Wikipedia Trail: From Batu Caves To Monks

1. Batu Caves
Wow! This picture definitely caught my attention and that is why I decided to choose this as my Wikipedia trail name is derived from the Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also named after the villages that is close to it. It is dedicated to a lord who is named Murugan.

2.  Murugan
Murugan also goes by the name Skanda, among others. He is an indigenous war god. He has six shrines, which literally means "six warhouses". An account of his birth can be found in Mahabharata. There is a lot of information regarding his birth which was very long and I would have to spend more time on this.

3. Tonsure
Latin word meaning to cut or shave some or all of the hair on a scalp. This religious sign is shows devotion and humility. It is very common in Hinduism and Buddhism and represents something meaningful in both religions. It is however banned in Islam.

4. Monks
Monks are sometimes referred to as Bhikkhu. Anyone who is younger may not become a monk, but they may become a śrāmaṇera. The word Bhikkhu means beggar. The Wikipedia article that I read was very interesting and gave so much detail, that it was almost overwhelming.

(Bhikkhu sitting on a bench. Source:freegreatpicture)

Reading Notes: Ramayana Public Domain , Part C

Sugriva and Hanuman:

I am so glad that I chose this version to read. It is very interesting how these stories / epics are unfolding and it is amazing how all these characters intertwine with one another. For this week's note taking I decided to only focus on one story instead of two or three.

This story is probably by far the most interesting one that I have read thus far. I like how Sugriva disguised himself -very clever. I could use this part of the story and change it. Maybe he changed himself into another animal? A bird that follows them deep into a forest and to keep an eye on them?


* Sugriva- younger brother of Vali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the monkey kingdom of Kishkindha. Rumā was his wife. He was son of Surya, the Hindu deity of sun.

* Hanuman - ardent devotee of Rama

* Pampa - lake

* Wind god - AKA Vayu. Lord of the winds, the father of Bhima and the spiritual father of Hanuman.

(Man ripping his chest open. Source: Wikipedia)

Bibliography:Ramayana Public Domain Edition. Link to reading part C

Reading Notes: Ramayana Public Domain , Part D

1. The Bridge:
* God of ocean - AKA Varun & god of law of underwater world
* Vanar - group of people living in forest
* Nala - Son of Vishwakarma
* Vishwakarma - maker of all-doer
Rama's bride - AKA Adam's bridge
Linga - abstract of Shiva / used to worship in temples
Rameshwaram - town / municipality
Lanka - fortress

Upon reading the Ramayana version of The Bridge, I could not help but wonder why the sacrifice was unsuccessful? How would the story have unfolded if it was indeed successful? "Into the bosom of the deep" sounded so proper to me and I really like how they worded this sentence and the way the author described certain aspects came forth as very interesting to me. If I have to re-write the story, I might be able to describe the king of the ocean with a more descriptive style. As I have mentioned before, I learn and read better with pictures and describing characters. I can also describe how the bridge will be built. Ravana seems to be a very short -tempered character.

2. Battle of Rama And Ravana:
* It was kind of intense when I read this. Who was going to win the fight? Which power proved to be superior and stronger? Could they have used other powers for this battle?
* Auspicious? Never heard of this word. I will have to look it up
* Heads that keep coming back sounds scary. It reminds me of a horror movie


3. Sita and Rama:
* It made me sad when Sita threw herself in the fire in order to prove her love and or purity to her lover.  Why did she have to do this? Did he not trust her? If he has so many powers, could he not use some kind of power to read her mind and feelings? I am glad, however, that it turned out to be a love story and that they ended up together again.

(Rama and Ravana fighting. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Bibliography: Ramayana Online Public Domain Edition. Part D.

Tech Tip: Canvas Notification

 Canvas Notification

I decided to do the Canvas notification tech tip for this week and found it to be difficult. I do not know if it is because my blog look differently when I am logged in and my settings preferences are different or what. I was however, able to turn on my "e-mail notification feature announcements" which was easy to locate. After going through my blog settings, etc, I realized that I will have to spend more time learning how to configure certain settings.

Reading Notes: Part A- Ganesha

Part A: Ganesha

• Ganesha – most worshipped deity in Hindu pantheon. Child of Shiva and Parvati. Hindu wisdom god.
• Kartikeya – indigenous god of war and child of Shiva and Parvati
• Siva – supreme god. “Transformer” of the universe
• Parvati – Hindu goddess of fertility. She is the wife of the god known as Shiva

• ·         I wonder what symbol turmeric plays in this story? I know India has many rich spices. Is it possibly related to the sun, being that both is yellow in color? Does it have something to do with Parva and her fertility powers? I found this to be very interesting.
• 
  
• ·        Super crazy (yet interesting) that Parvati was able to create a boy in the bathtub, using turmeric paste. 
• 
  
• ·       I notice that oral literature plays a big role in this story.
• 
  
• ·        Both the Greeks and Hindus belief in gods. Varuna is the Hindu god of ocean while Poseidon is the * Greek god of the ocean, yet both are so different in what they believe to be true. Fascinating!
• 
  
• ·     Bahuchara – can be related to today’s transsexuals. Who knew that this existed many years ago?!
• 
  
• ·         The story is about how different people view god in varying ways and perspectives.

 

(Ganesha Deity Sitting On an Ottomnan. Source: Orange Carton)

Bibliography: Seven Secrets Of Indian Calendar Art - Part A: Ganesha by Devdutt Pattanaik 

Learning Challenge: Believing In Yourself

(Happiness is...Source: Cheezburger)

I chose to create this meme, because everything that we do in life begins with yourself. Your actions, the reactions and choices. If you do not have the ability to believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe and have faith in you? 

Growth Mindset: Exploring With Memes

(Kitten jumping in the air. Source: Cheezburger)

Wikipedia Trails: From Bhindi to Kiwi People

I love to eat and try exotic foods from different cultures, so I decided to do a Wikipedia trail on How Indians Cam to Eat Bhindi.

1. Bhindi 
Starting off, I had to find out what Bhindi is. after searching it, the word OKRA popped up and this is a word with which I am very familiar with. I love to eat okra and I grew some in my garden last year. I made the best okra stew ever from those! Interesting enough, it is also called ladies fingers and is from a plant called the mallow family.

2. Allopolyploidy
What an odd name it is. Sounds like an insect or something. Allopolyploid means chromosomes that is from different species. The article was very scientific and did not give much information, therefore I would have to find more information and sources for research purposes.

3.  Kiwifruit
What a turn my wikipedia trail has taken! I went from Okra to a totally different crop. This berry is also known as a Chinese  gooseberry, which I have never heard of before. in the Hindi (Indian) language it is called "Lalit". it became known as kiwifruit in 1962 when New Zealand started exporting it. Kiwi can refer to a bird or to people.

4. Kiwi people
This is used when referencing people who are from New Zealand. It just blows my mind to think that there are so many terms for people, groups, nature, etc and never will we be able to comprehend it all, since there are so many. The military were the first group of people to be called this term and it was later used to nickname those who fought in the second world war. Soldiers (during the 1900s) were also referred to then as fern-leaves.


I enjoyed this week's trail post and learned something new!

Famous Last Words; The Week In Review

The Week in Review 

It is the first time since class started, that I will be making an assessment of my progress thus far. I think that this week's reading was a bit more complicated to read, simply because of all the different links, tabs and additional information regarding the stories. Yet, it was fun and I enjoyed the fact that the story was broken up into tabs. It made it less tedious and if / when I decided to take a break, I could pick up right where I left off, without getting confused or lost. 

Since this is the only class that I am currently taking, I have to say that this weeks' writing was quite fun and I enjoyed it more than week one. We have fairly a few excellent writers in this class and it is always fascinating to see that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder - what is beautiful and different for one person, can be seen differently by another. Reading different posts every week inspires me to make my own stories enjoyable to read for others. That is what makes this class so much fun and interesting! There is no right or wrong answer on the stories and blogs that we post. It is all about finding one's creative side and writing what YOU belief to be inspiring. This class and its components truly sets one up for success and growth.

My agenda for next week, is to focus on this class and hopefully get a head start or have my homework completed by Friday, instead of procrastinating (again). I have to focus on my newborn and run our business as well, so prioritizing will play a prominent role for the upcoming week!

Tech Tip: Canvas Profile

For this week's tech tip, I decided to edit my canvas profile, so that I may become more familiar with how blogging works and all the details that it entail. Who knows - I might continue blogging after this class.

For my avatar, I chose a photo of myself to make it more interesting and personable. I also decided to list my favorite book, but did not want to list too many things, because I recently washed a movie called SNOWDEN. In this movie, they explained how the Government use social media and all types of ways to keep a 'tab' on people - quite scary!

I found the tech tip instructions and guidelines very easy, which makes it enjoyable and fun!

(Picture of Snowden movie. Source: Flickr)

Review: Week 2, Dig The Well- Be Prepared

Dig The Well- Be Prepared

The image and proverb "Dig A Well Before You Are Thirsty" stood out to me, so I looked more into it. This can be applied to many aspects of my personal life -whether it is my career, marriage or school. To me it means to prepare and be prepared for anything that may come my way. On a more deeper level (such as relationships)  it means that I have to use the tools that I have in order to strengthen ties. This can simply be done by spending more time with loved ones, etc and not waiting until something bad happens to do so. One never knows when the time might come for loved ones to pass away - seize every opportunity you get to spend time with them! 

(The importance of spending time with loved ones. Source: Flickr)

Feedback Thoughts; Input enhances Output

Feedback is quite often seen as negative, intended to break people down. It is only when we can take feedback in a positive light that one will realize the importance and benefits thereof. It is not only used for educational or work related activities but can play a vast role in one’s personal growth and development as well.

I quite often play victim to the notion of feedback. I think of it as an attack mode and it is at that point in time that I put my guard up and go in the defense mode. It makes me really sad and I paint a negative image in my mind of the person ‘attacking me’. I really enjoyed reading 5 Tips for Taking Feedback like a Champ, because it made me realize that it is totally okay and necessary for me to sometimes speak up about my feelings or things that bother me and to allow me to be honest with whomever I am dealing with. It also taught me that without feedback, I will not know how to motivate my behavior to help me enhance my self-image, allowing me to grow in a positive light. This in turn will allow me to deal more positively with certain encounters of everyday life. I am quite used to giving feedback to our employees and I always try to do it in a manner that will hopefully encourage them and make them feel valued and appreciated. Marshall Goldsmith’s article about ‘feeding forward’ resonated with me. It is important to use what one has learned about feedback to modify and improve future work related activities and I think that this can be an effective strategy to use with my employees. I think that Goldsmith’s sums it up perfectly in her article when she writes about how “Feedforward helps people envision and focus on a positive future, not a failed past” – wow!

Another article that struck me was Overcoming The Fear of Feedback . Again, the idea of fixed and growth mindsets cam into play - a snowball effect where certain aspects of life are entwined.  A reason why I do not like to give feedback is because I feel that I will make enemies or that I will really hurt a person emotionally. Again, I realized that it is not true, if done in the correct manner. I will definitely use the LATTE approach next time I have to deal with a client. Grant Wiggins' article also gave me insight as to how I can professionally give feedback in a way to help people reach their full potential.

I really enjoyed reading these articles and it is so easy to forget how important feedback truly is. It is a tool that I will hopefully never forget and use more in my everyday life encounters and activities. 

 

(Feedback; Input enhances output. Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Week 2 Storytelling: Rama The Brave Warrior

There once was a two-headed dragon named Vishvam who lived in a kingdom called Shamballa. Vishvam had to endure several quarrels throughout his life to prove himself and remain in high power in his kingdom. There was only one higher than him and that was the grand Dragon Dasharatha. Vishvam had heard from the kingdom folks that his arch enemy, Zinyak was sending two of his best fighters to rip him from his throne. Zinyak appears in numerous forms, such as monsters and phantoms, or in his human form. Zinyak and his two hellions had caused Vishvam trouble before, but they had trained strenuously for the upcoming battle and Vishvam knew that he could not endure this battle alone. Therefore, he must get the help of Dasharatha to defeat the evil enemies.

Quietly enjoying his evening, Dasharatha was just about to call it a night when a loud chatter followed by a loud knock at the castle door made him stop in his tracks. Dasharatha flew over, and sputtered “Who would it be”? Looking through the tiny hole in the castle door, Dasharatha could see that it was the great Vishvam, but what could be so urgent at this time of night? After a brief conversation, Dasharatha knew that this could not be avoided. Vishvam was about to have the fight of his life and knew that without his son, Rama, Vishvam stood no chance in beating Zinyak. As much as it saddened Dasharatha, he gave permission for Rama and his other son, Lakshmana to escort Vishvam to the fight. Vishvam felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and assured Dasharatha that he would protect his two sons and would return with a victory. Off they went, deep into the forest, with chains and swords in hand. Vishvam was right, that was harder than any other battle he had fought in, and after ten long days, they had finally defeated the likings of Zinyak. After resting to regain their strength for a couple of days they could return to Shamballa and give Dasharatha the great news.

Meanwhile, back in the kingdom, the worst had happened. The fierce leader Dasharatha had grown very ill and none of the old remedies that had been used for many of years were working to rid him of this unknown disease. It was not long before Dasharatha had fallen victim and passed away without his beloved sons by his side. Word was quickly travelling from kingdom to kingdom and finally made its way to Dasharatha’s long lost son Bharata. Even though there was still bad blood between the two, Bharata knew that he must go pay respect to his father.

Upon arriving in Siddhashrama, Bharata was informed that his brothers had left for battle with Vishvam and had not yet returned. And it was for this reason that Bharata would not only hold all of the power but he would have to put his father to rest. This was devastating for Bharata, as he knew that he did not deserve this power, he had betrayed his father when he left years ago. He had no choice though. Bharata carried out his duties and then dared the forest alone to find his brothers, tell them the horrific news, and urge them to come back to the kingdom. Bharata knew that it was only fair for the eldest and most knowledgeable brother, Rama to take the place of his father and reign in power. The people of the kingdom were on their knees, praying to the gods. Dasharatha’s wives yowled with tears flowing down her face and would continue to do so for the next 10 days.

Bharata had left the kingdom and was making his way to the forest to find his brothers and Vishvam. He went from tree to tree, valley to valley, searching when he stumbled upon the forest monsters known as deathclaws. These dinosaur-like creatures can appear out of nowhere and jump on you, sucking your blood. Luckily Bharata was quick on his feet and slayed these creepy creatures with his fire powers, scorching them to death. Two days passed and there was still no sign of his brothers. He prayed to queen Ghoma, the spirit god for guidance and strength – asking her to show him the way to his brothers. She appeared to him in a cave and steered him on the correct path. He soon found his brothers in a deserted swamp and broke the bad news to them.

They made their way back in a hurry and Rama would have to go through great lengths and rituals to take over the power and reign over the kingdom. When Rama arrived back in Shamballa, the folks cheered and he was greeted by Chopra, his father’s counselor. It was Chopra that would make Rama swear to the oath of protecting the town’s people. The cheers humbled Rama, as he was the chosen one. He swore that he would exert all of his efforts to make sure that the wicked witch, known as Daedra would pay for what she had done…..poisoned his father.

         Rama and Lakshama shooting the evil raksha. Source; Junglekey

Author's note: I based my story off of the Indian Epics, Ramayana Public Domain Edition. More specifically, I focused on the story of Vishvamitra and Rhama and Bharata.  In the original stories, Vishvamitra went to king Dasharata to ask for his sons' help in defeating rakshas. The story of  Rhama and Bharata focus on Bharata finding out that his father passed away and he had to find his brother to perform the funeral services for their father. The plot in the story is the same, but I decided to change a few things in order to give it a twist. Some of the character's names also got changed to make it a bit more interesting. A few of the character names are based off of video games. 

Bibliography: Ramayana Public Domain Edition

Reading Notes: Ramayana Public Domain, Part B

Bharata Returns 

Rhama & Bharata

For this reading part, I decided to take a different approach. Instead of going back and forth between the reading and the links to see what each name depicts, I wrote it down on my notes to make the story flow easier and so that I may comprehend it better.

Bharata - Rama's brother
Kaikeyi - Bharata's -  mother and Rama's step mother
Dasharatha - father
Raja - monarch
Ayodhya - City & birhplace of Rama
Maharaja - "great ruler" / king
Shatrughna - Rama's youngest brother. Lakshmana's twin brother
Manthara - maid who convinced Kaikeyi (mom) to exile her step son, Rama
Chitrakoot - town
Jabali - Dasharata's advisor who also acted as a brahmanic (priest)


* I feel hurt for Rama when he found out about his dad. It reminds me of a very bad dream. It also reminds me of my uncle who died in a motorcycle accident and his soon to be wife was on a 13hour car drive to meet him in the town where they were going to get married in. She did not know he passed away that day, until she got to his house.

* The world is full of evil people and the need for power can destroy us. The story reminds me of the series "Once Upon a Time" and "Game of Thrones".

* I can write a short introduction of the plan that Manthara (the maid) and Kaikeyi (step mom) had to exile Rama. She told him that he had to hide in the woods in order to avoid being killed by the highest spirit?

* I can also change the story where Kaikeyi secretly had another son and that is why she exiled Rama - to make the "other son" the new king. She did not know that the monarch left to get Bharata and bring him back to the castle.

* Possibly describe more in detail how Shatrughna turned into an evil two headed dragon, bird or snake (as his power) and tried to kill the maid?? Why did the brother obey Bharata when he told him not to kill the maid?? What would have happened if he did not listen?

* The dad's funeral is sad and maybe I can write a poem that was read by the two brothers during the service

* Jabali, the advisor spoke some true words - we only get one life and we must live it to the fullest.

* The fact that Rama did not listen to Jabali's advise, symbolizes how important it is to adhere to authority (his father) and the wishes he had as a king. It also comes to show that Rama had a strong bond with his brother and trusted him completely to take over the kingdom.


(The town of Chitrakuta. Source: The Sun)
Bibliography: Ramayana Public Domain Edition.

Reading Notes: Ramayana Public Domain Part A

 Vishvamitra:

I enjoyed reading the PDE Ramayana version of Vishvamitra. When I first started, it was not really easy to come up with ideas, so I had to re-read and go back to the Wikipedia links over and over to make sure that I understood each character. Below are some notes as to how I can create my own story.

1. Dasharatha (king)

•  Has power to change people

•  Denies Vishvamitra's request and tries to trick him by taking one of his soldiers and turning him into Rama.

•  Rama can be a pregnant princess and that is why the king does not want to send her.(I will change Rama into a female).

• -This did not work and Vishvamitra realized he was tricked. He became infuriated.

• I can describe how Vishvamitra uses Rama to lure in the wicked demons. 

• Dragon? Horse with human head?

2. Vishvamitra

•  I can change his clothes

•   Give him powers of night vision or body heat that can detect danger

3. Random notes:

•  I can write about the time leading up to the killing of the demons

•  Write about what the demons (rakshasa) look like 

• What is the significance of "flowers rained down upon them from the sky"?

(Rama and Lakshmana practicing with their bow and arrow. Source: Wikipedia Commons)


Bibliography: Ramayana Public Domain Edition- Vishvamitra

Wikipedia Trail: From Devata To Mandala

I found a classroom tweet by Professor Gi

1. Devata: 

A Devata is known in the Hindu religion as a deity or a god and they come in many sizes, regions and categories. There are Devatas for mountains, caves,  rivers, cardinal points and can even be found for seducing people.


Three Devatas. Source: Wikipedia 



2. Angkor Wat:
 Angkor Wat is found in Cambodia, which is located in the Southern Peninsula off of South East Asia. Before it turned into what is now called a Buddhist temple, it was constructed for Vishnu (a supreme god) as a Hindu temple. Angkor what is now known as the 'temple city' and was built in the 12th century

 A Photo Of Angkor Wat. Source: Wikipedia



3.  Mount Meru:
Meru is called many different things in among the Sanskrit and was built to represent symbolic meaning. I found this very interesting, because they explain how the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Javanese legends view Meru.

Picture Of Where Koreans Place Mount Meru. Source: Wikipedia


4. Mandala: 
I decided to click on the Mandal link, because it sounds very similar to Mandela. It has both a religious and political meaning in Hinduism, which I would have to spend more time on, in order to fully comprehend. It is mentioned in the article that it can represent Mount Meru, which in turn represent the entire universe. Amazing how one link plays off of the next...is it not?

 The Mandala Painting. Source: Wikipedia

Time Strategies

Time Management

When tackling the heavy load of my work, classes, studying and managing everything else in my life, I realized how important it is to master the art of time management, yet I too often fall victim to these two words, until it is almost too late to get out of. I believe that I am quite organized, or at least that is how I start my year, but sometimes it is so difficult to follow my planned schedule, that I get overwhelmed and frustrated. It is at this point in time that I don't eve bother looking at my calendar.

I really enjoyed reading Peter Banerjea's post about time management. I often waste my time on less important tasks which means that I am unable to complete more important once to the best of my ability. Reading the article reminded me once again of how important it is to prioritize activities, taking it one step at a time. This will help me to improve my life and make it so much easier - helping to ease the pain of procrastination. I agree with Banerjea - starting is the most difficult part (for me) because I tend to overthink things, wanting it to be just perfect. Instead of just starting and jotting down the first thing that comes to mind (no matter what task I take on), I often find myself pondering.

Even though I have thought of  the "What will go wrong if I don't do this now?" question, reading it in this article, allowed me to view and understand it from a different perspective. Time does not stand still for anyone or anything. Not completing something in time will ultimately lead to consequences and reactions that can be avoided by simply DOING IT!

(Quote about time flies. Source: The Pinay Va)

Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset : 

 "Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." -Pearl Strachan Hurd

Words are part of speech and everyday life, but the way we use it, is what is ultimately important. When parents tell their children that they are not smart enough or for example, that they need to get an A in the next exam to avoid being grounded, it can affect the child severely. The above quote by Pearl Hurd stuck with me, because once something is said, it can not be undone and it can create what author Carol Dweck call a 'fixed mindset'. I am quite familiar with this term, and as a child, I was never good at mathematics. I used to tell myself that I am dumb and that math kicked my butt. Never in a million years did I think of how these words could and would affect me. It controlled my mindset and I had to teach myself to think differently. 

I became familiar with the term in high school and during those years, I was the student (as Dweck mentioned in her article) who always compared myself to my peers, hoping that I was not the student with the lowest grade in the class. I had a fixed mindset and thought that I will always be like that. As I evolved throughout life and everything else I did, it became evident that I had to change my way of thinking in order to grow and it helped me tremendously. Throughout my years at OU, I was able to implement different ways of learning because of a growth mindset. Never giving up, always trying my best and believing in my abilities is what allowed me to prosper in life and accomplish my dreams and that is why the below image resonates with me.  I am now able to view setbacks as a learning curve and push harder to overcome these.

(Cat In a Tree. Source: Cheezburger)

Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

As I am constantly on the road and traveling, and on my phone, I decided to download the Canvas application for my iPhone. This will allow me to be up to date with assignments and due dates.
Finding and downloading the application on my phone was very easy and the tutorial video was informative. I synced the calendar with my phone and liked how you can set a timer for your notifications. I believe that this app will be helpful and I enjoyed going through all the different settings / folders on the Canvas app.  

Review, All Things Come To An End

(Source: Everything That Has a Beginning Has An Ending)

Reading through the week's announcement, this photo quite struck me, because often we as people wonder "why" "what if" and "if only". This is in relation to all things in life, whether it is someone passing away, relationships ending, etc. Another reason why this truck me, is because of a personal issue that my sister is currently going through and this immediately reminded me of her.

Reading Options

Ramayana Version 

After reading through the course materials, I came to a conclusion that it will be best for me to choose the Public Domain Ramayana version, which is an anthology. The reason I chose the PD version, is because of the ease of accessibility. Since all my classes are online, I do not have to go the library to get a hard copy of the R.K. version. 

Another aspect that drew me to this version is the fact that illustrations are available. Since I am a very visual person, I believe this will assist me in understanding the story line better. The more links, comments, notes and illustrations available, the better. Although I am more in favor of modern language, I think it will be interesting to experience the "old-fashioned" language - words that are more well known in the past. Videos, as a mean of learning really made me interested in this version because it can help me make important notes that I might have misread.

My first encounter with epic story lines was back 2013 when I attended Collin County Community College and I was required to take an English Comp class. I found it very confusing in the beginning and it frustrated me, but as the course progressed throughout the weeks, I was able to understand the significance behind epics. I have seen movies such as Braveheart, Forrest Gump, etc before but never in a million years did I think of it as epic movies (I just learned something new). The Quran was mentioned and studied during this class and Christianity was also discussed, which again, shed light and perspective on a lot of questions I had and it allowed me to look at it from a different perspective. Although I have never traveled to India, watched Indian films or have Indian heritage, I look forward to learning even more about their culture and beliefs. This will allow me to appreciate other cultures and have an open mind to their customs and ways of life. 

 

Source: (Kunti, Wayang purwa shadow puppet Wikipedia Commons)

The above image instantly drew me back to African art styles, which is why I chose this picture. After doing some research on this picture, I read that Wayang refers to a theatrical act with puppets or human dancers, which absolutely fascinated me because dancing is a huge part of African cultures, religions and ceremonies. 

Storybook Favorites

Storybook Favorites

1    Kurma and Karma

Growing up by the ocean, and being a seafood lover, the picture immediately caught my eye – and although the picture looks very grandiose, the design and story line blends well together. I chose this story, because it immediately caught my interest and attention and it reminded me of how every action has a reaction. Furthermore, the design elements are interesting and portrays contrasting colors. This is definitely something to consider for my project and this story is by far the most interesting. Who would have thought of using the Finding Nemo movie to narrate a story. Well done to this author.  

                                                   (Sea turtle. Source: Kurma and Karma)

2     Real Housewives of Ramayana

The real housewives of Atlanta are what pops up when I started reading this story. It is certainly not a show that I watch and have no knowledge about. The first few sentences in the introduction, reminds me of The Bachelor – The Women Tell All season finale and that intrigued me. I do not think that the image used in the introduction portrays the story well as it makes no real connection to the plot. However, I do think that it is very clever of the author to connect the story with a real-life television show – well done.

3    Campfire Animal Tales

I chose this for my third story because we have a farm, I love nature and hunting and it reminds me of my African roots. The image used for this story is kind of strange, because it does not remind me of camping and campfires. It looks more like a mountain hiker who is camping due to a long day of walking. The title, on the other hand depicted exactly what the story entails. The author chose a simple design which makes it easy to scan through, but I think it is too simplistic. 

Introduction To "Who Am I"?

Who Am I?

First time mother, student, busy and tired

Second oldest sibling of 5 sisters

Lover of children, nature and travelling

Who needs laughter, love and family

Who fears all insects, snakes and mice

Who would love to travel to Italy.

Who am I, you may ask?

Let me introduce myself! My name is Vera Hanks, I am 27 years of age and from Namibia, Africa, which, as I have mentioned in a previous post, is situated off of the South West Coast. Namibia is bordered by Angola, Botswana and South Africa, but I have only traveled to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. Often when I converse with people in the United States, they think that I am either Swedish or German. Yet, when I inform them that I am from Africa, they are totally shocked. 

Now, let me tell you how I ended up in the USA... 

Lover of children, nature and travelling, but most important of all is CHILDREN! Growing up within a big family, having four sisters and one adopted brother, I have always had a love and passion to work with children. I am good with kids and believe that they are the most precious gift from our Heavenly Father. After completing High School, I decided to travel overseas to become a nanny and I left my familiar territory and family behind to set off on a new adventure at the age of eighteen years. I joined the agency known as Au Pair In America and they matched me with a family who resided in New Jersey. Being in an unfamiliar territory, all by myself, I had to learn and adjust to new customs, cultures and people. Culture shock is the only word that comes to mind - feeling like a chameleon on a smarty box (an expression used when you are overwhelmed with emotions). What are the odds; a family with 5 children is who I ended up with. My experiences made me who I am today and although I had some tough times (raising another family's children), it is my faith, family and determination what got me through. 

Two years later, as my nanny contract came to an end, I met my husband who is from Oklahoma. He took me to my fist ever football game at the University of Oklahoma and it was at that point in time that I knew where I wanted to earn my degree. Fast forwarding a few years later to today, happily married and a first time mother who just had a baby in December 2016. At this point in time, I am enrolled in online classes and with only six credit hours to go before earning a BA in Communication. I love to travel, read, spend time with family and friends and try out new things. I am always up for a challenge and believe that anything is possible if one tries hard enough! My friends describe me as fun, outgoing, hard working and determined and my hobbies include reading, watching movies and cooking. Some interesting facts about me is that I lived in 7 different towns over the past 5 years, I am multilingual, I think and quite often overthink things which sometimes bother me, I hate bad jokes and I have had 3 knee surgeries since I was 17. 

It is my dream to travel to Italy one day and explore all the different unique aspects of the culture that it has to offer, but for now, my focus is on my degree and my new born son. 

(Personal photo, Windhoek, Namibia, 2015)

Study Music YouTube

Week 1 Story: The boy Who Craved a Pie

Simple Simon met a pieman

Going to the fair;

Says Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Let me taste your ware."

Says the pieman to Simple Simon,

"Show me first your penny."

Says Simple Simon to the pieman,

"Indeed, I have not any."

Simple Simon went a-fishing

For to catch a whale:

All the water he had got

Was in his mother's pail! 

Once upon a time, there was a young, down to earth boy, who the residents of a small town knew as Peter. He loved to get out, experience new things and meet all the community members. 

Peter just could not wait for the next weekend, as the big annual parade started on Friday. This was an opportunity for him to meet people from both near and far, but his mother was apprehensive about letting him go, as he knew no stranger. Unfortunately there was simply no talking Peter out of attending. “But mother” Peter said “I must go the parade, this only comes around once a year”. His mother agreed, but told him that he must find a friend to accompany him, as she has prior commitments that would not allow her to go.

Peter knew that he had better start asking friends right away, as it might be difficult to find someone whose parents would agree to the trip. Peter decided he would first ask his very best friend- Nathan White, and quickly took off running down the block.

“Nathan, Nathan” Peter yelled while wildly beating on the door. After what seemed to be an eternity Nathan’s mother answered the door.

“Hello Peter, is everything okay dear?” Nathan’s mother asked. “Yes, everything is just great Mrs. White. I wanted to know if Nathan was here and if he could attend the parade with me this weekend? “Well Simon, is your mother going to accompany you to the parade as well?” she asked. Peter replied “No, actually she has something already planned Mrs. White but she did give me permission to go if I had a friend to go along with”. Mrs. White told Peter that she would discuss it with Nathan’s father and Nathan would let Simon know the following day at school. “Great, thank you Mrs. White!” Peter shouted as he took off running to head home.

The next day at school Nathan could not wait to see his friend. Finally, after the 1^st period bell rang, Nathan darted down the hallway to find Peter and tell him the good news. “Peter! Peter!” Nathan shouted as he approached Peter’s locker. “My mother and father said that I could go with you to the parade on Saturday”. “That’s great, it is going to be so much fun, we will pick you up at 9 am Saturday. I can not wait” Peter replied. And off the boys went to finish their school day.

Finally, here is was, Saturday morning, Peter woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7:30am. He quickly took a shower, had some breakfast, and urged his mother to quickly get ready to pick up Nathan. Peter and his mother were soon headed down the road to gather the friend and head to the parade. When they arrived at Nathan’s house, he was anxiously waiting on the porch. He hopped in the car and off they went.

“Now you boys behave yourself, have fun and I will be back in a few hours to pick you up” Peter’s mother said, as the boys were already out of the car and making their way to the entrance.

While waiting in line to watch the parade, Peter noticed a peculiar man, with the most delicious looking tarts that he had ever seen. “Excuse me Sir” Peter said “I can not help but to notice that beautiful tarts you are holding”. “Why thank you” the man replied. “I would give anything to taste it” Peter told the man. “Well that might be possible” the man said, “but it is going to cost you, they will be auctioning off the tarts after the judging”.

“We do not have any money, Sir” Peter told the man. The man replied and said in a rude voice“Well son, it sounds like you are out of luck then, as this tart was not cheap to make”.

Peter and Nathan then decided on a plan to come up with the money needed to buy a slice of pie, but unfortunately they struck no luck. Nathan grabbed the tarts and off he dart with the cops soon behind to end the crime. 

                                                 

                                                       (Boy Running Away With Pie)

Author's Note: The original rhyme is about a boy who went to a fair and wanted to buy a pie, but had no money. After looking more into the rhyme, I concluded that the boy tried to catch a fish to sell and get money to buy a pie, but the pie man left him on the side of the road. I decided to modify the rhyme, by changing the scene and adding another character, while adding a twist of burglary in the end where the cops ran after Peter and Nathan to retrieve the stolen items. 

Bibliography: Based on the nursery rhyme "Simple Simon" in The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang.