Avani's Blog

( Twin Dragons, Luck ) Hello everyone! Today, I will be focusing on Chinese Fairy Tales, Part A. When I was reading these fairy tales, they were different compared to Indian fairy tales. It seemed like the plot in the Chinese fairy tales was rather surprising, unexpected, and full of twists and turns. They were not regular scenarios, and the lessons were not stated directly in the reading. The readers had to formulate their own interpretation of the reading. Of the Part A readings, I loved the Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck and The Cave of the Beasts.  In the Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck, the lesson of the story is remain loyal to your loved ones. Although this is case, do not expect to share their luck and fortune. Everyone has their path, and each person should work hard towards their own goal. The reading had much dialogue between the princess and the beggar. I wondered what was going on in the beggar's mind. It would be interesting t...

  ( Liaodi Pagoda ) In Part 2 Reading Notes, I will be focusing on two further stories that I found interesting! The first reading is The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away. This story reminded me of Rapunzel's story. Both the maiden from the Chinese fairy tale and Rapunzel were trapped on the top of a high tower and could not get down. Although this is the case, both ladies were trapped there for different reasons. The maiden was carried off by a cyclone, which dropped her off on top of a pagoda. For Rapunzel, a witch trapped her in order to keep Rapunzel to her herself. If these two stories were combined, I wonder what parallels they would have. The maiden and Rapunzel can even be in the same story and have one general theme. The truth will always come out no matter how long it takes. ( Yang Gui Fe ) The second story that stood out to me was Yang Gui! Comparing this story to other stories that I have read, this was certainty something charming and different. The ending ...

(Picture from MindShift ) Hello everyone! This week I read a article about growth mindset. It mentioned the differences between eastern and western teaching differences. Western schooling teaches the students the struggle is a sign of low ability, while eastern schooling teaches that struggle is an opportunity and room to grow. Although this is the case, there are both advantages and disadvantages to both types of teaching. Eastern students are not as creative and become "robots." So, Asian countries also have their concerns. It leads me to wonder if a country can adapt to both teaching styles; however, it is difficult for any country to change how they teach their students. I do believe that Western and Eastern cultures can adapt some traits both each other. I am curious if studies have been done to explore the relationship between Western and Eastern teaching styles. As I have mentioned in my previous growth mindset posts, I hope I am also able to improve my way of...

(Image by Ramdlon  Pixabay ) For this week, I chose to do a story lab! These assignments allow me to explore new ways to improve my writing! This week I focused on the Advice to Writers assignment. I will touch upon three of my favorite pieces of advice, which are included down below. I personally struggle with thinking of new ideas, rereading my work, and revising. After I complete something, it is hard for me to think of new ideas to add to my story. What I learned from these writers was that it takes time. You cannot force writing, be patient, and keep practicing. Once I accept these things, I hope it will take away the pressure I feel when I write. So, I plan on jotting down my thoughts whenever I have an idea. I think my thoughts and ideas will help me when I am writing a story in the future. I also plan on just reading more! Due to my current course load, I already have much to read. When I have time, I wish to read novels that I actually enjoy! With the advice I lea...

( Pride Goeth Before a Fall illustrated by Joseph Jacobs) Hello everyone! In this week's notes, I will be discussing two stories that I loved. The first one is the Pride Goeth Before a Fall. It was a humorous and clever story. Although the tone of the story was mysterious and dark, it had a light humorous tone. I realized that I have never done writing with this type of tone before. Most of the stories that I have read or retold have had a direct and mysterious tone, so I hope to explore a humorous tone if I retell this story. Even the illustration for this story has a light feeling. It would be interesting to see if the story became even more light and clever to showcase the trader s' wit. Or I could switch the roles. What if the robbers became the witty ones and the traders were uneducated. Since traders are known for their skill and knowledge, it would be interesting to see uneducated traders.  ( How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner illustrated by Jose...

( The Broken Pot  by John D. Batten)  Hello everyone! My readings notes for Part A will discuss The Broken Pot from the source Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs. When I first saw the illustration, it intrigued me. I wondered what the story would be about. All I saw was a broken pot pouring an unknown liquid on a man. This story was quick and simple without being abrupt. The sentences were not as descriptive as the previous stories that I did notes over. It also briefly focused on the setting and main character. However, the internal dialogue that the author had showcased the character's thoughts and personality. The internal dialogue was about the future and the main character's hopes and dreams. In reality, the main character was only laying on the couch. When the character got ahead of himself, reality happened. His plans for his rice pot was ruined. This goes to show that one must not become overconfident and things do not always happen in the order they are supposed...

(The Travelers and the Purse by Milo Winter UN-Textbook ) The updated version of the story is here on my Portfolio!  A student, Dhyan, was in his last year of college. He was about to graduate. However, his journey was not easy. Dhyan's parents worked tirelessly to pay for his college expenses. His parents cooked him food, folded his laundry, and ran his errands. As Dhyan was the first in his family to go to college, his parents solely wanted their only son to achieve great things.   At his graduation, Dhyan's parents came to congratulate him after the ceremony. The parents were overjoyed and proud of what their son had accomplished. However, Dhyan barely acknowledged his parents.   "All my hard work finally paid off! Without my friends, I couldn't have graduated!" After Dhyan proudly said this, his parents were surprised that he did not thank them. They were the ones who made it possible for him to go to college in the first place....

( Deskercise: 17 Exercises ) Hello everyone! This week's Learning Challenge is a continuation from Week 3's Learning Challenge (desk exercises)! I did desk exercises for roughly two weeks and realized that I forgot to do them when I was in pain or sore. Since I am used to being in one position for hours, I did not realize the toll it took on my body. Therefore, I decided to schedule the exercise into my daily routine. I would do it in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Going to sleep and waking up was amazing after I did it regularly. Even though most of the exercises included stretching, it relieved my pain! In addition, I decided to include some healthy habits as well. Before, I used to go to sleep and wake up by getting on my phone. Not getting on my phone in the morning and evening was relieving. The article that inspired improving my health was  6 Yoga Exercises You Won't Be Embarrassed to Do at Your Desk  by Linda Steinberg. I aim on continuing this routine...

(Wedding of Rama and Sita  Flickr ) I finished reading the Ramayana, and it was amazing! I learned why things are the way they are in Hinduism. I loved getting to know more about Rama and Sita. For the second reading notes this week, I will be focusing on a specific page from the Ramayana: Sita in the Asoka Grove. Hanuman is one of my favorite characters as he is a monkey! He was also a giant in this story! Just imagining a giant monkey walking through the OU campus already seems fascinating.  The page Sita in the Asoka Grove is a great story to have action and detail! The original story already has a good amount of detail, but I wish to explore Hanuman's thoughts and feelings. The story could even be told in his perspective instead of a third person point of view. If it told in a third person point of view, more dialogue would be added in. For example, the interactions between Hanuman and Sita were barely discussed. It was brief. The dialogue would showcase t...

[Rama (left) in Forest with wife Sita (center) and brother Lakshmana (right) Wikimedia Commons ] This week I read the Ramayana! Before I read this retelling of the Ramayana, I only knew the basic details. After reading this though, I finally understood why things were the way they were. The one thing that was difficult for me was keeping track of all the characters. I would have to go back to a previous story and see what the relationship was between Rama and that said character was. But there was great amounts of details! From the setting to the character's feelings, everything was described to its fullest. If I were to recreate one of the stories from the Ramayana, I would love to focus on one character. Most of the stories had at least five characters at a time. So it would be interesting to see how the story would flow if only some of the characters were included. On the storytelling strategies page, character nicknames/adjectives are discussed. I think this would a ...

(Stories and Storytelling  Pixabay ) I decided to do the Story Lab this week! From the assignments, I choose to watch two TED Talk videos about stories and storytelling. The videos were The danger of a single story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Imaginary friends and real-world consequences by Jennifer Barnes. The speakers spoke about common thoughts and feelings readers take away from stories, television shows, and movies. Adichie discussed the danger of a single story. In novels, readers are usually exposed to a certain image of a place and group of people. This makes it hard to perceive the place or group of people from a perceptive other than the story. It is almost like a stereotype. If a stereotype is given to a place/group of people and the stereotype is challenged, then it is difficult to accept a place/group of people differently. Therefore, Adichie means to say that something should not be looked from a single story. Instead all stories should be considere...

This week's extra credit assignment is about cats - the growth mindset cats! Here are my three favorite growth mindset cats! ( Ponder your potential ) When I am uncertain about my future, I like to think about my current state. If I look back on my achievements and successes, it motivates me to keep going. It calms me down. I know that I will be able to grow my potential with time. Ultimately, this will bring more achievements and successes in the future. Just because I might not be the person I want to be right now does not mean I won't be in the future.  ( My peers can be my teachers ) Most of the time, I understand the material better from my peers. My professors discuss the designated material for that day, so they usually rush through the notes and slides. As my peers are learning the same material, it is easier to understand their way of thinking. My peers are able to teach me better. Therefore, I strongly agree with this growth mindset cat: my peer...

(The Mice and The Weasels by Milo Winter Flickr ) I am now finished with the Aesop's fables! I loved every story so much! Now that I am older, I do not have the time to just sit down and read fables. I did not think I would love it so much! This time, I will be focusing on the story The Mouse and The Weasel. Like I mentioned in the reading notes for Part A, the story is on the short side. Last week, I read Cupid and Psyche, and the stories there were longer in length and full of detail and dialogue. There is a great difference between the two stories. I guess that is the point. Shorter stories allow the readers to easily understand the moral of the story without getting into the specifics. When I finished reading the story, I wondered why the weasel did not help the mouse. What were the weasel's thoughts and his reasoning for not helping the weasel? Was the weasel being greedy as well? It is interesting to note that the author of the story did not include this part...

(The Travelers and the Purse by Milo Winter UN-Textbook ) Hello everyone! For this week's reading, I choose to read the Aesop for Children that was illustrated by Milo Winter. Most of the readings that I picked for the remaining weeks are also fables and fairy tales. So, these fables were a great start to what is to come! In Reading A, there were many stories that I loved! All of them had great themes, and I took away some valuable life lessons. One of my favorite stories was the Travelers and the Purse. I might retell this one for this week! For this reason, I will be exploring some strategies that might help me retell it. One thing that I wish to change is the start of the story. Instead of a traveler finding the purse on the ground, I want to make their journey longer. For example, the travelers might work together to achieve a goal, but one traveler takes all the credit. Or the whole narrative could be reversed. The traveler who found the purse/achieved the goal sh...

( Mountain Scenery  by Marlon Martinez) To see what I am currently working on in my portfolio, click here ! Please leave your comments as well! Thank you!

(Yoga Exercise Pixabay ) I choose to do another Learning Challenge this week! Even though it's the third week of school, I am already tired and stressed. For this reason, I choose to focus on Health/Happiness. I am constantly at my desk doing assignments on my laptop. Whether I am just studying or taking notes, everything involves being on my laptop. I become very tired after sitting in one position for too long, and so I am always moving around. To help relieve some tension, I choose to read 6 Yoga Exercises You Won't Be Embarrassed to Do at Your Desk by Linda Steinberg!  Once I was done reading her article, I immediately tried out the exercises she listed! It roughly took 10 minutes to do everything. Right now, my body is extremely stiff, so I was not able to feel immediate relief. After some time though, I hope I will feel a lot better! My favorite ones that the author discussed were the chair twist and the open chest stretch. All my muscles felt relaxed af...

(Honest Feedback Pixabay ) The two articles I read about feedback strategies were: Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback by Marshall Goldsmith and Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset by Gravity Goldberg. When I saw the term "feedforward," I assumed it would be similar to feedback. However, feedforward and feedback are two completely different concepts. These two articles were so fascinating to read as actual studies have been conducted to show the value of feedforward. The main thing I took away from feedforward was "future." Instead of focusing on what someone did wrong in the past, feedforward gives recommendations for the future. This ultimately, helps them improve in the future and focuses on the process. It provides solutions to their problems, and it is up to them if they want to use those solutions. At school and work especially, feedforward would enable growth and a growth mindset. Since I worked at a tutoring center, ...

(Lord Dhanwantari  Wikimedia Commons ) Out of the four topics I researched, I choose Dhanwantari !  Dhanwantari is the Hindu god of medicine, and is an embodiment of Lord Vishnu, a Hindu god who protects and preserves the world. For my three stories, I want to explore the stories of the Churning of the Ocean . the Amrita , and Dhanwantari's Ayurveda medicinal practice. I listed the stories in this order for a particular reason. The first story would showcase how Lord Dhanwantari came to be. He was one of the 14 objects that came out of the churning of the ocean and held the Amrita (nectar of immortality). The second story would serve to show the connection between his medicinal powers and the Amrita. Although the Amrita is associated with immortality, this is not the case. Drinking the Amrita actually gives the drinker higher knowledge and power. The last story would illustrate his legacy and how the practice of Ayurveda came to be! I discovered a great source that prov...

(Psyche and Her Sisters by Fragonard Wikipedia ) The Husband was Right All Along The two sisters quietly and sneakily planned their crime against their youngest sister, Psyche. They ruined all their clothes, hid their valuables, and gave themselves self-inflicted wounds. The worst of all, they mentally played with parents' mind, making them emotionally drained. Now that everything was ready, the sisters were ready for tomorrow. Even if their plan did not work, they were fixed on murder. Psyche's husband foresaw the sisters' plan to get Psyche. He readily came to Psyche to warn her. "My love, please listen to me. Danger is coming your way and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Your wretched sisters are plotting against you and are even considering murdering you. They want to expose me to you. But if you do, you will never see me again. Do not listen to them for your sake and our unborn child. You know that I love you. Do not reply to them and keep my ...

(Sculpture of Venus and Cupid Wikimedia Commons ) Continuing on from the previous post, these reading notes are regarding the story of Cupid and Psyche. This time the focus will be on characters and the ending. Psyche is one of the main characters from the old women's story. Psyche is obedient, loyal, curious, and a dedicated character. However, her curiosity can also be her weakness. Using her strength as her weakness is a great idea for adding more depth into a character. If I were to re-image Psyche, I would make Psyche empowering. Based on what I read, Psyche is a bit timid. She does not stand up for herself nor fight back. When Venus was constantly giving Psyche impossible tasks, Psyche quietly accepted the challenges. She did not argue with Venus, but was ready to try her best. When Psyche received her last task from Venus, Psyche considered ending her life. If Psyche had confronted Venus, that thought might have not crossed her mind. If she was more confident in h...

[Cupid and Psyche (1639-40) by Anthony van Dyck  Sleeping Psyche is found by Cupid Wikipedia ] This week I read the story of Cupid and Psyche! I was interested in reading Cupid and Psyche, because I wanted to learn about both characters' origins and background. I knew the basics - Cupid has an arrow that immediately causes someone to fall in love and that Psyche was an extremely beautiful girl . In today's reading notes, I will be focusing on the strategies of point of view and setting. Starting with the section Her Dream , point of view becomes extremely important. A girl is kidnapped and an old woman attempts to ease her worries. To do so, the old woman tells her the story of Cupid and Psyche. In order to change the point of view, the author first familiarizes the audience with the actual characters of the story - the robbers, a girl, and an old woman. Then in the next chapters, the audience becomes the kidnapped girl, and the speaker becomes the old woman. T...