Storytelling Week 3: The Great Hanuman

Rama and Hanuman were searching to find Sita. She had been kidnapped by Ravana and the two friends are determined to rescue her from Ravana. Throughout the journey, Hanuman and his friends were very helpful and supportive towards Rama. He was devastated that Sita, his dearly beloved, had been kidnapped by the evil Ravana. Hanuman and Rama would do whatever it took to bring Sita back.

"Rama, I will bring Sita back to you," said Hanuman.

Rama had been such a great friend to Hanuman. Their friendship was strong and Rama had once saved Hanuman from drowning in the water. Ever since then, the two had been great friends and did everything together. Hanuman was loyal to Rama. He admired him for being such a great leader and having a strong personality. Moreover, they were not just friends but almost like brothers. They would have done anything for each other. The two marched into the forest and found Ravana holding Sita while she was crying. She screamed Rama's name and Rama was ready to battle with Ravana.

"You stole my woman, so prepare to die!" cried Rama. He pulled out his sword and Rama and Ravana started to fight. The swords were clinking back and forth but Ravana had the advantage with his twenty arms. He grabbed Rama by the throat and was just about to strangle Rama to death when Hanuman came to the rescue. He grabbed his club and smacked one of Ravana's heads. Ravana screamed in pain. Ravana reciprocated and used his sword and stabbed Hanuman right in the heart. Hanuman screamed and fell on the ground. Just when Ravana was about to finish Hanuman, Rama pulled out his bow and arrow and shot him in the chest. That was the end of Ravana.

Rama rushed over to Hanuman trying to save him.

"My dear friend, you saved my life but why! Now you are in pain and suffering and it is all my fault. You should have left me to take care of that villain!" said Rama

"My dear Rama, you knew I would have done anything for you.You are my best friend and I am willing to risk my life to save you. You saved my life before and now I am repaying you."

Rama started tearing up knowing that his best friend could not survive this tragedy. While holding Hanuman tightly in his arms, he wanted to make sure all of India recognized Hanuman's bravery. Hanuman was a hero and had done so much for Rama.

Rama and Sita continued their journey back to Ayodhya and Rama became the king. He made a special day in recognition of Hanuman's bravery. He wanted the people of India to know the importance of courage and Hanuman was the symbol of courage. The day of Hanuman's memorial was sad for everyone. Hanuman would be remembered by all of the people in India.

(Hanuman In Battle) Source: Hanuman

Author's Note: Hanuman's death scene was a new twist to the story. I wanted to emphasize the character of Hanuman and how he was willing to risk his life to save Rama. Hanuman admired Rama as a true god and wanted the best for his friend. He wanted to help Rama find Sita knowing how important she was to him. I decided to make a death scene just to show how selfless Hanuman was. The battle scene was a little dramatic but I wanted to focus on the bravery of Hanuman. Just when Rama was being attacked, he was able jump in and rescue him. The part of Rama and Hanuman's last words when Hanuman was about to die was kind of sad, but I wanted to show how true their friendship towards each other was. In the story I emphasized the words "like brothers" because they were not just friends but almost like brothers. They were both willing to risk their own lives to save one another and that is the point of my story... true friendship. My theme is to focus on the character of Hanuman more than Rama, although in the Ramayana he was the main character. I wanted to make Hanuman the main character in the story. That is why towards the end of the story, Hanuman was recognized by his bravery from everyone.

Bibliography: Narayan R.K (1972) The Ramayana

Week 3 Reading Diary B: The Ending of the Story

(pgs 131-171)

The story continues with Hanuman searching for Sita and transforming into different sizes in order to cross the ocean to Lanka. Then he spotted Sita and managed to tell her that Rama is still alive and looking for her. I really adore Hanuman's character even more than Rama. Hanuman is selfless and loyal to Rama and would do practically anything to help him. I thought it was interesting when all the animals decided to build a bridge in order to help Rama rescue Sita. Yet when Rama finally battled with Ravana and won, he had to test Sita to see if she's pure or not. Throughout the story, I feel bad for Sita because she's the helpless one. Sita was abducted and when her love finally saved her, she had to be tested if she was pure? So with all the hard work from the animals and the battles they went through, if Sita wasn't pure would Rama leave her? Then when she has proven that she is pure, he finally takes her in? What about all the grief she went through? Maybe I'm being too opinionated but the test for Sita was unfair because it wasn't her fault she was kidnapped. The battle between Rama and Ravana was quite intense, although I do not see why Rama wouldn't strike the opponent when he fainted but he finished the job anyways. I guess Rama wanted a fair fight.

(Rama and Ravana's Battle) Source: Rama and Ravana

My favorite character throughout this book would definitely be Hanuman because he is a such a humble god. His selfless deeds and dedication to Rama would make him a great king, not Rama. For my storybook, I might want to change the part of Rama becoming king and Hanuman instead. I've thought about several different versions and making Sita have a happy ending since in the original story she had so much grief. 

Week 3 Reading Diary A: Hanuman to the Rescue

In this episode of reading, I really enjoyed the character Hanuman. I felt like throughout the rest of the book he was a big help to Rama, a long with the fellow animals (pgs.89-130). He had helped Rama battle with Vali and also Ravana for the abduction of Sita. I also enjoyed the character Sugriva. It is sad that he lost his wife but in the end Sugriva helped Rama in the lead of the search party. Sugriva became king after the battle with Vali. Also I admire the bravery of Hanuman, in one particular chapter on pg.118 Hanuman said, "Do not despair or give up. There is much we can still do. If we are to die let us die in a battle. Remember Jatayu, how he died nobly fighting Ravana to the last." There is so much bravery in Hanuman and he is so loyal. The mention of Jatayu encouraged them to fight. Hanuman was a very significant character in this story especially to Rama, without his help and others Rama may have never found Sita. They were the support system for Rama and most importantly Hanuman was glorified for his courage and knew that he was the only one who could carry the message of hope to Sita. His search for Sita continues as he shrinks himself into a smaller size towards the end of the book. 

(Hanuman) Source: Hanuman

Poor Jatayu who tried to save Sita from Ravana. Although he failed, in his last dying breath he tried to tell Rama Lakshama where RAvana went but it was too late for he had passed away. Hanuman is loyal to Rama and that is what makes him so important in the story. 

Indian Epics Topics Brainstorm

1. Possible Topic: Rama and Sita's Love Story
I am fascinated with Rama and Sita's love and decided to make a story with a happy ending to it. Since the actual story involved with him putting her into exile and betrayal. I decided to make an interesting love story that involves with a happy ending. I have decided to make it similar to a Disney fairytale. Since the original story was kind of depressing, I want to create something different, perhaps some sort of twist? not sure exactly yet. I might make the story revolve around Sita's character more than Rama.
Research so far: According to Wikipedia Rama, he was the seventh avatar of the Hindu God, Vishnu. Rama was seen as an optimist in the story. He is known to be perfect and full of self-control. I chose to do the love story between Rama and Sita because we just read the Ramayana recently, and I think I want to add a different perspective focusing on Sita's character more.

(Rama and Sita): Source: Rama

2. Possible Topic: Ravana's Love for Sita 
In relation to the love between Rama and Sita, I think I will also add Ravana in it and turn their relationship into a love triangle. However, instead of Ravana abducting Sita. She will have to choose between Rama or Ravana and so the story will focus on Sita's decision, but I think I will draw in more attention with the connection between Rama and Sita since they're going to end up with each other.
Research so far: Since Ravana was the antagonist in the original story. I'm going to make someone else as the antagonist and not Ravana. He is not going to kidnap Sita but instead let her make the decision of who she wants to be with. I think i will make him as "the guy who got the short-end of the stick" or "good guys finish last". According to Ravana, he was seen as the demon King, but I want to change that and make him a nice King.

(Ravana and Sita) Source: Ravana

3. Possible Topic: The Diary of Vishnu Tales
This story it will be like a diary version of a story told by Vishnu and his deeds. It will be like the journey of Vishnu and his accomplishments. Since Vishnu was seen to be the almighty and protector. I might use the movie Taken and add Vishnu as the hero and protecting his avatars from the evil kidnappers, or maybe I will describe the conflict between him and Indra in order to protect his avatars from Indra. He would be like a secret service agent.
Research so far: According to Vishnu, he was seen as the "All-Pervading" and protector of the world. I thought the movie taken would be similar since it was about a father protecting his daughter. Except Vishnu would be protecting his avatars. His incarnations will be more like clones, so clones of him instead of rebirthing.

(Vishnu) Source: Vishnu

4. Possible Topic: Ganesha 
Another topic I was thinking about was focusing on Ganesha known to be the Lord of Success and selflessness. The story will be like an interview of documentary of Ganesha's life and his travel from India and to other different countries in the world. How he helped other people and chose the life of being selfless and happiness. I might add in how much he loves yoga and holds yoga sessions and events frequently. It will be like the success of Ganesha.
Research so far: According to Ganesha, he has different meanings in all different parts of his body. I decided to use that and make a story based of his life experiences and his journey throughout traveling the world. I would also add his how he achieved his symbols which are his body parts for all the good deeds he has done.

(Baby Ganesha) Source: Ganesha

Famous Last Words: Week 2

This week I didn't do so well on the assignments, I had to miss Tuesday and Wednesday assignment because my books didn't arrive on time. So I'm doing all the extra credit assignments to make up for it. However, I did finished the book Ramayana this morning. I finally got the book Wednesday and literally had to speed read because I had my Capstone book to finish. I'm glad Professor Gibbs posted the reading guides on her blog because the stories are kind of confusing, its the names that throw me off because some of them have two different names or they disguise themselves as someone else. I'm so thankful for those reading guides because they helped a lot.

There were a lot of interesting stories this week as I was commenting on people's blogs. Everyone is so creative with their stories and the pictures were fascinating. I saw some really good pictures on there and some of their blog layouts really fit the Indian Epics theme. I am intrigued by one story though, someone wrote a fairytale about Rama and Sita and I really enjoyed it, maybe because I'm a sucker for fairytales and Disney stories. Her story was very well written and was fluent in her writing. It was easier to read because of the way she wrote her story in such a nice and crisp way.

So far in my other classes, there are a lot of homework going on and readings. Endless and endless readings but that is how college is. In my capstone class, we just finished the book Time to Start Thinking by Edward Luce. This book is about the American economy and the challenges we are facing in our nation. The book is so pessimistic, but it really gave an eye opening view of how America is falling apart. Luce talks about the issues with middle class hollowing out, public education, money influence in Washington DC. I mean this book is like problems on top of problems. Anyways I don't want to get into details about politics especially those who are uninterested but reading this book and watching Obama's State of the Union Address was so shocking because it is literally two separate views.  If you are interested in politics, you have to read the book! However, all I can say is that this book is definitely not for those "cheerleaders" of America, but it is a different perspective on Luce's opinion about America.

(House of Cards, Netflix Series): House of Cards

Okay, so I posted this picture of House of Cards because I am absolutely obsessed with this show! I can't wait for Season 3 to come out... I mean Frank Underwood just gives me the chills! I don't want to say anymore about it because some people have not seen it and I advise you to! 

Famous Last Words: Week 1

My best writing I have done so far in this class would be my Introduction post. It was easier to write because it was an explanation about myself. Although I have to admit my writing skills are not the best and I need to brush up on my past tense. I managed to pull through with the Introduction post or at least I think I did. A good way to improve my writing strategy would probably be reading out loud to myself. It is one of the best methods because sometimes when you are typing, you don't realize the words when it is in your head, but reading out loud is like a way to double check yourself. You catch a lot of mistakes when you read a loud and then you think, "Am I right?" or "Omgosh this sounds really weird!"You catch a lot of your mistakes when you proofread your writings. So far, I haven't experience any new creative writing yet, it is the first week and my goal right now is to get everything done. I really need to slow down with my assignments but working 35 hours per week and full-time student makes me anxious to get everything done as quick as possible. I feel like I'm running out of time.

There are several interesting stories I have read from other people. I can't believe people are so creative! One story I found interesting was about a "potential" scary story that someone wrote (I forgot his name) about a guy name Jerry who had a nightmare but didn't realize it until he woke up on the plane. It was fascinating because the author created the whole story based off of one picture. What a great imagination! I felt like I was reading a scary novel or watching a movie.

So far my other classes are going well but my Capstone class is kind of intimidating. I am taking a Capstone in Political Science and well there are a lot of discussions in that class. It is more of evaluation of your readings and sum it up in your own opinion. I'm kind of shy when it comes to speaking out loud in class mostly because I'm afraid I will say something stupid. Some students are bright and offer their opinions all the time. Right now, my mentality is to get through this last semester and I'm free!

Something interesting outside of school for me is... well right now I plan to take a year off after this semester (I am graduating in the spring) and teach English in Korea. There is a program called TALK that is specifically for non-Korean speakers to teach english in Korea as well as a chance to experience the Korean culture. My first destination is to travel to Europe but since the program in Korea is willing to pay for all expenses, I thought it is a better opportunity for me. Also, I can save the money later and travel to Europe. After the year, I will go to graduate school for my masters degree in Political Science.

(South Korean Flag) Source: South Korea

Overview

Looking through the books, I am definitely interested in learning about the Indian culture and lifestyle. In William Buck's Ramayana, he focused more on the evolution of Hindu culture and religion. Although I do not know much about Hindu religion, I find it intriguing because every time I go to yoga class, I always find pictures of Ganesha and other Hindu gods. So far I am interested in learning about Hindu religion and Indian culture. I have never studied Indian Epics before and this is actually my first class to study over traditional epic. I am also currently taking a class over China's warfare which introduced some of the Chinese traditional culture and geography. Chinese traditional epic is probably something I am most familiar with because my background is Chinese descent. My parents are from Southeast Asia and immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s. I was born here in the States but grew up adapting to the Chinese culture. I don't know much about the Indian culture besides a few words that relate to yoga. I've seen images of Ganesha because she is a popular Indian God. I have experienced Indian food before and it is really good! However, I haven't seen any movies or know anything about their culture. Their dresses are really pretty, I think they are called saris? The topic that would interest me the most would be Hinduism. I am fascinated by different religions so Hinduism would be my main interest.

(Picture of Ganesha, Hindu God) Source: Ganesha

Storybook Favorites

Tales of the Strength and the Struggles by Elizabeth Illerbrun
Source: Tales of the Strength and the Struggles

The topic of the story was interesting and shared experiences of men's relationships towards women. This is the first time I ever read the story but there are similar situations where women were not as valuable in society. I'm not quite sure of the Indian culture so please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that many men don't value women in Indian society. Women were known to be wife and mother material. So in the story, the husbands betrayed the wives and society still see it was the women's fault. In fact, some countries today still blame women because they weren't seen as valuable or successful.
The introduction was clear and explained how these women talked about their relationships to ease the pain. It is obvious that Sita and Ahalya were hurt and blamed for their unfortunate marriages.
The design was so pretty! I really like space theme but has a touch of soft color to it. It was very feminine looking and I really like the pinkish purple color.

Food and Culture: An Indian Scrapbook by Autumn
Source: Food and Culture

I picked the topic because it was about food and who doesn't like food! The topic was very interesting and Autumn seem like she knew a lot about cooking different ethnic foods. It's exciting how there are so man Indian spices, maybe that is why their food is so good. The topic of Indian food is entirely new to me, although I knew Indian used spices to cook most of the food, I had no idea that ginger was popular. However, ginger is pretty popular in most Asian countries, it is the key ingredient for all foods.
The introduction was did a good job of explaining the topic. It was kind of like a cookbook more than a story. However, she did explained about how the spices are also used for medicinal purposes. She also talked about the different peppers and which part of the countries it is from. I've always wanted to try Samosas, I don't know anywhere in Oklahoma that has them, maybe a few Indian restaurants?
The design was plain but simple clear. Maybe she could have put more thought into the template but I liked the pictures! The foods looked so good, I can already feel like I'm getting hungry.

Yama's Hair Salon by Carrie Graham
Source: Yama's Hair Salon

The topic was not familiar with me. It is the first time I heard of the story and I had to read the author's note before reading the whole story. However, I thought the person who wrote this short story was pretty clever and made the story interesting. She said hair salon was known for gossips and from the story women shared their experiences with each other. I see the relation there because my mother owns a hair salon and there is a lot of gossiping going on with her clients. I liked the story sounded very cheerful and not dull. Most importantly, she did a good job and rewriting it in her own story with interesting details.
The introduction was was good but reading it, I was confused because I didn't know the real story about Yama or Chitragupta. So I had to read the author's note first before reading the whole story.
The design was very very simple. It was mainly a purple background and that was it, but sometimes simple is good.

(Indian Culture) Ganesha and Food

Introduction- A Busy Student

Hi Everyone!

I am currently a student at the University of Oklahoma. I am a senior this year with a political science degree. This is my last semester and really excited because well I am finally done with school soon. Right now I am taking 15 credit hours and working part time at a law firm as a receptionist/secretary. I also work at a restaurant on the weekends so I am very very busy. After I graduate, I plan to take a year off and work and then plan on going to graduate school for my masters. 

(School and Work) Source: Books

My interests are yoga, gym, and cooking. I usually love to cook but lately I've been so busy that I kind of stopped. However, I am a very active person and love doing hot yoga and the gym! I run at least 3 miles every two days in a week and go to hot yoga at least once or twice a week depending on my schedule. Yes, I try to make time to be active even with a busy schedule. Staying active and fit is important to me. I am also picking up hobbies in pilates and pole-dancing classes (no it is not a stripper's thing). I enjoy hiking and love being outdoors. 

(Favorite Hobby) Source: Hot Yoga

Currently, my favorite TV shows are: Modern Family, Revenge, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Doctor Who, Sons of Anarchy, Once Upon A Time, House of Cards. I have many more that I have finished as well. People think I'm strange because I like all different TV shows but I just enjoy watching good television. 

I don't have any current books because I don't really read. I do so much reading in school especially with my major and work that I choose not to read outside of my time. However, I will read books over life and relationship issues and other advise tips or stories from other people's perspectives. I am a huge fan of reading blogs online or articles such as The Daily Positive and Elite Daily. I'm not much of a fan over books people hype about such as Twilight or The Hunger Games, sorry people but I rather watch the movies.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pets although my ideal dog is a husky!! I've always wanted one and will get one as soon as I have the money to take care of it. Why I love huskies so much? They are absolutely beautiful with their bright colored eyes and they are loyal dogs. Who wouldn't want one?!

Pretty much, thats all about me I can think of. Feel free to comment!

Week 1: Storytelling: The Lion, The Stag, and The Fox

There once was a Fox who was manipulative and cunning. He lied and cheated on people to accommodate his own needs. Everyone in the village despise the Fox and he is known for a bad reputation for being a villain. He was clever and unpredictable and always tricked people. He would take the children's food and steal their belongings. He would make fun of the villagers and laugh until he cried. He would eat all the shepherd's sheep and leave the remains on the field. He was a horrible creature. One day, a Lion from far away land stumbled upon the village. He was famished and constantly looking for food. The Lion approached the Fox and saw how delicious he looked and was going to feast on him. The fox begged and pleaded for his life and promised the Lion a village of people for his dinner. The Lion was surprised for he had not seen anyone in the village. The Fox said, " Please your majesty, don't eat me! I promise you a village of people would taste so much better than me! I will lead you to them!" and so the Lion followed the Fox to the villagers where the Lion ate everyone including the last children of the house. The Lion was satisfied and said " I will be back Fox for more!" and so the Lion left and a few weeks later a new stranger appeared. A wandering Stag came into the empty village and met the Fox. "Excuse me, but do you mind if I stay here for the night?" said the Stag. The Fox stared deeply into the Stag and thought of the Lion's return. "Why yes, you may stay as long as you want", he said in a sly voice. The next day the Lion returned and demanded for food. Quickly, the Fox led him to the Stag but realized the Stag wasn't there. The Stag ended up not staying for the whole night and left on his journey. The fox panicked for he did not prepare anything else for the Lion. The Lion was furious and really really hungry. The Fox begged for his life and promised to be the Lion's servant if he doesn't eat him. The Lion was angry because he was tricked by the Fox and ate him before he could cry. 

 Source: The Lion, The Stag, and The Fox

Author's Note:

The fox saw the stag and said he was a rich meat. The fox then promised the lion, he will offer the stag for the lion to eat and leave him as the remainder. However, the stag was smart enough and predicted what the fox was up to and ran to a place of safety. The lion could not find the stag and quickly ate the fox because he was hungry. The moral of the story: "The wicked are often caught in their toils." 

I left the theme of the story the same but added more twists into it and focused on the fox's behavior. I added the villagers because I want people to see how evil and a coward the fox is. I didn't focus on the stag as much until towards the end of the story but he was only in a little part of it. Overall, the story was pretty much the same but more of the expanded version. I added more details than the original short story because the original was rather short. I emphasized the wicked and cruelty in the fox to show how sly he is. The villagers were his victims but even as sly and tricky he is, the fox is still a coward and afraid of the lion. In the end the fox got what he deserved.

Book: Indian Fables- The Lion, The Stag, and The Fox (based off the story)

Author: Ramaswami Raju

Year Published: First text in 1901, New text in 2009

Web Source: Long Story Fable

                      Short Story Fable

My Favorite Place: Boston, MA

(Boston, MA) Source:Boston Night Skyline

New Post for Indian Epics Class

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