Online Education Review

This was my first online class, and I loved it. I was worried I might have a hard time keeping up with a class if I didn't need to physically be there everyday, but it was structured so well that this was not an issue at all. Aside from the class content, I learned about a lot of cool internet things. I made my first blog for this class, as well as my first website. There were some really neat Tech Tips that I think I will use a lot in the future, too. I don't know if I ever would have been exposed to most of these things in a traditional class. I think I probably wouldn't have.

This was a meme I learned how to make in this class. Web: memecrunch.com

I would definitely recommend this class to anyone, and I myself would take more classes online in the future. I think that with online classes, there's a concern that there isn't a lot of student-student and student-instructor interaction, and while I suppose that may be true from some online courses, that was not the case at all with Indian Epics. We did enough peer commenting that I felt like I really got to know other students in the class, just as well as I do in my regular classes for sure, and maybe even better. I also feel like I had a good email relationship with the instructor. Laura was always available if I had questions, and she gave me really, really great feedback on my stories. She was so great about helping me improve my writing and being encouraging about it at the same time. That's not an easy balance, but she's awesome at it! I always looked forward to getting comments back from her because they were so positive! Definitely a confidence-booster, and I'm not very confident about my writing, so I appreciated it a lot. It is clear that she has put a ton of time and energy into this online course, and I think any future online classes should use this one as an example. It truly is set up very well.

Gen. Ed. Review

At this point, I have fulfilled almost all of the General Education requirements for my degree. I honestly enjoyed all of my gen. ed. classes. One of my favorites was freshman Government. I got to take that class with President Boren, and that was such an awesome opportunity. His lectures were super interesting, and I always looked forward to going to that class. I felt really lucky getting to learn about government from him. He's so cool!

(David Boren)

I took Indian Epics online because I still needed to take an upper division Non-western Civ. class. I stumbled upon it when I was looking for classes under that category on Ozone, and I thought it would be convenient to take an online class, so I enrolled. That was such a great decision! This class was an awesome experience. I think it was my very favorite gen. ed. class. I got to learn a lot about Indian culture that I didn't know. It was also really good for my development as a writer. I hadn't done much creative writing before, so it was something I was really hesitant about at the start of the semester. Now, though, it's something I enjoy very much. The readings were fun and interesting, and the assignments were helpful but not too demanding. I never felt stressed out about this class, which has been rare for me in college. I can't think of anything I didn't like about it. It's not a very hard class, but I definitely got a lot out of it. A lot of people talk about easy gen. eds. you don't have to spend a lot of time on, but this was a class that I enjoyed putting time into. I have been telling all of my friends to take it.

College Writing Review

Since my major is Computer Engineering, I’m not required to take many writing classes beyond freshman English. None, actually. I opted to take Expository writing instead during my second semester of freshman year, and that was super fun! The subject was Counterculture, which I hadn’t previously known much about. I learned a lot about various countercultural movements and ideas, and we had a lot of freedom with essay topics, which I loved. One of my favorite essays I have written throughout college was an analysis of the Disney short Paperman. I don’t usually enjoy writing essays, but I enjoyed that one.

I’m also taking Honors courses here, so last year I took a Perspectives class on Banned Books. That class was very fun and engaging. The readings were interesting, and again, we had a lot of options when it came to selecting essay topics. I remember I had to write an essay about American Psycho, and I hated that book, so I had next to no desire to write about it. But, I was able to just focus my attention analyzing the music chapters, and I was able to turn out a really good essay, relative to other things I have written. I have noticed a big difference in the quality of my writing when I have more choice regarding the subject.

This class was a really great opportunity to expand my writing skills. I have never taken a creative writing class before, so this was very new for me. There was so much freedom in the writing assignments for this class. During the weekly storytelling assignments, I liked that I was able to retell stories from the reading any way I wanted. One week I retold a story through young bears hiking up a mountain. Another week, I represented the mountains from a legend as blanket forts. I used my imagination in a way I so far haven’t in college writing, and that was really cool. I especially loved the storybook assignment. It was so fun to make my own website and find images for it. I got to get really creative trying to relate stories of Vishnu avatars to intergalactic travel. I wrote bold characters and narrated stories as a gruff, old spaceship captain. It was sort of challenging, but it was very, very different from homework for my other classes, so it was a welcome challenge. I’m proud of the storybook I’ve turned out. This was a cool project, for sure.

This was the image from the cover page of my storybook. Web: Pixabay

Week 13 Reading Diary B: Battle of the Pandavas and Kauravas

This reading mostly covered the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Even though I knew the Pandavas would win, I was still on the edge of my seat, especially when Arjuna fought Karna. I thought it was sad that Karna had to die. I was really hoping he would have a change of heart and join his brothers, though that was probably very unrealistic from the start. The whole battle is kind of sad, actually. Particularly when Arjuna explained to Krishna why it was so difficult for him to fight Bhishma, his grandfather. He remembered playing with him as a child, and he couldn't kill him right away. So it was kind of heartbreaking when he eventually did.

The reading ended with Duryodhana hiding out in a lake. Seemed kind of cowardly. His few remaining friends asked him to come out and fight with them, but he refused on account of he was tired. Sanjaya describes him as such an incredible warrior, but this was kind of a wimpy move, I think.

(Duryodhana found in the lake)

Week 13 Reading Diary A: Pre-Battle

One of the most interesting parts of this reading was the friendship between Karna and Krishna. Their conversation on the chariot was surprising because it previously seemed as though Karna scorned Krishna as an enemy on the Pandavas' side. Karna's loyalty to Duryodhana is so interesting because his brothers are the Pandavas. Further, Arjuna is his sworn enemy, but he's his brother! Krishna explains Karna's history and makes that argument, but Karna's mind is unchanged. Very interesting. I found a picture of that scene, which I have included below.

(Krisna explains to Karna)

Another thing that I suppose I have noticed in the readings but have not really commented on is the relationship between kings/warriors and their charioteers. Dhritarashtra speaks with Sanjaya as one of his most trusted friends and advisers. Similarly, Arjuna and Krishna are incredibly close. I think I remember that the Ayodhyan king had a strong friendship with his charioteer, too, in the Ramayana. He even married Kaikeyi, who drove his chariot when he was younger. It all really shows the great value of that position in that period of time.

Week 12 Reading Diary B: Exile in the Forest

This was my favorite reading thus far in the Mahabharata. The side stories were cool; I really enjoyed the one where Savitri reclaimed her husband from Yama. I also liked when Duryodhana had to be saved by the Pandavas.

My favorite part was the return of Hanuman! He was my very favorite character in the Ramayana, so I loved the part where Hanuman met Bhima and they talked about Hanuman’s assistance in Rama’s epic journey. Such an awesome little monkey. I was happy to see he’s still funny and sassy, and super strong -- stronger than Bhima, even. I kind of wish that part had lasted longer. Hanuman invited Bhima to return later, and I hope he does.

I also like the relationship between Krishna and Draupadi. They’re kind of pals. She calls him when she needs help, and he always shows up for her immediately. They also speak very openly with each other, and they’re pretty funny. It’s an unusual friendship, but it’s fun to read about.

(Draupadi satisfies Krishna with one pinch of Rice)

Week 12 Reading Diary A: Dice Games

For me, the main takeaway from this reading is NO DICE GAMES! Apparently, there is some kind of math to it because the Ayodhyan king said he could teach Vahuka (Nala) how to win at dice. Seems like guess work to me. I don’t understand why both Nala and Yudhishthira gambled away everything they had! After losing a couple of times, I would have quit. Probably a pride thing.

I especially liked the story of Nala and Damayanti. It was kind of a bummer most of the time, but it had a happy ending. I enjoy the inner stories Buck incorporates into the larger story of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. They add a good depth to the story that keeps it very entertaining.

One of my favorite parts of this reading was when Arjuna was brought up to heaven to meet his father Indra. That part was nice. I like reunion scenes like that.

(Indra Welcomes Arjuna)

Week 11 Reading Diary B: The Pandavas Leave Hastinapura

I really enjoy the story of the Pandavas escaping Duryodhana’s fire through a tunnel. What a victory! They live as brahmanas for a while, but they still find opportunities to do amazing things, like Bhima defeating the demon and Arjuna stringing the bow to win over Draupadi. Their cousins are always putting them at a severe disadvantage, but they just keep on winning.

I liked the story about Arjuna and Krishna helping Agni. Those two took on a whole host of gods and won, but it seemed like an epic battle. I definitely enjoyed Buck’s description of it, and I think many of the characters in it are very likeable.

(Agni Meets Krishna and Arjuna)

One thing I like better about the Mahabharata than the Ramayana is that we have more characters to cheer for. With the Ramayana, we had Rama and friends, but there was really only one hero. It’s cool that there are five Pandavas that each have their own incredible strengths and talents. It’s kind of like reading a comic book about one superhero versus reading a comic book about a team of superheroes. 

Week 11 Reading Diary A: Starting Buck’s Mahabharata

When I read Narayan’s version of the Ramayana and Buck’s, I found them to be pretty comparable as far as how easy they were to follow. With the Mahabharata, however, I am noticing a very significant difference in how well I am able to keep up with Buck’s version. It is straightforward, and he frequently restates the relationships between characters, which I find super helpful. Since my comprehension is so much better, I am finding Buck’s Mahabharata a lot more enjoyable than Narayan’s.

One of the stories I wrote in my storybook was about Kurma the turtle, an incarnation of Vishnu that helped the gods hold up Mount Mandara when they were trying to churn the ocean of milk. I thought it was super interesting that this story was included in the Mahabharata, but Kurma was left out of it. There were also some notable differences from the Kurma story I read. For example, I originally read that the reason the gods needed the nectar of immortality was because Indra had gotten them cursed and they all had become mortal. I’m sure there are a lot of variations to the story, so it’s neat to read the different ways it’s told.

(The Churning of the Ocean of Milk)

Week 9 Reading Diary A: Starting the Mahabharata

I like the Mahabharata a lot so far, but it is for sure a little less straightforward than the Ramayana. There are so many characters to keep track of! I definitely needed to refer to the Reading Guide a number of times to remember who was who and who did what.

The birth stories are really interesting. I like the rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The competitiveness and conflict between them is fun to read about, and I find myself always cheering for the Pandavas. I think I’m supposed to feel that way. But I have a superstar sibling, so I can feel sympathetic to the Kauravas, too.

My favorite part of the first reading was when Vidura warned them that the house they were staying at in Varanavata was going to be burned down, so they built a long tunnel right in the middle of it! The code part was cool, and I bet that was a neat engineering feat, as well.

(Draupadi and Pandavas)

Commenting Review Week

I really enjoy the commenting part of the class. I've never taken an online class before, so I didn't imagine it would have so much classmate interaction. But I'm really glad it does. I enjoy hearing from other people about the stories I write. I didn't know if I would, but everyone says such nice and helpful things in their comments that I actually get excited when I receive notifications that there are new comments on my blog.

It used to take me a long time to write comments for other people, but I'm getting much more comfortable with it, and now I'm able to just kind of say what I think. I try to always start with really positive things to say about someone's story or project, usually my favorite thing about it. I like to do that because it makes me feel really good about my own work when other people do that in their comments on my things.

Starting comments is easy. I just say hi and then dive in. Ending comments is weird. I typically don't know what to say for that. Looking back, I've noticed that I ended many, many comments with some variation of "Great job!" Which I guess is alright.

I have read some really, really great stories. There are some amazingly talented writers in this class, so it's a pleasure to do the project and blog commenting assignments.


I made this image using the meme generator. I struggle with commas.

memecrunch.com

Meme Generator Tech Tip

Here's the meme I made for this Tech Tip:

 

memecrunch.com

Writing Review Week

I love the Storytelling assignments! At the beginning of the semester, I felt really hesitant about them because I have never really done creative writing. So I didn't think I would have any of the right skills to write an entertaining story. I suppose the jury's still out on that, but I'm definitely having a lot of fun trying.

The funny thing, to me, about the assignments, though, is the way inspiration happens. When I try to write stiffer things for my English classes, essays and reports, I can just sit down and chip away at it. It's pretty methodical. But with storytelling, I've noticed that I really have to kind of wait until a cool idea comes to me. And once it does, I can type it out really quickly. I don't think as much while I'm writing it. It flows better, for me, than other kinds of writing --- when I think I have a good idea, that is. I feel a little bit frustrated until I get there, but it has been worth it because I have fortunately been able to get that point in all of the first seven weeks. The last three stories, in particular, were really fun to write, and I think that's because I branched out a little bit more in terms of creativity.

My goal for the rest of the semester is to keep up with that and to try not to succumb to writer's block. I like writing, but writer's block is something I tend to struggle with quite a lot. I think it helps when I come up with a topic that I myself find really interesting, so I have to remember to keep doing that.

Below is a picture from my Week 6 story, Mountain Wings. That is one of my favorite ones I've written, but I also think the picture that goes with it is just so cool!

(Mountains in Clouds)

The feedback I have gotten has been really helpful. Everyone always says something nice, which is good for my confidence :)  And there are some things in my writing that are a little confusing or unclear, which is hard for me to see since it's coming from my own head. So it's good when people can point that out to me. That's super helpful for revision and for moving forward with new stories.

Writing for my storybook is a bit more difficult than the weekly storytelling just because it all has to work together. When I write a story each week, it exists on its own, and then I move on to something else. But with the storybook, each story has to connect to the one before it and then to the one coming up. That's a different sort of challenge, but I think I have a fun theme for it, and it has been a really enjoyable process.

Reading Review Week

Looking back at my Reading Diaries, I can see that I am a big fan of Hanuman. I write about him a lot. At one point, I called him a "rockstar." He is, for sure, a very likeable character -- definitely my favorite to read about.

I noticed that two of my Reading Diary images were of Pushpaka chariot. For some reason, that is one of my favorite elements of the Ramayana. The idea of a flying vehicle that can expand to hold any number of people and navigate itself is just really, really cool! I have re-posted my Pushpaka images here.

(Ravana's Pushpaka chariot)

(The Celestial Chariot)

I think the Reading Diaries have served as invaluable help for the Storytelling assignments. As I looked through my diaries, I realized that before I even wrote most of my stories, I talked about them in the Reading Diary. A lot of times, I even said something along the lines of, "... was such an interesting story, and I think I'd like to explore that further in this week's Storytelling assignment." I remember, too, that I frequently looked back at the things I said in my diaries while I was in the process of writing my stories. It was helpful for finding page numbers and things. This is something I would recommend for future students, using the Reading Diaries for brainstorming weekly Storytelling topics.

The Reading Diaries have also been super helpful for remembering the differences I noticed between Buck's and Narayan's versions of the Ramayana. Since they're the same story, I find that they run together pretty easily in my mind, so it's really nice to be able to look back at my Reading Diary and remember what exactly happened in which version. I'm sure this will be true for the Mahabharata, as well.

Week 7 Storytelling: The Ravana Conspiracy

“Alright, everyone, quiet down. Quiet down, and take a seat, please,” announced Aurelia, a tall woman with a tin foil hat, as she directed people to some open chairs in an elementary school gym. It was Saturday night, and the venue came cheap. An eclectic group of twenty or so people arranged themselves in a circle of chairs intended for much smaller human frames. Aurelia was pleased with the turnout.

She took her own seat among the circle of chairs. “Ahem. I will now call to order the first official meeting of Confections and Conspiracies. For those of you who may have wound up here by accident—or maybe, by divine intervention—I should explain that this is a club for enthusiasts of baked goods and inexplicable phenomena. Each week, we will be discussing the claims and ideas that the majority of society is so inclined to cast off. We’ll also be sharing cookies, cakes, and candy, and swapping recipes if I’m feeling generous.” She smiled at her joke, but was disappointed no one seemed amused. She cleared her throat again. “I hope you all are enjoying the cosmic brownies I brought this evening.” At this there was resounding agreement, much to her delight.

“Before I forget, I’d like to announce that next week, Melvin is bringing a cake in the shape of Elvis’ face, as he says that Elvis is not only still alive, but also living behind the counter of a Wal-mart bakery in suburban New Hampshire. And may I say, Melvin, we are all looking forward to that cake.” Everyone turned toward shy Melvin, who seemed to literally shrink under all of the attention.

“Now, let’s get started, shall we?” Aurelia looked around the room. “Is there anyone who would like to speak up first about what conspiracy theories you… subscribe to?”

Immediately, there was a loud cacophony of eager, earnest, and evidently suppressed claims and declarations.

“Bigfoot is real, and my uncle is married to her!”

“Pinky toes are alien parasites!”

“Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy are really twins separated across time and DNA!”

Aurelia tried to rein in the group, though she was happy to see them so enlivened. “Calm! Calm! One at a time please! We’ll all have a chance to speak. I know I myself have plenty to say about the underground Martian colonies and their slow and subtle takeover of the pop music industry.”

The room grew quiet again, and Aurelia saw a young girl on the other side of the circle patiently waiting to say her piece. She was holding a copy of the Ramayana.

Aurelia said to her warmly, “Young miss, would you like to go first? Say your name, please, and tell us your theory.”

“Um, hello. My name is Beatrice,” she said to the group, though she was looking at her feet. “Are any of you very familiar with the Ramayana, the story of Rama’s Way?”

Only a couple of hands went up, so Beatrice briefly summarized it for the benefit of everyone else. After, she went on to explain the conspiracy.

“It is my belief that Ravana the Demon King did in fact plot his own death as an act of benevolence. He sought a noble passing at the hand of the Lord Narayana in compliance with the gods’ determination that it was time the world was rid of the evil he had sown.”

“What evidence do you have!?” a grumpy old man retorted. “He stole Sita from Rama purely out of lust and selfishness, and he fought tooth and nail to keep the evil coming!”

“Well… There was Ravana’s letter to Rama. He sent it even before they batteld, saying he knew that Rama was going to kill him. He directly stated that the capture of Sita, to which you are alluding, was simply a ploy to lure in Rama and start the inevitable and extremely necessary war between them. Ravana knew his part in the universe. He was evil, and his time was up. He planned it all. The whole war. All of Rama’s journey. It was all part of Ravana’s grand scheme, and he wrote that down before his death. That’s the evidence.”

Someone else piped up, “Oh yeah? Then why did Rama laugh at the letter?”

“Rama also understood Ravana’s part in the universe. Ravana was a villain. He was the evil that Rama was sent to this world to defeat. Rama knew this instantly as he read the letter, but he said it was meaningless because these things needed to remain true, even in Ravana’s death.”

“I’m still not convinced.”

Beatrice boldened. “Do you think that someone who could take prisoner the great gods of this world and the next could be so easily defeated by a mortal man? And just for one more wife among hundreds of others? I think not. Ravana played his role well. He really was a terrific actor. A triple threat, really. He could also dance. And sing. And the Oscar goes to…” She looked around to see a smiling face, but again, this was not the crowd for jokes. She sighed. “I also brought some homemade shortbread cookies cut in the shape of arrows. They have ‘Rama’ written on them in icing. They are decorated to look like the ones that severed Ravana’s ten heads.”

Aurelia clapped her hands. “Excellent! Thank you, Beatrice! What an interesting theory to consider. And those cookies look… appetizing, indeed. Who’s next?”

(Ravana)

Author’s Note:
The part that intrigued me most at the end of the Ramayana was Ravana’s letter to Rama. It essentially said that he knew Rama was going to kill him, and he was happy to die so nobly. He claimed he took Sita just to give Rama a reason to start a war with him. Rama quickly dismissed the note. I really wanted to write about this, but I thought it would be boring coming directly from me, and I didn’t want to try to get into Ravana’s heads. So I framed it inside a conspiracy theorist club / support group meeting.

Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 7 Reading Diary B: The End of the Ramayana

There was a lot of cool stuff about Pushpaka at the end of the book. I only briefly alluded to it in the introduction of my storybook, but I hope I can incorporate more about it within my stories in the upcoming weeks.

One thing I kept thinking during the final chapters is this: Why is everyone so mean to Hanuman!? Even Rama! I get that he’s kind of a jokester, but he saved the day a number of times. Rama would never have been able to save Sita and defeat Ravana without him. But he’s always bossing Hanuman around, and so are the other characters. And they’re not even nice about! Very demanding, even though he faithfully and unquestioningly does some unbelievable tasks for them that no one else could do. The only person who’s really nice to Hanuman is Sita. She is appropriately kind to him, and that’s good.

I didn’t really like the ending. I remember Narayan ended his story with a ‘happily ever after’ when Rama kills Ravana, returns home, and is crowned king. And he ruled many years, and he was awesome. The end. As best as I can recall, I think Narayan said something about there being more to the story but wanting to end it there on that happy note. I liked that better. Buck’s ending was kind of a bummer. Rama seemed, to me, to be sort of cowardly. The majority of the Ramayana is about Rama going to extraordinary lengths to save his wife, and then years later, he abandons her—pregnant with twins!—in the forest alone just because of scandal. So weird! I did enjoy reading about what happened with his sons, Kusa and Lava, but I preferred Narayan’s ending, for sure.

(Lava and Kusa)

Week 7 Reading Diary A: Rama and Ravana Battle

In this week’s reading, it was really interesting to see what was different between Narayan’s and Buck’s versions. There were new things in Buck’s that were not in Narayan’s and things that he left out. For instance, the part about Ravana’s pre-battle dance was new. I thought it was funny how he danced and Rama and the animal warriors just watched. However, he left out the part about Rama testing Sita’s faithfulness (which is good, because I didn’t really like it the first time). I really enjoyed all of the detail in Buck’s descriptions of the battle. He made it very easy to visualize such a complex scene.

I am left with many questions after reading the letter Ravana sent to Rama even before the battle. He made it sound like the whole battle and his theft of Sita were all part of a big plan to lure Rama because he wanted to die at Narayana’s hand. It really just appears to be a grand plot for a noble death. But in the earlier readings, he just acted like a selfish jerk, even when he was alone. So I question the sincerity of his letter. It’s the kind of thing I want to believe, though. I don’t know. Many questions.

(The Celestial Chariot)

I liked the descriptions of Pushpaka at the end. That flying chariot is one of my favorite things in the Ramayana, and I wrote about it some for my storybook project, so I enjoy that it keeps showing up in the readings.

Week 6 Storytelling: Mountain Wings

(Mountains in Clouds. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Two adventurous little bears were out hiking one day when the clouds turned dark and thunder began to roll. As the wind swept in and rain started to pour, they took cover in a small cave on the side of the mountain.

“Columbo, did you see how dark the clouds got?” one bear asked his friend. “In a matter of minutes, it looked like nighttime!”

“You’re right! I didn’t even know it was supposed to rain today.” The poor bears sulked for a minute. “Do you think it’ll clear up soon, Atticus? Those blasted clouds are ruining our mountain adventure!”

Just then, a kind old bear with a tall walking stick entered the cave. “Oh! Pardon me, boys. Didn’t realize this little abode was occupied.”

He began to leave, but Atticus jumped up. “That’s alright! You should stay here while it’s still storming. Here, you can sit on this rock.” He indicated the flat spot on which he had been sitting.

“Well, thank you very much, young sir,” the old bear said, taking a seat. “Did I hear ‘those blasted clouds’ have wrecked your time on this grand ol’ mountain?”

Columbo, ever a shy little bear, nodded sheepishly.

“You know, those clouds and this mountain used to be one and the same. Way back when—many, many, many years ago—the clouds used to be mountains’ wings.”

“What!?” Atticus exclaimed, and Columbo laughed, “That’s crazy! No way!”

“It’s true. It’s absolutely true,” the old bear replied. “I can tell you about where the clouds came from—how the mountains lost their wings, if you care to know.”

“Sure!” The curious little bears nodded with excitement, eager to hear about such a phenomenon.

“Alright,” the old bear grinned. “Well, as I said, many years ago, the clouds were part of the mountains. They were the wings that allowed them to fly. That’s right, the very grounded, very stationary mountains you know now used to be able to soar through the skies, flying wherever the air and wherever their whims would take them. They were happy, carefree bundles of boulders, to be sure.

“This became quite a problem for the rest of the world, however, when their good-natured, carefree sensibilities turned into selfish, careless devastations. You see, many of this world’s mountains began to fly all over the place until they were too tired to even pay attention where they were landing. They would plop down anywhere and sleep for years. The trouble was, they frequently squashed whatever was below them: densely populated forests, small civilizations, magnificent kingdoms… Widespread destruction.

“The people complained to the god Indra. ‘Save us from these colossal bullies,’ they begged him. So, Indra chased down all of the mountains and all of the hills—all but one—and he flung thunderbolts at them, severing their wings permanently, leaving the wings—or clouds, as we call them now—to float freely in the skies. As you two very well know, Indra’s thunderbolts remain tied to the clouds even today.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Columbo exclaimed, looking to see that Atticus felt the same. The other little bear, however, looked confused, deep in thought.

“What about the one mountain Indra didn’t catch?” he asked.

“Oh. Mainaka. That clever ol’ rock took shelter in the ocean,” the big bear remarked. “He remains there now, deep below the waves, his wings churning the water and the sands near the sea bed.”

Hearing this, Atticus turned to Columbo. “I think our next adventure will have to be scuba diving!”



Author’s Note:
I wanted to retell the clouds’ origin story from the part of this week’s reading where Mainaka the mountain helps out Hanuman. I thought it was a cool idea, that clouds used to be mountain wings before Indra cut them off due to the mountains’ carelessness. I chose a stormy hiking adventure to set the scene because I thought that would be a good way to initiate some kind of conversation about clouds and mountains.


Bibliography:  Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 6 Reading Diary B: Everyone was Dead and then Everyone was Not Dead

What a comeback! I admit I was shocked when Indrajit killed Sugriva and Angada and all of the monkeys and bears. When I read that he killed Rama and Lakshmana, I had to go back and reread the last couple of pages because I thought I read it wrong. How could Rama be dead!?! I already know this story --- it has a happy ending! If this happened in Narayan’s version, either I have forgotten it or I overlooked it the first time, because I was surprised, for sure. At that point I figured there had to be some sort of magic revival coming because Rama is the hero! Leave it to good ol’ Hanuman to restore a whole army in almost no time flat.

I liked Kumbhakarna more in this version than in the last. In Narayan’s, he just seemed like a brutish, bloodthirsty warmonger. In Buck’s, I got more of a sense that he really thought Ravana was in the wrong, but that he fought for him out of brotherly loyalty. For that, I felt more sympathetic to his character. He didn’t really pose much of a threat to Rama’s army, though I expected he would.

Indrajit, however, dealt a swift and massive blow. Within a paragraph, he wiped out all of my favorite characters! And by the next, he had killed Rama and Lakshmana, and Hanuman was out for the count too. But only temporarily. Lucky Rama had that awesome monkey warrior fighting on his side. Hanuman’s the real MVP.

(Indrajit's Attack)

Week 6 Reading Diary A: Hanuman in Lanka

I decided to continue with Buck’s Ramayana this week because I’ve really been enjoying it thus far. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Sampathi and Jatayu’s mishap with the sun for the Storytelling assignment. So I thought it was fun to read Buck’s description of it this week, and I was kind of happy to see that I hadn’t written anything too contradictory to his version.

One story that I think I might retell for this week is that of Mainaka the mountain. It was a neat idea that all of the world’s mountains used to have wings, but they were careless with them, so Indra cut them off. I really liked that he explained that the severed wings turned into clouds. What a weird and cool origin story for clouds! Like, “Where did clouds come from?” “Oh, they’re mountain wings.” I think that’s funny. I might write about that.

I enjoyed reading about Hanuman’s initial trip to Lanka in Buck’s version because he included a lot of really cool detail that gave me a better idea of what Lanka and its inhabitants are like. I also liked that Hanuman just wandered around as a cat for a good portion of it. He’s such a likeable character in any form.

I also found it interesting to see more of what Sita’s imprisonment was like. We didn’t hear a lot about it in Narayan’s book, and that was something I was sort of left wondering about. I read a few Storytelling blog posts that reimagined it that were really good and piqued my curiosity. So I liked that Buck painted a picture of it for the reader through the eyes of Hanuman.

(Hanuman Encounters Sita)

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Week 5 Storytelling: Vindhya’s Blanket Fort

Little Vindhya watched his big brother Himalaya pile pillows on top of pillows on top of blankets on top of pillows. The young boys were watching a movie together when Himalaya suddenly decided to demonstrate his architecture expertise in the form of a blanket fort. Using couch cushions, bed pillows, and some stray blankets, Himalaya built a soft dome in front of the television. Vindhya hardly even noticed what he was doing until Himalaya took his favorite baby blanket from him. He started to throw a fit, but when Himalaya invited him into the fort, he was too excited to remember his blanket was now part of a sub-roof.

Their sisters, Chandra and Surya, were playing upstairs. So proud of his work, Himalaya called them down to see it. The two of them squealed with delight as they ran down the stairs and beheld the little citadel. Unable to contain their amusement, they continued to run, making circles around the fort over and over again until they grew tired and fell asleep on the floor. Vindhya was a bit jealous that their sisters were so enthralled with Himalaya’s playtime achievement.

Their father Agastya came home later that night, and he was surprised to find the girls asleep and Vindhya and Himalaya playing in the fort.

“Wow, you guys! This is great! Who built this?” he asked them, smiling as he began to lift the sleeping girls.

“I built it. All on my own,” Himalaya quickly replied, beaming and swelling with pride.

“That is fantastic, Himalaya. You’d make an excellent engineer,” his father told him with a solid pat on the back.

As Vindhya looked on, he grew jealous of the attention his brother was earning. Agastya carried the girls upstairs to their bedrooms, his sons trailing behind. As Vindhya shuffled into bed, he kept thinking about Himalaya’s living room castle. Agastya came to tuck him in, and Vindhya tried to quickly come up with something to brag about.

“Dad, I stayed awake for the whole movie!” he exclaimed.

“Well… that’s good, I suppose,” Agastya told him. The impassive response was not what Vindhya was hoping for. “But you know,” his father continued, “little boys need their sleep, and it’s pretty late.” A bedtime reminder made him feel even worse when Himalaya was getting the praise of a grown-up engineer.

So after he was sure everyone in the house was asleep, Vindhya set to work trying to best his big brother. Just to be sure his own creation would not go unnoticed, he set his foundation directly at the base of the staircase. He dragged chairs, comforters, bedsheets, and anything else he could find to the stairs and spent the whole night constructing his masterpiece.

When he finished, he was tremendously pleased to see that the fort he built was far bigger than Himalaya’s. It was so big he couldn’t even pass it to get down the stairs! Finally satisfied that he was just as talented as his brother, he tiredly trudged back to his bed and fell asleep.

He woke up several hours later to the sounds of Chandra and Surya’s screams and whines. He mistook them for sounds of delight, so he enthusiastically ran out to meet them and accept their praise. Agastya was standing with them at the top of the stairs. Chandra and Surya complained to him that they couldn’t get downstairs, but they were starving and they needed their eggs and cereal. They saw Vindhya, and they began yelling at him for trapping them all upstairs, thoroughly shocking the poor boy who was expecting congratulations. He had wholly believed they were going to run around his fort and play in it, just as they did with Himalaya’s. Vindhya’s surprise led to indignance, and he refused to take down what took so much effort to build.

Agastya knew that Vindhya was only getting frustrated. Clever as any father, he knew how to persuade his little boy toward compliance without being too demanding or too disapproving.

He told him, “Vindhya, that is a very nice fort you built.” At this, the boy started to smile. “However, before I can play in it with you, I have to go downstairs and get some things,” Agastya continued. “Do you think you could dismantle it just as long as I’m downstairs? Then when I come back upstairs, you can put it right back together.”

Eager to please his father, Vindhya readily agreed, and he began deconstruction immediately. As part of his strategy, Agastya stayed downstairs all day long. With every desire to obey Agastya, Vindhya patiently waited with his heap of blankets until late in the evening. He grew tired while he was waiting, and because of his lost hours of sleep the night before, it wasn’t long before he fell asleep amongst the pillows. Agastya picked him up and tucked him into bed. He put away all of the blankets and chairs.

By the next day, Vindhya and Himalaya had moved on to the next fun activity, and they had forgotten all about the forts. The staircase remained safe passage for all who cared to climb it.

(Statue of Agastya. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Author’s Note:
      I really liked the story of Agastya and the Vindhya Hills in this week’s reading. In it, the hills are jealous of the Himalaya mountains, so they grow very tall until they are blocking passage through the area, and even until they are blocking the sun and the moon. The sage Agastya tricks Vindhya to shrink back down to size.
     The last four stories I told were just further explorations into what was already presented in Buck’s and Narayan’s versions of the Ramayana. This week, I wanted to try something different and tell the stories with reinterpretations of the characters and setting. So I scaled the mountains down to something more personally familiar --- blanket forts. I thought it would make the story relatable if the Vindhya Hills and the Himalayas were little boys, and to play up Vindhya’s envy, I wrote them as brothers. To emphasize Agastya’s comparative wisdom and power, I wrote him as their father. The moon and the sun are supporting characters, so they are the mountains’ sisters.
     The image I selected is of a carving of Agastya. I couldn’t find information as to who the smaller statue is depicting, so I thought I would include it in my story and the smaller statue can be little Vindhya from my interpretation.
     As a side note, this is how I wanted the last paragraph to read: "By the next day, Vindhya and Himalaya had moved on to the next fun activity, and they had forgotten all about the forts. The staircase remained safe passage for all who cared to climb it. It remained safe, that is, until the demons overtook it and began eating all of the people traversing its path." But I'll leave the jokes out.


Bibliography: Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.