Storytelling Week 10: Do I know you from somewhere?

//23 years ago//

Kunti was young, beautiful, and full of life. She was madly in love with someone she barely knew. Actually, love may not exactly be the right word. Kunti was obsessed with Surya. Kunti was a sophomore in high school, and Surya was a senior. To her, he was a god. The two finally met one night at a party; it was as magical as she had imagined it would be. Well, one thing led to another and nine months later Kunti gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Karna.

Kunti knew the baby deserved a better life than she could provide for him at such a young age. She decided to put the baby up for adoption, and tried to move forward with her life.

//Present day//

“Mom, I can’t believe you drove all the way up for this, you really didn’t have to do that,” Arjuna insisted to his mom, Kunti. “Are you suggesting that I miss my sons’ most important college basketball game? Against their biggest rival? I wouldn’t miss it for the world sweetheart!” Kunti replied.

Arjuna and his brothers, also known as the Pandavas, had already become quite the campus celebrities … and they were only freshman! First of all, people were intrigued by them. Nobody at the school had ever seen quintuplets before! Also, the five brothers were as handsome as could be, and so kind to everyone they met. Finally, and this is the most amazing part, all five of them were incredibly talented, and were in the starting lineup for the school’s basketball team. That’s right, that means at every game it was the other school versus the Pandava brothers.

The boys were so excited to have their mom in town to watch their big game. She got to the courts early and waved at her boys. Her face beamed with pride as she watched them warmup. The opposing team made their way to the courts. They started to announce the starting lineups for each of the teams. The Pandavas walked out on the courts and started waving to the cheering crowd. When the opposing team was walking out on the court, the announcer made special notice of a walk-on who recently joined the team and made his way to the starting lineup-an impressive accomplishment! The walk-on player’s name was Karna. As soon as his name was announced, Kunti’s face turned white. The Pandava brothers all looked at each other puzzled. They were all having the same feeling. They whispered to one another, and then looked back at Karna. They couldn’t explain why, but they all felt like they had seen Karna before.  He looked so familiar to them. Arjuna was so perplexed, he couldn’t help himself. He walked right up to Karna right before the game was about to start and ask, “Do I know you from somewhere?”

Basketball through hoop,

Author: Airman 1st Class Kerelin Molina, Date: 2009, Source: Wikimedia

Author’s note:

An interesting detail I found in Buck’s version of the Mahabharata that I didn’t find in other versions, was that Arjuna had a feeling that he knew Karna. I thought an entire story could be developed from this one detail. I tried to ask myself, what would it feel like to meet and recognize your long lost brother? I tried to make the story more modern, so many details of the original story were altered. For example, in this version Kunti had Karna in high school, and the “competition” where the Pandava brothers first met Karna was a basketball game. 

Bibliography:

Mahabharta retold by William Buck and illustrated by Shirley Triest, 1973. Print.

Week 10 Reading Diary B: Buck's Mahabharata

In this reading assignment, I continued to read William Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata. Reading/watching all of these different versions of the original epic is proving to be very useful to me. I am able to compare and contrast various styles and interpretations. For example, the movie version didn't show as much detail as is in this book. I don't remember the war scene for the forest being shown in the movie. Probably, since the movie was constrained on time (and budget) only the most important stories were included. Side-stories that hardly contributed to the overall plot were generally left out of the film. In general, the war scenes in these epics are my least favorite. They are hard for me to follow and uninteresting to me.

There are also parts found in the PDE that are left out of this book. For example, I have read the story behind why Draupadi was given five husbands... how in a previous life she had prayed five times for a husband and was granted her request after her reincarnation. This part has been left out. Also, Amba's story is hardly told at all... I am hoping more details about Amba and Draupadi will surface later on in the book.

Small details are altered from interpretation to interpretation. For example, in this book Draupadi is jealous of Arjuna's second wife, but this was not the case in the other versions. It was interesting to read this version of how the Pandava brothers "win" Draupadi. Lots of details were included in the scenes leading up to Arjuna completing the challenge with the bow and arrow.

The Swayamvara of Panchala's princess, Draupadi,

Author: Ramanarayanadatta astri, Date: acquired in 1965, Source: Wikimedia

Week 10 Reading Diary A: Buck's Mahabharata

For the next few weeks of reading assignments, I have decided to read William Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata. I have read the PDE and watched the movie version of the Mahabharata, so I have some good background knowledge of the various stories going into this reading assignments. With so many different interconnected characters to keep track of, I think it will be good for me to spend some more time on the Mahabharata to fully internalize this epic.

The first portion of this reading assignment was spent describing the births of all of the incredible warriors that will ultimately go into battle. In this version, there is more of a description of Kunti's interactions with the Gods who father her sons. Also, there is more of an explanation as to why Pandu forgot the curse that the deer had cast on him. He was so filled with joy from having so many sons that he felt youthful again, and had forgotten the dreary days of his past.

I also loved the description of Dritarashtra and Gandhari's love. The king felt downcast, and like he couldn't rule because he was blind. However, when he learned of Gandhari's love for him, and the way she had blindfolded herself to be like him, he became filled with joy that overcame his sorrow. That was one of my favorite "scenes" described by the book.

Boon of Indra to Kunti,

Author: Ramnadayandatta Shastri Pandey, Date: Not listed, Source: Wikimedia

Week 9 Storytelling: Drona Misunderstands

Bhima and Ashwatthaman were in the 5^th grade, and had been in the same class since they were in kindergarten. Bhima thought that Ashwatthaman had the coolest name when they were little, so he named his favorite toy elephant after him. Bhima took that stuffed animal with him EVERYWHERE. As Bhima got older, it became slightly more unusual for him to carry it around. His parents were starting to get worried that his classmates would tease him, so they took the stuffed animal away. They explained to Bhima, “We are taking your toy. We know you don’t understand why now, but you will thank us when you’re older. We can’t tell you where we’re taking him- it is going to stay a secret for now.” Bhima was upset to say the least; he felt like he had lost a friend.

Ashwatthaman’s dad, Mr. Drona, was walking into the school to pick up his son when he saw Bhima pouting outside of the classroom. “What’s wrong?” he asked. Bhima replied, “My parents said I’m not allowed to play with Ashwatthaman anymore.” Mr. Drona was shocked and appalled, “Why on earth would they make up a rule like that?” Bhima began to cry, “I don’t know… they just… they just… took him away. They locked him up somewhere, and they won’t tell me where to find him!” Mr. Drona’s annoyance now turned into intense fear. He thought Bhima’s parents had kidnapped his son.

He ran to the principal’s office and explained what Bhima had told him. Mr. Drona was frantic and sweaty. He was just about ready to call the police! The principal, however, seemed calm and collected, “Kids can have the wildest imaginations. Before we go accusing parents of kidnapping, let’s check with Ashwatthaman’s teacher to see if he’s okay.”

Sure enough, Ashwatthaman was safe and sound waiting patiently in his classroom to be picked up. Mr. Drona was just relieved that his son was safe. The pair began to exit the building when Bhima rushed up to them. Mr. Drona was about to scold Bhima for giving him such a fright. Before he could shake his finger, Bhima proudly lifted up a raggedy stuffed animal. “Look Mr. Drona! My mom said I could play with Ashwatthaman after school,” he explained. Suddenly things became a lot clearer to Mr. Drona. He patted Bhima on the head, and chuckled as he walked out of the building. 

Elephant toy,

Author: Pixabay user jarmoluk, Date: 2014, Source: Pixabay

Author's Note:

In the original version of the story, Drona is tricked into thinking his son died after Bhima kills an elephant who shares the same name as Ashwatthaman. I wanted to make the story a little more light-hearted, so instead of a real elephant being killed a stuffed animal has gone missing. Also, in my version of the story, although Drona thinks his son is missing, it is only for a brief moment. Here, Drona ends up realizing what Bhima really meant by the end. Also, in the original version of the story Bhima was intentionally being deceptive, while in this version the misunderstanding was an honest mistake. I've been babysitting and tutoring a lot lately, and have come to realize that kids can say the funniest things. I wanted to incorporate some of that childlike humor in my story. 

Bibliography:

"Death of Drona" by Sister Nivedita, from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists (1914). Web source: here

Peter Brook's Mahabharata (1989). Web source: here

Week 9 Reading Dairy B: Finishing Brook's Mahabharata

In this reading assignment, I finished Brook's film version of The Mahabharata. In all honesty this last portion of the film was probably my least favorite. The war scenes were kind of repetitive and exhausting to me. The effects used in the war scenes were also a little cheesy, but I think they were supposed to be more artistic than realistic.

I thought the film did a good job explaining Drona's internal conflict. He was secretly hoping that the Pandava brothers would win the war, but  he had already sworn his allegiance to their enemies. Unfortunately, in the midst of the war Draupadi plays less of an important role. She has few speaking lines in these scenes. Abhimanyu's wife is barely introduced in one scene during the war, but in the end the viewer learns that she is a pivotal character in the greater story of mankind.

I wonder if Arjuna would have still killed Karna if he had known he was his brother. I bet the entire war could have been avoided in Kunti had told the Pandava brothers that Karna was one of them. I also wonder what would have happened if Krishna wouldn’t have persuaded the brothers to play tricks and break the rules of war. It is as if he had a divine understanding of the greater good that would come from the Pandava brothers winning. I am kind of confused by the last scene where Yudhisthira is trying to find paradise. I might do some further research to try to figure out exactly what is happening during this part and what all of the people, animals, and settings he comes across symbolize. All in all I think the film did a really good job portraying the major themes, characters, conflicts, and lessons of the original epic. There were a lot of stories to cover, and the film did a good job including every detail that was important.

The Mahabharata, stage play by Peter Brook,

Author: Daniel Cande, Date: July 1985, Source: Wikimedia

Week 9 Reading Diary A: Finishing Brook's Mahabharata

For this week's reading assignment I have chosen to finish Brook's film version of The Mahabharta since I have already started it for the last reading assignment. A few parts stick out as favorites in this portion of the film. First, I thought it was a really emotional scene when Karna found out that Kunti was his mother, and came to the realization that he was about to go into battle against his brothers. You can tell that he was completely shocked. However, it was too little too late and Karna refused to change his mind about going into battle. Secondly, I liked the scene where some type of vision or ghost of Amba approached Bhishma after she had died and been reincarnated as a male warrior. I made sure to pay special attention to scenes with Amba since she is one of the characters for my storybook project. Amba's reincarnation as a male should help her complete her life's work: to kill Bhishma. However, in my version of her story I don't want Amba to be reincarnated as a male. I want to portray an Amba who was able to reach her goals fully as a woman. I also liked the part where Arjuna was about to go into battle, but had to stop because he was so disgusted by the thought of killing people he was related to. I think that scene forced the audience to put themselves in Arjuna's shoes and wonder what it would feel like to wage war on kin.

It is interesting to me that the author of this poem, Vyasa, is as much of a narrator of the story as he is a part of it. There are portions of the movie where he is acknowledged by the characters he is creating. This confusing idea that someone can be above and within a time frame at the same time is too abstract for a person to fully wrap their head around. Although Vyasa is writing the story, he is unable (or unwilling) to tell what will end up happening.

Vyasa,

Author: Ramanarayanadatta astri, Date: Not listed, Source: Wikimedia

Week 8 Famous Last Words

I really enjoyed this week of class. It was nice to take a break from the reading assignments, look back at what I’ve accomplished so far, and plan ahead to see what the rest of the semester will (hopefully) look like. I am excited about the reading assignments I have planned out for myself, and look forward to getting started.

I’m having a lot of fun with the storybook assignment. I especially enjoy the creativity it allows. However, I think I have a lot of room to improve in the mechanical aspects of my writing. I think the storybook assignment will help me with that because I am not only telling stories, but also revising them.  

This week was a weird (but wonderful) week for me in my other classes. I didn’t have any tests and there were only a few small homework assignments to do. It was kind of nice to have a relatively light week of school work so I could spend some more time investing in my extracurricular activities, spending time with friends, and keeping up with current events.

I saw the musical Ragtime on Thursday evening here on campus at the newly dedicated Elsie C. Brackett Theater. It was a phenomenal performance, and if there’s still an opportunity for you to go I highly recommend it! The costumes, special effects, acting, and singing were all topnotch.

Ragtime Dance Joplin Cover

Author: Scott Joplin, Date: 1906, Source: Wikimedia

Unfortunately, I was only able to see highlights from the democratic presidential debate. I am trying to be better about keeping up with all of the candidates on both sides for this election. Hopefully I will be able to find it online and will watch it sometime this weekend.

Next week will be a bit busier in my other classes, so I hope to spend some time tomorrow getting a head start on this class. 

Week 8, Reading Plan

One of the things I love most about this class is the many options available to students. Specifically, there are many different reading options. This allows students to explore topics or authors that are of particular interest to them. I think this teaching style recognizes that a course experience doesn't have to be "one size fits all."

So far I have had the opportunity to experience Indian epics through prose, online editions of stories, and film. Since I really enjoyed the film-version of the reading assignments, I will finish Brook's movie online which will account for one week of the reading assignments.

I will also read William Buck's version of the Mahabharata. I chose this version because I find it difficult to read stories online and prefer to have a hard copy of a book in my hands. I had already purchased this book before the course had begun because I saw it was one of the recommended readings online. Since I already own the book, I will go ahead and use it for four weeks worth of reading assignments.

The movie and the book will take up five weeks worth of reading assignments. That means there will still be a one week period I will need to fill. I plan to choose this reading later on after finishing the book and the movie to see if there is a specific character or topic I wish to explore further.

I look forward to getting started!

Girl reading a notebook,

Photographer: Karolina Grabowska, Date: October, 2014, Source: Pexels

Week 8, Reflections: Looking Forward

One thing I think I could do to improve my writing in this course is combine stories from this course with stories I'm familiar with in the storytelling assignments. I have noticed my classmates do this in their work and  it adds a new level of dimension to their stories.

As far as the reading goes, I need to be more intentional in getting started early. I know that I take a long time to read, so I need to account for this when scheduling for this course. My new goal will be to begin the reading assignment for the next week on the Thursday before it is due. If I can at least get started, I can gauge how much time the reading will take me and determine if time needs to be set aside over the weekend to read for this course.

In my interaction with my peers, I hope to become more specific. I have seen how beneficial constructive criticism and feedback has been for me, and I want to be sure that I am providing this for my classmates.

My goal is to end this course with and A, not just because I want the grade, but because I feel like that grade will reflect the level at which I have mastered this material. It is less important to me that I finish early, however, it would be nice to be finished with this course before dead week. I am on track (according to the chart provided) to make the grade I want, however, in order to finish early I will need to start engaging in more of the extra credit opportunities. I think a good goal would be to complete at least one extra credit assignment a week. Specifically, participating in the growth mindset and curation extra credit activities will not only enhance my grade in this course, but also my overall abilities as a student and a learner.

This class is flying by! I have learned so much already, and am sure I will continue to reach my learning goals if I remain focused, organized, and engaged with my peers and professor.

We Can Do It!

Author: J. Howard Miller, Date: 1942, Source: Wikipedia

Week 8, Reflections: Looking Back

I have really been inspired by my classmate's weekly stories. Specifically the imagery, word choice, and general creativity has motivated me to enhance my own writing. After the first week I noticed a lot of my peers were re-writing stories in a more modern context. I tried this for the first time in my week 2 storytelling assignment, and I enjoyed it so much that I've written pretty much every other story after in a modern setting. I think having a weekly storytelling assignment has encouraged me to be more creative, thoughtful, and has generally improved my writing skills.

My favorite reading so far has been The Ramayana A Shortened Prose Version of the Indian Epic by, R.K. Narayan. I was not expecting to get so "sucked into" this book. I truly couldn't put it down. There were so many different kinds of characters, so many elaborate stories, and lots of twists and turns in the plot. I think my favorite character in this story was Sita, however, I longed for more of the story to be from her point of view. That is why I enjoyed the next reading assignment where I got to watch a film that told the story a little more from Sita's perspective.

Ravana Sita Painting,

Author: Nina Paley, Date: 2008, Source: Wikimedia

As far as interactions go, the commenting and feedback from our professor has been really helpful. I like how each week after I've completed my progress on my storytelling assignment, I get personalized and specific feedback from professor Gibbs. This feedback has been encouraging, but also constructive, and has taught me a lot.

I usually work on this class between my other classes. I have random large chunks in the day between classes that are long enough to get something done, but not quite long enough to walk all the way home. I am very fortunate through my major to be allowed access to the Industrial and Systems Team Room. Basically it's a lounge with couches, tables, a refrigerator, a microwave, and computers that ISE students have access to. When I'm not in class during the day, I'm usually there either doing homework or working on this class and eating.

I feel like through this class I've grown in my understanding of Indian culture and literature. I also feel like I've learned a lot about learning online. One major lesson I've learned is how crucial it is to keep yourself organized, and that there are lots of tools that can be manipulated for the virtual classroom. Bookmarks have been the most helpful tool for me. After using them for this class I started using them to keep all of the links for my med-school secondary applications organized and in my other classes.

Week 7 Storytelling- Amba

There once was a college student named Amba. Amba was beautiful and kind, but beared a great secret. Amba was a lesbian, and she felt like she could not come out to any of her friends or family. Amba was in love with a girl named Priya. Their love was true and steadfast, however, very secretive. Amba’s parents were very traditional. They already had someone in mind for Amba to marry. He was perfect. His name was Bhishma. Bhishma was going to be a doctor, he came from a great family, and nobody could say a bad thing about him.

Amba’s parents arranged for the two to meet each other’s families.  A date was then arranged for the two to spend time together with a chaperon. The date was lovely- they started with a walk in the park, they ate pizza at a local bistro, and were concluding the afternoon with a trip to the movies. On their walk to the movies, Amba pulled Bhishma aside. They were far enough away from the chaperon to have a private conversation. Amba confessed to Bhishma that she had no desire to marry him, and was in love with someone else. Bhishma was noticeably saddened by this news, but, alas, he was a good person. He told Amba to follow her heart. He also told her that he would break the news to their parents that the two of them had decided to part ways. Amba was relieved by his understanding.

Whisper

Author: Alejandro Tuzzi, Date: 2015, Source: Pixabay

The next day, Amba explained the whole situation to Priya. Priya was annoyed to say the least. “You still haven’t told your parents about us??? Are you so ashamed of me?? I cannot be with someone who doesn’t know how to be honest. I can’t believe you would go on a ‘fake’ date with someone just to please your parents. This relationship is over.”

Amba was devastated. She couldn’t please her parents, and she couldn’t be with the person she loved the most. For some reason, she was most angry at Bhishma. If Bhisma was never in the picture, her parents would not have tried to set her up. Priya would not have gotten upset, and everything would still be normal. Bhishma was the root of all of her problems. And she would get revenge. She didn’t have anything else to live for- no Priya and no parents. She only had one desire that consumed her. Making Bhishma pay.

Author's Note: This week we re-read the Mahabharata in a new way. I chose to watch the movie version of this epic. The actress who played Amba did a wonderful job. She was so devastated by her circumstances, but also became so determined and passionate because of them. I wanted to express this character in a modern interpretation. I asked myself, how might a situation like this arise today?

Bibliography:

"Amba" by Sister Nivedita, from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists (1914). Web source: here

Peter Brook's Mahabharata (1989). Web source: here

Reading Diary B Week 7- Continuing with the Film

For this reading diary, I have continued to watch the film version of The Mahabharata. A link to this film can be found here. The plot picked back up with the Pandava brothers and Draupadi in exile. Draupadi impressed me in these scenes. She spoke frankly and confidently to Yudhishthira, and questioned his motives for the gamble. All of the brothers, including Yudhishthira, respected Draupadi and listened to her concerns even if they disagreed with her. This kind of effective and open communication is rare in many relationships today, and was certainly very ahead of its time for the time period during this story. I appreciated that scene.

Description: Illustrations from the Barddhaman edition of Mahabharata in Bangla, which were printed in wood engraving technique (7).jpg, Author: Maharaja Mahatab Chand Bahadur, Date: between 1820 - 1879, Source: Wikimedia

Amba made a brief re-appearance shortly after the Pandavas has started their exile. I was sure to pay attention in that part since she is one of the characters for my storybook project. Everyone recognized her name and knew her story, and they were all amazed at her determination. She was so focused that she didn't eat, sleep, or age. She barely stopped to discuss anything other than her mission.

Weapons were acquired "by both sides" in these scenes as well. Arjuna went out on his own journey to get a weapon- I appreciated how they only hit the highlights in this part. There were a lot of smaller (and not as relevant) stories/descriptions that could have been shown in the film but were left out. This was probably for the best because the viewers were able to streamline the plot a little bit.

The effects in the movie aren't "state of the art" by any means, but they aren't too cheesy either. The costumes for the demons, for example, weren't super realistic- but they were scary enough to get the point across! All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this film and think it will help me better understand all of the various characters.

Famous Last Words Week 6

This week I finished one of my other classes called circuits! Industrial engineers only have to take one part of circuits, so it’s kind of a mini-semester two month class. I took my final on Monday, so it feels so nice to have one less class to worry about! I am hoping this will give me more time to work on this class, and spend some more time fine-tuning my writing skills.

(Image Information: personal photo of a portion of my circuits project;

photo from September 2015.)

I think my best writing from this week was the introduction I wrote/revised for my storybook project. I am really excited about where that project will go. I have a general idea for what I want each of my stories to look like, but I feel like they will really start to come to life once I do some more in-depth brainstorming and writing. I’m glad we have the opportunity to alter famous stories and make them our own. This allows for so much creativity!

I am consistently amazed by my classmate’s writing skills. Reading some of the other storytelling assignments has allowed me to see where my writing has some room for improvement. Specifically, I think that I can improve my word choice and imagery. This is something I’ve noticed my classmates do really well. That attention to detail can take a story from good to great, it just takes a little more time.

I missed a reading diary this week, but hope to be all caught up on the reading by the end of next week. Hopefully some better time management strategies this week will help me to stay on top of all of my courses.

Also, next week, I want to start writing out more detailed notes as I read/watch the movie. I think this will make writing my reading diary blog post so much easier.

Reading Diary A Week 7 Another Mahabharata (Online Movie)

This week I decided to watch the online movie version of the Mahabharata, You can find a link to this movie, here. When I was initially reading the online PDE of the Mahabharata, I was having a hard time keeping characters and lineages straight. I thought watching a film version of the story would be beneficial for me because I would be able to match names to faces. This helped me to keep everyone's stories and backgrounds organized.

I started watching the movie two nights ago, and was able to convince one of my friends to watch it with me! I think we both enjoyed it more than we anticipated we would. The plot really is so fascinating, and it is so interesting to see how all of the characters are woven together. I thought Draupadi's acting in the last scene, where her husband gambled her away, was the most impressive. You could see the desperation on her face, but also her sincere faithfulness as she called upon the gods for help. I think Draupadi was my favorite character in the film, I was surprised that they left out her whole story. What I mean is, they didn't show her previous life, and how she became destined to have five husbands.

It's hard to tell exactly who is the main protagonist in a story with so many characters, but I think Arjuna and Yudhishthira are probably two of the biggest stars. In my eyes, however. both of them have their faults. I think Arjuna was a coward to deny the challenge of Karna. Also, I think it was shameful that he let Drona go after Ekalavya, who had done nothing wrong, and ask for his thumb. Yudhisthira's fault is obvious- the gambling. I don't understand how his brothers and his wife were so calm and understanding as he gambled everything they owned away. I also don't understand why he "had" to accept the challenge.

Shakuni is Master of Dice Game,

Author: Ramanarayanadatta astri, Date: acquired in 1965, Source: Wikimedia

I look forward to watching the rest of the film! I've noticed that a few stories are skipped over, but I feel like overall the film does a good job of hitting all of the highlights.