Storytelling Week 10: A Telling of Tales in Gryffindor Tower



"Lava and Kishu engage in battle with Lakshmana"
Image Source: Wikipedia

It was a snowy winter evening and everyone was returning to their respective common rooms after dinner. It was a tiring day for the Patil twins. They had spent their entire Saturday in the little town of Hogsmead which lies within walking distance from the castle. They made their way up to the Gryffindor common room and after changing their clothes for more comfortable pajamas they went to sit in the big red armchairs nearest the warm flame.

In the chairs across from them sat Harry and Ron. It seemed as though they were discussing children's tales from both the magical and non-magical world. This piqued their interest and both Padma and Parvati looked at each other with a small smile. They've had their fair share of epic stories told to them since they were small children.

"...But you must have heard about Babbitty Rabbity and her Cackling Stump! That one was one of my favorites from the Beedle and the Bard. Mum used to read that book every night. I mean when I was a little kid of course!" Ron blushed slightly at the last remark.

"I haven't heard of that story. Hardly any to be honest. Just whatever I heard in grade school. Muggles have this book of tales by the Grimm brothers. And of course my aunt and uncle weren't going to read me stories. They liked to pretend I didn't exist at all," Harry said with a smirk.

"I bet you boys have never heard about the sons of Rama, Luv and Kush," the twins interjected in unison.

"Who asked you, Patil! We were having a private conversation!" Ron huffed and looked away.

"Don't get your wand in a knot, Weasley. You were speaking loud enough that I'm sure that we could be heard up in the dormitories!" Padma rolled her eyes.

"Are these magical tales?" Harry asked with curiosity.

"No, these are just traditional Indian epics that play a huge part in our culture. Padma and I would listen to them since we were small. As a matter of fact, our Mum sent us a few books that contain a collection of the stories. Of course our favorite involves a pair of twin brothers for obvious reasons." Parvati smiled at Harry after shooting Ron an annoyed glance.

"Go on! Let's hear it then!" Ron muttered under his breath.

"Okay, well, there was a king named Rama, who ruled over the kingdom of Ayodhya. All his subjects were very happy and prosperous under his rule. He was a gracious king who always sought to fix problems that any one of his subjects may have. He had a lovely wife named Sita, who ruled at his side."

As Padma began the story more and more of the occupants in the room began to listen attentively, some even coming closer to the twins and sitting on the huge rug by the fireplace.

"One day one of Rama's men came to report something that he had heard while on patrol. He heard a man berate his wife and state that he could never be a fool like Rama and allow his wife to stay after she had lived with another man. This news troubled Rama. Did his subjects see him as a fool? Should he send his wife away into exile even though she was to give birth soon? He decided that it would be for the best interest of his subjects and sent his brother Laxmana to take Sita far away. Laxmana did as he was told with a heavy heart. Sita eventually found her way through the jungle to a hermitage occupied by a man named Maharshi Valmiki. He took her in and she lived peacefully. Here she gave birth to Rama's twin sons, Luv and Kush. Maharshi Valmiki educated them to the best of his ability. They grew up incredibly strong and healthy. Maharshi Valmiki told the twins of all the adventures of Rama since they could speak, of course without revealing that their mother Sita played a large role in many of these tales. Instead they replaced her name with 'Vaidehi' since Sita is from a place called Videha. After hearing that Rama sent his wife into exile only because of some town gossip, the twins grew sad and always wondered what happened to this poor woman.

One particular day, the twins captured a pristine white horse that belonged to Rama. This horse was to be used for the very important horse sacrifice that took place every year. Laxmana saw the horse and demanded the twins return it at once. After they argued back and forth, a group of Rama's men confronted the twins in battle and clearly Kush and Luv were the victors. Rama then sent Laxmana to personally battle them. Laxmana fell to Luv and Kush's bow and arrows. Eventually, filled with curiosity, Rama went to see for himself these children who could defeat so many men. Once the twins were in front of Rama he demanded to know who their parents were. Kush and Luv only spoke of their mother, Sita. Rama blanched at the name and asked the twins to lead them back to their mother. He could not believe it! Right in front of him was his wife. The wife he sent away because of mere gossip. Humbled, he realized that these incredible twin boys were his own sons. He begged Sita to forgive him, but she was overcome with humiliation and grief and pleaded with Mother Earth to take her back into the Earth from which she was born. Saddened yet pleased to have met his sons, Rama took them back with him to Ayodhya to take their place as princes of the land."

Everyone in the room looked as though they were hanging onto every word that came out of Padma's lips.

"Bloody hell, that was alright!" Ron said sheepishly.

Padma and Parvati were flocked with questions from the other students about all the tales they knew. It was a very good way to end their night to say the least.


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Author's Note:
Phew! I had been playing around with the idea of the Patil twins kind of being storytellers and decided to use a comic book to bring it together. Of course the tale of Rama's twin sons has a little more detail in it but in order to meet the word limit (I finished at 999 words!) I had to kind of make to where I didn't delve into a lot of detail. Some things in the original tale also had a lot of background information as we all know. It was very difficult for me to try to do the story they were telling any sort of justice all while keeping the integrity of the plot. There is a lot more dialogue between the characters which makes gives the story more depth. The comic is most definitely worth the read and will give you another look at what became of Rama's twin sons other than what told in the Ramayana. I personally read the condensed modern version by Narayan and it didn't go into very much detail pertaining to the twins after Sita's exile.  Or, I should say, as much as I would have liked.

I based this story of a comic book that can be found in the Bizzell!

The Sons of Rama: Luv and Kush -- The Invincible Twins (Volume 503) by Amar Chitra

Reading Diary A: The Sons of Rama: Luv and Kush — The Invincible Twins

I decided to read one of the comic books available in the library --
The Sons of Rama: Luv and Kush — The Invincible Twins

This comic book is available for reserve in the Bizzell!

"Lava and Kusa, the sons of Rama"
Image Source: Wikipeda

• Rama was the king of Ayodhya.
• His citizens were happy and very privileged under his rule
• Rama along with his brothers, would visit his subjects and help them with their troubles or just listen to them.
• Every morning his men give his reports
• One morning though one of the men brought embarrassing news to Rama
• A man was beating his wife and compared her to Sita, saying that HE would never allow a woman who lived with another in his household like Rama did.
• Rama felt embarrassed and was conflicted about sending Sita away since she would give birth soon but he did it for his "people"
• Rama sent his brother Laxmana to take Sita into the jungle and abandon her there
• He did as he was told, with a heavy heart
• As Sita was left alone she encountered a snake
• Maharshi Valmiki appeared and told her not to worry about the snakes for they were his. 
• He took her to his hermitage
• Sita stayed there and even gave birth to her twin sons there.
• The twin brothers, Luv and Kush grew up strong and healthy
• Maharshi Valmiki personally made sure they were educated properly
• they were taught to use arms in the best way
• They were also told the story of Rama without revealing that his wife was infact their mother Sita
• Sita's name was replaced with "Vaidehi" and the twins could not help but feel sympathy for her once they were told that Rama banished her because of what a launderer said.
• They always wondered what became of Rama's wife not knowing that it was none other than their mother
• Back at the palace Rama was getting ready for the Yajuna (Ashwamedha Yajuna)
• Rama, saddened that Sita couldn't be there contemplated having his brother go look for her but feared what his people would say so he used a golden statue of her instead. 
• The horse to be used was magnificent, and there were many armies that came to watch and prepared to fight for Rama if need be
• The horse was let loose after having the golden leaf placed upon his head
• No king dared to stop the horse and and accepted Rama's conquer. 
• The twins saw the pristine horse and decided to catch it 
• One of Rama's soldiers came up to the boys and demanded that the horse be set free. They refused and a battle broke out
• One of the generals raced back to Rama and spoke of two invincible children who have fooled them. 
• They ended up defeated one of his strongest soldiers
• Flustered, Rama sent his brother to capture the two boys and bring them back to him
• Laxmana took a whole army with him and declared his loyalty to Rama 
• Kish shot an arrow at Laxman's helmet and knocked it right off.
• Kush amd Laxmana went into deep battle 
• Kush was wounded eventually.
• Luv challenged him to a duel since he was pissed
• Laxman had fallen at Luv's hands
• Rama was very upset when he heard that Laxman had fallen. 
• He sent his other brother Bharata to go check up on the boys along with the monkies for battle.
• Hanuman also joined the fight
• An arrow from the twins struck Hanuman's mace and the monkey army went wild. 
• Their armies also fell and they raced back to tel rama
• Rama arrived and asked their origins
• Luv and Kush said they dont know their father but know that Sita was their mother
• RAMA FAINTS
• Luv and Kush was the rest of the army at their mercy, they took Rama's crown while he was passed out
• They took the crown to Sita to show her what they had done and Valmiki brought Luv and Kush to meet Rama and explain that they are his sons
• Valmiki asked Rama to take Sita back, and Rama did not look to certain.
• Already embarrassed, Sita pleaded with Mother Earth to take her if she is pure
• The Earth opened and swallowed her whole. The twins were distraught.
• Rama hugged his sons and brought them back to his kingdom

Reading Feedback Week 9

Scene from Peter Brook's stage play Mahabharata, circa 1985
Image Source: Wikipedia

For this week I finished up watching Peter Brook's film adaptation of the Mahabharata. A couple weeks ago I chose the option of watching the first two and a half hours of this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it for our free choice I opted to watch the second half of the movie. The film itself is five hours long. It is available for viewing at the Bizzell or it can also be viewed on YouTube, which I found to be very convenient. I opted to watch it on YouTube. It does seem long but I did some more research and found that the original version of this adaptation was a screen play that ened up being a total of NINE hours long. I highly recommend watching this film if you want to have a broader idea of the imagery for the Mahabharata. I couldn't really imagine how the war scenes played out so watching it in film really helped me out and I feel like I understand the story a lot better now. The film gives more detail on certain episodes of the tale so that was a plus. I really enjoyed this film and I feel like everyone else will too!


The film can be seen on YouTube here

Week 9 Review

Growth Mindset Meme
Image Source: Blogger

I always enjoy the weekly growth mindset cat memes posted on the announcement blog page! So here is one I found from this week! 

Enjoy and chive on! 

The growth mindset meme blog post can be found here

Storytelling Week 9 -- Shikhandi and Bhishma: A Tale of Revenge

Bhishma refuses to fight Shikhandi
Image source: Wikipedia

     It seemed everyone was in a deep slumber after the exhausting battle earlier that day. And a cloaked figure moved within the camp in the dead of night. No sound was made. Not even the rustling of leaves or the low howl of the wind disturbed the night. One lone man was awake during this eerily quiet night. He felt the dark figure approach his tent and he already knew who was coming for him. Without turning around he addressed the lurking shadow.

"I knew you'd come for me again, Amba. You've been hunting for me in every nook and crevice of the Earth. I've been waiting for you every night since you swore to destroy me."

The small cloaked figure stopped and removed her hood. Amba slowly walked towards Bhishma and stopped in front of him. Her eyes were downcast and void of any emotion. 

"I have wandered this Earth for years now. I've survived on nothing but air. I've stood still on a mountain top for over a decade on one toe, waiting for the voice of  a god to give me guidance. I became brittle and hard like rock. Eventually I became ice and snow upon that mountain top. I heard a voice advise me to gather wood and start a fire, and so I did as I was told. Once the flames looked like they could graze the tops of the clouds I submerged myself into the flames. I felt the flames burn my skin until I could feel no more pain. I no longer pertain to the living, Bhishma. That is one of the things I came to tell you. I am dead."

Bhishma looked at Amba with curiosity. After a few seconds curiosity turned into amusement. With a smile Bhishma said, "Does that mean that your desire to destroy me is extinguished? Have you finally done away with that resentment you hold for me? Will you finally allow yourself to be at peace?"

Amba's eyes momentarily showed a spark of anger as she looked up at Bhishma. She shook her head and with a small smile said, "I can never be at peace until I get what I desire the most, Bhishma. And as you know all I want is to exact revenge for what you have done to me. I may be dead but I will return to battle you in this great war. I will be reborn and return as a man. I will drive Arjuna's chariot and battle you until you are no more. My name will be Shikhandi and I will be your downfall. Remember that name, Bhishma. Shikhandi!"

As soon as the last word left her lips she faded away and with that the eerie silence of the night went with her. A soft breeze returned to graze Bhishma's face and the rustling of leaves could finally be heard and the chirping of crickets softly filled the night. He sat contemplating his encounter with Amba with great concentration until the rising of the sun. 

----

Later that day, amidst the chaos of battle the thought of Amba left his mind as he fought against the Pandavas' soldiers. It wasn't until he saw a chariot coming towards him that he recognized Arjuna and another man in it. He couldn't recognize this young man but he looked an awful lot like...Amba.

"Shikhandi", he whispered. 

Everything around Bhishma seemed to move in slow motion. He couldn't bring himself to raise his arms against someone who once used to be a woman. To him that was Amba and he wouldn't dare strike her in battle. Bhishma saw Arjuna yell at Shikhandi to strike him with an arrow. With no will to defend himself or even deflect the incoming arrow, he saw Shikhandi shoot the arrow that would bring him his death. 

"This is it....." he uttered as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

And with that he felt the arrow piece his very heart and the world faded into black. 

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Author's Note:

What I liked about Peter Brook's film Mahabharata is that it goes a little more in detail about Amba's role in Bhishma's death in comparison to Narayan's Mahabharata. Perhaps in the online version of the Mahabharata it went into more detail but in the shortened modern version that I decided to read it didn't. Amba set out to seek revenge for Bhishma's refusal to marry her. She sought to marry him after the man she really intended to marry turned her away after she was won by Bhishma for Vichitravirya. Her true love felt like he would see Bhishma's wrath if he married Amba, even though Bhishma had set her free to do as she pleased. With Bhishma's refusal to marry her due to his vow of celibacy, Amba was destined to roam the world as an unmarried woman. She traveled the world for years and attempted to get many kings to champion her cause with no success for they feared having Bhishma as an enemy. In the film she comes to him in the dead of night during the war to tell him that she would be reborn as a man and be the death of him. I decided to expand on this scene and made a story out of it.

Peter Brook's film Mahabharata was released in 1989 can be seen via YouTube here.

Fun Fact:
The film was originally a stage play which circulated in 1985 and was a total of over 9 hours long!

Reading Diary B: Peter Brooks' Mahabharata Pt. 2

I am finishing up the second half of Peter Brook's film Mahabharata

It can be viewed on YouTube here

Arjuna and Krishna
Image Source: Wikimedia

• Bhima's son is summoned
• Bhima was injured during battle
• Recall that Bhima's son said he would be available should his father need him for anything
• Bhima's son proves to be a worthy ally. 
• Karna does not use his divine lance because he is saving it for Arjuna
• In a moment of hesitation he uses it against Bhima's son because he is proving to be difficult to kill
• Arjuna's son is willing to face Drona after Arjuna is lead away in an attempt to distract him.
• He knows how to break the disc, but not get out of it.
• Duryodhana is annoyed at Drona's impressed attitude with Arjuna's son breaking into their midst.
• Ultimately Arjuna's son is killed after being overpowered by Duryodhana's men
• Arjuna comes back and is devastated, accusing his brothers of sending his son to his death.
• Yudhistira is feeling guilty, going to Bhishma confessing that he is responsible for a child's death
• Duryodhana accuses Drona of smiling when Bhima was slaughtering his men. 
• Duryodhana scoffs, saying that Drona loves the Pandavas
• Drona warns of their impeding death
• Vyasa comes to watch over Drona, and tells his son that that night will be his last night's sleep.
• As soon as the sun rises, Arjuna is there waiting to attempt to kill Drona
• After scuffling, Arjuna returns to camp injured.
• Krishna finds a way to make Drona lay down his arms
• He says if Drona finds out his son is dead, he will resign himself
• Bhima goes and kills an elephant that shares the same name as Drona's son
• It wouldn't be a lie if he says that to Drona
• Drona dies
• Bhima exacts revenge upon the Duryodhana's brother, whom dragged Draupadi by the hair to humiliate her.
• He rips him open and drinks his blood
• Draupadi washes her hair in his blood
• Karna says a brahmin cursed him
• "He said to me, when fear enters your body, your chariot wheel will sink"
• Karna is injured after battling Bhima
• Bhima is instructed to strike his thigh
• Drona's son sneaks into camp and kills all of the Pandavas' sons to avenge his father
• He goes to tell Karna as he lays dying
• After telling him the news, Karna finally dies
• The war ends with the defeat of Karna 
• Vyasa, the king, the queen, and Kunti walk though the battle field, looking at all the destruction.
• Kunti is kneeling beside Karna. Arjuna asks her why she is kneeling at his side
• Kunti reveals that Karna was the Pandavas' brother and that he promised to spare them all with the exception of Arjuna. 
• Ghandari curses Krishna for not keeping his word and taking up arms against her sons.
• She says his own people will end up killing each other to extinction
• In the aftermath, the King orders Ghandari to remove her veil.
• The king and queen both step into the flames
• Yudhistira is looking for the gate of paradise
• While climbing a mountain the rest of the Pandavas fell to their doom in the abyss
• Vyasa asks if he is alone, and says he must leave the dog he has behind.
• Yudhistira doesn't seem to want to leave his dog behind to enter the ladder of paradise. 
• He refuses to leave his dog behind. 
• The dog ended up being another form of Dharma, who is Yudhistira's father. 
• He once took the form of a lake to test him.
• Yudhistira enters paradise. 
• Yudhistira sees Duryodhana.
• He is confused that a man who has caused the death of millions of men could end up in paradise.
• The Pandavas' have ended up not in paradise but in a limbo-like hell.
• Yudhistira condemns the gods for doing this to them. 
• He decides to stay there with his family. 
• 
  

Reading Diary A: Peter Brooks Mahabharata Pt. 2

For this week I have opted to finish the second half of Peter Brook's film Mahabharata.
It can be viewed on YouTube here

The first day of war
Image Source: Flickr

• The Pandavas are in exile; on their last year they must remain unrecognized and all are in disguise in King Virata's kingdom
• Yudhistira is a brahmin
• Bhima is a cook "the Prince of pots"
• Arjuna teaches song and dance as a eunuch
• Sahadeva is a musician 
• Nakula tends to animals and fishes for the King
• Draupadi served as the handmaid for the Queen
• King Virata's brother in law (Kichaka) is searching for the Pandavas' with no luck
• The queen's brother asks for Draupadi to be sent to him in exchange for emeralds. She is sent to him the next night
• He basically manhandles her. 
• "My wives are now your servants...there is no one like you"
• While pinned down Draupadi asks for more time, late that night
• Draupadi begs for Bhima's help
• Draupadi leads Kichaka somewhere else for Bhima to defend her honor.
• Bhima crushes him to death in a strong hug. 
• King Virata finds a lump of clothes and demands to know who killed Kichaka
• Yudhistira reveals himself and the rest of the Pandavas to King Virata
• Duryodhana and Arjuna come to Krishna for his help
• Duryodhana at this head and Arjuna settles at his feet
• Krishna says Arjuna was the first his eyes see so he gets to make his requests first
• Krishna offers his warriors, fully armed and ready, or himself (but he will not fight)
• Arjuna takes Krishna himself and Duryodhana takes the full force of Krishna's warriors.
• Duryodhana asks Bhishma to lead their armies as general
• With the condition that Karna must not fight
• Krishna comes to Dhritarashtra for one last attempt to make him come to his senses. 
• Reminds him that the Pandavas are his nephews
• War is not advisable and can be avoided
• Krishna says that Yudhistira only asks for five villages in exchange for peace
• Krishna makes Dhritarashtra see the impending doom
• Krishna reveals to Karna that Kunti is his mother and the Pandavas are his brothers
• Karna feels resentment and regret from what it looks like. Asks for his birth not to be revealed to the Pandavas
• The war is set to begin, warriors are preparing their arms
• Arjuna feels like he cannot battle against his own family when both sides are facing each other. He loses his will to fight
• "I can't bring death to my own family"
• Krishna talks him out of his rut
• The battle begins
• Once the sun goes down the battle stops
• Amba comes to Bhishma in the dead of night
• "Stop hunting me across the Earth, accept to be at peace"
• Amba says she is dead
• She burned herself, by command of a voice she heard
• Amba says she is taking part of the battle, she will come back as a man
• Her name is now Shikandi (sp?)
• Bhishma is greeted by the Pandavas after his encounter with Amba
• They as how it is possible to defeat them. He replies by saying that they cannot win without killing him first.
• The only thing that can kill him, he says, is if Shikandi comes before him.
• Essentially he tells the Pandavas to bring Shikandi to him to kill him,
• Bhishma is killed
• On his deathbed, he speaks to Karna, and tells him he is strong and profound, just like Arjuna
• He asks to stop the war, Karna keeps his loyalty to Duryodhana. 
• Karna asks for permission to fight upon Bhishma's death
• Vyasa tells Dhritarashtra that his children will die thanks to him
• Kunti speaks to Karna, asks him to come towards the other side. 
• Karna speaks in a resentful manner to Kunti. He is angry about her abandoning him at birth.
• Kunti cannot forgive Kunti for abandoning him. He refuses to follow her back to the Pandavas' camp
• Karna promises he will not kill Yudhistira, Bhima, or the twins. Just Arjuna
• 
  

Week 8 Review

Growth Mindset Meme
Image Source: Blogger

For this week I decided to go through the Week 6 and Week 7 Challenges + Week 8 Reflections blog in the announcements. I have personally been doing some of the mindset challenges on and off for each week so it was cool to read through this post.
This was my favorite image from the whole post! :D

Reading Plan

Rama places a flower crown on Sita's head
Image Source: Wikipedia

For my tentative reading plan, I had some things already in mind!

For week 7 we had the option of watching Peter Brook's Mahabharata, a film adaptation. We only had to watch the first half for that week, given the film is a good five hours long. I intend to watch the other two and a half hours for the remainder of the semester to get a good idea of the final half of the reading and get a more visual look. 

I have been looking through the reading options and I have also found another modern version of the Ramayana that has caught my attention. I really liked the version I read earlier in the semester by Narayan so I want to give this one a try. I'm sure I'll find it just as enjoyable and I think I'll just read that in its entirety.

The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic by Ramesh Menon.

I might also dabble in some stories about the gods and goddesses. This all depends on my attention span.

 

Reflections: Looking Forward

One of my favorite characters for memes. Skeletor!
Skeletor affirmations can be found here

Now that I'm done thinking about how fast this semester is going, it's time to think about what I'm going to do for the remainder of the semester. I'm a little ahead right now, which is amazing for me. I've struggled to even be on time for some of the assignments and now that I'm ahead I gotta stay that way so I don't stress out. I get a little emotional with the stress although I do try to play it off. I find that I'm getting better with my writing, or at least I think so anyway. I've been more positive when it comes to my school work which has helped tremendously, especially with the subjects I've been dreading (ahem, Calc I). I've had so much fun with this class and I've learned alot about all these stories. I would like to keep improving my writing skills and become more diverse with my writing styles and techniques. I find that I'm learning a lot more about proofreading my work and I hope to get better at it as the semester progresses. If we are speaking in terms of the shape of my grade...I'm aiming for an A. And with some extra credit, I'm at the point to where I'm on track for an A. So hooray! But, I can't slack and gotta keep chugging. Choo choo. Delirium setting in...I apologize!

I hope to finsh this course gracefully and not on fall flat. I think if I get a little more ahead I can attempt to finish early, which is something that I would like. Realistically though, some stuff happens and that may or may not happen. I have to stay positive and hope I acheive this though.

So here's to finishing off strong! And my the odds be ever in our favor! :-)

Reflections: Looking Back

Depiction of Bharata (Lord Rama's Youngest Brother) meeting Lord Rama watched by Hanuman, Sita and Lakshman.... From Left – Hanuman, Bharata, Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman
Image Source: Wikipedia



Here we are. We are starting Week 8 and it's still hard to believe we are half way done with this semester and 2015 is coming to a close!

I think my portfolio is coming along well. There isn't a main theme to it but I'm kinda proud of the stories I've done for it so far. Especially my Harry Potter themed one. Why? Because Harry Potter is my life.
But, all kidding aside. I'm actually very surprised at how much more creative I can be with storytelling thanks to this course. I have learned to expand a little and use more imagination. My creative side is flourishing a little more so that's a plus! At first I was really not so confident about my work because I would go through and see my peers' work and I would really be impressed with some of the stories and posts that I encountered. Oh, and even the layouts for some of the blog pages were really crisp and creative. I've been taking into consideration some of the tech tips as well and I'm still trying to improve my page as well. I still have some tinkering to do. I really like that this course is online. It makes it much easier on me and my work schedule and I try to have at least one or two classes online because I can work on assignments in the dead of night....just like I'm doing now. Given my work schedule, I am awake all night usually. My body is just used to it and going to class on campus is kind of a pain haha.
My favorite reading so far has actually been the Ramayana. I like the Mahabharata too, but I just prefer the Ramayana to it. Some of my favorite characters from the readings would have to be Sita and Arjuna.
I tend to work from home or on campus when I'm there since work can be really really hectic. In those twelve hours I can maybe fit in time to read during my lunch breaks but it's very seldom that I have time to work on anything while here. Maybe on weekends when we are not so busy. I'm very sporatic with my coursework, which isn't a very good thing. But on my days off I try to sit and do a good four or five hours of work. That way I get everything done.
I have done a couple of the growth mindset challenges for extra credit and I find that they've helped quite a bit with my negative Nancy attitude. And, they've helped me alot in the motivation department.

Growth Mindset: Week 7



Cheezburger Meme
Image Source: Blogspot

My favorite type of positive reinforcement, I have come to find, is cute, funny, and motivational little memes.
I found this one in one of the Growth Mindset Meme blogs, and it really spoke to me and how I have handled past failures. This applies to work, school, and just personal life. Instead of wallowing in misery, I have learned to just use failure, and use it to, as Fat Amy says, "fuel my hatefire". I learn that I don't like to feel the way I do after something has gone wrong. So it makes me try harder, so I try to avoid feeling like that again. Postivie thinking is key! So, like this cute little meme I found says, it really hurts to fail but it doesn't mean YOU are a failure. You just have to keep trying again and again. 

Tech Tip: Week 7

I was looking at ways I could customize my blog page since I have seen so many really nifty pages from my classmates. I stumbed upon this little website that has small  tutorials for how to customize your Blogger page or any blog page.

Here's the link:

http://www.cottonandcurls.com/2013/05/how-to-customize-your-blogspot-blog-some-html-basics/

Famous Last: Words Week 7

Inspirational Meme!
Image Source: WeKnowMemes



I had an okay day. Got a Coke Zero at the gas station. Raise the roof.

Okay if nobody gets that movie reference you are shunned for three hundred and sixty five days.

Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow! Dishonor on your whole family!

Seriously though, I've had an okay week. Phew, it's already the end of week seven and we already well into October! I feel like I'm caught up a little bit. My stress levels have receded a little. Just like my hairline. No really. It can happen. But, I feel a little more at ease because usually I'm always a little behind and now things are falling into place. Even as I type this at 4 a.m. ha. I'm going to keep this ball of productivy moving and hopefully I will end this semester gracefully and not like the mess I was at the begining of the semester. I'm understanding Calc a little more and I feel like my writing and my brainstorming is getting a tad bit better. I'm feeling a little more confident about my storytelling posts above all. I feel like when under pressure I worked the best. I came up with this week's story literally on the fly. I still feel like my best story was my story from week six.

I'm excited that after this week we can revisit the Ramayana and kind of play around with both of the epics we have read. A little more freedom to expand and explore concepts are our liking is going to be great!

In other news, that OU/Texas game....

Huge dissapointment. That was the worst part of this weekend. I really wish I could have gone down to Dallas just to be part of the hype that was going on. But alas, my place of employment required my services. Remember everyone, just keep swimming. We are amost at the finish line! 

Week 7 Review

Found this cute cartoon in the announcements! Had to share! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Here is the link to the original blog post for this cartoon!




Cartoon by Grant Snider



Reading Feedback Week 7



Modern depiction of Vyasa narrating the Mahabharata to Ganesha at the Murudeshwara temple, Karnataks
Image Source: Wikipedia

This week didn't really involve an actual reading, because we were actually given the choice of watching a movie depiction of the Mahabharata by Peter Brook. I opted for the movie because I had a really hard time kind of envisioning a mental picture of the events that occured in the actual readings of the Mahabharata. I found this to be very enjoyable and really convinient since the film can be found on YouTube (for now). It was also available for check out at the library but I really didn't have time to come back and watch it there. Now I have a great idea of how everything happened and I can appreciate the tale as a whole much better this way! 

Week 7 Storytelling: The Bride from Gandhara

Vyasa speaking to Gandhari
Image Source: Wikipedia

Her wedding was tomorrow night. What would her husband be like? Would he be kind? Strong? A thousand questions ran through her head. She spent a sleepless night tossing and turning. Gandhari remembered the day Bhishma went and spoke to her father. He brought her back to this palace to marry a stranger. But he was a king none the less and that should be its own reward. This marriage would unite two kingdoms. Gandhara would gain another ally and she would sustain her duty to her kingdom and her father. Her maidservant entered her room as soon as the sun rose to begin preparing the anxious and pensive bride. Once Gandhari arose from bed, King Dhritarashtra became the primary topic of conversation.

"Do you know much about your future husband Lady Gandhari?" she asked.

Gandhari sat in deep thought for a minute and slowly replied, "No I do not. One does not usually know much about their future spouse when it comes to arranged marriages like these".
The maid adverted her eyes and remained silent for an unusual amount of time. This struck Gandhari as odd and she demanded to know why she was so quiet.

"I have roamed the halls of this palace. I have asked the servants. Gandhari, King Dhritarashtra is blind. He only knows darkness."

Visibly stunned, Gandhari softly uttered "That cannot be possible. A king cannot possibly be blind! Who could give the throne to a blind man?".

Gandhari sat in deep thought and she could not even feel time passing by. She slowly stood and said, "Come now, I must get dressed. I will stand by my husband. I will be with him and my loyalty will never falter. We will share the same condition. I have decided to place a veil over my eyes and see nothing but darkness as he does. We are to be one. I will never remove this veil from my eyes as long as I may live". And with that, she strode over to her belongings and picked up a black veil. She looked over to her maidservant and stared,

 "You will be the last image my eyes see".

Gandhari fastened the veil tightly over her eyes and proceeded to prepare for the wedding that lay ahead. Was she scared? Yes, of course she was. But, she was prepared to face anything that was placed in her path. She was prepared to face her destiny beside he husband, for whom she had decided to give up her sight. As she felt the final touches being added to her robes and jewels being placed in her hair and upon her neck, she reached out for her servant's hand.

"Lead me to my future husband..."

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Author's Note:
In both the reading and in Peter Brook's film Muhabharata, I noticed that there was not much background to Gandhari and her marriage to King Dhritarashtra. Mainly the wedding and the day leading to the wedding itself. I figured it would be interesting to try to mold a story from Gandhari's point of view. I wondered what she could possibly be thinking before her wedding. How did she feel knowing that she was destined to spend her days with a husband who could not see?


Bibliography:

• Narayan, R. K. The Mahabarata. London: Mandarin, 1991. 7. Print.
• The Mahabharata. Dir. Peter Brook. Parabola Video Library, 1989. Film. Youtube.

Reading Diary B: Peter Brook's Mahabharata

Peter Brook's Mahabharata film can be seen here.
Step by step reading guide for film can be seen here.

Yudhistira is questioning meditating Krishna
Image Source: Wikimedia

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• Krishna awakes to find the five Pandavas and Draupadi around him.
• He tells them that the world needs a king, and that happens to be Yudhishthira. 
• Yudhishthira is very unsure about being the correct choice for king
• Duryodhana is being a hater
• He doesn't want his father to treat the Pandavas as his sons, for one of them might jump in line in front of him for the throne.
• King Dhritarashtra gives them a piece of the kingdom. Duryodhana is not happy about this. I'm sure his father will hear about this...
• Meanwhile, Yudhishthira is pleased, Bhima is pissed. 
• Duryodhana throws a fit, declares war against the Pandavas. 
• Bhishma agrees with what the King decided to do, but will end up siding with Dhritarashtra and his sons in the end. 
• Duryodhana travels to the Pandava's kingdom; the crystal palace
• The reflective mirages around the palace cause him to stumble about, the Pandava's mock him
• Duryodhana is fueled by anger from the mockery and embarrassment he suffered
•  Gandhari's brother, Shakuni, offers to play Yudhishthira in dice. He assures he will beat him and take everything from the Pandava's. 
• Yudhishthira is apparently bad at gambling, but loves to do it anyway
• The Pandavas show up to the palace
• Yudhishthira does not do well at all. He bets everything he has
• Draupadi is the last thing to be gambled and lost.
• She is dragged to the main hall by her hair.
• Humiliated by the the court, she is about to be stripped of her garments 
• As she is about to be stripped, she begs Krishna to help her, and her sari becomes never ending as it is torn off of her. 
• Duryodhana keeps teasing her, asks her to choose a new husband, while baring his thigh. 
• Draupadi "I will wash my hair in your (Duhshasana) blood, and Duryodhana will die from a blow to the thigh" 
• King Dhritarashtra grants her two favors and she asks for her husbands freedom. 
• Duryodhana urges his father to ask them to come back for a second game. 
• The stakes:
• 12 years of exile in the forest 
• And one year after that of exile in a city but they must not be seen, or else be subjected to yet another 12 years of exile in the forest
• Shakuni wins again. The Pandavas go into exile.
• Kunti stays behind 
• Amba looks for Bhima during their exile.
• She asks Bhima to kill Bhishma. She blames him for the world rejecting her.
• "Hate keeps me young. I only live to kill Bhishma. I swore it, but all the men to whom I turn, even you Bhima, tell me he can't be killed. None the less, I will kill him" 
• Arjuna leaves to find divine weapons, 
• "Ever since childhood I have been marked for war..." 
• Duhshasana has a bad dream about the vengeance that the Pandavas will seek. 
• Duryodhana cannot strike now because of their exile. 
• Hidimbi and Hidimba, rakashas, stumble across the Pandava camp. Hidimba asks his sister to bring him their corpses
• Hidimbi falls in love with Bhima and transforms into a beautiful human woman.
• Bhima kills her brother, Hidimba after he attacks
• May I add this part was VERY entertaining. 
• Bhima and Hidimbi marry.
• They have a son, who leaves with Hidimbi to another world but promises to come back should Bhima ever need him. 
• Bhima is found by Duryodhana in the forest. 
• He finds the rest of the Pandavas
• Vyasa interferes in their attack. 
• Vyasa suggests they go listen to stories during exile
• Vyasa sends Duryodhana back home.
• Boy asks Vyasa why he cannot stop the war, if he interfered here in this instance
• "There are some acts a word can check; others nothing can block
• Arjuna receives the Pashupata weapon from a hunter he met on his journey. 
• This hunter is actually Shiva and he appears in his true form to Arjuna. Arjuna worships him. 
• Duryodhana sees this all happening using powers, he is afraid, because Arjuna has this weapon from Shiva.
• Urvashi meets Arjuna in the mountain and tries to seduce him; he refuses
• She is offended and curses him
• Women will see him as a eunuch
• Karna is cursed by Parashurama, who had given him Pashupata.
• He is cursed because he denied being a warrior (kshatriya)
• He is found out when a worm burrows into Karna's thigh and he does not cry out.

Reading Diary A: Peter Brook's Mahabharata

I have opted to view Peter Brook's Mahabharata film, available to view via YouTube. It can be seen here.
The review or step by step guide is available here.

Vyasa
Image Source: Wikipedia

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• Super diverse array of actors for this movie
• Really gives me a visual idea and better understanding of the Mahabharata so far.
• Young boy is seen wandering around a deserted building. Possibly in his early teens
• He stumbles upon what a man, later identified as Vyasa
• Vyasa asks he boy if he knows how to write, but the boy says he cannot. 
• Vyasa says he wants to have a written account of the story of his race. 
• Ganesha, with what appears to be the head of a white elephant, shows up and agrees to be Vyasa's scribe for this epic tale. 
• Vyasa starts off with the story of his mother
• His mother reeked of fish, for she was born from one.
• A stranger came and offered to make love to her in exchange for replacing the fishy stick for a lovely fragrance.
• Initially she refuses, for fear of being seen by the lake. The stranger brings a heavy mist to surround them and she gives in. 
• Vyasa was born of this union. 
• Bhishma is a prince who cannot become king.
• His father fell in love with Satyavati
• She refused to marry Bhishma's father, King Santanu, because she feared that her sons would never become king.
• Bhishma swore that her sons would precede him in line to the throne and that he would never know the love of a woman. 
• Satyavati had a son who was extremely weak.
• Bhishma went and won this son three brides
• Amba, Ambika, Ambalika
• Amba loves another and wants to be set free, and Bhishma agrees
• The man she loves rejects her because she is someone else's prize
• She askes Bhishma to take her back and he refuses
• Amba curses Bhishma 
• Satyavati's son dies before conceiving children with his two wives
• She asks Vyasa to father children with her two daughter in laws
• One is disgusted by his wild appearance and was destined to have a son, but he would be blind
• Dhritarashtra
• The other goes pallid at the sight of him and is destined to have a son pale as milk
• Pandu
• Pandu becomes King, because his brother was blind, and could not at the time
• Pandu is out hunting and accidentally shoots a deer who was really a sage in disguise mating. He is cursed to die as soon as he tries to become intimate with one of his wives
•  Pandu is resigned to having no children
• One of his wives, Kunti, reveals that she can summon a god and bear a child by him. She has three sons, by Dharma, Vayu, and Indra
• Yudhishthira
• Bhima
• Arjuna
• The second wife, Madri, asks for her mantra so she may have children by the Ashwins, the twin gods with golden eyes
• Nakula and Sahadeva
• Dhritarashtra, the blind brother of Pandu marries Gandhari and she covers her eyes to be blind like her husband
• Gandhari is pregnant for two years and has not given birth. 
• She asks to be hit in the belly with an iron rod and a ball of flesh comes out
• This ball of flesh is divided into one hundred pieces and she is promised one hundred sons. 
• Duryodhana, the first born, is received with ill omens. Seen as one come to destroy
• Gandhari and the King were urged to sacrifice him but they refused. 
• Pandu gives in and dies trying to become intimate with Madri. She requests to die with him.
• Asks Kunti to care for her twin sons as her own. 
• Karna arrives during the Pandu's training and boasts to Arjuna that he will always be better than him. 
• Challenges Arjuna to battle
• Made king by Duryodhana so he may battle Arjuna; asks for friendship in return from Karna.
• Karna's rejection from Arjuna prompts him to promise a future battle between them. He promises to kill Arjuna.
• Arjuna won a bride in a tournament, Draupadi
• Kunti mistakenly tells the brothers to share her
• Draupadi marries all five brothers.
• SURPRISE SURPRISE. Ganesha takes of his elephant mask. He's a normal man. My life is a lie.

Famous Last Words: Week 6

This week has been so extremely hectic! I'm so glad to be done with it, to be honest. I've had so much pile up on me in terms of school work and other projects. Work doesn't help much either. I've been a zombie. Needless to say I hardly sleep at all, but it was way worse this week. But on a brighter note, I got my first Biz Cal I exam back, and we all know that's the class I dread the most. I made a B, and I'm very proud of that. Last time I took the class my first exam grade was really pathetic. I have high hopes for the rest of the semester and this had added a little sunshine to my rain cloud that's been following me around! I've been trying to be way more positive and I find that it's been really helping! Not just in that class, but in my other courses as well. We finally finished reading the Mahabharata and I'm sad to say I missed part of the reading on Monday but make sure to finish up completely anyway by Wednesday just in time for the storytelling assignment. I think the story I wrote this week was my best simply because my initial idea to cross over into the world of Harry Potter actually came to life in this writing and I had so much fun with it! I'm getting better at working ahead and hope to get ahead this week as well before my work week starts back up. Fingers crossed! 

In other news, I was saddened to hear that there was another shooting, and this time at Umpqua Community College. That kind of stuff really gets to me and it's even more depressing that events like this are becoming more frequent!

Also, recently the Pope visited U.S soil, and I was very happy yet sad that there was no way that I could have traveled to the east coast to see him! Oh well, maybe one day. 

Literally my face when  my exam was being handed back!
Image Source: Wikipedia

Week 6 Review

India Comic Book: Mahabharata: The Great Epic of India.
Image Source: Blogspot

In this week's announcements, I found this particular post interesting because, I knew we had comics in the library that we could reserve but, I didn't know that there was once that summarized the entire Muhabharata! I need to check it out!

Reading Feedback: Week 6

Overall, I found the Mahabharata to be very enjoyable. I slightly preferred the content of the Ramayana but, but were very interesting reads. It was kind of hard to keep track of all the characters, since there was so many different brothers, and just characters in general. I chose Narayan's version of the Mahabharata, since I enjoyed his version of the Ramayana as well and I found it easy to understand. It was because of this that I opted to actually go and pay for the book instead of utilizing the free version, which I'm sure is just as good. I just had a great experience with Narayan's Ramayana and felt this would be just as easy to follow. I actually didn't purchase the actual hard copy of it, instead I opted to download it to my tablet. I found this to be a much more convenient way for me to read it and without the need to carry extra books. It also helped for me to read at night which is when I do the majority of my work/reading. I enjoyed having this option. There was a reading guide for this particular book and I found that extremely helpful as well.

Bhishma forcing Krishna to take up the wheel of a chariot despite the oath
that he would not pick up arms in the war
Image Source: Ritsin

Week 6 Storyteling: Padma and the Black Lake

By the time Padma had woken up it seemed as though everyone had already gone to the Great Hall for breakfast. This was strange because her sister Parvarti, usually waited for her so they could go down together. The Patil twins were inseparable, but today something seemed off, and Padma could not seem to put her finger on it. As usual, she got dressed in her muggle clothes since it was a Hogsmead weekend and walked down to the Gryffindor Common Room. There was one lone figure seated in front of the fireplace, and from the bushy silhouette of hair, it could only be Hermione, up doing homework on a Saturday morning. Padma mentally rolled her eyes and with a small smile she approached Hermione to ask if she was not going to go to the Hogsmead trip.

"I intend to, but while Harry and Ron decide to sleep their lives away in the meantime I am getting ahead on my Potions essay. I fully expect Ronald to ask to look at mine anyway, so might as well get ahead while I can. Can't have these boys failing everything! I do wish they were a bit more dedicated. But, I'm the crazy one, right?" Hermione said, shaking her head. 

After that brief encounter, Padma walked down the staircase to the Great Hall and could not help feeling that something was not as it should be. As she entered the Great Hall she was waved down by her sister. She took a seat, and asked where Luna and Ginny were. "Oh, they finished breakfast already and said they would meet us by the lake.Luna said she wanted to visit the Giant Squid before we headed into Hogsmead and I decided to stay and wait for you of course!" 

The pair made their way out to the grounds towards the lake and saw a couple figures down by the Black Lake. Not only that, but the lake seemed to be emitting a strange glow. Near the shore, there seemed to be a glowing object, causing light to dance on the waves as they lazily grazed the shore.  As they got closer they saw Luna and Ginny both on the ground, not moving. The glowing orb in the waters was almost hypnotizing, and Parvati seemed to forget her friends were unconscious on the ground next to her and ran to see what was in the cold waters. Before her fingers were submerged in the gentle water, a voice could be heard resounding from the waves. "Do not touch my lake! Not before answering me this riddle! I roam the woods of Hogwarts school. And my coat is a glowing white, but don't you dare drink my magical blood, or you will be cursed for the rest of your miserable life. What magical creature am I?"

Parvarti, mesmerized by the white orb at the bottom of the shore, paid no mind, almost in a trance-like state, and went to reach for waters. As soon as her fingertips made contact with the lake, she fell back, unconscious, before the scream could leave Padma's lips. Padma hurried over to her sister, panic and dread rushing through her body. Again she heard the eerie voice coming from the lake,

"Do not touch my waters! Or you will meet the same fate as your comrades. But, if you answer my riddle they will awaken from their slumber. Again, I roam the woods of Hogwarts school, and my coat is a glowing white, but don't you dare drink my magical blood, or you will be cursed for life. What creature am I? And do not keep me waiting lest I lose my patience and strike you down."

Her heart was almost about to pound straight out of her chest as she racked her brain. Padma was hit at once with memory of last week's lecture in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Thank Merlin for Professor Lupin! 

"Unicorn!" she yelled.

And with that, the white light in the lake disappeared, and she heard the girls next to her start to stir...

---------------------------------

"Padma! Wake up! We are going to Hogsmead, but I swear to you if we don't make it to breakfast I will give you something to cry about!" 

Parvarti was bustling around the dormitory trying to get ready while in a daze, Padma could not believe the dream she just had. It felt so real...

Exasperated Parvarti yelled, "Oy! What's gotten into you? Come on now, you have to get up!"

"I really should stop reading all of the books Mum sends us before bed...it gives me strange dreams", Padma said with a sigh. 

Loch Shiel, from scenes of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban
Image Source: Wikiepedia

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Author's Note: 

So I decided to kind of incorporate a small amount of the wizarding world of Harry Potter into this week's storytelling. I'm still going to find ways to do this for my final project but, I had a lot of fun writing this! I just knew the Pandavas' encounter with the mysterious voice in the lake would kind of be fun to use since the Black Lake located on the Hogwarts grounds is known to have a slew of mystery behind it and even more weird creatures in it. Who knows?! It could have been a mermaid or even the giant squid! In the original story it was Yudhishthira's father in disguise, but here this strange being a magical creature that dwells in the lake. I decided to make it interesting by having one of the twins dream about this part of the Mahabharata. It would be cool if their parent's were to send them traditional Indian epics to read just to help cure their homesickness and to keep a part of their culture alive since they were away for a majority of the year at school. Of course they would have grown up hearing these tales I would assume. It would make sense, considering the Harry Potter stories are set primarily in the United Kingdom and there is a large Indian population.

I am reading Narayan's Mahabharata. 

Bibliography:

Narayan, R. K. The Mahabarata. London: Mandarin, 1978. 88-92. Print.