Famous Last Words Week 2

This week has been a bit hectic. I am still trying to find a balance between school and work. I was a bit behind in this class, so I spent the majority of my time trying to catch up on my assignments. The storybook project really took a lot of my time. That is one thing that I will never do at the last minute. Lesson learned. I tried a new writing technique in my storybook. The introduction to it was mostly dialogue. I have always written stories in a first-person perspective or as a third-person narrative. I was never much of a writer that included dialogue. Therefore, I tried changing it up a bit and did only dialogue for my introduction. At first it was odd because there was no description of the characters or the setting. Then I realized that dialogue helps with character development based on word choice. It was an interesting writing strategy that I might use again.
On another note, my science classes are catching up to me. Molecular lab drains me every Tuesday and Thursday. I don't really have a passion for counting cells, yet my professor expects me to write a whole lab report about it. Pathogenic micro is one of my favorite classes this semester. It's exciting to learn about how parasites and different microorganisms can cause fatal diseases. My professor returned from China finally so now he's teaching the course instead of his TA. No offense to the TA, but I prefer Dr. Lawson to teach. The first exam is coming up! I better start studying soon...
My goals for this week are to get ahead in this class with extra credit and starting my readings early. I would also like to start studying for my pathogenic exam by Tuesday the latest. I need to finish my molecular lab and also finish the reading assignment by Monday. Hopefully, I will be able to finish reading and taking notes of the protest book assigned in my colloquium class. It seems like a lot, but I'm sure I can do it...hopefully.

How college feels right now... Source

Week 2 Growth Mindset

The challenge that I decided to do this week was the writing challenge. I wrote my storytelling week 2 post with different writing style, and I really enjoyed it! I read another peer's writing style, and it was from a first-person perspective. I also read another person's post that incorporated the villain's point of view so I though that was interesting too! I decided to try a bit of both. For my storytelling, I wrote a narrative from the hero's side and from the villain's side. I'm not sure if it is my best writing technique, but it definitely allowed me to be more creative in my writing since I was presenting a plot from two point of views. What I learned from the new writing style was mainly character development. I had to be cautious with my word choice in order for the hero to be perceived as heroic and for the villain to appear malicious. Brainstorming dialogue was the most enjoyable part because it really gave my character life. I realized that adjectives were crucial for portraying my character's thoughts. Overall, I'm glad that I decided to write differently, and I can't wait to explore other writing styles!

Look for opportunity. Source

Storytelling Week 2: Divorce Court (Kaikeyi and Dasharatha)

Dasharatha

I despise her. I despise her with an undying passion that burns to the core of my woeful soul. How dare she ask me to exile my beloved son... Our beloved son! My dear Rama will be banished from his kingdom. Bharata will take his place as crown prince. How could she do this to me! Is this a dream? A terrifying dream? Please someone awake me from this nightmare! Is this the work of a rakshasa? Am I mad? I can still remember her poisonous words slipping from her forked tongue, "Banish Rama and crown Bharata! Deny my wishes and I shall drink poison tonight!" What evil has transformed my beautiful wife into a heartless wench? I cannot live with this shame. I feel my heavy heart drowning in the black ink of my guilt. Tonight, the world will hear my sobs echo into the darkness. Although a full moon greets me tonight with such beauty, I must hide my sin from the world. I refuse to be seen in my mournful state. No light shall fall upon my undeserving being. There was no arguing with her. I had to grant my wife her wishes. No.. she is no longer my wife. She is a malicious woman. My hatred for her grows darker with every passing day. I will forever reject Kaikeyi. I despise her.

Kaikeyi

What a stunning night! The moon greets me with its silver light to celebrate the granting of my wishes! Tomorrow my Bharata will be the heir to the kingdom, and Rama will be exiled into the wilderness! It is only fair that Dasharatha grants me my wishes. He vowed to grant me two wishes, therefore he must. He cannot deny me. Oh but how pitiful he is tonight... He sobs in the darkest corner of the palace, asking the gods for forgiveness. He has always been a dramatic king. He refuses to see the ingenuity of my plan. Bharata was living in the shadow of Rama. The healthiest solution was to make Bharata heir to the throne, and banish Rama. If anything Dasharatha should be appreciative that I did not ask for Rama's death! 'Tis true, I am the most kind and loving wife that he has. It is not personal with Rama. I just believe that it is time for the kingdom to recognize Bharata for his noble deeds. Did I force the king? Of course not! I gave him a choice: Me or Rama. I may have threatened that I would poison myself, but I was just being ridiculous of course. He knows that I am always teasing. That's why he married me. Well, my work here is done. Tomorrow, Rama leaves and Bharata is heir! Ah... I love happy endings.

Kaikeyi and Dasharatha arguing.

Author's Note: The epic I chose for this week's storytelling came from Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913). and is called Kaikeyi and Dasaratha. In the original story, Kaikeyi demands that Dasaratha grants her two boons by banishing Rama and making Bharata his heir. Dasaratha was devastated. He refused to grant Kaikeyi her boons, but she threatened to poison herself if he did not keep his word. Consequently, Dasaratha had to keep his promises, but he told his wife that he would forever reject her and Bharata. I approached the story with a different writing style. I wrote it in a way that resembled diary entries to present each character's point of view of the situation. I deviated from the story by changing Kaikeyi's motive. She was persuaded by Manthara, a rakshasa, to demand the banishment of Rama. In my story, the wife demanded Bharata as the heir to be recognized by the kingdom. The goal of my story was to give insight into each character's thoughts and feelings about their current situation. I wanted to my audience to feel Dasaratha's hatred for his wife and compare it to Kaikeyi's immature gloating. The image that I chose shows Kaikeyi and Dasaratha fighting about her boons. I liked this image because it gives a visual of the characters and their conflict.

Bibliography:  Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913).

Reading Diary B: Published Domain Ramayana

In Bharata Returns, I found it surprising that Bharata didn't share his mother's perspective on his good fortune on becoming the crowned prince. In fact, he was so depressed that his older brother was exiled that he called his own mother an "evil-hearted woman." I found it noble that Bharata was willing to find his brother in the jungle and return him to his rightful place on the throne. This appeals to me because I am a huge believer in brotherhood and siblingship since I am close to my younger brother.

I also liked the story of Viradha because it's like the two musketeers rescuing the third musketeer. Rama and Lakshmana have to defeat the demon, Viradha aka Tumburu, who abducted Sita. Rama and Lakshmana could not defeat Viradha with sharp weapons so they buried him into a pit. However, when they buried the demon, a curse was broken. Viradha was cursed by Kubera and the only way to break the curse was to have Rama defeat him. Oddly, the demon found salvation in his death. This reminds me of some religious beliefs that life itself is suffering and death is the salvation that leads to heaven.

The story of Shurpanakha and Rama was peculiar because a female demon named Shurpanakha falls in love with Rama. I never imagined a demon falling in love a human... Even worse she tried to convince Rama to leave Sita. Shurpanakha was really adamant of having Rama as her husband. She said "I have chose thee for my husband, and thou shalt rule over my great empire.... I must devour Sita and thy brother, so that er may range the jungle together and visit the lofty hills." What's crazy is that Rama practically tells the demon Hey I'm taken but my brother isn't! This doesn't sit well with Shurpanakha so she tries to attack Sita.The demon lady also calls on her brother Khara to capture the three royals.

Rama is so devoted to Sita that he attempts to capture the golden deer for her. The golden deer, however, is Maricha in disguise. Maricha diguises his voice by imitating Rama and calls out to Sita and Lakshmana. Rama successfully slays Maricha, but Sita is worried about Rama. She fears that he might be and trouble: "If Rama is slain I will die by drowning, or by poison, or else by the noose. I cannot live without Rama." Her devotion to Rama is beautiful and rare.

Rama and the Golden Deer. Source.

Reading Diary A: Public Domain Ramayana

A story that caught my attention was the story about Ahalya. Ahalya was Gautama's beautiful wife, and the god Indra fell in love with her. In order to seduce Ahalya, Indra disguised himself as Gautama. Outraged by the betrayal, Gautama cursed his wife and Indra. So Ahalya turns into stone (according to some versions). I understand that Gautama was outraged by his wife's infidelity, but the fact that she was tricked by a god makes me pity her. Was she really at fault?

On chapter that I did like was the story of Sita. It seems like fate that the avatar of Vishnu and the avatar of Sita found each other and fell in love. It reminds me of the theory that my mother believes in about soul mates. She believes that love transcends through time and different lives. So if two people were to meet for the first time and experience love at first sight, it is because in their past lives they were together. My favorite quote was when Rama compared Sita's beauty to the moon: "The queen of night is not so fair as Sita." Of course he wins her hand in marriage by bending the bow of the god Shiva.

Everything seems to be going great for Rama. He married Sita. He is announced as heir to the throne. But then the servant Manthara convinces the youngest wife Kaikeyi that Bharata should be the crown prince. Dasharatha and Kaikeyi have a huge argument about which son is to be prince. Dasharatha promised Kaikeyi two favors, or two boons. With these boons, she requested her son Bharata to be the heir and to banish Rama for fourteen years. Like a dagger to his heart, Dasharatha could not bear the pain of his wife's favors. He said, "Have I dreamed a fearsome dream? Do demons torture me? Is my mind clouded with madness?" He scorns Kaikeyi. He feels betrayed that she would not only replace the heir but also banish his favorite son.

"Traitress, wouldst thou bring ruin to my family? Rama hath never wronged thee; why dost thou seek to injure him? O Kaikeyi, whom I have loved and taken to my bosom, thou hast crept into my house like a poisonous snake to accomplish my ruin. It is death to me to part with my brave and noble Rama, now that I am old and feeble. Have pity on me and ask for other boons.”

She threatens suicide if he does not grant her the wishes. With a heavy heart, Dasharatha keeps his word, but he promises to hate her and her son forever. “I grant the boons, but I reject thee for ever and thy son Bharata also.” Tricky situation. I was always taught that the only thing that I truly possess in the world in my word, so to use it wisely. If I make a promise, I must keep it. Dasharatha was cornered into banishing his son. I wonder if he ever forgave himself.

Although Rama was the only one banished, Sita and his brother Lakshmana accompaned him. I thought this was really noble, and it reminded me of my brother and my cousin. If I was ever banished, I know that the two people closest to me wouldn't allow me to travel alone. My favorite line of that story was "Thereafter Rama and Sita and Lakshmana went together, walking barefoot..."

Rama and Sita on exile. Source: Indi Samarajiva