Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Section B

     In this next part of the book the story begins to develop and thicken. While the story progresses, the characters become more involved, intertwined, and important to each part of the overall story. One character that sticks out is Sita, who is Rama’s wife. Is embarks on this journey with Rama and is by his side through most encounters. Sita has become a target in the last few stories of this section because of her ties to Rama. At first, she is targeted because someone falls in love with Rama and they want her out of the picture. Strangely it is Rama’s brother Lakshmana who saves Sita and not Rama, I wonder if there is anything between them. Sita then becomes another target as Ravana falls madly in love with her. It seams she is targeted a lot, is there something more special about her that we will find out later. What will happen to her and Rama with all of the new love interests. We leave this section with Sita in danger again with Rama no where to be found. What will happen to Sita and will she be okay on her own? The author continues to paint very vivid scenes, where someone could imagine they were there.

Bibliography: R.K. Narayan, Ravana's Sister and Ravana and Maricha

                                                     (Sita and Rama: Image from Flickr)

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Section A

                                       (Rama in Desert: Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Bibliography: R.K. Narayan, Rama's Initiation page 7

     The author begins with a very descriptive background of all information that is needed to be known. This is very helpful to understanding the bases of the story, but not essential. The author includes a list of all of the characters and the most repeated words most people won’t know. This includes some of the cities and concepts; this is a great idea for the reader because most are unfamiliar with these words and beliefs. The author then jumps straight into the beginning of the story with a small introduction before the first story is introduced. The author makes a clear indication of when they are going to start a story that deviates from the main plot. In the first story it is not reveled why Vishvamitra insists on only taking Rama to battle the demons but it is clear that it is important. It is also unclear why Vishvamitra must go to battle and why he must take Rama and his brother. One other thing that is unclear is why Rama and his brother must stay together. Are they stronger together? The author is speaking from an outside viewpoint with much dialogue. When describing scenes like the desert they are very descriptive, it is easy to follow along to. The author uses animals and objects modern day humans know which makes it easy to envision in the head. There are many unanswered questions in the beginning that will be answered over the course of the whole book. This is a good strategy because it makes the beginning more compelling and keeps the reader engaged. I don’t fully understand the mantras, is it like a spell or a favor? Understanding this concept might help to write different endings or twists to stories. What does the author mean when Vishvamitra says the boys will take care off him? Does he need protecting and if so why could only Rama do it?       

Famous Last Words

     I started this week off a little slower than usual, probably because we had a three-day weekend so I worked extra hours at both of my jobs. I was still a little nervous about this class when the week started but know that I have completed all of the assignments and have a better understanding of the structure of the class I think week 3 will go much better. I caught myself slipping a little behind in the course work which made me really overwhelmed but it taught me not to do that again. I really enjoyed the readings this week about the different animals. I pictured myself being told these stories as a young kid and how much I would have loved them. I think my best writing of this week was the story I created, I had so much freedom while writing which is not something I am used to. I really liked the fact that we did not have to come up with the idea for the story on our own, we were able to use another story and make it ours. I don’t do a lot of writing in my other classes, mainly just note taking so getting the chance to do so and be creative helps relieve the stress of my science classes. So far, the only work from my peers I have read is the introduction about themselves however, I really enjoyed it. Learning about what other people love about their lives is very inspirational and motivating. In my other classes, just like in this one, we hit the ground running, I am already to feel a little overwhelmed but I know I will get used to my new classes and create a good schedule for getting through them.  My plans for this upcoming week are to get a larger head start on the assignments that way I do not have to worry about them each night and also so I have time for the extra credit.

                                         (Pile of Books: Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Feedback Thoughts

     The first article that I read was Neil Gaiman's advice on the creative life. I really enjoyed what he had to say to the art graduates he was speaking to. I am a science major and have never really excelled in the arts or anything that requires a lot of creativity however, I still found what he had to say useful and applicable. I am in total agreement with him about making mistakes. Life is about trying different things even if that means not being good at them or not liking them (at least you tried). This is a concept I struggled with and continue to battle all my life because I was not accustomed to failure. However, I took a risk of taking two geography classes in my early college career which lead me to choosing a new path for my future which I am very excited to pursue.
     The second article I read was Seven Ways to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work. I strongly agree with the idea that people have self doubt when something really matters to them. It is difficult to accept anything but perfect for something that really matters to you however, nothing is perfect and letting go of that idea is key to not having self doubt. Another thing essential to letting go of self doubt is to not compare yourself to others because you offer things that others cant. I struggle with these concepts to this day because being in a competitive field and applying to graduate programs I doubt myself and my abilities. I constantly have to reassure myself that I have qualities others do not and tell myself that its okay if those qualities are not what some schools are looking for.     

                                             (Mistakes: Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Project Topic Brainstorm

Project Ideas:

Geography of the Ramayana: This topic that someone has done there project over before is very interesting to me because of the geography. I like it because to me being able to see where these stories are taking place not only describes what that place is like physically but also culturally. The best part is after you are done you can have an overview of each place that is described and you can compare them. How do their cultures differ based on the stories that are told there or on the stories that are portrayed their. You don't just get an understanding of their culture but also what other people think about their culture based off of what they write about them. To me this is the best part of geography. More information over this topic can come from https://www.mapsofindia.com/geography/

Traveling India: This topic, for a similar reason as the one mentioned above, interest me not only because it is about geography but because I can put myself in the story. Getting more familiar with the stories we read is probably one of the best ways to prepare for a trip. These stories, obviously, mean a lot to the culture of the Indian people and getting to know them can reveal a lot. Traveling to places has always been a priority to me, most people go because they want to see the architecture, or museums, or famous landmarks. Now don't get me wrong I go for these things too however my main goal when I go somewhere is to learn about the people and how they make the famous places so famous. In this case these places are in the stories that are told through generations that everyone knows. Therefore, to travel India is to travel through these stories and to learn more about why people value the meaning of them. This is the main reason the traveling projects fascinate me. More information on this topic can be found at https://www.tripsavvy.com/know-before-you-travel-to-india-1539595    

Temples: Another story that interests me is the one over Temples. Across the world there is always one theme almost everyone can share and that is most people believe in a higher being. Now not everyone believes this but most do and if you want to understand a culture then understanding about the peoples faith is a good place to start. This project specifically interests me because the temples in India are so diverse and so different from the ones in the US and most people don't know anything about them. I have to admit I know very little about the Indian gods and goddess but being in this class has already to help me understand more. My ultimate goal in this class is to understand more aspects of the Indian culture that is revealed through these epics and I believe understand the peoples place of worship and what goes on inside is a great and fascinating way to meet that goal. More information on this topic can be found at https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/ancient-temples-india-you-should-visit/

Project Runway: Indian Epics Edition: I like this project because it takes a subject most Americans understand and gives it a twist. It makes understanding the characters of these stories easier and gives it a different spin. The thing I like most about this project is the creative freedom the author has. Each girl is based off a character but the author modeled her based off of their perspective of her. Fashion is also another great tool to learn about different cultures and different norms of the society. Another reason I like this project is because sometimes in these stories the women do not always get the appreciation or the focus and this project gives that to them. More information on this topic can be found at http://www.indianmirror.com/indian-industries/fashion.html  

                      (Belur Ramakrishna Math in Kolkata: Image from Wikimedia Commons) 

Week 2 Story: THE CROCODILE IN THE RIVER

Story adapted from THE CROCODILE IN THE RIVER, Vanarinda Jataka, in The Jataka translated by Robert Chalmers. 
Bodhisatta, in this time on the Earth, came back to life as a monkey and while living on Earth lived on a river bank in a small village about 100 meters away from a large island. Bodhisatta day and night would watch this island and would dream of traveling to the island and eating its precious fruit. Until one day this dream came true, Bodhisatta obtained a small boat large enough for himself and a few items and traveled across the river to the island. Once on the island Bodhisatta filled his boat with as much fruit as the weight would allow and traveled back across to his village. He was welcomed back at the shore by the whole village and he shared his fruit with them. The next day the whole village asked Bodhisatta if he would make the journey again and bring back more fruit, he happy did. And day after day Bodhisatta made the journey and brought many fruits back to his village. Then one day while picking the fruit Bodhisatta was approached by a middle-aged man who seemed a little to skinny for his age.
“Who are you?” asked Bodhisatta to the skinny man.
“My name is Crock and I live on this island alone with my pregnant wife.” Said Crock
“I did not know any man lived on this island.” Said Bodhisatta and he asked “why are you so skinny if you live on this island with all this precious fruit?”
Crock replied “Because you have stolen all of the fruit from this island and what has remained, I have given to my wife.”
 “I do not understand, if there is no food left then why did you not move somewhere else?” asked Bodhisatta.
“We cannot move; my wife is to weak from her pregnancy to survive the move. You must stop stealing our food and leave at once.” Claimed Crock.
“I am sorry for taking your food but if I do not take this fruit back my village will be very angry with me and will not accept me back.” Said Bodhisatta.
“If you do not leave now and never return you and your town will not have fortune.” Explained Crock and he left to return to his wife.
Bodhisatta did not believe him and continued to pick the fruit. The next day around the same time Bodhisatta returned on his boat and began to pick the fruit.
“I told you yesterday you must not pick this fruit anymore, my family needs it to survive.” Explained Crock.
“I am sorry but I cannot stop or the town people will be very angry. They have grown accustomed to the fruit and demand to have it.” Said Bodhisatta.
Crock explained that if Bodhisatta left with his boat that bad luck would come to him and the village people. However, Bodhisatta left with his boat like he always did. The next day while Bodhisatta was preparing to leave for the island he noticed a leak in his boat that prevented him from traveling that day. Only a few hours later the water of the river began to rise and did not stop. After only two hours the water began to rise so high that the town became flooded and everyone was forced to leave with there belongings to a far away land.     

Authors Note: This story is adapted from The Crocodile in the river. The Bodhisatta has been changed from a monkey to a human and the crocodile and his wife have also been changed to humans. In the original story the monkey takes fruit from the island and eats it himself. In the original story the crocodile wife wants to eat the monkey for her pleasure but the monkey escapes the crocodile using his wits.

                                                  (Tropical Fruit: Image from Flickr)   

Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

THE FOOLISH, TIMID RABBIT by Ellen C. Babbitt

• Author gives story plot in the title
• Asks a question that is never answered in the story, left for interpretation based off of actions
• Author tells audience information the rabbit does not know
• Author uses animals strategically, the rabbit is small and is the scared one while the lion who is known to be brave is the wise one.
• Author indicated the lion is powerful before the situation is resolved which is why the animals listen to him.
• Past tense is used
• Author uses lion and king of beasts interchangeably probably to indicate the power and knowledge of the lion.
• Author does not describe the how the earth is breaking up, it is left for interpretation.
• Author is speaking from an outside perspective and not from anyone character.
• I enjoy the use of animals everyone is familiar with because it is easier to visualize.

THE CROCODILE IN THE RIVER translated by Robert Chalmers

• Author spends lots of time describing in detail the island and its fruit, it creates a good image for the reader of exactly what the scene looked like
• I like that the author uses qualities of living things to describe inanimate objects, it makes it seem more alive and more real. It also makes it easier to visualize.
• I like that the author does not introduce the characters until later in the story and spends the first part describing the location.
• Author does not spend anytime describing the two characters
• I feel like the story is not over and should continue with the crocodile returning with nothing
• Does the monkey continue to return?
• Education and knowledge are clearly a theme in this story as well as others, many characters must outsmart other to get out of situations, I like this more then using strength to get out of situations.
• Like in the rabbit story the author speaks from an outside perspective and when dialogue is not used the story is in past tense.

(Representation of the Rock the Bodhisatta had to cross: Image from Wikimedia)