Week 5 Reading Diary, continued: The Mahabharata [PDE]

Mahabharata: by various authors

Today I read some more sections from the Mahabharata. After the pandavas escaped Prince Duryodhana's plot to kill them, they fled to the forest and came across rakashas and other dangers. This specific part of the story had me reminiscing to when Rama and Sita were exiled in the forest and came across monsters and other weird, scary creatures! Also like in the Ramayana, this story has a lot to do with brothers and their relationship with each other. I thought that was also an interesting comparison between the two epics.

I absolutely loved how an ill-fated meeting turned sweet! When Bhima kills the monster, instead of also getting rid of its sister, Hidimbi, he instead accepts her plea to become his wife! It's a different kind of love story and something I did not expect at all.

I absolutely love the part where Bhima fights a chief, Baka, in the town of Ekachakra. His mom had barely uttered how she wishes he was there to fight the chief when Bhima shows up and says he will go right away. The scene depicted was so awesome! The description of the fight scene was told really well. It states that enraged at the sight of Bhima, "Baka tore down the bough of a tree and, rushing at Bhima, aimed with it a fearful blow at the Prince's head. Bhima skillfully caught the branch in his left hand, and with his right gripped Baka around the waist. Baka, with the force of his own blow, fell forwards with Bhima above him. Bhima placed his knee on Baka's back and said to him, "It is time that the forest was rid of a pest like thee." This really painted a superhero-like character out of Bhima!

Bhima the hero fights Baka (Image Source).

There was once part where Drupada sets a sort of contest for who will marry his daughter. For a target, he "constructed a strange and curious device: a high pole was erected, and it was surmounted by a golden fish, which was poised above a swiftly-revolving wheel." This was a random part of the story but it struck me because it is something I saw in a native american game where there was a fish on top of a long pole and that was the target to get points. I thought that was so interesting!!

One part that was completely unexpected was where Arjuna won the contest and got to be the husband of Draupadi. But because him mother had accidentally said the brothers should share the prize (without knowing the prize was a wife!!), the brothers all ended up marrying her. How different it is to the usual multiple wives to one husband!!

Draupadi and her husbands (Image Source).

Toward the end of the reading, after some gambling, Draupadi is forced to Duhshasana. Bhima again is shown to be the "heroic" character, getting angry and vowing revenge. I'm really liking his character so far.

Week 5 Reading Diary: The Mahabharata [PDE]

Mahabharata: by various authors

We started a new epic this week and I had high expectations. So far into the epic and I'm liking it a lot. One of my favorite characters is Ganga. She not only seems very powerful, she is pretty smart too. I love the part when Shantanu sees her in her human form and is mesmerized, asking her to be his wife. Her response is the best thing ever. She says, "she must needs at once part from him if he spoke harshly to her at any time or attempted to thwart her in doing as she willed." I'm a bit sad they "broke up" but I do love the picture used in the chapter that shows them with their son, Devavrata.

Ganga, Shantanu, and Devavrata (Image Source).

Shantanu does get some points back, though. When he meets Satyavati and wants to marry her, he asks her father's permission and he says he'll only allow it if he makes Satyavati's son heir to the throne. Shantanu "could not consent to disinherit Devavrata, son of Ganga, and went away with a heavy heart."

Although, there was not a lot of story content between Pandu and Madri, I really like them for some reason. I really would have liked more interactions and scenes between them because it said she was his favorite wife.

In the chapters after, there is a skills tournament between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Karna, son of Surya and Kunti,  makes an appearance. I really liked how he was described in the chapter. He was said to be "comely as a shining god, clad in golden armor and wearing celestial earrings, and in his right hand carried a great many-colored bow. He paused in the center of the plain and surveyed the people with pride." They descriptions really helped me picture him as charismatic and powerful. I can't wait to read more of the story!

Week 4: Famous Last Words

This was one of the longest, most-exhausting weeks I've had in a while. I was extremely stressed and overwhelmed with a lot of things. Thank God, everything is easing up and I can finally begin to relax.

Take it easy (Image Source).

The reading option for this week was very enjoyable. I actually chose a non-reading option, opting to watch the animated movie instead. It was just great! The scenes and characters were portrayed so uniquely and so well! I enjoyed every bit of it. I especially appreciated their use of humor throughout. The shadow puppets that narrated the entire film were one of my favorite aspects of this movie. They would debate certain facts of the epic or discuss characters and their decisions. Although humorous, it was very insightful!

For the storytelling assignment, I decided to go with the "letters home" style. I really enjoyed trying to write letters from the perspective of Sita and her sister. I was able to explain thoughts and feelings that they might have been experiencing during different events in the epic. It was fun to write and something I'd love to try again (maybe with different characters).

As for my other classes, all revolving around health and exercise science, there are pretty much no similarities between them and this class. I like it, though. This class gives me freedom to let my creative juices flow throughout the week.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this class so much. I thought it would be way too much work for me to do online and on my own time but it's worked out so well! I love that this class is focused on our creativity and trying our best. So often we get judged/graded based on certain guidelines or how the teachers "thinks" we should have done an assignment. I really, really love the focus of growth and improvement in this class. I also love the support from my classmates. They are so supportive and sweet on every storytelling assignment I've done. I love the atmosphere of encouragement we have in this course. Every one gets to be creative. No one gets judged. It's awesome! It's only week 4, so I'm definitely excited for what the future weeks hold in terms of our storybook project coming together!

~Bayonce

Tech Tip: Embedded YouTube

I just posted a video at the bottom of my introduction! It's one of my favorite funny sports videos ever. They come out with a new one every year after the end of each NFL season. Hope you all enjoy!

~Bayan

Storytelling for Week 4: Letters Home

Author's Note. I really loved Sita's character in the Ramayana. In the animated film, we were able to see more of her reactions throughout the story, through songs and dialogue. She has gone through a lot (getting married, getting exiled...twice, etc.) so I feel she might have liked to have an outlet to vent her feelings. I wanted to write this week's story in the form of letters to home. I chose this style because it is a great way for readers to take a look at how Sita might have been feeling throughout her life in various situations, both good and bad. I decided that Sita would write to her sister, Urmila (wife of Lakshmana), who both have gone through difficult times. In this way, readers will be able to see how both sisters coped with everything throughout the Ramayana. I will begin the letters in the time period where they have gotten married to Dasharatha's sons, Rama and Lakshmana, followed by the period of Sita and Rama's exile, to when Sita gets exiled by Rama. I left out the part of Sita's kidnapping because I didn't think she would be allowed to write letters to people during her captivity. I chose this image because it helps portray Sita's emotions through tough times (and the violin is a nice little touch as well). I hope you all enjoy my story!

Sita in tough times (Image Source).

After the sisters get married.

After Rama and Sita's exile.

After Sita is exiled by Rama.

Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley (2008). Web Source: Animated Film.

Week 4 Reading Diary, continued: Sita Sings the Blues

Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley

I finished the animated movie of the Ramayana and I absolutely loved it! It was such a neat idea to incorporate the traditional epic with a modern story and narration/commentary to go along with it. I really, really loved seeing the story from a new angle. I did have a few favorite parts in the second half of the movie.

Once again, the correlation between the epic and the story of Dave and Nina was such a new, cool take on this traditional story. For example, the part where Nina and Dave broke up after getting back together is very similar to how Rama and Sita's relationship turned out in the Ramayana. Rama banished Sita from Ayodhya which is just like Dave basically "banishing" Nina from coming back to India. Again, I did appreciate the bit of comedy that the movie included in this scene. While reading the Ramayana, this was one of the parts that really upset me. Once again, Sita is doubted and Rama lets peer pressure get the best of him. I'm thankful that the movie made it funny because if there's one scene that needed comic relief, it's this one!

Sita is kicked out of Ayodhya...literally (Image Source).

I also really liked how the movie portrayed the part where Sita, pregnant, was banished. Her song that she sang really depicted her hopelessness and desperation. Thankfully, with the help of Valmiki, she goes on with her life. She has two boys, who end up learning the stories of their father. I absolutely loved the part in the movie where they were singing the story they learned. The Ramayana within the Ramayana, so to speak. One of my favorite commentaries was where they debated Sita's devotion to Rama. It was a very interesting take on the situation. They acknowledged that she loved Rama but questioned whether she should like someone that doesn't treat her right.

I loved the part about Sita returning to mother Earth! The animation was absolutely spectacular for that scene. For the end of the movie, Nina curls up with a book. Of course, it's none other than the Ramayana.

Week 4 Reading Diary: Sita Sings the Blues

Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley

This was such a fascinating take on the traditional Ramayana! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm definitely a visual learner so seeing the scenes depicted in the epic was so helpful in getting the full impact of the story. The animations were spectacular--the colors, outfits, and shapes were so intricate and very well done. The mixing of stories was also an interesting idea for this film but it worked very well as it created two different, interwoven storylines throughout the movie. There were a few parts in the movie that I really loved.

Dasharatha about to crown Rama as King while Kaikeyi says otherwise (Image Source).

I enjoy anything with humor, so the parts where there were random characters debating the setting of the Ramayana or the time it took place was such a great piece of comedy. Every couple of scenes, they would talk about the next event in the Ramayana and debate whether it made sense or not and question the characters' motives for the way they acted. It was actually very insightful and similar to the questions I had while reading the epic. Also, throughout the movie, while explaining the different scenes in the epic, they'd alter the costumes, facial expressions, and certain phrases with such exaggeration that it really made the movie hilarious but informative nonetheless. The songs by Sita were so beautiful. It added a very nice touch to the story where parts of the epic were told through lyrics! It also provided such a stark contrast to what you expect form an Indian epic, with her singing the blues. I love how it depicted their banishment to the forest as something a little more pleasant and lovey-dovey than I read in the epic. The part where Ravana kidnaps Sita was also very well done with hilarious dialogue and reactions.

Sita and Rama banished to the forest (Image Source).

Later on in the movie, it talks about Rama and Sita's reunion and how, contrary to what we expected, it was not a loving reunion. It was nice that this was discussed right after Dave and Nina's reunion where he also acts cold toward his significant other, like Rama. I also loved how the "commentators" discussed Rama's reactions because it was something that bothered me a lot while reading the epic. I can't wait to finish watching the movie!

Rama rejects Sita (Image Source).