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....