Famous Last Words: Summer Break

 

Summer

Picture by Luc Viatour

Source: Wikipedia

One presentation and one final stand in my way of ending junior year! I am so excited for this year to come to an end, and the next to begin! Summer Break is going to be a crazy one for me because I’m applying to dental school this summer, along with taking two courses—so much for an actual break. Haha. However, I’m going to celebrate the end of junior year with some relaxation and fun!

The firs thing on the agenda is going to Travis Scott’s concert on May 12th in Oklahoma City. This was my graduation present to my boyfriend, and I’m super excited to celebrate with him. The first thing we plan to do is try Waffle Champion! I’ve actually never been, and I’ve heard great things! I think it’s about time I try it out! Then, we’ll go to the concert, and try something else new to eat!

I plan on going home for a little bit to spend some time with my family before my summer courses begin. I’m turning twenty-two this June, so I plan to celebrate with my family. We’ll probably go to Dallas, and go shopping, and have dinner together. Then, I plan on doing something with my friends. I haven’t really thought about what, but I’m thinking something simple like a small dinner or something.

I might be touring some out of state dental schools this summer, which I’m super excited about! I want to get out of my comfort zone, and I think the best way to do that is actually visiting potential dental schools. I have no idea where I’ll end up for dental school, but I’m definitely enjoying the process to dental school. I can’t wait to see it all happen in reality, and not just me picturing myself somewhere else, or possibly right here in Oklahoma City! Wishing everyone a great summer!

Reading Notes: The Wonderful Teakettle

 

Teakettle

Picture by pureedensalon

Source: Flickr

Wow, this was such a cute and somewhat odd story. I would never think to have a teakettle be a living thing, but imagination is key to any fairytale! This story took me back to my childhood days when I would watch Blues Clues, and there would a talking salt and pepper, or Dora the Explorer that had a talking backpack. There are so many things I could do with this story. I want to keep the teakettle, but instead of having it be a badger I would like for it to just be personified—meaning the teakettle would be a talking, moving object! I picture the teakettle to kind of be like the teapot in Beauty and the Beast! The new Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson.

I feel like tea is a big tradition in the Japanese culture. I want to keep this theme alive in my own story. I want this teakettle to bring wealth and good health to a poor family in Japan in my story! I want my story to be creative by using a lot of unrealistic things like the teakettle being able to talk first, and then the chopsticks, and then the bowls!

The family in my story will struggle with starvation. The teakettle will be the hero in this story. Yes, the teakettle will be a boy! However, he will be a child. However, the family will keep this teakettle for generations and generations. The teakettle will represent struggle, but wealth in the smallest of things like tea. I think this would be a cute story to write that can relate to kids and adults! I think tradition is really important, so I want this to also be a lesson. I’m sure all of us have a little something from our past that we hold on to that is represented in an inanimate object, so hopefully this story can relate to all my readers.

Bibliography: Japanese Fairy Tales, "The Wonderful Teakettle" by Teresa Peirce Williston

Improvements

One of my favorite things about this class is how flexible it its. I love how we got the opportunity to really think about when we wanted to do the assignments, and it forced me to reflect on my study habits. I do not think having a planning week is a good idea because by the middle of the semester people usually have a set schedule on when they complete their assignments. I feel like thinking about a new plan could either go really well or not so well depending on if the person wants to change when they do their work. However, I feel the people that already wanted to change when to complete assignments, they would have already done it.

I like the idea of audio recordings. I know I love to watch videos, and listen to stories that have a real voice. It's easier to understand and feel the emotions when their is a real voice telling the story. I think this would be a great idea to have, and something a lot of us would enjoy!

Portfolio

Hope you all enjoy my portfolio as I continue to blog :)

Sita

This was my version of the love story between Sita and Rama. It has a bit of drama, culture, and a fairy-tale theme to it.

Shantanu and Ganga 

This was my version of Ganga drowning her children in order to send them to heaven. This a tragic story, but explains how some things are better left unsaid.

Narayan

This is my twist on Narayan with a lesson to be grateful for what we are given.

Godaan

This is a story of why there is such a high respect for cows, and a story to make you think about all the animals in our world that are going extinct.

Famous Last Words: Dead Week

 

OU

Picture by Unknown

Source: Wikipedia 

Wow, dead week is pretty much already here. Fun fact, I usually always either always get sick or somehow injure myself around dead week/finals week. Freshmen year I fell off my bed, and damaged muscle tissue in my ankle. Our beds were bunked, and I missed the step to the air conditioner to get back down. It was not a fun experience. Sophomore year I got sick, and carried around a box of tissues to all my classes. This year might be different though!

A lot of my friends are graduating this year including my boyfriend, so it’s going to be an emotional graduation, but definitely one to celebrate! I’m excited to see what everyone will be doing after graduation. I know for myself graduating undergrad is just going to be a milestone to what I want to do in life, but a very big milestone. It’s going to be crazy imagining myself graduating next year. I feel like every year is a year to celebrate because its one-year closer to what we all want to be one day. Cheers to almost being a senior!

I always feel a little sad knowing my semester is ending because time flies so fast in college! I feel like every year seems like a mush of memories instead of three different years. I am super thankful for another great semester with great people. I’ve been blessed with so many opportunities this year like volunteering for Oklahoma Mission of Mercy and being able to do research. I also got to try Ifly, and it got me super pumped to go actual skydiving one day. There’s still two more weeks left to this semester, and another two weeks to make some great memories studying for finals, and taking breaks to enjoy being part of the OU community.

Week 14 Storytelling: Vishnu and Godaan

 

Vishnu and Godaan

Picture by Unknown

Source: Wikipedia

Vishnu wanted so bad to be part of the Godaan Club. However, it seemed like whatever he did was not good enough. All his friends were part of the club except for him. He thought and thought about what he was doing wrong, or was it something he hasn’t done, or was it something he could do better.

Vishnu’s family owned a farm. They had chickens, pigs, spiders, and ducks. However, his family never owned cows. He loved all his animals. However, to be part of the Godaan Club you had to have the best cows in the entire county. The coat had to be shiny and soft to the touch. The bones had to be tough and unbreakable, and their milk had to be the best tasting milk there ever was. Vishnu knew there was nothing he could do but watch his friends plan events, dances, and lavishes parties because they were part of the Godaan Club.

One day, Vishnu was talking to his chickens, pigs, and ducks. He told them he loved them all, but they were not cows. When suddenly one of his chickens turned around, and pointed to a cow! The cow was absolutely breathtaking. She had a marvelous coat, and she was big, but not too big.

He walked over to the cow. He wondered where the owner was. He decided to go find the owner because he thought the owner would have been devastated to lose such a beautiful cow. The cow and Vishnu decided to go on a journey to find his owner. They walked and walked all over the county, but there was not a clue to where the cow’s owner was. They were exhausted, and hungry. They reached a lavish house. Vishnu knocked on the door. A man with a beard with an old blanket wrapped around him answered. Vishnu asked him if the cow belonged to him. It wasn’t his cow.

The man offered them water and food for the night. The man looked at Vishnu. Something fell from his blanket, and it was a picture of the cow. The exact cow Vishnu had. The man looked embarrassed.

“She is my cow, but I do not wish to keep her. She is a goddess. She needs care, and I am dying,” he said.

He wanted Vishnu to keep the cow. Vishnu didn’t know what to say. He accepted the cow. He was still in shock that he finally had a cow of his own, but the cow was a goddess.

Years and years went by. He never joined the Godaan Club because his cow was worthy of more than that club. He showered her with as much love as possible, and all his friends were jealous because in return Vishnu had a goddess cow. He had the best milk, the best accessories, the best tools, and a goddess watching over him.

He lived the most fulfilling life, and he never complained about not being part of an ungrateful club ever again because he already the best, and he didn’t need some club to tell him that.

Bibliography: Devdutt's Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

Author's Note:  
This story was based on how cows are cherished on the Hindu religion because they provide, food, shelter, accessories, etc. Godaan is a type of charity that fulfills all. This means that there isn't a lack of anything when there is godaan to me. I used my story to represent how worthy a cow can be to someone. The reason behind why beef is not consumed is because there is a high respect for cows because of everything they provide. This was a concept I was always interested in, so I decided to turn this into a story of how valuable a cow was to Vishnu. In the original story, Vishnu becomes Go-pala. He takes care of the earth-cow. My story was different from the original because I wanted the cow in my story to be a queen instead of the earth-cow. There is automatically a sense of magnificence when something is referred to as a prince, princess, king, or queen. I want this to be projected to give the cow in my story more value than just being an animal. I truly enjoyed writing this story, and learning more about why cows are s a valuable animal. I hope this makes my readers think about how valuable other animals are in a world where so many beautiful animals are going extinct.

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art Part F (Brahma)

 

Brahma

Picture by Unknown

Source: Wikipedia

Brahma is a god that never gets to be worshiped because he forgot the reason behind creation. This is a completely new concept for me, but definitely an interesting topic! Brahma wanted to understand who he was. In the end, he loses himself while chasing after his own daughter. I think what Brahma’s lesson is that you can lose yourself by chasing after materialistic things—a real problem in the real world today. I want this to be the lesson in my own story, and have Brahma be the main character on a journey. The story will show where this journey leads to.

Brahma’s daughter will also be one of the main characters. She is supposed to represent energy, matter, and life in the original story. I want her to represent materialism in my story. I think this will help in making the lesson in my story show. She will be a very simple, sophisticated, intelligent woman.

I feel like this will be a very dramatic story to write. I also like how Brahma creates the private, the public, and the rest. I think will go hand in hand with the lesson in my story. I want to make it unique with dramatic scenes, and possibly an ironic ending for a twist. I look forward to writing this, and trying to create Brahma’s character into something that we all experience every now and then. I feel this will make my story easy to understand and follow. I’m still debating on if I want dialogue in my story because I want it to just portray Brahma’s internal struggle.

Bibliography: Devdutt Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art: Part E (Vishnu)

 

Godaan

Picture by Daniel Schwen

Source: Wikipedia 

This video is explains the concept of cows in the Hindu religion. Eating beef is something that is definitely not allowed. I’ve always wondered what exactly the reasons were behind this, and I feel this video explains in better detail. Cows were a great resource for the gods and goddesses. They allowed them to have shelter, food, wealth, etc. This was done through using their milk for food, skin for accessories, bones for tools, and more. That explains why they were so cherished. Godaan is an interesting topic I want to keep in my story. It’s a charity that could fulfill any need.

Vishnu will be my main character in this story that takes care of the queen cow. I think this will be a really fun story to write because I want the animals to be able to talk to one another in my own story. I want it to be like children’s book. The setting will be at a farm. I want the story to project the meaning behind godaan with unrealistic scenes taking place—like a children’s book. I want to include vivd imagery of the animals, and some dialogue.

This will be a fun topic for me to explore and write about because it’s something I’ve always been interested in, but never got the chance to really look into. This video has definitely helped me a lot in understanding what godaan means, and what is so significant about cows in the Hindu religion.

Bibliography: Devdutt's Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art Part D (Shiva, Devi)

 

Sati

Picture by Unknown

Source: Wikipedia

Wow, I would describe part two of Shiva’s story as nothing but intense. Shiva becomes a householder after Sati induces him, and is now Shankara. The concept of social order is interesting in this part because there is no such thing as order in what Shiva did—he beheaded his father-in-law. I think this story has a lot to do with civilization and what is accepted in society. I want my story to portray this concept with the character’s intense scenes still there, but with a twist.

I think Devi is one of my favorites. This video about Devi starts off by saying “desire and destiny create life.” I love this concept. I want this to show in my own story. I also like how there was a wedding that never happened. I think this would add suspense to my own story. A married goddess uses her energy to keep her home well, but according to this video an unmarried woman uses her energy to protect—what an interesting concept!

The concepts in this tale can be applied to the real world today, and I would like to portray these stories to show a relatable idea in my own story. I look forward to using these ideas in my own story for this week.
 
Bibliography: Devdutt's Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art
 

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part C (Ardhanari, Shiva)

 

Shiva

Picture by Iqbal Mohammed

Source: Wikipedia

Wow, this was definitely an interesting watch. I think the concept of focusing of a form instead of thought is something we tend to do a lot, but forget that thought is sometimes bigger than what is represented. Ardhanari basically means that god is within and does not move. However, a goddess is what is moving. Males are represented with action, and females represented with internal ideas like knowledge and power. I think this is an interesting concept to think about. I could use the idea of the difference between a god and goddesses, and create a story representing these ideas.

I would like to keep materialistic things in my story like plants, but the plants representing something much more valuable than a still object seen with the eye. I feel this will be a great story to really put my imagination to work while representing the true meanings learned from this video.

I want Shiva, the destroyer, to also be in my story. However, I want his character to represent someone that would never destroy anything. I think this will add drama, and a sort of mystery of who the destroyer really was in my story. I look forward to taking my teachings from the video and writing my own story!

Bibliography: Devdutt Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

Learning Challenge: Biology of Positivity

Happy 

Picture by Jane Schouten

Source: Flickr

The Biology of Positivity

I think being positive about any situation is one of the greatest characteristics one can have. However, not all of us can naturally see the good in everything. Some of us need to be reminded to stay positive. Some of us need to train ourselves to think positive, act positive, and be positive. For some being positive is natural, and for others it's a process. 

The Biology of Positivity suggests little things to do to train our brain to think positive. Yes, you can train your brain to do what you want. I feel the suggestions like "look for good things in small amounts" is one of my favorites. I've looked for small things in my day to day life to be proud about. For instance, if I make a healthy meal one day, that is one good thing I did for myself that day. Another example would be having a good workout, which is one good thing to accomplish in one day. Drinking tea can also be one good thing to for yourself in that one day. These are just small, positive things to reflect on. 

Another favorite of mine is "be persistent, knowing that change takes time." I think knowing change isn't going to happen overnight is something we all have to accept not matter what new challenge we face. I for one am a very impatient person, so I have to continuously remind myself change takes time, and to not give up. I do this by writing encouraging notes in my planner for myself. These are just small steps for a more positive life I challenged myself to do, and hope you all take the challenge, as well. Good luck!

Week 11 Storytelling: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part B (Narayan)

 

Narayana

Picture by Benjamín Preciado 

Source: Wikipedia 

Narayan woke up from a nightmare when he realized everything was the same. Lakshmi was next to him, and he just silently observed his ocean of milk. Little did he know—nothing would be the same.

Lakshmi looked at him in awe. She poured some of the milk from the ocean into her hands, and had Narayan drink the milk as if it was water. He knew something was different about the milk, but he didn’t ponder on what could be so different. He put the thought behind him, and continued to observe all the little things he was blessed with. He was a king of the ocean. People awaited his awakening. People looked at him in awe, and he looked at his world in awe.

He observed the trees. The bright, green leaves swaying back and forth in the gentle wind. He observed the flowers. The roses were bright red, and the petals velvety and soft to the touch. He observed the sun. It was bright, and made everything around him glisten as if everything he owned was made of diamond. The fish were swimming around him like a rainbow of color. The clouds were light and calming. Narayan spent most of his time observing the ocean. The ocean—so deep and endless, he stared blankly at all the hope left in the world. He could do and be absolutely anything he ever wanted with all the possibilities in his world. His world was the ocean, and the ocean represented hope for him to live even more marvelously as the king. He continued to observe, but he never realized how blessed he was with so much life and hope around him. He took everything for granted. He was soon to regret that.

He smiled, and shut his eyes for a few minutes. The trees fell. The roses crumpled into dust. The sun turned into a black hole. The fish turned to rock. The clouds turned to strong wind. He looked at his world falling apart little by little when he noticed his ocean of milk turn to water.

He thought, “How could this be? I did nothing wrong. Please stop. Whoever you are.”

His cry for help was not answered. The ocean continued to shake more and more when finally everything stopped including time, and all that was left was Shesha. Shesha was the heavenly king, and Vishnu sleeps on him—he was all that was peace in disaster. Shesha ruined his conscious world in minutes. Shesha was more powerful than Narayan. Shesha noticed how ungrateful Narayan was. He knew he did not deserve to sleep in peace.

Shesha thought, “You did nothing but observe. You did not help save the beauty of nature you were blessed with, so I shall take natural life Mother Nature handed you to preserve away from you.”

Narayan woke up with a thunderstorm surrounding him. It was just a dream, but it didn’t seem like a dream to him. Narayan changed everything about his wonderful life. He watered the plants. He took care of the trees, and he appreciated everything life naturally offered him. Never again did Narayan just observe. He was thankful.

Bibliography: Devdutt's Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

Author's Note: 

Narayan is a god known as Vishnu. Shesha is the heavenly king of the naga snakes. I used Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art to create my own story about Narayan. The video explains that Narayan is the observer, and Sesha is the remains. Lakshmi represents fortune and wealth. She is the wife of Vishnu. I wanted to keep her character in my story because Narayan is fortunate to have beauty surrounding him. I wanted to keep this original meaning of the characters in the story with a little twist of my own. Originally, the ocean of milk means possibility, and Vishnu is usually sleeping on Shesha floating on the ocean made rom milk. To me, possibility means an endless amount of hope, and I wanted to represent both the original meaning, and what I took from that meaning in my story. Nature was the theme of my story. I feel like a lot of the time we observe nature, but do not do much to preserve what was naturally there. We forget how lucky we really are to see natural beauty in a world that is becoming more and more artificial. I included nature as my main theme for this very reason. My story was a reminder of nature's beauty that was given to the world without asking for anything in return, so it is our job to preserve this beauty for generations to come.

Growth Mindset: Confidence

 

Beyoncé

Picture by Unknown

Source: Wikipedia 

3 Tips to Boost Your Confidence 

After watching the video, 3 Tips to Boost Your Confidence, I feel so much better about this semester, DAT, and life in general. The first tip was my favorite, which was picturing your success. I think this is great advice. I think picturing myself taking the DAT while in a stressful environment really helps make the studying more realistic, and I automatically feel closer to my goal because I'll have one obstacle out of the way of my ultimate goal. The second tip was to have a growth mindset. This means knowing you can improve. I believe there is always room for improvement, and with a reminder that failure isn't an option, and to "keep swimming," as Dory so wisely said,  is a great motivator to reach even closer to my ultimate goal. The third tip was to practice failure. It sounds harsh, but it's really not. This means to fail, and fail some more until you've reached your ability to be comfortable in challenging environments and set backs. It makes sense because experiencing failure gives you an advantage of experience, and knowing how to handle stress in the future. 

I think this was such a helpful video. It was also something I really needed to hear at this point in my life...good timing. I will remember these three tips for the future, as well. Having confidence is so important because I feel success and confidence go hand in hand. The first person I think of when I hear confidence is Beyoncé, so I included the queen in my post. The link is posted above. I hope this video serves as a helpful tip to all my readers.

Reading Notes: Pattanaik's Calendar Art, Part B (Narayan)

 

Narayan

Picture by Benjamín Preciado

Source: Wikipedia

Wow, I think this video had so much knowledge to share. I think my favorite part about this video was the very beginning when the concept of reincarnation is introduced. The video starts off by saying how there is only a single life in the Greek, Muslim, and Christian religion. However, rebirth is an aspect of life for Hinduism. I think the most interesting difference in all these religions was how Greeks desire to be heroes, Christians desire to be saved by God, and Muslims surrender to God because the belief is there is only one life. However, Hindus believe there are many lives and worlds.

Sesha was a deep concept for me to understand. However, I took away that Sesha is basically the remains after everything else is gone, and Narayan sleeps on Sesha. Narayan is like the ultimate observer. He observes pretty much everything, but only when he is awake. If I were to write a story on Narayan, I would create a world the Narayan does observe in his sleep unlike the original story. I could make it interesting by him not knowing what reality is.

There are a lot of things I could twist from the original story, and knowledge. Another element I would like to include in my story is Lakshmi. She will be the answer to all the questions in my story. I want her to symbolism the lesson in my own story. I want the lesson to be about observing what you are blessed with. I think it will tie in really well with Narayan since he symbolizes observation. I think this will be a very fun story to create because it will have bits and pieces of symbolism that relate to the original background story of Narayan and Lakshmi.

Bibliography: Devdutt's Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

Reading Notes: Draupadi's Swayamvara, Part A

 

Arjuna and Draupadi

Picture by Unknown

Source: Wikimedia

I thought this story was very interesting. A concept I would like to include in my own version is reincarnation. In a previous lifetime, Draupadi had five husbands, and she has five husbands in a different lifetime after praying about it. I want my main character to fall in love with only one of her five husbands because of the way he is. However, they all have to battle for her true love. I want this to be like a game. This will add action to my own story.

I feel the concept of sharing a woman in the original story was in a way sexist and degrading, so in my story I will Draupadi be extremely powerful. Her five husbands will not know how powerful she is. The only person that will know will be her true love by the end of the story and contest.

I think this will a fun story to write. I also want to include karma in my story. I know karma correlates to reincarnation. For example, if you do not commit any sins, you will reincarnate as a man in your next lifetime—being a boy is a big deal in these stories. I’m looking forward to what I can come up with! 

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata, Reading Guide A

Tech Tip: Twitter Follow

I decided to follow OU Wellness. I did a bit of browsing on their account since it wasn't on private to figure out what OU Wellness is all about. I discovered it's about activities, food, programs that make you feel good! There was nothing stressful on their account. It was all about reaching out to people about how to live a better life. I even found a tweet about a good protein source. I take health very seriously, so this was a perfect follow for me. If you're interested in a better lifestyle here at OU, this would be a great follow!

Reading Notes: Ahalya, Part B

 

Ahalya

Picture by Raja Ravi Verma

Source: Wikipedia 

Wow, this was a crazy story to read. There are a lot of things I would like to change in this story. For instance, I would change Indra turning into a stone when her husband finds his wife sleeping with him instead of Ahalya—his wife. It was not Ahalya’s fault she was being mislead by Indra. He disguised himself as her husband. I would like to keep Ahalya’s image as the perfect woman, and make her one of the most powerful goddesses. She will seek a divorce from her husband as revenge for accusing her of cheating.

I think this story provides a lesson for faith and trust. I want to make this the theme for my story. Instead of Ahalya’s husband turning her into a stone, he will ask her for clarification, and why she was sleeping with another man. There will be confrontation between the two characters in my story. I also feel there should be some type of punishment for Indra.

This would be a fun story to recreate with my own thoughts. I feel there is a lot of sexism involved in this story, and fingers being pointed at the woman. I want to make this something to be aware in my own words. 

Bibliography:  Narayana's Ramayana, Reading Guide B

Learning Challenge: Healthy Tip

 

Tea Time

Picture by Abayburina

Source: Flickr

Recently, I've become a huge fan of Teavana! For those of you that do not know, Teavana is a tea store that has every type of tea you could possibly want. I've heard a lot of good things about tea. For example, tea can help you sleep, feel better when you're sick, lose weight, detox, etc. A new lifestyle habit I have added to my own life is drinking tea at least once a day. Right now, I'm switching between green tea with lemon, and a stress relief tea. 

I drink my stress relief tea right before bed. It has a very soothing scent, and has a bit of cinnamon in it. I think relaxation is so important in order to stay healthy. I strongly believe that "you are what you eat." That being said, I'm trying to discover new teas, and different ways to relax. My tea routine includes turning off my lights, and turning on my lamp, put my tea on my nightstand, and do my work in bed.  This makes my stressful homework assignments so much more doable--especially when its 2 AM, and I'm super exhausted. I also heard drinking tea after or before working out is a good habit to stay healthy. I'm going to give this a try next week! A healthy diet is so much more than looking good. It's a way to be the best person you can. I feel as if my entire body is getting a good cleanse after I drink my teas. I feel so much better about myself, and my diet. The best part about it is that it's super cheap to purchase when you're on a college budget, so grab a cup of tea and enjoy!

Famous Last Words: The movie "Get Out" and Racism

 

 Get Out

Picture by distributor of film, publisher of film, or the graphic artist

Source: Wikipedia

This past weekend my boyfriend and I went to watch Get Out as part of or two-year anniversary. I had no idea what I was about to witness as I took a seat. This film is by far one of my favorites. It tackles the concept of racism in such a suspenseful, mysterious way. I was under suspense the entire film.

I do believe racism still exits. There is definitely inequality in our world, and you will find injustice everyday if you pay close attention. There are bits and pieces in this movie that portray this. This movie is rated R for a reason. I do believe it is a “must watch,” but only if you are aware of the unfairness that still exists towards African American people. However, this movie can be relatable to all people no matter color. It is a great way to bring awareness, and really empathize with the people that suffer from racism. Empathy is hard to find when you aren’t the one suffering, but this movie takes you into the story, and really makes you feel the cruelty.

I felt all the emotions this movie wanted to portray—anger, hate, love, sadness, etc. There was a little bit of everything. Racism is such a big problem in our society, and I do not think it is getting better. I feel some people do not intentionally act with racism—sometimes we do not think about how something could come off as racist and rude. There is a scene in this movie that portrays this concept. A man in the film mentions how African American people have incredible physique, good fashion sense, and some other comments that could be taken as an insult—it’s all about perspective in this case.

This is by far one of my favorite movies, and everyone should go watch!

Reading Notes: Tales of Ancient India, Part A

The end of Kans
Picture by Martadas Pirbudial
Source: Wikimedia 

I liked how this story opened up with a background of how great things were. King Ugrasen enjoyed a blissful kingdom, everything was fair and righteous in the world, and his people admired the Queen dearly. But, that joy turned to sorry when a son was born into the King's palace. This part I was confused about because I was under the impression that sons were favored over daughters in this time period, and especially in this culture. The great chaos that ensued due to a son being born was described in great detail making it sound as if the world was ending. I could take note of the imagery and details used in this story in order to apply it to my own writing so I can make the story come to life! So eventually, the astrologers told King Ugrasen that his son, Kans, will be a mighty ruler, but his kingdom will be filled with evil. He was also destined to die by the hands of Krishna due to his unethical ways.

Sure enough, by the time Kans was old enough to play and crawl, he would kidnap his playmates and take them up to the mountain and kill them. I thought this was intense and something interesting I could integrate into my own story. I'm really enjoying the contrast between how great things were at the beginning to how awful they are starting to become after the birth of Kans. The older he got, the more ruthless and brutal he became and the more people he killed. Needless to say, Kans was beginning to turn into a monster. He began to take over the kingdom, calling in demons and devils from all over. It got so bad that a plague ravaged the kingdom and killed many people. There was no beauty in the world anymore, only death and destruction. I think retelling this part of the story would be very moving and help draw readers in by the sheer detail I could add. I'm looking forward to using this story and making it my own!

Bibliography: Tales of Ancient India by Edmund Charles Cox

Learning Challenge: Pomodoro Technique

 

Tick Tock

Picture by Jordyn Whittington

Source: Flickr

Link to Video: The Science of Procrastination—And How To Manage It

I challenged myself to try the Pomodoro Technique, and I think I’m a fan! I’ve heard of something like this before, but it said to work for a longer time period—it did not work for me. I love that this technique because it is only twenty-five minutes. I’m someone that gets distracted by my phone a lot. This technique really helps stop the urge.

Something that stood out to me in this video was that sometimes people say they will not procrastinate later, but end up procrastinating. I have definitely gone through this, and it is not fun. I think reminding myself “I will procrastinate later, so do it now” is a good way to finish what I start. I feel like depending on time in the future is a bad idea because I’ve experienced that something always comes up—like grocery shopping, laundry, or just simply talking to your roommates. These are all little things that can happen in the future. After watching “The Science of Procrastination—And How To Manage It,” I’ve realized that short term rewards are not always the best, setting twenty-five minutes to work is actually very effective because I tried it, and the Pomodoro Technique is a must try for all procrastinator.

Famous Last Words: Daylight Savings

My plan for this week is to get my head back in the game. It’s kind of hard to get back in the school mode again after Spring Break. The time change has also really affected my week. Daylight savings usually doesn’t affect my lifestyle, but this year has been a little different. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like this week has been one of the longest weeks this semester.

I haven’t been able to focus on school as much as before, and keep getting distracting. However, my plan for this week was to adjust to the new time change. I have a paper and a test next week that I’ve been think about, and planning out in my head when to study and write. I planned ahead on where and when I want to write my paper. This paper is for my Human Relations in Action course. I read three books for it, and need to write a six to seven report for the three books. I plan on writing this report at one of my favorite coffee places, Coffee Slingers! It’s a really great place to study, and they have one of the best lattes!

Along with getting back in school mode, I want to get back in the gym after being away for a week. I plan on attending my Pilates classes again. I recently just bought my groceries for the week. I went to Sprouts and Crest. Surprisingly, they’re cheaper and healthier! I think planning out my goals for the week will really help put everything back in action!

I also want to get ahead in this course because the semester is only getting crazier. I plan on doing this by visiting my favorite coffee shops, and blogging there! If you can’t already tell, I use coffee as my motivation to get my work done. Wish me luck!

Famous Last Words: Spring Break

 

Spring

Picture by Anita Martinez

Source: Wikipedia

I can’t believe Spring Break is coming to an end. This Spring Break I went home to spent time with my family. We celebrated my mom’s birthday, and just relaxed. I think I really needed a relaxing break. It was so good to be home for once after a long time. I also continued to study for the DAT. I also worked at my dad’s business, so they could go out, and have fun.

One thing I did not enjoy about this Spring Break was the weather! It was literally thirty-seven degrees one day, and I did not think it was Spring. My allergies were also super bad because it’s that time of year again. I finally caught up on How I Met Your Mother, and am on season nine…catching up with the world. Haha. My boyfriend and I also started a new show called This Is Us, and I think it’s going to be one of my favorites, and a must watch! We also got everything booked for our two year anniversary, and I so excited because it’s this weekend…time is flying by. I do wish Spring Break were a bit longer.

I’m looking forward to all the colorful flowers we will see this Spring. I think that’s my favorite part of this season! I’m not ready for warmer weather. I love the cold. I think I have a hate/love relationship with Spring. Spring is off to a great start though! I feel like I accomplished a lot of resting, and DAT preparation this break, and am ready to get back into the school mode. This has been the fastest semester yet, and I still can’t believe I’m about to enroll for my senior year…where did the time go? I’m super excited for what’s to come this season! Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the song “Shining” by DJ Khaled, Beyoncé, and Jay Z, “We smilin’ for a whole ‘nother reason…it’s soft smiles through all four seasons.” Hope everyone has a reason to smile this Spring!

Week 6 Storytelling: Shantanu and Ganga

Ganga

Picture by Raja Ravi Varma

Source: Wikipedia

Shantanu and Ganga were living their married life to the fullest. They attended lavish parties, ate fancy dinners, drank the most expensive wine. Ganga had long black hair, blue eyes, and a soft smile. Shantanu was in love. She was just so elegant and graceful and had something mysterious about her. He loved that. He couldn’t imagine life without her. That’s why he was wrapped around her finger. He always listened to her. He did everything she said, and he even let her drown their seven beautiful babies. Ganga was pregnant again with a baby girl, but this time Shantanu decided to stop Ganga from killing his babies. He was confused, angry, amazed, and sad. The emotions took over, but he was still hesitant. What was holding him back for so long?
 

He never questioned her. She was powerful, and mysterious. She was magical. He loved her, but enough was enough. He asked his lovely wife why she drowned his sons. He asked why she was about to drown their baby girl. Her answer was simply, “I am not the woman you think I am.” Her hair started to flow into waves. Her arms turned blue. Her face became pale as can be…she turned into water. Shantanu was shock. He looked at what was her wife in amazement. He thought it was a dream. He thought this was not true. Ganga was the Goddess of the river. He had married the river goddess. She took his baby girl, and turned her into water. His baby girl was the princess of the water.

Years and years went by without his wife and his daughter. He waited every day by the river to see if they would ever return. He started to question Ganga, and everything about their marriage. She hid such a big part of her life from him. What else could she be hiding? He wanted answers. He wanted his sons back. Why did she kill them? It made no sense to him. Why did she leave him? All the questions in his head took up his entire life. His emotions turned into one emotion—anger. That was all he felt, and that was all he wanted to feel. He knew he was never going to be the same again because he was traumatized.

One day Shantanu’s servant sat down with him at the river. She knew Shantanu always sat in the same spot, and she knew that. She served him every day. She knew his likes, and dislikes…more than Ganga would ever know. She prayed for his happiness even though she knew that he would never love her the way he loved his first wife—Ganga. Satyavati dreamed this day would come. Satyavati knew he did not love her. He barely looked at her, or noticed her in the years she’s been serving him in his palace. That palace was her home. She knew every little detail, and every little corner as if she created that palace. When everyone was out on dinners and events, she would twirl in the palace as if it were hers. She never lost faith in her love, and she continued to serve her king with an empty hole in her heart that would take years to fill.

He looked at his servant. “She is never coming back, and I will never meet my daughter,” Shantanu said in a low tone.

She looked into his eyes. She saw his pain, and her king suffering. Little did he know, she was in love with him, and she was happy Ganga left him. However, she was sad he was not happy. She said, “My king, you will fall in love again.”

He just stared at her. He thought, “How dare she speak to me, and tell me I will love again.” He stared into the empty water. Old and tired, Shantanu waited every day.

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata, Reading Guide A

Author's Note: 

This story was based off the original story, Shantanu and Ganga. Ganga drowns seven of her children, but when the eight baby came along, Shantanu speaks up. However, Ganga drowns her children to send them to heaven. Her intentions seem good, but the acts behind her intentions are seen as horrifying. I did not want to escape from what actually happened in the story—the babies were drowned. I wanted to include the consequences of that, and I did not want Ganga to be seen as the bad person. However, she leaves Shantanu. I wrote this story to be a story left unanswered. Ganga was fulfilling her duties. I wanted my story to represent how sometimes some things are left unanswered for a reason. I used Shantanu’s character to display this event that I feel like everyone goes through at one point or another. When this type of betrayal happens, people tend to change. Shantanu changed from many emotions to just one. The original story is a bit confusing to understand, but I tried to make mine a little more relatable by adding in emotions. I’m all about happy ending, but I did not think there was a happy ending possible with this type of tragedy. However, there is always something good after something bad. For Shantanu, this was being able to love again, and share this love with Satyavati, which he marries in the original story.