Indian Epics Blog

"Thank you, greatest and honourable Rama." The words were strange against human lips, the sound of Ahalya's voice new to her after so many years. Her whole body ached in protest when she moved. After a thousand years of stone, Ahalya could again feel the soft breeze, and the sun's warmth. She could feel the dirt squish between her toes, and the blood flow through her body as if singing. And finally, she could exact the justice that was due. To live as granite until Rama happened along after a thousand years was not a punishment any person deserved. Rama had said not to let the past burden her, but he did not know that it had become her purpose. When Rama and company left, she quickly gathered a special herb from the brushes nearby. She returned to her husband, who had been waiting. Gautama opened his arms to Ahalya, and they entered the ashram as renewed husband and wife. A purified heart Rama had told Gautama, but Gautama in all his wisdom was still suspicious. Eve...

The Ramayana, Pages 53-89 Characters : King Dasaratha, Sage Vasishtha, Kausalya, Rama, Kaikeyi, Bharatha, Sumithra, Lakshamana, Sathrugna, Sita, Mareecha, the people of Adyodhya (follow Rama), Jatayu, Kamavalli/Soorpanaka, Ravana, Kara POV : Narayan translates the poet Kamban's version of  The Ramayana Setting(s) : the kingdom/country of Kosala, Adyodhya the capital, Chitrakuta (forest exile), Panchvati (forest exile) Deities and demons : Shiva (referenced), Mareecha, Manmata (mentioned several times, god of love, aka Kamdeva), Ravana, Vayu (god of wind), Yama (god of death), Kara (stepbrother of Soorpanaka) Favourite sentences/phrases : "A word given is like an arrow, it goes forward. You cannot recall it midway..." -Rama on fulfilling his father's words "While I fly, follow me in the shadow of my wings." -Jatayu "A serpent's feet are known to another serpent." -Soorpanaka to Rama Section Summaries : Chapter 3: Two Promises Revive...

The Ramayana, Pages 1-53 Characters* : King Dasaratha, Sage Vasishtha, Rishya Sringa (*gives king the bolus which allows him to have children), Kausalya (mother of Rama), Kaikeyi (mother of Bharatha), Sumithra (mother of Lakshamana and Sathrugna), Sage Viswamithra, Thataka, Ahalya, Sita, King Janaka, Kooni POV : Narayan translates the poet Kamban's version of The Ramayana Setting(s) : the kingdom/country of Kosala, Adyodhya the capital, Mithila, forest and mountainland on the trip to Mithila travelled by Viswamithra and the two brothers, Rama and Lakshamana Deities and demons⧫ : Shiva (the destroyer, his bow is the one Rama breaks), Ravana (demon), Vishnu (Rama his incarnation), Ganga (goddess of the Ganges river), Thataka (demon mother of Mareecha and Subahu, defeated by Rama and his bow), Manmata (god of love, aka Kamdeva), Indra (the thousand 'eye' god), Lakshmi (incarnated as Sita) Favourite sentences/phrases : "A seed that sprouts at the foot of its parent ...

"Feedback". Source : Flickr Learning to grow from feedback.... The first article I read was by Tim Herrera, entitled " Why It’s So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback ". It was the first one that caught my attention because I know I am someone who often shies away from any type of feedback (positive or negative). My favourite part of Herrera's article was where he discussed that we are often afraid of negative feedback because we aren't sure if everyone is giving it in "good faith". Sometimes I've caught myself questioning a person's intentions, even if they say they're just trying to be honest. I really liked that he suggested framing negative feedback in a way that leaves room for improvement, or better yet, gives ways to improve. I definitely like feedback that helps me improve. At the university level usually all we receive is a grade unaccompanied by comments or reasons, and I think that that 'bad' grade acts as our only ...

Sri Sita, daughter of Bhumi , wife of Rama, and mother of Lava and Kusha. Source : Flickr Reincarnation In the previous blog post we did on storytelling, I mentioned I really wanted explore this topic, and learn more about it. One of my favourite storybooks at the beginning was based on this topic, and I am still very interested in reading and writing about it! Specifically, I like the concept of Samsara  because while I have heard about reincarnation before, this term was new to me. "To exist is to wander through an endless cycle of rebirth and redeath" was a sentence that came to mind when I first read about Samsara. If I do use this topic, I would hope to tie in karma as a part of samsara (and thus reincarnation ), because it seems to be a central factor in the many "lives" of reincarnation. I am not sure yet how I would retell any specific stories, but contrasting reincarnations and incarnations such as looking at the reincarnation of Sita (Vedavati) vs h...

From my dwelling, I watched the world through moving blue glass, scattering light from the rising sun along the surface. The water of the lake rippled even now as a soft breeze caressed it. From my dwelling, I watched fish dart back and forth, eager to swim in the morning. It was to be a peaceful day. The forest surrounding my lake was vast, and I could hear the muffled sounds and cries of nature's wake. A quick silhouette above signaled to me that a bird was flying over, perhaps a mother out for the day to catch food for her little ones. The clumsy rustling of bushes at the water's edge told me there was another creature ambling about. Of all the glorious mysteries that nature had to offer in this forest, I would argue that my lake was one of the best. It was a water garden. Water lilies sat prettily with lily pads that littered the lake's waters. Among them sat several beautiful lotuses, of white and of blue. They were in full bloom in the early morning sun, their pet...

The Crane and the Crab Characters : Crane (the 'antagonist'), Fish (the 'gullible'), Crab (the 'protagonist') Setting(s) : A dying pool, a beautiful pool full of potential POV : Third person, [ Potential exploration : who is this narrator? An onlooker, a descendant of the crab, another crane warning younger cranes that nothing comes of being wicked and deceitful?] Themes : karma, what goes around comes around, wickedness does not pay, an eye for an eye (the crane lost his life in a cruel way just as the fish did) Favourite sentences/phrases : "So perished the treacherous Crane, caught by his own trick ".  "And he smiled to himself, for that beak was made to eat fish, not to carry them." "“Crane dear,” said he, “aren’t you going to put me in the lake?”" Thoughts : Was the crane 'wrong' for what he did since it was in his nature to prey on the fish? Was it not  what  he did but  how  he did it (tricking the fish in...

The Ramayana I'm choosing to read Narayan's version of The Ramayana  not only because I ordered and now already have the book, but also as I like reading physical copies of stories. I am interested to read the stories in the 'novel' format they are written in for Narayan's version. I hope that I will still have time to explore the other version online, particularly the illustrations and the links that further explain some of the characters and terms. Comic Books and Videos For the comic books, I'm firstly interested in reading " Vasantasena, A Dancer ". It honestly caught my attention because it was about a dancer, but after reading the synopsis, which sounds like the plot to several modern comedies, I'm more curious to see how the story is portrayed as a comic. Secondly, I'd like to read " Tales of Durga ", and I was drawn to the cover because it seemed to be about a female protagonist who was in the midst of battle (not being sav...

At this point, I am convinced that procrastination is a genetic factor. Both of my parents are procrastinators, and I am extremely guilty of it. I have a bad habit of eating my frogs all at once, at 3 in the morning! "Procrastination: A plot to put off things til the last minute". Source : Flickr All jokes aside, time management is a skill I continually have to work on. It's really important not just because we're college students, but also as, in the grander scheme of things, we all want to make the most of our time in life. I prefer working late at night, especially if it's writing. Thus, for me this is even more of a reason to start early and manage my time better. One of the articles I picked was "The Psychology of Checklists", by Lauren Marches e. One of the organisations I'm a part of uses Trello so it was interesting to see her perspective on time management, coming out of using the Trello app. I also use checklists as a strategy for time...

Becoming tech savvy in the online classroom... There were several different tech tools that I had never encountered before. Though I knew some of them, I didn't realise that some web services offered them for free (such as creating a website for free by Google). I think one of the coolest ones was Twine, where you allow people to create their own stories following certain links across the Storybook. It seems like it requires a lot more investment, since you then have to makeup multiple stories, but the result is an interactive and really interesting website. I've created graphics before using websites like Piktochart , and I enjoyed making them, so I am looking forward to being able to make them for this class. I was introduced to graphic design and image editing for one of my previous classes, where we had to make an infographic. Having class online certainly is a different experience, but learning these new skills is extremely relevant outside of the classroom. It also allow...

The early bird gets the worm... I have never had a class where you had the opportunity to finish early. Some of my courses have had the option to "work through on your own time", but this schedule is much more flexible. Finishing early is one aspect of the class I am really looking forward to, and so far, I enjoy how the schedule works. Picking the extra credit is also new to me, and I like the assignment "Tech Tips". As I have never made a blog before, I want to explore more behind creating and editing blogs, as well as maybe see some tips on how to change its appearance as the semester goes on. For the core assignments, I am excited to start reading! Additionally, being able to see what other classmates have written and created will be a good way to get to know them. I especially like that we will be learning about different feedback strategies, as I hope to be able to get better at providing feedback. Not only for this class, but moving forward in other areas a...

"Growth Mindset", measuring a growing mind. Source : Post by David Hochheiser, Edutopia Believing you can improve... I have encountered the concept of growth mindset before, but I didn't know who proposed it, and I had not heard about it in her own words. When I first became a tutor at OU, I was taught about Carol Dweck's growth mindset as not just a tool for students to use in challenging academic settings, but also the way in which we were supposed to approach tutoring. Focusing on helping students progress , instead of simply succeed has led to really effective tutoring strategies, including Socratic questioning (instead of simply giving an answer, you lead the person to the answer with a series of questions). Honestly, as a student, I don't always like when people use Socratic questioning on me, especially when I feel like not even the parts of the problem make sense. But these kinds of strategies force you to find your own  way towards a solution, and...

Hi everyone! :) My name is Daana Roach, and I am a Chemical Biosciences (Pre-Vet) major with minors in Psychology and Biological Conservation. With this odd combination, I am (hopefully) going to pursue a programme in Veterinary Conservation Medicine after I graduate. I want to work with endangered species and in conservation efforts, especially concerning marine life or big cats of the genus Panthera : Amur leopard ( Panthera pardus orientalis ), listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Source : Wikimedia Commons Psychology isn't necessarily tied to any of these plans, but I really enjoy it. I grew up in Barbados , an island in the Southeast of the Caribbean, and finished up secondary school in Canada before coming to OU. I may  be biased, but Barbados has some of the most beautiful beaches in the region. It's 166 sq miles big (or small maybe haha), and has a population of about approximately 300, 000. Personal image taken of Miami Beach at sunset, Barbados....

1. "To Love and Lose: The Story of Hidimbi" I have not been exposed to the Indian Epics in detail, and so I was not familiar with Hidimbi's story before this Storybook. What captured my attention to this story was the writing in the first title and what posed as the introduction "Come, hear the story...". I admire when authors engage their readers with their work, and this introduction effectively made me feel involved in this story. It was as if throughout it I was sitting with the sage next to fire as he crafted Hidimbi's tale, just like the traditional method of storytelling in many cultures. The longstanding tradition of storytelling accompanied by a roaring fire. Source : Flickr The layout and design of this Storybook overall is really beautiful and eye-catching, especially the moving pictures behind the text. It was only a little distracting, but I really liked the author's explanation of their choices at the end of each page. For example, ...

The East Coast, Barbados I grew up in Barbados, a Southeast island in the Caribbean, and because it's such a small place, the coast is probably just a little longer than 21 miles (the actual length of Barbados!). Only the really adventurous swim on the east coast, as the beaches are marked by rough sand and sharp rocks. However, the view from almost any spot is beautiful, and the smell and sound of the crashing waves makes it a peaceful, almost surreal place: (Personal picture: taken from St. John, a parish on the east coast of Barbados) And here is a picture of one of the beaches on the east coast as well: Bathsheba, St. Joseph, Barbados. Source: Barbados.org *Fun fact: An episode of the 54 Season drama "The Days of Our Lives" was filmed on this beach" :) Ontario, Canada Many Barbadians move to Canada, including several of my family members. I've visited Canada a few times over the years, and I studied in British Columbia for the last two ...

First blog post I've ever created!