Class Improvements

I had such a great experience with this class that it is hard for me to imagine how to make this class better. I will touch on each of the ideas that were mentioned:

Change Review Weeks to Planning Weeks
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The review weeks were such a breath of fresh air for me and always came at the perfect time. They broke up the regular work and made everything feel more manageable, in my opinion. I think the biggest "planning" error is that people don't understand the idea of creating their own due dates. I know I was confused about this in the beginning. We are told that we create our own deadlines, but then there are deadlines on Canvas. Maybe changing the due dates to have the 2 readings and storytelling all due on Wednesday (or maybe even Friday?) and everything else due Sunday (like it currently is). This way you can tell students that they can do things whenever they want, but half should be turned in Wednesday and the other half by Sunday. How they want to break that up is still up to them. And they will quickly find that waiting until Wednesday night to do all of the reading and storytelling would be impossible every week.

Expand the Story Planning Option
I love this one! The story planning was an awesome mid-semester addition! It helped me out a lot the week that I decided to try it. I didn't have a Storybook, but I can see how it would be immensely helpful for those.

Create more audio recordings
Good idea! I didn't use any of the audio recordings this year, but this is a great way to incorporate everyone's individual learning styles. That is kind of you to offer to do this!

Create writing tutorial videos
YES! I am such a visual person. I am a huge fan of Kahn Academy and I can see how these would be helpful for your future students!!

Create thematic reading units.
I think this is a great idea too. Sometimes the reading options felt so broad that I didn't know where to start. It was fun to explore my options, but it was a little overwhelming at first. A sense of direction with themed units would be fun!

I'm excited to see how this class continues to grow. I had a great time with it this semester. It was a fun, creative break from my other classes. I wish you the best of luck developing it for future students!

Story: The Barney Bridge

In the monkey kingdom, community is everything. The monkeys look to each other for love and support and do their best to care for one another. In their kingdom, they all look up to and respect their leader. In this case, their leader is King Lorenz. King Lorenz is the largest, most powerful monkey that most in the kingdom have ever seen. Some of the older monkeys claim that greater leaders came before him, but younger generations find that hard to believe.

King Lorenz was strong. He was decisive. He was smart. He was always analyzing situations and making the best decisions for his people. The monkey economy was looking better than ever. Monkeys everywhere praised King Lorenz and constantly looked to him as a role model.

King Lorenz never let any of his success go to his head. Whenever someone would ask him about his accomplishments he would just tell them that he was doing his job, which was to serve his people.

Serve. Little did the monkeys know, this word was always on King Lorenz’s mind. He was always thinking of new ways to help his fellow monkeys and how he could best serve them.

Then one day, King Lorenz’s skills were put to the test when news reached his island that an army was in route to capsize his village. He was told that the people wanted the island for themselves, as it was filled with trees containing the most wonderful and delicious fruit in all the land. They had received strict orders from their king to slaughter any current inhabitants of the island and take it as their own.

This news startled King Lorenz. Thinking quickly, he used his might to jump to a nearby island.

“This island is perfectly fit for my people,” he thought to himself. “It will save them from harm. I must find a way to get them here!”

Then, he noticed a long reed and tied it to a tree. It appeared to be long enough to reach his home island. Eagerly, he tied the reed to his foot and leapt back to his island. However, the reed was a little too short.

How could he complete the bridge?! There must be some technical solution.

Just then, a small monkey approached him.

“Sir!” he exclaimed. “My name is Barney and I am here to serve you! I saw you flying back to the island with the reed and ran here as fast as I could. How may I help you save our people?”

King Lorenz explained that the reed was too short and that it wouldn’t be able to reach. He brainstormed technical solutions and realized that if someone were to tie the rope to their foot, they would be able to hold on to the tree on their island and complete the bridge.

“Will you complete the bridge, dear King? You are so large and strong that you will make the perfect, sturdy surface!” Barney looked at him with eager eyes.

“No,” King Lorenz chuckled. “I am big and strong but my people need me! Without my leadership, they might not survive. What would they do without me? We should find a monkey who has been accused of theft or some other disservice. Logically, it makes sense to risk the life of a lesser monkey.”

Before the King could finish his thought, Barney tied the reed to his foot and grabbed hold of the tree.

“Child!” exclaimed the King, “are you a theft or menace? For what reason did you assume this position?”

“There is no monkey on this island whose life matters less than another,” Barney explained. “You are correct, dear King. What our people need right now is a leader.”

And with that, all monkeys crossed the Barney bridge and made it safely to the island. After every monkey had passed, including King Lorenz, Barney fell to the ground. His small body was in very poor shape and it wasn’t likely that he would survive the night.

The human king, witnessing this selfless act had tears in his eyes. He decreed that he could never hurt creatures with such love in their hearts. He vowed to never touch the monkey kingdom and let them all live happily in peace.

King Lorenz watched the scene unfold with a heavy heart. In the chaos, he forgot the most important aspect of servant leadership: love.

Barney had saved the village and taught the king a lesson he would never forget. 

(The monkeys using the bridge to climb to safety.)

Author’s Note: This story was inspired by the tale “The Monkey Bridge” in Twenty Janaka Tales. In this story, the leader of the monkeys selflessly gives his life to save his people. This really made me reflect on the way that I lead others. Sometimes love and care are just as important as any other skill that we commonly use to define a “good leader”. For my story, I wanted to create a King who was the stereotypical definition of a leader: smart, technical, efficient, etc. I wanted to create a character who wasn’t necessarily seen as a “leader” in his group be the one that committed the act of selflessness for his people. This way, the character would teach the leader a lesson just as the original tale taught me a lesson. This story was very fun to write and I enjoyed putting a twist on the original.

Title: Twenty Jataka Tales
Author: Noor Inayat (Khan)
Illustrator: H. Willebeek Le Mair
Year: 1939

Reading Notes: Twenty Jataka Tales, Part B

The Two Pigs
I had read someone else's story that was based off of this tale, so I was excited to read it. I really liked it! The sweet pigs taught the people a lesson of love and also touched on the fact that we should not fear departing the world, because of the love we will find after.

The Patient Buffalo

This story tells the tale of the patient buffalo who lets an annoying monkey climb all over him. His patience ends up benefiting him and all of those around him!

The Sarabha
This tale is about enemies putting their differences aside and helping each other. I really love this theme and would love to make a story out of it. It would be easy to create new characters, yet incorporate the same theme.

The Goblin Town
In this story, hundreds of men are lured in by beautiful women. One man discovers that the women are actually goblins and tries to warn the others. Some believe him and others don't. Those who believe are carried away to safety. This almost reminds me of Noah's Ark! It would be fun to write a story with this same type of theme!

The Great Elephant
This story was very sad! A sweet elephant tells hungry travelers that there will be an elephant for them to eat.....and then he kills himself so they can eat him. It was a very sad story but a powerful one about selfless love!

The Quarrelsome Quails
In this story, the King quail teaches the others how to escape capture, but they all must get along! When two quail get in a fight, they are captured and others escape. This teaches us that some things that anger you really aren't worth the fight.

The Forest Fire
This tale was also pretty sad. A little quail was left behind to be devoured by a fire when the rest of his family escaped. The quail vocalizes his vulnerability and the fire backs away. Many little ones are saved and everyone is happy!

The End of the World
As expected, this story kind of reminded me of Chicken Little. A little hare believes the world is ending and gets all of the animals worked up. Rumors and fright spread like wildfire. This is an important lesson to remember these days with everything that goes on in the media.

The Golden Goose
The theme of this story was not as obvious as the others. My main takeaway was to not fear time. I far time far too often. I think about the short time we have on this earth and spending it with those I love and making the most of the time I have here. This story reminded me that if I love those around me and bring happiness to them, what does it matter if time goes on?

The Noble Horse

This was a sweet story. The noble horse sacrifices his life so his rider can capture the kings. However, when he dies he expresses his wishes that none of the kings be killed. He brings peace to all!

(I love elephants, especially the one from the tale of The Great Elephant!)

Title: Twenty Jataka Tales
Author: Noor Inayat (Khan)
Illustrator: H. Willebeek Le Mair
Year: 1939

Reading Notes: Twenty Jataka Tales (Part A)

The Monkey-Bridge

In this tale, the monkey king gives his life to save his people. He is truly selfless and never regrets his decision! This is a powerful lesson on love and leadership. It made me think a lot about the way that I want to lead others. I would love to make a story with this same theme!

The Guilty Dogs

Here, the palace dogs ruined the harnesses on the royal chariot. Unsure of which dogs did it, the King declares for all dogs in the city to be killed...except for the royal dogs. First of all, this is a crazy punishment. I think there are several different lessons you could learn from this tale. One could be that sometimes it is those closest to you (whom you would never suspect) who are capable of doing the most damage. Another would be not to punish a group for the wrongdoings of one individual.

Banyan

In this story, a deer is killed each day by the king and his servants. On a day that a doe with a young baby was supposed to be killed, she ran to her ruler and asked to wait until later so she could take care of him. He refused so she ran to the other deer ruler, Banyan, who selflessly took her place and ended up bringing love into the heart of the king.

More than anything, this story showed me that it is okay to step back and challenge the status quo. The first ruler, Branch, seemed harsh for denying the doe but he was only following the orders that they had set in place. Banyan did not hesitate to stray from the plan in order to do the right thing. He broke the "rules" but ended up being the hero. This is a powerful lesson to reflect upon.

The Tortoise and the Geese

This tale teaches a lesson in "holding your tongue". The tortoise is being carried through the sky by biting a stick that two geese are holding. When people make fun of him, he yells and falls from the sky.

This reminded me that others will always have something to say about your success, but keeping your mouth shut is the best way to keep succeeding.

The Fairy and the Hare

In this story, the hare and his friends decide to take whatever food they find and give it to other instead of eating it for a day. The other animal friends come by their food by rather dishonest means, whereas the hare offers himself up as food. A fairy comes to test his kindness, and the hare joyously jumps into the fire she prepares. However, the fire does not burn him, but teaches the animals the lesson of kindness, love, and selfless giving!

The Golden Feathers

I think I have heard a version of this tale before! The father leaves in search of wealth for his family and is turned into a gold goose. He gives the golden feathers to his family to sell, but one day the selfish wife captures him and steals all of the feathers...not knowing that it is her husband. After she steals the feathers, they become worthless.

This story made me think about the lesson that you never know who you are encountering! The woman thought this was an ordinary goose, but it was actually her beloved husband. It taught me the importance of treating everyone with equal respect. Everyone deserves it!

The Young Parrot

In this story, the young parrot eats and takes extra food for his parents. The owner of he field is angry that he takes extra at first, but after learning the reason why, he welcomes the parrots with open arms. This reminded me that 1) we should take care of our elders and 2) you never know someone's true motives for their actions unless you ask!

The Empty Lake

This story didn't have as clear of a lesson to me as the others did. In this tale, the king fish prayed for water to fill the lake for his people. His wishes come true and the elements restore the lake.

The Swan Kingdom

In this tale, a swan shows dedication to his king and amazes the human king and all of his people. The lesson here is the benefit of staying true to those whom you love and respect. Something that I have loved about these tales is that they all end with the group living happily ever after. This has been an uplifting series of tales to read!

The Master's Test

This story had an awesome lesson! The master told his pupils to steal when no one was looking, but one pupil said "my self is always watching" and that he could never live with the guilt of seeing himself steal. This lesson struck the other pupils and affected their every day life from then on. I think this is a great story to share with others! I will definitely think about it when making decisions.

(The monkeys from my favorite tale in today's reading!)

Title: Twenty Jataka Tales
Author: Noor Inayat (Khan)
Illustrator: H. Willebeek Le Mair
Year: 1939

Story: The Journal of Krishna

July 30
Dear Journal,

My love for Radha grows stronger each day. She is the most beautiful and wonderful woman I have ever met. I feel that my life is complete now that she is in it. Oh, Journal, I truly cannot picture myself without her. You should see the way her hair shines in the sun and her eyes light up every time she dances. She is a vision of beauty. She truly completes me. It is as if we have become one soul.
-Krishna


August 15
Journal,

I’ve made a decision. My love for Radha is unlike anything I have ever felt before. I have decided that it is time that I make her mine forever. That’s right…I’m going to marry her! As soon as my mother returns, I am going to ask her what she thinks! I am so excited. I know mother will be delighted! I will keep you updated as soon as she says yes!
-Krishna

August 16
Hi Journal…

Today I come to you with bad news. It turns out that things did not go as planned. My mother was not as excited as I was just SO SURE she would be. She even got my father involved. He refused as well. I don’t understand how they could refuse that I marry Radha, but they did. I am so offended. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Radha! She is the most perfect person in this world and I will not stop fighting until I marry her!!!

Mother and Father are taking me to see Gargacharya tonight. He is our family priest. I suppose they think that he will talk some sense into me. I’m looking forward to it. Once I tell Gargacharya my side, he will tell my parents how ridiculous they are being. I just know it.

Updates to come.
-Krishna

August 17
Dear Diary,

Things could not have gone farther than I predicted. My mother and father’s disagreements had nothing to do with Radha…it was all because of me. Journal, I’m not sure I can put everything I learned into words. My mind is still working to wrap itself around it.

You see, I am not at all the person I thought I was. My parents are of no blood relation to me. I was intentionally switched at birth for my own protection. They tell me that I am the savior of Dharma in this world. It feels strange to even write down. Journal, I am the deliverer that the sages have always talked about. ME. IT’S ME. I feel honored, but also sick. I am supposed to kill Kans, who is apparently my biological uncle. Am I qualified for this? Why me?

I am so connected to the people of my town. I just want to stay here and lead a normal life. More than anything, I want to marry Radha. But I cannot do either of those things. My destiny lies elsewhere. My fears will go no further than the pages of this journal. I am terrified but I will never let the people know. If I am who they say I am, then my people need bravery. I will do whatever I need to do to serve them.
-Krishna (I think)

August 30
Dear Journal,

It’s been a while since we’ve spoke. My life has gone on pretty much the same as before. Nothing much has changed (other than everything I have ever known).

However, today I received a visitor. A man named Akrur came to visit me and invite me to a Bow Ritual  organized by Kans. Before I could accept the offer, he began to weep. Confused, I asked him what was wrong.

Akrur informed me that the real intention of the Yajna was to lure me to Mathura so that Kans could kill me. My stomach churned at these words and I knew I must accept. This is the destiny that I must fulfill. Akrur was surprised by my acceptance, but I knew it was what I had to do.

The people around me were shocked by the lack of emotion on my face. Little did they know, I was freaking out inside. Part of me is still upset that all of this happened. And always, a vision of Radha rests on the back of my mind. How could I ever forget her? But regardless of my selfish desires, I will be traveling to Mathura to face Kans. When I close this journal, I will be trapping my fears in the pages. From now on, I will proceed with a brave face and a fearless heart.

This, Journal, is my destiny.

-Krishna

(The journal Krishna uses to reveal his true feelings about his destiny.)

Author's Note: For this story, I was inspired by Episodes 13 and 14 of the Epified version of Krishna. I was also inspired by the work of some of my classmates and the writing techniques they have used. I really enjoyed reading stories that used the letter writing or journal entry styles and I knew that I wanted to try one of my own. I thought that these scenes in Krishna’s life were a perfect opportunity to try one of these styles because he was going through a major change/crisis in his life. In the actual scenes, he put on a very brave face and accepted his fate with no hesitation. I thought that a journal entry would be a great time for him to reveal a little bit more vulnerability. I stuck to the original storyline for the most part, but I told the story completely from Krishna’s point of view in the format of journal entries. I added some extra emotions that were not actually stated in the scenes. Krishna never really appeared scared or angry that any of this had happened to him. Any mentions of these types of feelings were extremely brief. I decided to expand upon the emotions that any rational person would have during this time. It would make perfect sense to be scared, upset, or experience self-doubt. I decided that if Krishna were ever to feel this way, he would never let it show. However, he might hide it away in the depths of his journal! 😉

Title: Krishna
Author: Epified TV (India)
Year: 2015

Growth Mindset: Memes

For this challenge, I chose this meme from our instructor's Growth Mindset Memes Blog.

First of all, I was a big fan of all the cat memes. If you haven't checked them out yet, you should!

I particularly likes this meme because of the quote and its relation to my experience with growth mindset. Typically, the hardest part of a challenging task is just getting started. Whether that is starting a new job, applying for a new position, or talking to someone for the first time...trying something new is hard!

One of the leaders I look up to the most always tells me "you have to start getting comfortable being uncomfortable". This is absolutely right. Putting yourself out there is never easy. But, accepting the uncertainty and "just going for it" is the best thing you can do.

Whenever I think about the growth mindset, I remember the importance of trying new things. Like this meme says, there are endless opportunities waiting for you, but you'll never know if you don't start climbing!

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues, Part B

• Nina gets broken up with. I'm so curious to see how this ties in with the Ramayana.
• This made me realize how much it bothers me that Rama makes his decisions here based off of what people think of him (or what he fears people think of him) instead of making his own wants. This is a very prevalent theme here that I haven't thought about much. It would be interesting to create a story out of this. This is something that could easily be translated into a modern story.
• I love the intertwining themes of heartbreak. Two very different people going through the same sort of emotions!
• I really enjoy the narrators talking about the girls that need to leave the men that treat them badly. When do we draw the line between "unconditional love" and the time to walk away. Then men act like she's being stupid and the woman claims "unconditional love". I could write a more modern tale of this...about a group analyzing their friends' relationships.

The second half of this film was really fun to watch. I enjoyed this take on the Ramayana! It was easy to follow and even tied itself in with a modern love story. It was such an interesting take on the epic and I'm so glad that I decided to try another visual option!

(This half of the film focused on heartbreak and overcoming it.)

Title: Sita Sings the Blues, Part B

Author: Nina Paley
Year: 2008

Tech Tip: Installing the Canvas App!

Today, I decided to try a Tech Tip! I love technology and I'm a little upset with myself that I haven't tried one sooner.

I decided to install the Canvas app onto my phone.

Like many of you (or maybe it's just me....), I am very resistant to change. I will be honest. When OU switched from D2L to Canvas, I wasn't happy. Canvas had a lot going on and I didn't feel like I had time to figure it all out. However, now that the semester is almost over, I can admit that Canvas has really grown on me and it is probably better than D2L.

Once I downloaded the app, I realized it was definitely better.

The app was very easy to download. I selected my school and logged in with my 4x4. Then, everything was right in front of me. I can see all of my classes and by clicking the "A+" button at the top, it instantly shows me my overall grades in each one of my class--WOW.

I can also set it up to send me notifications when I have a grade updated. That was my favorite feature of D2L and the thing I missed the most.

Now that I figured out how to do that, I am very satisfied with Canvas. I would definitely recommend downloading the app! It is visually appealing and very easy to use! It really enhances the overall experience.

Learning Challenge: Watching for Empathy

I was excited when I saw this challenge because empathy is a theme that is very important to me. If you have ever heard of the StrengthsFinder assessment, empathy is one of my top strengths.

For anyone who doesn't know, StrengthsFinder is a very in-depth assessment that tells you what your top five strengths are. The strengths are in a significant order and are unique to you! I love learning about everyone's individual strengths and weaknesses, so I love talking about StrengthsFinder. I have had the amazing opportunity of serving in a leadership position where I have had the ability to talk with students about their strengths and how to maximize them.

Something that we always talk about is finding someone that you share a strength with and a similar experience you have had using it. I have had some amazing conversations with people about how we use empathy. Something that has been brought up a lot is that people around us sometimes forget to use empathy. Those of us that are high in empathy can get anxious in these situations because we don't understand why everyone doesn't think the way we do. Because of this, we sometimes feel pressured to act as an advocate for others in situations where no one else is showing them any empathy.

This can be a lot of pressure, but it is also a wonderful opportunity. I consider it a blessing to have empathy as a strength and I am thankful for those around me who are good empathizers as well!

Whenever I mess up, there is nothing more refreshing than a sympathetic response. I've learned that people are typically hard enough on themselves...we don't need to make their lives any harder. Empathy is a great way to show compassion and make an impact on someone's day. Empathy is something that I love to learn about and watch for every day.

(This picture reminds me to always keep others feelings and situations in mind.)

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues, Part A

I told myself that I wasn't going to do any more videos, but I saw that this one was highly recommended and had to check it out. The visual depictions are great for helping me better understand the epics. I was also going to try to move away from the Ramayana/Mahabharata...but I didn't do that either. I've decided that I have enjoyed diving deeper into the epics. Even through the comical, light-hearted videos, I have acquired a better understanding and deeper appreciation for the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Here are my notes over the first half of this film:

• The story is about a couple in San Francisco. I love the modern, typical life that the story sets up. The boyfriend gets a job in India, which is how the couple gets mixed in with the Ramayana.
• I love the narrators arguing about how things happened. There are so many details to these stories, it is SO easy to get things confused! I think this lighthearted approach is a great way to help better understand the epic.
•  I really enjoy to use to humor to help explain topics. This makes me wonder how I could achieve this in my writing.
• Sita sings a love song about going into the dangerous exile with Rama. What a fun way to think about this scene!
• I don't think I could pull it off, but it would be so cute to create a song as a storytelling post! I couldn't do it...but somebody should.
• I love the depiction of the scene with the golden deer. Rama is pretty sure its a trick, but he is so in love with Sita that he does whatever she pleases.
• Sita is singing about how much she loves Rama. It is kind of funny and cheesy, but it's really sweet! Rama and Sita are so sweet together.
• She is still singing when Ravana breaks in and steals her. So sad!
• I love that this film follows the original story, but incorporates songs and fun illustrations and feuding narrators.
• I like the introduction to Hanuman because this is a character I feel like I never learned much about or really understood.
• My favorite part thus far might be when the narrators make Sita say "your ass is grass".
• I'm so impressed that someone could incorporate my kind of humor into the Ramayana.
• I almost forgot about Hanuman setting Lanka on fire with his tail! In this film, he does so while Sita sings the blues about waiting for Rama so come save her.
• I like that the narrators argue about why Sita didn't escape with Hanuman. I wondered about this myself! I didn't understand why she didn't leave with him.
• Lack of trust?
• Wanted to wait for her man to save her?
• Wants the evil king to be defeated?
• All for Rama's glory? (ew)
• They also argue about whether or not the monkeys were monkeys. This made me laugh because I had wondered the same thing myself.
• I love that it frequently switches back to the modern-day SanFran couple! Here, the woman joins her boyfriend in India but he's not giving her any attention. She is very sad. :(
• The absolute worst part of the Ramayana: when AFTER ALL OF THIS Rama rejects Sita because she lived in another man's house. The man that.......kidnapped her.
• ****Might make a modern day story about this!
• So naturally Sita lights herself on fire to prove her innocence and gets a nice "my bad" from Rama.

This was a great way to watch the tales of the Ramayana! I really enjoyed the blending of the two stories. I know what happens with Rama and Sita, but I'm excited to see what happens with the San Francisco couple.

(Sita sings her way though her many trials of the Ramanaya.)

Title: Sita Sings the Blues

Author: Nina Paley
Year: 2008

Learning Challenge: A Favorite Health/Happiness Meme

As the end of the semester get closer, the stress only continues to rise. At this point in the year, I find myself longing for Christmas Break and forgetting about the things that can make me happy right here right now. It is important to stay positive and remember to keep your own mental health on your radar! A problem with college students is that we often forget to take care of ourselves. On top of eating, sleeping, showering, and exercising...we also need to take care of that valuable resource between our ears. Our mind is a powerful tool and simply doing things that make us happy can improve our mental health. For this learning challenge, I found the following meme:

(This photo came from an entire blog of cute puppy memes!)

For me, I absolutely love dogs. So, when I have had a bad week or receive a bad grade on a test, I call my friends who have pets and ask if I can come play with them. This might seem strange, but my friends are used to it. I also FaceTime my sweet pups back home sometimes! This is a simple way for me to relieve my stress and focus on something that always makes me happy, even if only for a few minutes. This might not be dogs for everyone (even though I don't understand how it isn't). But, everyone has something that makes them smile! Maybe it's a night of Netflix binging, baking a sweet treat, or taking a drive with the windows down. Whatever it is, make time for it in your day!

No matter how busy you are, you are never too busy to take care of yourself. Try a Health/Happiness Challenge!

Story Planning: Letters from Krishna

I decided to try a Story Planning post this week. I usually jump right into writing, but I decided to slow myself down this week and see if it helps me come up with something better. I'm wanting to explore new styles, so hopefully this helps!

Possible Scenes to Use:

• Krishna Comes - An Introduction: Here we learn about all the enemies that Krishna had. I thought it would be fun to create a story with completely different characters, but going through a similar situation. I thought about a girl moving to a new high school, with a gang of "mean girls" that already didn't like her for some reason (which I would need to come up with).
• Krishna Episode 2 - Vasudev Meets Yamuna: In this scene, Vasudev escapes with baby Krishna to protect him. It would be interesting to write a first-person scenario from Vasudev's point of view. He was in danger and was also probably so sad to be leaving his baby with someone else.
• Krishna Episode 3 - Durga Speaks to Kamsa: Kamsa hears of the birth of the 8th child and laughs when he finds out its a girl (it's not really, they were switched....but, you know). The girls ends up making a fool out of Kamsa and I would love to be able to make an empowering story out of this.
• Krishna Episode 12 - Krishna rides Hastin: Krishna rides the bull instead of killing it, teaching everyone a lesson of kindness. I would love to incorporate this theme into a story somehow
• Krishna Episode 13 - The Saviour of Dharma: Krishna learns about his destiny and all that this will require of him. A very emotional scene.
• Krishna Episode 14 - Akrur Invites Krishna: Krishna appears to be fearless about facing his destiny. But what would happen if he was secretly more afraid than he lead on?

Possible New Styles:

• Letter writing: this is a style I haven't tried yet, but want to. I have seen other people do it in their stories and they are always fun to read!
• Journal entry: similar to the letter, but more personal. This would be good for Episode 13 or 14!
• Script: lots of dialogue and an opportunity to explicitly state what emotions the characters are supposed to be feeling

Goals:

• Try something new
• Make it fun to read
• Create a story with good flow
• Start strong and finish strong the first time (not just after editing)

(I am leaning toward the idea of a letter or journal entry from Krishna!)

Title:  Krishna
Author:  Epified TV (India)
Year:  2015

Reading Notes: Epified: Krishna, Part B

Krishna Episode 11- Krishna Humbles Brahma

Brahma wonders why Krishna and his friends are eating together from the same plate

He kidnaps the cows and friends

Krishna re-creates what was stolen to trick Brahma

I thought this scene was funny. It would be interesting to turn this into a story somehow

Krishna Episode 12 - Krishna rides Hastin

Hastin is a massive, vicious bull whom everyone is afraid of

Krishna advises his brother that killing Hastin isn't good

K says he will ride Hastin and everyone freaks out

He does what they said couldn't be done...what seems to be a reoccurring theme

Through this act, Krishna teaches the people a lesson of kindness. I love this theme!

Krishna Episode 13 - The Saviour of Dharma

Krishna learns the truth about his birth! This must be a shocking moment for him. He learns that he can't marry his love because his life has a larger destiny. Although this is an incredible discovery, this must be a heartbreaking and earth-shattering thing for him to learn. This scene contained a lot of emotion that I think could have been elaborated on.

Krishna Episode 14 - Akrur Invites Krishna

Krisna is not afraid to face his uncle because he knows that it is his destiny. Again, there is an overwhelming amount of emotion in these scenes. I can't imagine how he or any of his loved ones would feel during this time.

Krishna Episode 15 - Krishna's Farewell

Krishna prepares to leave and everyone is distraught

It's amazing how Krishna leaves his safe, happy place and prepares to risk his life

Krishna is extremely selfless

Vishnu reveals himself to Akru

Krishna Episode 16 - Krishna Arrives At Mathura

Krisna begins working miracles which is great news to everyone except the uncle who wants to kill him...oops

Krishna Episode 17 - Krishna Kills Kuvalayapida

Kamsa plans to use the giant scary elephant to kill Krishna

Here, we reflect upon all the murders Kamsa committed in an attempt to kill Krishna. Disgusting.

Krishna slays the elephant and Kamsa is terrified

Krishna Episode 18 - Krishna Kills Kamsa

Krishna breaks Shiva's bow!

Kamsa is freaking out at this point...his death is evident

He tries to run, but Krisna and Baldram fight their way to him

Kamsa dies...the prophesy has been fulfilled

Krishna Episode 19 - Freedom For Mathura

Everyone is relieved by the end of Kamsa...Krishna and Baldram are heroes

Mathura learns that Kamsa is dead

Krishna meets his birth parents!!!!!!!

Everyone cheers--a happy ending!

Krishna Episode 20 - Dwarka - Krishna's Kingdom

Jarashand is furious that Krishna killed Kamsa

Krishna, instead of worrying about himself, worries about everyone else

To fix this problem, they move Mathura. I thought that this was a very interesting and painfully complicated solution.

(Krishna must slay a ferocious elephant before making his way to Kamsa.)

Title:  Krishna
Author:  Epified TV (India)
Year:  2015

Reading Notes: Epified: Krishna, Part A

I loved the Epified version of the Mahabharata so much, that I decided to dedicate this week to learning more about Krishna through their videos! The way that they bring these stories to life aligns perfectly with my learning style and keeps me very entertained.

Krishna Comes - An Introduction

This talks about the enemies that Krishna had before even being born. Talk about being set up for failure! It would be fun to write about someone coming to a new place with people disliking them before they even got a chance to introduce themselves

Krishna Episode 1 - Kamsa

Kamsa (an evil ruler) learns that his sister's 8th child will be the cause of his death

He thinks about ending their lives, but throws them in jail instead

Instead, he kills all of their children - awful

She becomes pregnant with 8th child (why)

No one could harm this baby! Still, they were scared (as they should be)

So dramatic! I can't think of anything specific right now, but I would love to make a story out of this scene

Krishna Episode 2 - Vasudev Meets Yamuna

The parents are so proud but so afraid. I can't even imagine this feeling.

Vasudev is able to escape...seems to be some divine intervention

He carries the child through the dark rain (again, so dramatic!)

V asks the river for help...interesting

A serpent comes to help. I thought this was interesting since serpents are typically evil symbols

V switches the babies...scandalous. It is so sad that he had to abandon his son, but why did an innocent baby have to be put in danger!? Not fair.

Krishna Episode 3 - Durga Speaks to Kamsa

Kamsa hears of the birth of the child and fears. This is another emotion that I can't even fathom.

He sees that the baby is a girl (it wasn't, but they were switched) and laughs...annoying

I'm still angry that V put this girl in danger. Nothing happens to her, but it easily could have!!

The girl makes a fool of Kamsa and this makes me happy. I would love to make a story like this too...of a fierce girl competitor who is not taken seriously

Krishna Episode 4 - Putana

Okay so the mother of the girl is now VERY confused that she has a baby boy. Again, can't imagine this feeling.

She loves the child as her own anyways.

Everyone loves little baby Krishna.

Putana shows up and makes her way into the family and then becomes a demon and steals Krishna...wow

The demon cannot kill the baby...mama finds baby K next to the corpse of the demon

Krishna Episode 5 - Maakhan Chor

Krishna becomes a very ornery child

Y always defends her little boy then interrogates him when people leave...hehe

Krishna Episode 6- Krishna's mouth

Someone tells Y that Krishna is eating mud but when she demands that he opens his mouth, she finds...........the universe. WHAT?

This was different and surprising but this is the turning point when she realizes that Krishna is not an ordinary little boy.

Krishna Episode 7 - Dreams and Music

The boys love exploring the forest

Krishna starts to become interested in music and soon conquers it (still a child!)

K finds his friends all dead and challenges the snake. He plays scary music and dances viciously on the snake's head.

Krishna Episode 8 - Kamsa's Terrors

Krishna is now a young man. He is still a trouble maker!

He has become a fierce warrior and has fought off many demons

Krishna Episode 9 - The Govardhan Hill

Indra creates a terrifying storm and everyone comes to Krishna

He lifts the Govardhan Hill and uses it as a giant umbrella for everyone

Indra begs for Krishna to forgive him!

Krishna Episode 10 - Radha's love

Women love to dance to the music Krishna makes, but Krishna has his eyes on a girl that he grew up with. So cute.

Radha drinks hot milk and Krishna's tongue blisters

Radha loves Krishna more than anything. Their love is quite sweet.

(I've noticed the reoccurring theme of serpents in this series!)

Title:  Krishna
Author:  Epified TV (India)
Year:  2015

Reading Notes: Epified: Mahabharata videos, Part F

Mahabharata Episode 45 - Draupadi Disrobed

Draupadi is in shock. She feels so betrayed...as she should.

They strip Draupadi down, ready to take any last ounce of dignity

Draupadi prays to Krishna for help

They keep pulling her dress, but it never ends

Bhim jumps up to help (finally)

The Pandavas are furious and essentially declare war between the cousins

Mahabharata Episode 46 - Pandavas Exiled

The cousins make another plan....again about gambling.

They call the Pandavas up again for another game of dice

The Pandavas know that its a trap and they will lose but they go anyways....I don't understand why

The Pandavas have to spend 12 years in exile and the 13th year in hiding

I definitely got confused on this part during the Mahabharata. I understand it a lot better now!

Duryodhan has complete control now

Mahabharata Episode 47 - Pandavas Exile Begins

The Pandavas are ready for revenge but obviously they have to wait at least 13 years...talk about patience!

Krishna urges the Pandavas to start war with their cousins, but Y says not yet

The rakshasa who's brother Bhim killed attacks Bhim. The brothers unite to kill the beast and are reminded of their great combined strength

Mahabharata Episode 48 - Krishna Meets The Pandavas

Krishna feels bad that he couldn't help the Pandavas and blames himself

He pledges his support to the Pandavas in war

Mahabharata Episode 49 - Arjun Receives Shiva's Weapon

The Pandavas struggle to live in exile

They start fighting...inevitable

They welcomes saints and sages and were welcoming to all

Arjun tries to obtain the celestial weapons he needs from Shiva by devoting himself to prayer

Arjun fights the hunter over who killed the boar

Arjun asks Shiva for strength and realizes that the hunter he was fighting was Shiva

Shiva gifts Arjun

This scene has an interesting twist! You never know who you are talking to. I think this would make an interesting story

Mahabharata Episode 50 - Arjun Meets Indra
Other gods visit Arjun
Indra invites Arjun to heaven
The chariot takes Arjun
There is a great feast and entertainment
Arjun feels unfulfilled and wants to go back to his brothers

Mahabharata Episode 51 - Urvashi's Curse

Indra thinks Arjun loves Urvashi...a horrible misunderstanding

She gets excited and visits him late at night

She confesses her love and Arjun is absolutely shocked

Arjun respectfully declines

Urvashi curses him to be unloved by women

The other Pandavas are continuing to travel

Mahabharata episode 52 - Bheem meets Hanuman
Bhim goes to fetch flowers for Draupadi
He finds a monkey that is more powerful than him
He discover that the monkey is Hanuman, his brother

(The Pandavas begin collecting celestial weapons to help them in the upcoming war. Source: Pixabay)

Title: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution (Part F)

Author: Epified TV (India)

Story: The Humiliation of Draupadi

“What a beautiful day,” Draupadi thought to herself as she stared out the window and brushed her long, flowing hair. She watched as the sun set on the hills. She loved the beautiful colors that illuminated the sky as the sun disappeared for the day. The sight never failed to make her smile.

Draupadi had a wonderful life. She was always full of cheer and positive energy. She loved her husband, Yudhishthir, more than any other thing on this earth. She waited impatiently for him to return from his gambling match. She secretly hated when Yudhishthir gambled. She thought that gambling was a dirty sport, but she would never tell him that. If he was happy and stayed out of danger, she was happy. She chuckled to herself as she realized that she would much rather wait for him to return from gambling than wait for him to return from battle. She would have to tell him about that thought when he returned…he would laugh.

Just then, Draupadi heard a knock on her large wooden door. Had Yudhishthir returned already?

With a huge smile on her face, she jumped up from her spot by the window to run for the door. Before she made it to the door, it swung open with great force and slammed against the wall. Stunned, Draupadi slowly stepped backward. Large, burly men entered the room demanding that she come with them. Outraged, she refused.

“You have no choice,” the men stated with a smirk. “Your beloved husband rolled the dice and lost his wife.”

Draupadi’s heart fell and her stomach churned. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her eyes were wide as she tried to comprehend what she was hearing.

“Do you understand what we’re saying?” the men laughed. “You are Duryodhan’s now!” The men were fighting back laughter at this point. They reached for her wrist.

“No!” Draupadi snapped, pulling her hand away from the men and looking up at them with pure disgust. “I refuse! I will not go to Duryodhan and you certainly won’t be taking me!” Tears streamed down her face, hot with anger.

Unsure of what to do, the guards left the room to deliver the news to Duryodhan. When the doors closed behind them, Draupadi’s tough façade crumbled as she collapsed to the floor, crying harder than she had ever cried in her life. How could Yudhishthir do this to her? Didn’t he love her at all? How could he leave their future together to the chance of the dice? Broken, Draupadi stared at the ceiling, reflecting on her life with Yudhishthir. She thought they were perfect. Where had she gone wrong? Why wasn’t she good enough to keep around? How could he leave it to chance?

Then, she heard someone running toward her room. Scared and defensive, she jumped up and wiped the tears from her face. A man whom she knew to be Duryodhan’s brother came crashing through the doors. Without a word, he charged toward her with a grin. Draupadi turned to run, but he was much faster. He grabbed her by her freshly brushed hair and forcefully dragged her out of her room.

“Please, just let me get up and walk!” she screamed. But he didn’t listen. He continued to drag her by her hair all the way into the courtyard, where crowds of people, drunk off of the excitement of the night, pointed and laughed. Draupadi screamed desperately for help. She looked around the room and saw the Pandavas. Excitement filled her heart as she saw familiar faces. Her anxiety began to subside. Certainly the beloved brothers would come and rescue her! Desperately, she screamed for them to come and help her…but each of them stood as still as stone.

Her clothes were ripping off of her body and strands of her gorgeous hair lay around the room. She felt as if her dignity was completely gone. She had never felt so low or so afraid. Across the room, she locked eyes with the man who had given her the happiest life she could have asked for, and then proceeded to rip it away from her. She could see the look of sadness and remorse in his eyes. She only felt one thing: betrayal.

(Draupadi is dragged from her room and humiliated. Source: Wikimedia)

Author’s Note: This story was inspired by Episode 44 of the Epified version of the Mahabharata. In this episode, Yudhishthir is tricked into gambling his wife, Draupadi, and losing her. Seeing the visual depiction of the scene helped me grasp the whole story better. It also added to the emotional aspect. I already found this scene to be very sad, but watching it unfold was heart-wrenching. I couldn’t help but think what this story would be like from Draupadi’s point of view. Draupadi had no idea what was happening when the guard burst through her door to retrieve her. I tried to use the emotions that a betrayed wife would feel. Obviously, I have no idea how it would feel to have your husband lose you in a gambling match (hopefully no one knows what that feels like). However, I knew that it would be shocking, disgusting, and heartbreaking. Using these emotions, I did the best I could to write this scene from Draupadi’s perspective. This was a sadder story than I usually write, but I enjoyed the opportunity to try something new. I sat down, watched the episode a few more times, and tried to focus on the emotions that I thought Draupadi was feeling. Then, I put some sad music on my Spotify and went to work. It was a challenge, but I enjoyed writing a story with a different feel to it. 

Title: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution (Part E)

Author: Epified TV (India)

Reading Notes: Epified: Mahabharata videos, Part E

Mahabharata Episode 36 - Subhadra wins over Draupadi

Everyone welcomes Arjun home

He is worried how Draupadi is going to feel about Subhadra

He sends Subhadra as a maid to Draupadi and they become great friends

Draupadi consents to the marriage...yay!

Mahabharata Episode 37 - Birth of Abhimanyu

Arjun and Subhadra get married

Subhadra announces that she's pregnant

Arjun tells Subhadra a story concerning being a warrior...little do they know that the baby is taking in all of this information and is the beginning steps of the warrior he will become

BUT he didn't hear the whole story because Subhadra fell asleep

Mahabharata Episode 38 - The Slaying of Jarasandha

Yudhisthir is supposed to perform the yagya, but he is afraid that there might be horrible consequences

He invites Krishna for advice

Krishna reminds Yud of Jarasandha...he will never approve and needs to be killed

Bhim notes that their combined strengths can take down Jarasandha

They go to his palace and challenge him to fight

Bhim breaks him into two....then the two pieces come back together

He does it again and throws the parts in different directions

Mahabharata Episode 39 - Yudhisthir Becomes King

Yud's coronation

During the yagya, there is some drama

Shishupal disses everyone and offends Krishna and the Pandavas

-more drama-

Krishna has Shisupal's head removed
Yud is crowned king

Mahabharata Episode 40 - Duryodhan's Humiliation

Big party
Yud & Draupadi take the holy bath
Duryodhan is extremely envious and clearly has a lot of hate in his heart
I've noticed that jealousy is a common theme in the Mahabharata.
Duryodhan is embarrassed several times by the pools and crystal floors...poor guy can't catch a break.
This part made a lot more sense to me than it did in the original Mahabharata. Although there are deeper underlying meanings, the surface level of this scene reminds me of myself on a bad day. It could be humorous to create a story based off of this with just an ordinary person having a series of unfortunate events.

Mahabharata Episode 41 - Shakuni's Evil Plan

Duryodhan leaves and continues to think about the embarrassment
He is furious and plans revenge against the Pandavas
It is sad to see how much envy Duyodhan has for the Pandavas. It really made me think!
They create the gambling scheme
"The dice would be deadlier than the sword"
There is an opportunity here to create a story about other types of addiction

Mahabharata Episode 42 - Yudhishthir Gambles

Vidur invites the Pandavas to come gamble and they travel to Hastinapur
They made a huge court especially for this gambling match
Yudhishthir loses everything

Mahabharata Episode 43 - The Gambling Match

Yudishthir wages his brothers and he can't stop
He wagers himself.....and loses again
He has lost everything and continues to spiral downward. Instead of stopping, he continues to bet more things. Again, it would be interesting to create a story about addiction.

Mahabharata Episode 44 -Draupadi at Stake
Yudishthir is fooled to believe that he could get out of his slavery by wagering Draupadi
This scene made me so sad, just as it did when I read it the first time!
It breaks my heart that Yudishthir could wager the love of his life that way. I can't even begin to imagine how she felt when she received the news. I'm tempted to write a story from this perspective!

(The game that turns disastrous for the Pandavas. Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Title: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution (Part E)

Author: Epified TV (India)