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