhyme says he is looking for his way to Norwich. I decided I wanted to go with a more dramatic approach by adding a woman who is looking for a man she loves. The nursing rhyme ends with him getting burned by some cold porridge. Instead of adding that she was physically burned, I decided to make my character emotionally burnt by the passing of her loved one. I wanted my story to have a moral to it. The man she loved was judged and seen as the enemy. In reality he was a good man but wrongly accused.

Bibliography. "The man and The Moon" from Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang.Web source

Meine Lieblingsort/My Favorite Place

Week 1

    My favorite place to go is Germany. When I was in high school I met two foreign exchange students named Nathalie and Natascha. We became quick friends and I even was able to see them in Germany. Seeing the culture differences and the way they live in their country was baffling to me. I soon grew an increase interest with the people and culture and decided to study German as one of my majors. One of my favorite sites in Germany is the remains of the Berlin wall. Learning about Germany's history is another reason why I appreciate german and continue to study it.

The Berlin Wall

http://theenchantedmanor.com/tag/berlin-wall/

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