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.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

 

 Success

Picture by Unknown

Quote by Winston Churchill

 Source: Brainyquote

Wow, it's crazy how much we grow in one semester. I've been trying to focus on my own progress the most this semester in all areas of my life. I'll start off with college. I think it's really important to compare your past and your present. I like to ask myself how I feel in my classes every week to get a reality check. Some weeks I feel really overwhelmed, and other weeks I feel pretty great about school. This is a self reflection tactic I use. I like to plan out my week in my planner, and try to go back, and see what I really accomplished at the end of the week. I think it's important to pick one thing that I got done, and be proud of accomplishing that one goal. I feel like I have to "achieve" something really "big" every week to feel good about myself, so I set little goals in my planner to work on. Little goals turn into big achievements because my weeks have been super hectic this semester. 

A way to reflect on my progress in my relationships is by reflecting on certain memories made. For instance, I am celebrating my two year anniversary with my boyfriend in a couple weeks, and we just planned when, where, and what we will be doing. This is a big step for me because I feel like I wait till the last minute to plan, and just making a plan is a big achievement.

I think seeing progress in myself makes me want to better myself even more. There is always room for improvement. Focusing on my own progress will remind me of that, and will help me grow as an individual.

Week 8 Reflections

Hey everyone! For the most part, my experience in this class has been great. I never thought I would enjoy writing as much as I have been in this class. It's really changed my perspective on how beneficial writing can be. I've learned that it gets my creative juices flowing and that it allows me to think outside of the box, which I think has also been helping me in my other classes. At the beginning of the course, I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer information that was given in order to begin the class and get into a rhythm, but as the weeks have gone by, I've gotten into a routine that's pretty easy to manage (except when I get sick and then everything is chaos). 

I think the reading notes are a great way to start brainstorming for ideas for the storytelling posts each week. So far, I think I've done a pretty good job at choosing stories to read that I can then use in order to tell my own stories. The content of these stories are great too! I've always wanted to learn more about my culture and background and I can confidently say that I have learned quite a bit. My favorite story so far has been about Sita and Rama falling in love with each other in the Ramayana. As for the reading schedule, I try and do it day by day, but sometimes I have to use the grace period because my classes have been pretty time consuming this semester. However, I've been doing my best to stay on track and I plan on using spring break to get ahead.

I love my stories! I think it's nice to be able to use your imagination and create stories that are meaningful. I think telling stories is one of the best ways to share ideas and information with others. There's a power in words that's indescribable sometimes. I'm sure there are times when you all have read something and it's completely left you speechless. As the weeks have gone by, I have realized that I enjoy writing for fun. It's nice to be able to write something without being critically graded for it. Usually when I'm stuck, I just take a break and come back to it and that's usually enough to get the creative juices flowing again. When reading other's stories, I love looking at the different styles and vocabulary that people use in order to get their message across. Everyone writes differently and seeing those differences manifest themselves into great stories is awesome! I enjoy seeing all the creativity. I have been receiving lots of great feedback on my stories and I have been doing my best to give the same kind of valuable feedback to other students in this class. I look forward to finishing off the semester strong and reading more amazing stories while also challenging myself to write better and give better feedback. 

 

Writing

Picture by Carlos Delgado

Source: Wikipedia