Shivani's Blog!

The Pandavas being exiled for 14 years. Source: Wikipedia Pandavas are living in the forest because they were exiled. Brahmin comes up to them saying a deer stole his staff and kindling needed to make the fire for a ritual. Pandavas try to catch the deer, but they fail. Tired and thirsty, they drink from a lake even though a voice tells them that they need to answer a question before they take a sip of water from the lake. The Pandavas ignore the voice and they all die, one by one. Lastly, Yudhishthira hears the voice and answers the question that the others ignored. The voice turned out to be his father's, Yama, God of death and dharma. It was a test that all but Yudhishthira failed. The rest of the brothers are revived and are given the gift of unrecognizability so that they can return back to civilization during their thirteenth year of exile. For my storytelling, I want to write about the Pandavas' exile and their time in the forest. I will add dia...

I am a big fan of Pinterest and I mostly use it for recipes. I have separate boards for foods, drinks, and desserts. I also will pin all of the recipes I have tried to a different board so I can see if they were a success or not. I never thought to use Pinterest for this class but once I looked up some images, I definitely will use this resource for my project and storytellings for the weeks to come. Images are really easy to find and they are different from the ones on Google which we have to filter out so that we can use them in the blog posts. I have also installed the Google extension so that I can easily pin any images I like from any website!

Image of Olaf drawn by Shelly. Source: SketchPort The reading for this week was really interesting. I was always wanting to learn more about my culture and this class makes learning about it really fun and engaging. Creating my own stories about the Mahabharata makes it easier to remember and absorb the information so that I will be able to pass down the stories to my children as I get older. My favorite part of the Mahabharata was the introduction parts where it gives an overview of Shantanu and his wives. It seemed as if Shantanu wanted love really badly and was heartbroken when Ganga left. He had no hope of finding love again until he came across Satyavati. My best writing this week was the story I wrote about Shantanu and Ganga for this class. I believe it is one of the best things I have written in a while (I say that every week, haha. It's because this class brings out the best in me!) To get myself in the writer's groove, I try to picture myself in the position of ...

Shantanu trying to prevent the drowning of their 8th child. Source: Wikipedia Shantanu stared at the woman he called his wife and couldn't be happier. He wondered how lucky he was to call her his wife. She didn't really have a name, so Shantanu decided to call her Moksha because when he was with her, he felt like he had reached moksha, or at the level with the gods that mean the cycle or rebirth would be broken and was so content with the life he was living. Moksha agreed to the marriage only if Shantanu never questioned what Moksha did, no matter how questionable. Shantanu was so compelled and in love with her, he agreed without a second thought. Many months passed by and Moksha became pregnant with their first child and he was elated. He wanted children of his own so badly and now the time had come. When it was time for the birth of their child, Moksha went away without warning Shantanu, which made him a little irate. When she returned a few days later, the child ...

Ulupi and Arjuna. Source: Wikipedia Duryodhana distressed to find Pandavas still alive. Dhritashtra cannot hate the Pandevas as much as his son does; Bhishma and Vidura tell him to try to make peace between the cousins. Karna urges was as they were both seen as traitors. Dhritarashtra tells Vidura to go to the Pandevas and tell them to come back to Hastinapura, and will give them a part of his kingdom. He does as he says when the Pandevas return. The sage Narada warns the Pandevas about the consequences of sharing a wife (Draupadi). Arjuna is sent on exile (since he intruded on Draupadi and Yudhishthira when they were married). Arjuna marries Ulupi, naga princess, and Subhadra, Krishna's sister, during his exile. For my story telling I want to elaborate and explain in great detail the exile of Arjuna and the events that lead to his marriage to not just one woman, but two. Arjuna is one of my favorite characters in the Mahabharata because of the stories I was told when ...

Goddess Ganga presenting (future) Devavrata to Shantanu. Source: Wikipedia Shantanu (King of Hastinapura) -> falls in love with woman by river (Turns out to be Goddess Ganga) Ganga drowned all but 1 child, named Bhishma (Devavrata) Shantanu -> falls in love with Satyavati (fisherman's daughter) - rules: children must be successor Bhishma renounces succession They have 2 sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya I want to write my story about the love story between Shantanu and his lovers. I will create a story which will show a great tragedy when Shantanu loses Ganga and his 7 children. There will be lots of dialogue to show the intense emotions and feelings of Shantanu. When he falls in love with Satyavati, I will make the scene as if Shantanu could never find love again but ends up finding it in Satyavati. The beginning chapters were a little heartbreaking for me to read and I believe that it is a great section that can be elaborated and explained in more detail, becom...

I chose a new design for my blog site. I changed the background to a maroon background with pink flowers. The bottom 75% of the page is a solid pink color. I really like this design because it is different and gives a girly feel to my blog site. Changing up the design of the blog site every so often gives a different feel and makes things unique. You can add your own photos to the background, if desired and make it your own.

Notes Shiva - a mountain mendicant Parvati - a mountain princess Ganesha - son; has head of an elephant Kartikeya - son; holds a spear Having 4 arms, or a river flowing out of a god's head is a normal concept for Hindus because they have been raised knowing this is just the way it is and no one ever has the need to rationalize the reasoning. The divine can take different forms: as animals, plants, human beings, etc. God is not singular in Hinduism Narat visited Shiva and Parvati and offered a mango to the better son. To determine who was better, Narat suggested they race around the world 3 times and whoever arrives first, wins. Kartikeya hopped on his peacock and took off. Ganesha stayed with his parents and did not move. As Kartikeya was returning from his third time around the world, Ganesha quickly got up and ran around his parents three times and stated that he won. Ganesha went around his world (his parents) as Kartikeya went around the world. The world is viewed th...

Valmiki with Lava and Kusha. Source: Wikipedia "How can my Rama just abandon me like that?" Sita thought "I have been through everything with him, even followed him through his exile from his own home." Sita was having mixed thoughts, while she was washing the only other pair of clothes she had at the riverbank. It had been 3 months since she saw another human and Sita was getting lonely and feeling depressed. Sita confirmed to herself, " If I wasn't pregnant with these twins, I would have ended my life the moment I was banished by Rama." All of a sudden, Sita heard some rustling in a nearby bush. Having a large stone ready to launch, Sita advanced towards the rustling, step by step. A figure popped out of the bushes, flailing his arms, begging Sita not to throw the stone at him. Sita recognized the man who came out of the bushes. It was the sage, Valmiki. "How long has it been since I have seen another person. What are you doing here...

Image showing Sita as being contaminated so Rama abandons her. Source: Wikipedia Sita announces her pregnancy to Rama and tells Lakshmana to leave Sita in the forest, assuming that the child is not his Lakshmana is really upset that Rama told him to do such a thing, but still does as he was told and leaves Sita Sita thinks about suicide but doesn't do anything since she is pregnant Sita is rescued by Valmiki She gives birth to twins and named them Lava and Kusha Rama discovers the twins singing in the forest and realizes that they are bore from him Sita proves her purity and leaves Rama. I believe Sita did the right thing because Rama didn't believe her in the beginning, when she needed it the most. How can a husband abandon his wife in the forest with just assumptions of unfaithfulness? Lakshmana should have intervened and done something to change the story. Bibliography: Paley, Nina. Sita Sings the Blues.  Source .

Rama and Sita with some of the Gods. Source . This film makes the Ramayana easier to understand, without all of the elaborate language that was in the books. It is really similar to the PDE edition of the Ramayana in the way of story telling. Sita, Janaka's daughter Rama, son of King Dasharatha - one of 4 sons Kaikeyi, one of Dasharatha's 3 wives  - exiles Rama, the king dies after. Sita and Rama go into the forest, Rama slays rakshashas. Ravana - devoted to Shiva but is still a villain Surpanakha, Ravana's sister, mad at Rama and suggests that Ravana take Sita away from him. Ravana sends Maricha to turn into a deer and lure Sita towards Ravana. Rama tries to capture the deer (Maricha) and Ravana take Sita away in a chariot. Hanuman goes to find Sita and ends up setting Lanka on fire and goes back to Rama Rama battles rakshashas, as he brought Hanuman's army to fight Ravana and they win Rama rejects Sita because she was with Ravana and in his house and...

Photo of a cell phone. Source: Pexels I really love the Canvas app that I downloaded on my iPhone. I have had it installed ever since OU changed from D2L to Canvas. In the beginning, I thought Canvas was a lot more complicated than D2L but I got used to it and it has become a lot easier to use and is very user-friendly and has a simple design. The app itself is easy to use and has a lot of features. The wonderful thing about it is that we can use it as we would use a computer. We can take quizzes, online exams, participate in discussions, and use its separate email feature all on the mobile device.

Blogging on a Macbook. Source: Pexels My readings this week were right on track. I managed to finish both of the readings and write my stories before the grace period. My favorite part about the stories was the scene where Hanuman visits Sita and sees the situation she is in. This scene actually helped me change perspectives in my writing and make my stories more personal. The best writing I have done this week would be for this class because I do not have any writing assignments in my other classes yet. I really liked my story about Sita in Lanka and I will pursue this style again in my other stories. Some good strategies to help me with my writing: I read the original Ramayana story again and then write a summary paragraph of what was read. Then I will add some details that will change it from what was the original, such as the setting, adding powers, changing specific objects, and possibly even change the outcome to make it happier (or sadder). I experimented with a new w...

Pastel colored image of Ganesha. Source: Pxhere Ganesha: The Lord of New Beginnings

Hanuman approaching Sita where she was held captive by Ravana. Source: Wikipedia In Lanka, Ravana is trying to convince me to stay with him. There is not a chance I will ever consider this. "My sweet Sita," spoke Ravana, "Please would you leave Rama for me, as I will give you all of the riches and desires a woman could want!" "Not a chance! My heart belongs to Rama and I will never leave him for an imbecile like you!" I said, "My Rama will come for me!" Ravana got angry and all ten of his head spat in unison, "I spare you two months, and after that, you will be tortured!" Ravana left to go to his palace, while I sat there in tears and dirt, hoping for someone to come for me. However, at that very moment, I saw something move from the corner of my eye. I slowly walked to the tree that was shaking uncontrollably, as if it wanted to catch my attention. As I walked closer and closer, I could hear someone whisper my name repeat...

Vibhishana as a newly crowned king of Lanka. Source: Wikipedia For my storytelling, I want to write about the battle scene between Rama and Ravana. I found this scene interesting and it kept me engaged in reading. When I do my retelling, I will make the scene more intense with exchanges of dialogue between the characters, especially Rama and Ravana. I will add a lot of dialogue because I feel that it is really important, especially in a scene like this. The readers need to know the thoughts and feelings of the characters through the conversations (or arguments) they have with each other. Instead of Rama using Brahma's flaming weapon, I want Ravana to be killed by a lightning bolt created by Rama with the new found power he secretly was hiding from everyone. I believe this will throw an interesting twist to the story and make it more interesting. I want the crowning of Vibhishana to be the most royal and elaborate ceremony where everyone is there to celebrate the joyous oc...

Hanuman being taken to Ravana. Source: Wikipedia For my storytelling for this week, I want to recreate the moment where Ravana is persuading Sita to leave Rama for him, all while Hanuman is watching the whole moment. The thing I want to change is the perspective of the scene. I want to tell my story through the eyes of Sita and try to explain what she is feeling while Ravana is trying to pursue her. The section about this scene in the PDE Ramayana is quite short. However, I will lengthen it with Sita's thoughts and I will also add some dialogue between Sita and Ravana. I would like to add the section where Sita and Hanuman meet and have a conversation. I want to portray through words that Sita is happy to see him and that this means Rama will be coming soon to save her. I will add dialogue between Hanuman and the people who capture him to bring him to the feet of Ravana and probably will change the setting where Hanuman and Ravana meet. Bibliography: PDE Ramayana, M. Dutt,...

For this tech tip, I used KeyHero to test my typing speed and accuracy. I got 47 words per minute with 77.48% accuracy but knowing that it is testing me, reduced my words per minute. For classes, I know I can type way faster with a better accuracy. I would definitely like to increase my speed along with my accuracy. I can get better as I type more notes on my laptop. I do not spend any time at all trying to improve my typing skills because I do not have the time for it. My school schedule is too much to handle, at times, and I wish I had more time. Both reading and typing is especially important in school work because it improves efficacy and you have time to get all of your homework done, and time to get enough sleep.

'Feedback' written on a chalkboard. Source: Max Pixel My take away from the article, Preschoolers and Praise , is that the power of yet is crucial in giving children hope that they will succeed. Also, preschoolers need to have meaningful praise with a reason why one is praising then, rather than a generic praise. That way they know the reason for the praise and can learn from it. This article also emphasizes the growth mindset model, which is very important for children From the article Be a Mirror , I learned that a fixed mindset bars the progress of children and prevents them from putting in extra effort to make themselves better. The role of a "mirror" is to give feedback to show students what they are doing and what results from their efforts. This role does not judge and is a means to reflect back on progress. Most of the time I feel confident giving feedback to others because I know it is to help make their work and efforts a better version of itself. W...

Ganesha and his brother, Kartikeya, sitting on the lap of Shiva and Parvati. Source : Wikipedia Ganesha's Creation and Early Life The key feature of this story is to inform the reader about who Ganesha is and how he came to be. The question of how he got his elephant head, along with his name, will be explained here as well. Source . The Broken Tusk The key feature of this story is to tell the readers of Ganesha's broken tusk. There are many theories out there regarding this, but I will talk about the one that is most popular. Source . Ganesha and Kartikeya This story will explain the relationship between Ganesha and his brother Kartikeya. It is a story that I did not know about so I would like to explain my version of it to other readers. Source . I would like all of my stories to be told in the third person so that they are informative and easier to understand.

A painting of Ravana approaching Sita in the jungle. Source: Wikipedia After Rama's marriage to Sita, he returned home to his kingdom in Koshala. However, Rama's father, Dasharatha, exiled him as his wife, Kaikeyi, told him to do so. For this reason, Bharata, Rama's brother, would look after the kingdom. When exiled, Sita and Lakshmana, Rama's other brother, chose to accompany him so that he would not have to journey through the jungle alone and so that he would have company. A while after being in the jungle, Maricha, a demon who was friends Ravana, the king of Rakshasas, took the form of a beautiful red fox and approached Sita. Sita asked Rama to capture the tame fox for her. As he shot the fox, it transformed into Maricha, who imitated the voice of Rama calling out to Sita "Help me! Help me!" When Sita heard the cries for help, she sent Lakshmana to go see what happened and to help Rama through the trouble. As Lakshmana left, Ravana approached ...

Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana. Source: Wikipedia The golden deer moment in Part B of the Ramayana was my favorite. I want to make it a more dramatized moment. The moment where the rakshasa Maricha imitated Rama with his dying breath and that leading Lakshmana to Rama, leaving Sita alone was an intense moment and I want to amplify that and elaborate the moment. I want to add more detail to the scene and make Sita's kidnapping by Ravana more intense as well.  Overall, I want to recreate my story with as much imagery as possible because I feel like the PDE of the Ramayana is not vividly written where one can imagine a scene. This is a good thing because it leaves the mind to creativity. However, it is not ideal because it is hard to imagine the setting for someone who is not familiar with India's history and architecture. India is known for its elaborate kingdom-like structures and royal palaces. One who is not already familiar with the structures would have trouble imagining w...