Reflections: Looking Forward

(Inspirational Pic)

One main thing I would change is finding a way to have more time to put into my schoolwork here during the weekend. I travel with the OU football team and work all weekend so it is really difficult to find time. I edit on my computer all of their footage on the way back because they want to see it as soon as possible. The thing is I am exhausted by that point and in no shape to do homework. So, here is my solution. I am going to start getting up early in the morning on weekends so I can just get all of my homework done and have enough time to do it well. I have read about many people who do the thing they have the least amount of time for in the morning and it has changed that aspect of their life drastically. 

This is just a small thing, but I think I am going to try and be more inspirational to others and myself on some posts. I think it will increase my morale and hopefully others too. I am so tired all the time because I constantly do homework and have my other jobs. So, I will start to put small little inspiring quotes or messages here and there I think for the class to see. This will be therapeutic for me because I like helping people and it’s a positive message I can take in also. I do not have time to go help people like I used to. Its time to get creative! These may sound like small things, but let me say they are huge impacts on my life. My time is precious and these tips will help me use it wisely. 

Week 8 Reflections: Looking Back

Portfolio Guide

(Illustration  by Sir John Tenniel)

Alice and Rabbit in Eden is by far what I have loved the most about this semester. I have learned how to be creative much more and performed on a higher level in my daily writing. This story started out truly as a joke. I thought it was not going to work. I took an idea though and just went with what I though was funny. As a result, I have now set up a series of time traveling stories, which I believe are some of the most fun pieces I have ever written. I encourage you to go to my portfolio guide at the top and see the next story! It is called finding Beowulf. I promise it is worth your time! 

I have figured out what schedule works for me even though it is daily work. I have no other option, but to do it daily since I work everyday and weekends. I also have class every morning and night. I have successfully made it through though! 

I have really enjoyed working with the class also! Everyone has been extremely helpful and I have taken their comments to heart applying them to my writing. 

Overall I am in a great place this semester at this point! 

Essay: Tricksters and Fools Between a Monkey and Turtle

(Philippine turtle, by P. Fidenci)

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In the Monkey and the Turtle,  those two characters mess with each other so much it is unbelievable.  So, first the turtle asked the monkey to bring down some fruit from the tree, but the monkey ended up eating all of it. So, the turtle became the first trickster in the story and put sharp sticks at the bottom of the tree. When the monkey came down the next time, he injured himself very badly. The monkey seeks to revenge himself now. He went and found the turtle, but the turtle told him that he can have some food he was guarding for the king only if he eats it once far away from the area so turtle wouldn't be punished. The food burned the monkey's mouth and he was angrier than before. This is the second time the turtle is the trickster in the story and the monkey is the fool.  Now the monkey went to find the turtle to finish this once and for all. The turtle yelled though, asking if the monkey wanted to wear the King's belt. The monkey replied of course he did! The turtle told him to wait outside of a hole and it will come out soon. A snake came out of the hole and when the monkey grabbed it, it almost killed him squeezing him near to death. This is the third time the monkey was fooled. Lastly, the monkey sat on a coconut-shell and called out to the turtle. The turtle called out "here I am" several times.  The monkey could not see the turtle and thought it was his stomach yelling. The monkey became so angry with his stomach that he hit it brutally with a stone many times. The monkey died from all of the hits he took. This is the fourth and last time the monkey was fooled. 

Storytelling Week 7: The Cost of Love

(macaque)

One day a Prince walks to the market to get fruit for the feast his father would be having later. He gets apples, bread, meat, and grapes. On his way back he ran into someone. He sees a girl and is completely entranced by her beauty. He approaches her with confidence. 

The Prince says, "Excuse me, what is your name?"

The girl says, "Natalie."

The Prince replies, "Oh what a lovely name."

Natalie blushes. She hopes he will ask her to do something sometime.

The Prince goes on, "How would you like to have dinner with me?"

Natalie responds, "When?"

The Prince continues, "Actually, there is a banquet tonight. Would you like to join me?"

Natalie says, "Yes, I will see you tonight Prince."

Both part ways. There is an issue though. Natalie is the daughter of the King's arch rival, the Witch. The King is the Prince's father.

Natalie tells her mother, the witch, she is going on a date. The Witch is curious about this man she is seeing, so she spies on Natalie the whole night.

The Prince and Natalie meet up and head to the banquet. They arrive and the Prince's father sees him with a date and approaches him, "Who might this be son?"

The Prince says, "Father this is Natalie."

The King responds, "It is nice to make your acquaintance Natalie."

Natalie replies, "The pleasure is all mine sir."

All of a sudden, everyone starts dancing. The Prince takes Natalie's hand and takes her to the dance floor. They look at each other in absolute joy. They both flirt back and forth and do not leave the dance floor for an hour. The Prince in the final dance picks Natalie up and performs a huge lift. He finishes by dipping her. The scene is still and the y stare into each other's eyes. The Prince goes to kiss Natalie, but at the last moment Natalie's mother barges through the door.

The Witch yells to the King, "How dare you try and turn my own daughter against me!"

The King with a strange look on his face replies, "What do you mean Witch?"

"Natalie is my daughter," the Witch said.

The King looks at his son in disappointment.

"Witch we have no quarrel with you. Now, go on about your way and we can speak later," the King said.

The Witch does not waiver and starts performing a spell. Natalie sees what spell she is creating and decides to stop it.

The Witch yells, "This is what you get King. I hope it was worth it. With all the power I possess in me change this King's entire destiny!"

The Witch sends the spell towards the King with her hand as Natalie runs with a metal tray towards him. Natalie leaps in front of the King and deflects the spell. The spell bounces back and hits the Witch. The Witch is turned into a monkey. Everyone is safe and now needs attention. The entire crowd takes all precautions necessary and heads home.

Author's note: I chose third person narration style for this story because it allows me to write naturally. If I write another way it feels pretty awkward for me. My main goals for this story was to change the fate of the Prince. and to focus more on the connection between he and Natalie.

The Enchanted Prince originally has the Witch's daughter fall in love with the Prince. The Prince decides to marry someone else though because of pressure from his father the King. So, the Witch's daughter casts a spell on the Prince that turns him into a monkey. He stays a monkey for five centuries until he found a new love that broke his spell and loved him for who he was.

I changed it to where the Witch is the one casting the spell because of her daughter falling in love with the Prince. The Witch gets turned into a monkey though because it bounces off a metal tray her daughter put in front of the King to save him. So, the Prince and Witch's daughter got the happy ending they always wanted, but the Witch would stay a monkey for a long time.

Bibliography: The Enchanted Prince, Filipino Popular Tales, Dean S. Fansler, (1921)

Reading Diary B: Filipino Tales Unit

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(Weaver Ant)

The Ant was interesting because it seems that the story was not written by a person that believes in the Christianity form of God. However, I will draw one correlation that was interesting. So, Satan used to be an angel of God. Satan was jealous of his power though and that got him condemned to hell. The correlation I see is that this story takes place (fictionally) before Satan's fall. The snake is Satan to me and takes the power God has given him, but abuses it later. He uses his new power for the wrong reasons and now only has venom to protect himself. It got me thinking about new ideas for my stories as well! 

The Lost Necklace  was interesting because I never have really thought about why chickens peck at the ground. It is kind of a sad story though. The crow takes a hen's chick each day until she finds the necklace. The story never concluded either. This means that to this day the crow is still taking the hen's little chicks. It was a very creative way to explain why chickens peck at the ground. However, I feel like there could be a better more unique reason that could be used to show why a chicken pecks the ground. Maybe a hen ate a special bean on the ground that made her larger than others chickens. So, to this day they continue to look for that bean. Many chickens find them now, so they are able to live in more wild environments. I don't know, just something a little different. 

Reading Diary A: Filipino Tales Unit

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(macaque)

The Enchanted Prince intrigued for many reasons. So, in short a witch curses a prince, but the destiny of the curse was what is unique to me. The prince gets turned into a monkey for marrying another girl than the witch he was in love with. The witch he was in love with was the daughter of the king's arch enemy Queen witch. The young witch the prince was in love with is the one who turned him into a monkey for five centuries until a girl falls in love with him to break the spell.

That last part was so interesting to me because most people would not even offer a way out from hatred and anger towards someone after a situation like that. So, the witch still cared about her prince and wanted him to be happy. That is amazing to me and what true love is all about. True love is loving someone even when they've wronged you.

The Monkey and the Turtle was intriguing because how easily it was for someone to write it. The monkey and turtle become great enemies and the monkey dies in the end. This kind of hatred does not sit well with me and kind of makes me cringe that someone could just come up with this idea so easily.

These stories feel like they were written to send a moral message, not just to entertain. In movies its expected to see things like this to portray reality. This story I think shows what happens if you do not reconcile with people period as a warning. I didn't expect to see something like this in the story. How its different from other entertainment to me is that it felt personal. I feel like someone didn't get along with someone and wrote this as an outlet to purge emotion. Hatred builds and relationships are broken. It was very sad and its important to be accountable to your actions.

Essay: Tragedy and Pathos

(hawk)

Why a Hawk Kills Chickens

In this story, the reason for why hawks kill chickens is explained through a fictional tale. A chicken decided to go back on her dowry agreement to marry a hawk. Instead, she married someone else. The hawk's king told him that it was okay for him to kill any child that his ex-mistress conceived. This is the part of the story that is filled with tragedy; the part that isn't told to the reader. I believe this for two reasons.

First, it is sad to think about anything losing its child. So, personally it made me think about what I would do if someone hurt my kids in the future. 

Secondly, this story has Nigerian origin and it made me fearful for the reality it might reflect their. Women in this part of the world are completely not valued. They are sold as slaves, wives, etc. A large part of this is done through the dowry system. When I read that the chicken was being exchanged through the dowry system, it made me think of all the girls that are being mistreated, Again, it made me think about my mom and sister personally. Men will do what they wish even here in the U.S. Some systems are not justifiable. 

Those are the two reasons I found that story tragic.

Why the Bat Flies by Night 

In this story, the Bat killed a Bush Rat. That is the tragic part to me. The fact that just out of jealousy the Bat killed the Bush Rat is incomprehensible to me. The Bat's reasoning was poor. 

Secondly, how the Bat killed the Bush Rat is tragic also. The Bat told the Bush Rat that he jumps into the boiling water and the juices that come off of his skin give the food its great flavor. So, the Bush Rat tried it at home, but died from the boiling water. The Bush Rat's wife was very sad and had the king search for the Bat. It was the loss of life and the Bat escaping that gave this part of the story its awful feeling. 

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