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