Week 12 Review

This week, I decided to get a head start on the review by looking at today's announcements for the class. As I was scrolling through what grabbed my attention was the Indian Words in English post about the word Zen. As mentioned in the post, I have heard about the word Zen many times before, know that it's a reference to Buddhism, and is used in the context of meditation, but that's about it. I personally have meditated before so I was interested to learning more about the background of the word. For example, as found in the post, I had no idea that the word, in English, comes from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word "chan," and that that is from the Sanskrit dhyana which actually means meditation. Learning new things like this is always fun and it's cool to be able to know this information and now be able to connect it to other things in the world.

"Buddha Sculpture"
Source: MythFolklore Online Course Announcements

Week 13 Growth Mindset

For this Growth Mindset, I chose to do the "Your Other Classes" challenge. Reading through the description for this challenge I automatically knew about what I wanted to talk about. And that is...my Microbiology class. This class has really kept me in check the whole semester. It's the class I'm struggling with the most since it is so much information and our grade comes from three tests. That's it. So every. test. counts. The reason it has been difficult for me is because I had not been sure how to study for this class. I'm much more of a visual learner so when all the information was handed to me I had to figure out how to make it into a way where I could effectively study and understand it. The tests are very different too. I feel like knowing the information front and back is imperative for this class. The challenge I've had, like I mentioned, is studying for it. I'm trying to make sure I figure out a good way to study for this class. That has been my learning curve. So, I guess the most exciting and stressful challenge I have had for this class is determining the best way to study.

"Studying for finals"
Flickr

Week 12 Growth Mindset

For this week's Growth Mindset challenge, I chose to look at some memes. (I really enjoy memes :D). As I was looking through the list this particular one caught my attention:

"Dream big... and dare to fail"
Source: MythFolklore Growth Mindset Memes

 Which was inspired by this poster:

"Dream big... and dare to fail poster"
Source: MythFolklore Growth Mindset Memes

Besides the fact that I found the meme funny, I could also relate to the actual quote. Usually when thinking about dreaming big, some people's initial thought is the success that could come with reaching their goals. However, it's not always easy to reach your dreams. There is a good chance that you may run into a bump in the road, make a mistake, or fail at something along the way. With dreaming big I think it's important that you dare and anticipate failing. What I took away from the poster is that, failing is what comes with the experience. No one is perfect and it's always good to learn from your mistakes. You can't expect to reach your dreams without hard work and a possible difficult journey!

Tech Tip: Google Website Theme

Using this Tech Tip, I redesigned my theme for my Google website. Originally, it was just a black theme named "Slate." I decided to change it to a different theme called "Branches." I like the Branches theme better because I feel like it adds more to my site. I also believe like it adds more to the overall tone of the website and goes more with the quotes theme. I'm not sure how exactly to explain it, but I was wanting to give it a more "artsy-ish" feel without overdoing it.

Here's my updated site: Quotes Collection

Tech Tip: Google Website

I decided to create a google website using this tech tip! I've never made one before and didn't know it was an option but I'm glad I know now! The website I created is just for fun and it's called "Quotes Collection." I love quotes and they inspire me in more ways than one. So, I decided to make a place where I can put some of my favorite quotes in that way they'll be in one place. And, I can always go back to it if I'm ever looking for a particular quote. It's in a pretty rough stage since I just created it about ten minutes ago, so please bare with me as I eventually get it to how I want it to look! :)

Here's the site! Quotes Collection

Week 11 Review

This week from the Daily Announcements, what caught my eye was this post that included this picture:

"Take some time to reflect"
Source: OU Daily Announcements

The reason it caught my attention and what I took away from it was the importance of taking a breather. I personally felt like I really need to read those words on the picture. This semester has been the busiest semester thus far, and I feel like I haven't truly had time to sit down and reflect above any and everything that's been going on. I've just been trying to stay caught up in my life so that I had time to move on to the next thing I needed to focus on. However, with all the craziness going on, I know that it's always nice to try and take a little time of my day to just relax and clear my mind.

Tech Tip: Quotemakers

I absolutely love quotes so naturally I decided to do this tech tip! Below is one of my favorite quotes from author Raymond Carver.

Made with BeHappy.me

Tech Tip: Google Timer

Okay, this is so cool!

I never knew about the google timer but it definitely seems like a really useful tool especially when you're working on your computer. I use personally use alarms on my phone, which is kind of the same thing, in order to tell me when I need to get back to work. I'm the type of person who likes setting schedules and sticking to it. It helps me to keep my life in order. I think I will start making using of the google timer since I'm on my laptop a lot doing homework. This way I can easily switch back and forth on my tabs and see how much time I have left!

Tech Tip: Editing Pins

For this tech tip, I learned more about editing pins in my pinterest. I usually do just pin things quickly without much editing so it was nice to go back and look over my pins. I decided to change the description on a few including the ones below. I did this to help me organize better and add more detail to the pin. The first pin is of decor. I love black, white, and gold and I definitely feel like that's how much future home might look. The second pin is of fashion. I really enjoy pinning fashion inspirations. I feel like it expresses who I am better. The one I edited was of a fall inspired look. The last pin is of baby blue nails. I like the color and the rings just make it stand out more!


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/520025088201784187/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/520025088201549807/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/520025088201411357/

"Pinterest logo"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Portfolio Index

The Misfortune of Pyramus and Thisbe
This story tells of the adventure and danger that comes with Pyramus and Thisbe being together and putting their love above all else.

A New Start
In A New Start, readers are introduced to the character Fayiz and his transition from an unhappy marriage, to a happy marriage...but with a strange twist.

Love Lost, Love Found
In this tale, a mother expresses her feelings of love, fear, and despair as she shares her story of being in love and becoming pregnant.

The Turtle, The Girl, The Revenge
In the midst of getting revenge on Thunder Bird, Turtle finds love in an unexpected, new friend.

Before Guenevere
Arthur had been in love with a girl before Guenevere and in this story readers find out how Arthur becoming King ultimately changed their whole relationship.

Extra Reading Diary: Santal Folklore

The link to this reading unit can be found here.


Ledha and the Leopard

• Leopard playing hide and seek with a lizard unlikely match
• Interesting how the leopard was watching
• Kind of funny imaging a leopard carrying a bed on its head
• Good that Ledha woke up
• Also funny how the leopard is thought to be a very dangerous and scary animal, but in this story he is afraid of a small lizard
• Animal - human relationship
• Measuring hair?
• Somewhat random turn of events when the princess wanted Ledha to promise to marry her..
• "Became a great Raja"

The Monkey and the Girl

• Monkey creating a plan to be able to eat crops
• Another human-animal relationship
• Girl wanted to marry the monkey - interesting aspect
• Turn of events when the father shot the monkey because he heard of his daughters intentions
• Intense, quick, and sad ending

The Tiger's Bride

• The offering of her daughter for help..
• Human-animal relationship
• Like the previous story in that it is a deeper connection than what is conventional in real world
• "How far off is our home, big head?" 
• Intriguing story, the ending was both good and bad in terms of plot

"Hanuman Langur Monkey"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 11: Before Guenevere

"Slow down, Arthur! Geez, you know I cannot ride as fast as you," Isabella said through shortened breaths.

"I'm sorry, love, but time cannot be wasted! I have to get this sword back to my brother before it starts."

Arthur had been sent to go and fetch Sir Kay's sword before the tourney began because his brother forgot it as he was in a hurry. Arthur gladly obliged, always happy to help out. He felt like he had a purpose going to retrieve the sword and he was proud of it. With Arthur was his love, Isabella. They had been together for a couple of years and it seemed that everywhere they went, they went with each other. They were always by each other's side no matter what.

When they arrived at the house, they found the door to be locked. Isabella tried the doors on each side of the house but those were locked as well.

"So what are we to do now, Arthur? Your brother needs his sword to fight in the tourney. He cannot just defend himself unarmed," Isabella said.

"I am not sure. I have to do something. I cannot fail him because he is counting on me..." Arthur responded.

Isabella shuffled around and kicked her feet at the ground trying to think of an idea. As she kicked at the earth, she noticed that she had pushed a rock towards Arthur. At that moment, she thought of something.

"I have an idea! I remember a couple of days ago seeing a sword at the churchyard. No one has attended to it for months. I am sure you can take it and Sir Kay can borrow it for the tourney. It most likely will not be missed."

At this point, Arthur was desperate to find a solution as the tournament was to start in thirty short minutes. He immediately agreed and he and Isabella jumped on their horses and rode to the churchyard.

Once there, he ran to the large rock that oddly had a sword stabbed into it and easily pulled it out. He then went to the tournament and gave the sword to his brother. Arthur's father, Sir Ector, noticed that the sword came from the sacred rock that no one had been able to get out.

"Wait one second, son. Where did you get that sword?" Sir Ector asked.

"I got it from the rock in the churchyard, father. I figured I could borrow it for Kay since the house doors were locked," Arthur responded.

"That sword. Whoever pulls that sword from the rock is said to be King! That is you, Arthur, you are the chosen one. The King!" Sir Ector rambled on and bowed.

"Huh?" Isabella said.

"What do you mean?" Arthur inquired

***********************************

Soon after, many things changed. Arthur found out that he was actually the son of Uther Pendragon, not Sir Ector, and became King of the country.

"What about us, Arthur? So you are just going to abandon me is that what you are telling me?" Isabella argued.

"I am sorry, Isabella. I am. But I have been tied to Guenevere. It is said that we are to be married. There is not much I can do about these things."

Since becoming King, Arthur had been obligated to marry princess Guenevere. The two families were very powerful and it was agreed that in order for the people to accept the King, he needed the right Queen on his arm to lead and do great things for the country.

"Fine, Arthur. Go ahead and marry that one who you do not really love. To be honest with you, I regret telling you about that sword. If I knew you would throw away our love like this I would have never gave you that idea. Consider this the last time you see me. Enjoy your new life as King." Isabella mockingly bowed at Arthur and left.

Arthur did not want to lose Isabella but he had a job as King. He had to protect his country and serve them the right way. He had no choice. Arthur truly wanted to yell at Isabella to come back and tell her how much he loved her. But instead, he put on his sword, placed his crown on his head, and sat on his throne. Tomorrow was a new day.

"King Arthur drawing the sword"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

 Author's Note: For this storytelling, I based it off of the original story "The Drawing of Sword" (and small bits from the entire King Arthur story) from the King Arthur unit. In this story, King Arthur is sent to get his brother, Sir Kay's, sword from their house so that he could fight in a tournament. Once he got there he found the door to be locked and no way to get in. So, instead of going back empty handed he took the sword from the rock in the churchyard. Unbeknownst to him, this was the sword that determined who the new king of the country would be. Eventually Arthur found this out, along with the fact that he was a foster child, and became King. In my storytelling I decided to add a love interest. In the original King Arthur story, he gets married to Guenevere. I thought it would be interesting to have Arthur be involved with someone else before Guenevere (which is why the title of my story is "Before Guenevere")! Of course, since he was to be married to someone else, I sadly broke the relationship off at the end with a snippet of an argument between Arthur and Isabella.

Bibliography: "The Drawing of the Sword," by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford from King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table (1902).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Reading Diary B: King Arthur

The link to this reading unit can be found here.


Sir Lancelot's Vision

• I like how descriptive the story is 
• Sick knight
• Quest of the Graal
• Blur between a dream and reality for Sir Lancelot
• Seems his sins lead to his misfortune; lost some of his things

Sir Gawaine and the Hermit

• Adventure story
• The part about the mysterious person that went into the chapel and then vanished --> had me interested and wondering what was going to happen.
• "You have failed in three things, charity, fasting, and truth.."
• As in Lancelot's vision, intriguing to see how in this story, where he is looking for an adventurous quest, he cannot perform one due to his sins
• Sins continue to lead to his misfortune here too

End of Arthur

• Following intense fight
• "Throw my sword in that water.."
• Could only see bad coming from Sir Bedivere lying and disobeying King Arthur
• How King Arthur knew Sir Bedivere had lied..
• Weird but interesting how a hand came up from the water and caught the sword..
• Sad ending
• Focus on Lancelot

"Gawaine, by Howard Pyle"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Reading Diary A: King Arthur

The link to this reading unit can be found here.

The Drawing of the Sword

• One of my favorite parts of King Arthur's story
• Idea that if there was no king, the country would basically fall apart
• London! And Christmas!
• Arthur was the foster-child
• The fact that Arthur was able to pull out the sword so easily. I really like this part.
• Arthur meant to do something nice for his brother, but his brother in return tried to steal what was rightfully his. --> not right, however it's good that he eventually told the truth
• I like that Arthur was humble about it. He didn't get conceited and was not power hungry
• Could turn this story around and add a love interest early on

The Round Table

• Guenevere
• Even in this story, I could add an interesting snippet of Guenevere and Arthur's relationship before marriage besides the one told
• Gift of a round table
• "The Round Table is dearer to me than great riches."
• Quick preparations
• I like the good deeds Arthur was willing to do like making the young man into a knight easily.

The King's Pilgrimage

• "St. Augustine, which is in the White Forest and may only be found by adventure." I like this set up
• Chaus
• Scary dream that was brought upon Chaus
• Connection between reality and dream with the knife and candlestick
• Gory turn of events when the knife was drawn out and the dream somewhat turned into real life

The Drawing of the Sword
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Extra Reading Diary: Turkish Fairy Tales

The link to this reading unit can be found here.

Patience-Stone and Patience-Knife

• The random entrance and immediate exit of the bird
• Animals characterized with speaking abilities/be able to communicate to humans
• Repeated theme of the bird
• "Oh my poor maiden, your kismet is with a dead person"
• Like a bad omen
• Fear of the bird coming back starting to impact the mother and daughters daily lives
• Turned into something better than a bad omen

Patience-Stone and Patience-Knife (cont.)

• Definite plot twist when the Arab girl took credit for the Maiden's work
• Strange connection between the ship stopping and a man on board not having kept his word for something
• Didn't expect that's what the maiden needed the stone and knife for
• I think the plot twist adds more interest to the story
• Turn of events at the end of the story. Good for all but the Arab

Kunterbunt

• The beginning sentence grabs the attention of the reader
• Theme- two-->third
• The idea that they were talking to a dead man
• "At which I became angry and ran away to melon field"
• Very interesting, somewhat odd story but I liked it
• The ending wasn't expected

Patience Stone and Patience Knife
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 10: The Turtle, The Girl, The Revenge

Ever since the powerful Thunder Bird caused the demise of his poor turtle friends, Turtle would always remain in the water during a thunderstorm. He didn't dare to leave when this weather event happened, for fear of encountering the Thunder Bird himself and meeting the fate of the late crowd of turtles. As soon as a thunderstorm would begin, Turtle would shuffle to the lake and there he would stay until it was over. Eventually, it became routine and Turtle became very used to it. It became as normal as eating.

One day while out on a beautiful, sunny morning, Turtle saw something nibbling at his usual eating spot. He shouted, "Hey! What are you doing there? That's my spot and that's my food!" 

He noticed that the figure turned out to be a female Turtle. She turned to look at him and replied, "Well, I apologize. I am not from here and I was just looking for a place to rest and eat! If you want me to leave, then I will." 

"Yes, I think that that would be best," said Turtle. After seeing and talking to her, Turtle began to develop some feelings. However, he was stubborn and pride got the best of him so he stood firm and stared at the girl, waiting for her to leave. 

Suddenly, thunder roared overhead and the sky that was once stunning and shining turned dark and gloomy. Turtle looked up and with immediate fear he exclaimed, "Oh, no! Another thunderstorm. I have to hurry and get back to the lake!"

The Girl Turtle asked, "What's the rush? It's just a little thunderstorm. Why are you hurrying off so quickly?"

"I must-I must go, I have to get back before-," mumbled Turtle.

"Before what?!" the Girl Turtle inquired. Curious, she followed Turtle to the lake that was not too far off. Turtle liked to keep his eating spot close by to the lake in case of incidents like this one. Turtle and the Girl Turtle waited out the thunderstorm. Once it was clear, they both returned to land. When the Girl Turtle asked what that was all about, Turtle reluctantly told her everything that had happened involving the Thunder Bird and his new friends.

"That's awful!" the Girl Turtle cried. "Why, we shouldn't let that dumb, old bird get away with that. We should come up with a plan to get him back. What do you say? You can't let that bird control you and keep you in fear for the rest of your life!"

"I guess you're right," said Turtle. "Okay, let's do it."

For weeks Turtle and his new friend became very close while devising a plan to take down their common enemy. They spent hours planning, perfecting, and practicing. Soon enough, their plan was complete and ready to be executed. With the help of some other friends, they got set up on a particularly rainy day. Turtle and the Girl Turtle stood by a very large tree which had a net concealed at the top and a rope that led from the net to them. Squirrel sat at the top of the tree positioning the net just right. From across the way, Bear stood at the top of a cliff, hiding behind a large rock. 

As soon as they heard the loud sound of flapping wings, the Girl Turtle yelled, "Hey, Thunderbird! Come fight me fair and square. If you're really so sure of your strength, fly down to my level and let's have at it!"

The Thunder Bird, always up for challenges, flew to the ground. With a menacing look on his face, he began to approach the tree where Girl Turtle stood firmly. Once he got close enough, Turtle released the rope, Squirrel stepped back, and the net felt over the Thunder Bird, trapping him. He struggled and screamed, furious at being tricked. Positioning himself just right, Bear pushed the rock from the cliff and it landed on one of Thunder Bird's wings. Thunder Bird screeched, managed to free himself from the net, and slowly took off. Turtle and the Girl Turtle thanked their friends for the help as they nodded and began to leave.

"So, should we return to the lake?" asked the Girl Turtle.

"No, I think I'd like to stay out here and enjoy the rain for a bit more, if you'd like to join me."

And so the Turtle and the Girl Turtle went off together and lived happily ever after as more than just friends. 

"Two red eared slide turtles.."
Source: Public Domain Images

Author's Note: The story that I retold this week is called Turtle and Thunder which is an Ojibwa legend. In the original story, a turtle living in a lake continued to get hit by something and didn't know what it was. So, he eventually went out and asked around for help from other animals. He asked a Deer and Bear to show him how they can fight. They both seemed an unworthy fit for the turtle because of little incidents. So, he asked again for help and a crowd of turtles came out to show him how they could fight as well. The turtle saw them able enough to protect him but when he returned to the lake, a big stone fell on the small turtles and they were killed. For this reason, Turtle decided to stay in the lake whenever there is a thunderstorm because he found out the Thunder Bird was the cause. In my retelling, I wrote it as sort of a continuation of the original story. In my story, Turtle meets a Girl Turtle and although he doesn't seem to want much to do with her at the beginning, they end up falling for each other in the midst of planning a way to take down the Thunder Bird. I wanted to add a female character to give the main character a love interest but still also having a resolution to the problem and helping Turtle overcome his fear as well.

Bibliography: "Turtle and Thunder," by Katharine Berry Judson from Myths and Legends of British North America (1917).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Reading Diary B: British North America

The link to this reading unit can be found here.


Turtle and Thunder

• Turtle in need
• "Let me see how you can fight"
• I like how it went from big animals you would expect to be able to protect the turtle, like the deer and bear, to a crowd of small turtles.
• The turtle decided the crowd of turtles will be most helpful to him
• His own crowd
• Crowd unfortunately killed by a stone
• Thunder Bird
• Reasoning behind why turtles stay in white during a thunderstorm
• Could add a female turtle for love story, change the plot around a bit

Coyote's Gifts

• "Powerful in magic"
• "The aurora is the light of Coyote's fire, shining through the ice, or the reflection of it cast by the ice."
• Word choice
• Coyote having the ability to create parts of the world
• Made different tribes to speak different languages
• Shape shift into a piece of wood
• Another story providing interesting reasoning for things

Wolverene and Rock

• "I can't walk, but I can roll."
• Rock is personified
• Funny story, I like the way the author wrote the story.
• I would probably expand on the story if I retold it 
• Add more background info

"Coyote Tule Lake"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Diary A: British North America

The link to this reading unit can be found here.


Raven and Moon Woman

• Stopping up every hole in the house
• "The box." This interested me. I might elaborate on this particular aspect
• Moon woman - guards moon, has a raven as a son - intriguing relationship choice. 
• "Turned himself into a raven"
• Switching between child and raven
• Fishermen saying what the Moon woman said at beginning of story
• I like the ending how the parts of the sky came to be are explained

Grizzly Bear and Coyote

• Opposing views
• The change between light and dark due to Coyote and Grizzly Bears very different songs.
• Came to a compromise 
• I think it's interesting how animals are characterized into being able to control such things such as light and darkness
• Feathers deciding how long a season is
• "Coyote saved the people from living in darkness, and from very long, cold winter."

Why the Sun is Bright

• Sad beginning..
• Sky Land
• The sun is personified
• Robe being the reason for the intensity of the Sun's light
• Interesting to read stories based on why something is the way that it is in the real world.

"Moon and Stars"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Storytelling for Week 9: Coyote's Mistake

Silver-Fox and Coyote never really got along in the beginning. They had been living with just each other in the sky for some time now. Coyote was always jealous of Silver-Fox because he was able to make marvelous things that Coyote couldn’t. Silver-Fox was always experimenting here and there, taking trips to the land below the sky, and creating new things in the place that came to be known as the earth. Coyote always tried to make things himself, but he was never able to. He was envious and angry at the fact that he was not as talented. Each day the anger grew. 

Eventually, Coyote had enough. One day when Silver-Fox was preparing to make his trip down to earth to add another new creation, Coyote sneakily followed him down. However, Coyote had never been down to earth-he often just admired it from afar, too ashamed to actually step foot on the land where he couldn’t contribute anything. Silver-Fox didn’t notice he was followed until he reached his destination. Here, he had planned to create beautiful trees.

“Coyote, what are you doing here? You never come down here” exclaimed Silver-Fox.

“Yes, well, today I decided to come and see up close what you were up to,” said Coyote.

“That is fine, but I think that you should go back, you don’t belong here. You couldn’t possibly understand how important what I do is and I need to do it alone.”

“You think you are so special don’t you? Just because you can wave your arms around, do this and that, and create things. Well you’re not that special! I bet I could do your job a hundred times better if I had the ability to. You are just lucky, that’s all.”

“Maybe I am lucky, but I am also intelligent and creative. I get that you are jealous but now is not the time. And since you are already here, just stay back and be silent while I finish this up and then we can discuss this when we return to the sky.”

Coyote huffed and took a couple steps back. This was not over. He knew he had talent too, he just had to take an opportunity when he saw it. Today, this moment, was his opportunity. 

Coyote watched as Silver-Fox began to concentrate and prepare. Coyote began to do the same. Once Silver-Fox began to move his hands, there was a shift in the atmosphere. Gorgeous tall trees began to sprout from the ground, reaching towards the two animals’ home in the sky. Coyote knew this was his chance. He jumped in front of Silver-Fox, pushing him down, and began to move his hands like he watched his companion do. However, when he broke Silver-Fox’s concentration, a loud noise rippled throughout the sky and the trees caught on fire. Coyote gasped and jumped back, realizing what he had done. 

Silver-Fox immediately got up and began whispering and shuffling his hands around. By the time he had finished, the fire was gone, but so was he creation. 

“I apologize,” said Coyote, “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Silver-Fox was obviously angered but did not have the energy to argue at this point. 

“I know, I know. It’s okay,” Silver-Fox sighed, “I’ll just try again tomorrow. Let’s go home.”

"Silver Fox"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Author's Note: This week, I retold, and took my inspiration from, the story "How Silver-Fox Created the World." from the Pacific Northwest unit. In the original story, the author tells of a Silver-Fox and Coyote who live in the sky together during the beginning of time. The Coyote did not approve of Silver-Fox making things and Silver Fox, tired of Coyote, escaped to an island below. After apologizing, Silver-Fox let Coyote come down to the island and stay with him. Silver-Fox made the island larger and continued to create things. Eventually, he had created the entire world. In my story, the main setting and creation theme is the same as the original story. However, I took the fact that Coyote did not like Silver-Fox making things and turned it more personal. I based it off of the idea that Coyote was jealous of Silver-Fox. This jealousy he bore eventually led to Coyote following Silver-Fox to earth, starting up an argument, and soon enough essentially ruining Silver-Fox's tree creation. I thought the story was really interesting to read and I decided to take a certain part of it (Coyote disliking Silver-Fox's job), expand upon it, and add a small twist to it as well.

Bibliography: "How Silver-Fox Created the World" by Katharine Berry Judson from Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest, especially of Washington and Oregon (1910).

Web Source: Mythology and Folklore UnTextbook

Extra Reading Diary: Eskimo Folk Tales

The link to this reading unit can be found here.

The Coming of Men, A Long, Long While Ago

• I like the beginning of the story -the first paragraph and how it was written. 
• "Earth, hills and stones, all fell down from the sky, and thus the earth was made."
• Focus on man being created
• Good visualization
• Intro of 1st person towards middle of plot
• "No day ever dawned"
• Intriguing take on the creation of men, dogs, children, women, death, light, etc. Nice read

The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son

• Eskimo theme
• Interesting turn as she ate bear but once she saw the cub was alive she didn't immediately kill it but instead try to save it. 
• Bear gaining the mind of a human
• Deep "mother-son" type of relationship between the mother and the bear
• Had to let the bear go for his own safety

Isigâligârssik

•  Wizard introduced
• Singled out from hearing the wizard
• Very quick union between the girl and Isigâligârssik while in the house..
• Wondering why the wizard took away his wife
• Quick healing
• Wizard vs. Isigâligârssik

"Polar Bear"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Reading Diary B: Pacific Northwest

The link to this week's reading and my favorites can be found here.

Two Thunder Bird Stories

• "The beating of its wings was thunder. Its glance was lightning."
• How the simple touch of the Thunder Bird can create things so big.
• The Tinne
• Sacred Arrow is a cool touch to the story
• "The bird's wings darkened the sun. The flapping of its wings shook the earth."
• I like the descriptions of the birds
• Interesting how the Indians were said to be made from eggs

How the Ermine Got its Necklace

• Very abrupt how they just went and killed the porcupine when it didn't answer their question
• How pride got the best of one of the brothers.
• Monsters
• Thunder Bird reappearance
• Cool how the birds are the ones making the weather change
• Wondering why the boy kills all the birds. Fear?
• Didn't expect the other brother to have become an ermine.
• Saved the younger brother

Falls of the Willamette

• Not finishing what he started in many places
• I like how the Trap is given emotions
• Argument leading to use of spears

"Short tailed weasel ermine animal mustela erminea"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Diary A: Pacific Northwest

The link to this weeks reading and my favorites from it can be found here.

How Silver-Fox Created the World

• Silver-Fox and Coyote having issues
• Interesting how Silver-Fox came up with the idea to make a hole and climb down through it in order to live on the island below.
• Wondering how Silver-Fox made island larger
• Sunflower seeds
• "Silver-Fox did not reply" theme
• Silver-Fox seems very wise and it's interesting how he was able to make all that stuff and then send Coyote out to complete errands.

How Beaver Stole Fire

• Idea that animals and trees talked long ago before humans
• "secret of fire"
• I like how it tied in the pine trees that ran and all stopped in one place to the hunters hardly being able to get through the trees today. Cool connection.
• Beaver giving fire to different trees
• Nice how the moral relates to animals and Indians being able to get fire from the woods by rubbing two together
• Enjoyed this story, short but still told well

The First Totem Pole

• Wakiash - main
• The Raven taking him all around the world
• Animal clothes
• How the mouse turned and decided to help Wakiash
• Intriguing how the animals know what Wakiash is thinking 
• Goal- totem pole

"Beaver"
Source: MythFolklore Untextbook

Week 7 Review

For this weeks review I decided to write about the fun and exploration post which can be found here. The title of the post is called Writing and Revision, so it immediately caught my attention. This year I'm really trying to put more effort, work, and dedication into my writing, even if it's just for myself, so I'm also interested in reading anything that may have to do with writing or helpful tips. The post included this picture of a quote:

Writing and Revision
Source: OUClassAnnouncements

I remember when I was younger I used to think that having to turn in a rough draft of a paper, essay, project, story, etc. to the teacher before the final draft was pointless (boy was I wrong). I always wanted to just jump in, turn in the final draft, and be done with it. But I definitely now know how extremely, extremely important it is to revise your work. In order to become a better writer you really need to go over your writing multiple times and look for mistakes. Doing this repeatedly truly helps your writing be the best it can be. I think it's one of the most important steps in the writing process. I'm glad I realized this sooner rather than later!

Reflections: Looking Forward

In this past first half of the semester, I got to read a lot of cool, exciting, and interesting stories. I'm really excited to get to read more for the second half. It's awesome to think of all the possibilities of types of stories that I'll have the opportunity to read. It also gets me excited thinking about what stories I'll read that will capture my attention or make me want to spin it in my own way and make it a part of my portfolio.

Speaking of my portfolio, I'm already ready to see the final product (I know, I know, I still have some weeks to go)! Honestly, I'm the type of person that will read over my writings over and over when I finish it, just to see how I put it together and if I liked the end product. I still, to this day, will go back and read random essays for class, or writing I did when I was bored, from years ago. I just really enjoy looking at how far I've come in my writing (even if some of my old writing makes me cringe). It's a learning experience and it's definitely necessary.

As mentioned, I'm ecstatic to get to meet even more new people in the weeks to come. I've gotten to meet so many cool people thus far and it'll be great to be introduced to more. Also, not only am I ready to see the finished product of my portfolio, but also of my fellow classmates projects, too. I've seen so many great starts to storybooks and portfolios and it'll be nice to see how they end up by the time they're finished.

"Motivational Quote"
Source: Flickr

Reflections: Looking Back

I would have to say my favorite writings that I did were my most recent ones called "Love Lost, Love Found," and "The Letter." The more I write, the more I believe I improve and I was pretty satisfied with those two stories. Of course, there's always room to improve even more on those stories but I feel that I at least have a good start. I'm enjoying my portfolio project so far. I love being able to see it grow and having the chance to revise my stories multiple times so that it can be better than before. I'm happy with the theme I chose and I really like getting to write multiple love stories just in different ways. I've seen so many (and I mean a lot) of great storybooks and portfolios so far this year. It's amazing seeing how talented and creative my fellow classmates are! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing their projects develop and reading their stories as well.

I enjoy having the class fully online. I like online classes personally. I think it's good to switch it up a bit rather than the normal class setting. Regardless of it not being physically on campus, I, for sure, feel like I'm getting to know my classmates. It's nice having the blog comments each week because I'm able to get to know different people every week. The commenting, in general, is nice because faces, names, and blogs, become more familiar.

My schedule changes around a bit because I'm still juggling different things due at different times for all of my other classes. There's not much homework in my other classes, but there's a lot of studying for tests and quizzes that are either scattered or very close to each other. However, I usually try to get a couple of days ahead. If I'm unexpectedly really busy, I usually do this class on a day to day basis. If I know I'm going to be busy studying for a test(s) during a certain week, then I try to get the majority of the upcoming week done during the weekend. Then, I'll finish the rest the next weekend, and start the next week as well (that felt really confusing to type, and I bet it sounds that way too).

When I work on this class 80% of the time it's in the school library, Bizzell. The other 20% of time, I work at in my apartment. I feel that these are the best places for me to do my work because it's usually really quiet which helps me to relax, clear my thoughts, and think better.

"Bizzell Memorial Library"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Plan

Week 9

- Pacific Northwest 

Week 10

- British North America

Week 11

- King Arthur

Week 12

- Fairie Queen - Britomart

Week 13

- Brothers Grimm (Ashliman)

Week 14

- Hans Christian Andersen

"Business Idea, Planning"
Source: Pixabay

Storytelling for Week 7: Love Lost, Love Found

I remember the day we fell in love. Everything felt different that day. The sky seemed bluer, the grass greener, and I, happier. Ky was the first man I ever really fell in love with. I had some boyfriends from the past, but that's where I intended to keep them-in the past. With Ky, all I saw was a future-a bright, beautiful, shining future. Every time we walked through the village together, hand in hand, I could feel people staring at us. Whether it be from happiness, envy, jealousy, or even disappointment, we didn't pay them any mind.

We were so young.

Our youth flowed through us and we took advantage of it, making the most of every day. We didn't care that people thought we were too young to feel what we felt. We loved each other and that's all that mattered. Besides, when you know, you know. Even if we were just seventeen years old, we knew we were soul mates destined to find each other and live the way were living right then and there. How are other people supposed to tell you when you should fall in love? How do they know your circumstances? How do they know your feelings? It doesn't make any sense if you ask me.

We were so young.

The day he told me he loved me was the best day of my life. Those three words jolted through me like electricity and made me feel so alive. I had been waiting such a long time to tell him I felt the same way and now I had the perfect chance. It didn't take me but five seconds to tell him I loved him too. We were so happy. Except when we weren't.

When I told him I was pregnant, he changed. He didn't seem like the man who had just told me he loved me a few short weeks ago. The longer he just stared at me, the more he became distant to me. I already felt our love and happiness slipping from between us. I fought until I had no energy left in me. And the day the energy left me, so did he.

I was so young.

I didn't have anyone to turn to. My parents made it clear that I couldn't keep the babies. There were three of them growing inside me. There was no way I would be able to support them on my own. I didn't know who or where to turn to. I had never been so scared in my life. When I gave birth to my three sons, so healthy and so strong, I knew I had no choice but to give them up. They deserved a better life than mine. They just deserved better. I left them at a stranger's doorstep praying hard that they would give my boys a good home.

And they did. The fate that brought us back together will always have me forever grateful. I remember walking through the village, alone, heading towards the market to pick up a few things. While there, I overheard an older lady smiling widely and talking about her triplet sons. Although having triplets was uncommon in our area, I still felt as though there was a small chance the woman was chatting about my babies. Something inside pushed me towards her to ask, though.

When I found out I was right, joy and sadness rushed through me. My boys adoptive mother and I talked for hours. I'm glad we conversed for so long because it gave me time to work up the courage to see them, as she offered. It had been over twenty years.

Now, today, I look to all of my three sons and not only see his face, but also the determination, compassion, and humor, of my past love. I also feel the hurt and pain but still each day I see them, a little part of that pain is eased. My heart grows, and the missing parts are now filled.

They are so grown.

"Village; photo by Dennett"
Source: MythFolklore Untextbook 

Author's Note: In this week's storytelling I decided to retell the story of "The Three Brothers" from the Stories from Congo unit. In the original story, it starts off by telling how the mother of three boys didn't want them and decided to leave them in the grass one day. The three babies looked for food on their own and eventually grew up to be strong and eventually built themselves houses and found themselves wives. Then, one day, the father of the three boys found them and told the mother. The boys thought she was an intruder and planned to kill her, but the river-spirit (who helped them to grow), told them that she was their mother and to take care of her instead since she was old at this point. Even though this story was short I really liked it and had an idea of how I wanted to tell it. The way I changed it up is that I tweaked small things here and there and decided to give the mother more of a voice. It tells of how she was young, in love, and how she eventually became pregnant. With every story there's usually more than one side so I wanted to tell the mother's side.

Bibliography: "The Three Brothers" by Richard Edward Dennett, from Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort (1898).
Web Source: Mythology and Folklore Untextbook

Reading Diary B: Stories from Congo

The link to this reading unit can be found here.

The Antelope and the Leopard

• Interesting how a dog jumped out from the nut
• Animals, talking theme
• Plot progresses quickly once the dog jumps out. 
• Kind of weird how the leopard immediately took orders from the dog turned damsel because she was so beautiful; then, by demand he killed all of his wives. This may be a part I change up a bit
• Quick "love"
• I had a feeling damsel was actually the antelope. 
• Also interesting how the ending relates to reasons we don't often think about. "And this is why the leopard now always kills the antelope when he meets one"

The Turtle and The Man

• Right off the bat, it's different but cool how the story sets up a relationship between a man and a turtle. 
• Can both communicate to each other
• Diets - antelope
• Turtle seems to be the "bad guy." selfish, sneaky, mischievous
• Turn of events when the leopard was able to play the turtle's game
• Intriguing how the man came in at the very end. I was wondering where he went and thought the story would mainly be about both of them but it was mostly just about the turtle.
• I could retell it, having the man be more apart of the story line

The Three Brothers

• Although short, I really liked this story
• Story of a mother giving up her three children and later reuniting with them
• Instead of anything terrible, they took her in and cared for her
• I think if I were to retell this story I would definitely either add more of a background story with the mother being the main character, or add more of a story for the three brothers. Possibly more about their lives growing up and then more dialogue when finding their father and mother, too. 

"Village, photo by Dennett"
Source: MythFolkloreUntextbook

Famous Last Words for Week 6

My reading for this week came from the African unit, West Africa. I really enjoyed reading this unit as it had a lot of interesting stories. I actually decided to read another unit from the African unit for Week 7 as well. I like how the stories are told. The writing style is cool and I enjoy reading through each story to get to the ending and see what the moral of the story is. It's nice to be able to relate that to the entire story and see how it connects and what specific things led to it. The story I retold was based off of the story calling "Anansi and Nothing." This would probably be where my best writing for the week came from. I decided to switch up my writing style for this story and write it in a form of letter. However, the reader doesn't know it's a letter until they get to the very ending where not only that is revealed, but so is the identity of the speaker. I've never really wrote a story in this way so I was interested to see how it would turn out and I think I'm content with it (so far).

The past week nothing too crazy went on. Just the regular school and classes. I had a couple of quizzes here and there but thankfully there wasn't any tests. But, on the other hand, I'm excited that this upcoming week is a short one due to OU/Texas. I think that extra day off is much needed. I'm trying to make sure I try to use that day to my advantage and set a goal to get ahead, but honestly I might just sleep the whole day away. We'll see! It doesn't hurt to have goals though, right?

"2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team"
Source: Wikipedia

Reading Diary A: Stories from Congo

The link to this reading unit can be found here.

How Gazelle Got Married

• Taking husbands theme
• Interesting how it focuses on animals as if they were humans. 
• The back and forth journey of the dog was kind of funny; getting hungry, satisfying that hunger, forgetting the names of the daughters, then getting thirsty, satisfying that thirst and forgetting the names again.
• Bargain between dog and Nsassi
• I like the name Nsassi for a characters name, I probably wouldn't change this
• Haha, another funny part how on the way to see the two girls both Nsassi and the dog had forgotten the names and the dog had to go once more to figure it out. 
• I think the ending was kind of out of the blue how the antelope returned in the plot but it was interesting to see how they tied up that end.

The Vanishing Wife

• Reminds me of the contrast between Anansi and Nothing
• I like how the dream portion became a reality the next day for Buite
• It's sad how the story ended, and how his brother continued to treat him. I feel that I might change the ending up a bit. I think it might make for sense for the dream to have just been a dream, of course, but stories have the ability to be however they want to be.
• If I retold it I would probably have Buite keep his riches and his brother lose his and then go from there

The Younger Brother Who Knew More Than the Elder

• Wondering why the younger brother left
• Weird how the agreement turned out when the wife was lost
• I enjoyed the ending how the elder brother turned out to help his younger brother and in a clever way

"Gazelle"
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Week 5 Review

For this week's review post I decided to take something from this weeks announcements (which can be found here). The post that caught my attention was the under the Words of Wisdom section from yesterday, Sunday, September 27th. The words of wisdom was "The fuller the cup, the sooner the spill." And it came with a picture as well:

"Full Cup"
Source: MythFolklore Class Announcements 

The reason I chose this post besides the fact that I really enjoy quotes, is that I feel like I can relate to and understand what it's saying. Sometimes people try to cram in their schedules or certain things in their life in order to make room for something else, finish early, finish ahead of time or something of those sorts. I've done this too. However, I've found that it's really important to take a step back and separate things in a better manner rather than trying to do everything at once. It may sound good at the time, but it can definitely become extremely overwhelming. For this reason, I try to plan stuff out using a planner, notes, etc. so that I can leave space for other things and not have an over packed schedule. Planning things for me is really a life saver because it helps to keep my life in order and make it more calm.

Famous Last Words for Week 5

I really enjoyed the reading this week because I had the opportunity to read from the West African Folktales unit (which I'll probably read from next week, too)! I was looking forward to this unit and the Nigerian unit because my parents sometimes told me folk stories and I was interested to see if I recognized any of them. I find the stories really interesting to read and it's a nice feeling to have a connection to them as well! I chose the story: Anansi and Nothing to retell from this unit. I kept the plot pretty similar but still changed a few things and the way it was written. I also really liked how I told the story this week. I decided to switch up my writing style for this particular story and when I reread it, I enjoyed how it flowed and especially the ending. That would probably have to be my best writing for this week. I definitely think I'm going to try using that method of writing for future stories and explore other different ways to write a story. I honestly think this will help me in my writing overall. This way, I can be more creative and not just stick to one certain way of writing!

Besides this class, my other classes are somewhat quiet right now (which I'm sure will change soon), so I'm enjoying the silence. I've been trying to finish up miscellaneous things, get ahead on assignments and finish up my pharmacy application so hopefully the time is well spent. I've also started a personal blog to encourage me to write often, no matter what the subject. I'm truly excited about this and I'm hoping I can keep it up! Just writing a little bit a day for myself is my goal.

Storytelling for Week 6: The Letter

Anansi had been trying to kill Nothing for months. It was a weird kind of situation, you see, because these two used to be very good friends. But along the way Anansi had become very greedy and wanted not just some of Nothing's wealth and fortune, but all of it.

There was one particular incident that lead to Anansi's thirst for his friends blood. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Anyways, I'm getting sidetracked. That is besides the point. On a day that the two were walking through the town market together, Anansi had seen many beautiful women and asked that they switch clothes so that he can gain the affection of them. Nothing agreed, for it would only be for a short time. Anansi succeeded in his mission and had four beautiful women follow him home, two on each arm. Nothing, in all his rags, did not expect to find someone, but there he found his wife who loved him for him and not what he had. Nothing had never found someone so special.

However, upon finding that Anansi was poor, the women left him. He had found out that Nothing still got what he wanted even pretending to be poor, so he became envious. And not a simple kind of envious, but an envious that takes over your whole being and clouds your mind. This is what became of Anansi. All he wanted was revenge.

So, every few days, Anansi would subtly try to kill Nothing. Whether it be a slip of poison, a sly trap, or random arrows shot from a far distance. It is said Anansi became the most clever in these days, because he spent all his time thinking of creative ways to execute his mission. To his dismay, though, each of his plans was thwarted either by Nothing's wife, or the extra protection from guards she sought for them to have. Anansi grew to hate her too, for she stood in his way.

Every time Nothing had caught a glimpse of his friend turned enemy, he saw the distraught, the anger, the weeping in his eyes. He knew Anansi was lost and any slimmer of hope of him returning was lost too. But somewhere, deep down, Nothing knew Anansi had hated who had become. He could see his old self screaming for help. But, there was nothing anyone could do for he had chosen this path himself. Nothing felt sorry for him. He was angry at Anansi for a long while but that anger was eventually replaced by pity.

Not long after, Nothing had gotten news that Anansi had been killed. It was believed that he died from working on his dangerous new plan and a large amount of grief and sorrow. And after that, he had become just a small memory in many people's minds.

Except mine.

I guess this is less of a story than it is a goodbye letter. My dear Anansi, I forgive you my old friend. Sleep well.

Sincerely,

Nothing.

"A Yellow Rose"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note: This week I retold the story of "Anansi and Nothing."  In the original story, Anansi convinced Nothing to switch him clothes so that he could pick up many wives. Nothing also picked up one wife. However when Anansi reached his home his wives found he was poor and eventually left him to stay at Nothing's palace. So, Anansi tried to kill Nothing and in time he succeeded by placing a trap (a hole filled with knives) outside of his house and luring him into it. In my retelling, I switched it around. Anansi is actually the one who gets killed and it was a result of his jealousy and envy. I also tried a new style of writing where it's third person but then in the very end it turn to first person revealing the identity of the speaker who turns out to be Nothing. I also added a yellow rose for my image because it's said that the yellow rose can represent friendship, which is what Anansi and Nothing used to be.

Bibliography: "Anansi and Nothing" by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair, from West African Folktales (1917).
Web Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook

Extra Reading Diary: Italian Tales

The link to this extra reading unit can be found here.

An Incident in Rome

• I like the writing style of this story and how it's told
• "darkness that you could cut"
• The story was kind of scary but really interesting to read about. I also like the ending sentence as well "This is the story of Pilate, who is neither saved nor damned."
• The part of Master Francis going down the hole is important but I'm curious to know what happened after he told the Pope. 

The Sexton's Nose

• Weird how it went from an exchange of animals to the exchange of a to-be bride whom the main character carried away in a bag.. that probably wouldn't stay in the story if I retold it
• How did the girl not say anything while in the bag?
• Also wondering why he meant to throw the bag in the sea. Also why the roasted pea was so important to him in the first place.
•  I like how it flipped. Instead of people giving him things, he had to get things himself to heal his nose. 
• For some reason I was expecting the ending to not end the way it was expected to. It would be cool to end it differently with the sexton not getting what he needed then continue it from there. 

A Feast Day

• Really funny story! I enjoyed how the author put it together. It gave me a good laugh.
• I like the ending too where it switches from third person to first person in the very last sentence

Italian Popular Tales
Source: MythFolklore UnTextbook