Indian Epics

For Part B of the Jataka Tales I chose another animal story. As you may know if you are reading this post or blog, I am a big fan of animal folktales and stories. I chose to read The King's White Elephant. I have always known elephants as being very prominent in Indian culture from the god Ganesha to elephants in India. Sometimes I have even seen grooms come on top of an elephant to their wedding! Thus, I wanted to see how the elephant was portrayed in the short story. The story was very simple and did not really have many lessons that I could derive. Perhaps you could see some themes such as helping others or doing ones duty, but that may be too complicated for a short and children story such as this one. To be perfectly honest, I was kind of unsure of how the story would end when the king came towards the end to purchase the elephant. I thought he would injure the elephant or treat it in some way that the carpenters disapproved. This may be from seeing how kings acted int he Indi...

 For this week I chose to read the Jataka tales. Last year taking Mythology and Folklore, I really enjoyed reading short stories and folktales with clever endings and animal characters. The first story I read for Indian Epics was about the Goblins in Lanka another example of a fun short story. Thus, I wanted to pursue more of these stories through the Jataka tales. In particular I read The Monkey and the Crocodile. It was interesting to see in the note that the Jataka tales were actually folktales told by Buddha about his previous lives. Regarding the story I read, I could see why Buddha told the tale as there are some interesting lessons that can come from the monkey's actions. Like most animal short stories, there always seems to be a smart animal that is seemingly not that powerful but always overcomes the dangerous but dumb animal. I do wonder why there are so similarities between these animal stories and perhaps its just that many cultures had a tremendous emphasis on brains v...

Duryodhana was a jealous warrior. He could not stand if anybody was better him, no matter the competition. From archery to running to strength training, he saw how his Pandavas cousins performed at the highest marks. However, no made Duryodhana more angry than Bhima. Now Bhima was the best of the spot. He could bench over 300 pounds, squat 450 pounds, and run a mile in less than 6 minutes. No one could match him physically and for this Duryodhana plotted to get rid of Bhima. He knew he could not do it face to face combat, so he decided to poison his food during dinner. He extracted poison from the venomous King Cobra and sprinkled onto Bhima's dinner for the night. As Bhima took his first bites, he passed out and laid asleep on the ground. Duryodhana seizing his opportunity, gagged Bhima and threw into the holy Ganges for him to forever lie. Yet, as Bhima fell into the river it was fated by the gods that he was not to die. His destiny lied far ahead in the future. Thus when Bhima...

 I feel great about my progress so far this semester. When I took Mythology and Folklore, I did not take advantage of beginning the class before the semester, so I really wanted to make sure that I do so with Indian Epics. Having the free time before school gave me the freedom to complete as much as possible, but with school starting now, I have to limit myself and find a more weekly routine. So far my favorite assignments have been the Microfiction. It is such a creative assignment and really challenges me to carefully select words to fit the 100 word requirement. I really wished I had it for Mythology and Folklore! Overall, I am happy with what I have done, especially with my blog and website,, and I look forward to finishing off strongly this semester. My goals are to make sure I do not slack off even with my progress and to maintain a weekly routine.  Kobe Bryant has always been one of my favorite athletes and his Mamba Mentality would want me to finish the class strong!...

 Overall I am pretty satisfied with my blog and progress I have made this semester. I definitely began a lot earlier than most of my classmates, so I have not really begun to comment on other people's blogs. However, I have still been able to begin storytelling and read most of the epics. So far I have really enjoyed the two epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as the alternative video versions videos such as Sita Sings the Blues and the Epified Mahabharata version. Regarding my posts, I am happy with my writing so far, and I do not feel that I have to really struggle with finding inspiration. One new aspect I have enjoyed is the Microfiction. It is a new challenge to have to write a story in such a limited amount of words, but it is one I have enjoyed. The reading notes have also been helpful with my storytelling. I use the reading notes to express my feelings on the story, especially what I felt is missing or could have have more detail. This helps me to plan what I want in m...

Duryodhana could not take it anymore. He had enough of seeing his cousins, the Pandavas, achieve victories whether is was against the king Jarasandha or Yudhishthira declaring himself a supreme monarch. Yet, Duryodhana had an evil plan to take back the spotlight. He and his cousins were part of the warrior kshatriya class and could not turn down an invitation for a duel. However, this duel would be different. Duryodhana proposed a gambling match as turning down this invitation would be as shameful as turning down a battle to a warrior. Thus it was settled. Duryodhana would invite Yudhishthira for a classic game of Texas Hold'em. However what Yudhishthira did not know was that Duryodhana had the most famed gambler on his side, Shakuni. Yudhishthira soon received the invitation for the poker match and was conflicted with his choices. He knew how easily he could lose his belongings, but also had to maintain his honor. Despite his hesitations, Yudhishthira traveled to Hastinapura to ta...

 Part B of the Epified Mahabharata Videos was again similar to what I viewed in Part A. The highlight fo the video were the illustrations and the clear succinct version of the story. It does make me wonder how long the illustrations took, and this may be another reason why the videos are relatively short. The video is much easier to understand than the Public Domain version as it does not use an older style of English. Watching the video version of the Mahabharata again brought to my attention how fortunate Pandu was to have a wife who could summon the gods. Ultimately, this was the only reason the story develops and brings Pandu back to relevance. This story line also brings to light how important all the curses or boons given in the past affected the future or led to plot lines in the epic. So much would not happen if these did not occur. The video also me want to research the practice of sati , which is where the widow sacrifices herself upon her dead husband's funeral pyre. I ...

 Part A of the Epified Mahabharata videos was an enjoyable introduction to a different medium presenting the Indian epic. I really enjoyed the simplistic telling of the story compared to the public domain version, and I found it not difficult to follow along as well. I remember reading the Mahabharata for the first time and getting very confused on the characters and how they all related. The video kept the story succinct and to the point, avoiding this confusion. Perhaps this may because I am more of a visual learner but regardless I see the videos as being easier to understand. I also enjoyed the illustrations provided in the video. It was cool to see how thy drew the images, and they often effectively displayed the emotion of the characters according to the plot line. It did play outcome what lime a movie, and I would have enjoyed if there was animation as there was for the Sita Sings the Blues version of the Ramayana.  In regard to the story line, I did not find too many d...

 Old:  A s Rama took the throne, he could not forget his loyal follower, Hanuman. The powerful monkey deity had saved his brother, wife, and aided in the war effort. For all he had done, Rama must surely reward Hanuman greatly. He remembered the great mountain that Hanuman had seized to bring the medicine fruit to bring back his slain soldiers and brother. Thus, Rama decided Hanuman shall became the king of the Himalayas so that he may protect India from invaders and watch over the medicine plant for Rama. Upon hearing the news Hanuman, flew to begin his kingdom.  New:  As Rama took the throne, he could not forget Hanuman. The monkey deity had saved his brother, wife, and aided in the war effort.  For all he had done, Rama must surely reward Hanuman.  He remembered the mountain that Hanuman had seized to bring the medicine plant back to his slain soldiers and brother.  Rama decided Hanuman shall became the king of the Himalayas so that he may protect h...

Part D of the Mahabharata did not disappoint and kind of ended up how I expected and remembered when I rad the epic a long time ago. Ultimately, the Pandavas were always considered the good guys in the epic and it was not surprising to see them come out on top. One aspect of Part D I found noteworthy was how all of the curses and promises made earlier in the epic came true. The characters really enjoyed vengeance and revenge, and those two themes were strong throughout the epic. One example was Bhishma being killed and then getting to choose his own death. Bhishma was rally in a tough place having known both sets of cousins, so I think it was nice at least he could choose how he left. Additionally, the Mongoose story was nice to take away from the epic. Another aspect of the epic that I found weird was how Krishna passed away. To me it does not really make sense for a god to die, but I guess since he was in an incarnation it really just transformed back to his true self. There were som...

 Part C of the Mahabharata brought forth the plot I was most excited about the epic: the battle. I enjoyed reading the buildup, especially the role Krishna and how he dialed with having to decide between the two sets of cousins. Personally, I would have made the same decision as Arjuna and chosen Krishna rather than having the ten crore army. I feel that having god on my side would make any amount man power futile. I was also interested by how Bhishma decided to be the commander for the Kauravas. I was also unsure of how he would have to decide between the two, but I guess he just decided to stay at the position he already had with Kauravas. Part C also left many questions to be answered, and I am ready to see what comes of Karna vs Arjuna. I kind of expected Karna to have some motivation to join the Pandavas after hearing he was their true brother, but he seems really motivated to defeat Arjuna. On that note, I am curious to see how the arrow he was given by Indra affects the batt...

 Part B of the Mahabharata finally got into the meat of the conflict between the two sets of cousins. In particular, I enjoyed reading some of the stories of Arjuna after he was exiled. Arjuna's name is very prominent among Indian boys, especially as Arjun, so it was interesting to read some of his feats. One aspect of the story that really caught my attention was how much importance was placed on gambling. It seems almost hard to believe how the warriors were forced to gamble or be shamed. Perhaps it was an aspect of Indian culture back then, but it does seem gambling ultimately might what causes the Great War between the cousins. Part B also included more stories on swayamwaras which were also prominent in the Ramayana. Like Rama, Arjuna also had to prove his worth with a bow and arrow, this time having to hit a target rather than breaking the bow of Shiva as Ram did. The last story was also interesting to read, specifically about the swastika. We are so ingrained to consider the...

 Like with the Ramayana, I decided to go with the public domain version to begin my reading. I have read the story before as child, so I had some understanding of the epic which offset the difficult language at times. Compared to Ramayana, I feel that there are way more characters than Mahabharata. It got confusing at times to remember who was who, and I often had to use the links associated with the characters to remember their roles. I see myself having to utilize a character list of the Mahabharata to make sure I do not get confused between characters. Pertaining the story itself, it was interesting start to the epic. It is quite different compared to the Ramayana and part A really focused on introducing characters and setting up the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas. One thing I am looking forward to reading about is how Bhishma as he has seems to much influence between the kingdoms and their rearing. The story really set the reader up with what to expect for the battle ...

Sita could not understand what she was hearing. Why would Rama question her loyalty to her husband? She had suffered for so long in Lanka, longing for every second to return to her husband who she adored so dearly. Now Rama acted as if she was spoiled goods. It did not make any sense to her. Yet, Rama was stubborn in his thoughts. He could not see past the possibility his wife may not be as pure as she was once before. Rama was adamant that Sita prove herself before him. For all he had done to rescue Sita, did she really betray him?  Sita was still shaken by Rama's endearing attitude to her. Nevertheless, like it was before, her loyalty and devotion towards Rama never wavered. She immediately called for a fire to be built so she could prove her worth. This was the ultimate test as she prayed to the gods to protect her and reveal her true image and honesty before Rama. She was loyal and devoted wife and did her duties to her husband. While she never had the spotlight as Rama did, sh...

Part B of Sita Sings the Blues really helped me understand more of the roles of Nina and Dave. They seem to be more of a contemporary example of Rama and Sita, where Nina has this great devotion to Dave but Dave does not seem to return it after she comes and visits him. This eventually leads to them breaking up. Again, I enjoyed the commentary of the narrators as they analyzed Rama. I did agree with them in that it did seem Rama never really trusted Sita or believed she was fully faithful. It does shed light on the perception of heroines and female characters compared to male characters, and it does seem that many older readings tend to have the same sentiment toward these characters. It still is an issue today. The narrators also made me question my perception of both Rama and Sita. Reading the Ramayana made the story seem simple on who is good and who is bad, and after the war was over, everything really was solved. However, the narrators brought forth more complex views and thinking...

Sita Sings the Blues was such an interesting concept and so different compared to what I read for the Ramayana. It was hilarious to watch as well as entertaining. For Part A I watched the video until the intermission at 48 minutes. I like the focus on Sita as well as the introduction of other characters such as Nina and Dave. The songs sung by Sita were a unique aspect of the video and it really made Sita more noteworthy and open as compared to the Ramayana. One part of the video I found interesting was the discussion about Ravana being a good king. I have always associated Ravana with evil and being bad, so it was interesting to see this other concept. Ultimately, he was evil being the king of the demons and kidnapping Sita, but it was still surprising to hear some good aspects. This also goes back to my point in previous reading notes where I was surprised the gods would reward demons or evil characters with boons. Ultimately it seems the most important point was having devotion and ...

 Before:  New Orleans was bombarded daily with ships looking to invade the Mississippi River. Sailors came from across the globe to access the port as well as enjoy the entertainment. Yet the city had a dark secret. Vampires scoured the docks looking for sailors' blood. One night a crew brought forth a shipment of garlic. As the first few soldiers jumped onto land, they quickly vanished. The vampires were out hunting. However, the captain was cunning. Having knowledge of vampire's, he quickly gathered the garlic and wooden stakes. Slowly, the crew battled the vampires until there were no more. After:  New Orleans was bombarded daily with sailors looking to access the Mississippi River.  Yet the city had a dark secret.  Vampires scoured the docks looking for blood. Only in the day could sailors make their shipments while the vampires slept.  One night a crew brought forth a shipment of garlic and wooden stakes. As the first few sailers jumped onto land, the ...

 For my storybook, I will probably use the stories I researched in my storybook plan. I decided to add a Shiva focus to my storybook as Dr. Gibbs brought to my attention how all of the characters in the story were related to Shiva in some way. I might include an introduction that writes from Shiva's perspective for all three stories, or perhaps I will do all three stories stand alone but acknowledge their connection with Shiva. I will decide on that when it is time for my first story. My main goal really is to showcase some interesting stories about animals in Indian epics as there are so many creatures and animals.  Story 1: Narasimha defeats Hiraṇyakaśipu Sources:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharabha Thanks to Dr. Gibbs I found out that Shiva actually had to subdue Narasimha after it defeated Hiraṇyakaśipu. This could be an interesting way to bring Shiva's connection, and I see this as one that would be great for a story from first person perspective. Ultimately, my...

  Shiva and Parvati with their son, Ganesha  Link to Storybook 

100 word story As Rama took the throne, he could not forget his loyal follower, Hanuman. The powerful monkey deity had saved his brother, wife, and aided in the war effort. For all he had done, Rama must surely reward Hanuman greatly. He remembered the great mountain that Hanuman had seized to bring the medicine fruit to bring back his slain soldiers and brother. Thus, Rama decided Hanuman shall became the king of the Himalayas so that he may protect India from invaders and watch over the medicine plant for Rama. Upon hearing the news Hanuman, flew to begin his kingdom.  Two sentence story Rama was proud of Hanuman's effort in the battle and decided to reward him. Hanuman thus became the king of the Himalayas to forever grow the medicine plant and guard against invaders.  Bilbiography:  Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914) Author's Note: One of my favorite parts of Ramayana was the role of Hanuman. His loyalty, wit, and courage was admirable, and I...

 The final part of the public domain Ramayana brought to conclusion a truly "epic" epic although with some surprises at the end. The battle was interesting and great, and I enjoyed how some of the conflicts faced by the hero's were solved. In particular was how Hanuman picked up the mountain with the plant medicine used to revive those who died. There were some moments that surprised me such as Lakshama's death, but in the end the hero's won. This is similar to the overall message of Ramayana, signifying the battle of good and evil with good winning. The part of how it took a special arrow to defeat Ravana reminded me of the Greek mythological figure Hydra who also had many heads like Ravana and needed a special method to defeat. Again, this parallel between cultures is something I have seen often throughout the epic. The end of the epic was something new to me as I had not read the part where Rama banishes Sita. It was surprising to me see him do that, but it rea...

 Part C brought the plot closer to the final conflict as well as many interesting individual stories. Like I saw with the stories in Part A and B, there were some parallels with stories and myths that I have seen in other cultures. One example was the story of Sampati and Jatayu and how they fell upon flying too close to the sun. This reminded me of the Greek mythology story of Icarus and Daedalus when Icarus' wings melted for flying too close to the sun as well. Another aspect of the stories that I enjoy are images. They really help with envisioning the plot and as an avid art museum-goer, I enjoy seeing some of the different artistic styles used in the images. The picture of the golden city in Lanka was very neat to see, especially considering that it sold for $30,000 in an auction house. Gong back to the plot, I found it noteworthy how Sita refused to escape with Hanuman as she could not touch another man. This concept of remaining pure and virginity seems to be prominent in oth...

 The first article I read was Preschoolers and Praise: What Kinds of Messages Help Kids Grow? . The article was similar to the articles I read last week as it also referenced growth mindset. I found this article particularly interesting as it showed how important words and positivity is for the development of children. Being a psychology major and having taken classes such as developmental psychology, I have some knowledge of how the human mind and psych begins and develops. I think sometimes we do not realize how malleable the minds and brains of children are, and how impactful words or events can have on their future. I appreciated how the article highlighted the importance of growth mindset from a very early age. The second article I read was How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk . This also reminded me of the articles I read for growth mindset as it gave clear ways to improve delivering feedback. Often giving feedback can be as difficult as receiving feedback. Pers...

After spending more time researching animals in Hindu mythology and Indian epics, I found myself amazed by the variety of animals and creatures. While I knew prominent animal characters such as Ganesha and Hanuman, I discovered many more such as Nandi, Shiva's bull and Narsimha, the lion and man combination.   Story 1: Narsimha When I first came across Narasimha, I was fascinated by his appearance and his origin story as well. For this character, I would focus on the Prahlada legend. This story follows the evil Hiraṇyakaśipu is unable to be killed by a human or animal. Narasimha is able to overcome this by being a combination of both. The ending for the legend suggests Narasimha becomes violent and begins to threaten the world. I feel that I could write this story from a first person perspective of Narasimha as well as include a new ending. Source: Narsimha  Story 2: Ganesha origin As I a kid, I really enjoyed reading Ganesha stories, and as I did research I was fas...

Rama approached the center stage and prepared to perform the feat. He had no nerves and was confident in his ability as he was the avatar of Vishnu. Sita was worthy any feat, and he would do whatever it took to win over Janak and the people of Videha. Yet, the feat was no easy task as it was handed by down by the great Shiva himself. Shiva had given Janak a powerful sword in return for a favor Janak had performed long in the past. However, the sword remained in its sheath as only one worthy of Shiva could use the sword. Thousands of warriors came to Videha to unsheathe the sword and to claim Sita, but all had failed. As the sword was brought to the stage, Janak remained cautious in hope to see a a worthy man take the sword and his beautiful daughter. Was Rama surely the one to it? Rama approached the sword and gazed at it intently. It was gleaming from its solid gold and many jewels were embedded on the sheath. Rama stared at his own reflection upon the sword as he prepared for the upc...

Part 2 of The Ramayana really moved along the plot and brought forward the major conflict of the whole epic: Rama's journey to save his wife Sita. It is interesting to read how this conflict develops as it is really due to the personal desires of Shurpanakha. If she did not have a desire for Rama, then there never would have been any need for retaliation from Ravana to kidnap Sita. However, I do have to remember that this is really the plot of Brahman as he wants a human to kill Ravana. This kind of plays with the idea of faith and just trusting god to lead the way even in times of distress and agony. Something that also makes me wonder is why Brahma gave Ravana all these powers and abilities even while he is the king of the demons. From my lay person's perspective it does not make sense, but I also feel that if I understood more of the Hindu perspective on god, this help would me see why Brahman would be so giving to an evil character. The plot by Ravana to kidnap Sita reminde...

 Part A of the Ramayana gave me an intense but interesting introduction to the famed epic. There were many stories that I found interesting such as Rama winning Sita and the banishment of Rama. Reading the Ramayana now as a college student and for credit is somethingI would have never would have expected. The epic was one I read as a young child, so I have some previous knowledge and understanding of the plot and the significance of the story. Moreover, celebration Diwali each year brings the story back to prominence. I enjoyed reading the guide before each story as it helped me with understanding the older English style used in the stories. While I knew beforehand this was the style of the public domain stories, I felt that it was not too hard to understand, especially with the reading guide before the story. Additionally, having read the epic before helps me with understanding the older English wording. Going back to Rama winning over Sita, I found it interesting in the guide ove...

100 Word Story  New Orleans was bombarded daily with ships looking to invade the Mississippi River. Sailors came from across the globe to access the port as well as enjoy the entertainment. Yet the city had a dark secret. Vampires scoured the docks looking for sailors' blood. One night a crew brought forth a shipment of garlic. As the first few soldiers jumped onto land, they quickly vanished. The vampires were out hunting. However, the captain was cunning. Having knowledge of vampire's, he quickly gathered the garlic and wooden stakes. Slowly, the crew battled the vampires until there were no more. Hint Fiction (25 words) Vampires roamed New Orleans hiding and waiting for sailor blood. A cunning crew arrives to port and defeats the darkness haunting the city.   Source:  The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse Author's Note: For my micro fiction, I based it off on one of the short stories I read for Week 2: Goblin City. However, I decided to compl...

 The article Why It's So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback    resonated with me as I am also someones that tends to tense up or be anxious about negative news or even the possibility of bad news. This could be anything from being really nervous when checking grades or going to have to talk to my boss if I made it a mistake. I valued the article's tips to rethink how to approach negative news, whether I am giving out feedback or receiving out. I do agree that ultimately my response is up to me and my state of mind. I also found it interesting how the article noted the cause for the harsh feedback is related to how negative news is delivered. This was impactful to me and has made me realize how my choice of words can have a greater effect than the news itself. The second article I read was Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head    by Sabina Nawaz. This article was similar to the first one regarding how negative feedback can be harmful in terms of how one perceives ...

 Topic 1: Indian take on Percy Jackson For this topic, I would create an almost Percy Jackson world but for Indian mythology. The project could follow students who were related to Indian gods and goddesses similar to the Greek demigods and all of them having their own unique powers. There could also be a similar camp where the demigods meet up to train and fight evil demons and other villains. I think it would be interesting to profile different demigods or follow one demigod as he or she goes on a quest. Additionally, there could be more emphasis on female goddesses and figures as their representation seems to be more limited. My stories could be a retelling of traditional Indian epics or perhaps I could create my own. I feel there is so much freedom with this project idea.  Links:  https://www.thecuriousreader.in/essays/percy-jackson-indian-mythology/ https://riordan.fandom.com/wiki/Hindu_Gods Topic 2: Indian Mythology Common App For this topic, I would follow with my p...

 Near the island of Sri Lanka, there was a treacherous set of rocks that stood imposing to all incoming sailors. Yet, the path to the the rich city of Colombo laid behind these rocks and such ships who dared to reach its treasures attempted to maneuver past the rocks. Unbeknownst to the sailors was the many goblins that roamed the city. Here they waited for brave sailers who managed to overcome the sharp rocks. Over time the male and female goblins had hatched a plan to convince sailors to stay bu using magic to create an image of peace and treasure. The male goblins would pretend to be other inhabitants of Colombo while the female goblins transformed into beautiful women to seduce the sailors. Once the sailors were in their grasps, they would trap them in a prison to feast on them later. Soon a ship approached the port of Colombo, battered by the rocks but with sailors in hope of securing the treasures that laid within the city's limits. They were soon met by beautiful women ...

 I was intrigued by Goblin City as it was the only story that was not focused on animals (the monk story had some focus on a deer). Additionally, there was a note about how it led well into next week's reading, so I chose the story to have some preparation for future readings. The story was short and to the point and mirrored some of the folktales I read in the mythology and folklore class. I found it interesting how the goblins and fairy were simplified in regard to their name. From my experience reading Indian stories, characters tend to have very unique Indian names rather than just "she-goblin" or "fairy". Perhaps it was changed to make the story easier to understand, but I did find that aspect notable. I also wondered where the male goblins were in the story. Why did the she-goblins not marry the male goblins? How often do sailors get wrecked near the island? How did they get married? There is so many questions that could be answered in a potential retellin...

Far my Ramayana readings, I have chosen the public domain edition. I preferred this edition as it is more accessible, free, and even offers an audio version that could be used for long drives. I also enjoyed the illustrations. If the language poses to be too difficult to understand, I might purchase Narayan's Ramayana to read.  One of the comic books I am interested in is the Tales of Shiva  . I have always had a personal interest in Shiva stories as my name Neal symbolizes blue in my mother's tongue, Telegu, and is in relation to the blue skin of Shiva. I am interested in reading more stories about him because of this personal connection. Another comic book I am interested in is Bird Stories . My interest does not stem because of the bird aspect, but mainly from previous experience reading Indian folktales in my Mythology and Folklore class. I have always enjoyed reading stories where cleverness beat out raw strength and physical power, like the traditional rabbit and tortois...

 Time management. This seemingly innocuous concept has been the thorn of many college students, including me. Like many college students, I am caught in the constant battle of balancing my school work, outside work, personal health, social life, and so many other aspects. While I believe my high school experience greatly prepared me for the college life, there are many times where I could be more productive. However, I have found my own ways to plan and prioritize, as mentioned by Aine Cain's "11 ways unsuccessful people mismanage their time" article, that have allowed me to complete my required work. I am a big fan of making sure I know all of my assignments due for the week, and I record all of this on an app I bought before I began college, It is called iStudiez Pro and has been tremendously helpful. I simply record the assignments for my week into the app, and the app sends me notifications of when they are due as well many other reminders such as my class times, exam...

Having taken Mythology and Folklore before, I feel that I am pretty well adjusted with the online technology and interface required for this class. I went over my old blog to refresh my memory on any tools or gadgets I may need to run my blog smoothly. Online classes are something I have become accustomed to, especially with regard to the current pandemic and lack of in-person classes. I hope to continue to grow my blogging skills because who knows if I will need it in the future! Picpedia : Taking the skills I learn in this class into the FUTURE

After taking Mythology and Folklore last Fall semester, I was immediately intrigued when I saw another class, Indian epics, was offered in a similar format. The experience of blogging and exploring readings on my time was something that I did not realize I would enjoy so much and thus Indian Epics seemed like the perfect course for me to have a similar experience. The assignments seem to pretty much be the same as it did for Mythology and Folklore, and I am interested to see how the new extras credit Check-in and connect works this semester. With this pandemic, I think we all will find a place where we can share things we are passionate about and communicate will be useful and relaxing. Additionally, I think the micro fiction extra credit will be neat to write short and quick stories that grab my interest. Due to my previous experience taking the class I feel prepared for what is expected, and I am excited to soon delve into the readings! Mahabharata book cover 

 Growth Mindset is a concept that was familiar to me due to my previous experience in psychology classes. While I had not heard of Professor Dweck until my Mythology and Folklore class, my understanding of the concept was essentially the same as hers. My experience with the Growth Mindset has certainly evolved over years. Growing up, I was accustomed to putting the worth or value of things I did into awards and achievements. I think part of that mindset was due to being naive and not really understanding what was truly the best way of approaching my life. Grades and achievements are still important to me, I won't deny that, but my use of the Growth Mindset has definitely "grown" over the years, including my time in OU. My failures and setbacks are now more of an opportunity to learn and grow rather than as a validation of any type of worth. A specific example of the Growth Mindset while in college was the second semester of sophomore year when I took biochemistry. The cla...

  Horror in India I was intrigued by the title of the storybook and immediately wanted to see what the author wrote about horror in India. As the son of two Indian immigrants, I have been heavily exposed to Indian literature, but I do not have much experience with Indian horror. I really liked the introduction and how it set up the last three stories. The idea of the family being the defenders of the light and fighting demons in India reminded me of a Netflix show I watched this summer with the same premise: Warrior Nun. The only difference is that it was Catholic based and they were fighting demons in Europe. The images also helped with the "horror" theme, and I liked in the end how the author included a note about 5 years later. It really tied together the stories and brought forth an effective conclusion.  Women in Indian Epics  This storybook caught my attention as it on characters that seem to not be heavily focused in Indian epics: women. The introduction was clear ...

 Wow. It is crazy to think that I am already back in Norman for my senior year. While my first threes years were full of unique experiences, I never would have imagined all of these recent events occurring. Although it has been a struggle to get through the pandemic, as I am sure everyone can agree with, I am looking forward to completing my senior year and pursuing my future. To start off, I am psychology major on the pre medicine track. Ever since I took psychology in high school I found studying the mind and the way people act so interesting. However, I always had the goal of becoming a physician which explains the pre-med track.  Although I am an OU student, I still consider myself a proud Texan. I come from a relatively small town in East Texas where high school football is king and perhaps the most famous thing is that Matthew Mccounaughey graduated from my high school (he even came to our high school graduation this year to give a speech!). Wikimedia Commons : Longview ...