Reading Notes: Jataka Anthology, Part B

I enjoyed reading the Jataka Anthology very much. They were all written very well, and I got some good ideas on how I want my own story to turn out. I couldn’t just pick one that would be the kind of writing style I would go with. Instead I picked some ideas from 2 different stories that I think I could incorporate into my own writing. 

The Turtle being carried away by the Geese. Source: Wikimedia.

The first one that I really liked was the Two Turtle Jatakas by Ellen C. Babbitt. I liked the way the author showed the turtles’ personalities through the writing. In the first one, The Turtle and the King, I like that the turtle is portrayed as a naïve, helpless turtle until the very end when he actually tricks them into letting him go. And in the second one, The Turtle and the Geese, this turtle is portrayed as kind of an arrogant character because he kept talking too much. I thought at the beginning that the turtle in this story would be like the one in the “The Tortoise and the Hare” fable, but he turned out to be completely the opposite so I found that interesting. It would be a good idea to take a famous story like that and add a twist to it. 

The second story I really liked was The Foolish, Timid Rabbit also by Ellen C. Babbitt. In this story I liked that she added many different characters, and was still able to keep the Rabbit as the main character. Sometimes I can get sidetracked and end up writing about a different or minor point, so I think I’ll definitely come back and see how she kept the Rabbit as the center of attention. The story also reminded of the Disney movie Chicken Little. In that movie the character Chicken Little also thinks the “sky is falling” because he mistook a piece of a UFO to be a piece of the sky. 

The more stories I read, the more I realize that there are so many versions out there and every author adds their own sort of twist to it.

Reading A

After going through all of the reading options we have for Ramayana and Mahabharata, I think I am going to go with the PDE options for both epics. I like that there is an audio option because that means I can even listen to it on my commute home. I like that there is also text that goes with it so I can read along or just read if I want to. When I first saw that the PDE: Ramayana was like 80 pages, I was a little overwhelmed. But then I saw the readings weren't too bad. I saw that PDE: Mahabharata also has 80 pages as well so I'm definitely going to need to start reading both early on and not procrastinate on the readings. The readings I'm excited for are the comics. I've had friends who have taken this class before and say the comic books and the animated movies are the best parts. I watched a little bit of the Sita Sings the Blues video and I was actually really into it.

Sita Sings the Blues. Source: Wikimedia.

Growth Mindset

Through her TED Talk, I got to know about Carol Dweck and her idea of growth mindset. I like that she said "we can praise wisely, not praising intelligence or talent." I think that really helps a person, especially if they're already feeling low about their grade or their progress in a class or anything that is important to them. Instead of discouraging them, we should help encourage them to move forward. I think sometimes I am like that too. I'm not usually the type that needs approval or appraisal for everything I do, but sometimes if I did do something big or extraordinary, I like when someone will point it out and give me attention for it. Out of all of the growth mindset challenges, my favorite is the cat randomizer! I absolutely love memes and I think I can sit around looking for cat memes for a good few minutes.

I'm creating my online presence. Source: Growth Mindset and Feedback.

The best Time Strategies for me.

Let me just start off by saying I am not that good at time management as I think I am. I have random bouts of energy, and that's when I do my best studying. I am also guilty of procrastinating quite a bit. After reading through some articles, I think I may have found some good tips to help with my procrastination though. In the article How to Beat Procrastination, I learned a new trick that I think I will try. In the article Increase your creative output with 14 time management tips just for creatives, I really found most of those tips to be really useful. I realized I already do some of the things like "work when you work best" and "do the worst things first." I'm the type anyway to get the worst things out of the way first. My custom schedule really goes well with this certain tip. I'm supposed to do both of my readings on Monday, and I usually take a while to get things read so I'm hoping I stick with this tip throughout the semester.

Time management clock. Source: Tyrrell and Company.

Technology

After going through the list of technology tools we'll be using, I noticed there was some that I was already familiar with. I've used Google Docs for a good few years now so I'm sure I won't have any problem using that tool. I'm not so familiar with the content and source sites but after looking at them, I don't think they will be hard to use. I might just need time getting used to them. I've taken online classes before but this one is the most different because of blogging. I've never blogged before this. I'm used to the discussion boards so this will be really different but I'm excited for it. I hope through blogging and the project we have to do this semester, I will improve my writing skills. I like to think that I am already good, but I know I don't use proper grammar here and now. I think this class will be able to help me become a better writer.

Google Docs, Sheets, and Files. Source:  PCMag.

Assignments of Epics of India

After reading about all the kinds of assignments we're going to be doing in this class, I am even more excited for this semester. I think the most interesting assignments will be the weekly storytelling assignments and then the semester long project. I enjoyed reading all of the other stories for an earlier assignment and I think it'll be really fun to write one of my own. One extra credit assignment that I know I'm going to enjoy is the Wikipedia Trails. I already do that anyways when I'm looking up random things. I watched a show called The Crown on Netflix this summer. It's about Queen Elizabeth II and her life right around when she became queen. I was constantly pausing the show and researching on Wikipedia about her and her life. At point I had about 10 tabs open from going from one page to another. I think doing the Wikipedia Trails extra credit won't be a problem for me at all.

Source: Max Pixel

An Introduction to a Future PA

Hello Everyone!

My name is Shivani Patel. I am from Clinton, OK. I was born in India but moved here with my family to the United State when I was about five years old. I am a senior Psychology/Pre-PA major. I also have a minor in Sociology-Criminology. I love photography, and my favorite subject is nature. If you look into my phone camera roll, you’ll see a lot of random pictures of the sky, flowers, or scenery. I would like to one day have a photography business on the side. I got to visit Disney World in Orlando last summer and it was the best time of my life. I felt like a little kid again.

Me at Magic Kingdom.

Being a Pre-PA major means I get to take a lot of science classes and so far, my favorite has been Human Anatomy. I’m sure everyone has heard about how hard the class is, and how hard the professor is. Here’s the truth. The class really is hard, but it is really cool and fun. I was in the five-credit hour one so I actually got to dissect on a cadaver. In the beginning I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it, but I got the hang of it really quickly. I got to learn about every bone, every muscle, and every vessel in the human body. I think I annoyed everyone around me when I was taking it because I would be like “did you know, you have a muscle in your body called so and so. Here, let me show you.” I basically used my friends and family as like practice dummies. I’m sure they’re all glad I’m done with the class.

I am also an avid movies and TV shows watcher. My favorite movies (and book series) is Harry Potter. I usually obsess over anything Harry Potter whenever I see anything about it. I also love the Marvel movies like The Avengers. I’m always looking for a new show to watch on Netflix or whatever, feel free to leave me a recommendation!

Storybook Favorites

The Brahmazing Race:

I enjoyed reading this story very much. The concept the author used for this story is almost like a reality show. Every chapter starts off with a “welcome everyone” or “welcome back” so that gave a reality show type of vibe. From the description, I wasn’t expecting it to be a full mixture of challenges and a scavenger hunt type race. I had already known about the general history of animosity that Lord Rama and Sita had with Ravana. I like that he provided some history because I got to learn a few new things myself. He used the “challenges” in every chapter as a way to incorporate pictures into the story. I like the layout of the story. It’s not too fancy and extraordinary but it’s also not too boring and basic as well. 

Fairytale Case Files: India: 

I’ve always been a fan of the mystery/crime genre of books and movies, so this one really had me intrigued from the beginning. I like that the author portrayed” multiple stories as “cases” in his story. It made me remember all of the stories that my mom would tell me about the Pandavas and Rama and Ravana. These just had a little twist to it. I think the layout of the story was great. It was straightforward and made the story just flow. The physical layout as well is nice. 

Hogwarts: The Loyalty of Brothers:

Out of all the stories I read, this one was my favorite. I am a huge Harry Potter fan so this was so fun to read. The author set up the whole story very nicely. Firstly, she has a whole separate page for characters which I think is a really good idea because it gives you a little insight on the characters before you start reading the story. She even provides a link to a BuzzFeed quiz that tells you which Hogwarts house you’d get, and then you can use your answer to find out what house in her story you would get so I thought that was really good. She uses the story of Lord Rama and his brothers. Each house is named after a brother and students get chosen in their house based on the qualities of the brothers they most relate to. Overall, I think this was a really good story. Her layout of the page, the images she used, they are all really good. 

Voldermort. From the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. 
Source: Aceshowbiz.

My Favorite Place

Ever since I was 12, I knew I wanted to travel the world. Unfortunately, I haven't had many opportunities as of yet to travel to other countries. The only country I have actually visited a few times is India. We go visit our family there every few years. The last time I went to India, we travelled to another state, Rajasthan, and there I fell in love with the cities of Jaipur and Udaipur. 

I am a big fan of palaces and the whole history behind them, and Jaipur and Udaipur are FULL of palaces. I got to visit quite a few palaces and take tours, and it was a magical experience.

Udaipur City Palace. I took this picture after we finished our tour. I would love to go back and be able to explore this palace again.

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