Story: The First Party

12th June 1914

Dear Diary,

You will not believe what I am doing tonight...I am finally going out! I'm going to my first party WITHOUT my parents. For once, I will have one night out of this house, out of this place that I have been in for as long as I can remember. It isn't a terrible place, I've grown up here, I love my family. It's just that I will finally be able to be like all of the other girls my age. I don't have to wait up all night, wondering what each of my friends are up to. Are they sleeping too? Are they going out? And most importantly, are they with men? Oh how I wished that I could always be one of them, and tonight I FINALLY will be!

When my friends first suggested me coming out with them, I was hesitant. I knew that my father wouldn't allow it. I've been strung up in this house as long as I can remember, never being able to leave unless accompanied by either father or mother. I figured there was no point in asking. My friends pushed me more and more into asking him, and just to get them to stop talking about it, I went up to him and asked if I could go with them. He was silent. As he stood there and thought about what I had even dared to question, I could see all of the doubts in his eyes. All of the things that could possibly go wrong. He thought of anything bad that could happen to me. But maybe, just maybe, he saw something in my eyes too. Maybe he saw how I had longed to be like my friends, able to go out just for a night. Maybe he saw that I could protect myself. He looked at me with his deep blue eyes that I had always respected and he said yes, so long as I were to be careful, safe, and of course be home by midnight.

You see, my parents didn't keep me sheltered because they didn't trust me or anything. It's just that I'm the only girl in the family and they want to make sure that nothing bad happens to me. They even have this stupid mathematical equation that a man must solve when it's time for me to wed. Yes, the boys carry on the family name, however everyone knows that it is the daughters that are the most precious.

Well Diary, I must go get ready for my first night out! I can't wait to tell you all about it!

With Love, 

Sarah

13th June 1914

Dear Diary,

I don't even know what to say. Last night was the best night of my life! It was perfect. If I could just relive last night for the rest of my life, I would. I had a great time with my closest friends...we ate, we talked, we danced. I talked with boys! How could anything top last night?

But, there is one MAJOR thing that happened.

I met the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. I didn't think anything could ever be so beautiful, but he proved me wrong. It was only a glance...at first. A little later in the evening, I saw him again, only this time, he saw me too. More time passed and then, we ran into each other. And by ran into each other, I mean it. Right as I was turning, he was there. Our heads banged up against one another and I'm not going to lie, it hurt quite badly, however I obviously couldn't let him notice. He was so kind, making sure I was okay. Then, we just started talking. We talked about all sorts of things and I was so enthralled with him and the conversation that I ended up spending the rest of my time at the party with him and only him. And you will never guess what he said to me as we were saying our goodbyes. He said that he wanted to see me again! I'm seeing him again tonight! He has to meet the parents tonight.

I know it sounds crazy, especially after only one night together, but I think he's the one, I really do. I could just feel it in my stomach, you know? I think my family will really like him. Oh God, I hope he is smart and can solve that stupid equation!

With Love,

Sarah

P.S. His name is Ryan

Author's Note

For this retelling, I decided to rewrite the story in The Ramayana when Sita and Rama first see each other. It was at this moment that the two of them fell in love. Sita's father has a bow that a man must string in order to win Sita's hand in marriage, which Rama was able to do, leading Sita and Rama to wed. I chose to tell the story in Sarah's (Sita's) point of view about falling for Ryan (Rama. The mathematical equation that a man must solve in order to win Sarah's hand in marriage is the bow in The Ramayana.

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, Link to Reading A and B

Image Information

Photo of George Cathcart Woolley's diary, Web Source

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part B

I was very excited to continue reading The Ramayana for today's reading because yesterday's reading ended right as Rama was sentenced to exile for fourteen years. I was really looking forward to see where his time in exile would lead and it surely did not disappoint. The stories where Rama met Soorpanaka and when Ravana challenged Rama were so thrilling and a major page turner! I couldn't wait to figure out what happened next.

The fact that Ravana could picture what Sita looked like just by Soorpanaka's description of her helped me realize just how beautiful Sita is. When Soorpanaka was telling Ravana about Rama, and how Ravana felt about Sita, shows just how superficial Soorpanaka and Ravana are. They see to it that only their needs are met, not caring about anyone or anything else in the world. This is the complete opposite from Rama...he would do anything for his kingdom, people, and family.

When Mareecha transformed himself into the golden deer, the detail and anticipation was so much fun to read. Would Mareecha defeat Rama? Would Rama defeat Mareecha? Would Ravana get Sita out of all of this? Or would Sita stay with her husband? It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat!

As I was reading part A of The Ramayana today, I was thinking of things I could implement into my storytellings. This is what I came up with:

IV. Encounter's in Exile

• I could write as story as if Soorpanaka was cat fishing Rama by pretending she was someone completely different on some sort of social media

V. The Grand Tormentor

• I could write a story where Ravana is a child and doesn't know what he wants but has to get his way
• I could also write how Ravana is a bridezilla and has to have things perfect for his big day

Bibliography 

Narayan's Ramayana, link to Reading Guide B

Painting of Soorpanaka after her nose was cut off, Web Source

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part A

One of the major things that really struck me while reading part A of the Ramayana was the dedication that the King, Dasaratha, had to his kingdom. You can tell that he truly loves his kingdom and will do whatever is best for the people. This is why he was so happy when people were so overjoyed by the King's decision to appoint Rama to take over the throne.

I loved that you could feel the pain that both Rama and Sita felt when they saw each other for the first time. You could tell how they longed for each other after only one glance at one another. That is why when Rama was able to string the bow that once belonged to Shiva unlike any other of Sita's suitors, it was so rewarding to know that they could officially love each other and get married. I wish that I was able to read the unabridged version where they went into detail of the wedding scene with all of the beautiful details of how the pavilion, decorations, and other things at the wedding looked.

A few things that I picked up on while reading part A that I may want to use during my retelling are the following:
I. Rama's Initiation

• I could write a story where Dasaratha is sending Rama and Lakshmana off to college
• I could give the Ramayana a Hunger Games feel in regards to Rama killing Thataka
• The whole kill or be killed aspect
• Azalea's story could be told as if she were a child who was adopted by Brahma and her biological father is Indra

II. The Wedding

• I could rewrite Sita and Rama's story from each other's perspective and really go into detail 
• I could also rewrite Sita and Rama's story as if they met each other at a party
• Instead of a bow, it could be written as if Rama had to solve an equation or a riddle in order to win Sita's hand in marriage 

III. Two Promises Revived

• I could make the part with Kaikeyi about making Bharatha be King and forcing Rama into exile be like Snow White
• Kooni is like the mirror on the wall in this case

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, link to Reading Guide A

Rama placing a flower crown on Sita's head, Web Source

Wikipedia Trail: Civil War to Fireworks

For this Wikipedia trail, I started off with Captain America: Civil War from the class announcement page. I love Marvel movies, and I haven't gotten a chance to see this one. I wish I had been able to go to the free showings at the union this past weekend! This then took me to the Olympiastadion in Berlin. This is where many Olympic events were held when Berlin hosted the summer Olympics in 1936. I really enjoyed getting to watch the Olympics this summer, so I thought that was a cool that Captain America led me to them. I then got to the Queen's Official Birthday. This is the day that governments celebrate as the official day for the Queen's, or King's, birthday. In the UK, the Queen's birthday is celebrated on the second Saturday in June. The Queen's Official Birthday then took me to fireworks. Fireworks are so beautiful, and I'm a little bit of a pyromaniac, so they are really fun to me. I love any excuse to shoot some fireworks into the sky!

(Movie poster for Civil War;

Web Source)

(Fireworks over the Sydney Opera House on New Years Eve;

Web Source)

Week 1 Review: GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU

I love cats so I really like all of the cat memes that you include in the daily announcements. However, I think that the following graphic that you put in Saturday's announcement was the funniest thing I've seen! It shows just how odd the English language is! As of right now, I don't have any events coming up, however if that changes, I will be sure to email you with the information!

(Our friend, GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU;

Saturday's announcements) 

Tech Tip: Blogger Design

I decided to change the design of my blog for a few reasons. One of the reasons was that the original design of the blog was the default design, so I wanted something a little more personable. Since I love reading, when I saw the book template I knew that one was for me! Another reason I changed my design was because the original design was orange, and obviously we cannot have that on OUr campus!!

Growth Mindset

Although I have never heard of Carol Dweck before, I really like what she says about learning! It is very different than what most people view as far as learning and having only a certain capacity. I think that it is much more positive and constructive than just letting a person believe that they have reached their highest mental capacity. The growth mindset is very interesting and I think it would be a valuable thing to learn more about!

 I would like to think that I have more of a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. I try to put this mindset into action as much as possible in school by reading and bettering my school work. My parents always told me and my siblings that they were proud of us, so long as we tried our best, even if it wasn't an "A" and I think that definitely helped each of us have a growth mindset rather than a fixed. I am involved in music and it is easily seen that you must have a growth mindset when it comes to anything involving the arts. No one will ever be one of the greats when they first begin anything having to do with the arts, you must work towards it and accept the challenges that come along with being a musician.

One of the biggest things with learning that I have learned while at OU is that college is different from high school. My high school wasn't an easy one and I took multiple AP courses over my four years while attending, but the study skills in college is much different than that of high school. It's much more independent learning and reading while for the most part you could get away without reading in high school.

I think that the growth mindset will be very valuable for this year because I am taking some difficult classes that take personable accountability. I am in a graduate course this year, so it will be much more of a challenge than my undergrad classes, however I am very excited for this class because it seems as though it will be fun and interesting! I want to be able to challenge myself and learn this semester, and I definitely think that the growth mindset will help me accomplish this!

(I drive my own learning;

Growth Mindset Memes Blog)

Starting the Semester

My favorite organizational tool that I use is my planner! It is honestly the biggest lifesaver! At the beginning of every semester, I go in and write any important dates that I can find for that semester, whether they are for classes, such as due dates or tests, school functions, such as football games or Big Event, or anything for the activities that I am in. This way, I can look at every month and see when everything important is happening and nothing creeps up on me. Everyday I write down what needs to be accomplished by the end of the night and I check things off as I go so I know I don't miss anything.

Another thing I do at the beginning of every semester is I set up my desk in my room so it's functional and I can start using it whenever I need to. I like having things a certain way, so I always set it up accordingly. It definitely takes the stress off of me so it's one less thing to worry about when school comes around!

(Photo of Planners;

Web Source)

Reading Options: Ramayana

I have decided to read R.K. Narayan version of the Ramayana for Week 2 and Week 3 of class. The reasons why I have chosen this version of the Ramayana is because I enjoy having a physical copy, whether on paper or on a Kindle, so I can easily annotate what I am reading. I also like that I do not have to rely on my computer and the internet in order to get the readings accomplished.

I have always enjoyed reading mythology and Greek epics such as The Odyssey and The Iliad. They were always very interesting to me, especially since they dated back so long ago. I also always enjoyed Aesop's Fables as a child because they were usually very easy to read, and easy to understand. I wanted to take a class about India because two of my Aunt's love India and I wanted to learn more about the culture. One day, I would love to visit India because there is so much history there! I really enjoy reading and I'm excited to be able to read epics from India!

Although I don't know the details behind the following sculpture, I know that I have seen it before because it looks so familiar!

(12th century stone sculptor of God Vishnu;

Web Source)

My Storybook Favorites

The first storybook that I read that I really enjoyed was The Elephants of Indian Epics! I wasn't familiar with the topic that the writer discussed, however the title did a great job explaining what the storybook was about since the focus was on elephants found in Indian Epics. The introduction was very good because it gave you a brief overview of what would be discussed. I really liked how the writer presented the story by writing it through bedtime stories. The design of the storybook was good, however I wish that the navigation toolbar looked a little cleaner. I really liked that the first thing you saw when you went to the storybook was a picture of an elephant with the title! It really put the focus on the elephant rather than the little boys.

(Painting of elephant by Bonnie Morgan;

Elephants of India)

The second storybook I really enjoyed was The Magic Map. This is another story that I wasn't familiar with the topics that the write wrote about. I think that the title was perfect for the story because it was all about traveling with the help of the "magic map". I really liked that the writer wrote the storybook as if it were her journal while going on her archeology adventure because it made it very easy to follow! I didn't like how the writer formatted the pictures in the storybook, so I won't be using that format in my storybook.

(Picture of compass from tocalante.com;

The Magic Map)

The third storybook I liked was Indian Horror Story. Although I didn't recognize the Indian Epic topic of the storybook, I did recognize what the writer based it off of because they based it off of "American Horror Story" which I absolutely love! It made it a very easy storybook to read. The introduction did a really good job of reeling the reader in because it gave insight to what happened but you keep wanting to read to figure up what will happen to the couple. I really liked the design of the storybook because it was very dark and eerie just like the story.

(Photo of a haunted house;

Indian Horror Story)

Introduction to a Weirdo, Tech Tip: Embedded YouTube

Hello! My name is Kimber Rutherford and I am a senior Electrical Engineering student. My favorite thing about my major is that I get to learn how to create things that have a practical use in the world. Once I graduate this upcoming Spring, I hope to find a job either in the Oklahoma City area or the Houston area, which is close to where I live and I eventually would like to get my Masters in Electrical Engineering. Once I am retired, I want to be able to look back at my career and see that I helped society progress, whether in the technology, energy, or medical field. Last semester, my favorite class that I took was Signals and Systems. This class was awesome because it involved a lot of math, plus the professor was incredible! He was always cracking jokes with us and made us truly believe that we can do all of the work required for Electrical Engineering. He is one of the few professors that I’ve had who cared about us and genuinely wanted to see his us succeed. The biggest accomplishment that I had last semester was that I was able to pass all of my classes all while holding leadership positions in multiple organizations.

Over the summer break, I went to Pagosa Springs, CO with my family. It was so beautiful and it we got the chance to do so many amazing things! We went rafting, horseback riding, rode on ATV’s, and so much more! I am currently in the Pride of Oklahoma, the marching band here at the university. I play percussion and I play the keyboards down in the front, so I don’t have to worry about marching around the field. I am a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, which is a music sorority on campus, and I am also involved in WECE, which stands for Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering. In my free time, I like reading, watching Netflix, knitting, and hanging out my friends. I’m currently reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and I’m watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. I don’t really have a particular favorite style of music, but I’ve been listening to a lot of Ben Folds recently. Last semester I got to see him live in Oklahoma City and it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.

I have four pets back at home: two Shiz Tzu’s, named Shamu and Bella, and two brand new kittens, neither has a name yet, who I have yet to meet since my parents got them once I moved back to Norman for the school year. Here in Norman, one of my roommates has a one-and-a-half-year-old Catahoula, named Murphy, and my other roommate has a three-month old Orange Tabby kitten, named Mowgli. The crazy thing about the kitten here in Norman is that it is a girl Orange Tabby which is very rare since they are almost always boys.

If I had one extra day of fun where I didn’t have to worry about doing anything, I would spend it with my friends and family. I am happiest when I am simply surrounded by people I care about and get to make lifelong memories with them!

(Personal Photo of my dogs, Shamu and Bella;

Photo taken in September 2014)

(Personal Photo of my kittens;

Photo taken in August 2016)

(Personal Photo of Murphy;

Photo taken in August 2016)

(Personal Photo of Mowgli;

Photo taken in August 2016)

Story: The Owl Who Knew Everything

As I was quietly sitting alone in my tree just past noon, I saw Monkey emerge through the brush. I noticed that he held something in his hand, nothing I’ve ever seen in all my years on this planet. It was beautiful: hand-crafted from wood, decorated with care. With each precious detail, you can see the countless hours that Man had put into it. When he flipped the mysterious item over, it almost blinded me. It seemed as if I was only an inch from the Sun, staring straight into it.

Of course Monkey was being his usual obnoxious self. For some odd reason, he always had to be the first for everything - the first to tell the others what he saw, the first to tell someone what they did was wrong, the first to show everyone what he had discovered - and he certainly could not be pushed aside. I always assumed that it was because he wanted the others to like him…how dumb.

So with Monkey doing the only thing Monkey knows how to do, he went around to all the animals and showed them what he found near where Man lives. They were all fascinated by his discovery, that is until they each flipped the thing over. Each animal, no matter how beastly they may be, cried. Bear questioned how he could be so unattractive; Wolf cried how he wishes he could look like Moose.

As I was up in my tree I had two thoughts. The first thought was how did they not know they were all such ugly creatures? I am disgusted by their faces; why else would I be in my tree alone all day? The second thought was this: how did they figure out what their faces looked like? Is this item that Monkey has magical? What does it show you?

Once all the animals looked into the magical, beautiful thing Monkey brought back from Man’s land, Monkey asked me if I would like to look. For just a moment I considered it. Would I be happy with what this item showed me? Would I cry like the others, wishing my face looked more like Eagle? Then I replied with breeze and said to the Monkey and all those that could hear, “Don’t you see how big of fools you all are? You are letting Man decided whether you are beautiful or not!”

We all decided to bury the evil thing that Monkey brought to us so deep in the dirt so that no animal would ever find it and believe Man’s deceptive plan.

Author's Note

For this retelling, I decided to base it off of The Monkey and the Looking-Glass from Indian Fables by Ramaswami Raju. One day, a monkey comes into a forest with a looking glass and he goes around to each animal showing them their reflection. Each animal cried and questioned why they looked the way they did. The monkey took the looking-glass to the owl and the owl responded by saying he did not want to look because in this case, knowledge is pain. The animals then decided to destroy the looking glass and exclaimed ignorance is bliss. I decided to retell this story from the owl’s perspective and I also changed the motto from “ignorance is bliss” to “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.

Bibliography

“The Monkey and the Looking-Glass” by Ramaswami Raju. Web Source

Image Information

Photograph of an owl. Source: Web Source

My Favorite Place: Lake Tahoe

One of my favorite places in the whole world is Lake Tahoe! I don't have a preference when it comes to the Nevada or California side because the whole area is so beautiful. My family has taken multiple family vacations up to Lake Tahoe, well before I was born and throughout many years in my life. Occasionally, my family will rent a big cabin and my mom's side of the family will come and stay with us. Lake Tahoe also holds a special place in my heart because this is where I learned how to ski when I was just three years old! I always enjoy going back to Lake Tahoe and I can't wait to go back again!

(Photo of Lake Tahoe, NV,
Photo by Christian Arballo )

Comment Wall

Welcome to my blog for Epics of India! Please feel free to leave a comment!

Here is the link to my website for my storybook! The House to a Wife of Many

(Photo of the Haunted Mansion in Disney World,

Web Source)

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog for Epics of India!