Famous Last Words: Done with the class!

I have not written a story in a few weeks for this class. I have read some amazing stories this week, though! There was a particular student's writing that had me so involved that I went ahead and read the rest of their stories and did a couple blog comment assignments on them. Another student did a story in a poem format that was really interesting! 

My other classes are going alright right now. I have a big research paper due in my capstone class in 2 weeks that I have not even started. I plan on starting it this weekend (I better actually start it this weekend or I'm going to be upset at myself). 

Spring break was nice. The weather was not great, as expected, which was sad. I was hoping it was going to warm up a little so we could do some more outdoor exploring. It was still fun and relaxing despite that! Having that week off kind of messed me up though. I came back not wanting to do anything at all. I almost even forgot my class schedule. It makes me really ready for summer. 

After I turn this assignment in, I will have officially hit 410 points for the class! It is going to be a huge weight off my chest to have an A in this class so early. I will be finishing at the end of week 9 (out of 15 weeks in the course)! I am pretty proud of myself for doing the extra credit every week and working on a few things in advance to be able to get done early. This class has been so interesting and a refreshing change to my normal all science schedule. I am glad a friend recommended this class to me! It has helped me open up my mind to new things and get better at my writing skills.

I do feel a little bad for the people that are going to continue getting me in their blog comment and project feedback groups. My last story was in week 6. Hopefully other students can have the opportunity to be done early too!

Cash Me Within, Facebook. Original Painting.

Review: Characters

It's so amazing how a single story can contain hundreds of characters (like I feel like the Mahabharata does) or can contain only one of two. There are so many endless possibilities when writing a story. I liked this graphic because it has examples of some characters we see a lot in stories (the hero, the old man, the girl, the faithful hound, the guards) but it also shows some really silly ones too (the floating skull, the dancing bear, the giant cat, the talking shrub). There are so many more possibilities out there for characters too (that kind of blows my mind). I think the first hurdle (and the most important part) to writing a story, is determining what characters you want to use and how you want to use them. 

Tom Gauld, Website.

Learning Challenge: Gratitude

Before this video, I was not aware what being grateful could do for you. The video talked about how they had a group of people, just for a week, right down 3 things they were grateful for everyday. By the end of the week, the people all seemed happier. Even after months, just that one week, raised their happiness level. Being thankful for the people in your life and what they do, brings you closer together. My grandma used to say, "don't count your days, count your blessings." If you really look into your life and think about how many great things/people you have, maybe bad things won't seem so bad in the grand scheme of things.

Gratitude, Flickr.

Bibliography

"The Amazing Effects of Gratitude," by BrainCraft, Youtube.

Growth Mindset: Defeat

It is so hard to keep trying when you aren't successful the first time. I am really bad at this. If I don't find the answer/solution right away, I get extremely frustrated and have a hard time trying again. If you aren't successful the first time, or get defeated, it helps you learn and grow. Now, you have to go out and find the answer or find help or recourses that can get you closer. You might meet some new people or find a new website that it really helpful. It seems nice to get it right away but you will learn so much more if and feel even more accomplished if you had to fight that challenge.

(Cheezburger)

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata, Karmic Revolution, Part D

• Pandavas decided to go to the tournament for Draupadi (but disguised as brahmins)
• Men needed to look into a bowl of oil and shoot a fish through the eye with an arrow
• No one could even lift the bow, except Arjuna did and shot the eye effortlessly
• Karna also attended the tournament- son of a charioteer
• He attempted the challenge but Draupadi humiliated him for not being worthy
• Krishna was there (not for the challenge) 
• Returned to their hut, Kunti announced that whatever they brought back they should share (not knowing it was a woman) she realized when she saw Draupadi that she had made a mistake, she was worried that her beauty would separate the brothers
• Sage told them that Draupadi prayed for a husband 5 times in her previous life, so it was meant to be.
• Her brother hears and tells Drupad (father) what happened, Drupad was upset (was happy about who they actually were though, they were disguised before)
• Duyodhana heard they were alive, mad- council and Kauarvas decided to send someone (Vidur) to have them return to Hastinapura
• Yudhisthir was crowned king by Dhritarashtra and given the kingdom of Khandavaprasth
• They didn't stay in Hastinapura because of the tension with the cousins
• The land was baron- wastelend with nagas, rakshkas
• Krishna invited Vishvakarama- divine architect
• Became beautiful city- Indraprasth
• people from Hastinapura started coming there
• Duryodhana was pissed
• Narad visited them. told them of 2 brothers that killed each other over a woman
• They should take yearly turns, and if one brother walked in on another, he would be exiled for 12 years
• Arjun fetched his bow in Yudhisthira's place, walked in on him and Draupadi- 12 years of exile- was trying to help a Brahmin with some thieves
• Arjun leaves with a group of Brahmins- towards Himalayas
• They stayed by lake that formed Ganga river- built shelters- stayed for months
• Arjun was bathing in lake and something pulled him into the water- women- Ulupi
• Wanted to marry Arjun, but he told her of Draupadi and he promised to be a Brahim
• Spent months together in the lake
• Returned to friends then went on long journey- ending up in Manalur
• Married Chitragandha while there
• Returned to Indaraprasth
• 
  

Arjun Feeling Shameful of Walking in on Draupadi and Yuhishthira, Still from Youtube.

Bibliography

The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Epified TV, Youtube.

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata, Karmic Revolution, Part C

• Karna had enchanted armor and earrings (had them for forever)
• His mother told him that his father had found him in a basket in a river and he had those armor and earrings since he was little and grew with him
• Had war in his heart
• Drona wouldn't teach Karna because he wasn't a Kshatriya
• Karna went to an avatar of Vishna, Parshuram, to beg him to teach him 
• Still asked if he was a Kshatriya, but it was because he would teach anyone except a Kshatriya
• Taught him everything about war
• Karna became a wonderful archer
• Parshuram was taking a nap on Karna's thigh when a scorpion stung Karna's other leg. Karna remained quiet through the pain to not disturb his sleep.
• Parshuram accused him of being a Kshatriya because a Brahmin could not have done that
• Parshuram cast Karna out and cursed him- the day he needed his skills the most, he would forget them
• After the Pandavas and the cousins learned all they could from Drona, they had a tournament to show their skills
• Arjun showed great archery skill but Karna decided to show that he was more capable.
• Everyone was annoyed because he wasn't invited so they said he couldn't win
• Karna wanted to challenge Arjun but they said that Karna could only battle if he was of royal blood, they asked his lineage but he only knew that he was found in  a basket, Kunti fainted
• Duryodhana pronounced him king of a kingdom under him so he would be worthy to fight the Pandavas
• Drona and Drupad were pals when they were training, Drupad said that he would give half his kingdom to Drona when they were older, Drona became poor and asked him to keep his promise, Drupad denied everything
• Yudhisthira (oldest Pandava) was going to become the next king of Hastinapur, Duryodhana was mad and jealous
• He joined up with Karna and Shakuni to make a plan to get rid of the pandavas
• Has festival in another town with palace made with all wood to burn the Pandavas when they were asleep
• Vidura warned Pandavas to be on guard
• Pandavas figured the plan out really quick and started planning an escape- miner dug a tunnel out into the forest
• Everyone thought they died
• Took refuge in forest, all scared of danger
• Bhim carried everyone and searched for water and watched over them while they slept
• Stayed in the city of Ekachakra disguised as Brahmins and begged for food and stayed with a scholar
• The scholar told Kunti about an asura that was terrorizing their city, Bakasur. He was eating people but they made an agreement that once a week someone would bring a cart full of food and Bakasur would eat the person and the food. Kunti said Bhim could defeat him. 
• Bhim went that week but Bakasur foudn that Bhim ate all the food. They fought and Bhim broke every bone in his body, killing him.
• Drona trains the Pandavas to fight Drupad. 
• Drupad prayed for a son and one arose from the sacrificial fire- Dhristadyumna, but he also got a daughter- Draupadi.
• Draupadi was going to cause the destruction of many Kshatriyas
• Drupad has a tournament when she was older to decide her husband

Pandavas Escape, Still from The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Youtube.

Bibliography

The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Epified TV, Youtube.

Wikipedia: From Vasuki to Dhanvantari

Vasuki

I remembered Bhima almost died from the hand of Duryodhana. Duryodhana threw him in the river and he ended up going to another world at the bottom of the river. There is met King Vasuki and Vasuki gave him a special gift. He is a king of the nagas.

Ocean of Milk

A big story Vasuki took part of was the churning of the ocean of milk. I wanted to know what the ocean of milk was. It is the 5th from the center of the 7 oceans. It surrounds the country of Krauncha. Some gods stirred up the ocean to release the nectar of immortal life, Amrita. 

Amrita

Amrit in Sanskrit means immortality. Amrita is usually a nectar in many religions. It sometimes is said to flow on statues of Hindu gods. The gods had to get the nectar to keep their immortality. Amrit was the last of the 14 treasure jewels of Hinduism that was contained in a pot borne by Dhanvantari.

Dhanvantari

He is an avatar of Vishnu. He is the physician of the gods. People pray to him to bring good health. He supposedly emerged from the Ocean of Milk.

Dhanvantari, Wikipedia.