Reading Notes 3.1 Ramayana, Part B

Reading Notes Continued..

• Sumantra and followers are at the banks of the Saryu
• Night has fallen, the followers are sound asleep, the three travel the river in the night to reach the other side of the bank
• Sumantra is back at palace, D is constantly asking if Rama's here...D dies upon hearing RSL's departure
• Bharat is summoned back, Mom explains everything including her two revived promises
• Bharat follows Ram to Chitrakuta, begging him to return 
• Ram says fulfilling exile is what he will do because his father had said so 
• Bharat takes Ram's sandals and places them on the throne, he rules as regent from a nearby village called Nandigram, and declaring not to return to Ayodhya until Ram comes back

Oh the life in the Jungle 

• Ram moves further into the forest in the fear that the people of the kingdom will follow them
• They come across numerous sages one of them being Athri and Anusuya, who adorns Sita with clothing and jewels
• On the way to Panchvati (On the banks of the Godavari river in the Dandaka forest), they came across Jatayu, a Great Eagle, a great friend of D
• Jatayu takes it upon himself to protect the RSL

Sister of Ravana

• Near their dwelling an interesting woman comes, Kamavalli (aka Shurpanakha), Ravana's sis
• she says she's rejected the demon way of life... her looks are the result of her families wrongdoings
• she's come to seek his help..she wants him to marry her
• Kama is royally jealous of Sita, telling Ram that her beauty is fake and she is a shifter
• Dandaka forest is Kama's assigned domain
• Ram closes the door on Kama's face, rejection stings, Kama can't sleep the whole night
• Laksh stops the potential abduction of Sita, he mutilates Kama, cutting off her nose, ears, and breasts
• Kara, one of Ravana's step-brothers, protected Shurpanakha, so Kara led an army to feast on the blood of the brothers and bring back the gal...Ram wins, Shurpa flees to Lanka and tells Ravana of the incidence

Ravana's Court

• Vayu = god of wind
• Yama = god of death
• Sage Narada
• Gurus = Brihaspathi and Sukracharya 
• Shurpa arrives twists the story to suit Ravana, says she went to get Sita as a present for him
• Ravana is madly in love with the description of Sita, nothing will rid him of the restlessness he's feeling

Mareecha

• meditating in a cave 
• tried to kill Ram twice, once to avenge mom, Thataka's death 
• Ravan has come to him for help in snatching Sita
• Mareecha says NO initially and becomes part of Ravan's part...he is to become the golden deer to draw Sita out

The trick 

• Mareech has taken on the form of the golden deer, Sita sees it and wants it
• Laksh is skeptical for it may be an illusion 
• Ram goes on the hunt, he figures out he's being duped, but before he could finish off Mareech, Mareech cries for help as Ram causing Sita to panic and insist on Laksh going into the forest, making him break his brother's direct order leaving Sita alone and unguarded

Bibliography. Ramayana by N.K. Narayan, online pdf.

Mareecha aka the golden deer

Reading Notes 3.1 Ramayana, Part A

The Ramayana is a very well written text, in which many interpretations can come about depending upon the version you are reading. These notes I am focusing on key characters, locations, and important events in the first part of the reading.

The book starts off with the description of Ayodhya, which is located in the beautiful country of Kosala. Back then there were kings and queens who ruled over countries, presiding over country was King Dasaratha, who lived in a palace in Ayodhya.

King Dasharatha

• Ruler of the kingdom of Koshala
• strong and powerful, loved by his people 
• life of sorrow, no sons from any of the three wives
• King of Solar dynasty

Sage Vasishtha

• The guru of King Dasharatha 
• offers insight to Dasharatha on his question to what to do to bless his family with children
• tells king to perform a yagna, Rishya Sringa will provide the blessings

The birth of the 4 sons: Rama, Bharatha, Lakshmana, and Sathrugna

• birth from the sacred rice that came out of the flame from the yagna

Arrival of Viswamithra

• Once a king turned sage
• Wants to take Rama to fight in his battle with the demons who are disrupting holy sacrifices
• initially father refuses
• no chariot to take the prince to the final destination
• Lakshmana to accompany 
• bewilderment and distress on the faces of the two princes, their leader gave them a mantra "Bala" and "Adi-Bala" (this transformed the arid atmosphere to a cool breeze. 

Thataka's Story

• daughter of Suketha, a yaksha, a demigod
• husband got cursed by Agasthya, because he was ultimately causing destruction
• wife and kids furious at Agasthya, they also get cursed by him...said they will become asuras 
• sons leave to seek out other superdemons, mom left alone
• V tells Ram to kill Thatka

Mahabali's Story

• another one of V's story
• Mahabali seizes earth and heaven, gods beg Vishnu during his meditation time
• Vishnu is born in a brahmin fam 
• Vishnu's third step presses Mahabali down to the netherworld

- Sons of Thataka arrive at the yagna site to avenge mother's death, both unsuccessful

- now to Mithila City, home of King Janaka

Ganga's Story

• comes from the Himalayas
• Sakara, one of Ram's ancestors, wanted to do a horse sacrifice, in order to expand his kingdom, causing the gods to worry, thus when Sakara's horse was abducted by Indra to the deepest world underground behind a meditating Sage Kapila
• Sons dig and find the horse, tormented sage, but sage burns them with his eyes
• 1 grandson survives, Bhagiratha, prayed for thousands of years for salvation of his ancestors and with the help of Shiva he brought the Ganga down to earth and Shiva took the impact on his head and now the stream flows from his head

Ahalya's Story

• Brahma's creation 
• grown under the watchful eye of Gautama, later her husband, but that did not end Indra's infatuation with her beauty. 
• Indra = rooster, sleeps with Ahalya, she realizes 1/2 way that he's an impostor, but too late, G is back and he curses Indra with female parts all over his body (later they become eyes) and Ahalya to become stone until Ram comes by

The Wedding 

• Sita and Ram, it's literally love at first sight!
• The city is decorated ornately
• They are the reincarnations of Vishnu and Lakshmi
• The swayamvar competition begins...whoever could lift, bend, and string the bow of Vishnu shall have Sita's hand in marriage
• Sita = gift of Mother Earth, found in furrow of field
• the city is overjoyed, wedding bells are ringing in the near future
• The groom's family has arrived and in style with the whole entourage
• the other 3 bros find brides in Mithila

Promises, the day and age where they actually meant something

• King realizes he's getting old, very fast announcements to be sent out stating Ram's coronation
• Bharat and Shatrughn are at Kaikeyi's parents's home
• Kooni = Manthra = evil maid of Kaikeyi fills bad thoughts into Kaikeyi's head about Ram shouldn't be king, it's stealing what Bharat could have
• Kaikeyi had a mind with very good thoughts, but in comes Manthra to throws poison in
• 2 promises that D promised to Kaikeyi are back, she now asks for the boons
• banish Ram to the forests for 14 years
• Crown Bharat
• everybody is distraught by Ram leaving, Lakshmana and Sita accompany him even when Ram insisted not to 
• D is completely devastated by Kaikeyi's request
• D tells Kausalya why this is happening... one day when D was in the forest he shot a human thinking it was an elephant and the blind parents died upon learning their son died, but not before they cursed the killer
• mass chaos ensued around the kingdoms 

Bibliography. Ramayana by N.K. Narayan, online pdf. 

The bow breaks under Ram's strength

Feedback Thoughts

No Other Words are Needed

In, "Using Harsh Feedback to Fuel Your Career," William Treseder talks about how people generally take feedback whether it is good or back and the  confusion that accompanies the feedback. I hate to say it, but before I started high school I used to be that person who think and do exactly as Treseder talked about. The process to overcome that type of mindset and bring about changes in one's thoughts it is hard. It took me  a good year or two. Another thing that captured me was how accurate he was in the reasons why we take feedback a certain way. I completely agree to what he is saying, because I used to be that person who was a perfectionist, not wanting to ask others for help, even when I knew he or she was better at it. Though my stubbornness did teach me new things, I have now gotten to the point where I will ask for help  no matter what I may be thought of as afterward. Feedback to me has always been important , because I understand and accept my weaknesses  and with of the help of the feedback I get I am able to reach my goals. Treseder mentions of how some people strives for all A's, well I am one, but I know that outcome is only going to some through hard work and studying. 

In "Why rejection hurts so much — and what to do about it," Guy Winch does a phenomenal job on explaining ways that can help prevent people from hurting their psychology. I have personally seen how detrimental rejection can be, and I know that I never what to go through what some of my friends have had to go through. The causes varied, but when you think of the end result, all of them were the same. Sometimes the confidence a person has in themselves is lost and they are afraid to try something new in the future. I hope that we all understand the difference between hurting someone emotionally and providing someone constructive feedback. Growing up I have had numerous teachers who would take two or three class periods to make sure we knew and understood that there was a difference between constructive feedback and feedback that does nothing, but hurt a person. Winch makes a great point on the fact that even though we may face a rejection whether it be minor or major, we should not go and do something to make that feeling worse, but human nature says otherwise. Rejection from people can hurt, but we I have found that if I think of the better things I have in life that rejection seems minute in comparison. Growing up cliques existed everywhere, which let me tell you was the most annoying thing ever, but instead of feeling like I was being left out, I choose to look at the friends I already had. Like, Winch had said we should focus on what we have and think about those who we make happy, and that is exactly what my 8 year old self had learned of from her parents. I have to say though had that not have been the case I know that I would never have been as close to my group of elementary school friends. 

I look forward to getting many comments. Happy Sunday y'all!

Well, Let's Get Crackin'...Topic Brainstorm

Hey all! There are so many interesting topics out there that it is getting really hard to narrow, which ones I really am more interested in. I love learning more about my culture any opportunity I get, which makes this class more enjoyable! As I lad mentioned in my intro I love learning, I truly believe no matter how old you get or how many years in school you spend there is always more to learn. We were supposed to pick only four topics, but sometimes I just can't choose.

Topic 1: I am looking into music, because I have always been a dancer and music listener. Sure I cannot tell the difference between a G major, d minor, or b flat, but give me beats and I can count them and dance to any Hindi song. There is just something in Indian music that make you want to start dancing. I am not only referring to music to all types of music even our songs that are geared towards pleasing the Gods. I have so much more I want to research and tell you all about on this topic!

Topic 2: I am also a food junkie, so food was a obvious second for me. Growing up in a house with my mom being the ultimate chef was pretty amazing. She always tells me that there are specific dishes that are made for the birthdays of Gods and other important dates in the Hindu religion. What I want to know is how that came to be, like who had first came up with the idea of eating sweets before something important or the idea of laddu for Hanumana on Saturdays.

Topic 3: Festivals and holidays are very important in the Hindu culture. I really want to know more about Navratri, because even though we spend the evenings of nine days dancing for the Goddess, I dive deeper into the history of that. Not only that, but I also want to do a cross culture examination of the festival. I want to see the development of the festival in modern times compared to how it is done in India and around the world to the old times.

Topic 4: Travelling in India is one of the two that I am conflicted on. I have traveled to many places in India, but there is so much more to explore! My parents have taken me and my brother on numerous trips to India so that we don't forget what makes up the Indian culture. I love to travel and if I ever have enough money I would travel the world. Being adventurous runs in the blood so when this topic came across I was so excited. I want to see what are the places that have escaped my radar for places to visit and learn about what makes them unique.

Topic 5: Dasharatha and his family is such an interesting topic. From the stories that my parents have told me and how they are depicted in the Ramayana makes me want to learn what there is to find on the internet about them. I know that there are multiple versions of the Ramayana, so how they are described is going to vary from author to author and I want to explore that while also research more about Dasharath Raja. The fact that the king had three wives who didn't think badly of each other until the kids were grown shocks me, but what can I say this family makes us seem average. I might actually make this a blog like Gossip Girl.

I cannot wait for next week to come, so I can dig a little deeper into my topics!

My favorite - Bundi Ke Laddu 

Week 2 Story: The Rakshasas of Texas

Hey all! This story is now part of my Storybook on a separate website! Check it out: Travelling MansPants!

Rakshas by Jacob Atienza

Ah he who dreams shall never give up...

Daddy: "The end. Good night darlin'."

Little 6 year old: "Wait. Daddy did you forget, it's Friday, so I get one more story."

Daddy: "Oh aren't you clever trying to get one more story out of your old man. Okay, but this is the last one for tonight."

The dad sits back down on the bed and pulls his daughter close and begin the story. 

Daddy: "Let's see where do I start, ah there once were rakshasas that roamed the earth and cared about nobody except themselves. They were everywhere and the scary part was that nobody knew when a rakshas was nearby because they were able to become another person."

Little 6 year old: "Do you mean they were like a clone?"

Daddy: "Exactly. Well, as it goes long time ago in a place south of the Red River was a small country called Texas. That was nicknamed the country of the Rakshas. Anyone who dared to venture into the land never came back for another meal. The rakshasas took on the forms of humans to trick humans into coming back to their country, saying that there were endless mines of gold and diamonds and servants to work, so they wouldn't have to. Blinded by greed and the thought of never having to work again men and women both would go with the rakshasas." 

Little 6 year old: "But don't you say never to trust strangers, then how come are those people going with the rakshasas?"

Daddy: "Hold on, hold on I'm getting there. These rakshasas aren't just taking the shapes of random people, they study who the humans are always talking to and become that person. There was this one particular human named Gibbs, we don't know if the Gods sent her or she was just a girl like you. Gibbs was out venturing one day in the grocery store with her mom and dad, she asked if she could go look through the candy isle and her dad said no. She was upset and tried to convince her mom next, but she refused to let Gibbs by herself for the fear that a rakshas will take her, because in this world it was getting harder to trust others. Frustrated and upset that her parents were still treating her as a little girl, even though her 15th birthday was coming up, Gibbs snuck away and ventured to the candy isle. There she saw the cute boy she had a crush on since 7th grade, but never had the nerves to talk to him, so when she saw him approach she thought she was dreaming. Little did she know he was a rackshas disguised as the boy she liked. Now let me also tell you rakshasas have this ability to capture people with their eyes and command them to do things they would normally not do. The boy started talking to Gibbs and soon they were walking out of the grocery store, and inside Gibbs' parents were frantically searching for her. Back then they did not have cars the rakshasas had birds that would convert to a veman. Gibbs soon arrived to Texas and could not believe what she was seeing. She saw people of all ages playing in fields, but little did she know it was all an illusion that would fade in a few hours."

Little 6 year old: "Daddy what about her parents?"

Daddy: "You see when they couldn't find her in the store, they asked the people there to see if they had seen her. Back then there were no security cameras or cell phones. One person said he had seen a girl kind of like Gibbs, brown hair, blue eyes, and about 5'5' go outside with a boy. Now her parents were left in confusion, trying to figure out who this boy could be, Gibbs had never mentioned a boy before. Her parents went on a search to find more out about this boy with the person. When the person found the boy in a park nearby, he went to question the boy, but the boy said he just came out of his house. Her parents immediately knew she was taken by a rakshas. 
     The daughter woke up and discovered that she was not at home and was in confusion until the boy (rakshas) walked in. Her gut was saying something is wrong, but she couldn't tell what it was yet. She asked the boy if he could take her back to the grocery store now, but he said that it was not possible. Now Gibbs was starting to get scared, because she knew her parents fear was becoming true, she had been captured by a rakshas. Rakshasas are smart they can sense all emotions of humans and they can smell fear a mile away. Gibbs knew she had to get back home, but being the sweet girl she was, she thought about the possibility of other people being trapped in Texas. So she decided she would escape that night somehow. So at night when everyone went to sleep she crept through the house trying to look for a way out, one door she opened she found had a bunch of other doors with a big key on the outside of each door. Slowly she crept into the hall and opened a door and found humans! After everyone was released they made their way to the fields. Now only if they could find someway to cross the Red River and get back home. There was a wise woman in the group of humans who could sense if there was a stream or river nearby, they thought of how they all got there and remembered the birds. 
     The rakshas who had brought Gibbs soon found that she was not in the room and then checked and saw that all of his prisoners were gone. He woke the whole village and they headed to the fields. But unfortunately for them they were all too late, the bird was already too high for them to reach for and soon one by one they started turning to ash. Long ago a sage had cursed the rakshasas and said "The day someone escapes your clutches and takes all of the village's prisoners, shall be the last of the rakshasas in Texas."

To be continued...

Author's Note: So the original story also had rakshasas, but they were females who persuaded men to stay on their island so that they could feast on the men later on. In the that story one a man discovers that his wife is actually a man-eater and informs his fellow shipmates the next day, few believe and others don't. Those who believed him escaped soon with the help of a winged horse, and those that stayed behind we eaten as dinner that night by the rakshasas. In my story I chose to switch things up a little bit. I had it take place a few decades back, Texas is the modern Lanka, and the rakshasas are pretty much the same except with a few more abilities. I really just started typing and this is the product. 

Bibliography. "Goblin City"from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse. Web source.

Veman - what the gods, goddesses, deities, and demons or India used to use to travel 

Reading Notes 2.1 Jatakas

Two Turtle Jatakas by Ellen C. Babbitt

Out of all the Jatakas my favorite was the "Two Turtle Jatakas" was my favorite. This story reminds me of the lessons my parents always used to say to me and my brother. Not only that, but the turtle's action made me think of a child who acts in the opposite direction to irritate a parent. Both stories are written very well, I appreciate how both short, but the underlying message is not lost. For me it has always been had to something short and to the point. 

In the Turtle and the King, the affection for the sons is something that is very common partly due to the fact that they will succeed him. While the king could have thought of other options for the turtle, such as releasing him in a stream away from the palace, he did not and immediately decided to have the innocent killed. When you think about it the turtle could have had multiple outbursts, while plans were being formulated, but he chose to stay quiet and seized his opportunity to return home safely. Portraying the turtle as a quick thinker and one to understand that when a man is set to kill, whatever the victim says will be exactly what the man is going to do, because he wants to victim to suffer. 

I think I liked the second story a tad bit more than the first one, because it has such an important lesson in it, the ability of  a person to remain quiet no matter what happens. We may not consciously think about it, but if you have ever tried making yourself sit quiet for an hour (classrooms, lectures, meeting don't count!) it is actually quite hard. It's in the human nature that people desire to voice their opinions or comment even though it may not be necessary. This story of the birds offering the turtle a ride was impactful, in that we see the thought process of birds and how smart they are. If only the turtle had been as that smart he would not have had that horrible fate, not only that but it also shows that he did not take the time to think twice before he responded. Had he taken the time to think he would have realized that there was a stick between his mouth, which was what was his lifeline.

You know the saying, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak," by Epictetus, a Greek philosopher.

Ah the Demon (aka the Turtle) has been discovered

The Turtle who could not stay quiet

All the Possibilities in the World..Reading Options

Happy Monday! 

The weeks are flying by, first week of classes are done, and January is almost over! While time in college seems like it is flying I realized I need to take out time to do things I really enjoy and for me that is reading. I am pretty sure the last time I read for fun was back in high school when I was a sophomore. Wow that's been five years, but I cannot believe how lucky I am to have come across this class that suits my interests. 

Before we get started the rap posted on this week's Reading A, made my day! I laughed so hard and my family enjoyed it too.

The numerous reading options for this class is very excited, I cannot wait to dive into some of those comic books. I have always enjoyed reading chapter books and always never got the point of comic books until I ended up not having enough time to read. My heritage has always interested me, especially the different stories of the gods and goddesses and how they came to be, there role in our culture, and their significance. As many of you know the Hindu religion is polytheistic, in which we have many deities, each playing some role in the world. 

I definitely want to explore R. K. Narayan's novelistic adaptation of the Ramayana published in 1973 and also the comic book versions of it. There are so many options in the Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) Comic Books! Looking through the reading guide various titles caught my eye, such as Kumbhakarna: The Sleeping Giant, Monkey Stories: Jataka Tales of Wile and Wisdom, The Sons of Rama: Luv and Kush — The Invincible Twins, Sukanya: The Princess who Married a Sage, Konark: Temple to the Sun, and so many more. Each of these are topics I want to learn more about, so they have my attention and I will try to get to all of them and so more if time permits. I also want to look at the music video options. I love music and there is just something about many Indian songs that gets you to start dancing. Don't get American hip hop and Bollywood hip hop confused, they are very much two different things. We dance in our prayers, for many different reasons not to get confused with our dancing we do at parties here. I have grown up listening to music and the dancer in me thrives when good music is playing. 

I am not fully sure yet, but I might look into the PDEs, but after looking at R.K. Narayan's take on the the Ramayana. I think it will be a little hard to not want to just stop reading, since some parts are bound to be different than the version I have grown up reading. Though I will not let you all down, I will read these new options and make to report back with a detailed analysis between R.K. Narayan's version and Tulsidas's version. 

Thanks for reading y'all!

P.s. My favorite Bhagvan (God) Hanuman, the King of Monkeys and one of Rama's most trusted friends.

Hanuman

Time Strategies

Hello Everybody!

I am here today to write a little about my thoughts on time management. The funny thing is earlier this week I actually attended a time management workshop for my business major and we discussed many of the topics I read about for this class. Two of my favorites were 

• The Myth of Too Busy by Tim Grahl and 
• The Psychology of Checklists by Lauren Marchese

This is my first semester taking 21 hours and while some of you may think I am crazy, I am ready to tackle this semester. After coming to OU this is my first time I actually spent money on a physical planner, but I new if I wanted to succeed in my classes I was going to have to plan out my whole semester this first week. Sure it took about four hours, but now I have a plan and a schedule to work off of. I have a feeling this semester this planner of mine is going to be my life saver. After attending the time management workshop, I realized that having a planner and writing out your full semester schedule helps you get a better understanding of your semester and lets you know if you have room for other time commitments. 

There are numerous time management strategies, but figuring out which ones work the best for you is up to you. I know it has taken me years, but I think I have a good plan for now. Time management strategies are important and when people ask me how I am able to do everything that I do, I always tell them that I have learned to manage my time and prioritize my list to ensure I am somewhat ahead, which later provides me flexibility in my schedule. 

The article titled, "The Myth of Too Busy," could not have stated the importance of prioritizing better. We have to learn to say NO to things even if we don't want to. People tend to stress themselves out more when they spread themselves too thin, life should be enjoyed not lived in constant stress. I did not realize it until college, but prioritizing helps so much and it prevents procrastination at times. 

Similar to the "Psychology of Checklists" article in the workshop we focused a lot on how important it is to set realistic goals, we should set a big goal and then set smaller goals that we think will help us reach that big goal. I completely agree with the suggestion of rewarding yourself after you have completed your checklist. Having a motivator will make the tasks seem much easier and that dread that usually accompanies a task list is not there. 

Both these articles covered topics from my workshop and conveyed the same message that prioritizing and having  a checklist with a reward are strategies to help make someone successful. I know I have always had some form of calendar to keep me on track of due dates and work deadlines. The articles really did not cover anything that I had not already heard before, but is was nice to see that many people have similar ideas on time management strategies. I know I am definitely in for a tough semester, but I know I will be able to stick through with my schedule. 

If you need some helpful time management suggestions take a look at the two articles I have linked above!

Happy Sunday!

Live on from yours truly, 

Mansi Patel

Stress overload Curtesy of WellMind

What's In? Technology!

The technology landscape will all make more sense next week as you get into a more regular work routine; for this week, please write up a quick blog post about your first impressions here. Are you already familiar with some of these technology tools? How is this online environment like/unlike what you have experienced in other classes? Are there any web skills that you really want to work on this semester?

Being as active as I was in high school, I was able to gain a lot of experience learning how to navigate around websites like Weebly, Wix, Google Drive, WordPress, and some more. I love learning the ins and outs of websites, I may not be a tech whiz, but I can figure out things! Although I have to say I am excited to create some cool graphics! I have never been the one to create memes, but now I will for this blog:)

This online environment is very different from all my other classes primarily, because of the flexibility of the assignments and the blogging. Do not consider that a bad thing, this is actually the best way I think a professor can teach students to be independent and responsible for their assignments and essentially the end grade that they get. 

One thing I am hoping to get out of this semester is become more familiar with Cheezburger, Automotivator, and a few other websites that will be useful to me in the long run. 

Happy weekend y'all! 

Reading Assignments are in the near future;)

Yay Assignments, Every Student''s Nightmare;)

Some take classes for the sole reason of satisfying their major; others take classes, because that is what interests them. I hate to admit it, but I have taken some classes just because I had to have them to satisfy major requirements and my heart was not it, but I still worked for my grades. Though when I come across a class like this one, it just makes me excited for all the various assignments that are related to the course. When I first saw there was a class that was about Indian Epics I could not wait to take it. I have grown up listening to and reading the Ramayan and Mahabharat, so I am very interested in what aspects we will cover in this class. As far as class assignments go, I am looking forward to the weekly readings the most. I just hope they are fun readings, because the last time I was able to actually enjoy reading was in high school. 

I love the way this class is structured for the fact that I put my full effort and I do not have to worry as much about how the teacher is going to read my assignment and the grade I will get. The freedom that comes with this class is great, I can actually freely write, which makes me so ecstatic. My whole life I have always submitted my best work to teachers, but you know the way that one teacher thinks is very different from the other, so you never know what is right or wrong, which is very frustrating. What I want out of this course is to learn and also get feedback that will help me improve my writing skills. Professor Gibbs is sure to spoil us with the structure of this class; earlier this week I even told a friend that I wish more of my classes were like this one. 

I am also looking forward to some of the extra credit options like Growth Mindset, HEART, and extra commenting! 

Thanks for continuing to read y'all! I am probably sounding really boring right now, but I promise to start spicing things up starting next week!

It's Saturday and I just had a cookie so why not 

Growth Mindset

Before today I had never came across any of Carol Dweck's TED talks and I have to say she is great. I enjoy listening to the different perspectives that come about through this TED Talks and what Carol has to say I could not agree more. I was surprised at how much our thoughts matched about modern education. I see myself as a person very close to the center of the growth-fixed mindset in my school work leaning a little more towards the fixed mindset primarily due to the how high the stakes are for me if I want to get into Dental school. Especially now that the admission stardards and rising grades are becoming increasingly important to pursue a health profession. Outside of academics I am almost to the growth side, because I enjoy life and love having challenges that I can overcome and be stronger afterwards. We live to learn and as Gandhi said, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Ever since starting OU, the ride has been very enlightening to me of my personal attributes and school in general. My first semester at OU I realized that if I wanted to hang out with friends, go out to family dinners, while maintaining my grades I would have to work hard and could not leave room for procrastination. I figured out that the Biz was more distracting for me than studying at home or another place on campus. Finding a good place to study without being easily distracted was a challenge for me, but luckily I discovered the basement of Dale Hall, which has been my study spot since my second week at OU. Needless to say I enjoy challenges, hence my interest in Biology. 

I am actually very excited to learn about the growth mindset this semester! I have always believed that a person can never stop learning and as a school nerd new information is like candy to me. With this topic so relevant to today's education it make this even better and I Professor Gibbs has some more interesting information relating to growth mindset!

It is actually pretty scary that I am feeling like I can conquer anything at the moment. Even with 19 hours this semester with genetics and accounting in the mix I feel like a whole new person this semester and I have a feeling that is, because my trip to India. I mean who doesn't agree with me when I say a good vacation can make you feel like you brand new person. If I had to pick a class that I was most worried about this semester then it would probably be genetics, but otherwise I am ready for my semester.

Hope you all have a great day and don't forget...

(Cheezburger)

Introduction to a Future Dentist or CEO, Who Knows?

Me, mom, dad, and the not so little brother

Hey all! I hope everyone is loving the first week back to classes, I know I am loving every minute! Well let me tell you some of my quirks and just about myself. 

I am very academically driven and always give my 110% on anything I do. My belief is that work while you work, study while you study, and always put your heart into what you are doing, if your heart is not in the task then it really is not worth anything. I am a social bee and love every minute of my time spent interacting with others. I grew up in a household where we have always valued the feelings of people above all else and believed that community service should always being on the calendar. Servitude is near and dear to my heart and any free time I have I can be found in the soup kitchen, food pantry, or tutoring in schools. 

Okay, so let's get to what you all are probably really wanting to know, what is this girl majoring in if she is still deciding between become a CEO or a dentist. Well, I added accounting and finance in addition to my biology major. So in about two and a half years I'll be coming fresh out of OU with three degrees and hopefully have decided if the DAT was the way to go or the MBA route. Wondering by accounting and finance of all things, well you could say that business runs in my blood. I love the thrill that I get while crunching numbers and when things balance out and when I sign checks. Biology is a challenge and I enjoy the fact that I have to work hard to get my grades in my science classes. I am biased and tend to like my business majors a tad bit more just because there are so many more opportunities to be involved in the Price College of Business.

My best class I took last semester was my accounting class, because it was my easiest class. With all the ups and downs of last semester my biggest accomplishment is that I survived evolution and made the grades that I wanted. What better way to end a tough semester than a trip to the place that makes you happy, for me that is India. For me it was a much needed trip that let me clear my head from school stress and feel like I could take in fresh air. I've gone to India about 17 times now and it never get old. Some of my most favorite places are in India as you probably saw in my earlier post this week!

Favorites?  That's always tough, but what can I say I have always been a Harry Potter fan from day 1. Would you all believe me if I told I actually listen more to Hindi songs and watch more Hindi movies than English ones? My all time favorite movie is Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and love listening to Yeh Ladka Hai Allah. Just because my career dreams are all over the place I am still living it up like a college student, eating anything and everything and not being able to pick a favorite. I love food and all things related. My passion for cooking food stems from my parents who are the stars of our kitchen at home. When we cook we love to dance and sing and make sure we laugh a lot and make some very tasty food items. My mom makes about 99% of her dishes from scratch so when the time comes to make something from a box my brother and I know to put in a little effort and make a better tasting dish from scratch. 

With school, volunteering, and work, my gym is my place to decompress from the long day. I started Cross Fit about two years ago and have loved every day of it. In addition whenever some time free time comes I love to cook, dance with my little cousins, and watch movies. 

Thanks for reading! I know that was a lot, but in a nutshell I am a busybody and enjoy working in whatever form it may be. I love life and enjoy every moment of it!

Flashback to Bedtime Stories...Storybook Favorites!

Remember those days where Mom or Dad would tuck you into bed, but you wouldn't let them leave without a good bedtime story? That is what I was reminded of when reading some short narrations this evening. I was transported back to the time when I my parents were telling me their versions of the tale of Ganga, Ram, and Rakshas.

Some of my favorite Storybooks I came across tonight included, "The Ganges: From Head to Mouth," "gossip girl Ayodhya," and "Indian Horror."

The Ganges: From Head to Mouth - This is a very familiar topic with me, since I was a child. My first trip to India back in 2000 included going to the River Ganges and numerous times again in my later trips. The presentation of the story was incredible, I loved how the introduction hooked you and kept you wanting to know what happened after she got onto the boat. The simple layout of this page keeps the reader focused on the content, which for me personally was a bonus. I love reading and hearing the different perspectives that people have in portraying the story of Ganga. I have to say I will be sharing this with some of my family who also appreciate these stories. Another bonus was the accuracy of the narration, it followed very closely with the actual story found in the Hindu Scriptures. Another thing that made me attached to this story was also the fact that the first picture shown in the introduction is a place where I have actually been!

                                              The Banks of the River Ganges at Bithoor

gossip girl Ayodhya - Let me start of by saying I was perusing and the title immediately caught my eye! I am a Gossip Girl fan from day 1 and this had me laughing from the start. I loved the modern day take on the story of Ram and Lakshman. With the simple graphics and the different sections colored differently it made the readings seem really short and quick. This was one of the Storybooks that I truly wish had more to it, primarily because of how well it is written and its ability to maintain the reader's attention. All else aside, who could not be besotted by Ram and his charm?

Indian Horror - Ah, this is one of those stories that always used to fascinate me as a child. Growing up in an Indian household we have a lot of old sayings some of which stem from the ideas of Rakshas. Similar to how we say you do not want to be the devil, Indian families say don't take on the manners of a Rakshas. When I first say only the date at the top I thought this Storybook would be like a diary, but it turned out to be a great read! Few key ideas embedded within this story like the one of not making the same mistake twice had me enjoying this narration even more.