Portfolio Guideline

First, let's explore a dark tale about Thataka's fall from grace in The Case of Thataka.

Next, read about he devastation of the Rakshasas in The Valakhilyas' Plea.

Here is a tale that shows how Sita lost trust in the man she loves in Sita's Trial.

Now, read a story about a man who remained silent while his wife drowned seven of their children in Shantanu's Misfortune.

Famous Last Words Week 10

Well, I am so happy that this will be the last Famous Last Words that I will be writing for the semester because after this week I will be pretty much done with this class.  I am so happy that this semester is almost over.  Now I have enjoyed my time at the University of Oklahoma, but I am so happy that I will no longer have to do homework.  Speaking of homework, I got pretty much nothing done over the break.  I did a few small things but as far as big papers go, I did not do anything.  It is not that I needed to have these things completed by this week or next week, but if I would have, it would have made my life so much easier for the rest of the semester.  Oh well, I’ll just have to do it the hard way.

            So last night was a little crazy with the tornado in Moore.  I went to my night class at six o’clock that evening.  We were watching a movie, and were only about forty minutes into it when my teacher kept walking in and out the room several times.  At first, I did not notice this at all until several times later.  Finally, she rushed into the room and shouted for everyone to leave because there was a tornado in a panicked voice.  Now, usually, I stay pretty calm, but I was a little freaked out at first.  I had no idea where this tornado was and my professor acted like it was right outside.  Also I was being a good student so I did not have my phone or computer out.   Well, everyone was freaking out.  It was not until someone checked and saw that it was in Moore.  Now, Moore is close, but it was definitely not close enough to come running into the room shouting and causing a panic.  

A tornado.  Source: Wikipedia.

Resize Tech Tip

Image that I re-sized with PicMonkey.com.  I chose this image because I really liked the look of the temple. Source: Wikipedia.

Storytelling Week 10: Drona's Despair

           At first, the words do not fully hit you until a few moments later because you cannot believe that something so horrific could actually be possible.  A million terrible thoughts crawled through my mind as I was told that my son had been killed.  A father should never have to see his son die before him.  To lose a child is one of the most painful experiences that no one should ever have to experience.  It was as if I had lost apart of myself.  In a moment, I had lost everything that I had to live for.  My mouth became dry, and I was unable to speak.  I do not believe that I even had the will to cry because I was so incredibly shocked.  I had no desire to be on this earth any longer.  I was fully prepared to die and leave this world that my son had so cruelly been evicted from.

Before this incident, I was invincible.  Nothing could stop me—no man, no beast, no weapon, no god, and no amount of power could stop my destruction.  However, it was this very instance that broke me.  It broke my will to live, my spirit, my hopes, and my plans.  I shriveled into nothing, absolute nothing.  There are no other words to explain how I felt in that very moment.  No word, no matter how powerful, could describe the type of pain that ran through my mind.  No measurement could be taken to understand the amount of pain that came with this terrible news.  The only word that comes to mind when I try to describe how I feel is nothing.  Nothing to live for and absolutely nothing left to die for.  With that thought, I began to take off my armor as tears stung my eyes and began to silently roll down my cheeks and onto the floor.  I noticed a man quietly standing behind me, waiting for the right moment, and I knew that he would have no hesitation in taking my life.  In a funny way, I was thankful.  I was thankful that someone was there to end my suffering and misery.  I had no desire to breathe the air of this world unless my son was also inhaling it.  Once I was finished with my amour, I got to my knees and bowed my head waiting for that final blow to bring relief.  

Drona during the war.  Source: Wikipedia.

Author’s Note

For this story, I wanted to give Drona a voice when he hears that his son was killed.  I know that within the original, Drona would never have had time to have much inner dialogue with himself besides the obvious despair of losing his son.  However, I just wanted to elaborate on a father’s thoughts after he has lost a child.  The story is true to the plot.

Bibliography

Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.

Reading Diary B: Vaka

The part about Vaka is so interesting.  It reminds me of that old fable or maybe it is a parable about the grasshopper and the ant, which was later turned into that kids’ movie A Bug’s Life.  I know that in the parable, the ant helped the grasshopper willingly, but in the movie it was their job to feed the grasshopper, and if they did not do that, it was suggested that death and destruction would be involved or something along those lines.  I know that this took a weird turn, but the dynamic of this situation reminded me of that film and parable.  Possible storytelling blog.  Why were these human sacrifices made?  Was it to eat?  Was it to keep the village in fear?  How long has this been going on?  Who were the people that were sacrificed?  How were they chosen?  Were any them women or were any of them children?  Was it only men?  Did anyone offer themselves to be a sacrifice?  What did Vaka do with these sacrifices?  How did this entire situation come about?  What is the history of the village?  Inner thoughts of Bhima as he was sent to fight them?  Inner thoughts of the villagers as he was sent to fight them?  Were they scared or elated?  If he was triumphant, it would be a great thing, but if he failed, Vaka would surely be very angry at this attempt.  So I am sure that there would have been tons of mixed emotions.  

A rakshasa,  Source: Wikipedia.

Reading Diary A Week 11: Ocean Churning

The part about the ocean once being milk is so interesting.  I also find it interesting that it was a way to obtain immortality.  I think that speaks a lot about the power of milk and how it was looked upon.  It must have been upheld very highly in ancient times.  I am sure that milk was seen as a tool for survival because it is a very caloric drink and meal, especially full fat milk.  I am sure that in times of a drought or a shortage on food, milk from cows or goats was greatly appreciated because it allowed people to survive.  For these reasons, it makes sense that milk is seen as a tool to gain immortality.  A snake churning the ocean water seems very odd.  Where did this snake come?  Is there a significant reason why this snake was chosen or why a snake was chosen at all?  It is odd that poison erupted from this though.  How did this poison come about?  (This is a possible storytelling blog post.)   What kind of form did this poison take?  Possibly a liquid?  Was it from the snake?  Why did it turn his throat blue? Was the poison blue? Is there any significance in the color blue?  Does it have to do with turning the ocean into salt?  Became blue because it is the color of water, not milk?  Salt water depraves life.  Salt absorbs water so for this reason it is not a good source of water or hydration.  

The churning of the ocean.  Source: Wikipedia.

Reading Diary B Week 10: Drona's Son

The part about them using Drona’s love for his son Ashwatthaman against him is so interesting. I mean I think that it is really cruel to do this. I know that they really did not kill him, but they used someone so dear to him to trick him into his downfall. How cruel. It reminded of that Spiderman movie with the Green Goblin or Dr. Octopus. In this movie the villain decides to kick Spiderman where it hurts the most and that is in his loved ones. I just remember that the villain tried to kill Aunt May. Well, I know that this was an odd way to go in this reading diary, but honestly that is what this made me think of. I do not know why, but this whole situation just rubs me the wrong way. Like it was the use of a father’s love to go to his downfall. Perhaps it is because it is not black and white. The characters are not inherently good or inherently evil, which just confuses my emotions even more. I know that the good guys did not kill him but it is still really messed up for them to use such emotions in such a way. It is just not cool or right. It is sort of disgusting. Something is so vile about using someone’s emotions in such a way. Emotional violations are just so wrong because it uses what every human being has—emotions and feelings—to gain something. It’s gross.

The battle between Bhima and Duryodhana

Reading Diary A Week 10: Giant Deer and A Lake

The part about the deer and the Brahmin is so interesting.  Where did this deer come from?  Why did it take these things?  Was it by accident?  Why is this deer a giant?  I think that these could be great topics for storytelling.  Also the part about the voice form lake.  Who is the voice?  What is in the water?  Why does it kill those who drink it?  I know that it is a test from their father.  It seems stupid.  Like they really didn’t listen to a mystical voice saying do not drink this water until they answer some questions for unknown reasons.  I mean what does this really prove?  I think it opens up great opportunities for a storytelling blog, but it makes no sense at all. It just seems like a dumb way to set up Yudhishthira as the good son or the wise son.  It just seems dumb, but I am sure that this will have great affect on their lives and adventures.  I am also sure that it has something to do with dharma and karma and some higher mystical power, but I just cannot get past loopholes within a plot and narrative.  I guess modern Western storytelling conventions, especially within a narrative or a plot, have ruined me and most likely others when we read stories from not only the past but also stories from other countries.  I wonder if people like Buck or Narayan who retell stories like this consciously understand this type of struggle.  On one hand they need to be faithful to the text, but on the other side they have a flaky narrative.  

A lake. Source: Wikipedia.

Famous Last Words Week 9

I am so glad that Spring Break is almost here.  It is definitely time for a much needed break.  I do not know about anyone else, but I am going to be sleeping and spending some time with my family.  A few weeks ago we were supposed to have a birthday party for my niece, but due to the bad weather we changed it to another week.  Instead of having her birthday party that next weekend, we had to cancel because I got really sick.  So this Saturday we are having a little party with cake and ice cream.  She has already gotten her presents, but we just want to make sure that she has a birthday party and feels loved.  Other than that my Spring Break week might consist of playing some video games, helping my sister move into her new house, and more sleeping and resting.  Yeah, it sounds like it is going to be a pretty good week.

This week has been crazy.  I hate midterms, and the types of midterms I hate the most are ones that require you to do everything in only fifty minutes.  This test had multiple choice questions, true or false questions, short answer questions, and an essay with only fifty minutes.  It just seems like it was too much.  I think the test would have been better if one of those sections would have been taken away because there was literally no time to think about what to write within the essay.  There was no time to think clearly or organize how you were going to write the essay.  I know that when I left almost everyone was still there.  It was just way too much, which is why I clearly need a week off from this school and just life in general.  

Spring Break poster.  Source: Clipart.

Storytelling Week 9: Shantanu's Misfortune

When I first saw her by the river, I knew she was the woman whom I wanted to marry and mother my children.  She was absolutely beautiful with long, soft waves, like the water on a calm morning by the ocean, of rich dark hair that fell to her lower back.  Her olive skin looked softer than any piece of fine silk, and her eyes were a mesmerizing sepia color that would cause any noble man to become speechless.  She noticed me watching her from some trees not too far from the river bank.  She smiled and waved for me to walk over.  We didn’t speak much.  In fact, I never even asked for her name; however, I was so captivated by her beauty and charm that I asked her to become my wife.  Without any hesitation she assuredly said yes. 

Before I could fully take in my happiness and fortune at finding such a great beauty to be my wife, she made a demand that forced to uphold or else she would not agree to be my wife.  Furthermore, if I ever broke this promise during our marriage, our marriage would be over.  No matter what she did, at any time, I would never question her or her actions.  At the time, I thought nothing of this request.  I only thought of wedding this beautiful being before me and starting a family with her.  To me, this powerful request was an act of a woman ensuring her safety, happiness, and freedom within a marriage to a king.  For this reason, I quickly agreed to her demands.

A few days later, we were married in an elaborate wedding full of food, lights, and entertainment, and only a few months later, my wife was pregnant.  I was so elated to be a father and have an heir to my kingdom.  It was the most joyous time of my life.  Never throughout the first few months of our marriage did she do anything that would have caused concern.  In fact, she was a perfect wife who was humble and supportive.  She was a virtuous queen, and everyone within the kingdom adored her. 

Once our first child was born, we were overwhelmed with happiness.  I couldn’t wait to watch this child grow; however, my wish never came true.  After only a few months, my wife took our child to the Ganga River and drowned him.  I couldn’t believe that such an act was possible.  How could my beautiful wife who had never shown a harmful trait kill our innocent child?  I was heartbroken but I kept my silence in order to keep my marriage.  I thought that perhaps this was a one-time occurrence, or a test to see if I would truly hold to my promise.  However, my wife went on to kill six more of our children.  Once she became pregnant with our eighth child, I could no longer remain passive.  I knew that I had to destroy my marriage to save my child’s life.  

Giving her up was a difficult decision, but I had to save my child.  Every time I would hold him in my arms, I looked into his eyes and I saw myself.  I couldn’t handle seeing him die like the others.  I just couldn’t.

Shantanu meeting a beautiful women by the Ganga River.  Source: Wikipedia.

Author’s Note

For this week, I chose to tell the beginning of the Mahabharata where Shantanu meets Ganga, marries her, and discovers that she is drowning their children.  Within the original, Shantanu never questions or forbids Ganga to do this because of a promise that he made to her before they were married.  Essentially, I found it just so interesting for an individual to remain quiet while his children are murdered.  For this reason, I wanted to focus on Shantanu’s perspective and inner dialogue throughout these events.  I wanted to capture his fascination with Ganga and her beauty, which had an effect on him giving her whatever she asked for in order to become his wife.  I chose to have no dialogue within my story because I felt that it would distract from Shantanu’s thoughts, and the original gives some dialogue from the characters.  For these reasons, I felt that it was not needed.  I also chose to end this story before Ganga reveals her true actions because I wanted the sole focus to be on Shantanu’s thoughts while he sees his wife go from a good woman to the killer of his children.  While the story is very true to the original, I did expand on some details.  For example, within the original, their first child is given no specific gender, and Ganga is merely described as beautiful without any detail. 

Bibliography

Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.

Famous Last Words Week 8

Wow, this week has been hectic.  I don’t understand why but in almost every class, I have to do a presentation this semester.  Before this semester, I have probably done three presentations in my entire undergraduate career at OU.  Well, I don’t mind doing these presentations, but so far every group that I have tried to meet up with, we have had to cancel because of the weather.  Since
I am a perfectionist, nothing scares me more than meeting up the day before and having a few hours to put everything together and make it coherent.  But what is really ridiculous is the grade amount that this presentation is worth.  It is 6% of our overall grade.  What?!  Why even bother? I just wish that I had more time and was better prepared. 

However, I’m glad that there was a snow day this week because it gave the chance to get some much needed work done.  Unfortunately, I’ll be paying the price for it next week when my night class will have to stay the entire three hours to make up for the time missed.  It’s okay.  It is an easy class with little to no work, but it is exhausting to stay three hours in a room and talk about race issues.  The class is an AFAM class.  It is not stressful because there is blatant racism from people but because race is such a heated topic that it always brings up issues that are controversial.

I’m so glad this was a review week because I definitely needed the break.  I needed the break to help relieve the stress from other classes and work and I needed this break to focus on getting rid of this sickness that I have.  I’m sick but I have no time for it.  

Winter Weather. Source: Wikipedia.

Commenting Review Week

            For the commenting, I really don’t feel like the weekly comments are helpful.  I just feel like it is busy work for me.  However, the comments on the Projects have been very helpful and nice.  Since I have spent so much time on revising stories for my Portfolio, I like to hear feedback that people have enjoyed them or cannot find any grammar mistakes.  I feel like these are the comments that matter the most because they require people to analytically critique other people’s writings. 

I do take other people’s comments into consideration, but if I feel like such considerations would ruin the tone that I was hoping to achieve, I will not make those changes.  When I write comments to other people, I will tell them how I felt about the story in general and whether or not they should revise the story due to a lot of grammatical errors or if they should add more detail because it is a painfully dull story.  However, I understand the limitations of writing these stories, so I try not to be too harsh.  

Ninja's Pink Floyd boxers. Source: Flickr.

Writing Review Week

            For me writing stories have been both fun and challenging because I want to write a great story every time, but I usually find myself being too overshelmed by school and work which just leaves me with little time to write that way.  At the same, I love some of the stories that I have written.  Some good advice for other people facing this situation is to get ahead as much as possible even in other classes because it just gives someone more time to write and proofread stories.  This is especially important for the Projects because those require an immense amount of meticulous proofreading, and even after those are proofread, there are bound to still be mistakes in them. 

            For the Projects, I really like that there was a choice for which Project to do.  If I had to make one suggestion, it would be to include a page that specifically tells what a Storybook Project should consist of from research to how a story can be told.  I thought I understood what it should be from looking at the past examples from class, but after getting some feedback from you, I realized that I was completely wrong.  I just think that this would be helpful to students who are looking into this Project.  Maybe I am alone in this or have missed or overlooked a page somewhere, but I just think that there should be some clarification. However, I am really happy with the choice that I made with the Portfolio Project because it just fits so nicely in with my schedule.

A Rakshasa depicted in the art of Yakshagana.  Source: Wikipedia.

Reading Review Week

           While I have not had a chance to read any of the un-textbook stories for this class, I have enjoyed Buck’s version of the Ramayana the most.  I know that we have barely gotten into the Mahabharata, but I love Buck’s use of language.  It is beautiful and descriptive, but it does not take away from the story instead it adds to the story.  Unlike Narayan’s version, Buck’s version just feels more complete.  Narayan’s version was not bad, and I think it was great as a starting book for the semester because it opened up the Ramayana without being too overbearing.  It sets up the reading for Buck’s version very nicely. 

            For the reading diaries, I do believe that they are helpful, especially if someone is working ahead.  My strategy for those has been to write about things that I want to have in my storytelling blogs.  For me, I want to work ahead, but I want to take my time with the storytelling assignments, so I usually skip those.  For this reason, the diaries are very helpful because they remind what I found interesting and even what initial thoughts I had about the reading. 

            Overall, I have really liked the readings.  At first, I thought reading the same stories that were told by different authors would have been boring and redundant, but it actually hasn’t.  I don’t think the readings need to change at all.  Plus, I liked that you gave the choice to do an un-textbook reading assignment.  

Valmiki sitting in the anthill.  Source: Wikipedia.

Famous Last Words Week 7

            Wow, this week has been crazy, but first let’s talk about this weather.  I’m so sad that I my class was an hour before the cancellation occurred on Monday.  On top of that, I had work after class.  Now, many people could call in to work or just assume that their work is closed due to the weather.  The latter should be even more so because I work for the University of Oklahoma, but unfortunately, I am considered essential staff so we do not close down.  Furthermore, since I am a student worker I do not get paid time and half like everyone else.  But what do I expect from the University.  Not more money, that’s for sure.  What upsets me more about the weather is that it is ruining my weekend.  My niece’s birthday was yesterday, and we were supposed to have her birthday party this Saturday.  However, the weather in my home town is going to be bad so they had to cancel the party, and from fear of getting stuck there for days and missing school and work, I’m just going to have to suffer through another week without seeing my family.  Well, as if that is not bad enough, the weather in Norman is going to be horrible all weekend, which means that I will not be able to do anything this weekend except for be cooped up inside.  What’s worse is that I have work on Sunday at 8 am, and they are saying the roads will still be horrible at that time.  Ugh is the only word that I can say about this.  Ugh.

            Other than the weather ruining everything, the Storybook Projects that I read this week looked really great.  Both were about the relationships of couples within the epics.  I was so happy that people have decided to write about this subject because after reading Sita and Rama’s relationship within the Ramayana, it was something that needs to be explored in greater detail, and I am so anxious to see what type of voice the female characters will have within these stories.  

What I hope this weekend doesn't look life.  Source: Wikipedia

Storytelling Week 7: Lakshmana's Dilemma

             When I entered that room, I never expected to hear what he said.  His face was turned away, but I could see the tension in body.  His hands never relaxed their nervous grasp from the window’s ledge.  There was no color in face.  There was no life within his eyes.  He looked as if he just heard that he would die a painful death in a few days and instead of living it to the fullest, he collapsed emotionally.  Finally after a few moments of him trying to speak through quivering lips, he spoke.

            “Lakshmana, will you do something for me.  Before you say anything, I need you to promise me that you will do whatever I say,” he begged.

            “Rama, you know that I will always do whatever you ask of me.  You are my brother…you are my closest friend.  I would never imagine disobeying you.  The loyalty we share is worth more than…than anything.  Why do you think that I would betray you in such a way?”

            “I need you to do something that is very difficult for me to ask of you,” he struggled as he desperately tried to fight the sting of tears.

            “What?” I asked softly as I reached out to place a hand on his forearm.

            “Tomorrow, Sita expects to go to the forest.  I need you to take Sita to the Ganga River tomorrow, and desert her,” he said harshly.

            “What? How can you ask me to do something like that?  She’s pregnant with your child.  What do you expect to become of her?  She may die.  She may kill herself.”

            “The people of Ayodhya speak harshly of her.  They wonder why any man, any king would embrace a woman who was touched by another man.”

            “You mean Ravana?  But her innocence was proven through the fire.  Surely, you won’t let ignorant men determine your life.”

            He again turned his back to me.  “One crack in the foundation leads to the destruction of a house.  As a king, I cannot let there be one fault in my kingdom.”

            “Don’t talk to me in metaphors,” I snapped.  “This is your life.  She is your wife…the mother of your unborn child.”

            “Are you going to do this or not?” he coldly asked.

            “You just want me to…to leave her?  That’s it, right?”

            “Yes,” he muttered.

            “Rama, I would never want to disobey you, but this…this is something that I never thought I would have to do.  I don’t know what’s right or what’s wrong.  Hopefully, you do,” I said as I walked away.

Sunset on the Ganga River.  Source: Wikimedia

Author’s Note

For this storytelling blog, I wanted to Rama discussing Sita’s abandonment with Lakshmana through Lakshmana’s perspective.  Within the Ramayana, Rama decides that it is best for the kingdom of Ayodhya to abandon Sita.  Within the original, Lakshmana is hurt by Rama’s decision, but I was a bit upset that Lakshmana argue that much Rama’s decision to abandon his pregnant wife.  Through my story, I wanted to capture this dialogue between Rama and Lakshmana.  However, I wanted to stretch Lakshmana’s resentment towards such an idea.  Other than this obvious stretching of Lakshmana’s thoughts, the story is true to the original plot. 

Bibliography

Buck, William (1976).  Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Reading Diary B Week 9: Draupadi

Sharing Draupadi as a wife?  Possible storytelling blog?  From her husbands’ perspectives?  What is it like to share a wife?  Difficult?  Easy?  I don’t know because they are both men, and men are dogs.  Yes, they are jealous creatures but really.  I wonder what she thinks of this situation.  Is she happy?  Is she sad?  Does she like one more than she likes the other?  Is there some favoritism?  Do her husbands try to buy her off?  With what types of gifts? Animals, jewelry, gold, diamonds, trips, luscious clothes?  Does she like this?  Does she have a hatred for men so deep that she enjoys the thought of being a shared wife as destroying both of these men at the same time?  Good story from her perspective.  Or is she a true sweetheart who loves both of her husbands deeply and cares about their emotions and feelings?  She loves them equally?  She could never choose between them because they both make her truly happy?  How utterly disgusting.  I like the story better where she hates both of them.  Biased.  Is she sad about Arjuna’s exile?  If she truly loved him, she would be sad.  If she truly hated him and her other husband Yudhishthira, she would also be sad because there would be no competition, no male ego and jealously to destroy one another.  That means that she would have to do this work herself and that would be no good

Draupadi. Source: Wikipedia

Reading Diary A Week 9: Shantanu's Romances

Wait, he never questions her?  What, a woman who gets to be overbearing and hold power in a relationship?  But wait she is a child killer.  What a great female character.  Possible story topic blog.  What was she like?  What was he like?  Was their marriage happy?  It really took him until the eighth child to protest against this?  No spine?  Maybe she was just so beautiful that he could not deny her any wish or thing that she declared or asked for?  Possibly blinded by love or beauty?  Scared of dying alone?  Fortunate enough to have such a beautiful woman love him?  What a sad and pathetic narrative this would make for a storytelling blog.  Possibly do this from her perspective, but not as promising as from his perspective.

Or do the fisherman’s daughter?  What was she like?  How invested was she in this romance?  How young was she?  Gross.  Sappy, young love romance or a woman like Kaikeyi who is only invested in protecting herself and making sure that she has a rich life married to the king, Shantanu.  But she smelled like a fish?  How horrible and sad.  If this was a modern day high school, she would have for sure been homeschooled or made fun of?  Comical story?  Too cheesy?  Too easy?  Too boring and relies heavily on blatant, crude humor?  No.  He has such bad luck with women.  How very sad.

Satyavati.  Source: Wikipedia

YouTube Tech Tip: Pepe's Screen Test

Pepe's Screen Test from The Muppets

Reading Diary B Week 7: Sita's Abandonment

Did Bharata ever wear shoes or just not these sandals?  Were these his favorite sandals or just symbolic of his loyalty and affection for Rama?  What happened to Kaikeyi?  Is she alive, resented, hated, or loved?  Maybe all of these emotions.  By who though?  Did Bharata forgive her?  Did they make up? What was that conversation like?  Did she apologize or was she still sure that she was right in protecting herself and her son? 

Sita’s abandonment?  What!?  Really Rama?  Really Lakshmana?  At least Lakshmana spoke against Rama but he still obeyed his orders?  Possible story topic?  The book shows Rama as being greatly affected by this decision.  Make it very dark and sad.  I mean Rama knows that Sita is innocent, but he feels like he must obey this higher creed of kings over what is right?  Wow, I didn’t know that this happened when I wrote my story a few weeks ago about the beginning of Buck’s version of the Ramayana.  This seems like a really deep and dark conversation.  Would be good to write this Rama’s perspective as losing his wife and child.  He must obviously be greatly affected by this.  What goes through his mind as he makes this type of decision?  Or possibly do this from Lakshmana’s perspective?  What was he thinking as he sends a woman he has known for years, someone who he possibly thinks of as a sister or at least sister-in-law, a woman who is carrying his nephews, to her death?  Man that must be a hard conversation.

Sita and her son Lava. Source: Wikipedia

Reading Diary A Week 7: Monkeys, Bears, and Sita

Lots of monkeys and bears fly with Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Pushpaka to Rama’s coronation.  What?!  Possible story?  What were they thinking?  They had just been revived?  Some thankful?  Some resentful?  Death can brings peace to some.  One telling a story of this event from many years in the future.  What was Sita thinking?  What was Lakshmana thinking? 

Sita is able to let her hair down.  It is a sign of beauty.  Quote: “he unbound her braid, her sleek dark hair was combed out, free and scented, and her skin was again like warm gold,” (Buck 370).  Very sexual in a very subtle sense, especially her hair.  I love that description of skin as warm gold.  It hints that Sita is looked upon as highly valued like gold, and now that she is in Rama’s presence she is warm and inviting.  This is a great contrast to when she was a prisoner of Ravana.  Sexually inviting?  Possible story topic?  Was she happy with Rama?  Is this his view of Sita?  Sita’s view of herself?  Would she be sexually open to Rama after being a prisoner of Ravana a rapist?  He couldn’t rape her, but I believe that she still would have been highly uncomfortable to be a prisoner of such a creep or a prisoner of anyone.  Was Rama sexually open?  Sita had just done the trial by fire, but was that good enough or is Rama just focused on getting back to Bharata and saving his life.  The narrator just making bland statements to make the story move along in a happy tone? 

Ravana capturing Sita. Source: Wikipedia

Famous Last Words Week 6

            I’m so glad that this week is over.  It has really been tough to recover from such a busy weekend.  I am so ready for Spring Break.  It is so close but so far away, and there are so many hurdles to jump before I can get there.  This week hasn’t been too bad, but I need to sleep for a week.

            After reading a few projects this week from my fellow classmates, I am very impressed with people’s writings so far.  I felt like the storybook projects that I read were really creative and intriguing.  Although almost everyone is still on their Introduction, I was very impressed with the narratives that some people have created and how they have planned to insert their individual stories within that narrative.  I also felt the same with the few Portfolios Projects that I have read this week, which were also good.  Usually, when you read someone else’s story you can easily see grammar mistakes, but I had a tough time critiquing other people’s work because the problems were less obvious.  Everyone’s writing skills have definitely improved.  I feel the same way with my Portfolio Project.  This week I got a really good review from Laura.  It makes me nervous because I feel like my work will probably not always be that good.  I just don’t want her expectations to be set too high because I really don’t know if I can bring that kind of writing week after week.  It is a bit terrifying because it is a lot of work to write like that every time.  I just worry that I may get overwhelmed and start to slack and then she’ll question me more harshly because of it.  Oh well, I guess I dug myself into that hole without really knowing it.  I just want to sleep this week off.  

A lovely picture of a bed.  Source: Wikipedia

Famous Last Words Week 5

          This week has been very blah for me.  Nothing has really happened, except that every day I wake up more tired than I was the day before.  I wish I could get out of this funk of being tired and wanting to do absolutely nothing.  I have heard people say that an easy way to get more energy is to fake it at first.  They say that eventually, the real energy will come.  That sounds great, but every morning I am struggling to put on mascara, which is a big deal for me because otherwise I would have no eyelashes.

            As always, I would like to be more ahead in this class, but I’m happy where I am at the moment.  I’m a little anxious about the Projects.  I chose to do a Portfolio and I’m happy with my choice but I’m just anxious to see other people’s projects and their reactions to my own.  I think the first week of projects went ok.  I didn’t receive too much negative feedback and overall, I was pleased with what was said. 

            Something interesting that I did in another class was that I got to watch the film New Jack City.  The film is about a cocaine dealer within Harlem destroying his own community through the selling of drugs.  I like the film because it truly doesn’t glamorize drug culture.  Instead, it shows a man who tears down his community through selling cocaine, killing all of those who oppose, even his best friend since childhood, and essentially becoming a drug lord who controls the community.  The one thing that I found interesting about the film was how he bought the community off.  At one point in the film, the drug lord gives food to the entire community and at another time he buys off the local reverend by giving his daughter her dream wedding.  However, his true colors are eventually shown because later on in the wedding scene he uses a flower girl as a human shield during a shoot out.  I found this film to be interesting and I wonder why it is not as remembered as other films from the 90s.  

Wesley Snipes plays the drug lord within the film New Jack City.  Source: Wikimedia

Storytelling Week 5: The Valakhilyas' Plea

They come during the night in great hordes devouring any creature in their path.  They have destroyed us in so many ways.  We cannot go out anymore.  We are truly prisoners within our own forest, our own home.  The Rakshasas have taken everything away from us by destroying our safety. 

            They are horrible beasts who come in all forms.  Some stand taller than the trees of the forest with hands and feet that destroy any life.  Others crawl and slide on their stomachs, slurping up any creature on the ground with long tongues that have viscous spikes attached to them.  Some can even fly, picking up small animals by their necks and quickly crushing them.  But the most dangerous Rakshasas are the fast ones.  They can sprint on all fours or just two legs.  They have hands with a large claw used for gripping, tearing, and killing.  There are also Rakshasas with large red eyes, tiny black eyes, and some who have no eyes, only black pits that give no hint of a soul.  However, all of the monstrous Rakshasas that inhabit our forest have an unquenchable blood lust.  They stop at nothing.  They have no boundaries.  They only care about feeding on weaker creatures like us and they are never satisfied. 

            The things they do to creatures...terrible things that cannot be imagined by a sane mind.  We have witnessed our own being skinned alive without hesitation from the Rakshasas.  At first, they were fast deaths followed by fast consumption, only leaving piles of bones.  But they became hungry for suffering.  They tortured our people, played with them before feasting.  Now, they skin their victims alive slowly, tearing inches of skin off one piece at a time.  The screams are something that no one has ever heard before.  We are not sure if they are the screams of the poor creature who is dying or the Rakshasa.   They are agonizing and painful to hear.  None of us can forget those horrific sounds and some of us hear these screams in our sleep.  We cannot imagine how the Valakhilya who is dying must feel, and we never want to. 

            During the day, when we scavenge for food, we find bones, so many bones.  They are stripped of flesh.  Some are even hollow as if the Rakshasas have sipped the marrow from every bone.  You cannot imagine how many piles of bones we find.  We find small bones from our own kind and larger bones from humans, birds, deer, bears, and tigers.  Some piles have smaller Rakshasas within them.  How can such ruthless creatures who lust for death and blood even from one of their own exist.  If they can kill their own, they will surely destroy every trace of us, the small and innocent Valakhilya. 

            Rama, we are scared, terrified.  The life we live now is hopeless and meaningless because we know that a cruel and torturous existence is all that is left.  Please, Rama!  You cannot deny us our safety, our lives.  If you do not help us, we will die either from the Rakshasas or from our hopelessness.  

A Rakshasa depicted in the art of Yakshagana.  Source:Wikipedia.

Author’s Note

For this week, I wanted to retell the Valakhilyas’ plea to Rama.  Rama meets the Valakhilyas, who are tiny sages, in the Dandaka forest after his exile.  Within Buck’s version of the Ramayana, I found his use of detail and description of the Rakshasas from the perspective of Valakhilyas very intriguing.  However, I wished that there would have been more detail on what the Rakshasas did to the Valakhilyas and other beings within the forest.  For these reasons, I wanted to expand this detail in order to show how horrific these creatures really are.  I mainly did this by giving more detail and description of the type of destruction and fear the Valakhilyas have to deal with.  Overall, I wanted to expand this section of the Ramayana.  I didn’t include the dialogue from Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita because that was not what I wanted to focus on.  Instead, I just wanted to convey the type of distress that the Valakhilyas have to endure.  Essentially, I wanted to make it thematic, descriptive, and highly detailed.  At times, I did struggle because I didn’t want to sound too redundant.  I don’t believe that I was, but if you feel like some parts are redundant please tell me.  This retelling of the Valakhilyas’ plea is true to plot. 

Bibliography

Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way. 

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Reading Diary B Week 6: Kumbhakarna

            Kumbhakarna is a character who really sticks out to me.  For one, he is a Rakshasa who has a conscience.  For example, he urges Ravana to give Sita back to Rama because he believes that it is wrong to steal another man's wife.  However, Ravana's power and influence sways Kumbhakarna to fight Rama.  Kumbhakarna is interesting is his introduction.  He is introduced as someone who must sleep for six months for every day he stays awake.  Another thing is that they describe making this enormous breakfast, and then Buck describes Suka waking him up.  I thought that this part was hilarious because it takes the clashing of two giant cymbals.  It reminded me of trying to wake up a child or teenager to get up for school.  I thought it was a cute description, and it actually made me like Kumbhakarna as a character, which is why I hate what happened to him.

            The third and final reason that I found Kumbhakarna to be so interesting was what happened to him.  Kumbhakarna is described as a relentless warrior.  He will not die or give up.  In fact, he stays alive through a fatal arrow through his chest, losing both of his arms, and losing both of his legs.  After all this, Kumbhakarna is still described as trying to kill Rama.  “Still he managed to move, something carried him on,” (Buck 306).  After all that, Rama has to decapitate Kumbhakarna in order to stop him.  At first, I found Kumbhakarna to be really endearing, but after he has such intense hate for Rama, I don’t like him as much.  Aside from that, I think that Kumbhakarna is still an interesting character.

Kumbhakarna in battle. Source: Wikimedia

Reading Diary A Week 6: Sinhika

            Out of this reading section, the part that really struck me was Hanuman’s encounter with the Rakshasi Sinhika.  I know that this section is very short (less than a page which ranges between 226-227), but I liked that so little was told about her such as her back-story, which would make a possible storytelling blog.  Where did she come from?  How did she become this horrible sea monster?  What does her body look like?  Does she have any possible redeeming qualities?  Was she really that hungry to risk her life?  The part that I love about this section was the beautiful imagery that Buck uses.  Of course, this imagery that I have just described as beautiful is actually describing Sinhika as an ugly sea monster, but I love it.  As a writer, I gag when people use such creative imagery.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“...holding Hanuman’s shadow in her claws and looking at him with tiny red eyes,” (Buck 226).

“She opened her ugly mouth and bared her yellow scaly teeth,” (Buck 226).

“...with a long tongue,” (Buck 227).

            I felt that by describing her teeth as scaly was so creative.  I mean I would have never thought to describe teeth in such a way.  Overall, I love the descriptions that Buck gives about Sinhika.  I also really enjoyed Buck’s imagery of Hanuman and other parts of this section. 

Some of these quotes include:

“...his sharp fingernails,” (Buck 227).

“Her blood burst and spread throughout the water, and the fish came quickly to eat her,” (Buck 227).

            Essentially, this section caught my eye because of the wonderful descriptions.  I think it would make a great storytelling post.

Hanuman and Sinhika.  Source: Wikimedia

Famous Last Words Week 4

           This week I have actually been able to get ahead in most of my classes.  I wish I was farther ahead in this class, but overall, I am pretty happy where I am.  This week has definitely been better as things are slowing down, but I still wish that some of these big presentations that I have coming up would just be done and over with.  Other than those weighing heavy on my mind, school is good.

I’m pretty proud of my story this week.  At first, I was really struggling with finding something to write but I’m very happy with what I did.  I just have to remember to stop being so critical of my own writing because all that matters is that I just do it and get those points.  Something interesting that I did see when I was trying to the extra credit blog commenting was how different everyone takes notes.  For me, I always write out my thought in full sentences and paragraphs, but other people were using bullet points with few words and plenty of quotes.  Other people asked questions to themselves, which I thought was a great way to start the creative process for a storytelling post.

Nothing too important has been going on outside of this class except that I went shopping for niece’s birthday today.   Her birthday party is going to be My Little Pony themed, so I thought that it was only appropriate that I buy her something My Little Pony.  However, everything that Target had of My Little Pony was almost completely sold out.  For this reason, I thought it was safe to go with an Elsa jacket and some Hello Kitty accessories.  However, I did manage to find her a My Little Pony beanie.  I just hope that she’s happy with what I got her.  I mean what little girl doesn’t love a birthday present combination of Hello Kitty, Frozen, and My Little Pony.

My Little Pony.  Source: Wikipedia