Week 5 Ramayana: Part A Sita Sings the Blues

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 praying to the gods. The most entertaining part of the video so far was definitely the three narrators. They added humor as well as details on characters and stories I did not before. It almost seemed like it was three friends just talking about the Ramayana while having fun. The narrators gave an almost podcast vibe to the video. Another funny aspect was when Sita refused Ravana and the video made it unnecessarily dramatic. It reminded me of when I saw Indian soap operas that were also unnecessarily dramatic. Overall, the video was quite entertaining and I cannot wait to see the rest. I hope to really understand more of Nina and Dave's purpose with the video as well.

Source: Nina Paley's film, Sita Sings the Blues

Sita Sings the Blues (2008) - IMDb

Film poster of Sita sings the blues

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Shiva and Parvati with their son, Ganesha Link to Storybook

Week 14: More Jataka Tales Part B

For Part B of Week 14 reading, I continued the Jataka Tales. Specifically for the week I read The Elephant and the Dog. What really sparked my interest to read the story was the title. As a fan of dogs and knowing the importance of elephants in Indian culture, I was curious to see how the two animals interacted in the story, and I was definitely not disappointed. I loved the heartwarming story of the dog and elephant's friendship and how they needed each other to live. It is always surprising to me how animals from different species are able to form friendships, but I think it highlights how even in animals, love and friendship has no boundary. If I were to retell the story, I would probably add a personal touch such as replacing the dog with my own dog, Max. He is a German Shepherd who loves to hang out with other dogs, so I think he quickly make friends with the elephant. Additionally, I think adding dialogue between the two animals could help showcase their friendship and add m...

Nice to meet you, my name is Neal

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 ...

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