Week 10 Review

So something definitely caught my eye in our announcements this week.

(Image Information: Procrastination Flowchart. Source: onlinecourselady)

I love flowcharts! I felt really connected to this one because I have been talking about my procrastination problems all week. I really enjoyed that this one had some tips for me (and some useful ones at that). 

Week 10 Famous Last Words

This has been an exhausting semester for me so far. I am coming to an end on my assignments for this class (thanks due to the extra credit). It is kind of bittersweet. This was my first online class, and since this is my last semester you could say it is my last online class too. I really like the way this whole system is set up. I cannot even imagine the work that had to be put into making sure all the links and plans worked out as scheduled. Also, a shout-out to Laura Gibbs for being able to manage this many students! I am excited that this online class is going to be done right before all of my writing assignments are due that way I have ample time to make sure I can work on them. I am really proud of my storybook, though, and even if I have enough points to get an “A” before I write my last story, I am still going to write it to make sure that everyone gets the wrapped up and finalized version of my storybook.

I am really excited to start writing on my capstone paper. I am analyzing the ethics behind decolonization by case-studying the Algerian-French colony and comparing that data with a more modern day “decolonization” of Israel-Palestine. I have been studying this type of thing throughout my college career and I am ready to show everyone what I’ve got! If anyone has any good and scholarly sources worth sharing, feel free to contact me!

Outside of school I am very busy. It’s Christmas time in retail. Y’all come see me at Ulta! I’ll do your makeup. I have to admit I have Holiday fever. I am already in buying mode. I am thinking about surprising my husband with a trip to see his family in California. ;)

(Image Information: California State. Source: californiaserve)

Week 10 Tech Tip

The last few weeks my tech tips have all dealt with google sites. This is because my biggest accomplishment in this class is my storybook. I am absolutely proud of my stories and how hard I have worked on this project! This week my tech tip dealt with cleaning up my site. This was a big thing for me because appearance plays a big role in the theme of my storybook. I think that hardest thing for me to do is to make sure I am turning my comment boxes off when I create a new page.

Week 10 Curation

My discoveries for the week are:
1) Twelve Learnings From Ganesha: I thought this was absolutely interesting! I bet there are a lot more that tell you about why other gods and goddesses appear as they do. This goes over each characteristic of Ganesha and tells you what each feature/ appearance means in the context of life and lessons.

(Image Information: 12 Learnings from Ganesha. Source: experiencehinduism)

2) Bhishma's Story: I was looking for information that would be useful for my next story in my storybook and I came along this website. It covers some stories from Bhishma's earlier years and really puts his personality into contrast with what I have already learned about him.

3) Primary Questions: A Hindu creation story

 I really liked this video because it was a simple cartoon story about the basic story about the creation of the Earth in Hindu. I thought this was a really great way to get an idea about the basic concepts of creation, gods, and destruction in the context of Hindu religious beliefs. 

Week 10 Growth Mindset

This week I became a manager at my job. Three long, hard years and I have finally made it! The only thing is, I am replacing another manager that is going on maternity leave. When I took the spot over I came to the realization that a lot of her duties were being put off. Nothing was in the right spot. We have boxes of supplies that were piled in the back. Blah blah blah. There was so much that needed to be fixed. I was just thrown into the mess without any help. I am one that gets overwhelmed very easily, but since this was my first time in a manager's position, I knew that I needed to prove myself.
Instead of just continuing the problem or ignoring it (or even crying about it and hoping it goes away - which I can say I have been guilty of in the past) I sat myself down and make a plan. I planned out exactly what needed to happen, along with where, when, and how. I also categorized those plans and decided what would be the most urgent matter if someone (state board, district manager, etc.) came in that day.
I was very proud of myself for making a plan and calming myself down. I had learned from the past that the only way to fix a problem is to actually try to be the solution. I asked questions, even if I felt like they were stupid because I wanted to make sure that every part of this transition was clear to me.

(Image Information: Growth Mindset in the Workplace. Source: Jess3)

Week 10 Reading Feedback

I finally finished the Mahabharata movie by Peter Brook. I am both happy and sad to see it go. I really enjoyed watching it in terms of entertainment. However, in terms of having to watch it for class, it seemed like the further I went into the movie, the more lost I became. The reading guide (or should I say "watching guide") was really helpful to me. However, there was no such thing for the end section of the movie. I had to rewatch a couple of different scenes in order to remember exactly what was going on in the storyline and who it was happening too. I feel like it would have been a lot easier to understand if I had watched it all at once, rather than splitting it up and forgetting about who was who.

(Image Information: How I like to enjoy my movies. Source: Stircrazy)

Week 10 Storytelling: The Men in Blue

There were three men: Rama, Shiva, and Krishna. These three men would come to be known as "The Men in Blue."

Now, these men were not actually blue, but rather they all had a blue aura which only the trained could see. This "hidden" identity is what allowed these men to be in the profession of protecting mankind. Due to this blue aura, the men were able to gain trust in anyone, even those who wanted to kill them. The goal of these men was to protect the world from demonic beings called rakshasa.

Rakshasas can be both good and evil, and these men are here to decide whether or not a rakshasa is safe to live on Earth with people. This is a story about one rakshasa that they encountered.

The men in blue were wandering a trail in the forest on there way to go to a conference to discuss precautions that should be made towards a possible upcoming war between a certain family. On the trail, they suddenly realized a cat was following them. The men knew something was strange. Rama stopped walking to tie his shoe and the other men stopped so he wouldn't have to catch up to them. All while this was happening, though, the cat had also stopped walking. Krishna eyed both Rama and Shiva. Shiva nodded in acknowledgement of what was happening. Krishna pulled his rakshasa blaster out of his pocket and shot the cat. The cat suddenly turned into a screaming rakshasa!

“YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!”
“Yeah… If you were actually a cat,” replied Krishna.
“What are you doing following us?” Rama questioned the demon.
“I am a huge fan of you guy. I was hoping you would pick up the stray kitten and feel sorry for me and keep me. That way I would always be near my heroes.”

Heroes? The three men looked at each other in confusion.
“Number one, why are we your heroes, and secondly, how do you know who we are?” said Shiva.
“Two years ago, you guys saved me. I was being help against my will by an evil man-eating rakshasa. He had me locked up in a cage. When I heard you guys come in, I transformed into a parrot, and after you killed the demon, you released me and I flew off. Ever since then, I have been studying you. I, too, want to rid the world of evil rakshasas.”

Rama whispered, “You have got to be kidding me…”
“Okay,” shiva replied, “transform back into a cat and we can discuss this after our conference.”
And the three men in blue continued on their journey with a tiny kitten following their every step.

(Image Information: kitten in a forest. Source: catsanimals)

Author’s Note: I wanted to discuss why we keep seeing blue characters in our stories. Instead of actually being blue, I took it as these men had blue auras, which only a select chosen few would be able to see. Since a blue aura is protecting an nurturing, I saw them as the protectors of people, and hence the men in blue!

Bibliography: Mahabharata. Peter Brook. 1989.