Week 2: Famous Last Words

This week was incredibly hectic, but, all in all, it was a great week.

 Family from Oregon came to visit, and we had a great time. One of the people who visited is Tamil and is a professor, so he was able to read the Tamil portion in the beginning of the Ramayana book we are reading. It was fun to compare the literal translation with what the author interpreted the quotation to say, especially since I thought the quote in the book was the literal translation.

The author's interpretation is, "I am verily like the cat sitting on the edge of an ocean of milk, hoping to lap it all up." (p. xii)

After reading the literal version and the author's interpretation, he commented, "Ah, he did a good job keeping the spirit of the quote. The yearning and longing is portrayed well in his interpretation." I wish I could remember the exact literal translation he read, but I remember thinking that it was very interesting. There isn't a cat in the quote as he translated it, but since milk is such a strong symbol in Indian literature, the author kept the milk metaphor and put a cat into the quote to make it understandable to people from other cultures. It was fun exploring the text outside of assignments for this class.

(Image information: Cat with milk image from pixabay)

This being my last year, I want to do as many things as I possibly can, but even though it's just week two, I'm discovering that not everything is possible. OU is such a great university, and I'm so sad to be leaving come spring. Hopefully, I'll soon figure out my scheduling to a point where I'm satisfied with my amounts of time spend for family, campus involvement, friends, schoolwork, volunteering, and sleeping. I was once told that every college student has to pick two of three to succeed in: school, sleep, or socialization. I want it all, so hopefully I find a happy balance and can make appropriate choices with how I spend my time. In the past, I always prioritized school and sleep.

I'd like to work on how to use more details in my storybooks without being overwhelming. I've read some amazing storytelling projects that have such vivid detail but remain concise and memorable. I would love to bring stories to life in a way that is relateable and enjoyable, so hopefully I can improve upon my skills as time goes on!

Week 2: Storytelling Once Upon a Time...

(Image information: Rama and Sita, image from wikipedia)

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Sita. She lived a happy life in the palace with her friends, and her father loved her very much. Although she loved her kingdom, family, and friends, she had never known romantic love. She was refreshingly innocent, and her beauty was as radiant as the sun after a cloudy morning. The princess was unmarried, but not because of a lack of suitors. Although many impressive suitors had visited the palace, seeking her hand in marriage, she had not married. This was because her father treasured her as his special gift from the gods, and he would only allow his precious daughter to be married to a worthy man. He owned a bow that was once used by the god Shiva, and he decreed that a man may only marry his daughter if he could handle the imposing bow correctly. So far, none had succeeded.

One day, Sita was with her friends, and, as usual, she was the center of attention. Her gracious manner and lightheartedness caused everyone to be merry as they played games to amuse themselves. By accident or perhaps fate, she happened to glance up and froze as if she were struck by lightning. She could see the most magnificent man she had ever laid her eyes on. He was like a god among men, but what really arrested her were his eyes. They were staring directly at her with the pride and admiration like other men had, but unlike other men, there was also humility and kindness in his eyes. However, soon, too soon, he walked on. Sita felt limp. Her attendants caught her as she swooned, and they carried their beloved princess away.

For what felt like eons, Sita remained in a despondent state. Nothing could bring back her contagious smile. She moaned about feeling feverish, and every little thing assaulted her senses. Her maids and friends could do nothing to help her state of mind. She was consumed by the mysterious man she had seen. How could such perfection exist, and why did he go so quickly? Little did Sita know, she was in love.

Later, one of Sita's attendants and close friends skipped into Sita's bedchamber, singing loudly and clapping. Sita groaned and looked grumpily at her maid. In her time of utter desolation, how was her maid able to get drunk and come into her chamber acting thus? One look at her maid's eyes, and Sita knew something monumental had happened. She barely understood her maid's words, for the loud pounding of her heart drowned out anything else. A man had finally proved himself worthy, and Sita was going to marry him! She wondered, dared to hope, if the man she had seen earlier might be her future husband. The way she was feeling only strengthened her conviction: If it was not he, she would end her life!

Two people, one shared life... Call it fate, destiny, chance, or true love. Sita only knew she had met the person she would stay loyal to the rest of her life. The whole kingdom came alive for the wedding preparations. Generosity abounded as a match that seemed to be made by the gods themselves was to be reality. Sita paid no mind to the preparations. She was like a parched person searching for water in the desert; she could not be whole until she was reunited with her man, who she learned was Prince Rama. The time came for her to meet him again, and neither Sita nor Rama were distracted by the pomp and bright colors around them. They only had eyes for each other. For Rama was Sita's, and Sita was Rama's.

And they lived happily ever after... or did they?

Author's Note: The love story of Rama and Sita from the Ramayana is so passionate, and it seems at first to read like a fairy tale. Life is rarely as perfect as any Disney movie, and this is true in the relationship of Rama and Sita.  However, the first part of the story is very true to the traditional story of a man and woman falling in love. A princess is locked in her palace without love, a handsome man arrives, they fall in love, and their union is perfection. I tried to condense the story while adding some small details that may have been in the story if it were a fairy tale.

Bibliography:
Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana.

Week 2: Reading Diary B

This Reading Diary details things that caught my interest in R. K. Narayan's The Ramayana, pages 53-89. This time I will be doing it a little bit differently, highlighting the things I noticed in bullet point form.

• The response to Rama's exile: The people and animals were all devastated. As much as everyone loved and were broken by the news of Rama's undeserved punishment, they hated Kaikeyi with equal fervor (p. 53). When Rama left, they left with him and continued on until Rama was able to escape their presence. Rama's half-brother, Lakshmana, maintains his loyalty for his brother and is furious with Kaikeyi. He is a hero in the story because he supports Rama instead of doing what would support his own gain of power. He also reflects the expected response or the response of the reader. While Rama is strangely calm about the whole situation, Lakshmana has a very visceral response of wrecking anyone who dares oppose Rama and wanting to make Rama king. Despite Rama's protests, Lakshmana decides to leave with Rama (p. 56) His love for Rama and selflessness reminded me of the biblical story Jonathan, who knew David would become king of Israel and supported him, even though Jonathan was the rightful heir. Sita decides to stay with Rama, no matter what happens. My two favorite lines come from this section. Sita says, "My place is at your side wherever you may be." She also says, "I am alive only when I am with you" (both quotes from p.56). Vasishtha, the sage and Rama's mentor, also tried to stop Rama from leaving. The king, Dasaratha, has the most extreme response. Rama's plight and his role in the exile has ruined his already fragile death, and Rama's departure kills the king.
• Two kings denying the throne: Bharatha, Rama's half-brother and son of Kaikeyi, overcame the evil actions of his mother. Instead of seeing the empty throne as an opportunity, he denied his mother her despicable plan and pursued Rama instead. As evil as Kaikeyi's actions are, Bharatha's response was moral and respectful of his brother's rightful place. In the end, he respected Rama's decision yet only temporarily. He refused to take the throne officially but ruled in Rama's stead until Rama's return. The love of people for Rama, even people who could benefit from harming Rama, is apparent in Bharatha's response to his mother's actions. Rama is truly an inspiring figure because he fulfilled the command of his father and refused to return until his exile was over.
• Rama and Sita:The Love Story Continues... I loved that despite the harsh circumstances, Rama and Sita's devotion to one another only grew. As they were journeying, everything beautiful that caught Rama's eye reminded him of Sita (p. 66). Even Soorpanaka, seductress and evil sister of Ravana, realized how beautiful Rama and Sita are together. She denies to herself their love because "no wife would care to face the hardship of a forest existence" (p.70). Rama saw the true nature of the seductress and chose his wife. When they were attacked by Soorpanaka and an army, Rama's first concern was Sita's safety (p. 76). While fate played a part, Rama pursued the golden deer to see his wife's smile again and to please her (p. 88). Sita sacrificed so much to remain with Rama, and he wanted to honor her sacrifice.

Week 2: Reading Diary A

I'm excited to keep track of things that interest me in reading R.K. Narayan's version of The Ramayana. In the reading of the first 51 pages, the characters that stood out the most to me were Rama, Sita, and Kooni.

Rama, the titular character of the epic, is portrayed as a compassionate, strong, humble, and good-looking, even from a young age. He is the avatar of Vishnu, who became Rama in order to defeat Ravana, a ten-headed demon. In the passage I read, Rama was not aware that he was Vishnu. His characteristics are demonstrated by his interactions with others and their descriptions of him. When faced with the terrible demon Thataka, Rama hesitates, not out of fear but out of honor because he doesn't want to kill a woman (p. 13). However, he is reminded that she is a monster, not a woman, and he proceeds to kill her. He shows his compassion when he comforts saints performing a religious ceremony and tells them to continue their ceremony and not fear (p.16). He also comforts Ahalya when she is turned back into a human, encouraging her to reunite with her husband and let go of the past (p. 22). My favorite part of the reading was Rama and Sita's situation of love at first sight and how they were destined for each other. It was very Disney-esque. Rama, of course, is manly and does not bother to show his infatuation with Sita until he is alone. I liked how Sita was also an avatar of Lakshmi, Vishnu's wife. When he is alone, Rama describes, to himself of course, her beauty and muses amusedly that he has been conquered by a women instead of weapons (p. 26). As they are destined for one another, Rama wins her hand by handling a bow that had belonged to Shiva that no one other man could wield. The courtiers discuss his strength and beauty, and they are overjoyed when he succeeds (. The last important passage of the reading selection was the failed crowning of Rama as king. Throughout the whole ordeal, Rama is respectful of those above him and even grateful for the undeserved punishment of banishment (p. 48-49). Rama is shown as a morally upright and god-like character.

Sita's response to Rama was almost comical. She is the swooning damsel who cannot function until she encounters her man again. After seeing Rama for the first time, she becomes faint and listless. The beauty of the world fades, and she is angry that she wasn't able to watch Rama longer. Her extreme response, while amusing, also shows how deeply dedicated she is to Rama from the very beginning. They are also tied together as the incarnations of deities that are eternal lovers, but they fell in love all over again (p. 24). It was a charming bit of the story I enjoyed. In addition, she is so in love with Rama from one glance that when she discovers a man has won her hand, she claims that she will kill herself if her future husband is not he (p. 30). Sita is portrayed as consumed by love for Rama.

One very interesting character who changed the course of the story was Kooni, who was one of the favorites (servant or friend,, I'm not sure) of Kaikeyi, wife of the king. When Kooni overhears the plans to crown Rama as king, instead of deciding to inform her mistress, she decides to stop the coronation. At first Kaikeyi is very likeable. She is playful towards Kooni and very glad to hear the news of Rama's coronation. In fact, she considers Rama her son  (p. 41). However, Kooni slyly insults Kaikeyi's age, her relationship with the king, her prominent status, and her naivety. She pretends to have Kaikeyi's best interests in mind, but instead she uses Kaikeyi's innocence against her. However, the reader has to wonder if Kaikeyi was ever innocent because of her cold, calculating nature later on in the story. Kooni breaks Kaikeyi and then rebuilds her as a heartless woman. Kooni demonstrates the power of the friends we choose; friends truly can have a hold over our emotions, beliefs, and actions. Friends can either improve us or tear us down.

Week 1: Famous Last Words

This week was certainly crazy busy, but it was a good week. On Friday, I finished my Biochemistry class, and I'm very thankful for a professor who wanted his students to succeed and was able to teach well. I learned about the Kreb's Cycle (pictured below) in biochemistry. I was very intimidated when I first saw it, but it is really not as hard as it looks! I was very worried about the course because I was also balancing commuting from home, preparing for the upcoming year in a student organization, and studying for the MCAT, which I took last month.

(Image information: Citric Acid Cycle, a part of biological metabolism from Wikimedia Commons)

This past summer was one of the most stressful summers I've ever had, but I'm thankful for my friends and family who kept me sane. Because I work at OU as a tour guide, this weekend was also busy with tours and orientation sessions. It is always so exciting to introduce students to their new home. Being a senior, their excitement for starting college made me nostalgic for when I first started. I can't believe I'm almost done!

One of the most fun things I did was the InterVarsity snowball fight. Basically, you throw nylon material filled with flour at each other. Even though you're coughing and struggling to see, it is one of the most unique and fun events on campus. Another fun thing I did was to sign up for one of the honor college's reading groups. I signed up for Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales, and I am so excited to delve into the book. I was excited to read it, but once I saw the actual book, I had a nerd moment and got super excited. The hardcover binding looks very fancy, with gold lettering and solid binding.

I really like my classes this semester; there was a slight hiccup with scheduling and registering for a class that required paperwork, but it all worked out. This semester, I'm taking Microbiology, Micro Lab, African Repercussions, Honors Research, and Epics of India.

I really enjoyed writing the storytelling post this week. I love creative writing and finding ways to breathe new life into old, familiar tales. I'm excited to continue storytelling this semester.

YouTube Tech Tip

Hi everyone! Today I'm sharing a youtube video. I absolutely love modern retelling of familiar stories, and I am certainly a huge fan Jane Austen. Combine the two, and I'm sold!

Below is the first episode of a 72-episode series entitled "Emma Approved," which is based on Jane Austen's Emma. The creators have done an excellent job modernizing the story while remaining true to the characters and themes of the book. I have only two complaints: 1) it's over and 2) Mr. Woodhouse is not in the series. The new storytelling format of fictional vlogs on YouTube is catching on. The predecessor of "Emma Approved" was "The Lizzie Bennett Diaries", which was a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I also follow other similar shows on YouTube.

Week One: Introduction

Hello Everyone!

I am excited to be a part of the Epics of India course at OU. I chose to take this class because of my own ethnic background and interest in the vibrant stories that have become so much a part of Indian culture.

I'm currently in my last year at OU, and my major is Planned Program/Pre-Med. I am also minoring in Music and Medicine. I hope to continue my education after graduation in medical school. One of my favorite aspects of medicine is that it encapsulates several disciplines. As pioneering neurosurgeon Dr. Harvey Cushing once said, “A physician is obligated to consider more than a diseased organ, more even than the whole man - he must view the man in his world.” Medicine is one of my main passions, and I am so excited to use what I learn as an undergraduate and expand my knowledge in medical school.

If I were given a full month to do whatever I wanted, I would like to do four things. The first would be to travel to a foreign country that I've never been to, immerse myself in the culture, and document it all with my camera. I would love to do humanitarian/volunteer/medical mission work in the country I visit. Also, I would go horseback riding as much as I could. I used to ride horses in high school, and it is one of the most liberating feelings in the world. There is a special bond between a horse and her rider and utter trust and control on both sides of the relationship. The last thing I would love to do is to write fiction. My imagination has only grown as I've focused my studies in the sciences, and writing is the perfect outlet. Although I am limited by time in college, I still enjoy dreaming up adventures.

(Image information: Sunset at Lake Thunderbird; personal photo from August 2013)

Week One: Storybook Favorites

I enjoyed this project because it showed the variety of projects and individuals. The creativity of retelling stories of ancient India inspired me to be creative when I do my own assignment.  I chose the three following stories that I liked for different reasons.

The first storytelling project I picked was "How I Met Your Mother." The stories told in this project were based on the popular television show about a father telling his children how he met their mother. The author of this project used the stories of three fathers (Santanu, Nala, and Satyavan) in a format like the TV show with references to characters and their popular sayings. I found it a unique way to modernize the stories and make them interesting to read for fans of the TV show. I liked the introduction and the author's explanation of why and how she chose to retell the stories as she did. It might have been better if it was more concise. The use of illustrations was helpful in picturing the vivid stories in my mind. The format of the website was clean, easy to navigate, and I liked how the text font and color imitated the TV show.

The second storytelling project I chose was "The Oscars", which was a unique way to use awards for different characteristics to describe important characters in Indian epics. The main awards presented in the retelling were the Comrade Award, the Backstabber Award, and the Hero's Oscar. I enjoyed the transcript format, so it seemed as if the characters were conversing. Although I really liked the idea of the Oscars and the storytelling method, I did not like the design as much. It was very dark, and the blue and black did not contrast as much as I would have liked. While it would have been understandably difficult to find pictures that fit the Oscars and ancient Indian stories themes, I believe the website would have been better if images that were not edited were used instead of the pictures used. The quality wasn't the best, and it detracted from the creative story. In addition, I didn't find an official introduction, and that would made me appreciate the creative process the author went through in order to write her story.

The third storytelling project I found to be interesting was "Epic Festivals of India." What first drew me to this project was the brightly colored home page photograph of Holi, which is a festival in India celebrated by throwing dyed powder. The website design is clean and easy to read. I enjoyed learning more about current Indian celebrations and their ties to the epics and Hindu religion. It was very educational, and all of the photos and videos really contributed to visualizing the cultural practices. The introduction was probably the best out of the three I chose, and as I read it, I became more and more interested in reading further. It was the best because the author's voice was very relaxed and welcoming and the introduction included many definitions and teasers about what the other pages would contain.

Week One: Indian Epics Overview

The epics of ancient India are interesting to me because they are so vibrant and fanciful yet have persisted and can be read and related to today. I am looking forward to exploring different themes in Indian literature, especially the different methods of storytelling in different versions of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. I really enjoyed watching "Sita Sings the Blues" because it showed how relevant the themes of the Ramayana can be.

“Sita Sings the Blues” artistically portrays the tragic story of Sita, wife of Rama, and relates it to the personal story of the writer/director of the film, Nina Paley. The story of Sita is one of extreme devotion, hope, lost love, and eventual abandonment, and this is a tale the director could relate to. The premise of the movie is of the raw emotion portrayed in the Ramayana that touched the writer in the process of a divorce with her husband, thereby showing that the ancient Hindu texts are relevant today. 
 

The story begins with two couples madly in love. The premise of the Ramayana is of a king-to-be, Rama, who must go into exile for fourteen years before he takes the throne because of a vow his father made to his wife. Rama’s lover, Sita, is adamant about going with him because of her duty as a wife. In the writer’s life, Nina and her husband are enjoying their lives in New York. When her husband takes a new job in India, Nina soon follows him to India to be with him. When the potential for separation comes up in both instances, the women remain loyal to their husbands and follow the men.  

The film continues with the royal couple moving into the forest as Rama slaughters demons. This captures the attention of the king of Lanka, Ravana, who decides to kidnap Sita at the urging of his sister. During this separation, Sita languishes over her condition, but prays to Rama to deliver her from Ravana. As a parallel, when Nina’s job calls her back to New York, she leaves India but is not completely aware of her husband’s shaky commitment to their marriage. Both women are forced to leave their love, one by kidnapping and one by the modern commitment to an occupation.

After Hanuman, Rama’s servant, finds Sita and reports to Rama of her whereabouts, Rama amasses an army to rescue Sita. However, when he finally gets to her, his demeanor is cold and distant. He is sure Sita’s purity has been compromised by Ravana, even though she has been fully committed to her husband. The reconnect briefly, but soon the pressure of being a king with a potentially contaminated wife causes Rama to banish now-pregnant Sita. The devastation that would have been felt by Sita is acutely experienced by Nina when her husband suddenly breaks off their marriage via e-mail. Both women, loyal to their husbands, now find themselves alone and heartbroken.

Sita moves into the forest and gives birth to Rama’s twin boys, who grow learning about and praising Rama. One day, Rama finds the boys and discovers that they are his sons. Sita and Rama meet again only for Rama to doubt Sita’s purity once more. She vows that if she has been true to Rama, she will be taken back into the womb of earth. As she has been loyal, Sita is swallowed up by the earth, and Rama is left loveless. This is when Nina’s story departs from the epic. Nina gathers up the pieces of her heart and finds comfort in the tale of the Ramayana. Her experience even inspired the creation of an animated film, which she named “Sita Sings the Blues”.

One of the main points a viewer can glean from “Sita Sings the Blues” is that the emotions and plotline of ancient Sanskrit epics can be relevant to the modern human. Although the idea of a king kidnapping the wife of his enemy, vanaras saving the day, and sending women with a dubious reputation into the forest or to be tested by fire is not something a person today normally experiences, Sita’s ardent love for Rama, her undying devotion to him, and his unwarranted, undignified “dumping” of his wife has much room for empathizing throughout the ages. The context of the Ramayana may seem very foreign, but the emotions and abandonment Sita faces transcends the bounds of time.

Week 1 Storytelling: The Wolf and the Shepherd Retelling

Author's Note:
For my retelling, I'm using Aesop's fable about the wolf and the shepherd, which is about trust and how people don't always change. The wolf in the fable seems helpful to the shepherd at first, but as soon as the shepherd lets his guard down, the wolf takes the opportunity to steal sheep. For my retelling, I used a modern scenario of the corporate world.

(Wolf image from Wikimedia Commons)

 Retelling:
 

December 17, 2003
Suspended. Jessica snatched her backpack from the ground, fighting tears. She had worked so hard to do well in her calculus test and was ecstatic when her diligence resulted in a perfect score. It had never happened before in any of Mr. Lamb's 12th grade calculus classes, and at first, Mr. Lamb had told her he was proud of her. However, soon the whole school learned that other sections of the calculus class had several perfect scores, one of which was Crystal Wolfe's exam. Crystal had always disliked Jessica for no reason other than Jessica's academic success, and Jessica knew Crystal wasn't doing well in calculus prior to the test. She was sure that Crystal must have somehow been involved. Rumors of cheating proliferated until one by one, the students were called into the principal's office. When it was Jessica's turn, the principal informed her that all of the students had told him there was one person responsible for sneaking into Mr. Lamb's office and taking pictures of the exam-- her. She had easy access to a camera because she was the the photographer for the school's newspaper., so she was the perfect person to take the blame. Despite Jessica's protests that the students had lied, the professor showed her enough faked "proof" that made Jessica seem guilty. After the principal delivered the verdict of her suspension, Jessica stormed towards Crystal's locker.
"Why?" she cried, "Why did you do this to me?"
Crystal smirked. "There's one thing you need to learn about life. Do what you need to do to survive. That's all I did."
"You've ruined my life," Jessica said, fighting back tears.
"Good luck, Jessica," Crystal said, with no sincerity.
That was the last time Jessica would ever see Crystal, or so she thought.

July 17, 2013
Jessica sat at her desk in the new office of start up firm, Shepherd's Consulting. For years she and her boss, James Shepherd, had tried to make their vision of partnering eco-friendly companies with commercial businesses into reality. Now, she was finally working towards her dream of improving the quality of products that would benefit companies and the environment.
Her assistant's voice filtered through her intercom, "Ms. Wolfe is here to see you, Jess."
"Thanks, Kay! Send her in."
Jessica straightened the miscellaneous items on her desk. Ms. Wolfe was the vice president of a huge corporation that was a potential partner with Shepherd Consulting. Securing a deal with Ms. Wolfe would add a great deal of revenue and reputation to Shepherd Consulting, so Mr. Shepherd was relying on Jessica to negotiate a partnership.
At the knock on her door, Jessica stood and smiled, but her smile soon froze on her face when none other than Crystal Wolfe walked in.

Three Hours Later...
"James, you have to trust me, we can't go through with this deal! Crystal ruined my reputation in high school, and I had to go to community college when I lost all of my scholarships because my teachers refused to support me. She'll throw us under the bus if it suits her!"
James pressed his fingertips together and leaned his elbows on his desk, ever the picture of serenity. "How many years ago was this, Jess?"
Jessica frowned. "Ten, but you're missing my point. People like her don't change!"
"What could you tell from your meeting with her today"
"She seemed friendly and professional. I've changed a lot since high school, so she didn't recognize me, I think."
He nodded. "High school was a long time ago. She's an important person in a corporation that we need a contract with if we're ever going to expand our reach. Go ahead and negotiate a deal."

October 24, 2013
Showtime! The official partnership of a new line of eco-friendly products began today, and in the next six months it would line the shelves of stores in Crystal's corporation. The negotiations had gone surprisingly well, and even Jessica was starting to believe that maybe Crystal changed for the better.
"Are you ready?" James asked, with his keys in hand.
They were traveling to their partner's corporate headquarters to celebrate the new line and discuss other potential projects.
"Yes! Just give me a minute to finish up this e-mail."
As she was typing, her desk phone beeped, and her assistant said, "Ms. Wolfe here to see you, Jess."
Jessica stopped typing and looked at James questioningly. "We were supposed to meet her there, right?"
He nodded, a tiny furrow of worry forming between his eyebrows.
Jessica shrugged. "I hope everything is okay."

Three Hours Later...
"How could I have been so naive?" James paced the room.
Crystal had breezed into Jessica's office and informed them that they had found a better business partner who would work better for their needs. James, in a desperate attempt to save their deal, offered to work with Crystal personally to ensure that their deal would go through, but Crystal said that where her corporation stood, they could not expend the resources for renegotiating the contract.
It was over.
Jessica sighed tiredly. Shepherd Consulting was in a bad place. They would have to work hard to make up for the failed deal and find new investors and companies to sell the eco-friendly products, which would be doubly hard with attempting to build their reputation once more.
"We'll recover," she said, assuring both herself and James.
"You were right, Jessica. Sometimes, people's true nature doesn't change."
"Actually, they do," Jessica said. "Crystal meant for me to fail ten years ago, and she succeeded. I didn't have confidence. Now, she can't bring me down. We're going to fight for Shepherd Consulting, and we're going to succeed."

Bibliography:
"The Wolf and the Shepherd." by Aesop, from The Aesop for Children (2006). Web Source: The Project Gutenberg Ebook

Blogger Templates Tech Tip

For my blog, I used a Simple template. I initially changed the color option, but I decided to stay with red because that color reminds me the most of India. When I think of India, I think of red spices and shiny red saris. The design appealed to me because it is simple and won't distract from the text.

I have blogged previously, and one of the things that I struggled with the most is having too many things on my blog page. This caused problems in distracting from my text and taking a long time to load the blog. After all, as attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

Another change I made to the blog was to alter the header font. I went to the "Template" tab and clicked on the "Customize" option. After the new page showed up, I clicked on the "Advanced" tab. There are several options for editing the fonts of different parts of the blog. I changed the Blog Title option to "Calligraffitti," which I chose because it looked more like script.

Week One: My Favourite Place, England!

The rain falls musically against cobblestone, historic buildings with intricate details loom over the sides of the street, and there are delightful accents all around... You can find this in England. I had the opportunity to visit my favorite place last year, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to visit several cities in England, including Oxford, Bath, and London.

Oxford is a beautiful city with a rich academic history. While the University of Oxford is considered as one of the oldest universities, I found the blend of the ancient and the modern to be fascinating. Tourists roamed the different colleges and churches, shopping districts were backed up against historic buildings, and the new contrasted the old. Although modernization could be considered to be damaging to the integrity of such a historic town, I found that the contrast made me appreciate the older buildings even more. There was a sense of peace and longevity beyond what the latest fashion trend or shopping spree can provide. One photograph I took from the top of a church in Oxford shows this contrast between the power lines and old building (which I think is a church).

(Image Information: personal photo taken from the top of St. Mary's Church in Oxford;
photo from July 2013.) 

Visiting Bath was another incredible experience. Bath is famous for the Roman Baths that were built and used there from natural springs. The Baths was a place for bathing (surprising, right?), and there were several baths with different temperatures as designed by the Romans. The ingenuity of ancient people in using the water and engineering it to their purposes was fascinating, and it was truly a beautiful place.

(Image Information: personal photo of myself in front of The Great Bath;
photo from July 2013.)

London was such an adventure! The whole city buzzed with life, and I enjoyed being able to visit historic sites such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, British Museum, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and so much more. I was especially fascinated by the Elizabeth Tower of the Houses of Parliament, which houses the bell known as Big Ben. I loved sitting on the lawn in front of Westminster Abbey and listening to the bells ring.

(Image Information: personal photo of  the Houses of Parliament; photo from July 2013.)

I enjoyed experiencing the rich history of England and the overall polite and gracious manner of the people. The culture is so unique and beautiful. I hope to visit again someday.

Welcome

Hello! I am very excited to be using this blog to document my study of the epics of India for my class.