Reading Diary A: Week One

I am really enjoying the book so far! I am having to work extra hard to keep up with all the names and whose mother is who’s! I find it interesting that Rama does not know that he is an incarnation of Vishnu; I would have thought that he would have possessed all the divine knowledge of Vishnu himself. I was surprised to find that Kaikeyi, Bharatha’s mother, did not actually intend to take the throne from Rama initially—but rather she was convinced to do such by her (somewhat crazy) friend, Kooni. I liked reading about Rama and his brother Lakshamana’s travels in the beginning, with Sage Vishwamithra. For me, seeing Rama’s attachment to his brother and willingness to do the sage’s bidding showed his character and made even an incarnation of a deity feel more human. Reading about the Rama’s wedding to Sita was extra interesting because I had previously read a retelling of this story from a past student for one of our earlier assignments. I liked getting to read the story in full for myself,instead of just going off of tid bits of others’ and not knowing exactly what had been changed. This part made it difficult for me to relate to the characters though, as it was clear Sita and Rama only fell in “love” because they were attracted to one another. It seemed like a depthless love story. They made eye contact from afar, Rama strung a god’s bow—proving his inhuman strength—and suddenly they were a match made in heaven? Oh, yeah. They were. Apparently Sita is an incarnation of the Vishnu’s divine lover as well. Cool. Here is a picture of Rama's father grieving over the turn of events and his realization that the reason he is being forced to give his thrown to Bharatha instead of Rama is due to his having accidentally killed a boy years ago, and being cursed for it.

(Image of Dasaratha's Grief)

Famous Last Words: Week 1

 I think my best writing for this first week of class was my storytelling. I did my story over the nursery rhyme “Mistress Mary”. I really enjoyed the assignment and I really latched onto the title, which was slightly different from the version I had grown up with, “Mary, Mary”. My assumption was that the title and rhyme changed over time, in particular due to the negativity regarding mistresses in today’s society. Because of that, I decided to really base my story around the word “mistress”, and the story just grew from there.

My other classes are going well so far. I really like my schedule this semester! I have this online class and two classes on Mondays and Thursdays at 11:30 and 1:30. However, on Wednesdays my schedule is pretty busy. On top of those two classes, I am also taking two evening classes—on the same day! One is from 3:30-6:10 and another is from 6:30-9:20. But my classes are interesting. I think I am going to survive my French classes after all—there was a long, scary moment of doubt on the first day of classes. The class I am taking called “Techniques of Teaching a Foreign Language” is looking like it will be a really useful class for me, since I want to teach English as a second language. I also really like the professor! It is a bit frustrating though, because I have to do something called a micro-teaching. For that project I am required to prepare a ten to fifteen minute lesson in which I act like my classmates are my students. However, I am not allowed to teach in English even though that is the language I intend to teach, because everyone in the class already speaks English. I understand my teachers’ though process, but I would rather focus on teaching English rather than another language. I wonder what would happen if someone did not have any background in another language…. Now I have to decide if I am going to teach in French or Arabic… Hmmm… On another note, I order all of my textbooks via Amazon. So far only one has come in. How long can I go without them before it starts really messing up my grades? .... I guess I am going to find out.

(Image from The Economy of Meaning)

Overview: My Thoughts at the Start of the Semester

I have taken one class on India before, which was also online. So far I do not see a huge connection, but I think I will further into the semester. I also think this class will fill in the gaps where my previous class left off. In that course, we studied a lot about the caste system in India and how it affected everyday life when the British ruled over India. It was interesting but frustrating at times because characters would reference various deities as if the audience would most certainly be familiar with them already, but I was not! I am a religious studies major, but this year is the first semester our department has had a professor of Hinduism since I have been a student at OU--or maybe ever! I have not yet had a class with the new professor, but hopefully I will get to take a class with her in the fall before I graduate. So far I am most interested in Rama and the whole concept of avatars. I have heard of Vishnu but I don't really know anything about him. I used to think I had a statue of Krishna in my apartment, but I am thinking now it is actually Vishnu! The statue has many, many arms. Hopefully I will know for sure by the end of the semester. My overall goal isn't really to memorize all the deities of Hinduism--I'm not sure that's possible! But I would like to learn more about some of the major gods and how the beliefs of Hindus influenced the great Indian Epics.

(Image taken from Wikipedia Article on Vishnu)

Storybook Favorites

The first storybook I looked at was titled RateMyRishi. I really liked this one because the whole premise was just fascinating. It imitates RateMyProfessor.com, which is one of my favorite sites to use when planning my schedule. I enjoyed the tone of the storybook, which was very informal and friendly. The quips between various commentators were entertaining and at times funny. I did feel rather lost, however. There were definitely a good number of references made to stories which we have not yet read. It made me feel like I was missing out on the joke. I did really like the introduction, though. I think the design was a bit boring, but so is the original RateMyProfessor.com design!

The second storybook I looked at was titled Every Lover A Soldier: Tales of Epic Love. This story book was really confusing for me. The idea seems awesome: three women tell three of their own love stories to one another. However, the first woman only ever told one story if I understood everything. The third didn’t tell a story at all! This was frustrating for me because the introduction lead me to expect to read three stories per woman, and I did not experience that. I was also annoyed by the design. Though it was pretty, I found it very impractical. I had trouble reading the stories; I couldn’t read the links to each different page at all. I think you have to balance aesthetics and practicality when designing a storybook or anything else really. I did love the front page, though. It was drawn by the author of the storybook!

(Covershot from Every Lover a Soldier: Tales of Epic Love)

The third storybook I read was titled Diary of Famous Love Stories. I liked the idea of retelling love stories from both the woman and man’s viewpoint. I did not really care for the author’s take on these stories, but the writing itself was good and I think the design was attractive without being confusing or difficult to understand.

Introduction: What I Do

My name is Val. I am a junior at OU; I’ll be graduating in the fall of this year! I am a Religious Studies major, but I intend to teach English as a Second Language after graduation. I really enjoy teaching, and I love that teaching English will enable me to work almost anywhere in the world. Post-graduation I am looking at working in Southeast Asia for a year or two in order to pay off my student loans, but I don’t plan to settle there long-term. I would like to live and work in Northern Africa. There I will be able to work—though I won’t make as much as in Asia. I will also be able to utilize my French. I would prefer to teach in an immersion program; however, if I am unable to find such a position in a French-speaking country then I will have the option to teach English in most public and private schools because many North African countries are French-speaking. I am taking a class through OU this semester which covers the various techniques of teaching a foreign language! I am also taking Jews and Other Germans for my major and French Phonetics and French Film, both of which will help me to finish up my French minor. I hope to eventually be fluent in French, as it will help expand my job opportunities and also offer a lot of benefits in my personal life.

Currently, I work three different jobs. They are very non-traditional, but I really enjoy them and prefer it over working in a more normal part-time situation. Three days a week I tutor a seven-year-old. We cover math, science, reading comprehension, writing, English grammar, and phonics. We also take occasional trips to the public library, and we do science experiments and projects as well. Bi-monthly I clean for a really nice guy that works in the oil and gas industry. It isn’t super glamorous, but it is easy, pays well, and I have the habit of hooking up my phone to the surround sound and blasting music while I’m working. On Thursdays, I don’t have class. I care for a mentally handicapped woman in Oklahoma City. She is thirty-four, and her name is Janet. I also do occasional babysitting and pet-sitting!

(Photo taken by the mother of the little boy I tutor, Jake)

I work a lot more than I really need to, because I’m always saving for the next trip I’m planning. Right now, I am planning to go to Georgia for spring break and Egypt in July for two of my close friends’ wedding. I am really excited! Traveling is something I really love, so I make it a priority to save for trips. I also enjoy dancing and reading. My favorite kind of books is old romance novels, the ones set in the Renaissance especially. I also love swimming; I never miss a chance to go to the beach!

Well, that about sums it up! Feel free to comment if you want to know anything more.

Week 1 Storytelling: Mistress Mary

MISTRESS MARY, quite contrary,

Mistress Mary was an awful young woman—and I’m only calling her young for fear of repercussion. It’s no wonder she never married, she’s so very difficult to be around. What kind of man or woman would want her for a lover, let alone a spouse? Always aiming for queen, she never pushed past her dreadful role as mistress. No one quite knows how our beloved king tolerated her.  Even so, her position provided her with ample power and status, which explained her nasty habit of spending money on such silly, useless things.

How does your garden grow?

Take her garden for instance! At least a hundred feet long, and just as wide as the king’s castle—the size of it alone was enough to make your head spin. Careful now, the young Prince Henry got lost once and never did find his way out of the garden again. The beauty of the garden though, it truly is enough to dazzle. How does Mistress Mary do it?

With cockle-shells, and silver bells,

Well, surely the cockle-shells and silver bells, all lined up in a row, are not to blame. They seem quite useless, really, though a wonderful ringing can be heard throughout the garden.

And pretty maids all a row.

Maybe then, the pretty maids working up and down the rows, tending the garden are to blame for the beauty. That couldn’t be—it’s well known those so-called maids gossip more than anything else! Not a drop of fresh, fertile soil is brought into the garden in the spring; water too, is rare to find. Honestly, what do those wretched girls do all day in there? It cannot be denied that the rose bushes have the biggest blooms you’ll ever find. I guess we’ll never know then, how Mistress Mary’s garden grows…

(Picture of Mary's Garden)

Author's Note: This story is based on the nursery rhyme "Mistress Mary", which is quoted throughout the story in italics. You can find the original nursery rhyme in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897). I did technically follow the story of the original rhyme; however, I expanded upon it quite a bit and changed the tone of the story. I added a bit of sarcasm and overall negativity, as the story mentions a lost--presumably dead—prince inside the garden and Mary's personality is quite unfriendly. I chose to make Mary an unfriendly character mostly because it fit the first line of the version of the nursery rhyme that I used: "Mistress Mary, quite contrary." No one seems to think much about this line, but it seems very clear to me that Mary was a mistress and not a very happy, warm character. I did not actually change this, but rather expanded upon it to make Mary seem more like a real person. I chose the image above because it reflected what I pictured when writing this story very well. I imagine this being just one section of Mary's vast, beautiful garden. My overall purpose for this story was to make this rhyme more interesting and maybe even remind readers of someone they may have known over the years who had a personality similar to Mary—I think we have all known a perpetually cranky, middle-aged woman at some point!

My Favorite Places in France: Marseille, Vichy and Paris... In That Order!

The summer after my first year of college I studied abroad in Vichy, France. I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Marseille-on the French Riviera-and Paris, as well. Marseille was most definitely my favorite city.

 After some rather horrible travel/communication difficulties upon my arrival in France, I eventually made it to my apartment. Below is a picture of the outside of the building. The efficiency apartment was tiny, even by efficiency standards! But it was cheap-a nice relief from the other costs of living in France! It was also just a few blocks from my school, and close to several of my future-friends apartments'. There was this little cafe nearby that served gyros; I'd never had one before my stay in Vichy. They were SO good. I ate there nearly every day for lunch or dinner. Sometimes both.

(image information: personal photo taken in Vichy, France; photo from June 2013)

These are just the set of keys I used to enter my apartment building, and my apartment. I think they are so cool looking.

(image information: personal photo taken in Vichy, France; photo from June 2013)

While in France, I was pretty much forced to come out of my shell-despite the language barrier and my generally anti-social personality-because I didn't know anyone else and I didn't want to be a complete loner for a month, haha. Pictured below are two girls that I became very close with while in Vichy. I'm hoping to one day be able to visit them! Han is on the left, Yang is in the middle, and I am on the right.

(image information: personal photo of Han, Yang, and myself in Vichy, France; photo taken June 2013)

I went to Marseille for a weekend during my stay. Marseille was an absolutely gorgeous city. Forever a beach bum, I spent a huge portion of my weekend in the water.

(image information: personal photo of myself at a beach in Marseille; photo taken June 2013)

I took this photo at the top of an old fort that is right in the middle of Marseille, and overlooks the harbor. I still can't get over how pretty this place is.

(image information: personal photo take of the harbor in Marseille, France; photo taken June 2013)

Another weekend, I went to Paris, France for "La Fette de Musique", which just means "The Music Festival". The festival was amazing. It takes place annually all over France, but the the best place to be during it is Paris! There were huge concerts taking place in the middle of major intersections, completely shutting down traffic. They also had countless little acts outside coffee shops and other small businesses. It was amazing. However, I couldn't find any pictures from the concerts!

I did take pictures during my visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. This was my very favorite part of the trip. I am a Religious Studies Major, so places like this always interest me. Once again though, the beauty of the place was astounding. Below is a picture of the outside of the cathedral. It was a cloudy day, and it made for a perfect backdrop to my photo.

(image information: photo of the Notre Dame Cathedral

 in Paris, France; personal photo from June 2013)

Inside the cathedral, it was even more beautiful and extravagant.

(image information: photo of the inside of the Notre Dame 

Cathedral; personal photo take June 2013)

Overall, my trip to France was amazing. My French improved by leaps and bounds. I got to see some amazing sights. And I made some fantastic new friends!