Week 2: Reading Diary A

Dasaratha was a mighty man who seemed to have everything he could ever want, including three wives, but he was not satisfied because all he wanted was a son--an heir.  In order to get this son they had to sacrifice a horse.  This was really interesting to me.  He ended up getting his wish, as each of the wives bore sons, but Rama was the special son.

I loved how descriptive these passages are.  It made it so much more easy to follow along as I pictured the story in my head.  I was much more entertained and even had a vision of what these characters looked like.

I liked the story of Thataka.  She seemed like such a scary creature, and it seemed as though she was not a real person, but more like a mystical creature.  Rama is again the shining star in this passage, slaying Thataka and being rejoiced as the prince.  It seems like there isn't anyone that doesn't love Rama.

I especially enjoyed the story of princess Sita, it sounds like the makings of any great rom-com.   The brothers were described as being so manly and handsome, and princess Sita seems to be so dainty.  This story made me laugh because it seems so cheesy, but that is my favorite type of story to read.  I loved reading more about what happened with Rama and Sita.  They eventually were set to be engaged and then even got married.  This was one of my favorite passages of the reading because I am a sucker for weddings!

Wikipedia (Rama and Sita with their Children)

References: PDE Ramayana
Ramayana Reading Guide

Week 1: Curation and Creation

I really enjoyed this particular assignment, because I love exploring new ways to gather information and browse the web.  I am completely obsessed with Pinterest, and have been for a couple of years now.  Most of my friends got sick of using it after a while, but I have never gotten sick of it.  I am on it for at least 30 minutes a day.  I love it for shopping, looking for recipes, getting work out tips, finding different art, and more.  However, I had never really thought of using it as a research platform for school.  I think this is something I would really like to try out, because I am very familiar with Pinterest,  and it would be an easy way for me to keep myself organized with whatever information I find.  I am a pretty organized person overall, but I definitely could use a little help with my computer because I am not the most tech-savvy individual.  That being said, I appreciated the bookmarking tip, I think that will be a great way for me to keep everything for this course together for easy access!

Wikimedia commons (pinterest logo)

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

Wikipedia: (Indian Elephant)

Elephant Storybook

This topic immediately caught my eye, because I absolutely love elephants! They have always been my favorite animal, so of course I had to choose this storybook as one of my favorites.  The title let me know exactly what is was going to be about, and I was not disappointed.  I thought the introduction was creative and instead of explaining what the storybook would be about, the author told a story that made the reader want to know more.  I loved that the background was pictures of elephants, and I thought the color scheme worked really well with the theme.  I had no problems navigating the site, and felt that this storybook would be a great one to reference when building my own.

Lord Rama Storybook

I naturally loved this storybook and was drawn to it because of the title.  I thought it was so creative for the author to twist this storybook into his own and merge the Indian Epics culture he had learned in the course, with his own culture here at OU.  The Introduction was great, and made me laugh.  The author was definitely thinking outside of the book, and his creativity paid off.  It definitely made me want to continue reading, and find out more about Rama and the Sooners.  

Indian Epics & Social Media Storybook

I really liked this storybook because it’s something I probably would not have thought to do.  I loved that the title is “@TheRamayana” to connect the social media theme the author chose. This introduction was different than most I had read, it was more concise and to the point.  I thought this was a great idea, and I definitely wanted to follow up with the stories and see what they had come up with.  It was easy to navigate, and helped me become more familiar with the topics. 

Week 1: Overview

Wikipedia: (Indian Epics)

Even though the class is just beginning, I am starting to get a feel for what this course might be like for the rest of the semester.  I was initially drawn to the mythology and folklore class, but once I read about this course, I found that it was equally interesting to me for different reasons.  I have no background in Indian epics, Indian culture, or anything of the like, so this is all very new for me.  I am fairly familiar with Indian dance, having studied it in a History of World Dance course here at OU, but could definitely use a refresher or two.

In high school I studied Latin for four years, and learned a lot about Greek mythology.  That was always my favorite part of the courses.  I was of course interested in the language, but I thought it was so fun to be able to take a break from translating, and learn about ancient myths. My interest in that is what sparked my interest in this course.  Although different cultures, I feel that these Indian epic tales will be equally as entertaining to me, if not more entertaining because it is all new to me.  I love learning about new things, so I think this will be right up my alley.  I am excited to see what the rest of the semester  brings.

Week 1: Introduction

Hello!  My name is Taylor, and I’m a senior here at the University of Oklahoma.  I actually “graduated,” left Norman, and began a full time job in Kansas City, Missouri after the Fall 2014 semester, but unbeknownst to me, needed one more upper division humanities, so here I am! I am  a psychology major, and hope to continue my education with a masters degree in the future, but wanted to get into the workforce for now.  Adjusting to a full time job out of college has been interesting and fun at the same time.  I have loved becoming a completely independent adult, and have probably changed more in the last 7 months of doing so than I have my entire life.  I never realized how much you learn when you finally enter the “real world.”  It’s been a crazy experience, and I am nothing but thankful for it. I will likely move back to Oklahoma in the future, but for now I am pretty content with my temporary home. 

I was born in Washington D.C., but have lived in Oklahoma since I was two years old, and loved every minute of it.  I grew up in Tulsa, just a couple hours away from Norman, and have been going to OU football games since I can remember.  Fall is my favorite season for that exact reason.  I absolutely love when the weather gets a little cooler, the leaves start changing colors, and every Saturday I have a reason to dress in crimson and cream and cheer on the Sooners.  I have the fondest memories of getting to go to football games with my dad and brothers growing up, so when it came time for me to choose a college, it wasn’t exactly a tough choice.  And even though I’ll be in Kansas City, I’ll do my best to make it to as many home games as possible, and of course OU/TX.  I wouldn’t miss the greatest weekend of the year for anything in the world!

Wikimedia Commons: (Sooner Schooner)

Week 1 Storytelling: The Fox and the Grapes

(The Fox and the Grapes)

The Fox and the Grapes

Once upon a time a little fox spotted a vine far in the distance with bundles of glorious, ripe grapes dangling from its ends just waiting to be eaten.  These were no ordinary grapes, they were glistening in the sunlight and appeared to be the juiciest grapes this little fox had ever laid his eyes on.  Just the sight of these beauties was making the fox salivate as he adored them from afar.  

Unfortunately for the little fox, these grapes were much too high for him to reach.  Nevertheless, he was determined to capture them.  The fox put all of his might into his first leap towards the branch, and just when he could almost taste their sweetness, he fell short and stumbled to the ground.  He was sure he would get them the second try, but once again failed.  

“Third time’s the charm,” he said, as he walked himself back, took a running start, and gave his biggest leap toward the branch.  Inches away from the prized grapes, the little fox missed yet again.  The fox was puzzled and disappointed.  

“Stupid grapes,” he said.  “Those stupid grapes probably aren’t even that great anyway.” 

And just when the little fox was about to give up and walk away, his father came around the corner. 

“Reaching for some tasty grapes?” his father asked.  “I was just leaving,” said the little fox.  “Those grapes aren’t worth having.”

His father shook his head in disgust.  “Reach for those grapes like they’re the last food on this earth for miles, son.  You will get them.”

Flustered and tired, the little fox knew he had to try once more for his father.  He stretched out his legs, took a long, deep breath, set his sight on the grapes, and put all his might into his final jump.  Eyes closed, the little fox grasped the branch and pulled down bundles and bundles of grapes with him on his way down.  He could hardly believe his victory. 

After bragging to his father that he knew he could do it all along, the little fox began to dig in.  “These are even better than I could have ever imagined, father!” he exclaimed.  And they were.  They were the sweetest grapes in all of the land.

If at first you don't succeed, try again.  Victory is sweet. 

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Author's Note: This fable is based off of "the Fox and the Grapes."  This particular fable can be found in The Aesop for Children , released in 2006 by Jason Isbell. Just as I have described, this story is about a fox that has spotted some delicious looking grapes, that he has to have.  The fox tries his hardest to reach these grapes on the high branch several times, until he is discouraged and gives up.  The fox then tells himself that the grapes weren't worth having anyway.  However, in the original fable, the fox decides to eventually walk away empty handed instead of trying again like I have portrayed.  The original moral of the story is that many people will minimize or put down that which is unattainable to them. For my rendition of the story, I decided that the little fox got a little encouragement from his father, tried again, and finally captured the grapes.  After reading this fable, I knew it was the story I wanted to retell this week because I really wanted to switch the ending up.  I am a big believer in not giving up on your goals, so while I thought the ending of the fable was ironic and a little funny, I wanted to provide a more uplifting ending to the story.  I chose the photo at the top of the page because I thought it was a good representation of the fox admiring the grapes.  I loved that it showed him just walking below the branch glaring up at the them, it goes perfectly with the story. 

Favorite Place

My very favorite place is Seaside, Florida.  Seaside is a small little beach town filled with pastel cottages on the Gulf of Mexico in between Destin and Panama City.  Although Destin and Panama City are both extremely touristy and crowded, Seaside is much more quaint and calm.  My family has been going there every summer since I can remember, so I have so many great memories there.  It will forever be my favorite vacation spot for a relaxing getaway.

Entrance to Seaside by M.Fitzsimmons.  Source: Wikimedia Commons

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Ramayana (Wikipedia)

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