Possible Indian Epics Storybook Topics

Possible Storybook: Buddha
Buddha is such an iconic character that nearly everyone has heard about, so I am interested in finding out more details about Buddha's life. I have learned about Buddha's search or enlightenment and how he secluded himself from society to search inside himself, but I am interested in learning more about his progression over time and how he thought and felt during his progression.
Research: From searching more on Wikipedia, I have realized that there are many different stories of Buddha that have conflicting facts. This is similar to Christianity how different churches believe different things even though it all originated from one source. I also never realized that Buddha was not only married but married at 16. I had learned this before, but was reminded that Buddha's father his all of the sick and poor from him as he grew up, so he never realized the amount of pain and suffering that was happening in the world.

Possible Storybook: Shiva
My interest from Shiva actually stems from a video game that my brother used to play. I know almost nothing about her or what she can do, but am curious to see if there is any correlation between the two or if they simply have the same name.
Research: From addition research on Wikipedia, I learned that Shiva is one of the three Deities of Hinduism along with Vishnu and Brahma. They are distinct beings but one with each other. He also is portrayed as a demon slayer. He is the god of yoga and the arts.

The God Shiva (image info)

Possible Storybook: Morals of Death
This topic interested me because in historical stories, death is usually accompanied with a moral of the story or a life lesson. I'm intrigued to know how the stories end for the different gods and goddesses and the reasoning behind their deaths. Did they die due to their own mistake? Did they die in a noble way?
Research: While on his deathbed, Dasharatha felt guilty for causing his son to be exiled due to a promise that he made years ago teaching us that eventually we will have to pay for the choices that we make and it might also cause others to suffer as well.

Possible Storybook: And they lived...happily ever after?
I am curious to see how the different stories end. Do they live happily ever after? Does one die? Do they split up? Do they both die? The stories are generally dramatic, so there are many different twists and turns that happen throughout.
Research: With the story of Rama and Sita, Rama is exiled and Sita decided that she could not stand living without him know that he would be suffering, so she decided that she would join Rama no matter where he goes. This shows how much she loves Rama and wants to remain loyal to him.

Week 2 Storytelling

Author's Note: The following story is based off of part of the Ramayana.

Title: Ramayana
Author: Valmiki
Publication Year: 2009

The king, Dasharatha, had 3 wives and 4 sons. His greatest son, Rama, was strong and brave. One day, Rama and his brother Lakshmana were at the river and saw a maiden most fair named Sita. Rama instantly fell in love and knew he had to do whatever it takes to win over the heart of his future wife.

Rama traveled to the neighboring city where Sita calls home, and finds there is only one way for Sita's father to give him approval to marry his daughter. Rama must string Shiva's bow, a feat that hundred have tried and all have failed. With all his might, Rama picked up the bow, strung it and..."SNAP!" The bow broke in half! Sita's father was shocked and in awe at Rama's power and strength. He knew that a man this strong could project his daughter.

Rama and Sita's wedding was blissful and full of all the pleasantries that can be imagined. Dancing, drinking, and food was in plenty, as all who were present celebrated through the night.

After years of supervision under his father Dasharatha, Rama was to be named King. The kingdom was elated to see Rama step up and become their new king. Solely another of Dasharatha's wives, Kaikeyi, was upset because she desired that her son Bharata to rule. Kaikeyi spoke to her servant Manthara and was reminded that King Dasharatha had promised her two favors when they were married. Manthara also hated the future king Rama because he smote her many years ago.

Kaikeyi confronted Rama and told him of the two wishes she was owed. He used one to exile Rama. King Dasharatha was infuriated! However, to everyone's surprise Rama accepted the request and requested that Bharata should quickly be made king. Due to Rama's bravery, Sita and Lakshmana desired to accompany him into the forest of Dandaka. Sita exclaimed that a wife should never be separated from her husband. Both the good and bad are shared. Next, Lakshmana proclaimed that he would go with Rama and Sita and refused to be left behind.

As Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana suffered in exile, Dasharatha was near death. While reflecting on his life, he remembered the prophecy that he would lose a son. He recognizes the karma that he is rightfully receiving due to his actions and feel as though it is his punishment to accept death.

Kaushalya and Dasharatha.

Week 1 Reading Diary: Ramayana PDE

   Notes for Ramayana by Valmiki

     Many characters introduces very quickly

-          Not sure how it’s possible to raise 60 thousand kids!

-          Rama and Lakshmana both think that Sita is beautiful. I thought that there was going to be conflict between the two brothers, but everything turned out fine between the two

-          Reading this has made me wonder how much of my own religion is not as simple as I think. This story is a little difficult at times to follow because I am not familiar with some of the words or symbols. I bet similar things happen when others explain religious beliefs that they have become very familiar with

-          I find it interesting that during Rama and Sita’s wedding, holy water was sprinkled on their heads. This is similar to baptism that is performed at many Christian churches. I’m not sure what the meaning of the blessed water is in this story, but I would assume that it has a similar meaning.

-          This is a classic plot where one of the antagonists (Kaikeyi) finds a weakness about the protagonist (the 2 favors Dasharetha owes to Manthara). This turn of events gives the villain a chance to win

-          I’m not sure why, but Manthara’s description reminds me of the creepy lady (the one that turns giant). See image below.

-          Dasharatha is having true remorse for his previous actions. What he did in the past is not affecting him, but is affecting his son.

-          Rama didn’t say much when he was told that he would be going to exile. It really shows the loyalty and trust that he has for his dad.                

Manthara (Wayang Kulit puppet)

Learning Challenges: H.E.A.R.T

The letter in H.E.A.R.T that stand out to me the most is the "H", health/happiness. Growing up, I had a bit of a uncontrolled temper and I got angry an almost anything when it didn't go exactly my way. I can't remember exactly what happened, but I remember that I got upset one day and later found out that I simply didn't understand the situation. I felt ashamed and embarrassed afterwards, and decided that I needed to change. I hated feeling angry or sad and loved feeling happy (who doesn't!) I made a conscious effort from then on to simply be happy in my circumstances.

Things don't go your way sometimes, but you are the best controller of your feelings. Yes, sometimes people do things that might upset you or hurt your feelings, but how you react to it is your own choice.

The letter that I need to work on is "R". READING...I'm not a big reader and never have been. Because of that, I am also a slow reader. Recently, I have had the desire to read beneficial books (more than fictional reading for entertainment). It has been a struggle for me because I read slower than my brain moves. I want to know what the author will say next, but I am not patient enough to continue focused on reading. I am slowly getting better, but hopefully by the end of this semester I will not only improve my reading speed and comprehension, but enjoy reading more as well.

On if this was me...

A quote from a Bowie interview in Brain Pickings; the interview is full of fun stuff. The image shows Bowie as Tesla in The Prestige.

Growth Mindset Thoughts

I had never heard of the growth mindset or Carol Dweck before watching the video, but I do have similar beliefs that what she was teaching. One thing that really hit home as she was speaking was when she taught about the importance of accepting a challenge instead of pushing it away. I have seen too many times when college students (including myself) have been frustrated or angry when there are assignment in a class that are difficult or challenging because it is something new.

Last week was nothing short of crazy and hectic for me. I worked 52 hours at work, started my last semester before graduation with 15 credit hours, and had to make sure I was still being a good husband. It felt invigorating as I took the challenge head on instead of complaining or wondering why I had to be so busy.

This semester I think I might want to focus on the "Growth in your other classes" mindset, due to the fact that I am very busy and have to use my time wisely in order to not fall behind. This is my last semester before entering the workforce full time, so I need to develop a "take the bull by the horns" mentality.

Quoted from Carol Dweck's book, Mindset. The image is from Cheezburger

Storybook Favorites

One of the previous Storybooks that I found interest is The Book of Mormon. I know a great deal about the content already but the title correctly describes what the content will be about. It was interesting for the narrator to be a report around 600 b.c. It gives a different spin on the story. The physical design was also great, and everything was clear to search and navigate through. However, even though the pictures are great, they do not seem to further instruct the reader on the current topic. Most of the pictures are not part of the story, but part of how the Book of Mormon came to be.

(Image Info: This is an image of Lehi and his people traveling to the Promise Land. Source: The Book of Mormon Media)

Another Storybook that I liked was Holiday Spirit. The introduction gives a good overview of the different holiday origins, but tells you just enough for you go to into the main part of the story. When I first clicked on the link, I was expecting the book to be just about Christmas because the phrase "holiday cheer" is so commonly used around Christmas time.The layout of the Storybook looks great. The only thing I could find that I would change is the red font on the "Santa's Little Helpers" part of the storybook.

A third Storybook that interested me was Happily Ever After? A Prince's Perspective. The title is great at accurately describing the contents of the book. The Story cleverly mentions all of the male actors and how the stories could be told quite different if they were the narrators. It is well laid out so you can quickly switch to the other Princes, However, the images are all towards the bottom of the screen. Putting them towards the middle the screen gives the reader a quick break from reading before continuing onward.

Indian Epics Course Overview

I plan on reading the Public Domain edition of Ramayana. The main reason I chose this is because I like the ability to listen to the reading. Hearing someone else read it while you follow along can give different perspective and emphasis on what you read. It is also nice that it is free even though $6 isn't much to ask for the other option.

I am interested in learning more about Buddha due to his widespread influence. I'm also interested in learning about Shiva because I have heard the name multiple times, but have never known the history.

I took a "Religion in Everyday Life" class that gave a history of religious belief and how it influenced everyday life. Beyond that, I have little to no history with Indian history and beliefs.

I'm not sure if there is any correlation, but the demon Nikumbha looks oddly like the goat Philoctetes from the Hercules cartoon:

Krishna, Arjuna and Pradyumna 

fight the Demon Nikumbha 

(circa 1820, shown in Sotheby catalog)
Check out all these great Pradyumna images in Sotheby catalogs!

Introduction to an NBA Nutcase

I absolutely love the NBA. I grew up watching it since middle school and have never stopped. I love basketball in general (watching, playing, etc). Although, there is much more that I do. I enjoy being active in general, playing disc golf, football, soccer, tennis and more.

I'm also in my last semester before I graduate with a bachelors of science in Management Information Systems. Learning and dealing with computers is a passion that I have. I'm excited to start my full-time work experience once I am able to find a job.

I am happily married to a wonderful girl and can't wait to start a family with her. I come from a large family that I am very close to, so that is why I'm so excited to start my own. I have 5 sisters and one brother who are all married except for my youngest sister who is a freshman in college.

I also lived in Argentina for 2 years while I served a mission for my church, which resulted in me becoming fluent in Spanish. I'm always looking for opportunities to speak the language, but I can definitely tell that I can't speak as smooth as I used to. Another random fact is that I love Will Smith movies: I Am Legend, The Pursuit of Happyness, 7 Pounds, Men in Black.

My favorite amusement park to go to is Silver Dollar City. If you don't know where or what that is, it is an old fashioned type amusement park where everyone is dressed up in bonnets and overalls with some awesome roller coasters. My wife and I's favorite time to go is in November, so we can ride the roller coasters throughout the day and then get hot chocolate and look at the lights in the evening. Some of my best memories are at that park.

I also recently got hired on at Gulfport Energy. Now I am extremely eager to finish this semester, so I can start my new job. I don't think I have ever been so excited to start a job. I guess that's a good thing though since it is what I will be doing for the rest of my life!

Christmas in Branson - Flickr

Week 1 Storytelling: The Wolf and His Shadow Remix

The Wolf and His Shadow:

A Wolf left his lair one evening in fine spirits and an excellent appetite. As he ran, the setting sun cast his shadow far out on the ground, and it looked as if the wolf were a hundred times bigger than he really was.

"Why," exclaimed the Wolf proudly, "see how big I am! Fancy me running away from a puny Lion! I'll show him who is fit to be king, he or I."

Just then an immense shadow blotted him out entirely, and the next instant a Lion struck him down with a single blow.

(original Fable)

One day, a lone wolf came out of his cave and roamed the land he called home. He was the king of all in his little down, but knew that he could not venture out into the distance because there were those who not even the king wolf could stand up to. He was admired and love by all.

As the wolf went about his day, he notice that every time he scared the birds or the rabbits or the turtles, his shadow became bigger! The wolf had always dreamed of become kind of all the land, so spent all day making everyone afraid of him. His plan was working! His shadow was too big for even the lions.

The wolf had to take advantage of this opportunity to finally rule of even the fiercest of lions. The strutted of with his head held high into the lions den. As the sun set behind him, he exclaimed, "I am the new kind of the land! I have become bigger and strong than even the fiercest lion!" As soon as he finished his sentence, a large shadow came over him, and he began to feel his legs tremble. The wolf slowly looked over his should, and to his surprise, on the top of the hill, stood a baby lamb with the sun positioned directly behind.

Lamb in the Sunset - Pixabay

The wolf them realized that this was all a mistake! He quickly fled from the lions, and began to return home. When the wolf returned home, the entire town was turned against him! He spent his whole day worried about become bigger than the lions that he forgot about those in his own home. Lonely and lost, the wolf wandered off into foreign lands knowing the value of friends no matter how big or small.

Authors Note: The original story ended with the wolf getting eaten by the lion. I have changed it to where the wolf escapes the lions, but has already ruined his old home. This helps the readers fully learn that when you focus on something that you don't or can't have, you are putting everything that we do have in danger.

Bibliography: Story based on the Aesop story "The Wolf and His Shadow" in The AESOP for Children by Milo Winter.

Buenos Aires Argentina: My Favorite Place

My favorite place in the world, due to the memories that were created there, is Buenos Aires Argentina. I lived there for 2 years while serving a mission for my church and fell in love with the people and their generosity. The food is amazing and the people are simple. They love soccer and spending time outdoors and with each other. I dream of returning someday to visit all of the friends that I made there, so hopefully graduating college will do the trick.

                                

"Corrientes Buenos Aires at Night" by Luis Argerich - Flickr: Buenos Aires at Night. 

Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - Wikimedia

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