Learning Challenge: Making Learning More Automatic

Learning by H.E.A.R.T: Making More Automatic

For this week's learning challenge, I decided to explore the Attention aspect of the Learning by H.E.A.R.T challenges. The article that caught my attention most quickly was, How to Make Learning More Automatic. This article mainly focuses on how an individual can make learning on-the-job a habit. The author's main points were that a person should begin by identifying what they need to learn. The author tells readers to take time to think big and think small. This means that we should be thinking about where we want to be in the future as well as where we want to be at the end of the day. In order to make learning habitual, we must be specific about what we want to accomplish. We should monitor the habit we want to make and create a schedule in order to make the habit. So, if I really want to get in the habit of reading the material before my classes, I need to start setting up a time everyday for me to read. 

(Habits. Source: Flickr)

Growth Mindset: Actual Meaning

Growth Mindset: Actual Meaning

This week, I decided to read into the actual meaning of having a growth mindset. The founder of this concept, Carol Dweck, wrote an article about how people have misinterpreted her idea of a growth mindset. The real idea is that those who have this mindset believe that their talents were achieved through hard work, good strategies, and input from people around them. The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. People with this mindset view their talents as innate gifts. The main misconception about growth mindset, in my opinion, is that people think it's all about praising people and rewarding them for their efforts. Dweck stated that simply rewarding people for unsuccessful efforts isn't doing any good. It is critical to emphasize the processes and strategies that allow someone to achieve success. After reading this article, What Having a "Growth Mindset" Actually Means, I have learned that it's more than just adopting the idea. You must actually implement the practices and actively engage in your actions in order to successfully achieve a growth mindset. 

(10 Growth Mindest Statements. Source: Flickr)

Tech Tip: Google Site Video

For this week's technology tip, I decided to add a YouTube video to my storybook page. My entire storybook focuses on Hanuman so I decided to add a video of the Hanuman Chalisa. The Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindu devotional song dedicated to Hanuman. Here is a link to my storybook site: Hanuman.

Week 14 Reading Diary: The Indian Storybook continued

The Indian Storybook by Richard Wilson

For the rest of this week's reading assignment, I finished reading the assigned stories in The Indian Storybook by Richard Wilson. The last story, Shakuntala, discusses the love story between King Dushyanta and Shakuntala. King Dushyanta meets the beautiful Shakuntala while he while on a hunting trip in the forest. (So much happens in the forest in the Mahabharata). The two fall in love with each other and get married, without Shakuntala's father knowing. Their witness was mother nature. When King Dushyanta had to leave, he promised he would send for someone to pick Shakuntala up. To show her his promise, he gives her a ring. One day, a sage visits Shakuntala, but she is so lost in her thoughts of King Dushyanta, that she does not hear the sage's calls. The sage becomes very angry and curses Shakuntala. He tells her that the man she is thinking about will not remember her. And King Dushyanta will only remember her if she comes up with a significant souvenir. Shakuntala is pregnant with the king's child, so her father sends her to the royal court. On the way, the ring she was given falls into the river. So when they met, King Dushyanta couldn't recognize his wife, because she was unable to present a significant souvenir. Shakuntala can't bare to live without King Dushyanta remembering her so she pleas to the gods to help her disappear from earth. After a fisherman finds the lost ring, King Dushyanta remembers his wife. They get back to each other and have a son, named Bharat. 

(King Dushyanta and Shakuntala. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. The Indian Storybook, Richard Wilson. (1914)

Week 14 Reading Diary: The Indian Storybook

The Indian Storybook by Richard Wilson

For the final week of reading for Indian Epics, I have chosen to read some famous Indian stories. For the first part of the week, I will be reading about the dispute between Vishvamitra and Vashishta over the ownership of a sacred cow that grants wishes. The sacred cow that the two men were fighting over was named Sabala. King Vishvamitra was a well-liked king, but he was always in search of an enemy. The only problem with this was that he befriended everyone he met, so it was hard to find an enemy. King Vishvamitra was an avid hunter and enjoyed the hunting for game. One day he went to the forest with some of his men to hunt. As he and his men were wondering, they came across the home of the sage, Vashishta. Vishvamitra and his men were hungry, so Vashishta offered him food. Vashishta had an entire feast prepared for the men. Vishvamitra was confused as to how he was able to make such a grand feast while isolated in the forest. Vashishta went on to tell the king that Indra blessed him with a sacred calf that was able to yield any sort of riches. Vishvamitra became angry when Vashishta refused to give him the cow, after he offered thousands of dollars. Regardless of the refusal, Vishvamitra took the cow anyway. The cow grew very angry at Vishvamitra and was able to conjure up an entire army. Vishvamitra soon ended up becoming a hermit after seeing that the Kshatriyas had to power when they were up against Brahmins.  

(Sabala the Sacred Cow. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. The Indian Storybook, Richard Wilson. (1914)

Tech Tip: Name Display

I decided to take my full name off of my blog posts, solely due to personal preference. I haven't really thought about my online identity much, but I do know that I don't want everything popping up if someone were to ever google my name. I will definitely have to start thinking about my online identity more as I'm applying to PA schools. 

Learning Challenge: Young Children and Empathy

Learning by H.E.A.R.T: Young Children and Empathy

This week I decided to look into the empathy aspect of the Learning by H.E.A.R.T challenges. Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The article I read, What Stealing Cookies Teaches Us About Young Children and Empathy, talks about how analyzing children and the concept of stealing cookies can show their empathy. The study included showing young children a scene where a puppet steals their cookies and also a scene where one puppet cries out when another steals his marbles. The experimenters recorded that the children, not only felt bad for losing their cookies, but also felt sorry for the puppet that had his marbles stolen. The three-year olds would attempt to give back the stolen marbles, if they were given the chance. This shows a lot about how, even the youngest kids, can feel empathy towards others. 

(Puppets. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

 

Growth Mindset: Positive Habits

Growth Mindset: The Biology of Positive Habits

This week I decided to read the article, The Biology of Positive Habits. This article talks about ways to train our brain into creating and maintaining positive habits. This was a great read for me because I tend to cling to some bad habits. The author talks about approaching tasks with mindfulness, as this will lower the amount of energy spent on stressing about the future. The two mindfulness tips I thought were most helpful were taking small breaks and exercise. The author talks about how we should step away from a task for a short amount of time. This allows us look at something different and feel calm for a while. The author also says to take up exercise as a way to evoke a relaxed state. I definitely need to take up yoga of some form to calm my stress. 

(Yoga. Source: Flickr)

Week 13 Storytelling: Faith

Faith

Anita Patel lived with her parents and little brother, Aneesh. The Patels were a religious family. When anything good happened to them, they went to the temple to pray and thank God. The Patels were filled with faith. Growing up, Anita was taught to turn to God when she was facing any difficulties. Not only that, she was also taught to turn to God when anything good happened to her. Her parents explained to her that God is there through the good and the bad, so she should turn to Him when anything happens. 

When Anita started high school, she met a group of girl friends that didn't have the greatest reputation. They partied a lot and did poorly in school. As Anita began to hang out with them more, she picked up some of their habits. It should be noted that, before meeting these girls, Anita was top of her class. She was also on the high school soccer team. Everyone knew she had a bright future ahead of her. 

(Soccer. Source: Free Stock Photos)

As Anita entered her sophomore year, she dropped down in class ranking. She was no longer in the top 1%. She was also in trouble with the soccer coach because she would skip practice far too often. Anita also stopped going to the temple with her parents. She hardly ever prayed. She complained when her parents reminded her to thank God for anything and everything. She would tell them that her life had been going great for so long that she didn't need to thank Him anymore. Her parents didn't know what to say to convince her otherwise. 

As sophomore year went on, Anita fell farther and farther behind in school. Her and her friends would skip class to go to the mall and meet up with older boys. She would party every weekend. One day, when she was hanging out with this college boy at a house party, the cops came. They told every underage kid that they couldn't leave the premises until their parents came to pick them up. Anita knew she was in trouble. Anita tried to pray to God, but it seems like He wasn't listening. When her parents got there, they were enraged. 

On the night before her big Calculus exam, Anita was out with her friends instead of studying. She decided that she didn't need to study because cool kids don't study. On the morning of her exam, she began to panic. She realized that if she got anything lower than a B on the test, she would not be eligible to play soccer. She started to pray to God, but again, it seemed like He wasn't listening to her pleas. When the test grades came back, Anita realized that she got a D on the exam. She couldn't play soccer for the rest of the semester. 

Anita went and cried to her parents. She explained to them how she kept praying to God when she needed something good to happen. Her parents were very upset with her. They reminded her that God wasn't there just to listen to her problems. He should be thanked regularly, when good things happen. They reminded her that a true child of God wouldn't just go to Him when they needed something. Her parents told her that she needed to start thanking God for the good and the bad. This would be the only way He would hear her prayers again. 

(Girl praying at candle temple. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note. This week, I read the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita. In chapter 12, Of the Religion of Faith, Lord Krishna explains to Arjun that he must have endless faith in Him. I based my story on this concept of faith in God and thanking Him for everything that happens in your life. 

Bibliography. Bhagavad Gita, Edwin Arnold. (1885)

Week 13 Reading Diary: Bhagavad Gita continued

Bhagavad Gita by Edwin Arnold

For the rest of week 13, I finished reading the last chapters of the English version of Lord Krishna's Celestial song, the Bhagavad Gita. Like I previously stated, I know two of chapters of the Gita by heart. During middle school, when I went to Sunday school, my class was given the task of memorizing chapters 9 and 15. For this section of reading, I decided to focus on chapter 12, Of Religion of Faith, and chapter 15, Of Religion by Attaining the Supreme. Chapter 12 involved Lord Krishna telling Arjun about faith. Lord Krishna tells Arjun that the most pure Yogis are the ones who have worship with ultimate faith and focus all their energy on Him (Krishna). A true Yogis devotion is one that is motiveless and full of intense love for God. Lord Krishna explains that a devotee should become formless when praying, so that he can feel the existence of the self alone. Chapter 15 is said to summarize the entire essence of the Gita and the Vedas. Chapter 15 begins by talking about an upside-down tree, symbolizing the nature of the world. The root of the tree symbolizes the eternal essence. The growths of the tree symbolizes our existence in the world. The growth of the trees symbolizes sense objects. The sense objects generate desire, which generates actions, which bind us to the tree branches. In order to end this cycle of desire and action, one must go to the source of the tree, God. 

(Lord Krishna reciting the Gita to Arjun. Source: Wikimedia Common)

Bibliography. Bhagavad Gita, Edwin Arnold. (1885)

Week 13 Reading Diary: Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita by Edwin Arnold

For week 13 of Indian Epics, I have decided to read the English version of the Bhagavad Gita. This is the Celestial Song that Krishna sang to Arjun on the battlefield at Kurukshetra when he was timid about fighting his family members on the Kaurava side. I have recited the full Gita twice in my life. I actually have two chapters (9 & 15) memorized by heart. I know the main points and lessons to be learned but I definitely benefited from reading this version. The Bhagavad Gita is the main holy Hindu scripture. It is known as the book of humanity. My favorite chapters from this first section of readings are Chapter 6, Of Religion of Restraint, and Chapter 9, Of Religion by the Kingly Knowledge and the Kingly Mystery. In Chapter 6, Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna that the true Yogi, or Seeker, is one who abandons the fruits of his actions, meaning he does not care for any gains he may receive. Lord Krishna talks about being in moderation when it comes to your mind, body, and soul. If this is accomplished, you will unite with God and see him in all objects and beings. He tells Arjun about the benefits of yoga and meditation. In Chapter 9, Lord Krishna tells Arjun about the most secret experience that is hidden from all except the Brahman. He tells Arjun that this knowledge is both intellectual and spiritual knowledge. This knowledge can only come from true spiritual experience. This supreme truth is permanent because once you attain it, it can never be lost. 

(Krishna reciting Bhagavad Gita to Arjun. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Bhagavad Gita, Edwin Arnold. (1885)

Learning Challenge: Killing Boredom with Procrastination

Learn by H.E.A.R.T: Killing Boredom with Procrastination

This week, I decided to focus on the Attention aspect of the Learning by H.E.A.R.T challenges. I chose the article, Two-For-One: Killing Boredom with Procrastination, that discusses how boredom and procrastination go hand in hand. The author of the article says that boredom has become this "first-world problem that resembles learned helplessness or depression." Basically, the author says that when we procrastinate, we feel bored, but we don't want to get to that assignment that we are putting off. So, she gives ideas for how to tackle the procrastination and boredom. Many things lead to procrastination, like a messy work space. If we can clear up these stressors, we won't feel the need to procrastinate. We should also try to break up large assignments into smaller parts, so we are not as overwhelmed. 

(Bored girl. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Growth Mindset: Bad Mental Habits

Growth Mindset Challenges: Bad Mental Habits

This week I looked at the Growth Mindset challenge about 6 Bad Mental Habits That Sabotage Your Success. In this article, it says negative thoughts actively affect how you think and behave. In order to stop sabotaging your own success, they say to stop doing 6 things: making excuses, catastrophizing the future, seeking audience approval, believing self-doubt, putting yourself down, and second-guessing yourself. Personally, my biggest bad habits are making excuses and second-guessing myself. I think I can make an excuse for anything and everything. The article says to focus on what I can do instead of what I can't do. I have to start paying attention to the positives, rather than the negatives. 

(No excuses. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Tech Tip: Cheezburger

For extra credit this week, I decided to make a LOLcat. 

Week 12 Storytelling: Nataraja

Nataraja

"Risha! Come downstairs right now!" 

"Mom, I'm finishing my game right now. I'll be down in a second," exclaimed Risha. 

"Okay, Risha, tonight I want to tell you a quick story about Lord Shiva," Aarti informed her daughter. 

"But, Mom, Raj isn't here...do we have to have story time without him?" 

"Beta*, this story is more for you anyway. You will relate to it more than your brother."

After some bribing, Aarti was able to convince Risha to listen to the story of the Great God, Shiva. 

"Okay, Risha, this story is important for you to hear because it has to do with your dance classes."

Risha has been doing Bharatanatyam, classical Indian dance, for almost three years. 

"Did you know that every time you go to class and do your opening prayer dance, you are praying to Lord Shiva? Lord Shiva is known as the King of Dance. In this form, he is called Nataraja."

"Wait, are you talking about the copper statue we pray to before we start dancing?" 

"Yes, Risha, that is Lord Shiva in the Nataraja form. In this form, he is known to be the universal dancer. Lord Shiva does his divine dance so he can destroy the worn out universe and get it ready for renewal."

"Wow, I didn't even think that I was praying to Lord Shiva when I did Bharatanatyam." 

"See, beta, this is why I wanted to tell you. Can you tell me what the Nataraja statue looks like?"

"All I really remember is the color. The Nataraja is copper. Oh, also, Lord Shiva is doing a Bharatanatyam pose. One of his legs are up."

"Beta, the pose comes from the Nataraja. So, whenever you are dancing to a story about Lord Shiva, I am sure you will strike this pose at least once."

"Can you tell me what else is on the statue," asked Risha. 

"Well, there are flames around Lord Shiva. This represents the universe. In the statue, he has 4 hands. In two of his hands, he is holding a small drum and a small flame. In one hand, he is doing a pose that means fearlessness. And in the last hand, he is pointing at his foot. He points at his foot to represent uplifting."

"So, mom, why is Lord Shiva also Nataraja?"

"Well, you see, Lord Shiva is the one who does the Divine dance so that he can free everyone's souls from lies and fantasy."

"Now every time I go to dance class, I'm gonna think of Lord Shiva!" 

"That's great, Risha. Thank you for listening to this story, beta. You can go back to your game now," Aarti said. 

(Lord Shiva as the Nataraja. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author's Note. This week I read a little bit about Lord Shiva. For my story, I decided to keep the characters and story style the same as my Storybook project. I found it would be easiest to write about Lord Shiva in a bed time story. I decided to read about Lord Shiva's different forms. The Nataraja stuck out to me most because I grew up practicing classical Indian dance. Like my story states, at the beginning of each class, we prayed to this Nataraja statue. I remember my teacher explaining to us the meaning behind the Nataraja, but it was nice to refresh myself on it.   

Bibliography. Nataraja, Wikipedia.

Week 12 Reading Diary: Cradle Tales of Hinduism

Cradle Tales of Hinduism

For the remainder of week 12, I decided to read another book by Sister Nivedita. In this book, Cradle Tales of Hinduism, she write about many different gods, goddesses, and important figures of Hinduism. Like earlier this week, I decided to focus on Lord Shiva, the Great God. After reading Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists and Cradle Tales of Hinduism, I feel like I more fully understand who Lord Shiva was. I like the set up of Cradle Tales of Hinduism a bit more. Earlier this semester, I read about Lord Krishna in this same book. In the sections about Shiva, Sister Nivedita goes into much detail about his life. What I really like about Lord Shiva is that he doesn't look like a god. His appearance is one of a holy and pious man. He walks around with a begging bowl in one hand and a staff with a trident in the other. He sometimes goes door to door asking for offerings. He performs eternal meditation deep in the Himalayas. Sister Nivedita does a magnificent job describing Shiva in many different ways. She describes him as the simple god, never asking for anything. All he wants is to destroy ignorance and let light shine. He has been called the Lord of the Animals, the Destroyer of Ignorance, and much more. I would love to write a story about Shiva's peaceful life up in the mountains. I could also write about his marriage to Sati and all that they endured. 

(Lord Shiva in eternal meditation. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Cradle Tales of Hinduism, Sister Nivedita. (1907)

Week 12 Reading Diary: Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists

For this week's reading, I wanted to learn more about some of the Hindu gods and goddesses. I decided to focus on Lord Shiva. Growing up, I was taught about many of the gods and goddesses, but I was only given surface knowledge. I decided to read Sister Nivedita's, Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists. Earlier in the semester, I read another one of her works and enjoyed it. Sister Nivedita opens the chapter about Shiva by informing that he is the Great God. He is Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, who creates, maintains, and destroys. Shiva was married to Sati. Sati's father, Daksha, hated Shiva and talked ill of him any chance he could get. When Sati went back to her maternal home after her marriage, she was greeted by her father's disapproval of Shiva. Due to this, she ultimately ended up dying. She couldn't hear ill of her husband and lord. When Shiva heard of Sati's death, he was enraged. He sent men to kill Daksha and any Brahmin or god that got in their way. Because of Shiva's anger, Brahma advised the gods to make peace with Shiva because he was capable of destroying the whole universe. There was a myth that after her death, Shiva held Sati's dead body across his back, destroying everything he passed. After seeing this, Vishnu began throwing discus after discus at Sati's body until Shiva realized that he didn't have that weight on his back any longer. Shiva returns to his home and continues his eternal meditation. I am excited to read about Shiva is Sister Nivedita's other book, Cradle Tales of Hinduism. 

(Shiva carrying Sati's body. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists, Sister Nivedita. (1914)

Learning Challenges: The Psychology of Checklists

Learn by H.E.A.R.T: The Psychology of Checklists

This week I decided to look into some Learning by H.E.A.R.T challenges. In particular, I decided to read into the time management articles. I found one about how small goals motivate us to accomplish bigger goals. I find this very useful. I always use checklists to help me remember everything I need to do. I also make sure to break up big assignments into smaller sections so I don't feel so overwhelmed. The article I read, The Psychology of Checklists: Why Setting Small Goals Motivates Us To Accomplish Bigger Things, talks about how our brain releases dopamine when we experience even the smallest amounts of success. When we feel the effects of the dopamine, we want to experience it over and over again. 

(Checklist. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Growth Mindset: Positive Side of Stress

Growth Mindset Challenge: Stress

This week I decided to look at some Growth Mindset challenges. I was particularly intrigued by the article How Harnessing the Positive Side of Stress Can Change Student Mindsets. In this article, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal talks about how many people only see the negative effects of stress. Stress can impact the a person negatively in health, cognitive processes, and self-control. Stress is a response in your body, mind, and community that arises when you know something is at stake. This is known as a threat response. McGonigal states that if students can be taught to have a "challenge response" to stress, they can use it to do better. I think this is a really interesting concept. As a college student, it is important to learn how to cope with stress in a proper manner. In one of my psychology classes this semester, I learned that if we didn't stress so much, we could live for much longer. After reading this article, I realized that I should figure out better ways to cope. 

(Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Tech Tip: Motivational Poster

For my story this week, I decided to write a story with a moral. I used that moral and made a motivational picture. I used one of the pictures provided on AutoMotivator. 

Week 11 Storytelling: Solutions

Solutions

It was a warm Tuesday evening. Rose and Marissa had their weekly psychology class at 5. They were both dreading going to class because they have grown bored of the class set-up. Every week, they go to class, listen to the professor lecture, take a quiz, and then listen to more lecture. But this particular Tuesday, Rose remembered that they were doing something different in class. She didn't know what, but she remembered that her teacher said they would be sitting on the floor. This made the two girls a little less apprehensive about attending class. 

When they got to class, the first thing they did was take their weekly quiz. Usually, the quiz was given in the middle of the three hour lecture, so they were confused. What would they be doing tonight that changed up the weekly routine? 

As they were taking their quizzes, the professor was walking around and putting uncooked spaghetti and yarn on random tables throughout the classroom. The professor also put some tape and a marshmallow on the tables. A marshmallow?! What was going to happen in class today?

After the quiz was over, the professor explained that they would be doing a marshmallow challenge to build group unity. He broke the classroom into eight groups. Unfortunately, Rose and Marissa were in different groups. Once everyone was in their assigned group, the professor explained the assignment. Each group had in front of them, 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti, one yard of yarn, one yard of tape, and a marshmallow. Their task was to make the tallest free-standing structure that could hold the weight of the marshmallow at the top. They only had 18 minutes to do so. 

(Marshmallow challenge. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Once the timer started, Rose's group kept complaining about how they couldn't make anything with the flimsy sticks of spaghetti. They spent a good eight minutes complaining about the problem. By the halftime mark, they had barely any ideas about how to make a solid structure. 

Marissa's group, on the other hand, immediately started to figure out solutions on how to get the marshmallow to stay at the top. They prototyped different ways that they could build a strong enough structure to hold the marshmallow. Within the first ten minutes, Marissa's group had two very strong structures to choose from. 

When the 2 minute warning went off, Rose and her group fell into a panic. They started to tape random pieces of spaghetti and yarn together in hopes of a strong structure. About 30 seconds before time was up, their wimpy structure collapsed and the marshmallow hit the floor. 

At the 2 minute warning, Marissa and her group had a very strong structure. It looked like it was over 2 feet tall and the marshmallow was sitting perfectly at the top. They had won the challenge. 

After cleaning up, the professor explained to the class that this task was assigned to teach the students that they shouldn't always focus on the problems at hand. Instead, they should focus on the solutions they can come up with to solve the problem.

(Motivational poster made by me) 

Author's Note. I go the inspiration for this story from a few sources. I wanted to write a story that had a moral because this week in class, I read a collection of fables in Indian Fables and Folklore. I decided to find a good moral from The Mahabharata. The lesson I took away from the Mahabharata was to focus on the solution, instead of the problem. In the Mahabharata, when Lord Krishna went to the Kauravas to tell them that the Pandavas wanted to end the dispute, the Kauravas basically laughed in his face. Instead of focusing on fixing the issue, the Kauravas focused on expanding their fight with the Pandavas. Because they couldn't see a solution, the 100 Kauravas were defeated by 5 Pandavas. I got the idea for my story from my psychology class. We did the marshmallow challenge this past week and I realized that this lesson, "focus on the solution, not the problem," could apply here too. 

Bibliography. Indian Fables and Folklore, Shovona Devi. (1919)

Week 11 Reading Diary: Indian Fables and Folklore continued

Indian Fables and Folklore by Shovona Devi

For the rest of this week, I finished reading the many fables in Shovona Devi's collection of fables, Indian Fables and Folklore. My favorite thing about these short stories is that, not only do they have powerful messages, but they relate to the many happenings of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. Devi incorporated many of the characters and events of the Mahabharata into these stories. For the second part of this reading, I have decided to focus on two fables. My two favorites are The Counterfeit Krishna and The Monkey Banker. In the Monkey Banker, this guy is basically told that money will give him everything. So he goes about and tries to earn money but he is tricked by this lady. She takes all of his money. He find a monkey to con her. He teaches the monkey to swallow gold and bring it back up on command. So when he goes back to the lady to settle his debt, he shows her this monkey. She offers to give him everything she took from him, plus all of her extra stuff. The moral of the story is that whatever is gained from bad ways, will be lost. I really liked the counterfeit Krishna story because it reminded my of how powerful Krishna Bhagvan is. People can try to play his imposter all they want, but in the end, he will prevail. 

(Krishna with discus in hand. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Indian Fables and Folklore, Shovona Devi. (1919)

Week 11 Reading Diary: Indian Fables and Folklore

Indian Fables and Folklore by Shovona Devi

For week 11, I have decided to browse through the book, Indian Fables and Folklore. This collection of fables and short tales was compiled by Shovona Devi. I thought it was really cool that she was the niece of the well-known write, Rabindranath Tagore. In 1913, he was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. As I was reading the fables in this book, I picked out a few that I particularly enjoyed. I'm glad I chose this reading option this week, because it will give me great ideas to base my own storytelling off of for this week. The fables I liked most were The Elephant-Fighting Hare and A Rat's Swayamvara. The Elephant-Fighting Hare one was about a tiny hare that challenged a large elephant to a fight. The elephant ignored the hare and went on doing his own thing. But, when the hare called the elephant a coward, he got angry and tried to fight the hare. The hare, being small and agile, was able to dodge the elephant's many attacks. After a while, the elephant tried to squash the hare, but the hare got out of that too. As the elephant kept on squashing the ground, assuming the hare was there, the hare quietly ran up onto the elephant. This little fable basically talks about not underestimating someone because of their size. The Rat's Swayamvara was interesting too because it was based on the epic stories' concept of how a lady will find her husband. This rat became a girl and was raised until it was time for her to be married. Her father asked all the mightiest beings to marry her, but they all turned him down, stating that there was someone mightier out there. In the end, the girl ends up with a rat. 

(Elephant. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Indian Fables and Folklore, Shovona Devi. (1919)

Week 10 Reading Diary: The Pandav Princes continued

The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy

As this week is coming to a close, I finally finished the reading I started last week, The Pandav Princes. Wallace Gandy wrote this in order to highlight the lives of the five Pandav brothers. His work highlighted many important aspects of the epic Indian story, The Mahabharata. The last section I read discussed the Holy Song and how Krishna convinced Arjun that he must fight for what is right. In these last chapters, Gandy discusses many of the important events that happened during the battle at Kurukshetra. He talks about how Bhishma dies and also how Drona dies. He also talked about how Abhimanyu dies. The chapter that I focused on was The War Ends. At the beginning of this chapter, Yudhishthir comes from the battlefield to talk to Arjun and Krishna. He asks Arjun if he had killed Karna yet. Yudhishthir goes on to insult Arjun, saying he is only mighty in looks, not action. At this, Arjun becomes very angry and almost slays his own brother/king. Krishna intervenes and told Arjun not "to give way to sinful anger." After both Yudhishthir and Arjun calmed down, Arjun left to go defeat Karna. He was ruthless in his attempts, but so was Karna. The only reason Arjun gained an upper hand was because, at one point, Karna's chariot wheel got stuck in some mud. After some time, Arjun had so much anger in him that he sent a mighty arrow through Karna, finally killing him. The war had finally ended. I would write a story and change up the part where Karna's wheel got stuck. This would make the end of the battle more fair. 

(Arjun slays Karna. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. The Pandav Princes, Wallace Gandy. (1915)

Week 10 Reading Diary: The Pandav Princes continued

The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy

For the remainder of this week, I am going to be finishing up The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy. This book goes into more detail about the five Pandav princes and their stories and happenings. Since I fell behind last week, I am just now completing part C of these readings. A lot has happened in this part, but I am choosing to focus on the chapter that is called The Holy Song. In this chapter, Krishna Bhagvan explains, in detail, the law of duty for man's guidance. This chapter opens by explaining the intense divide between the Kauravas and Pandavs. At this point, "there was no longer any possibility of peace." Krishna was adviser for the Pandavs. As the fighting commenced, Arjun turned to Krishna (his charioteer) and asked him to take the chariot to the center of the battlefield. Krishna took the chariot to where Arjun asked and he looked around. All around him he saw no one but "grandsires, uncles, cousins, tutors, sons and brothers." At this site, he was full of sorrow and didn't know what to do. Arjun did not care about winning, he did not want to fight anyone. Upon this, Krishna replied, "it is disgraceful, contrary to duty, and is the foundation of dishonor." Krishna told Arjun that he was being unmanly and needed to realize why he must fight. Krishna told Arjun that "the natural duties of thy rank are bravery, glory, fortitude, rectitude, not to flee from the field." After hearing this "holy song" of Krishna's, Arjun knew what he must do. For my story this week, I have this idea of two best friends fighting and another friend playing a role similar to Krishna's. Except, I want the friend to tell the two fighting that they shouldn't throw away their friendship. 

(Krishna and Arjun on the chariot. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. The Pandav Princes, Wallace Gandy. (1915)

Week 10 Reading Diary: The Pandav Princes

The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy

This week, I am finishing reading The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy. Last week, I was unable to read more than one part of the story so this week I plan on finishing the next three parts this week. At the beginning of this section, A Fatal Passion, Sisupala (king of Chedi) went on and on about how Krishna should not receive any honor because he is neither "a priest, preceptor, king nor chief." At this, Krishna took no offense and basically forgave Sisupala even after all of his insults. He said that Sisupala is one of his own, because he is the son of one of the daughters of his own race. He goes on to talk about how Sisupala burnt down Krishna's seaport of Dwarka. Sisupala was not a good man. He did many wrongs to many people. After some time, Krishna took his mighty discus and severed Sisupala's head. Many people took this as a sign that Sisupala's sins and wrongdoings had been washed away. He was pure again. Yudhishthira ordered Sisupala's last rites to be completed with full regal honors. I have a cool idea to write a story based on this short scene from the book. I am thinking about writing a short story where Krishna explains all of Sisupala's wrongdoings and then as he is going to finish him with his discus, something happens to Sisupala's body. Instead of his head cutting off, I was planning on writing about how his body sort of floated into the air. His body went back in time and he fixed all of his wrongdoings. 

(Krishna kills Sisupala. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. The Pandav Princes, Wallace Gandy. (1915)

Week 9 Reading Diary: The Pandav Princes

The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy

For the last 8 weeks, I have read various versions of the great Indian epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. I have read in depth about many different characters, including Sita, Rama, Krishna, and Draupadi. For this week's reading assignments, I have chosen to read The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy. This book is a version of the Mahabharata that mainly focuses on the five Pandava brothers. This book goes into detail about many stories about Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva. One story about Bhima stuck out to me. In this story, Duryodhan essentially poisoned Bhima and left him to be eaten by snakes in the Ganges. Fortunately, Bhima was able to survive the attacks of the Nagas. It would be fun to write a story based on this event. I would enjoy changing up the story and having Bhima realize he was being poisoned by Duryodhan. I would make it where Bhima showed his god-like power before Duryodhan was able to roll him into the sacred river, Ganges. I also really enjoyed reading more about Arjuna. He is easily my favorite Pandava brother. My favorite part of the section titled The Tournament was when Karna came and showed up Arjuna in all the tasks. After the fact, Karna challenged Arjuna. If I were to write about this competition between Karna and Arjuna, I would definitely highlight Pritha's role as mother of them both. I think it would be a good story where Pritha chooses one son over another. 

(The Battle between Karna and Arjuna. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. The Pandav Princes, Wallace Gandy. (1915)

Tech Tip: Blog Design

After browsing through different blogs, I realized that I want a rounded-edge theme for my blog. In order to do this, I had to choose a completely different template. Since I changed the template, I decided to change the colors and font on my blog as well. 

Week 8 Reading Options

For the next two weeks, I have decided to focus on reading more about the Mahabharata. Specifically, I have chosen stories that focus on the five Pandava brothers. I will be reading The Pandav Princes by Wallace Gandy. 

For week 11, I really want to read the Indian Fables and Folklore by Shovona Devi. 

(The Pandava Brothers. Source: Wikipedia)

Week 8 Blog Ideas

For this assignment, I have browsed through a few of my classmates' blogs. Everyone's blogs look really nice, but a few really caught my attention. 

Chelsey's blog looks really nice because the colors she chose were light. This allowed for all the focus to go straight to her blog posts, which is obviously the main point of the blog. She chose a neutral design for her background. 

Aysha's blog is also really appealing. I like that there is a solid color around the actual blog posts. She also used neutral colors. 

I also really like Sara's blog. She chose an earthy look for her blog site. I like the grass at the top and the way the title looks like it's in the sky. 

After looking at these blogs, I decided that I might want to add a rounded edge to my blog post box. I think that looks really nice. 

Week 8 Time Management

For the first half of the semester, I have been on the class schedule that starts on Mondays. I feel like this is the best schedule for me because on Mondays and Wednesdays, I only have class at 6 pm. Overall, for the semester, I have been pretty good with managing my time. I mainly have evening classes so I am able to get most of my schoolwork done during the day. Although, I have found it better to do the reading assignments for this class during the night because I feel most creative then. 

For the second half of the semester, I want to try to get ahead in this class. I want to do this so that when finals come, I won't be as stressed out. I really like how we can work ahead in this class. 

(Source: Pexels)

Week 7 Reading Diary: Cradle Tales of Hinduism continued

Cradle Tales of Hinduism: Krishna

The past few weeks, I have been reading the Indian epic story, the Mahabharata. This week, I chose to read a different aspect of the story. This story, by Sister Nivedita, covers the life of Lord Krishna. I have grown up knowing about Krishna Bhagvan and his stories. My favorite one was how he tried to steal butter from people's homes during his childhood. Sister Nivedita does a good job of incorporating all the different aspects of Lord Krishna's life into consolidated chapters. Tonight, I finished reading the second part of her stories about Krishna. These chapters covered Krishna's return to Mathura and the Doom of the Vishnis. My favorite chapter being the last one, the Doom of the Vishnis. This chapter began by discussing how peaceful Mathura had become years after the great war on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. But amongst all the happiness, whispers began about some lords of the court who played practical jokes on three divine sages. The people of Mathura began to feel uneasy. Amongst all the rumors, Lord Krishna said "that which is to be will surely happen." I really liked this quote because it's very true. Whatever is going to happen in life, will happen regardless of people's actions. As chaos was ensuing, Krishna stayed calm and told the Vrishnis to go to the coast and bathe in the sacred ocean waters. Lord Krishna warned the people to stay away from alcohol, for that would be their downfall. But, since it was their time to perish, they were lured in by a grand feast where wine was served. Fights broke out in the drunken stupor and ultimately led to the deaths of many. I would be very interested in writing a story about the affects of alcohol on the body. I would incorporate Lord Krishna's warnings into my story. 

(Statue of Lord Krishna. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Cradle Tales of Hinduism, Sister Nivedita. (1907)

Tech Tip: Weather Widget

For this week's technology tip, I decided to look into adding a weather widget to my blog webpage. I added it on the sidebar underneath everything. Here is the link for directions on how to do this. 

Week 7 Reading Diary: Cradle Tales of Hinduism

Cradle Tales of Hinduism: Krishna

For the past two weeks, I read the online public domain edition of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. This epic story was filled with many characters and a great deal of drama and action. I really enjoyed reading it. This week, I chose to read parts of the book, Cradle Tales of Hinduism, by Sister Nivedita. The sections I read were focused on Lord Krishna's stories and his significance in the Hindu religion. The part I enjoyed reading most in the first section of Sister Nivedita's storytelling was about Krishna's birth. They say that his mother and father, Devaki and Vasudeva, were brought together by Devaki's brother, Kansa. Kansa was a tryant leader of Mathura. As he was driving his sister and her new husband to their new home, he received news that the eight child of the couple would be the reason for his downfall. For this reason, Kansa imprisoned them and successfully killed their first seven children. Their eighth child was born in the prison and instantly Devaki knew he was special. He had four arms, that each held a shank, discus, mace, and lotus. In order to save this child, Vasudeva took him to Gokool and switched out his son with Nanda's newborn daughter. When Kansa found out the eighth child was born, he went to the prison ready to slay the newborn who would be the reason for his downfall. When Kansa saw a girl instead of a boy, he was confused. The prophecy said that a boy would be born. Regardless, Kansa took precautions and was ready to kill the girl. As he was picking her up, the form of a Goddess arose and warned him that the boy who was going to destroy him was still alive in Gokool. I have always enjoyed hearing about Krishna's birth because it's such a unique story. If I were to write a story based on this birth, I would change it up and make it where Vasudeva didn't take Krishna away. Instead, I would show Krishna's powers from birth and write about how he was able to dodge Kansa's attempts at killing him. 

(Birth of Krishna. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography. Cradle Tales of Hinduism, Sister Nivedita. (1907)

Week 6 Storytelling: The Four Friends

The Four Friends

It was a warm autumn afternoon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bhakti, Kapil, Vidya, and Suraj were walking back from school. The seventh grade had just started two weeks ago and the four friends still couldn't believe summer was over. On their walk home, the kids talked about what they missed most about summer. Kapil and Suraj's families went on a cruise together and all the boys could talk about was their time on the ship. Vidya went on and on about the youth camp she was at for one month. Bhakti just listened to her friends talk about their fun adventures because she stayed in Tulsa all summer. 

When they arrived at their neighborhood, Kapil invited everyone to come over to his house. This was their tradition everyday after school. One of the four friends would invite everyone to their respective house and the kids would hang out and do homework until they went home for dinner. Kapil informed his friends that his grandparents were visiting from India and they always had a lot to talk about. Kapil's grandparents taught him a lot about the Hindu religion and he was excited for his friends to listen. 

When the kids walked into Kapil's house, his grandpa was the first to see them. He advised them to take off their shoes before entering any further into the house. This is a respectful gesture that many Indian families do. Bhakti, Vidya, and Suraj realized that their parents did take their shoes off before entering the house, but they never forced the kids to do it. They liked that Kapil's grandpa told them to do this. The kids could tell that they were going to enjoy talking to him. 

Bhakti, Kapil, Vidya, and Suraj went to the dining room where Kapil's grandma left some snacks and juice. The kids sat at the table and waited for Kapil's grandpa to start telling them something cool about Hinduism. His grandpa came and started by asking them if they know anything about the old Indian caste system. All of the kids had puzzled looks on their faces. Kapil's grandpa was a little surprised, but he went on to explain to them how the caste system worked. He told them that the caste system basically put each individual into one of four different groups, based on their birth. A person's last name signified which group they were in. 

Kapil's grandpa explained that the Brahmins were known to be religious, studious people and the Kshatriyas were rulers and warriors. He told them that the Vaishyas were merchants and farmers and the Shudras were the laborers and service providers. He also told them that this system was under a lot of scrutiny because it made some people look better than others. Kapil's grandpa even told them about the untouchable group and how they were the lowest of all. 

The four friends were really intrigued by the concept of the caste system. They were talking about it all evening. Bhakti had this crazy thought that each of them could fit under one of the four groups. Bhakti pointed out that Kapil was the tough one of their group and he always protected his friends. Kapil would have been the perfect Kshatriya. Bhakti also noted that Suraj always did all the work during group projects, almost like a Shudra would do. Vidya was the perfect Vaishya because she was always trading things and doing business with people at school. Kapil let everyone know that Bhakti was the epitome of a Brahmin in that she loved school and always taught her friends concepts that only she understood.  

(Brahmin man. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

At school that day, Bhakti noticed there was one boy in their class that no one ever talked to. She automatically thought about the caste system and how that boy would be looked at as an untouchable. She was unhappy with this thought and decided to go and talk to the boy. At lunch, she told her three friends about the boy. They all decided that the caste system was a good idea, but it shouldn't exclude people. After school, the kids decided to go back to Kapil's house and talk to his grandpa about what they discovered. Bhakti explained how each of the four of them had their perfect role in their clique, but how some people might feel left out, like an untouchable. The kids told Kapil's grandpa about how they wished the untouchable group didn't exist. 

This is when Kapil's grandpa told them that the ideas of the caste system are not really in place anymore today. He told them that he was proud of them for deeply thinking about what he told them. Bhakti, Kapil, Vidya, and Suraj thanked him for introducing them to something they had never heard of before. The kids told Kapil that they would definitely be back at his house again to learn more from his grandpa. 

Author's Note. I very loosely based this story off of the section in the Mahabharata when Hanuman and his half-brother Bhima met up. In this section, Hanuman give his half-brother a brief overview of what he has done in regards to his adventures with Rama. Hanuman ends up telling Bhima about the different ages of humanity and how the idea of the caste system came about in the third age, called the Dwapara Yuga. In this age, all actions were based upon the caste system and each individual's specific role in society. I got inspiration from my story from the idea of the caste system. I wanted to explain the system a little. I also wanted to touch on why it isn't in use anymore. 

Bibliography. PDE Mahabharata. Part C. Section 46. Various authors. 

Week 6 Reading Diary: PDE Mahabharata continued

PDE: Mahabharata by various authors

For the end of this week, I finished reading the great Indian epic, Mahabharata. This epic story was full of drama and had many different characters to keep up with. Although I have previously read and watched the Mahabharata, I found myself learning new things as I read. My parents read bits and pieces of the Mahabharata to me most nights when I was a kid, but I guess some of the stuff left my memory. The ending of the Mahabharata really stuck out to me, especially the death of Krishna. The eerie setting in Dwaraka really set the mood for Krishna's death. The description of the town was very vivid. "Then the night was haunted by a black woman with yellow teeth who grinned horribly at house doors." I got a clear visual of a creepy looking lady who just looked like death. Krishna's actual death reminded me of the Achilles' heel reference. Krishna was shot in the only spot on his body where he could be mortally wounded, which ultimately lead to his death. The idea of achilles' heel standing for weakness in spite of overall strength comes from Greek mythology. Achilles was dipped into a river that was supposed to give him invulnerability. In order to get the magical water on him, Achilles was held by his heel and because of that, his heel was untouched by the water, leaving his heel vulnerable. If I were to write a story about this, I have this idea to combine Krishna's death and Achilles' story into one. 

(Achilles dipped in River Styx. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Week 6 Reading Diary: PDE Mahabharata

PDE: Mahabharata by various authors

This week, we are finishing up the Indian epic, Mahabharata. This epic story has a lot of drama. A lot. At one point, I couldn't stop reading even though I knew I had to sleep. For my reading diary, I decided to focus on the section that discussed Bhima and Hanuman's encounter. I chose to focus on this part of the story because I am doing my Storybook over Hanuman and his stories. I actually planned on writing about this as part of a story. The section talks about how Bhima and Hanuman are said to be half-brothers; they are both the sons of the wind god, Vayu. I liked how they briefly explained the caste system and how Hanuman explained it all to Bhima. I decided to read more into the different ages. Krita Yuga is the age of truth, when the gods governed all the land. Every manifestation is close to the pure ideals and and intrinsic goodness prevailed. The Treta Yuga was when sacrifices were introduced and people grew more materialistic. The Dwapara Yuga is the third age and it is characterized by the introduction of the four castes, brahmin, vaishya, kshatriya, and shudra. The caste system is very interesting because it brought about different roles for each person in a community. The final age, the Kali Yuga, is the age of vice where human civilization degenerates. I am interested in writing a story about modern day friends who are all parts of different caste systems and how they work together. 

(Pyramid of caste system. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Tech Tip: Site Navigation

For this week's technology tip, I decided to look at some of the ways to enhance my storybook site. I decided to look through the different navigation styles available on Google sites. After thinking about my content, I chose to use the horizontal navigation without the sidebar. I felt like this was the best option because, as of now, I believe I will have a few pages with short titles. So far, I like the way the horizontal navigation looks. 

Thoughts About Comments

Over the past five weeks, I have received many comments on my blog. I have mainly received comments on my story posts and introduction post. The comments that I find most helpful are the ones in which the reader lets me know if my story flows well or not. I also find comments helpful when they tell me if the set up of my blog post is appealing to the eye. My favorite comments are the ones that I receive on my introduction post because I love meeting other people who love The Office as much as I do.