Week 11 Reading Diary: Indian Fairy Tales

Reading Unit Homepage
Indian Fairy Tales 

Part A: Chapters 1-8
*s = stories that I found particularly interesting and want to note for possible use in my storytelling assignment 

• The Lion and the Crane
• As a lion is eating, a bone gets stuck in his throat and it's up to Bodhisatta (in the form of a white crane) to retrieve the bone so long as the lion does not try to swallow him up. The lion promises not to eat him and the crane removes the bone. Then, one day the crane asked what the lion would do for him in return for saving his life. the lion replied that him not eating the crane was thanks enough. The crane scolds the lion and leaves. Then, we found out that the lion was Devadatta the traitor and Gautama was the crane. 
• The Broken Pot *
• A Brahman named Svabhavakripana is sitting on his couch musing about how much rice he has collected from begging. Surely he can live on it for quite some time! In fact, he could sell it to buy some goats, then they will multiply and he will sell them to buy cows who will have calves that he will then sell to get buffaloes and mares who will foal and then he will sell them so that he will have plenty of gold. This pleases the Brahman who felt so clever. He continued musing about how much gold he will have, and the huge house he will buy. He daydreams of a Brahman presenting him with a beautiful daughter to wed and a large dowry. She would surely produce a son, but when she does not respond immediately to her husband he gets angry and kicks her. Of course this was all a daydream, but in real life, the Brahman kicked his foot and broke the pot, spilling rice all over himself. 
• The Magic Fiddle
• There were 7 brothers (who were married) and a sister who all lived together. The sister did all the cooking, which made the wives resent her and treat her poorly. They cursed her so that whenever she tried to fetch water, the water would suddenly dry up or not go into her pitcher causing her much distress. She eventually turned into bamboo which a Yogi came to chop down to make a fiddle. She called out to him, begging him to not cut at the root as it will harm her. The Yogi thinks a trick is being pulled and becomes angry, so he cuts the bamboo at the root and takes it away to make a fiddle. The instrument was superior and when the brothers heard it being played, they immediately wished to purchase it, but he Yogi would not sell it. However, while drunk, he sold the fiddle to a village chief. The chief's son took great care of the fiddle and played beautiful music with it. So, the sister would come out and make his meals every day before hiding back in the fiddle. This mystery confused the chief who decided to keep watch to find out who was doing the attending. He caught the sister, and they fell in love. They married and she was happy. Her brothers became poor and when she saw them later, she told them of the torture she suffered at the hands of their wives. She accused them of knowing about it and not saving her. That was her revenge. 
• The Cruel Crane Outwitted *
• A crane tries to outsmart some fish by telling them that if they jump in his beak, he will not eat them but take them to a beautiful, lush pond where they can live happily. To show them he is trustworthy, the crane safely transported many fish to a glorious pond. This pleased them, and they gave him permission to take and old, blind fish to the pond; however, he ate the fish instead. This happened over and over again until the crane saw a tasty looking crab and offered to take him to the pond. The crane tried to eat the crab, but he gripped his throat with his claws and threatened to behead him unless he safely let him go in the pond. The bird agreed and stepped down into the pond to let the crab go, but with one swift slice, the crab cut through the bird's neck. Justice is served. 
• The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal *
• A tiger is caught in a trap. A brahman comes by and is hesitant, but lets the tiger out. He is not thanked, and as he continues to do things for other creatures, he is still not thanked. No one shows him gratitude. A jackal asks him what's wrong and he tells him, but the jackal has trouble understanding so he goes to the scene of the events. When they returned to the cage, the tiger was ready to eat the Brahman, but he gave the Brahman time to explain what was going on to the jackal who simply could not understand the situation. The jackal tells the tiger to go on with his dinner, but the tiger is enraged at how dumb the jackal is and cannot focus on eating until he makes the jackal understand. The jackal asks the tiger to show him how he was when it all happened so the tiger hopped back into the cage and asked if he understood now. The jackal said, "perfectly" and shut the door to the cage. 
• Harisarman
• This story bored me to tears so I chose not to write much about it. It just didn't catch my attention early on and that made it hard to stay interested. 
• The Charmed Ring
• A merchant gave his son 300 rupees. The son spent 100 on a dog that would have been killed otherwise. Then, he spent another 100 rupees on a cat that otherwise might have been killed. This again happened with a snake, and so another 100 rupees gone. He then went home and was scolded by his father and banished to live in the stables. The animals can all talk and they all want to repay the young man for his kind nature and unselfish ways. The Raja (the snake's dad) gave the man his right-hand ring which had special powers. It gave him a house and a beautiful princess to marry as well as plenty of food to eat. An old woman introduces herself to the princess as her long-lost aunt. She convinces the girl to keep the ring with her so her husband wont lose it while hunting, then steals the ring and turns back into an ogress. She gave the ring to the snake prince who was delighted and immediately asked to marry the princess. She told him to wait 1 month. He agreed and the dog & cat tried to calm the merchant's son when he found out by saying that he should give them a month to fix everything. The cat gets the ring, but the dog refuses to help unless he gets to carry it. He drops the ring and a bird swoops down and carries the ring off. The dog cries and whines then the cat sneaks up into the tree where the bird is and kills it, getting the ring. The dog and cat return the ring to the merchant's son who gets his ring, wife, house, etc. back and is happy again.

Part B: Chapters 9-15

• The Talkative Tortoise
• There's a king who never shuts up and a Buddha who wants to fix this problem. In a pond nearby, a talkative tortoise befriends 2 ducks who agree to carry him by a stick to the hills. However, the tortoise couldn't stay quiet and opened his mouth to talk as they passed over the palace. He immediately fell to the courtyard ground and split into two where he was found by the talkative king and the Buddha. The buddha uses this as an example for the king who goes on to learn self-restraint and common decency. 
• The Gold-Giving Serpent**
• One day a farmer sees a snake sneaking through his fields and he comes to the conclusion that the snake must be a deity who's in charge of protecting the fields and producing good yields. He immediately brings a bowl of milk to the snake and worships it. The next morning, he finds gold in the bowl. The farmer assumes there is more gold in the anthill that the snake lives in so he plans to kill the snake and get the gold, but when he tries to kill the snake he gets bitten and dies. The snake gives the farmer's grieving father a pearl and tells him what happened then instructs the father to leave and not come back. 
• Pride Goeth Before a Fall
• `10 cloth merchants get robbed in a forest and are then ordered to dance for the robbers' amusement. The lead merchant sang a song instructing 3 men to take each of the 3 robbers and hold them down so that the 10th man can hog-tie him. The merchants get their crap back and leave. 
• The Prince and the Fakir
• A childless king goes and lays in an intersection. A Fakir asks him what he's doing and the king explains his sadness. The Fakir asks what the king would give in return for children. The king replies, "anything you ask." The Fakir agrees to grant the king 2 sons, but he must give 1 of them to the Fakir. The king agreed and had his sons, but when the Fakir came for his payment, the king tried to trick him by presenting the sons of 2 slave-girls. The Fakir knew they were not his sons and demanded they show themselves. The king's son then goes on to marry his daughter.. I think. I'm not sure, but the story was strange and lost on me. 
• Why the Fish Laughed
• There is a fish that laughs. It drives the queen nuts. The king tried desperately to figure out what the fish was laughing about for 5 months. I quit reading after this because honestly I didn't give a crap. 
• The Demon with the Matted Hair
• A man fearlessly attacks a demon, but his weapons all get stuck in the demon's hair. The demon asks why the man is not afraid and he replies that if the demon eats him, the thunderbolt in the man's stomach would rip the demon apart, and both of them would die. The demon believes him and lets him go. He tells everyone he subdued the demon and becomes king. He rules righteously and dies a hero. 
• How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner  
• Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to dinner with their uncle and aunts, Thunder and Lighting. They left their mother at home waiting all alone. Sun and wind were selfish and the ate all the food without saving any for their mom, but the moon did not forget her. He brought her back a small portion of every dish. His mom then cursed the others which is why the sun is so hot and why the wind in hot weather is so sucky. The moon, however was blessed. This is why the moon's light is soft, stunning, and cool. 

Famous Last Words: Week 10

Well, this week I was sick all week with an upper respiratory infection. I went to the doctor at Goddard Health Center and he gave me antibiotics so i'm hoping those will kick this infection's butt ASAP. Otherwise the week was pretty good I suppose. I got a new laptop which was costly, but necessary, and I think I like it. I just don't like change and wish I hadn't HAD to buy a new one. I also got to conduct some intakes at my practicum site (Calm Waters in OKC) which was a new experience and integrated me further into the agency. The program director at Calm Waters told me I did a great job, so that made me feel pretty good. Things at Calm Waters have been and continue to be amazing! I'm so lucky to have received this agency as my placement! Plus, my field instructor doesn't actually work for/at Calm Waters, she works for Valir, so  I get double the experience by getting to work with a hospice agency and a unique agency that works with children and adults. I feel really lucky! The last thing that happened this week is that I weighed myself and i'm officially down 60 lbs and am only 7 lbs away from my first weight goal of being under 200 lbs (for the first time since 8th grade)!

Also, I just wanted to take this opportunity to give a HUGE thank you to my Indian Epics professor, Laura Gibbs for being incredible and going so far beyond what is required of her. She was here for me and gave me the support I needed last week when everything seemed to be falling apart at once. I've never had a professor who takes so much interest in her students and I honestly think that is what is missing from most college classrooms. She is a wonderful woman and i'm lucky to have her as my professor!

So, thank you again Professor Gibbs! You really are amazing!

Sick but Still Smiling

My photo 

Famous Last Words: Week 9

Hello all!

I'm a pretty positive person, but this week has definitely been trying. It has had plenty of good that I have been focusing on but I definitely need to vent a little.

If you read those first two sentences and decided to continue reading, I really appreciate that. So, let me preface all of this by giving you some background information. I live with my roommate Amber, our dog Lily, a betta named Bobby, my cat BooBoo KittyF**k (we just call her BooBoo) and two guinea pigs named Pebbles and Bam Bam. Amber and I are both "card-carrying crazy" meaning that we have serious mental illnesses that we have to deal with. I have severe clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder w/ panic attacks, and dermatillomania (aka compulsory skin-picking, dermatillomania is an anxiety disorder similar to OCD and trichotillomania characterized by picking of the skin often to the point of bleeding and/or scarring-usually the person does not even realize they are actually doing it). I've been on medication for years, attempted suicide twice, and was hospitalized once when my current medication quit working. I don't let my disorders keep me from living a happy, productive life (usually) and manage to take my medication pretty religiously so I (usually) don't experience any strange side-effects. Amber, on the other hand, was originally diagnosed with the same two as me, though as of this week that diagnosis has been changed to bipolar. I figured as much, and we have talked about it often. Her medication was simply not working and her mental state was not improving, she needed to seek new help and luckily found a great psychiatrist who is working with her to move forward. Amber is having a tough time accepting her diagnosis, she feels upset because there is a negative stigma attached to being bipolar.

This week was rough. There was tension in the house because Amber was having to deal with so much and I had my own problems. The apartment got dirty and I got sick which just made things worse. I tried so hard not to burden Amber or get frustrated this week because she was really dealing with some sensitive stuff and I wanted to be there for her. However, that does not mean I did not have some things that put me back this week. I'm just going to list them:

• I rarely sleep well (a symptom likely associated with my anxiety) and this week was no exception. I slept around 3-4 hours per night every night this week. I have been EXHAUSTED.
• There were no dishes because they were all dirty and piled up in the sink. Gross!
• The house smelled bad.
• I feel like I have no time anymore. I work at my unpaid practicum 20 hours a week (or more), am taking 15 hours at school, I have to clean and cook, I have SO MUCH homework in my social work classes, and this class's workload is killing me. I wish the assignments were all due by the end of the week instead of on different days. I feel like i'm seriously falling behind.
• I dyed my hair red, which would normally be awesome but this was my first time dying it since lap band surgery and I had not had my biotin (I take twice the maximum daily recommended amount to offset a strange effect of surgery- CRAZY biotin deficiency). This meant that when I went to rinse the dye out, LITERALLY half of my hair fell out. I used to have long, thick hair and lots of it. I still look okay and most people wont notice, but I notice and it was really terrifying pulling handfuls upon handfuls of hair out. I was sure I was going to end up bald by the end of the night. 
• Something during my grief group triggered me and I ended up crying for a very long time because I was reliving the loss of my child 4 years ago. It's a long story, but I was a senior in high school, my protection failed, and I didn't know I was pregnant until I had a miscarriage.
• I've been really easily angered this week and i'm not sure why.
• We lost our freaking homecoming game.
• Today (Sunday) my computer screen crapped out. My laptop is busted and I have to buy a new one so i'm posting from the library for now. However, this does mean that I lost my storybook story (I write them in Word) as well as 2 papers that I need to turn in this week in my social work classes. Plus, laptops aren't cheap and i'm struggling as is. 
• I am SICK. I think I have bronchitis, so I have to go to Goddard ASAP, though most likely wont get in until at least Tuesday. I've spent a lot of time in bed, and honestly, it's been hard to focus. 

Anyway, I really needed to gripe and get that all off my chest. Here are some good things that happened this week:

• My bestie Ashley came up from Texas to visit!
• The Rah! Rally was pretty cool and it was exciting to be a part of history. 
• We decorated the apartment for Halloween
• I made plans for my Dad to come up in November so we can golf at the Lake Hefner Golf Club. I don't really know how to golf, but he loves it so I think we will have fun. 

Here are some pictures that helped cheer me up!

B.A. Slaughters Reunited!

My photo with Ashley this past weekend.

Naala Cuddles make everything better

my photo

Our Halloween 2014 decorations

 My fuzzy Nana Bear!!!!!!

I like to call this one... Shameless in Stripes

my photo in some tiger PJs I found at Mom's house

Also, here are my photos from the OU/TX game that I went to with my dad!!!!!

Big Tex!

Me and Dad at the TX State Fair 

 Dad in front of the fountain at Fair Park

 Proud longhorn

Dad at the OU/TX game

 A house (and fair) divided

My dad and me at the OU/TX game

 All smiles with my dad at the Cotton Bowl

 The two of us sat on the Texas side

The Pride of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma flag

Presented before the OU/TX game at Fair Park

Me reppin' the Sooners in a sea of orange

There's only ONE Oklahoma!

 

Google Define & Etymology Tech Tip

Google has a really neat feature where if you type "define" and then any word you want to define into Google search, it will define it and give you lots of information about the word.

Here is what it looks like!

In the same way, you can get a words etymology by replacing the word "define" with "etymology"and searching.

Here is Google's etymology of Brobdingnagian.

Reading Diary- Week 8: Reading Assessment

Is there information from the instructions that you had not noticed before?

• No, I have been following the instructions.

What are the main strategies you use in writing your Diary posts? 

• My main strategies are to take down important info while also providing details that I need in a simple format.

Do you have specific Diary tips that would be useful for other students?

• Bullet points are really helpful for me. I like having things organized and laid out like a list. It makes it easy to read. 

Do you use the same Diary style/strategy each time?

• Yes, I prefer to use my diaries as a place for reading notes.

Are your Diary posts more or less the same length each time, or do they vary?

• They vary, though they mostly stay about the same length.

Overall, would you say your Diary posts are too long, too short, or just about right? 

• I think for the mot part my diary posts are about right for what I would want if I needed to remember what happened and are laid out along with the book so it makes finding more info/details much easier. 

Is there something you have started doing in your Diary posts that you wish you had done from the beginning?

• Not really, I have pretty much been doing the same thing this whole time.

Is there something you might start doing in your Diary posts now that you have not done so far? 

• I might think about using some of my diary posts as a place to discuss how I felt about that reading, or maybe include that in a small blurb at the bottom. I'm not sure yet. I think my style works well for me though I might want to find a way to do it more efficiently. It seems to take quite a lot of time. 

Do you include images in your Diary posts?

•   Sometimes I do include images in my diary posts when I feel they will help me understand better. The images are supplemental tools that are meant to give a little more explanation to a topic or remind me of something important. 

Do you include favorite quotes or phrases in your Diary posts?

• Usually if I like a quote or phrase I will include it in my diary posts; especially if I feel like it says everything I would want to say, but better. Sometimes I just don't know how to better reword something or even just to do it justice. 

Do you make connections to other stories / books / movies in your posts?

• Typically I do not reference other stories/book/movies in m posts but that might be something I could start adding. I suppose I do not do as much relation and reflection in my diary posts as some other students because I truly take them like notes and use them like notes. I just try to get what's important down. 

Do you take the notes while you are reading or afterwards? 

• I prefer to take notes while I read so I do not forget important things. Plus, it's hard to remember details instead of events and in my posts I like to put down important details as well. 

When you look back at your old Diary posts, are they useful?

• I feel like my diary posts are useful. They give me quick recaps with just enough information that I do not feel as though I am rereading the book. They just help me remember what happened. 

What could you do to make the Diary posts more useful for future reference?

• I think something I should do to help make them more useful is to write out simple bits about who/what each character is and why they are important overall so that their relevance follows them throughout the story. As it is, I tend to write their relevance in relation to just what is currently happening. 

Do you use your Diary posts when you are writing the other blogs posts each week?

• Yes, my diary posts are important when it comes to writing my other blog posts each week. I often reference them to figure out which story I want to retell for my storytelling posts. Then, I look in the book to find more detail and information so I can write the story better. 

Overall, how good a job would say you are doing with the reading assignments?

• Apart from missing a few I think i'm doing pretty good with the reading assignments. 

In general, do you remember a lot of the reading in this class, or not so much? 

• I remember plenty of reading however I feel like it is difficult to motivate myself to read Buck's Ramayana because it is just a longer version of the book we already read. 

In general, do you remember reading in your other classes? Or do you mostly focus on preparing for exams? 

• I take notes similar to my diary post notes for my other classes and I know that works to help me remember my reading which is why I chose to use that style in my diary posts. I still have to prepare for exams, but I feel like I know more when I have notes like my diary posts than when I don't. I seem to recall more information, probably because writing it down helps me learn it. 

What are the reading strategies that are most effective for you for short-term memory? What about strategies for long-term memory?

• For short-term, I prefer to skim through and find the important information instead of reading every word. This makes it so that my memory contains only what is important. 
• For long-term, I usually read slower though I still tend to skim a little and I take meticulous notes. 

Week 7 Famous Last Words

This week was pretty busy and crazy. Here's just a quick recap of the week's festivities:

1. Had a meeting with everyone involved with my practicum for the OU School of Social Work at Calm Waters in OKC. It went really well and I feel like i'm really learning a lot. I can't believe our first divorce support group is almost over! They are only eight weeks, and I don't know how to say goodbye to the kids! 
2. I went clubbing in OKC for the first time with my boyfriend and roommate. We went to Candy Nightclub which was pretty neat I suppose, but then we went to the grand opening of the Circus Partybar and it was SO COOL! They had a juggler, a dwarf ringmaster, gogo dancers with smoke guns, girls on giant swings, excellent music, and an overall awesome feel. We had a great time and I danced my butt off!
3. With regards to my lap band: I am down another pant size, but I gained 5 lbs this past week and a half (I blame football season. I just can't help but love loaded french fries and chips & queso. They are my weaknesses). It's all good though, because i'm going into this next week with a healthier mindset and more options for what I can cook. Also, I found out my BMI is down 11 points since June which is wonderful!
4. I worked a booth at the Mind, Body, & Soul Health Fair in OKC Sunday which was neat. I got to learn about available resources in OKC, meet lots of nice people, get some free health screenings and information, and even got to do some yoga! It was a good time, but the turnout was a little pitiful. Next year, the organizers really need to dedicate some time to brainstorming ways to get the word out. 
5. I went to Andy Alligator's for the first time Saturday. My boyfriend took me on a date to go let loose and be silly. We played a round of putt-putt and each did 24 pitches at the batting cages. Personally, I was a little embarrassed at the batting cages because I have never played baseball/softball and I am not athletically gifted. My boyfriend on the other hand, was a really great baseball player before getting injured in high school. I looked a little bit like a chump but had a good time. 

Now i'm looking forward to this coming weekend because my dad is taking me to the Red River Shootout/ TX State Fair! I'm so excited!!! 

My roommate and I in our hotel room before Candy Nightclub

My photo: 10/4/14