Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Section A

Hello World!! 

In the Introduction of the "Ramayana" the author tells us about the importance of the text itself. He lets us know that this is an epic of grand proportions. I was incredibly amazed to learn that people still learn and live their lives from the examples found with in the "Ramayana." I was even more impressed when he went on to mention that most other cultures do not have the same value for their mythological stories as the Hinduism culture does. After reading a good amount of the "Ramayana," I am now realizing why this story is of such great importance to these people. It has so many wonderful hidden lessons. Most importantly I found that it teaches you to always have faith and hope. Despite all of the difficulties faced by Ram and Lakshmana on their journey, they continue on and handle each crisis as it comes. They never once throw in the towel or even run away fearfully. This in itself is an enormous lesson. You should never run from life's lessons! They are there to prepare you for your future, just as all of the circumstances that Ram finds on this journey are to prepare him for his memorable fight with Ravana. 

Thataka's Story:
One of the stories that I really enjoyed was the one titled "Thataka's Story" (p11) I found it to be an incredible story about a woman's suffering or even a person's suffering in general! I cannot even imagine what it would feel like if your sons had left you for any reason. I feel it was even worse for her since she had no husband and no sons. She was all alone with no love. I thoroughly enjoyed how she exemplified how if you are devoid of love within yourself you can have difficulty accepting and even have anger towards the possibility of love itself. I thought that she chose to destroy everything and everyone for fear that she would love it as much as she did her sons only to be betrayed. It was a wonderful example of how pain inside of you can destroy everything else around you. 
It reminds me of the beautiful quote by MLK Jr. "Hate cannot drive out hate; Only love can do that. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; Only love can do that. I am curious however, what would have happened if her sons hadn't left her... would she give life and love to everything instead of tormenting and killing it? Would she be beautiful instead of being so terrifying? I am curious about the opposite as well as her point of view. What was going on inside her heart? Pain? Anger? Disappointment? What would happen if her sons came back to her? So many ideas, so little time! I think that Thataka as a character is incredible, and there are so many various sides to her that explaining her logic or giving her character a foil would be an incredibly interesting story! So, what will my story be about exactly? Well, for that you will have to wait until tomorrow!! After all, what's the fun in life without surprises!

 

Thataka's fight with Ram and Lakshamana, 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tataka

 

All information has come from Narayan's Ramayana, (link to Reading Guide A)

Growth Mindset

Hello World!!

Before watching the interviews provided in the material for this course, I had honestly never heard of Carol Dweck. I had always thought that it was better to be encouraging to other people rather than to be discouraging to them for not meeting a certain level. After going through so many different situations in my life I have learned that 99% of the time you just have to keep on going and never give up. So upon watching the various interviews of Carol Dweck I found that I agreed with her hypothesis completely, and I wasn't surprised by the results. They were simply exactly what I would have expected. 

When I was in school, I feel that I was in the growth group rate for some scenarios and in the fixed mindset rate for others. I worked really hard in school as well as in life on various relationships. There was a lot going on during that period of my life, so I had no option but to be of the growth group. I needed to overcome all of my challenges and come out stronger on the other side. I am proud to say that I accomplished my goal otherwise I wouldn't be here today, and I will continue to work hard to accomplish everything else that comes my way no matter what it ends up being! 

I think that the growth mindset should be applied no just to school but to all of your life's problems. Sometimes all you really need is just a little Dory inside your head telling you to "just keep swimming!" Encouragement truly does go a very long way when trying to get through not just challenges in school, but also getting through trying times in life. We all go through times when we doubt ourselves and doubt our decisions, but if we keep telling ourselves that we are working hard to reach our destination even though we have not yet reached it one day we will, it will make a difference. Most of the time when we say things over and over again to ourselves, especially if they are positive things in can influence our mind to then become positive and believe in the optimistic ideas that we have drilled into our minds. I challenge you to try this method out for yourselves to see how much it can help you! Let's strive for a growth mindset in all that we choose to do! 

An Example of a Growth Mindset, Source: Cheezburger

Tips for Starting the Semester!

Hello World!!

Whenever you start a new semester in school or even a new class for that matter, you should always do your best to make sure that you are organized. Organization is a must for any student, but it is especially important for a college student. If we, as students, are not aware of due dates and exam dates it will be incredibly difficult for us to be successful in our classes. This is why organization is very important. Keeping that in mind, I figured it would be a good idea for me to share some of my favorite organization tips to help everyone out! Here they are:

• Create a Class Folder: For me it always works best if I have a hard copy of something that I can constantly be referring to or be looking at. It is easier for me to keep the copy with me so that I be checking up on projects and reminders throughout the course. When you have designated folders for each class it makes it a lot easier to keep track of when things are due. 
• Keep Your Planner Up-To-Date: I also find it easier when I have the ability to have one place where I can keep all of the important dates for the semester. I can take one glance at my week and be able to prepare or schedule out my days accordingly. This helps to keep me on track and helps to keep everything in order. 
• Plan Out Your Week in Advance: I have also found that if you take out some time towards the end of your week, maybe on a Sunday, and allow yourself to schedule out your week. For example plan out study times according to homework or even organize outings with friends on a day when your workload is less. This will help you to stay on track and keep yourself from creating a mess. This is my favorite tip! It has saved me so far! 

Emphasis on Planning, Source: www.industryweek.com

These were some of the tips that I had to offer! I hope that these tips will help you as much as they have helped me. If you have any tips that you would like to share please do let me know! Good luck for this semester!

Some Reading Options

Hello World!!

 I was so amazed while exploring through the magical worlds of the "Mahabharata" and the "Ramayana." There are so many beautiful pictures! I can't wait to begin the journey into learning more about this amazing culture! The "Ramayana" version that I settled on reading is the version by R.K. Narayan. I am the kind of person who appreciates having a physical copy of the book itself much more than an audio or online version, and that is the BIGGEST factor in making this choice. I enjoy annotating as I read as well as being able to have a book I can carry around rather than a device that I have to rely on. Also, from what I understood this version is much closer to the original compared to the second option, and I would much rather learn from the original rather than the "anthology" version. Once again this is just personal preference. I have already gotten my book, and I cannot wait to get started!

I used to read Greek mythology in my P.E.A.K. classes in elementary school, and have read bits and pieces here and there. For those of you wondering, P.E.A.K. is simply a class for gifted students, but I believe it is called something else now. I haven't, however, actually read either the "Ramayana" or the "Mahabharata," but since my mother is fond of the stories and we are quite close to the culture I do know the basic stories. Otherwise, I have very limited knowledge of most things. I mostly know the advertised and "movie-fied" versions of these things. I have not taken any religion classes, but I do enjoy educating myself about other religions. I strongly believe that in order for us to better understand people we should educate ourselves about other religions and cultures. We will learn a lot from them, and we will also be able to respect and understand their views much better. I love all things Indian. I am from Pakistan, so there are many similarities! I love the food, the clothes, the henna, the dance, the movies, the music, and especially the bangles! I am a bit biased since I live and breathe a large amount of the culture myself, but it is still a beautiful culture regardless. I have been to Pakistan and Bangladesh, but unfortunately I haven't been able to go to India. It is on my bucket-list though, and I can't wait to go!

Ravana and Sita from Ramayana Source: http://ouocblog.blogspot.com

I chose the image above to discuss, because it contained Ravana. I have often seen this figure in Indian movies or referred to in stories. My father always told me that Ravana was a regular person, but each of his heads stood for the various traits of personality. He always said that it wasn't that having different traits within yourself that was bad, but giving the evil ones more power than the bad. I find Ravana to be incredibly interesting, because while I know about what happens I still do not know why Ravana made the decisions he did, and that is one of the things I am most excited about with this course. Hopefully, I will get some clarity in the vague stories that I have heard for so long!

The Epic Storybook Favorites

Hello World!!

For any kind of an artist their work is an expression of themselves. It is a way for them to be able to let out their pent up feelings and emotions. Often a lot can be deciphered about a person through their writing style. You can figure out what the person has gone through since often times people write about their experiences. You can even find out about their fantasies since people often write about their dreams or thoughts. When surfing through these past storybook posts it was very important for me to feel as though I saw a bit of personality come through as soon as I started to read the post. So after much contemplation, these are the three stories that caught my attention.


1) "The Adventures of Sita" 
This topic is something that I am slightly familiar with, however I do not, by any means, have enough knowledge to call my self an expert at all. Growing up in a middle-eastern household I have heard the basic story of Ram and Sita, but I have never really read it for myself. The one thing that really caught my attention was in the third story that this author has written she has given Sita her independence. She has freed her from her responsibilities of going back to her husband as social norms and the culture of that given area would have it. She allowed Sita to live free as herself and not as simply Ram's wife or a poor victim. Sita breaks the mold and fights as a feminist. Personally, I find this a refreshing change of pace from all of the other things that I have heard about this story. It intrigued me, and that's all I need to get hooked on a story! The title was wonderful as well! It wasn't a complete dead giveaway to what I was expecting, in fact it almost seemed to send my mind into a different direction. Lastly, as far as the design goes, I LOVED the background! I thought that it fit the topic perfectly and the colors worked wonderfully together. The website was incredibly easy to navigate and had all of the topics easily reachable to the left-hand side. All in all, this was a wonderful webpage which was as stunning as the story was wonderful!

Link: https://sites.google.com/site/theadventuresofsita/introduction

2) "When Love Confesses" 
For this storybook in particular the title did it all for me! I am a big fan of romantic stories! I also appreciate thrillers and murder mysteries, but I definitely carry a soft spot for romantic stories. The title was enough for me to take a chance on it. Once I read the introduction, I knew that I was in for good. I adore when people take the time out to relate old stories to something we can learn from and use in the present. I love Oakley's discussion with her mother! It seemed very realistic not to mention it brought a smile to my face. I liked that with the design for this particular page. The author went with what seemed like a cover page. The picture on the cover page gave you a clue about who the story was about. It gave away just enough and also added a bit of uniqueness to the overall blog.

 Ram and Sita's wedding picture, Source: http://omshantiblog.com/tag/lord-rama/

Link: https://sites.google.com/site/storybookepicsofindia/home

3) "Goodnight Naga"
I once watched an Indian TV show about a naagin. It was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. I was amazed at how this mythological creature was so unique. It was like nothing I had ever heard of before. Once again, for me the title reeled me in! Another story about a naagin, count me in! The picture that was present in the introduction also amazed me. The naagin that is shown is absolutely beautiful! It amazes me that there is an entire concept and history behind this mythological creature. If you do get the chance, I would highly recommend doing your research on this topic. It is fascinating! I also enjoyed how the introduction began with a grandfather telling his kid a bedtime story. It was very reminiscent of my own father and grandfather telling me various stories. It had a nostalgic feel which made me want to keep going. The only thing that did bother me about the blog was the design. I found the color to be too dramatic and after a while it caused my eyes to start to feel strained. That is just MY opinion. You are more than welcome to disagree! The story itself is wonderful, and I think that everyone should give this one a try!

Naag Panchami, Source: http://journeymart.com/holidays-ideas/festivals/nag-panchami.aspx

Link: https://sites.google.com/site/goodnightnaga/introduction

These are the few stories that I found and enjoyed. I think that the Indian culture is an incredibly rich and knowledgeable culture. We can definitely learn an incredible amount of information as well as gain some wisdom from these ancient mythologies. After all knowledge is power, so don't ever stop learning! 

All About Me! (An Introduction)

Hello World!!

TIME. Who would stop to think that this small little four letter word could mean everything to a person. It can make the difference of going from nothing to everything. We all run after time. We feel the need for it to stop, for it to move faster, or even complain that there isn't even enough to go around. You would think that having dealt with this trivial issue for so long we would have gotten used to the one simple fact that everyone seems to forget. Time doesn't ever stop for anyone. NEVER. It doesn't matter how many fallen eyelashes or shooting stars we put our faith in, We won't be able to make it slow down or stop for us. 

So, you can imagine that for a college student like myself, it became incredibly difficult for me to even fathom how summer went by so quickly! It seemed as though I closed my eyes and then opened them and it was time for school. Although it does help that I have been working incessantly for this one moment that other people tend to take for granted. This meant I was all too excited to begin my semester at the University of Oklahoma this fall. I was even counting down the days, packing in advance, getting my books ready, and making various important lists for what I deemed fit. You name it, I had it prepared. The only thing that I forgot about was how hard it would be for me to move away from my family. We don't think about it until it happens I suppose, but with a family that is as close as mine, leaving them was incredibly difficult. 

Don't misunderstand. I definitely made the most of my summer, and I didn't spend it moping! From late night movies to family reunions everything was given ample time, however some how it still doesn't seem like enough. Long story short, in today's post I had began to type a lengthy introduction for you. That's when it hit me. I could give you all of the basics. I could tell you that I am a Public Relations major and a junior this year.That I am still obsessed with the series "Friends" and repeatedly watch the re-runs even though I can pretty much quote every single line.
 

Friends Quote from Pinterest 

Source: www.pinterest.com

 I could even tell you that I have always wanted a pet, but have never been able to get one since my mother seems to find an excuse for every animal that we suggest. But what good would any of this information do? Can you really be introduced to a person simply by knowing of them? So I decided I would share something a bit more with you. 

Ever since I was little I have been obsessed with books. I read them like normal kids eat candy, but the only difference was that I never got off my sugar rush. I would get so engrossed in reading a book that I would forget that I even had the need to eat, sleep, or even get up off of the couch. That's where the problem began! Books were my escape. I could open up a book about a psychopath murderer and be able to know exactly what his next move would be yet still be surprised when the inevitable happened. I could be a fearless rebel fighting for what I believed in even though no one would support me. So basically, I could be anyone or anything. Nothing anyone did could tear me away from my special little world. This would always make my Dad incredibly angry, because it directly affected my health. He would think of ways to get me to stop in the middle of my wonderful book for food, sleep, and conversation. (Who needs those right?) Unlike, most parents he couldn't say, "Get up and read a book! Stop wasting your time!" So, he would simply take my books and hide them. He would literally grab them out of my hand, walk into his room, lock the door, and then come back out book free! Although once I had completed my dinner he would do his best to keep the book from me for longer so that I would spend some time in the real world. It was a constant fight between the two of us! I loved my books, my fantasies, but I always loved my family more. Thankfully today I have found a balance between getting attached to a book and knowing when I need to put it down for a break. Like I said before books were my escape from the world. What is your escape?...

 

The Alley's Secret Story

Hello World!! 

There once was a little boy and a little girl 

Lived in an alley;

Says the little boy to the little girl,

"Shall I, Oh! Shall I?"

Says the little girl to the little boy, 

"What shall we do?"

Says the little boy to the little girl, 

"I will kiss you."

(traditional nursery rhyme)

~ ~ ~

"Don't forget eggs! We are all out, and make sure that none of them break this time Alyssa!" My mother's scream echoed as I raced out of the house and began down the alley outside our house. Why wasn't he here? He always met me here! He was never late! My heart began to race as I my mind began to create stories in my head. What if he was hurt?! What if something had gone terribly wrong?!

It had been 3 years since Allen and I had been dating, but we had kept it a secret from both of our families. We were the youngest in our families. He was the youngest of 4 siblings and I was the youngest of 5. It didn't matter how hard we tried or what we did we were always thought of as the little girl and the little boy. I suppose being the youngest did make you little, but it still made things much more difficult otherwise.

Why wasn't he here yet?! He had told me last night that he would be here by morning. "I'll be waiting for you outside," he had said with the adorable crooked grin of his. My mind kept wandering back to the night before when he had sneaked into my room. All he had told me was that he needed me to pray that he would be able to get what he needed. Why hadn't he felt the need to tell me anything else?! What made him think that would be enough information?! Then as usual he was gone as quickly as he came, but of course he had to be or he would wake Alex up. That would cause quite the frenzy. 

I closed my eyes and started to take a deep breath while counting to 10. I opened my eyes to find his crooked grin in front of me. I did my best to give him a glare but I knew I looked more like an excited little puppy more than anything else. I turned away from him and began walking the other way down the alley. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his arms. I turned my gaze towards the wall away from him just as I heard him say, "Shall I, Oh! Shall I?" I looked back at him just as he pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket and handed it to me. 

An animated Hershey's kiss

Source: www.candyindustry.com

My eyes welled up with tears as I opened the box and inside I found.... Wait, this couldn't be right! There was a small chocolate kiss inside the box. I glared at him and turned to walk away once again when he grabbed my hand and slid a ring on my finger. After 3 years, I had grown accustomed to Allen's gestures more than his words. He had a hard time expressing his feelings but his face would say it all. I looked into his hopeful eyes and smiled my while my eyes began brimming over with tears. He knew that nothing needed to be said more than he knew that my answer would be yes. However, I decided this time I would have some fun as well, so I retorted back, "What shall we do?" He looked surprised for a split second before he responded with, "I will kiss you."

Author's Note:

For this nursery rhyme, I thought it would be fun to change up the concept a little bit. Since the nursery rhyme didn't specify an age, but instead mentioned the word "little" I thought it would be fun to use that to my advantage. I'm not sure why, but when I first read the nursery rhyme I immediately imagined a proposal in the alley. The only part that was a bit challenging was getting the proposal to match to the nursery rhyme without changing it to much. I feel that once the nursery rhyme became something strangely different it would loose its authenticity causing it to loose its essence. I did my best to do full justice to the entire nursery rhyme, and I hope that you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Bibliography:
This story is based on the nursery rhyme "A Little Boy and A Little Girl Lived in an Alley" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang.

 

A Few of My Favorite Places!

Hello World!!

Throughout your lifetime you travel to various places, but only a few, if any of them, have the capability to leave a mark on your heart. These place leave stamps of happiness, comfort, and even admiration on your heart. They leave you with peace and tranquility as well as huge cheesy my-pizza-is-here-grins on your face. They mean something to you and you would do anything to go back even if it's just for a day, an hour, a minute, even a second. They are your happy places! Take my word for it, if you find a place that you fall in love with, a place that finds it's way into your heart, never let it go. Hold onto it for dear life. Allow it to give you a reason to find your little ray of sunshine in this crazy mixed-up world. If you find anything that gives your heart warmth, keep it safe and don't forget to share it so that the world can be happy along with you! 

Here are a few of my favorite heart-warming places if you will!

1) Toronto, Canada:

 Beautiful skyscrapers, friendly people, delicious food, SNOW, and family! Who could ask for anything more? I went to Toronto for a family reunion last summer and have been dreaming about going back ever since. Their summers are equivalent to our springs and their winters are long and beautiful! I LOVE winter! The way the icicles hang off of trees and the whole city is covered in a soft, white blanket is such beautiful scenery. It also gives me a reason to make hot chocolate often! Can you imagine it?

Winter weather picture of Toronto, Canada 
Source: www.680news.com

How about now? :-)

2) New York City, New York:

New York Skyline at night Wallpaper
Source: wallpaperswide.com

New York is called "The Big Apple" for a reason. I went to this city for one weekend and fell in love! It was so different from the everyday life that I am used to here in simple old Oklahoma. The fast-paced life amazes me from the street vendors to delicious food and shows there is always something new. There is so much to explore! Since watching a Broadway show is on my bucket list going back is on my to-do list! I cannot wait! Hopefully, I will be able to head back to this beautiful city sometime soon, however only time will tell! 

3) Dallas, Texas: 

A photo of the Dallas night lights by a Texas electric company,
Source: www.smartchargeresidential.com

 I know that being a Sooner having Dallas as one of my favorite places goes against everything I've ever been taught, however Dallas is one of my favorite places for a simple reason: FAMILY. We know so many people in Dallas. Especially since we used to live there not to mention the amount of family that is still there it would be ridiculous not to include this place as one of my favorites! Family is very important to me which makes this city incredibly close to my heart.

Now that you have heard all about my favorite places, please do let me know of some of yours! In the meantime I hope that your heart stays happy and continues to sing! So, with that being said, until next time! 

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things!"
                                                                                                           - The Sound of Music

Comment Wall

Hello World!!

Welcome to this wonderful new blog that will be a place of discussion for all like minded people! If you enjoy books and adventures this is the place for you. We will work together to uncover the hidden meaning behind the various stories offered by a wondrous culture.  Let's work together to gain new knowledge and help others to acquire this wealth as well! I wish all of you the best of luck! HERE WE GO!!!

Here is a link to my Storybook: Storybook

Testing New Blog!

Hello Everyone! 

My name is Sahra, and I am testing out this post for my new blog to make sure that everything works okay. I suppose I will take this time out to tell you about a little bit about me. This blog will mostly center around Mythology and other forms of stories from India. We will be discussing various aspects of these stories, and begin trying to better understand the depth and dimensions these stories have to offer. I hope you will join me on this wonderful journey! Cheers to the start of something NEW!!!