Week 13, Famous Last Words: Heading Home!

This week I finished up the final revisions for my storybook project. There were a few things I was able to polish to make sure the entire piece flowed nicely. For example, when I first wrote the introduction I didn’t know exactly how each characters story would turn out. I had a general idea, but was still unsure about some of the details of each story. Thus, there were a few lines in the introduction that didn’t quite make sense with the stories that followed. It was good to have the opportunity to read the entire storybook altogether so I could identify and eliminate these discrepancies in the plot.
Outside of this class, it was a slightly stressful week. For one of my courses called Data Driven Decision Making II, students are assigned to groups and expected to execute an experiment and develop a research paper by the end of the semester. My group is conducting research that will measure the self-efficacy (or confidence) of engineering underclassman, and (hopefully) identify some outside factors that my influence that measure. I won’t go into too much detail on the design of the experiment, but we conducted it this week and collected all of the data we need. I am anxious to see if we get any significant results!
Outside of school, I am so ready to be home with my family for Thanksgiving. This break has come at a much needed time! After I turn in this post, I will probably pack up a few things and head home. I was lucky enough to have all of my classes canceled today and tomorrow, so I’m really getting a nice week-long break! For Thanksgiving I usually do most of the cooking for my family. I really enjoy spending all day in the kitchen chatting with my family, drinking wine, and snacking throughout the day. Hope everyone has a nice break!

(Image Information: personal photo of my siblings and I last Thanksgiving;

photo from November 2014.)

Week 13: Reading Feedback

I don't know how it's possible, but somehow I have never noticed this extra credit assignment before. I wish I would have been posting my reading feedback throughout the semester, because I've really enjoyed a lot of these assignments!

This week I finished reading William Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata. In all honesty, the only reason I chose this book was because I had already purchased it at the beginning of the semester. Before school started, I went online to try to figure out which books I would need for this class. I noticed that all of the books were technically "optional", but I went ahead and bought one version of the Ramayana and one version of the Mahabharata on Amazon. Once I started the course, I realized that there were also many online options and books to check out at the library for the reading assignments. However, since the books had already been purchased, I went ahead and used them for two of my reading assignments.

Buck's retelling was very interesting, and was different in a lot of ways from other interpretations I read/watched. I spent a lot of my time in my Reading Diaries comparing and contrasting his versions to the other version I had experienced. Buck's retelling seemed more poetic to me, and included vivid imagery and lots of detail. Buck's version also included a lengthier ending with a long description of the Pandava brothers' lives after the war. The book in general was lengthy, so I was thankful that it could be split up to cover the span of four weeks. Another interesting detail about this book was the illustrations that were included. All in all, I enjoyed this assignment!

The Pandavas' nephew Abhimanyu battles the Kauravas and their allies,

Author: Unknown, Date: 1800-1900, Source: Wikimedia

Reading Diary B Week 13: Life After the War

With this reading diary, I finish William Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata. One thing I liked about this interpretation was that there was a lot of description about life after the war. When reading the story initially, I pictured Arjuna as being the "main character" or the protagonist. However, after reading this version, I really think Yudhishthira is the protagonist. After the war Yudhishthira becomes king and is very respectful and well-liked. He is very kind and loving towards Dhritarashtra which made me very happy. However, Yudhishthira struggled with a lot of guilt before he was able to accept the crown. The scenes depicting Yudhishthira's internal struggle were very interesting to me. At first, he wanted to go out into the forest and live a peaceful life until he could die. However, through the counsel of his loved ones and strange dreams, Yudhishthira recognizes the good that he could accomplish as king. He shifts his focus from a desire to do no harm to a desire to do good.

As a reader, some of the questions I asked myself in the end included:
Was the war necessary?
Did the right side win?
Were deceptive acts in war justified?
Why would so many brave and wise men follow Duryodhana's leadership?

Overall, I really enjoyed my time spent reading/watching the different versions of this epic. There are many lessons that can be taken from the various characters and their stories. The plot had many twists and turns, and kept me on my toes. I also feel as though my understanding of this epic will help me understand Indian culture better.

Draupadi and Pandavas,

Author: Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), Date listed: circa 1910, Source: Wikimedia

Week 13 Storytelling: The Mongoose Tells a Story

There was once a very rich man who lived a very lonely life. From the outside looking in, he appeared to have it all. He had a nice house, fancy cars, and a successful career. However, he had no family to share all of his treasures with. Because of this, he felt very poor. He decided that he would know no greater joy than to share his possessions, but with whom?

He sat on a busy street, and dressed himself in rags. Men and women in business suits passed by and scoffed at him. “Get up and find a job,” they’d say. Other people who passed him ignored him altogether, he felt as if he was invisible. He peered across the street, and could see through a window of a small apartment. A mother was packing lunches, and appeared to be using the last of her loaf of bread. She cut the last slice of bread in half, and gave one to each of her two children. He noticed a single tear fall down the mother’s cheek as she hugged her children goodbye for the day. The kids kissed their mother, and cheerfully sped out the door to walk to school.

The children walked past the rich man dressed as a beggar and stopped. “What are you doing out here, sir? It’s cold and rainy!” The man replied, “I have fallen on some hard times and have nowhere else to go. I am hungry and lonely, and thought I would sit here and beg for someone to help me.” One of the children replied, “We can help you!” and handed the man her lunch, which was comprised of only a half-slice of bread. The other child followed suit, and wished the man well. Tears welled in the man’s eyes. Never had anyone moved him so greatly.

After the kids hurried off to school, the man walked over to their apartment. Their mother greeted him at the door, and he explained the situation that had occurred with her children. He then reached for his checkbook, filled out a check, tore it out, and handed it to the mother. The mother took the check and stared for a long while. She then stared at the man, and then back and forth between the man and the check. After a few moments of this, the woman fainted.

The rich man indeed felt rich that day, although his bank account had decreased by about 90%. He of course, helped revive the woman, and they went on to become dear friends. 

Toast-1,

Author: Rainer Zenz, Date: Not listed, Source: Wikimedia

Author's Note: 

In this week's portion of my reading, a mongoose appears and tells a story to Yudhishthira and his kingdom. In his story, he witnesses a very poor family who shares the very last of their food with a traveler. Ultimately, after the family blesses the traveler, the mongoose witnesses the family be escorted up to a heavenly place in a beautiful chariot. I essentially re-told what the mongoose witnessed in a different way. In this version, the poor family receives a large amount of money in the end, and the story takes place in a more modern setting. 

Bibliography:

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

Week 13 Reading Diary A: War Scenes

This will be my last week reading Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata. Unfortunately, this portion of the story is the hardest for me to read. It vividly describes the devastation of war, acts of senseless violence and rage, as well as betrayal and dishonesty. I think this portion of the epic is meant to show the worst characteristics of humanity. It also demonstrates how war is the most effective catalyst for showcasing these characteristics. As I read about Bhima killing Duryodhana, I wonder how serious of an offense it was to strike someone below the waist. Will Bhima be condemned for this act? Does this make Duryodhana the “real” winner of the war? Or is the rule a mere recommendation that can be overlooked in dire situations. I wonder why the author chose to take away some of Bhima’s honor by having him kill his enemy in a dishonorable way. Despite the faults in judgement that the Pandava brothers displayed in war, they were still overall considered a greater good in comparison to Duryodhana.

My favorite scene in this portion of the reading was when king Dhitarashtra finally embraced and blessed the Pandava brothers after the war was over. In this moment it was as if both “sides” were simultaneously forgiving and apologizing to one another, while recognizing that each party had to do what was necessary for them. I would like to read more about the relationship between Dhitarashtra and the Pandava brothers moving forward. I would imagine that he would adopt them as sons, and they would love him as if he was their father. However, it may be the case that too much evil has happened between their families. 

Duel between Duryodhana and Bhima,

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

Famous Last Words Week 12- Almost Done!

With the way my points are adding up, it’s looking like I will be able to meet my learning goals and finish up this class within the next couple of weeks. This semester has truly flown by! I am very pleasantly surprised by the wealth of knowledge I have gained about Indian culture through epic literature in this course. This week I think my best writing was in my storybook project; I had the opportunity to tell Amba’s story from a completely new perspective, and had a lot of fun with it! It has been great to get such detailed feedback from Professor Gibbs as I’ve continued working on this project. She definitely knows how to polish writing, and keeps her students on exactly the right track!

One of my classmate’s projects I read this week had one of the coolest webpage layouts I’ve seen… it really added a lot to his overall project! I think this is one area I could improve on. My blog for the course and my website for the project are both very simple and plain. Perhaps I might work on giving my blog site a “face-lift” for one of the extra credit tech-tip assignments!

In my other classes, my professors appear to be cramming in the last round of tests before Thanksgiving break! I know that after Thanksgiving break the semester will fly by, and finals will be over before I know it! Hopefully I can keep my head above water until then.

Outside of school, my family has been busy with exciting wedding plans! My sister will get married on New Year’s Eve, and we’ve had lots of fun planning and celebrating her at showers and parties these past few weeks. I cannot wait for the wedding day; I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off 2016!

(Image Information: personal photo of my siblings and I headed to a shower;

photo from November 2015.)

Storytelling Week 12: In Hiding

Arjuna understood that Urvashi’s curse would ultimately end up being a blessing. He needed an impenetrable disguise for this final year of exile, and who would ever believe that a woman teaching dance classes was actually one of the most masculine warriors of their generation? This was the eve of the first day of their last year in exile. Tomorrow, Urvashi’s curse would go into effect. Deep down, Arjuna knew it was all for the best…. But he couldn’t help but be a little nervous and anxious.

Arjuna had never even thought about what life would be like as a woman. How would he fit into this role? Would he like it? This wasn’t just going to be a day of playing dress-up; Arjuna would take on this alternate personality for an entire year. Would Draupadi still be attracted to him? Would she still love him? What if he fell in love with a man? What would people think about him once the year was up? Would Arjuna forever be mocked as the man who spent a year teaching dance?

These questions continued to cycle through Arjuna’s mind. He tossed and turned all night, afraid to fall asleep because he knew he would wake up a different person. He decided to get up and walk around. He tip-toed over to Draupadi’s bed, and began to stroke her beautiful hair. Draupadi awoke, and could immediately sense the uneasiness in her husband’s heart. She turned to him and told him before he could ask, “I will love you forever Arjuna, no matter what happens tomorrow.” Arjuna breathed a sigh of relief. He kissed her forehead and wept. What had this beautiful princess done to deserve so many years of exile? It wasn’t fair. As if she could hear his thoughts, Draupadi responded, “I count myself the luckiest woman in the world to have not one, but five brave and caring husbands. I would go through a hundred more years of exile if it meant I could spend just one more day with the Pandava brothers.” Arjuna smiled, and made his way back to his bed.

He felt himself drifting off to sleep. Draupadi’s warm words replayed in his mind and melted away all of his concerns of the future. His dreams that night were vivid and exciting.

Arjuna awoke in the morning feeling wonderful and giddy. She saw beauty in the world around her that she had never noticed before. The beauty of her surroundings, her loved ones, and all of her blessings overwhelmed her with happiness. The only way she could externally express what she was feeling, was to dance. Arjuna was excited for the year that would unfold before her. 

Urvashi curses Arjuna,

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

Author's Note:
In my opinion, the most interesting portion of my reading assignment for this week was the year that the Pandava family spent in exile. I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to take on such a new and different identity. Specifically, I thought about Arjuna who would take on the role of a woman. I imagined that this would be intimidating and scary for him, and began to wonder what it would feel like the night before his "transformation" would occur. I figured an entire story could be created describing Arjuna's transformation alone.

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

Week 12 Reading Diary B: War Stories

For this reading assignment I continued reading Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata. This portion of the book focused on the famous battle scenes of this epic. In this retelling Sanjaya is the narrator, and describes all of the major scenes of the battle from a first-person perspective. Some of the main scenes include Bhsima getting hit by thousands of arrows and slowly dying. Also, the use of a trick to kill Drona (deceiving him and making him think his son is dead to catch him off-guard). Also, the battle between Arjuna and Karna- the two brothers who never had the chance to grow up together. One common scene throughout the narrative is the respect between the warriors, especially when the war first begins. Arjuna has a flashback of Bhishma playing with him as a child. Deep down, he loves and respects Bhishma, but at the same time he understands the importance and the necessity of the war they will fight against each other. I imagine these are complicated emotions to processes.

Duryodhana, however, continues to act like a selfish child throughout these scenes. I do not understand why such wise and powerful people such as Bhishma and Drona continue to fight on his side. This portion of the reading ends with Duryodhana hiding in the bottom of the lake, while his men are battling and dying for him- such a coward! I wish there was more of the story told from Draupadi’s point of view. She appears to be missing from the plot for the entirety of the war.

Arjuna and His Charioteer Krishna Confront Karna,

Author: Unknown. Date: circa 1820, Source: Wikimedia

Week 12 Reading Diary A: Noticing the Details

This portion of William Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata starts with the trial at the crystal lake and ends a little after the end of the Pandava exile. The questions asked by Dharma at the lake appear to be slightly different in each version of the story. In this version, Yudhishthira proved he understood the importance of wisdom, the danger of pride, and the power of contentment. It is always fun to read the dialogue between Dharma and Yudhishthira; it feels like reading through an old book of Indian proverbs.

Yudhistira and Yaksha,

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

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Pandava’s last year in exile when everyone had their disguises. Particularly, Arjuna’s is the most amusing. In his year of womanhood he teaches the princes how to dance… so it was quite comical to see her shock when he later returned to her a very masculine warrior. Draupadi seemed to have the most trouble in her exile. Her beauty is truly a blessing and a curse. Men claim that they cannot control themselves around her, but once again Draupadi exhibits the utmost amount of dignity and bravely protects herself in all situations… even when her life is threatened!
Arjuna has the most unrecognizable disguise, however, after him would probably be Yudhisthira. Since Yudhisthira is famous for losing everything he owns in a dice game, no one would ever guess that the kingdom “dice master” would be him!
This portion ended with Duryodhana refusing to play nice with the Pandava brothers. He reminds me so much of a spoiled child in these scenes. I do not know how Karna, Drona, and Bhishma are able to stay loyal to him through it all.

Week 11 Storytelling: Savitri Outsmarts Death

Savitri was incredibly smart and kind. She always had been the smartest person in her class, ever since she was little. She would never admit to it or brag about it, but everyone knew. It was no different for her when she started medical school. She was among some of the brightest minds in the nation, but she still outshined all of her classmates. Savitri had always been single, and this was one purpose. She didn’t see the need for a relationship before she had established herself.  It was well known among her classmates that she wasn’t interested in romance.
In her third year of medical school, Savitri confided in her best friend that she might be ready to find love. Well, Savitri’s friend told a couple people… and they told a couple people, and after a few days the whole school knew that Savitri might be ready to date. Savitri asked a few boys out for dinner, and they were all very nice. However, none of the first dates led to a second. That was until she met Satyavan.
Satyavan was wise, thoughtful, and kind. He was unlike any man she had ever met. The two began going on dates almost every weekend. Before long, Savitri knew that she had found the man she would marry. As Satyavan started to realize that their relationship was getting more serious, he knew he had to be completely honest with her. He pulled her aside one day and sat her down in private to talk. He told her about the rare disease he was diagnosed with a few months before they started dating. Unfortunately, his doctors said he only had one year to live.
Savitri was devastated, but it didn’t prevent her from loving him. The two were married the following week and began their life together. Savitri dedicated her life to her work. She was working on a big research project- she hoped to find the cure for Satyavan’s disease. She had a sense of urgency that her colleagues couldn’t replicate- her intensity was unparalleled. She researched, experimented, and developed a treatment for animal trial within 8 months. The treatment was successful, but it would take many more months, if not years, for the FDA to approve a human trial. Savitri was running out of time, and Satyavan grew weaker with each passing week. Savitri knew what she had to do. It went against all of the rules, but at this point she didn’t care. She began administering the treatment to Satyavan in secret in their home on the day that his year would’ve been up. Slowly but surely, Satyavan began to rebuild his strength. His doctors were amazed by his progress, and claimed that it had to have been a miracle that saved his life. Satyavan grinned, and glanced over at his wife. “I couldn’t agree more,” he responded.
In the following year, Savitri’s treatment was approved made available to the public. Savitri and Satyavan went on to live a long and happy life together.

Illustration of a hypodermic needle,

Author: zeimusu, Date: Not listed, Source: Free Stock Photos

Author’s Note:

In the original story Savitri gets to take her pick of who will be her husband, and she chooses a man who only has one year to live. These details of the story have remained the same. However, this version of the story takes place in a modern setting. Instead of Savitri literally outsmarting the lord of death, she uses her smarts to prevent the death of her husband by creating a cure for his disease. 

Bibliography:

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

Week 11 Reading Diary B: Stories within Stories

As I continue reading William Buck's retelling of the Mahabharata, I find myself discovering new stories that are told within the plot of the epic. For example, the story of Savitri and Satyavan was new to me. It was told by Vyasa to the Pandava brothers and Draupadi out of inspiration for their love. Savitri could have chosen anyone in the world to be her husband, and she allowed herself to fall in love with a man who had only a year to live. They enjoyed their year together, and when the time came, Savitri somehow managed to negotiate/trick the lord of death into reviving her husband. As if that weren't enough, she also managed to restore her father-in-law's vision and kingdom. Draupadi is similar to Savitri. After her husband gambled everything away (including her) she received favor from King Dhritarashtra which drastically improved their situation.

Savitri and Satyavan,

Author: R. Varma, Date: between 1848 and 1906, Source: Wikimedia

Another story I enjoyed was the story of the part-deer-part-boy Rishyasringa and his love for Santa. Rishyasringa had a very strict father who kept him isolated from the world and its pleasures. In fact, Rishyasringa had never really seen other people before. That's why when he met Santa for the first time, he thought she was a boy! He hadn't even learned about women before! The story of their first encounter was so sweet, and his descriptions of his new friend to his father were so innocent. Since he didn't really know how to explain love, he merely said he wanted to be the closest of friends with him (her) for his whole life. I was so relieved and happy that the two ended up together and that, ultimately, the father was supportive.

I look forward to reading more stories within this story, and hope to finish this book within the next couple of weeks!

Week 11 Reading Diary A: Same Epic in a New Way

This week, I am continuing to read William Buck’s retellingof the Mahabharata. One detail in this version of the Mahabharata that was left out of other versions I’ve read/watched was Draupadi’s behavior in the dice game. In this version, she literally punched Duhsasana who attempted to un-robe her. I loved it.

Another story included in this version that I was unfamiliar with was the story of Nala and Damayanti. This was a fascinating love story filled with unexpected twists and turns. One common thread between the story of Nala and Yudhishthira is there inability to turn down a gambling challenge. This frustrates me when I’m reading. Their inability to refuse a challenge (aka their pride/ego/etc) somehow seems to justify their stupid actions. Basically, what I’m saying is, I don’t feel sorry for Nala or Yudhishthira when they lose all of their possessions in a gambling match. In fact, it makes me pretty angry at their character. If I was their wife or family member, I would find it very difficult to forgive them.

One thing that confuses me about the references to dice games in this story is, first of all, how Yudhishthira managed to lose every single throw and second of all how anyone can learn the “science” of dice. I find myself craving more details about the dice used… were they weighted? Did they have magnets in them? Was it an illusion? I think the answer to this question could make for an interesting retelling of the dice match in a storytelling assignment.

The ordeal of Queen Draupadi,

Author: Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, 1873-1936; Goble, Warwick, Date: 1913, Source: Wikimedia

Week 10: Famous Last Words

This past week was slightly busy with two tests in other classes. Luckily the tests were on Thursday. I prefer to have tests towards the end of the week. I would rather work hard on the weekdays than stress about tests over the weekend.

I was very pleased with the reading assignment I chose for this week. I found it easy to read, and looked forward to the time in the week I set aside for this reading assignment. I also enjoyed the illustrations included in my reading, they are beautiful and contribute a lot to the stories. I will continue reading this book for the next few reading assignments.

I think my best writing was my storytelling assignment for this week. I know a couple of families who have five or more kids, and I often hear people joke with them saying, “What, are you trying to create your own basketball team?” This silly joke inspired me to convert the Pandava brothers into a team of college basketball players. The story was fun, light-hearted, and easy to write! I think I could improve my reading diary writing by including some more details. I will try to take better notes this week!

Unfortunately I missed this week’s presidential debate. I was so busy studying for my tests and wasn’t able to carve out time to watch. Usually they play a replay, so hopefully I’ll be able to catch that this week! Also, this past week, I enjoyed celebrating Halloween. Even though Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday, I had fun spending time in silly costumes with my friends and family and passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. My roommate went all out with the decorations at our house. We had pumpkins, pine cones, witches, cobwebs, and caution tape all over our house. It was a lot of fun!

(Image Information: personal photo of my friends and I;

photo from October 2015.)