Storytelling, Week 6: Krushka

There once was a demon warrior named Krushka who served under the evil demon king Ravana. The warrior was one of Ravana’s most trusted soldiers and friend. There was a great battle going on because Ravana had stolen a man named Rama’s beautiful wife. Rama was a prince and a reincarnation of the God Vishnu. He had pure intentions and was loved and followed by many, but not welcomed in the kingdom of Lanka. Once Ravana’s son had seemingly killed the greatest threat to Ravana and the whole demon blood line, Ravana was able to let loose. After the defeat of Rama, Ravana celebrated with all the warriors of his kingdom and drank and drank until he passed out into a deep slumber for three days. During the second day of King Ravana’s rest, Krushka woke up from his own drunken sleep.  He bathed in the blood of the fallen and then left the palace to find some rodents to eat. After his breakfast Krushka went to fetch the body of Rama since Indrajit did not want to give any respect to this human he had slain. Indrajit expected Rama’s body to rot on the hill outside of Lanka so his bones would serve as a warning to not mess with any demons, for they cannot be defeated. Krushka had other plans for Rama’s body though. He wanted to bring it to Ravana so he could cast it into the sky and hang above the city like a trophy and a reminder to all that the demons defeated by Rama did not die in vain. When he arrived to the site of Rama’s body, Krushka could not find it. He saw the arrows that were still wet with blood but no sign of the trophy he intended to wake Ravana with. Krushka was confused and started to walk back to the city when he caught sight of Rama and Hanuman talking to one another a couple leagues from where he stood. Krushka hurried back to the city and told all his fellow warriors of Rama’s life being restored and to leave their celebrations behind them. The dreadful task of telling Ravana this horrible news laid on his shoulders. All he could do was wait for him to wake. Krushka did not want to dare wake Ravana from his peaceful sleep to tell him because he knew how much sleep his friend had lost over worry of this Rama. So he sat by his bed along with Ravana’s many wives and waited. He wanted to be the first one to tell him but he was also afraid of Ravana’s anger once he knew of this news. He waited. And waited. Then on the third day of his slumber, Ravana awakened.

Author’s note:

I chose to fill in some blanks left by Buck about the time that passed in Ravana’s sleep when he believed Rama to be dead. I made up the character of Krushka- and the name obviously- because I wanted to explore a possible scenario of reason for sleeping, finding out Rama was alive, and who could have told Ravana the truth. I did not want to go into the dialogue between them though, which would have been cool to think of but this way I got to have a cliffhanger ;)

Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way. 
Image Information: What would be a cool rendition of Krushka if he were a character, found at deviantart.net by Simone Delladio

Reading Diary B: Week 6

-Jambavan sounds like a good warrior and I am glad he pumps Rama up to go into battle and try to get Sita back

-Jambavan also sounds like he knows all the demons they have to face that are ahead, he is a good asset to have in battle

-it is sad that so many lives are being put on the line just for Rama and Sita and Rama ends up not even with Sita

-It is very convenient that Nala has the power to float stones in the ocean, making the bridge to cross to Lanka possible for the troops of Rama

-I think this time apart from Sita has changed Rama’s character somehow, he seems less compassionate and more stone cold in his emotions and actions

-Vibhishana is one of many people who warn try and warn Ravana and tell him to give back Sita, but Ravana does not listen and he is idiotic in this so it is his own fault that his family members die

-welcoming Vibhishana shows more of the Rama I had known throughout this story and not killing him or deeming him untrustworthy right off the bat like Sugriva had

-it is weird how Sita is fooled by the fake head of Rama on an arrow in this version and she cries and wants to die instead of showing little emotion then brushing it off as surely an illusion, this further makes me feel like Sita in this version is kind of a ditz or at least has less composure to stand tall

-Trijata is a good person, demon, woman, friend, whatever she is to Sita I think that her presence in this epic is great

-“Someone said that already” – Ravana to Anagada when he is giving him advice like many before him have, I found this quote humorous

-The mentioning of Dharma by both the armies of Rama and Ravana make them seem like similar people under the same rules and ethics but they are too prideful to come to an agreement, mainly due to Ravanas stubborn ways

-Prahasta seemed like a pretty mighty warrior

-Kumbhakarma also warns Ravana he is making a mistake but agrees to fight for him anyways, it is clear there are very loyal family members of Ravana to fight for him against Rama for a reason they themselves do not see as right. “He put sympathy aside and put his heart into the stone age” then he fought, its interesting how feelings can be manipulated easily when done by own self

- Indrajit, in my opinion was good then he seems horribly bad. His ability to kill almost all the warriors including Rama was awful and I was really surprised at the sadness that was in this part of the story. I could see how Hanuman’s inability to die comes in handy for the lives of everyone when he goes to the mountain and is able to bring their lives back to health.

- at first I thought Sita was really killed, if I had not known the outcome already then I would be really biting my nails at this point

Reading Diary A: Week 6

-Sampati appeared and his story was easier to understand, it made me happy that he could regrow wings after eating and was able to tell Hanuman where to find Sita
-Hanuman's great leap across the ocean was a great example of his 'power' and the story with the mountain coming up from the sea and he would not stop to rest shows his loyalty and determination
-Defeating Sinhika by changing his size and forcing his body down her throat was interesting, I did not know he could change his size or his form as we see him do with the cat in Lanka
-Lanka as a woman caught me off guard, I guess really anything can happen in this epic! Not sure if Lanka as a woman was just in Hanuman's mind as a metaphor or if she was an actual woman to be defeated
-Pushpaka had a lot of detail, must be a very important chariot since it was so ornate and decorative made by the architect god who makes a lot of things
-The amount of women in that room with Ravana is quite impressive, especially since he has that curse with him, they must really not have respect for themselves if they are always naked and chasing after the same man drinking all the time, they could learn from Sita yet they think she is the crazy one not taking Ravana's offer of love for her
- The demon women who arise in the morning were horrendous in detail, I wonder if that is how the normal woman looks in that city if they are not beautiful and taken by Ravana
- The woman who tells Sita of the dream she had seems to be a nicer lady in this city and hopefully she is shown mercy later on, it would be very scary in Sita's position with women all around her threatening to kill and eat her closing in with weapons...I don't know how she held up and did not go crazy
- Sita seemed a little too friendly with Hanuman than I believe she would have if she had not been away from Rama or a caring person so long, asking him to stay the night with her was kind of out of character in my opinion when Hanuman calls her beautiful she says "Oh Hanuman" like she was swoon or something and when her shoulder is exposed it was an awkward atmosphere that was kind of sexualized I think
-Hanuman I think has feelings for Sita, based on his decision to stay and unleash fury and cause chaos on the city which gets him ultimately caught by Indrajit when he comes out of meditation
- This city seems to bring out the worst in people somehow so it makes sense why Indrajit would be secluded in silence from the rest of the people and have a clear mind on what to do as far as fast and intelligent decision making goes with the capture of Hanuman since he knows he can not be killed
- Vibhishana still saves Hanuman, or at least defies Ravana enough to get exiled
- Flames taking the city is a perfect death I feel since it is the city of the demons
- does everyone including animals drink ??
-Hanuman's description of Sita to Rama is very detailed and gives me a better vision of her as well after this whole book I feel like I know what she looks like in a better way
- Hanuman is a great monkey/man for sticking up for Sita to Rama, it is weird that Rama is so weird toward Sita now though ... I guess time made his love fade which is sad but at least Hanuman convinces him to go kill Ravana!

Famous Last Words: Week 5

This past week was super stressful but I have prevailed! I am pretty sure I did my WORST writing in my Social Theory class and it bums me out when I do not feel confident in my work..(probably why I skip the storytelling post sometimes) eeeekkkkk. Hopefully I will get the hang of those papers in there and it won't affect my grade too bad. In this class however I feel confident in my grades but I still get so stressed out over meeting the deadlines, pretty sure this is the class I have the most work due but since it is not too hard to do I need to calm down and stop overthinking, I am very appreciative of these extra credit assignments that are available because they can act as a cushion if needed. I really liked the storybook assignment though, it is coming together nicely and reading other people's introductions so far have made me excited to see how they all turn out. I thought mine would be kind of boring but I managed to get myself interested in doing it so it is going to be more fun than work, yay! Outside of school though I lost my debit card and someone found it and went on a shopping spree at wal-mart I guess spending over $100:( Luckily my bank said I could get my money back but it could be a while..not like I don't have bills to pay :/ on top of that my car battery decided to die completely and those aren't cheap... $$ rules everything doesn't it?
Okay rant over.
This weekend I got to see one of my best friends and I have not seen her in forever. I forgot how great it can be to just catch up with people you care about, stress relieving as well. I also get to spend some time with two of my other best friends this coming up weekend at a corvette club race practice event. My friend's parents and her race corvettes so that is totally cool!

Great quote from lifehack.org

 Also, thought this was pretty awesome in the world: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rossalynwarren/emma-watson-says-that-the-view-feminism-is-man-hating-has-to?bffb&utm_term=4ldqpgp#3ilfkn9

Reading Diary B: Week 5

The golden deer---
I thought that the description of the deer that Maricha turns into is beautiful but I can see why Lakshmana would insist it was a demon. They are in demon territory after all. It is weird how Rama is so quickly determined to capture the deer since Sita wants it, it is kind of her own fault she was left alone and abducted anyways since she wanted the deer and she insisted that the voice of Rama saying help me was actually his own

The abduction of Sita---
I thought the appearance of Ravana as an old hermit man should have not been so accepting by Sita, but she was so accommodating. Sita is not the smartest woman in this book. Jatayu's death was still sad to me this time reading it and I am glad that he mentions his friendship to Dasartha before his death. The jewelry that Sita manages to throw down to show her path makes more sense to me now since she has been given these items as gifts throughout the story and now that has significance in the journey to find her

Sita in Lanka---
I think that the story of Ravana and his curse is more pronounced this book and easier to understand. I also thought it was interesting that actual rape was mentioned and not just forcing love, the pictures are also more revealing. It is crazy that so many women allow Ravana to have them, they make Sita not look so dumb

Savari---
This story of Savari made me realize that every character in this story has a background or story to tell and all is told even if it is a small story, making every character have a significant role in the world of this story. I thought it was sad she died right after she told them of the monkeys though, but maybe it is because she finally served her purpose in life

Hanuman---
I really liked the story of the monkeys origin being included. Hanuman started his life in a harsh way where he was abandoned and then helped by many so I think he has earned his spot as leader alongside Sugriva, and having eternal life. This was the first animal/human story and I think it was really different than stories of human beginnings in how there is so many magical things happening

Vali---
Vali is depicted in a harsher way this time with a quicker death and I think I like that better because I am not left feeling sorry for him, it says his soul is dark so I am confident in Rama's decision to kill him so quickly rather than waiting ...also the backstory of Vali creates this unpleasant picture of him as well

The expeditions---

Reading Diary A: Week 5

• I found it interesting the different future lives of Kaikeyi were horrible in description and finally after a few, Bharata forgives her in order to save her soul from these fates, a sons love for his mother holds true for him
• Rama trusts Bharata at once when he sees him, and does not suspect him of any ill will or purpose
• Bharata's journey to find Rama is filled with different stories and characters but my favorite is the hermit Bharadwaja because he is so nice to each queen and makes them feel at home, there are many forest people who are so accommodating to outsiders they feel they can trust
• It is interesting that so many people follow Bharata into the forest, this time with smiles as they rested though which is much needed I think after so much sorrow from losing their king and Rama
• The journey described as Rama and Sita are in the forest is kind of honeymoon-esque even thought they have been married for a while it is nice that they are able to enjoy each others love in exile without the safety and luxury of a palace
• Seems like there are a lot of creatures in the forest that like to mess with Sitar, like the crow and the monkey
• Anasuya seems like a good friend to Sita at this time, sharing her wisdom -that sita will need in the future when she is exiled- and making Sita feel beautiful
• The stories in the Dandaka forest are very confusing and this part of the book is long it seems leading up to Sita's capture. This part will take some more focused reading with notes and character outlines to understand it better in terms of storyline. My favorite story though is the one about the demons who killed 9,000 people by making their victims eat a monster which was one of them and destroyed their victims body when they were coaxed out by the other brother on the outside..very creepy and awful
• The story with the tiny people is interesting, I wonder if there is a deeper meaning that I am missing, seems like every story has a purpose to this story but it was easier to understand and see in the first version of the Ramayana
• Garuda shows up both when watching Bharata pass by with his followers and now we get to know his story, he is a character worth researching. Especially since there is an airline in India named after him
• Finally the story with Surpanakha. I found this part to be less drawn out than the first version we read but I like how she does not change form, and is ugly to begin with. I thought it was interesting how her brother had a priest restore her parts cut by Lakshmana..shows a more caring side to Ravana, also less emphasis to Sita's beauty but he is intrigued nonetheless
  
  

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Storytelling, Week 4: The note left on a wall

"Of all my years alive in the city of Ayodhya I have never felt more peace than in knowing that our Rama would be king. When king Dasartha announced this would finally become so, the whole land rejoiced because we knew Rama’s heart. Dasartha was a great king and he ruled with no fault but his son was everything a leader should be. He was the one who should take Dasartha’s spot as king because he did not seek it, it sought him. One who does not yearn for power such as this is most deserving of it. The day I found out Rama was to be king was both the best and worst day of my life. The exile Rama faced was unfair and brash. Dasartha knew this to be awful but his hands were tied in the fate of his honesty. He was compelled to keep his promise to his queen. Rama had no such declaration to any man and thus he would be an even better ruler because his actions would be pure, free of contempt. When the gates opened and Sumantra guided the chariot that held Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana I felt my heart go with them. I think all the elders knew what we had to do. We followed the tracks left behind them. All was lost if we could not bring Rama back to his throne. It was his destiny. We thought it was our duty to try and repair what was breaking. We used all our will power to command the river of Tamasa to thwart their path and she had obeyed, further evidence of Rama’s destiny to come back and be king. When we finally caught up to the camp where they had rested, night had fallen and we were exhausted. Damn our ill fitted bodies. Sleep was our mission’s only demise. After pleading Rama to return with us to Ayodhya, he kept declining. Even brought up his brother in his argument and said that he would be a solid leader. But we knew Rama and Bharata both the same and Bharata was not who should be king. As Rama fell asleep, I thought for sure morning would clear his mind of this journey. I was wrong. When we woke the chariot and all of Rama’s closest followers were gone. But they left a trail and we followed with quick feet as we did not know how long they had evaded us. They knew of our minds and that we would follow, so they thwarted our journey as we had done to theirs and threw us off their track. I know Rama has good intentions but we need him. Does he not know that? The whole city was on the brink of death with mourning on our arrival. In my hut I can hear the weeping of the people and animals as they do not know what is to become of this once beautiful land of strength and hope. Our own king has fallen in agony, our destined king is exiled by the strength of a promise, and our new king has yet to receive knowledge of his newly obtained power. I sit here writing this to whomever may read it on my wall. As I leave this realm tonight I wish that my life taking is justified in my words. My old age was never the enemy or the reason for me to leave, but it is my fear of the unknown life ahead in the days I do have left. I leave now while I can still remember what it is like to have a harmonious city around me."

Castle of Darkness by Deviantart.net

Author's note:
I wrote about when Rama left the city of Ayodhya and the old men followed his chariot trying to persuade his return when they catch up to him and finding false hope as they follow a trail trap when they wake up the next day and returning to the city. I did this through the eyes of one of those old men and was so overcome with sadness that he takes his own life after 'justifying' his action by writing this letter on the wall of his hut. I realize this is a very severe reaction to Rama being exiled but I felt like this is a way I could exert the powerful emotion that seemed to sweep the land. I chose this picture because it depicted a dark kingdom but the heavens are still bright because there still is hope, even if the people do not know it yet the gods do: all will be well with time. 

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

YouTube Tech Tip

I felt like I needed to share this video for today since I am turning 22! Of course I have been jamming to Taylor Swift's song "22" alllll day ;) Happy Birthday to me!!

Reading Diary B: Week 4

·       I don’t remember twelve years of marriage passing in the first version, maybe it mentioned it and maybe not but this book made it more interesting  I guess if I was surprised by this time lapse

·       Manthara is given more detail to her character as well as her image, which is apparently not so desirable. I thought it was interesting that Kaikeyi remembered a time when Rama was a child and accidentally hitting a play arrow at Manthara’s hump and contributed this to her ill will towards the crowning of Rama instead of the reasons Manthara gave at first

·       It still irks me that Kaikeyi thinks it is Dasartha that is trying to trap her into something awful and really she is being deceived with Manthara’s crazy talk

·       Dasartha seems so calm and easy going when he says to Kaikeyi he will grant her wishes – even after they are proclaimed only to get totally distraught later on – maybe because he did not actually think she would follow through with wanting those demands to be her wishes?

·       I found it interesting that more emphasis was put on Sumanthra’s sorrow for Rama’s exile and his declaration of hatred for Kaikeyi, and less emphasis on the king’s state of mind at this time

·       Where were the rains that came with Rama’s sadness?

·       The new character that is introduced to this epic, Guha, I found to be different. He told more of how death works and the process with the death god and dying through the retelling of his story, also we get to find out about the Kings gift of interpreting animal talk that Kaikeyi wanted to know the wisdom about and thus sent the king on a war within himself since he would die if he told a soul. (Also, we learn more of Jatayu and his friendship since he is the one who gave him this knowledge) I think Kaikeyi is the most selfish and deceiving of the queens and spoiled

·       The description of Chitrakuta Hill is very beautiful and made me think that I would choose living there instead of Ayodhya anyways, however I think anywhere that Rama is to stay is beautiful and equipped with all his needs..perhaps since he is a god? Also it is interesting that the city is barren of life and its splendor that it had once had when Rama was a resident as well

·       Sumanthra returns to the city and it has only been THREE days since Rama’s departure?? Seems like so much longer to me, time is really complicated in this story

·       I found it interesting that the king has gone blind after Rama left, and the parents of the boy he killed long ago were blind as well and the king contributes this incident as the reason for this crazy occurrence with Rama being taken from him.

·       I like it how Rama’s mother is still the true love of the king and he turns to her in counsel in his last night, instead of with another wife – mainly kaikeyi

·       Yama the death lord is a scary character, so sly and quick

D2L Profile Tech Tip

I chose to use my face as my avatar for my D2L profile picture. I found that it is nice to put a face with a name when reading or replying to discussion posts. It feels more like a classroom when there are more students with images in my online classes since this is as close as I will get to meeting them personally. Otherwise, in actual classroom settings, it is nice to have the option of matching faces you see in class to profiles you view in your D2L roster of that class in case you want to approach them with anything (like getting missed notes or asking for advice on certain assignments).

april 2013

Reading Diary A: Week 4

• I thought the beginning of this version of the Ramayana was more drawn out but it built a backstory of how the story even began as a story which is neat.
• I like how we read the Narayan version of the Ramayana first since it is shorter send includes the basics of the story, I think if we had to read this one first we would not be gaining any new information on the Ramayana story as we are now that we know the basics
• I realized that the title "Ramayana" is a play on Vishnu's other name "Narayana" and then his earthly name reincarnated as Dasartha's son "Raman" ---> Ramayana
• The description of the city of Ayodhya is quite intricate and expands how I see the city than I had before
• I thought it was cool how this version starts where the first story left off then leading into the first version from the beginning retold by what we now know to be Rama's sons, why he could not know of their identity I do not know but I find it crazy that he can have children since he is Vishnu reincarnated... does this make his children demigods as well??
• It was nice to read that Lakshmana was the other piece of Raman, their bond makes more sense beyond brotherly love - dharma
• Ravana's story was a little hard to follow or all the demons for that matter... maybe because it was so detailed but this shouldn't a flaw to the story just my own sleepiness ;)
• Narayana defeating the demons he did made me see Rama as the warrior he is inside, with more respect that is well deserved by all that cross him
• Loving the pictures throughout the story! They help facilitate the picture being drawn in my mind. They are also more war-like and less cartoonish than the illustrations we are used to seeing on this courses image section for 'The Ramayana'
• At first I was confused as to why Ravana was even granted any power over the gods but reading the backstory on this incident where Brahma grants him his wish, I understand more
• LOVING the backstories on more characters I already recognized from the other version of the story, this version is fully equipped overall with imagery and detail I think will come in handy during our storybook projects
• In the first book I was SO confused as to why the king just let Viswamitra take his sons with him on this journey. With Viswamitra telling of Ravana's destruction and need to be conquered I think this is a major part of the story I wish was included in the first version, every version for that matter
• The mentioning of hermits in this story is something ill have to get used to not imagining like hermit crabs -since that is obviously not what they are
• I was happy when the part came where Rama and Sita meet and are drawn together came up, it feels like a half story without her since they are such a dynamic couple with much of the rest of their story surrounding this love

Google Timer Tech Tip

I really like how this timer is available! I am a big believer in time management when it comes to homework. I think it is important to take some time on homework and some rest time, or eat time, or check social network time. BUT it is important to have a timer because without one, it is easier to get lost in what you want to do, not what you need to do. I find it handy to 'reward' myself with things such as Starbucks or Facebook time if I get an assignment done or if I manage to not get distracted. As a self motivator, it is handy to time yourself with a timer much like an alarm wakes you up!

Storytelling, Week 3: A gift for Sita

Ravana was an evil demon king who had become intoxicated with the idea of having the best of everything in the land. He had heard of a great warrior’s wife who was said to be more beautiful than any woman on earth, and so he devised a plan to take her away from Rama (her husband) and keep her for himself. He managed to accomplish this task but not without the attention of Rama. Rama and his brother along with recruited help declared war on Ravana if he did not return Sita unharmed. Ravana would not give his prize up, for she was too beautiful to let go. Annoyed with her constant aching for her beloved however, he ordered many spectacles to take place in order to sway her heart towards Ravana and forget about Rama. One day, when a battle was eminent on his door steps, Ravana hatched his most evil plan in order to trick Sita into losing hope of rescue by Rama. Ravana procured a sorcerer and told him to create a body part of Rama’s to thrust into Sita’s view so there would be no doubt in her mind of his utter demise.

“Here is a present for you my dear Sita,” Ravana explained, “you yearn to kiss the lips of your husband, feel the brush of his cheeks against your palms, and to get lost in his eyes. I hear you at night wailing of these deep wishes and I have decided that I only wish to make you happy so here is the answer you seek.”

Sita raised her head up at these words, could it be true that Ravana has chosen to delight her in this way? Her heart filled with happiness as she replied, “Oh yes! Those are my true desires and I would be the happiest woman if you could grant me these wishes. Give me my Rama back and I to him. All your discrepancies would be pardoned and we would leave you and your family alone. Please I beg of you!”

A sly smile crept across Ravana’s face and his eyes gleamed. He dropped a box in the middle of the room and simply said “very well then my princess” and left Sita alone with her dreams.

Sita stared at this box that had appeared before her. She waited for Rama to burst out of captivity and hold her in his arms, but the air stood still. After what seemed like forever, Sita finally went to the box and lifted the lid with urgency. What she saw inside the human sized box was not human sized at all. In the corner of the box laid Rama’s head, decapitated from his absent body.

From ritsin.com

Horror and shock took over Sita’s body and she sunk to the ground on her knees. There was blood still rushing out and it ran to her knees still warm yet she could not move. Her heart started to break and send pain throughout all crevices of her body. There was no hope of rescue, and even if there was, there was no point in rescue. Rama was her world. All she could do was look at her husband’s lifeless face on its side. She had wanted to kiss his lips, but here they were for her and she would not get kissed back. She had dreamed of holding his face in her hands, but not detached from his body. She had yearned to share love between a simple locking of eyes, but his eyes were to never move to meet hers again. It was her Rama. Yet it wasn’t. His eyes were staring wide open into the depths of her soul. She had never seen his eyes look like this before. They were filled with fear. Fear. Sita stood up and walked away from the box, back to her position of meditation on the floor.

Ravana was outside her chamber waiting to hear the cries of Sita’s heartbreak. Nothing happened. He peeked inside and saw the box opened but Sita rested seemingly undisturbed. Why is she not running to him for comfort and love now that hers was lost? Had she not looked into the box? Alas, did she not love Rama as much as she led on? Ravana rushed inside.

“You do not like my gift? I would have thought you to be cuddling your husband right now.”

Sita replied with a steady voice, “You are a tortured soul, if you have one at all. This trickery will not conquer my hope or my love for my husband’s arrival. Tell your sorcerer he made a major error in the creation of that thing to reflect Rama. His eyes would never yield fear at his demise.”

Author’s Note----

I chose to write about the event where Ravana presents to Sita a creation of Rama’s decapitated head in order to try and sway her of holding onto hope. I changed it into a proposed ‘gift’ from Ravana to Sita. I also created Sita’s woes at night in order for the meaning of Rama’s head as a gift instead of a leg or arm etc. I made sure that Sita was shaken at first but quickly recovered. I used Rama’s eyes filled with fear as the sudden indicator of foul play for Sita. I thought it would be fun to elaborate on this scene in the book since there is literally only two sentences about it on page 134. A little backstory was given at the beginning because it felt weird to just jump right into the scene. 

 Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana.

Reading Diary B: Week 3

I think that all the tricks Ravana has tried to use on Sita are incredibly torturous. First off he tricks her with sending a beautiful deer knowing it would spike her interest and she would send Rama after it, then he took advantage of her nice character by posing as a beggar in need of help, then when he took her as prisoner he sought her love and to try to persuade her to love him he sends all these women to whisper horrible things in her ear about herself to make her go crazy, then he tries to trick her by staging a head looking like her beloved's in order to get her to think him as dead and she does buy into this for a second and a lot of these times she contemplates suicide. Ravana is an awful person and he does not deserve Rama's mercy when they are face to face in battle and he is given one more day to recollect himself and gather weapons. Rama could have killed him right then and there. Rama has a character that is very kind and logical, careful as to not cause ill karma on himself or his family and is thoughtful in everything he does. A big funeral for Ravana is very honorable and he does not deserve this but this shows a lot about Rama's character since Ravana was a king to many. I was surprised that Sitar had to go through a test to indicate she is truthful in her words of not being touched by Ravana but I am glad they are finally reunited and are able to return to their kingdom. Happy endings are always good to read and I did not know what to expect from a story like this but was pleasantly surprised at the ending. Also, I thought Hanuman or Sugriva were sure to die in the battle but it is nice they got to come back to the city with Raman and attend his coronation in human form--not sure why they had to be in human form and not their monkey selves but either way is cool.

Reading Diary A: Week 3

Vali- brother of Sugreeva, challenged by Mayavi (a demon with fangs and was difficult to defeat), makes hasty decisions such as attacking sugreeva after his entrapment in the cave, blessed by the grace of Shiva, possesses unlimited strength, churned the ocean to create nectar when the gods could not, whoever approached him for a fight lost half their strength to Vali, fast, animals trembled and storms quieted by his presence, defeated finally by Rama’s arrow, took death respectfully after explanations from Rama and understanding his own mishaps

Sugreeva- brother to Vali, ruler of Kiskinda (monkey kingdom) after Vali had not returned to the throne while away defeating demon, was forced to the mountains where Vali could not touch when Vali returned angry at him, is easily bullied, wife taken from him by Vali, honorable by vowing to help Rama, easily intoxicated by worldly pleasures

Hanuman- very knowledgeable, sugreeva’s right hand, was only one who encouraged Rama to trust and protect Vibishana when he fled Ravana’s kingdom (bullied away by Ravana), monkey, really important to plot advancement

Vibishana- younger brother to Ravana, advises Ravana to return Sita and seek pardoning from Rama to make things better, is threatened with his life at this point and decides to seek refuge in Rama’s camp and army

THOUGHTS ON PLOT

During the rainy season it seemed that Rama’s grieving and the rain fed off of one another. It is very kind and smart of Sugreeva’s wife to try and change Vishmanas mood before he sees Sugreeva in his drunken state of mind not caring of his pledge he had made to Rama also Angada (vali’s son) is prompt to try to warn Sugreeva. When Angada and Hanuman are trapped in the darkness for past the time they allotted for finding Sita, it is crazy that yet another outcast (this time a woman who was once a goddess) had their fate in the hands of Rama’s actions (specifically Hanuman who got them out of the chamber). The story with Jatayu’s brother Sampathi saving him and then having his wings restored when an army came by and spoke of Rama is really touching and shows the awesome bonds that are consistent throughout this story, becoming a prime reason for the location of Sita being realized it is a cool thing that everything seems to be connected and work out in weird and unexpected ways. Then the path to Lanka is then brought about with the path known as ‘adam’s bridge’ in todays geography and is pretty awesome to look at. It is even involved in controversies over being man made or not, how cool!

Seen from space on Wikimedia commons

Famous Last Words: Week 2 (notes to self)

This week I was more lazy and did not get to work ahead as I had hoped. In fact I even got behind and had to forgo a storytelling assignment. It was not that I did not read the material on time (because I did!) I think it was because I overthought this assignment. To avoid this in the future, remember Britt YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE GREATEST STORYTELLER. After reading some other storytelling posts I realized how insanely easy this assignment would have been had I just retold an event from a different point of view or with my own words.

Remember: there is an extra credit option that involves social interaction throughout the week so that could be an option easy to do since you are on Facebook, Twitter (occasionally), Instagram, and Pinterest probably more than you should be. Why not make it count towards some life saving credit?

The reading diary posts could also benefit from notes or annotations made WHILE I read the assigned reading pages. This way I would not have to try to recollect my thoughts while I read certain events. Also, THE PLOTS ARE NOT IMPORTANT FOR THESE POSTS BECAUSE LAURA POSTS READING GUIDES THAT CENTER ON JUST THAT.

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In relation to my AFAM history of the black arts movement, keep up with the readings and make sure to look at the calendar for this course religiously since the teacher does not make an effort to help you remember the deadlines. Maybe work for this class could fit best during the weekend, as the week is hectic and there are things due everyday for different classes.

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The storybook assignment looks a little heavy and scary but remember that there seems to be structured assignments every week to help get you prepared for this assignment when it's due so it won't seem so time consuming or crazy to accomplish. don't stress.
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WORK AHEAD SO YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR BIRTHDAY WEEK NEXT WEEK WITHOUT UN-NEEDED STRESS!!!

A relaxing picture from flickr

P.S. I found out they sell fake mustaches at dollar tree in packs for $1 so that's cool. And entertaining for Brady ;)