Week 3 Reading Diary: Narayan's Ramayana

We are now on the third part of Narayan's Ramayana!

Ravana Captured Sita and Kills Jatayu

Sita, after sending Rama after a golden deer, hears his cry for help (a fake cry), and makes Lakshmana go to help him. Ravana then sneaks in a captures Sita. 

Again, Sita's behavior proves to be just horrible. First, she sends Rama after the golden deer, then she makes Lakshmana go after him. She just makes bad decision after bad decision. Even though apparently only men are capable of proper judgement, Rama also made the poor decision to go after the deer. What it really seems like to me, is that in trying to make Rama seem like this awesome god, Sita must be portrayed as the helpless, silly woman.

Sugreeva's Story

Rama and Lakshmana come across Sugreeva in their search for Sita. Sugreeva's brother, Vali, was granted mighty fighting powers and - due to a misunderstanding - will kill Sugreeva if he leaves Mount Matanga.

After hearing the sad story, Rama promises Sugreeva that he will help slay Vila - instead of hearing both sides of the situation and finding a peaceful/logical solution, Rama decides to kill Vali. I think this just further proves how rash and foolhardy Rama can be. Then, Rama hides when he shoots Vila, so that Vila can't ask him to help him as well. This does not make sense to me. Why is it okay for Rama to avoid properly fighting someone just so he doesn't have to make a choice on which brother should be helped. He should have approached Vila right after hearing Sugreeva's side, and THEN made a decision.

A depiction of Vali and Sugreeva fighting. (Image library)

Sugreeva's Army and Hanuman

Sugreeva is crowned king, and Rama asks for him to form an army after the rain passes. Once the rain does pass, though, Sugreeva is late to bring the troops.

First, I think it should be noted how great a brother Lakshmana is! Rama gets a lot of credit for being this awesome dude, but Lakshmana is a stand up guy. He proudly follows his brother and helps him out. He reminds me of my own sister (and she is the best!). Next, I really liked how when Sugreeva notices how awful he was in his drunken stupor, he decides to not drink again. Even though he made a mistake, he is quick to remedy the situation and take full responsibility. Finally, on their journey to search for Sita, the army comes across Jatayu's brother, Sampathi. He tells them where Sita is, and Hanuma is able to find his true stature. I really liked how Hanuma must find it within himself his true identity - I think looking within is something many people should do.

Growth Mindset: Handling Pressure

Exploring the growth mindset, I want to focus more on the journey than on the final destination. In doing so, I want to do growth challenges that will help me as an individual. I struggle on a daily basis with anxiety. Small things (like picking out a clothes for the day) can present a real challenge for me. On the other hand, big things (like tests - eek) can cause me to go into a real panic-mode. It is something I have been working on for about a year now, and I have really seen an improvement - but I can always use some helpful advice. I found this article, "How to be Calm Under Pressure", on the growth mindset challenge page, and just knew it would be the perfect thing for me to check out.

Keeping Calm When the Pressure Is On

What do you do if a problem arises and you just can't seem to handle the pressure? After reading this article I found out! 

First, ask yourself two questions:

1. What is the worst thing that could happen?

2. Will this matter in five years?

Answering these questions will help ground you, and put the situation into perspective. 

Next, understand that while this problem may be a big deal to you - it probably isn't that important to others. 

Now that you have calmed down about the situation, get to the facts:

1. What is the actual situation?

2. What could actually happen because of this?

3. What are your options in fixing the problem?

4. If the problem cannot be fixed, is there anything you can do to make it a little bit better?

Finally, enough worrying - take ACTION. You have made a game plan, and it is time to get to it! 

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This was such a great challenge to go for.  I am a list person, and this was a really nice way to put what you should do when you are worrying about a mistake/problem into a condensed list. Being in a situation where I thought my mistake was the END OF THE WORLD, it is nice to be able to look at something like this and remember to just calm down and be LOGICAL about it. Sometimes I let my emotions take control, but being able to take a logical approach to my problems is the way to go! This challenge was definitely useful for classes and life in general. You can make mistakes just about anywhere in life...but keep calm and carry on!

Keep calm, it will all be okay! (Sharkyovengloves)

Learning Challenge: Buddhist Teachings

In week one, I outlined some of the learning challenges I would like to do. For this week, I am going to start with a health/happiness challenge. I had said I wanted to study some of the life lessons from Buddhist teachings, and so I studied some and wrote about my favorites (find the article I read here).

Vital Life Lessons from Buddhist Teachings

Give generously to others

     "If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path."

I think this really touches me, because I try very hard to give a little bit of myself to those around me. I have been dealt a difficult hand, but compared to others I have had it very good. You never know what someone is going through, so just offer up an open heart - you just might get something extraordinary in return.  

Release feelings of hate, resentment, and fear

     "You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger."

Being able to move past negative feelings can be very difficult for me. I have a hard time with the whole forgive/forget mindset. However, it is becoming more apparent that the only one suffering from this negativity is me. I am trying to move on from things, and the more I move towards positivity, the more I gain a freeing happiness. It is really amazing how down those bad feelings can get you.

Be here now

     "The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live."

This quote always makes me think of what my boyfriend is constantly telling me - don't worry about the what if's. I have a bad habit of wondering about the many, many different possibilities out there, yet it doesn't really matter. Worrying will get you nowhere, you need to ACT in the now. I have tried being more focused in there here and now, and it is really beneficial. It also makes you think a little more about what you do with your present time - is it worth it? are you happy right now? is there something more worthwhile that you could be doing instead?

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I think going over these Buddhist teachings was very helpful to just reiterate what is important in life. When choosing a humanity class to take, I didn't want one that I wasn't going to enjoy - and I am so glad I chose this course. I am getting to explore more than just Indian epics. I think these teachings will be helpful in this class, as well as my other classes. I can apply this lesson from being willing to share notes or tutor classmates, to not focusing too much on the final and actually enjoying the class.

Learn to enjoy the journey! (Bright Side)

Week 2: Famous Last Words

For the second week’s last words, I want to re-cap on what I have accomplished this past week:

Reading for this week:

This week I completed the Ramayana – it was a very good read and I just could not put it down. The Ramayana was an excellent epic, and I recommend it to everyone. It is a very short read (like 200 pages), and gives a good peak into Indian literature. It really inspired me artistically, and I am now in the process of designing a piece based off the way Rama described Sita as a pretty lotus flower (a quilled lotus has a lot of potential!).

Best writing for this week:

I wrote a twist on the section in the Ramayana where Rama and Sita first meet. In the original story, Sita is made out to be a lustful woman who goes ill because is so infatuated with Rama. I think descriptions like this really put down women – she was portrayed a weak and silly, not to mention the way her father basically treats her as property (any man who can string the bow of Shiva gets to marry Sita – how romantic). It is not uncommon in older literature to find pieces like this that do not give women the credit they deserve – so I think putting a little modern twist on it was just the oomph it needed to become a great story.

Other classes:

In my petroleum engineering classes, things are really starting to get serious. In capstone, we are narrowing down our prospective field locations and gathering data. Improved Recovery is turning out to be a really interesting course – we are learning more about waterflooding and how different things on the macroscopic and microscopic levels can affect waterflooding efficiency.

Outside of school:

Other than schoolwork, I haven’t been doing too much. I am in the design mode for most of my art projects. That consists of me finding inspiration in literature or on Pinterest (I have ‘liked’ thousands and thousands of pins). It is really important for me to set time aside to be creative, and I really love the design time because I just let loose and try out all these crazy ideas. Like I said before, I am really inspired by the Ramayana. I was between doing an elephant or a lotus. An elephant may have to happen later on because it has so many possibilities – in some pieces they “filled” the elephant with flowers or other types of designs. Here is a nice example of that, with a link to a tutorial:

A picture of a quilled elephant. (Source)

Week 2 Review

The second week of the semester is coming to a close, and with that it is always good to review what you have done. I made sure to back-up my Blogger posts (no need to back-up the Google Site, because no changes have been made). Next, it is important to make sure all assignments were declared - it would stink to miss out on points just because I forgot to declare it. Finally, I reviewed the daily announcements for this week (things can get hectic, and sometimes I don't always read the announcement on the day it was posted). I find the announcements both helpful (it is nice to have a summary of what is going on) and interesting (between the growth mindset cats and other memes, I am always engaged in those posts!). My favorite item comes from the Friday announcement - Mythical Creatures. Throughout the Ramayana, I have come across several mythical creatures. It was interesting to see a diagram of the different kinds of creatures you can come across in literature, you can see it below.

Mythical Creatures diagram. 

Project Topics

Project Topic Brainstorming

This semester I will be working on a project - either a storybook or a portfolio. I have already decided to go with a storybook, as I think that will allow me to do a little more research into the interesting beliefs found within Indian epics. I have found four main topics that interest me for my storybook, you can read about them below.

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Karma

Weighing out free will and destiny cold be an interesting approach to a storybook.I would really like to find stories that show how much a tiny choice can have a big impact on things. I am a firm believer that the smallest of things (like the color of my shoes) can change how my day goes (did the job interviewer give me the job?). Exploring this cause/effect relationship could make for a very interesting project.

Karma refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect, where the intent and actions of an indivisual influence the future of that individual (find more here). It is represented by the Endless Knot, see below. In Hinduism, it explains causality.

A picture of a stone from the Iron Age Fornsalen in Sweden, which depicts the endless knot. By Wolfgang Sauber. 

Maya

OOOHHH! This topic really seems interesting. Distinguishing between reality and illusion can be tricky. Some parts of the Ramayana easily prove to be illusion, but sometimes it is much harder. Learning more about Maya and then creating a storybook to teach others would be exciting.

Maya (illusion, magic), has many meanings in Indian philosophies. The word itself implies the role of imagination in the creation of the world (read more here). In Narada and the Illusion of Maya, Vishnu comments:

"The world is my Maya. He who accepts this, realizes me."

The idea of Maya is illustrated with Narada's illusion of a beautiful woman who agrees to be is wife and have his children - it turns out that it was all made up by Vishnu. 

A depiction of Maya, the mirror of illusions. By Arthur Bowen Davies.

Dharma

The Dharmachakra, and the idea of Dharma in general, seems like an interesting topic. I think finding stories that were difficult to judge whether Dharma was added or diminished could be fun.

Spoiler! For example, when Rama kills they monkey king giant dude with an arrow. Rama could have attempted to find peace with the situation. He could have easily have gone to the brother and explained the situation. Why would he just kill someone without first attempting a peaceful end?

Dharma is many things to different religions, but the overall gist is that it is the behavior of an individual which may be good or bad. It can represent law and justice, as well as virtues. More can be found here. In Hunduism, it is described as "the natural universal laws whose observance enables humans to e contented and happy..." (About Religion). The dharmachakra is one of the ashtamangala (a sacred suite of Eight Auspicious Signs) of Indian religions, which represents Dharma - see picture below.

A representation of the Dharmacakra in Sun Temple, Orissa. (Source)

Vishnu

I would like to explore the possibility of new avatars. Each avatar comes into the world with a purpose. So, I would like to give a brief summary of each avatar and their purpose, have a timeline, and then add on to it. Could Vishnu come back in modern times? What would his avatar be? What about in recent history (WWI, Civil War, etc.)?

Vishnu is one of the three main gods in the "trimurti" in Hinduism. More details on him can be found here. He has ten avatars, which were descended for very specific purposes (in-depth description). Also, I could explore into Vaishnavism - one of the main branches of Hinduism (I really, really love learning about religions/philosophies). 

Here is a depiction of Vishnu. (Source)

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Topic Choice

After doing my research, it really feels like I could do something combining all of these in some sort of way. While doing the research on Dharma, I came across the Ashtamangala (eight auspicious signs of religions). I thought perhaps I could pick some of "Vishnu's favorites". In sacred Hindu texts, Vishnu is depicted with four arms holding a lotus flower, mace, conch, and disc. Perhaps, I could elaborate and make a story for each of these in relation to an Ashtamangala: lotus, conch, dharmacakra, and the dhvaja.  

Week 2 Storytelling: Sita

Here is my story based on the meeting of Rama and Sita and their engagement. A good description of the original story can be found below (from this reading guide):

Rama and Sita, daughter of King Janaka of Mithila, fall in love with each other at first sight — not surprising, given that Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu and Sita is an incarnation of Vishnu's consort, the goddess Lakshmi. To win Sita's hand in marriage, Rama must lift, bend, and string the enormous bow of the god Shiva, which he does, of course!

Rama presents Sita with a flower crown. By Sunity Devee. (Source)

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SITA

Rama arrives in Mithila and notices the vast beauty and richness of the city. He ventured to King Janaka’s palace, where upon a balcony he laid eyes on the most beautiful woman his eyes have ever seen. It was Sita, Janaka’s daughter. Sita is actually Vishnu’s spouse Lakshmi, but has been reincarnated at a lovely princess.

Despite their mortal limitations and being complete strangers to one another, their bond was as strong as steel. They both felt a need to be near one another, a need to be married.

Knowing that his daughter was worthy of only the best suitor, King Janaku made a condition that whoever could lift, bend, and string Shiva’s bow would be considered fit to become Sita’s husband. Try as they might, no suitor was worthy of approaching the bow.

She didn’t know how to get around this, but was afraid if she didn’t act fast her soulmate, Rama, would also shy away with this difficult challenge. She needed to take matters into her own hands. She glanced down at her little hands, covered in rings and bangles, and she started to smile. Of course! She would take matters into her own hands.

Filled with the love from Manmatha himself, she walked up to the bow of Shiva. This was no ordinary bow, and as she looked it up and down, she become aware of his enormity. With only the slightest of hesitations, she grasped the mighty bow in her hands, lifted it to her target, bent the string back, and sent an arrow thrice around the world. The god Shiva himself was so impressed by Sita’s inner strength. For it is not the might of one’s arm that guides the arrow, but the might within.

Her father, realizing his mistake in making his daughter's love into some trivial competition apologized to his daughter. In trying to protect her form unworthy suitors, he had actually made her out to be some sort of property or trophy.

Rama, desperate for the chance to marry this dear woman, presented to Sita the most beautiful lotus in the kingdom. He asked if she would marry him.

Sita, being gracious and gentle kindly accepts her father's apology, and also agreed to marry Rama.

Rama decided that he needed a chance to also shoot the mighty bow, so that he can prove to her that he is worthy of her love. Understanding how important this was to her dear beloved she watched from her balcony.

Rama picked up the bow and pulled back the string so hard that the bow cracked with a thunderous sound. Putting away the broken symbol of his promised one’s fate, Rama went before Sita to express his love for her with a simple kiss on the hand.

The two soulmates announced their wedding, and all the kingdom was blissfully joyous.
 

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Author's Note:

In the original story, King Janaka had stated that any man who could string Shiva's bow could marry his daughter. Furthermore, it was originally said that Sita - upon setting eyes on Rama - falls madly in love with Rama and turns into some lusting, silly girl. She is described as "tossing in her bed complaining." I didn't like the overall feel of this section in the Ramayana. It portrayed women as property, who cannot control their feelings. Sita should have been given the ability to choose whom she would like to marry - her father shouldn't have made her future into some sort of game. Also, I find it hard to believe that Sita - and incarnation of Vishnu's wife Lakshmi - would stoop to such lows as to throw a tantrum. She would have been calm, cool, and collected.

Feeling that certain changes were necessary to the story, I adapted a "twist the story" type of writing style. I understand that Sita and Rama are destined to be together, but I think Sita could have been depicted in a much better light. So I twisted the middle of the story, but made it so that the ending was the same (Rama and Sita do make a cute couple).



Bibliography:

"The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic" by Narayan (1972). 

Source: Narayan's Ramayana.

Week 2 Reading Diary, cont: Narayan's Ramayana

This is the second part to Narayan's Ramayana.

For Part B, we witness Rama going into exile, moving deep into the forest, and begin his battle with Ravana. Like before, I split the reading into my own parts, and jotted down some of the key points that really hit me while reading:

Encounters in Exile
As Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana reach Panchavati, they are approached by Ravana’s sister, Soorpanaka.
First, one their journey through the forest, Rama begins to feel “a great tenderness” for Sita. I like how - just before the crazed Soorpanaka comes - Rama’s feelings for his wife are described. We see how devoted he is to Sita.

Then, Soorpanaka (in the disguise of Kamavalli) comes to seduce Rama, he turns her away. He is disgusted by her cheap advances, and this shows how good his character is. He is a stand-up guy, and isn’t one to be flattered by easy women.

Also, I think it is worth mentioning how he has a pretty good judgement on the character of others as well. He is quick to see the good works of others; he points out how great Lakshmana’s engineering is.

Finally, my favorite part to the section in the book is how protective Lakshmana is over Sita. Upon seeing Soorpanaka try and attack Sita, Lakshmana is quick to the rescue. While Soorpanaka’s punishment seems a little barbaric to me, in a way it did feel like justice was served (her nose, ears, and breasts were cut off). 

This depicts Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana in the forest. (Image Library)

Ravana – In Lanka and with his uncle Mareecha
Ravana has gods and gurus as his servants, and is very powerful. He is outraged with his sister’s predicament! He goes to his uncle, Mareecha for help in capturing Sita from Rama.
I am very interested in how these gods seem to be the victim a lot. How is it that they come to be captured? And why are they so awful at thinking before they do something? They grant these boons before they even think of the consequences. No one in this story seems to THINK.

I like the quote from Mareecha: “I am like a fish in a poisoned pond. Sooner or later I am bound to die, whether I stat in it or get out of it.” I think this sums up a lot in this epic. For example, if Rama were to have not accepted exile, his father would have been disgraced (broken promises are very bad). So either way Rama has a difficult path ahead of him. Or with the deer – Sita wanted the deer, Lakshmana felt it was a trap. If Rama says “no, the deer is obviously a trap,” his wife will be upset. However, we see what happens when he goes and tries to capture the deer. This epic is filled with “rocks and hard places”, and I think it would be interesting to explore that a little further.

Week 2 Reading Diary: Narayan's Ramayana

Starting off the semester, I am reading Narayan's Ramayana (pp. 1-53).

Going through the reading, I made notes on points that caught my eye – things that were interesting, points that I didn’t like, and topics that I would like to write on. I broke this section into six main sections:

Prologue – King Dasharatha
We are introduced to the kingdom of Ayodhya, where King Dasharatha and his four sons (Rama, Bharatha, Lakshmana, and Sathrugna) live.

What I really enjoyed here was how despite the fact that the king lives in this beautiful kingdom, with palaces and riches, what he really want is a family. I think most people get caught up in the idea of “getting rich”, that they forget how rewarding a family can be. Dasharatha goes through so much – the yearlong sacrificial ritual – to obtain the silver plate that gives his wives the ability to have children. His love and dedication is really captivating.

Vishvamitra – Rama’s Initiation
In this section, Sage Vishvamitra wishes for Rama to go with him to battle with the demons around the sacred grounds.

After reading how much Dasharatha had to go through to get his four sons, you can really relate with how upset he gets with Vishvamitra’s request. I am especially interested in Rama’s journey (I plan on doing my storybook on Vishnu, and Rama is an avatar of Vishnu). I like how he has the compassion to pause before killing Thataka; he doesn’t like the idea of killing a woman.

Mahabali – Demons – Sakara
The epic then continues by telling the story of Mahabali and how Vishnu transforms into a dwarf in order to defeat him. I plan on using this in my storybook later on, but I also liked the message of how mighty things come in all sizes.

Ganga’s Story was also a really good piece, where we learn how the Ganga River came to be. An interesting piece was the quote “we attain a full understanding only when we are aware of the divine and other associations of every piece of ground we tread on.” I think this could be a good piece to bounce writing ideas off of.

Ahalya
We then learn of the beautiful Ahalya, and how - upon being tricked by the god Indra – was turned to stone by her husband.

I find it highly irritating that Guatama felt the right to turn his wife into stone. A GOD tricked her, so she was at no fault whatsoever. Furthermore, after she was freed from her stone state, I think it was ridiculous that she was expected to return to her husband. He most certainly does not deserve to get to be with her after his rash decision.

Sita
Upon entering Mithila, Rama and Sita immediately fall in love when they see one another (they are the incarnations of Vishnu and Lakshimi – SOULMATES).

That is where my good feelings for this section ENDS. It is absolutely ridiculous how Sita is portrayed as some silly damsel in distress. Somehow, she falls terribly ill and bad tempered after one look at Rama. THEN – her father had the audacity to make a competition for her hand in marriage. ***I would like to rewrite this piece and put it into a super-woman type of theme***

Rama’s Coronation and Exile
We end this portion of the reading by witnessing Rama get told he is to be king, then get told he is to be exiled for fourteen years (all in the same night).

Morale of this story: Kaikeyi is a shallow woman, whose desire for power overshadows her true loving nature. I am really disappointed in Dasharatha here – he should have stood up to his wife and demanded her be sensible. Ultimately, what I am finding it that these men make promises without thinking out all of the consequences (Sakara, Guatama, etc.).

This image depicts Dasaratha's grief over Rama being exiled. (Source: Image Library).  

Week 1 Review

This have been a wonderful introduction week into the Epics of India course. I made sure to back up my Blogger, Google Site, and Pinterest Board, just in case something happens to them. I also made sure all of my assignments had been declared for the week - which they had been. Finally, I reviewed the daily announcements from the past week. I especially like the Indian Words and English parts, with my favorite being MANTRA - a thought, an instrument for thinking. I enjoy calligraphy, and Sanskrit offers great artistic opportunities!

The Sanskrit spelling of OM, a very famous mantra. From the daily announcement on Thursday.

Week 1: Famous Last Words

As the first week of the semester comes to an end, I would like to share some of my experiences in the form of my “famous last words”.

Epics of India:

This week, I began by creating my blog. Some of my favorite posts were my intro and my very first storytelling post. I really enjoyed getting to introduce myself to my classmates, although trying to sum up my life in one post was rather difficult. I also really liked getting to write a story based off of another story. I chose to write a modern version of The Peacock, which I thought really captured what life can be as a young woman. Overall, I am excited about getting to read and write more. In engineering, most of my papers are very technical; however, I am a very artistic person. Having the chance to explore more into my creative side (and get credit for it), is so much fun.

My other classes:

On the engineering side of things, I am taking three course: Production II, Improved Recovery, and Reservoir Management (capstone). My production course will focus on getting the oil from the wellhead to its final destination, whether that be a pipeline, tank, or whatever. While I will be focusing more on the drilling/reservoir side of things once I graduate, I enjoy learning about all aspects of the oil recovery process - so this class will be very interesting. My improved recovery course will focus on better ways to recover the oil from the ground, with a special focus on waterflooding, miscible floods, and thermal recovery. This is a great opportunity to get to learn about different types of recovery methods other than the well-known hydraulic fracturing. The third course, reservoir management, is my capstone course. I have been placed in a team of four and we have been given the assignment of evaluating a field in terms of economic potential. The “Capstone Conqueror’s” have chosen the Cleveland Play as our field. This will definitely be an exciting semester!

Outside of school:

In my free time, I haven’t been too productive this week. I have mostly been watching Netflix, playing embarrassing amounts of Sudoku, and planning my next quilling projects. I hope to finish up the Starry Night in the next couple of weeks, and then move on to an equally creative, but much less time-intensive project. The Starry Night has been a work in progress since last summer (I like to keep these things as hobbies, and not force myself to finish it – you lose creativity with deadlines). I would really like to do a galaxy/universe piece. A close friend really loves space, so I think making a small galaxy would be a great present for their birthday in February.

Here are my galaxy paintings I did over the winter break. I hope to do something like this in quilled form. 

That just about wraps up my first week of my LAST semester in college! With these famous last words, I bid you adieu.

Tech Tip 15: Site Clean-Up

Finally, I want to make sure my Google Site is de-cluttered for when I start my storybook project.

I had already removed my search box, since it isn't really necessary. I then made sure that my titles were exactly how I wanted them. My next step was to remove the comment boxes at the bottom of each page. I also suppressed any subpage links that had been created. Finally, I checked to make sure that my images (I currently only have one) has a good size and its info is included somewhere on the page.

This will be a tech tip that I use continually throughout the semester as I work on my storybook. For instructions on how to do each of the above steps, check out this post from my professor.

To view my de-cluttered website, click here!

Tech Tip 14: Google Site Video

As I near the end of the creating/customization of my Google site, I wanted to learn how to include a musical background/video. I chose a video of Indian classical music, because the calm/serene vibe of the music is a good accompaniment for reading.

You can view the video on my Google Site here! 

Tech Tip 13: Site Page Design

My next step in designing my Google site was to arrange the site page layouts. For now, I just have the cover page and into page. The cover page is just a simple "one column" layout, since there is just a picture right now. However, for my intro page, I will be leading into some other sections (I am guessing three for now), so I went with the "three column" layout. This gives a section to introduce the storybook, talk about each section, and then put in a piece to transition into the other sections.

I think for my other sections I will either go with the "one column" or "two column" (advanced, not simple) layouts, because the broken up pieces will go nicely with my writing style.

You can see how I arranged my site page layouts here!

Tech Tip 12: Site Navigation

Moving on to the navigation panel on my Google site...

I had to decide whether I liked vertical or horizontal navigation better. I personally prefer the look of vertical navigation. I also tend to have longer titles (which doesn't fit well for horizontal navigation). I messed around with the horizontal option, as well as putting the vertical sidebar on the right, but the traditional vertical, left-sidebar option felt like the best fit for me.

If you would like to try your hand at changing the navigation panel on your Google site, you can use these instructions!

And here is my website!

Tech Tip 11: Theme

After creating my site and formatting the titles, it was time to choose a template/theme to go along with the website.

I started by going to the "manage site" option, and browsing through themes. I wanted something that subtly hinted towards Indian culture, art, religion, etc. Ultimately, I wanted it to look classic and put-together. I chose to completely change everything - font, pictures, colors - to make sure I had it just the way I wanted it. I will continue editing it throughout the process until it is just right, but for now it works.

You can visit my Out of the Book website here.

Tech Tip 10: Google Site Title

The next tip in creating my Google site was to edit the titles. First, I chose to suppress the Search box, as I felt like it detracted from the overall feel of my website. I also centered my site title and suppressed the sitemap link. The site title "Out of the Book", is a reference to what I think I will be doing my storybook project on (getting out of the book and exploring new possibilities - it also just so happens to go nicely with my last name).

I made the homepage title simply read "By Morgan Bookout", which may get changed. Many of these things will depend on how things progress with the project. But overall, I really like the look of my storybook website!

You can find it here.

Tech Tip 09: Website

The final series of tech tips will be creating a Google Site for my storybook, and then customizing that site. For the ninth tip, I did the actual creating! Getting it all set up was quite easy, and I can see myself utilizing this for personal use eventually. You can visit my my website here!

Tech Tip 08: Pinterest Sidebar

To finish up my Pinterest-centered tech tips, I added a sidebar containing my Pinterest board: Indian Epics Portfolio (to the right). I have pins on several different art pieces, influenced by Indian Epics. I am specifically looking into Vishnu, as I believe I will center my portfolio on him. If you wish to also add a Pinterest sidebar to your Blogger, you can follow these steps!

Tech Tip 07: Pinterest Browsing

As I mentioned earlier I went ahead and installed a Pinterest Browser Button (I recommend you do it to, follow these instructions). This little button is a pinner's dream! I never realized how easy pinning websites could be. I have been using Pinterest for years...but it seems like I have been using it all wrong!

Here is one of the pins that I made using the browser button option.

Tech Tip 06: Embedded Pin

For the sixth tech tip, I will learn how to embed a Pinterest pin (as opposed to the whole board).

Here is my pin on Dashavatara:

Tech Tip 04, 05: Pinterest Board, Embedded

It seemed to me that having a Pinterest board for this class would be very useful, so for my fourth tech tip, we will create a board. I already have a Pinterest account, so I just went to my profile and clicked the "create a board" button. I labeled my board "Indian Epics Portfolio". I have added several pins that called out to me, as well as pinning two wiki pages. I went ahead and installed a browser button, since I actually use Pinterest a lot. I love crafting, and use it to find inspiration for my quilling pieces (it is fun to compare you own art with that of others).

To add another tip in, I also learned how to embed a board into a post. Here is my Pinterest board: Indian Epics Portfolio

Tech Tip 03: Weather Widget

The third tech tip learning how to add the weather to my blog sidebar.

*As a side note, I am working on a yearlong project of quilling a piece that is influenced by the weather (temperature, specifically) from each day. So this little weather sticker will be useful for keeping track of that!

I simply went to the Weather Sticker website, chose my location, picked a sticker, and then copied it into a gadget. For a detailed explanation, you can view my professor's blog post on inserting the weather widget into Blogger.

Tech Tip 02: Embedded YouTube

For the next tech tip, I learned how to embed a YouTube video in a Blogger post! To add a video, I first had to find a YouTube video that caught my eye. I chose a cat playing peek-a-boo for obvious reasons (too stinkin' cute!!!). After that, its a simple copy/paste job. Here is the video:

You can also see it in my Introduction Post! 

Tech Tip 01: Blogger Templates

I will be doing a series of Tech Tips, which will enhance my blog and may also be of use to readers! For this tech tip, I customized my Blogger template. This included changing the background, adjusting widths, tinkering with my color scheme, and arranging different sidebars!

I went went the template "Awesome", with a travel image for a background. I think it gives the blog the feeling over adventure and experiencing something new, which is what this class seems to be about! I also changed the width of the blog and left/right sidebars. I made sure the actual blog was wide enough to easily see photos, but not too wide so that you couldn't easily see everything. I just moved the layout around a little bit, making sure that my Blog Archive was in a position so that you can easily read each of the post titles. Finally, I changed some of the advanced settings - making some fonts bigger, some colors darker.

The overall goal of this tech tip was to customize my Blogger template so that it really captured the feel of what I want my posts to give. I think it has a nice cohesiveness to it, and it reflects who I am and what I put into this blog!

Exploring Learning Challenges

Learn by H.E.A.R.T.

Health/Happiness, Empathy, Attention, Reading, Time

While strengthening your intelligence is very important when it comes to your education, so is strengthening other parts of your mind! After reading through the different learning challenges, I am eager to explore each of them. Below are some of the key things I would like to focus on for each category:

Health/Happiness
- Look into health resources on anxiety. I have anxiety, especially when it comes to taking tests, so finding more resources on how others handle their anxiety would be really refreshing (like this blog post).
- Live my life according to these life lessons from Buddhist teachings. I have enjoyed studying eastern belief systems for years, and always feel so happy when I read about them. They are so uplifting!
- I am going to try the Happiness Jar! I will most likely write a blog post on it at some point, but I am going to try it out now just to see how it goes! Starting out this semester has already proven to be tough and I think focusing on the positive will really help me through it! 

Empathy
- I had already watched the Brene Brown video on Empathy, and it had really helped me understand the difference between empathy and sympathy. It can be hard to really grasp the difference. I am going to strive to be more empathetic this semester, and less sympathetic (being the nerd I am, I would like to study the science side of it, like this post)! 

Attention
- I think this challenge will be really, really helpful (I will probably start on it first). When I am studying for a class, it can be easy for me to get caught up on the "big stuff" - the topics that seem most important. However, it is important to pay attention to the small things as well. Also, I think breaking my studying into segments, with breaks every now and then, will make the study session more effective!

Reading
- This is probably the challenge I will focus the least amount of time on, because I LOVE reading and feel pretty confident in my reading style. Writing about why I love reading, and what influenced my passion for books as a young child, will definitely be fun! 

Time
- Watching the video on The Science of Procrastination was really interesting. I have a VERY bad habit of procrastinating. Reading this post really put my time into perspective - I am guilty of the "I'm busy" excuse, when really I am not all that busy! I would like to look into managing my time better and making the most out of my free time! 

Learning Challenge Goal: focus a little on each of these categories (some more than others), and learn how to learn better! 

I hope to spend my hours (that I usually waste on Netflix) growing as an individual. (Kenna Griffin)

Gearing Towards a "Growth Mindset"

It was presented that there are two types of mindsets - fixed and growth - that people gravitate towards. 

Having a FIXED MINDSET means you are focused on the now. You strive for A's, or some other type of validation. It may not seem like this "fixation" is too bad, I mean, what is wrong with wanting a good grade. However, simply focusing on the reward at present doesn't get you too far in the long road. 

On the other hand, a GROWTH MINDSET means you look to the future - what has yet to be. The final outcome is not as important as the journey it takes to get there (Carol Dweck specifically mentions effort, strategy, focus, perseverance, etc.). This mindset is preferred to its fixed counterpart, because it is the journey, not the outcome, that truly teaches us. We will learn so much more while we are trying to solve a problem, then the solution could ever teach us. 

A growth mindset strengthens your mind for the future! (Xavier Verges)

When approaching my school work, I tend to use a mixture of the two mindsets. I have to admit, I enjoy the satisfaction that comes from completing problems. Getting A's is very important to me - because I am in a highly competitive field (and because it is just nice knowing you did a good job). However, when actually trying to learn material, the growth mindset really helps. Appreciating the steps it takes to solve a difficult problem is refreshing. Many of my professors do not necessarily care about the final answer, they want to see the approach you took to solve the problem. 

Storybook Favorites

The Himalayan Elephant

Topic:

I do not know much about elephants, but I am familiar with some stories about the Pandava brothers. The title indicated it was about an elephant, but I think it could have been a little more indicative towards an adventure of two brothers.

Introduction:

The intro tells us about two brothers who are craving adventure. They go to a shaman, whose stories inspires them to go out and find their very own tale. It made me want to know what kind of adventure they would go on: would they get into trouble like the shaman’s stories hinted at, or would they find this Himalayan elephant?

Design: 

I think a more creative background could have been chosen, and perhaps more interesting pictures. I really enjoyed the breakdown of the hike-climb-mysterious beast, and found that the overall story flowed well.

(“Elephant” by Alessandro Desantis from Unsplash Photos)

Epic Women Tell All

Topic:

Again, this is not a topic I am wholly familiar with – but, I do enjoy a good drama-filled TV show! The title could have been a little bit more clear in that is it a talk show (“The Real Live of Epic Indian Housewives”, perhaps), but I figured it out soon enough.

Introduction: 

The intro is very clear on explaining what the storybook is about. It really made me want to read the rest of the story (again, drama TV lover here), and was very creative in how it portrayed these epic women. I especially liked the addition of the commercial break inserts. It offered breaks in the story (which can be nice, instead of non-stop writing), as well as making it seem more realistic.

Design:

The physical layout of and intro with three other sections seems to be the trend, but I really liked how the three sections were divided into different interviews with the women. It made each section unique and intriguing. I think in my storybook I would prefer the three different sections to the elephant story that was just a continuation of the same story.

Vishnu’s Favorite Avatars

Topic:

I am actually somewhat familiar with Vishnu and his ten avatars (my personal favorite is the tortoise, because I love turtles). The title was very clear and to the point.

Introduction:

The intro had an interesting way of beginning the storybook. I liked how it was like a fireside story with Vishnu (like your grandpa telling you and old war story!). I also really liked how each of the “favorite” avatars were introduced in this section, so you have an idea of what to expect in the following sections.

Design:

Like the Epic Women storybook, I enjoyed how each of the three sections were essentially separate stories. I liked the overall design of this project, especially the color choice. The pictures selected were also really nice touches.

Course Overview

Ramayana

For the next couple of weeks I will be diving into the Indian Epic, Ramayana. I have chosen to read R.K. Narayan’s version. Many factors influenced this decision, but ultimately it came down to fact that I love actual books (in print). I also really liked the Reading Guide options with four different reading portions. I think breaking reading down into portions will make it much more manageable once my other classes actually begin.

Topics of Interest

At this point, I am most intrigued by the ability to explore my own interests in regards to Indian Epics. It will definitely be a challenge deciding which direction I will go later on in the course, but I am so excited about the numerous options. I think I will end up favoring the Buddhist folktales, because I have studied Eastern religions/beliefs since high school.

I actually took a course on epic literature in high school, and really enjoyed it. Mythology/folklore is so fascinating, because of how it really captures the culture and the beliefs of the associated society. Having studied Buddhism, Islam, and several Eastern religions, I am eager to see how these epics have religious influences. My high school was specifically focused on science and math (Oklahoma School of Science and Math), but they encouraged us to pursue fine arts as well. I actually took part in an Indian dance class, where we were taught how dances could be used to show respect and admiration (I was told that the placement/direction of your hands is VERY important – the different between a compliment and an insult).

When browsing through the Indian Epics images, the following image of Vishnu particularly caught my attention.  Dashavatara is the reference to the ten "avatars" of Vishnu (Hindu god of preservation). The tortoise form was taken by Vishnu to bear the weight of a mountain Mandara (I highly suggest reading more on this on Wikipedia).

A depiction of Vishnu in his avatar as Kurma, the tortoise. Wellcome Images, L0043633.

Introduction to an Adventurer

Introducing Myself!
Hello! My name is Morgan. It is my senior year here at the grand ole’ University of Oklahoma, and I am majoring in Petroleum Engineering. I chose PE because I love math and am obsessed with rocks. I have a rock/fossil collection with over 100 rocks! This past summer I had an internship with a small oil company, and was able to find, drill, and produce my very own well!

The birthplace of the reflection seismograph, taken by my boss Travers Boughdadly

When I grow up (which happens in about four months), I want to be a Petroleum Engineer. I will be working for Schlumberger as a field engineer doing Wireline Operations. In June I will be travelling to Abu Dhabi for training (about 3 months), and then I will be at Tyler, Texas for a bit! For about three years I will be in a rigorous training program, and then after that I plan on either moving up within the company or moving on to an operator (an oil company that actually produces oil, like Devon or Chesapeake). In dream-land, I will eventually own an oil company – Bookout Petroleum (name pending…it’s a little to “BP” for me).

While it does seem like I am a super-nerd, I also do fun things. For example, I am a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, where I served as the Standards Chair last year. This year I am actually living in the AOII house, which is quite the experience! I am also a Make-A-Wish wish granter, where I get to meet with kids and pretend to be their fairy godmother!! In all actuality though, I get to meet children with life-threatening illnesses, and then I get to grant their most heartfelt wish! So far, I have been able to send one girl to Disney World and another to Hawaii.

My sister and I at a walk for Make-A-Wish, taken by Dalton Westmoreland

My all-time favorite thing to do in my free time is crafting. I am into a neat paper-art called quilling. You basically wrap thin sheets of paper into shapes and create anything you want. I center my art on things that really inspire me - like nature or famous paintings. 

My Luna Moth

My Quilled Aquarium

The Starry Night, in progress

I just did this fish on 3/6, and am making a how-to post. I will link that in later!

My interests a extremely varied, and I think the following phrase fits me quite well: "Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one."

And because nothing is better than a cat video, here is my favorite (Cute Cat Peek-A-Boo!):

Week 1 Storytelling - The Peacock

THE PEACOCK

The Peacock, they say, did not at first have the beautiful feathers in which he now takes so much pride. These, Juno, whose favorite he was, granted to him one day when he begged her for a train of feathers to distinguish him from the other birds. Then, decked in his finery, gleaming with emerald, gold, purple, and azure, he strutted proudly among the birds. All regarded him with envy. Even the most beautiful pheasant could see that his beauty was surpassed.

Presently the Peacock saw an Eagle soaring high up in the blue sky and felt a desire to fly, as he had been accustomed to do. Lifting his wings he tried to rise from the ground. But the weight of his magnificent train held him down. Instead of flying up to greet the first rays of the morning sun or to bathe in the rosy light among the floating clouds at sunset, he would have to walk the ground more encumbered and oppressed than any common barnyard fowl.

The Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter

~ ~ ~

She looked into the cracked mirror as she was getting ready for school. Penelope saw hair that was too dull and a face covered in blemishes. The reflection was thick in all the wrong places, and flat in all the other ones. It was her morning ritual – analyze each and every one of her flaws, and then try her best to try and cover them up.

-

Justin popped his head into the bathroom he shared with his sister, Penelope, and told her to hurry up for school. Being the older brother, he treasured his baby sister. She was the most kind and loving person he knew. Penelope was the kind of girl who could bring out the best in anyone. She had the wonderful habit of uplifting those around her. He tussled her hair and told her she was perfect before leaving the room.

-

Penelope followed her brother to the school bus out front. She nervously looked at herself once more in hallway mirror before shutting the door to their small, ran down home. At night she always dreamed of living in a large house, with perfect hair and a perfect boyfriend. She desperately wanted to be one of the popular girls. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

Once in homeroom, she sat to her friend, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was pretty in a homely way, and could have been in the popular crowd if she really wanted. Penelope was so thankful for having a dear friend. They shared stories, secrets, and sorrows. Penelope whispered to her friend about yet another pimple surfacing, and how she swore her hair was plotting against her. Lizzie just shook her head and smiled, knowing that words could never sooth her friend’s insecurities.

-

As Justin was heading to lunch, he came across a recruiting poster for the army. Troops were being sent overseas at an alarming rate, and the army was desperate for new trainees. He gasped out loud at the sign-on bonus – ten thousand dollars! That was a lot of money nowadays. That was more than enough for a new car and the brand new gaming system. Or. He could finally get Penelope that new outfit she had been drooling over. And maybe some nice highlights and fancy make-up. She could have a whole new makeover! He hated seeing his little sister always so down on herself. She deserved to have the nicest things in the world!

He didn’t even bother going back to class. He hurried up and ran down to the recruiting office in town, desperate to make his baby sister feel as pretty on the outside as she was on the inside.

-

After spending a couple thousand dollars on new clothes, make-up, a bodycon shapewear, and all the other beauty necessities, Penelope was overjoyed. She hurried home so that she would make the weekly phone call from her brother, who was now training for the army. She told him all about her new purchases, and thanked him over and over again.

Penelope was so excited for school the next day, she woke up three hours early to make sure she was primped just perfectly. With her newly dyed hair in perfect curls and her make-up layer on, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was stunned at how different she looked. She felt beautiful and sexy. Grinning ear-to-ear, she ran off for the bus.

Upon arriving at school, the cheer captain immediately noticed the “new and improved” Penelope. The cheerleader was quick to ask Penelope to sit by her for homeroom. Penelope was shocked, and beyond thrilled. She knew then that she was now an official cool kid. For the rest of the day she walked arm in arm with the three top cheerleaders. She was on top of the world!

When a lame-o would walk past them, she was the first to make a joke about their appearance. It was such a relief to finally be pretty, she didn’t want to be associated with her old crowd ever again. That was, until her best friend walked by. While the other girls laughed at Elizabeth’s new braces, Penelope felt a twinge in her heart. She didn’t want to be a cool kid anymore. She wanted to be with her best friend. She wanted to be able to tell someone her silly thoughts to, someone who wouldn’t judge her.

Penelope then finally understood what her brother told her every day. She was perfect – in her own way. Having the new hair and new clothes changed a lot more than who she was on the outside. She hurried and ran to the aid of her best friend, saying how much she loved the new dental accessories. Penelope promised herself that from now on she would never let any physical appearance get in the way of what truly mattered.

You're looking FINE! (Wikipedia Commons)

Author's Note

The fable I chose is about not trading your freedom for good looks. The peacock in the fable asked for beautiful feathers, but then later regretting it when he could no longer fly like the other birds. I wanted to put a modern twist on it, and bring it into terms that many young girls can relate to. So many girls wish for beauty, but don't realize that it is what is on the inside that matters.

Also, I really wanted for Penelope to not become one of the "mean girls". I thought that letting girls know that they most certainly can be "pretty" and nice too. Your whole attitude does not have to change when your wardrobe does.

The picture I chose represents how when we are young, we don't care about fitting in. It is society that puts this pressure on us to be popular, and it is society that makes us think we have to act a certain way when we are in the "in" crowd. I really hate stereotypes, and I just loved how the toddler had this no-care attitude.

My passion for this story comes from my high school days. I was a bit of an odd one, because I didn't fit into any one category - I loved being a part of so many different things. Cheerleading, chess club, student council, honor society, 4H - these were just a handful of the hobbies I enjoyed. Being a cheerleader who made straight A's was not the normal thing at my high school, and it really stumped some of my classmates. I worked hard to not let a label define me, and I think I got so much more out of my school experience because of that.

Bibliography

The story is based on the fable "The Peacock" in Aesop for Children (1919). 

My Favorite Place has Snowflakes, Skiing, and Smiles for Days

Colorado is one of my favorite places. It is such a wonderful place to interact with nature, and just relax. I truly loved being up in the snowy mountains - skiing is an absolute blast.

Last spring break I went skiing with my family. My dad and I didn't know what to think of those boots at first!

My father and I taking our first skiing lessons. Photo taken by Jennifer Bookout.

Hiking in the mountains led to some spectacular views.

Just one of the many amazing sights I was able to capture.

As you can see, Colorado is home to snowflakes, skiing, and smiles for days. It's a no-brainer that it is one of my favorite places! 

The Colorado Front Range by Zach Dischner. 

Comment Wall

Hello and thank you for your helpful comments! 

Criticism is meant to help you be a better person! (Chelsea Chua)

Here is a video on one of my favorite songs (this doesn't mean much...I have hundreds of favorites)! It is a piano tribute to Coldplay's "Paradise" - and I think it is fabulous! 

Let's Begin!

And so our journey through Epics of India begins. What will we discover? Only time will tell!

An illustration of the Battle of Kurukshetra, recorded in the Mahabharata Epic.

Source: Wikipedia Commons