Storybook Topic Options

One topic I would be interested in would be the Love Stories. It is very interesting the in the extended version of the Ramayana, Rama drives Sita into exile. Not to be cynical but I like unconventional love stories, or should I say love stories that seem like they could actually happen. Though I do like the Hallmark Christmas channel during the holidays, there is only so many cheesy love movies one can take. I am in a committed relationship and though sometimes it does seem like a fairy tales, other times it doesn’t. Fighting over little things, being so angry that you aren’t sure you want to forgive them but love them enough too. It’s strange and I’d like to have a story that conveys more like reality.

I would also really enjoy doing a storybook over heroes and heroines. I myself am a huge fan of all of the marvel movies and love a good hero, and villain to love. I am a fan of the type of hero to come out of the small places and do it for the good of the people, like daredevil and superman. I also enjoy the cocky and arrogance of some heroes, like Ironman. Besides, stories about heroes tend to be action packed and lovable villains.

Ironman

From Comic Vine

Creating a hero story to most probable story I would do. I looked at some ways to make your own Hero story. http://angelashelton.com/how-to-write-your-own-hero-story/

Going right along with the heroes and heroines stories, a storybook about warriors, battles, and weapons also sounds very interesting. I remember the Sword of Truth series where one “The chosen one” (or something like that, I know that’s also from Harry Potter) was the only one that was able to wield the sword of truth and it was a battle in in of itself to even hold the blade. I love those types of stories with magical weapons, magic wielding warriors, and epic battle scenes.

The last topic would be Laura’s suggestion about using the imagery in the Ramayana to create a story. That would be a direction of writing I have never done before. This past week was pretty easy to pick part of the Ramayana but to pick an image seems a little harder. I will try to do that this next week if we have a story telling assignment and see how it goes. It would be difficult to do a whole story over it but I can try it out. However, thanks for the unique thought Laura! I will try it!

Storytelling for Week 2: William and the Gizar

Author's Note 

This story is based off of the Ramayana. In the original story Rama is banished from the kingdom because of his evil stepmother wanting her son to rule instead of Rama. While Rama is banished from the kingdom he is attacked by the rakshasa’s. I created a similar story about my character being banished. The character, Will is banished from the kingdom because he is practicing magic, Will is my representation of Rama. I represent the rakshasa with a creature called a Gizar. This Gizar is just something I came up with. A friend even thought of the name. I love writing fantasy stories so I took magical elements from the epic.

During the fight between Rama and the rakshasa, Rama unexpectedly pulls out celestial weapons to defeat the rakshasa. So in my story I surprise the Gizar with Will being able to use magic. 

Story

The day seemed hotter than usual in the jungle, Will was use to the heat but today was it oddly unbearable. Will had lived in the jungle for two years, not by choice, he had been banished from his kingdom because he loved and practiced the dark magic. Since his banishment he had been journeying north to what he heard was a new and undiscovered land. Will didn’t know if there was any truth to the legend but he had nowhere else to go.

The one good thing about living in the jungle was Will could practice his magic any time he wanted, and that was exactly what he did. Will heard rattling in the distance and took cover to see what the gods gave him for dinner. As the thing came closer Will started to make out what it was, a Grizar. This was no gift from the gods, it was a curse from the underworld. Will only had a bow and a jagged dagger. He drew his bow and notched an arrow and aimed it at the Grizar. He released the arrow, the Grizar reacted immediately and caught the arrow right before it hit him. The Grizar let out a snarling laugh,

“You stupid, stupid mortal, you really think you can kill me that easily?”

“What part of the underworld did you crawl out of?” Will said with rage.

The Gizar just smiled and jumped toward Will, Will pulled out his dagger to defend himself and took a swing. The GIzar blocked with his arm as the dagger sliced across it.  Will backed up and parried the creature’s swings.

“What brought you here, creature?” Will shouted as the continued to battle

The Gizar was determined not to answer as he lunged towards Will, as the creature was in the air Will released a spell that froze the Gizar in midair, the Gizar looked at Will stunned. He did not expect Will to use magic.

“Ha, you beast. I am more than mortal.” Will hissed.  

Will started to walk off, leaving the beast floating in the air. The beast yelled profanities at Will but he ignored them and continued walking.  

Will continued north through the jungle, after his adrenaline had subsided he realized he still had not eaten. It was getting late and it is never a good idea to wander the jungle at night so his stomach would have to wait until tomorrow. Will noticed the Jungle getting thinner, more light was coming through the trees. Will had about twenty minutes of daylight so continued for a while longer.

Right as the sun was setting Will had broken out of the jungle. There was a vast open land with a huge wall protecting some town or city. Will was taken aback, he wasn’t expecting it to be civilized beyond the jungle. Will stepped forward and as he did men in armor sprang out of the trees and drew there weapons. Will smiled, he was finally going to have a new home.

The Jungle 

From TOPHDIMGS

Reading Diary: Week 2

My favorite part was definitely the fight between Rama and rakshasas. It reminds me of something from Eragon. I like the different types of magics and how the rakshasas couldn't be killed by any weapon. However, it is a little strange the Rama randomly gets a celestial weapon in the jungle.I also like the love story between Rama and Sita, how it started was very strange. 

Awhile ago I read a series called The Sword of Truth the main character Richard seemed to be everything important that needed to take care of the problem. It seems like Rama is that kind of character, like what ever the story needs at the moment.

Rama defeats Khara.

Reading Diary Week 2

You were right Laura! I do really like this. It reminds me a lot of greek mythology. I will be honest, this is a little difficult to read. I haven't read in a while. I really like a story line of the Sons and how it talks about Rama. At first I thought the Avatar section would be like avatar the last air bender but it wasn't. I also like the love story between Rama and Sita. The imagery is also really awesome.

Photographer: Indi Samarajiva

Learning Challenges

Alright, I am going to be honest, in doing this assignment I spend 5 minutes looking at all the procrastinating picture on the website and I in fact felt as though I was procrastinating. Anyway this whole time management thing is a little fuzzy to me and I'll explain why. I have very little free time. I only wish I was exaggerating. I admit that I save Friday night for myself but other than that my free time is limited. This semester I am in 15 hours, which isn't a lot I know but on top of that I am involved in about 7 different organizations in school and this semester I am planning Engineers Week. So even this first week of school I spent more time sorting E-week stuff out than I did on school work...opps. Not only am I involved, I also work. Just this weekend I work 15 hours in two days, so my weekend pretty much. Now I know I got WAY to far in over my head but I want a good resume and I need money, so what are you going to do. Anyway I say all this because it does seem that I don't get my stuff done until the last minute however its not because I wasn't doing something it is because I was doing other things. So I am confused about if I am over busy or a huge procrastinator..
 

Photo From my Facebook Page

Growth Mindset

I had never heard of this professor, however I do really like this idea of this Growth Mind set and the "power of yet". I must confess I have done a few of the things that are in the wrong mindset like asking around to make sure my score wasn't the lowest and feeling better that someone scored lower. Using this mind set is almost kind of common sense, however isn't as easy as you'd think. "Failing" when others "succeed" is very discouraging and it is really hard to think of this "yet" mind set, even if it is the one that makes since. I would really like to learn more this semester about this topic, it is a good thing for an engineer to hear.

Photo by Reid Willson

On the Carrie Website

Storybook Favorites

Tales of Dr. Love

As expected I have not heard of the story of Dr. Love. Of course there are modern day stories of "the Love Doctor" but that would be the only experience I'd have. I really like the style of the introduction. I like the way the character is almost interacting with you during the introduction and how the character is talking to you. My first impression of an introduction would be an outline of what is to come. I guess it did that but in an unexpected way. Personally the navigation to the corner is a little hard to read but I like the way it has the navigation tool.

Horses Divine 

My very first impression is that the picture on the cover is awesome! I have little experience with horses. They have always been so big and I have been so small. I have this image in my head that they would crush me. The introduction is much more like I imagined one, however it is not as fun as the last. I do like the picture she took by herself with I assume one of her horses. The navigation is a lot easier to read, but it took me a second to find it.

Kalki, Devadatta & Heavenly Warriors. Dharma Protection Group.

The Girls of Spring               

The layout of the page suits the story. I will again have to say that I am unfamiliar with this topic. I guess I am as american white girl as I can get minus the yoga pants and Starbucks. The introduction is like the one in Dr. Love. I really like this style of introduction instead of the boring, this is what I am talking about, layout. The navigation is easy to read but not t creative. 

Choosing my Ramayana, Overview

Well first off I would probably choose the online version of the Ramayana. The foremost reason being that it is more easily available and I haven't been to the library in a while. Another big reason I would want the online version is that it does have audio. I see myself doing my work in the evening for this class, seeing as my days are usually filled up and I love listening to audio books because I can listen better than I can concentrating on what I am reading.

I have to be honest. By head is mostly in my homework and books, so I really don't have much knowledge on really anything we will be covering. Or at least it didn't look like it. However I do think I will enjoy the content. I do love epic TV shows and movies.

Krishna, Arjuna and Pradyumna 

fight the Demon Nikumbha 

(circa 1820, shown in Sotheby catalog)

Introduction

Hello all!

My name is Olivia Blount. I am a junior Aerospace Engineer. So if I misspell a word or my sentences don't make since, then you know why! I am involved in a lot of different organizations in the College of Engineering, including: Engineer's Club, Sooner Engineering Education, Society of Engineers, Design Buld Fly, Deans Leadership Council, and even a few more! I love being involved and helping the college. The semester I am in charge of the annual Enigneers' Week. It is a full week of fun activities to celebrate being engineers, it is always a blast and it is very fun planning it. (So Laura, if I get no work done the week of Feburary 20th...you know why! ;) ). My writing style s a lot like the way I talk, however I am sometimes not as enthusiastic when I talk, that just comes out in writing.

Matt and I 

Photo Credit to me :)

I am from Norman so I didn't go very far. My family has always been Sooner Fans so I figured what the hell. Fun facts about me: I am adopted. into the same family so I can confuse you in about 5 seconds with my family tree. Another fun fact is that I have had a job since I was 15, in fact I have had the same job since then. I guess my employers like me if they have kept me around so long. I work for both Eskimo Sno and Nexus Productions (they are both owned by the same family). Another fun fact is that I actually met my boyfriend working. (Oh and a moment to brag, he just got his black belt in Judo!!! But I know, this is suppose to be about me...). Another thing is, my writing skills are awful! No surprise I guess from an engineer. I have friend from high school and she is amazing at writing. She wrote a poem once that almost brought me to tears, and that is saying a lot since I am a hard ass.

So a little mid semester updates:

Engineers Week was AMAZING!!! I must say, I worked really hard for everything to work out and it did! The E-club officers really stepped up to help me and the grapevine says it was one of the best E-Week's they had seen! However I have most definitely crawled into my introvert self and has hardly seen any one this week, not sure I am ready to crawl back out yet...

Matt and I have started this women self defense class on Thursday nights and the first night was awesome! Some of my friends came out and had so much fun, they were flipping me next day! We learned some boxing stuff last time.

Blackbird

Authors Note:

I took the following song and made it into a story, I actually the beginning of the song in my story and the last half into actual characters. 

Sing a song of sixpence,
A bag full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie;

When the pie was open'd,
The birds began to sing;
Was not that a dainty dish,
To set before the king?

The king was in his counting-house
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlour
Eating bread and honey;

The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes,
There came a little blackbird,

And snapt off her nose.       

My Story

                The kitchen was loud and crowded, just like every day in the castle.  Fresh dough was being kneaded, salads were being prepared, and meat was being cooked. Sarah grew up in this kitchen, she started working the moment she could walk. Her mother was the head of the kitchen and her mother’s mother before that and now she held the title. Today was a special day, festivities were going on all around the castle, it was the king’s birthday.

                The queen had been in the kitchen for the most part of the day tasting, test, critiquing. The queen ate the bread and even the honey to make sure it was perfect, as if she didn’t trust the kitchen maids.

                “Sarah dear” The queen commanded “Won’t you be a doll and make a pie for my husband?”

                “Of course your majesty, what kind did you have in mind?” Sarah asked.

                “Oh, surprise me”

After commanding a pie to be made for her husband, the queen went on her way.

                This was Sarah’s chance, it was finally time to make her blackbird pie. There was an old legend that blackbirds have the power to shrink and could be controlled with their love of killing. Sarah was going to use this myth to finally put an end to the greedy king who was no doubt in the counting-house, counting his money. The king was so greedy with wealth and power that his kingdom was poor and starving. He never spend money to better the kingdom and starving children suffered the consequences every day because of it. Sarah had only a little time to make the pie.

 

BlackBird

From RSPB

                The pie was almost complete, all she needed was the blackbirds. She knew of only one way to summon them. She opened the window and under her breath sang the song,

“Sing a song of Sixpence,

a bag full of rye;

Four and twenty blackbirds

Baked in a pie;”

Sarah could hear the birds coming!

It must be working! she thought.

“When the pie was open’d,

The birds began to sing;

Was not that a dainty dish,

to set before the king?”

The bird flooded in as if no one could see them and swooped right into the pie, before she knew it, all the birds were in the pie. Sarah was caught in a daze, dumbfounded that the song had worked. When she returned to her surrounding, the pie was gone.

Sarah frantically looked around, the pie was nowhere in sight. Suddenly Sarah head a scream of in the distance, she ran towards the window and saw the blackbirds attacking a maid! Sarah was confused, she had sung the song about the king, why didn’t it work? Sarah slowly backed away from the window, she wanted nothing to do with this, she no longer wanted to mess with powers she did not understand.

Picture of a Favorite Place

The "Whale Tail" located in Costa Rica, is a place I visited over the winter break. It is located in a town called, Uvita. This was one of the most extraordinary things I have seen, whenever it is high tide, the whole piece of land is covered and the waves collide with each other rather than going towards the shore. Extraordinary.

Whale Tail Costa Rica
Photo from Nature Air blog

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