Week 2 Storytelling: Rama Chases the Deer

As Rama is running after this golden deer. He thinks, "Man Sita would be so ecstatic and proud if I walked in what she wanted! This golden deer is so flawless and beautiful. Sita would know how heroic and brave I was if came back leading the deer and was able to put it right in her lap. Sita is so beautiful, she deserves the most beautiful item right beside her at all times."
This gives Rama motivation to run faster and faster.
"Wow this deer is crazy fast though. It seems like this deer really knows where it's going. What if I don't catch up to it? What if I lose it and come back empty handed to Sita? What would Sita say?"
Rama ponders this as the deer gets faster and has more confident in it's step.
Rama then notices a small short cut and realizes that maybe if he outsmarted the deer then he could catch it and take it back to his beloved princess Sita. He was willing to do anything to make sure that Sita always had that perfect smile on her face.
Rama decided to back up and go underneath a cave and took a shortcut a little bit farther down the forrest. He thought he was being smart, but weirdly, the deer was smarter. The deer knew of a better and faster shortcut track. Finally, Rama decided he was done.
He slung up his bow and shot the golden deer right in his heart!

(Image Information: Photo retrieved by: Rama )

Author's Note: I chose this prompt from the list given because I felt like this was an interesting and simple prompt to elaborate on. My main goals for this story are to show what Rama is thinking while running after the golden deer. 

Bibliography: 

• Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana

Week 2: Reading Diary B

The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan.
Reading Notes. pages 53-89.


Important Notes:

• King Dasaratha's death was caused by the fact that his two sons were venturing out in the forest. 
• Rama's exile is also taken very harshly. Everyone in the kingdom is heartbroken that someone as innocent and great as Rama could be put into exile for such a long period of time. I'm glad that Lakshmana, Rama's half-brother, and his wife, Sita, join him on this journey. It's amazing to see that even though everyone knows how tough exile can be, Lakshmana and Sita don't even hesitate to proclaim that they will be by his side no matter what happens. Sita's line on pg 56 was pretty touching. She said, "My place is at your side wherever you may be; I am alive only when I am with you." That definitely shows some serious commitment, passion, and dedication. 
• I knew I liked Bharatha from the start. Instead of following along with his mother's evil plan, he refused to take the throne and went on a search with his men to find Rama. I think the move he made, taking Rama's sandals and putting them on the throne and only ruling temporarily till Rama returned was a very selfless and mature thing to do.
• It's also crazy to see how many people try to come in between Rama and Sita. So many people are jealous of their beautiful and devoted relationship that it overcomes them and all they want to do is squeeze in between and ruin it. Soorpanaka was one of the characters that tries to take Sita's spot because she is jealous of the bond that her and Rama have and also because it seems she is slightly obsessed with Rama. Rama, being the better and bigger person admits that she is beautiful but after realizing her true intentions, chooses his wife. After Soorpanaka returns home to Ravana, she describes Sita so well, that Ravana falls in love with Sita's description and then decides to pursue her. Maricha and Ravana construct a plan to abduct Sita using a golden deer. It seems like Rama and Sita can never catch a break. 

Predictions:
I think that the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger. I'm sure that since Lakshmana has left Sita unprotected, Sita will now be abducted by Ravana. I still have a weird feeling about Soorpanaka too. I'm sure that if Ravana somehow brings Sita home, Soorpanaka will be extremely jealous and hateful and probably try to harm Sita in her sleep or something. A part of me also thinks that the heroic Rama will once again save the day and bring Sita back to him but in turn Lakshmana will somehow either be killed or severely injured.

Week 2: Reading Diary A

Reading Notes. pages 1-53
The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan

I think that keeping a reading diary will help keep things in line and also be a good refresher when looking back at what I read the week before. The characters that stood out to me the most during this reading were Rama, Ahalya, and Bhagiratha.

Rama: Throughout the three chapters that i've read so far, Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, has been portrayed as a dauntless, muscular, and very benevolent character. He kills Thataka, a horrendous demon, defeats Thataka's sons when they come to seek revenge, releases Ahalya from her stone captivity and encourages her to reunite with her husband, lifts, bends, and strings the bow of the god Shiva to win Sita's hand in marriage, and agrees to go into exile for fourteen years without protest.. I think that Rama is a really strong and dynamic character. All his deeds and actions show how respectful he is and how well his morals and ethics have carried him thus far.

Ahalya: I think that Ahalya's character and story are really interesting. She was definitely one of the characters that caught my eye and I think it was because her story was so random and unexpected. Ahayla was a beautiful woman created by Brahma out of utter perfection and beauty. Indra, a shape shifter, wanted her really badly so one day he took the form of her husband, Sage Guatama, and made love to Ahalya. Ahalya didn't realize what was happening till it was too late and Guatama came home and found the two in bed. He punished Ahalya by turning her into stone telling her that she wouldn't be free till Rama crossed her path and punished the shape shifter by covering his body in female genitalia and then later into eyes. This story was just so intense but I am glad that Rama released her and encouraged her to let go of her past and reunite with her husband.

Bhagiratha: I think that Bhagiratha caught my eye because he was the character that bought Ganges River down to Earth with God Shiva's help. I've heard and read a lot about the Ganges River in elementary and middle school and I also did a project over this river in one of my religious classes. When I saw the words Ganges River it instantly sparked a memory of one of my projects in my head and I remembered reading how this river was a huge symbol that brought cleanliness and reminded people of the sacred goddess Ganga. I had no idea that Bhagiratha was the god behind the river and was the one that bought it down to the Earth.

Week 1: Famous Last Words

I think my best writing this week was done when I was describing my favorite place and also my introduction. I love writing about things that I am passionate about, I feel like it comes and flows more easily. I think that a good strategy for this week would definitely be to work in advance. I realized that as I struggled to complete each assignment by the deadline last week and even this weekend. I'm in a lot of hard classes and I also work part time, so getting home at 10:00 pm each night and trying to complete all my homework is definitely a struggle sometimes. The blogs I read this week were pretty good! Each blog I read was unique in it's own way and really made me want to know the people that I'm reading about. I am actually really excited to read other blogs as the groups rotate and different blogs are assigned. Things in my other classes are going okay. So far the only homework I’ve really gotten is lab reports. Which, don't get me wrong are stressful but aren't as bad as actual exams or quizzes. I do know that with science classes though, one week school feels like a piece of cake and the next week there are 12 assignments and 3 tests all due on the same day. So I really am trying to stay on top of things this semester and work ahead instead of just barely keeping up. I also feel like this semester I want to focus on myself. Work more on trying to get to know who I am and where my hobbies and passion really lie. I feel like recently I've been so caught up in other people and just work and school that I haven't had time to focus on myself and just be happy. So this semester I definitely hope I can devote more time to that.

Image Information: Photo retrieved from Labs

This is how I feel in Organic Chemistry and Microbiology Lab

Week 1: Introduction

Hello! My name is Sehrish Noorali and I am currently a junior at the University of Oklahoma. I was born in San Jose, California, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and currently reside in Edmond, Oklahoma. I graduated from Deer Creek High School in Edmond, Oklahoma and am now a Microbiology Pre-Med student hoping to get into and graduate from OU's Medical School. I am currently taking Microbiology, Organic Chemistry 2, Microbiology Lab, Organic Chemistry Lab, Health Facilities Management, and Epics of India. I am a huge Oklahoma City Thunder fan. My passion developed for this team when I started working for the OKC Thunder my freshman year in college as part of the Events Crew. I am now employed by Microsoft Windows and work at Best Buy as a Microsoft Consultant. I really enjoy my job and love all the people that I work with. My hobbies include reading, riding my bike, trying new foods, traveling, watching Netflix, and taking naps. I do not have a pet of my own, but my boyfriend recently bought a little Ragdoll kitten named Onyx and it's safe to say that I am obsessed with it. Onyx is literally the handsomest and most well behaved kitten. I am not as involved with campus activities as I was in high school, but this year I am the Secretary of Oklahoma Undergraduate India Society, I am a member of OU's Pre-Med club and OU's Women in Medicine club, and also a part of Camp Crimson. This past summer I took two college classes, Biochemistry and Spanish 3. I also worked the entire summer and was a counselor of a religious camp called Camp Mosaic in Dallas, Texas. This camp was a blast to be a part of and really reminded me about why I love my religion and also opened up my eyes to how different our generation is from the generation today and the generation in the past.

Image Information: Personal photo of Onyx and I taken by Avi Natha; photo from July 2014

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

The following were three of my favorite storybooks:

1. Karma and Kama by Kamadeva
     The title of this story grabbed my attention from the list because ever since I was a kid, I always had a slight obsession with romance novels. I've always been a cheesy person who enjoys to watch, read, and dream about love and all the aspects tied to it. Before reading this storybook, I had no idea what Kama meant, only Karma. But Karma is also an interesting concept that I truly believe in. I believe that if you do good to people, good will follow. If you do bad, bad will follow. I was a little confused at the beginning when I started reading this because I was unsure where the author was coming from and why they started by saying "Hey Readers," then suddenly just taking the form of this god.. But as I kept reading, it started making more sense. I think that this Storybook was a good read. My favorite parts were the little lessons and pictures. Even if the story seemed confusing at times, the captions and lessons made a lot of sense and just brought the storybook together.

2. Rate My Rishi by Kira Godinet
     The reason I picked this story was because just looking at the title itself from the list of titles made me think that this would be a humorous storybook. After clicking the link, I realized that it was a parody of Ratemyprofessor.com and that literally made me laugh out loud, what a genius way to portray the characters! The intro was a perfect lead to the "list" and the list perfectly portrayed the qualities and characters of each person. I also liked how simple and easy the layout was to read. The graphics and symbols definitely proved my theory that this was a parody of ratemyprofessor.com and all the numbers next to the characters and the comments underneath each one weaved into everything perfectly.

3. 102.6 BTRL Radio by (unknown)
    I think that this very easily could be my favorite Storybook. The graphics and design were amazing. I literally felt like I was listening to a talk show on the radio. The story flowed perfectly and the characters and the emotions were portrayed well. I also liked the fact that the Author's notes were a little bit more personal. I almost felt like the author was explaining things to me instead of just giving me general statements regarding the actual text. When I clicked the link, I was unsure what BTRL meant but what kept me reading was the homepage with the dark background and the white font. If I was doing something like this or designing something, my graphics would be pretty similar to this Storybook. I also think that the BTRL is really smart. That's something that I would not have thought of but that I found pretty clever after finishing the storybook.    

Week 1 Indian Epics

So far, this class has been really eye opening. I have actually always wanted a blog but I've never had the courage to start one. When I was little, I used to have a diary for each year. I would write down all my thoughts and feelings in my diary and make sure to always hide it in a secret place away from all my friends and family. This blog is a really cool concept and I'm actually really excited to be in this class and learn more about India and it's culture. Both my parents were born and raised in Pakistan and that is the culture i've been around my entire life. I really enjoy learning about new cultures and religions though and this class seems like the perfect way for me to do that. I really can't wait to see what the rest of this class entails!

Week 1 Storytelling: The Promise

"ONE, TWO," screams Alice loudly on top of the hill. "Wait. Will you promise to catch me Charlie?" Alice says while she puts her hands on her hips.

Charlie replies innocently, "Of course Alice! I would never let you fall."

Alice gives Charlie a heartwarming smile and then falls.

When Alice wakes up, she feels cold dark concrete against her cheek and feels appalled after realizing that Charlie broke his promise and didn't catch her when she did the trust fall. 

- 20 years later

Alice is at the doctor's office waiting for her husband, Charlie, to show up. "Late as always, I wonder what he is doing. He promised me he would be on time. I'm sure he knows how much this means to me" she thinks to herself. Right as this thought crosses her mind, Charlie sweeps in through the door. He walks towards her chair effortlessly with a sly smile on his face. He slides in place next to her and starts a nonchalant conversation not even acknowledging the that Alice spent 45 minutes trying to delay her appointment so he could be a part of this experience. 

She turns around to Charlie caressing her belly and asks Charlie, "Why did you break your promise? You told me you would be here at 2:00pm and it is now almost 3:00.." 

Charlie takes a long hard look at her and then replies, "You know I don't take promises that seriously. I'm here aren't I? I'm sorry, it must just be in my nature."

Photo retrieved from Scorpion

Author's Note:  This story is based on a fable by Aesop called, "The Scorpion and The Frog." The fable tells a story about a scorpion asking a frog for a ride across the river. The scorpion promises the frog that it will not sting the frog. The frog agrees and during the ride across the river, the scorpion breaks his promise and impulsively stings the frog. The frogs asks the scorpion why it did such a thing because now they shall both die. The scorpion replies, "It's in my nature."

Bibliography: "The Scorpion and The Frog."  Aesop for Children, illustrated by Milo Winter.

Blogger Templates Tech Tip

I haven't ever had a serious blog. I used to have a Tumblr back in the day that was actually quite similar to this, but wasn't related to school nor had any serious life experiences. On my Tumblr, I used to just reblog a bunch of things that I was interested in and found humorous. When designing my blog for the Blogger Templates Tech Tip, I used the colors red, gray, and black because those are some of my favorites. I changed the font of my title because I felt like it suited the class more. I usually like dark backgrounds with some contrast colors for the font and title. My Gmail, Tumblr, and now my Blog all look pretty similar. I'm actually very indecisive though, so i'm sure that by the end of this class, my blog template and design will have changed numerous times.

Week 1: Favorite Place

                       (Image Information: Personal photo taken by mother, Shamim Noorali from September 2013)



My favorite place is Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City. I've been coming to Lake Hefner since I moved to Oklahoma my sophomore year in high school. Lake Hefner is just a peaceful and relaxing place. Every time I get stressed out or just need to clear my mind, I drive over to the lake. Whether it's biking, running, or just listening to the waves splashing across the rocks, it's a comforting feeling knowing that the lake will always be there even if others aren't.

First Post

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