Week 5: Famous Last Words

I have successfully completed all of the tech tips for this semester. Phew! That’s one thing I don’t have to worry about (I realize they were extra credit but still, they’re an easy point). I am really upset though that I completely forgot to do the declaration for my storytelling this week. Ugh! I didn’t get to do three assignments last week and then I go and forget to do the declaration this week after doing the assignment! I am so disappointed in myself. I’m really sucking this semester and it makes me sad. Don’t hate me, Laura, things are just really stupid this final semester of mine!

So I’m doing a bunch of homework tonight (I write this a 6:30am on Sunday) and I still have so much to do! I’m only in three classes right now, and I’m swamped! This is the final thing I have to do for this class, and then I have to write act one of my TV script and complete its treatment. Then, I have to rewrite a script where the antagonist and protagonist switch places, and I have to read the script for UP and answer questions about it. Shoot lawd, I need to learn some better time management skills. On a brighter note, only four more episodes and then I’m caught up on Supernatural! Yes, this is going to be an ongoing countdown of mine. You should be glad I didn’t do any Teen Wolf recaps during my earlier last words when the season was still going. Yes, I’m obsessed with Supernatural and Teen Wolf. There’s no shame here. Only love.

I’ve been pretty sick these past couple weeks, and I think that’s really been messing me up. I had to call in to work two nights in a row and I’ve been really behind on homework. I’m hoping things will pick back up now that I’m feeling better, but at the same time I’m trying not to overburden myself and get sick from exhaustion. It’s a fine line.

Teen Wolf WALLPAPER! :) Only love here.

Week 5 Storytelling: My Mango Addiction

Mangoes from Who Like It

            I’ve always been a big fan of mangoes. I’m not sure when it began, but it’s always kind of taken over my life. I’d do anything for a ripe mango.  According to my parents, there was this one time when I was a baby that I thought the sun was a mango. Can you imagine being so in love with mangoes that you think the sun is one?

            It’s all right though. One learns to live with their addiction to mangoes, as I certainly have. Granted, I’m immortal so it was kind of a necessity that I learn to cope with my addiction. Still, some days have been harder than others….

            The monkey sat with his best friend, Aladdin. They hadn’t had anything to eat in a few days and not only were their stomachs were chatting up a storm, but the bread crumbs littered across the asphalt were beginning to look awfully delicious.

            “We gotta find something to eat,” Aladdin said.

            Hanuman nodded and at that exact moment a cart of mangoes rolled past their line of sight. The mangoes glistened from early morning dew in the rising sun. They were all perfectly ripe and ready for the eating. Hanuman’s mouth watered.

            “Hey! Watch it! You’re drooling on me!”

            Hanuman apologized and pointed toward the pristine mangoes excitedly. Aladdin shook his head, not surprised by his best friend’s suggestion for food, and then they discussed their game plan.

            Less than 15 minutes later, and Hanuman was poised on the rooftop above where the mango cart was parked and Aladdin was perusing a nearby jewelry cart.

            An innocent bystander also looking through the same jewelry cart walked away from the cart.

            “Hey!” Aladdin yelled at the man who walked away. “Stop that man! He stole a piece of jewelry! Stop him!”

            The owner of the jewelry cart ran to some nearby security men and the burly man running the mango cart ran after the jewelry thief and tackled the innocent bystander to the ground.

            By the time they figured out the man didn’t steal any jewelry, Aladdin and Hanuman were long gone and the mango cart was a lot less heavy.

Author's Note: The character of Hanuman (his origin story specifically) reminded me a lot of Abu from Aladdin. So I decided to do a story mash-up of sorts. Abu had the obsession with jewels, and I took that Hanuman was obsessed with mangoes. I took Hanuman's origin story and kind of shortened it down to what was necessary in the beginning of my retelling, and then put him into sort of an everyday hunger scene between Abu and Aladdin.

Buck, William (1973). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 5: Reading Diary Pt. A

This version is so much more different and extravagant than the last one we read! I'm sure a lot of people mentioned this in last week's reading diaries, but since I didn't have the chance to do them I guess this one will be my first one for this author's rendition. But so far I really enjoy the added level of detail. I loved that the first author we read wrote theirs so colorfully I guess would be the word, but I feel like I can really delve into this author's writing. It's different and it's weird because it's kind of the same story, but I like the contrast. I preferred the last version of Rama and Sita, where Rama finds Sita on the road, but otherwise I really like this version. Although I feel as though there are more terms that are just thrown around in this one. I can definitely sees a sort of children's story vs scholarly story

Week 5: Reading Diary Pt. B

I really enjoyed the story of Hanuman. I don't know why but this version of his story was just so much more captivating and I really loved it. It's definitely the story that I'll be doing for my retelling. Jeez, Tara was overdramatic. I liked it though. It makes me torn on which story to retell. I just really loved that Tara impaled herself on the arrow that killed her love. So tragic, so grand! There so much drama and kidnapping and suicide in this version. It's all so morbid but epic in the same way. Overall, this version seems less overly about Rama's story. I know the first version was clearly a frame tale (they both are), but the first version still felt like it was completely Rama's story. In this version, it seems more like a bunch of different stories converging together into one final story. It's like one of those movies with a million interconnected characters who's stories don't truly connect to us until the end. It's an interesting difference between the two versions. Also, the picture's that got put on the reading guide were all really gorgeous. My favorites yet.