Week 10 Storytelling: World

 

Creation

Picture by David

Source: Wikipedia 

The updated version is available in my portfolio: World

Earth was on a mission that seemed impossible—making the world a place of beauty. He was going to need help. Earth God decided to ask his two best friends for help. His two best friends were Sun and Moon. Sun was a jolly man ready to take on any task. On the other hand, Moon was a calm, gentle man with a lot of wisdom. Moon and Sun decided to take on the challenge with Earth, but each one of them had one condition. Sun wanted to be in charge of the world during the day, and Moon wanted to be in charge of the world during nighttime. This is the story how three friends created the world.

The first task on the agenda was creating a forest. Earth twirled around in a constant motion till he was completely dizzy. Suddenly, there were bright, green, and tall creations coming out from a field of dirt. He twirled again and there was something blue and wet coming down in straightforward motion. If you tried to touch it, the blue storm would knock you right down into a clear, slow moving wave. There were rocks, frogs, and fish in this new creation.

Next, was a giant hill! There was a hole in top of the hill. It would take years to climb it, and if you were there at the wrong time, the hill could explode, and shoot bright red lava!

Earth twirled again, and there were some light brown grains on the ground. They were so tiny, but when piled together in a giant pile, the grains were soft. You could make castles, bury things in it, and even lay in it!

One more swirl, and there was a giant rock the skyrocketed up! If you looked down, you might get a little scared because of high this giant rock that split in the middle was.

Earth was really proud of his creations, but Sun and Moon still had their own jobs they needed to get done. Sun saw everything that the Earth just created and smiled real big. His smile was so big that he shined on everything Earth created. The blue waves sparkled like crystals; the giant green branches looked even greener, and the grains on the ground shined a little like tiny brown diamonds. 

The Moon looked around at everything Earth and Sun created together, but once Sun stopped smiling there was nothing but darkness, and nothing the two created could be seen. Moon closed his eyes, and suddenly he lit up light a light bulb. Sun and Earth looked up, and there were tiny little dots that sparkled in the sky. The dots looked like glitter that brightened the creations. Everything was perfect. The Earth, Sun, and Moon created nature. Nature was to be admired by all in the future, and they hoped this would last forever because it was such a pretty sight to see. The world was finally created with the help of some light and darkness. Earth was very happy. 

Author's Note: 

The original story was a little different from what you just read that I wrote. The original story’s main character was Earth Doctor that made water, mountains, trees, grass, and weeds. The story started off with a lot of darkness, which Earth Doctor changed with a little magical song. The song Earth doctor sang when he made the creations was how the world came to be. It was a beautiful story of how nature came to be. Stars, trees, water, and everything else is something that was explained in such a creative way. I was inspired by this story to write my story where Earth was accompanied by Sun and Moon. Earth was in charge of creating nature, Sun was in charge of light, and Moon was in charge of darkness. Instead of a song, I made the Earth twirl around until trees, a lake, a canyon, and sand was created. I did not want to say what exactly he created because I wanted my readers to put the pieces together, and see nature coming together in their minds as they read. I love nature because its unexplainable beauty that should be appreciated more, so I had a blast writing this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it!

Bibliography: Katharine Berry Judson's Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest:  The Creation of the World

Reading Notes: The Red-Eyed Duck (B)

 

Duck; Wikipedia

I think this was an interesting story. It kind of reminded me of going to the park with my grandpa and feeding the ducks. However, this story was a little dark. I think some of the things I can change up is the man in the story. Instead of making him sound evil, I want him to be nice to the ducks. I would like for the ducks to always be waiting for him and maybe have him be someone that grew up going to that same park, and singing to the ducks.

I would like to make this story more relatable to people, and not so scary. I think it could always be written like a children’s book where all the characters have their own personality, and talk to the man.

I think this would be really cute, and something fun to read. My favorite part in this story was the singing part. I would like to include familiar songs that the old man sings. I think I’ll have fun writing this story, but it will be a difficult to stick to the original story because the original story I wasn’t a fun of as much. However, I think I can be creative with this story. The songs will definitely be my favorite part. 

Bibliography: George Bird Grinnell's Blackfeet Indian Stories: The Red-Eyed Duck

Reading Notes: The Creation of the World (A)

 

Earth; Wikipedia

I thought this was such a beautiful story of how Earth created the world. My favorite part was the creation of the stars, and how Earth spit out water when the sun and moon were not visible, and there was only darkness…how creative! I also really liked how nature was a huge theme. Earth was the one that pretty much created nature in my opinion in this story, or at least that was what interpreted.

There is a lot I can do with this story. I still would like for my main character to be Earth, and Earth creating nature. However, I would like to add in a bit of humor into the story. You can never go wrong with a little bit of humor. I also want to include dialogue between Earth, sun, and the moon! I may or may not include stars as the characters. I think it’ll be a very cute and fun story to read! It’ll be so much fun creating the word. I think I’ll really enjoy being creative with this story, and I think it could be one of my favorites! Another area that I could include is seasons!

Seasons are always a fun theme. I think Fall is going to be my inspiration because the leaves are falling around me, and the colors are starting to finally make their appearance! I think there will be lots of imagery in this story I can work with. I can create pictures with my words, which I absolutely love doing! Colors, seasons, touch, aroma, vibes, and many other “feel good” things will be included! I’m excited!  

Bibliography: Katharine Berry Judson's Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest:  The Creation of the World

Tech Tip: Announcements Email

Personally, I find the announcements extremely useful. If it weren't for those, I feel like sometimes I might accidentally end up forgetting to do assignments. I usually skim through them immediately after logging into Canvas before I begin the assignments. Thank you for including those for your students!

Tech Tip: Browser Bookmarks

I think saving web pages as bookmarks is incredibly useful and resourceful. Instead of having to type in a web address, I believe it's much more efficient to be able to reach a specific page with the click of a button. I personally use both Chrome and Safari as my browser and have been using the bookmark shortcut for as long as I can remember. It's such an easy tool to use! All of my bookmarks are on a toolbar at the top of the page in a line. I don't use bookmark folders right now, but I think it's a good way to organize bookmarks if you have a whole bunch of them and it feels cluttered. It's definitely something I will consider in the future if I begin to feel unorganized.

Week 9 Storytelling: River God's Bride

River God

Picture by Unknown

Source: Flickr

The River God wanted the most beautiful bride. Every Spring the River God asked the three witches that lived in a hut next to him to find him a beautiful bride. The witches go on a journey every Spring when the flowers bloom, the sun shines, and the rain pours. However, everyone in the kingdom knew of the River God, and his plans to capture a beautiful girl. They knew if that their daughter was to be the chosen one, she would die in the river. They know a river would never be able to provide for her, and take care of her, and most importantly love her because the River God is not human.

There once was a beautiful girl—Elizabeth. She had long beautiful brown hair, blue eyes, and a smile that could cheer anyone up. She was at the bakery making pies, breads, and other delicious pastries when the witches noticed this beautiful human figure. They immediately went into her shop. They told her they were new in town, and didn’t have many friends.

Little did Elizabeth know they were actually witches looked for a bride for the River God. Kindly, Elizabeth invited them to her house! They all walked up the hill to her tiny little blue palace, and she treated her guests with a wonderful meal consisting of chicken, mashed potatoes, carrots, and beans. The witches were disgusted because all they liked to eat was nasty soup. They continued to eat, and also ate her apple pies.

The witches then took Elizabeth to the River God after dinner for a little walk. She was stunned to see that they knew the river God, and immediately sensed a fear. The River God fell in love at first sight. The waves started to crash and the wind started to blow when a fine gentleman appeared from the water.

He said, “Hello, I am the River God. You may know me as someone to be afraid of, but I am not someone to fear. I had to fall in love to be human. Elizabeth, take my hand in marriage, so we can live happily ever after. 

She accepts the proposal, and they live happily ever after in her little blue palace. However, Elizabeth did not want to be married to a God. She asked that he just be a normal man in the kingdom. 

The River God was so in love with Elizabeth that he was ready to take off the thrown, and live as simple life with his simple, elegant fiancé.

Bibliography: R. Wilhelm's The Chinese Fairy Book: How the River God’s Wedding Was Broken Off 

Author's Note: This story was very different and had many traditional aspects to think about. the original story portrayed the River God as evil, greedy, and dangerous. No one wanted their daughter to have to be the bride of the River God. The mayor of the town helped stopped this terrible tradition of forced marriage by have the River God's helpers being placed in the potential bride's shoes. I made this story different from the original by giving the River God a bigger purpose than just having a bride. In my story, the River God had to fall in love in order to become human and show everyone that he is not evil. He falls in love with Elizabeth, and turns into a human. Elizabeth accepts his proposal. However, in order for him to have her as his bride, he had to let go of his status. My story was based on love, and how strong love can be. Enjoy!

Reading Notes: How the River God’s Wedding Was Broken Off (B)

River; Flickr

This was an interesting story. I couldn’t help but think of arranged marriages, or forced marriages when I read this story. However, this story had magic and unrealistic characters and a fairy-tale like vibe. I think there are a lot of different things that I can change up to make this into my story. One aspect I definitely would like to keep is the river. I want the river to have a scary image. It’s hard to believe, but some people are actually scared of water. The thought of a river, ocean, and even a lake can cause fear. It could be the fear of drowning, or the amount of pressure water can have.

The brides in my story are all going to have a different characteristic of their own that attracts the river. I’ll have four different options for the river as brides. The concept of money is also something I want to keep. However, I want to include materialistic things as bribery for a bride. This concept reminds me of dowry, which is unfortunately still part of many cultures. I think this story will allow me to project how this concept still is a huge part of marriages in Asia.

I think this will be a fun story to write. I was particularly interesting in the character of Si-Men Bau. He seems like a very wise, caring governor. I also liked how he asked the girl’s parents to not hurry. He wanted to help, and wanted to end a terrible tradition. The river’s character and Si-Men Bau’s characters is something I want to make even more complex. I’m looking forward to using symbolism to put an unique twist on my story!  

Bibliography: R. Wilhelm's The Chinese Fairy Book: How the River God’s Wedding Was Broken Off

Reading Notes: The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die (A)

Origami crane; Wikipedia

 This was an entertaining story! First of all, I really liked the main character's name, Sentaro, because it just flows so nicely off the tongue. I always enjoy stories that have to do with the "elixir of life". It seems that there is one of these stories in almost each unit we've done so far. I would assume it's because the idea of a long life is so appealing to people. I think these types of stories are super fun to write and even read because there's so many various ways you can twist them and be creative in order to get your message across. I like how in this story, Sentaro has to travel to the peaks of a mountain in order to find the ever so elusive elixir. It adds the element of a journey to the story.

Topsyturvydom, what an interesting name for a place that longs to die! It seemed so magical until I found out that people in this place drink poison and hope to die in order to reach "Paradise". It's the complete opposite of what Sentaro was looking for. I thought the part about the little paper crane enlarging to be able to fit Sentaro was a nice idea to add some magical moments in my story. Maybe I could tell my story this week from a witch's point of view and have her ride a broomstick!

As expected though, it seems like Sentaro finally became weary of living for so long in one place and doing the same thing. I think it's necessary to spice up life and do things differently every once in a while so it's understandable that Sentaro got tired of his routine life after three hundred years. Wow, i was not expecting all that to be a dream and a lesson taught by Jofuku. This sort of twist would be great for my story this week!

Bibliography: Yei Theodora Ozaki's Japanese Fairy Tales: The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die

Tech Tip: Typing Test

For this tech tip, I used KeyHero.com to test my typing speed and accuracy. I liked this website in particular because it gave me fun and interesting sentences and paragraphs to type out. My results were 58 WPM with 96% accuracy! I did the test a couple more times and got similar results. I think my typing speed is decent, but there's always room for improvement. In this day and age with the increased use of technology, it won't hurt to be incredibly proficient at typing. I remember back in high school in my computer class, my teacher gave us typing lessons but that's the only time I've actually sat down and worked on improving my typing skills. I agree that good typing helps with school and even work.

Week 8 Progress

Blogging Progress

Picture by Jenny

Source: Flickr

I feel like I can put in a lot more time for my blog. I would say I'm not satisfied at the moment, but for the future I would like to work more efficiently and be happy with my long. My routine is coming together...finally. That is something I'm glad is falling in place because that will allow me to better my blog. 

Some changes I would like make are making my portfolio better by adding in a lot more stories, and making it my own because right now it's just something I have up that needs work on. I want to stay on track, and not fall behind again like the beginning of the semester. 

Week 8 Comments and Feedback

 

Feedback

Picture by Growth Mindset Resources 

Source: Growthmindsetmemes

I would say I'm sure thankful for the comments and feedback I've been getting. They're always such a great boost of encouragement for my writing. I also like that people are providing effective feedback. There are enough details in the post to better my writing, and make me feel like I wrote something worth reading. I also think I've been giving effective feedback because apply the "WWW" concept to my comments. I enjoy blog comments the most because I get to really get to know the person behind the writing. I feel pretty satisfied with my introduction page because it gives everyone a gist of who I am.  

I feel pretty satisfied with the feedback part of this course. I've been receiving and giving well thoughts on the stories. I chose this image because it was absolutely adorable! Feedback is a muchs for personal growth, so I thought it was perfect for this post.

Week 8 Reading and Writing

Ruby 

Picture by Unknown 

Source: Wikipedia 

 

I feel my reading and writing for this course is slowly but surely starting to form better and better. Since I actually enjoy the stories I've been reading, posting my reading notes is a breeze. I feel as if I struggle being creative, but my storytelling has really helped me dig deep into creativity, and how I can make my stories my own. My favorite reading story so far has to be "The Origin of Ruby" because it was a story how a gem came to be. I've loved delicate, simple jewelry since I was young, so this story was so much fun to read. As of now, I am not happy with my class project because it took me so long to get it started. I have a lot to add, and a lot to improve on when it comes to my project. However, my reading notes are my biggest aid in making my stories for my project come to life. 

I chose the ruby as my favorite image because it represents something I really like - simple, delicate jewelry. It also was symbol of treasure and beauty in the story, so I decided to include it as my favorite image. 

I really need to focus on my project for the rest of this course. The format is a lot different from what I am used to from taking a different course last semester. I'm still trying to get the hang of it, and trying to navigate everything it offers. I'm not big on technology, so it's a new but different thing to learn. I hope it comes together nicely at the end of the semester, and is something I'm proud to have. Wish me luck!

Comment Wall

Myth-Folklore Portfolio

Tech Tip: Blog Profile

Hey everyone! This week I decided to see if I wanted to keep my name and profile visible to anyone who comes to visit my blog. Ultimately I decided to keep that information visible because it is something I worked hard for and enjoyed doing. It's also basic information, basically stuff anyone could find these days. I want people to be able to put a name to the stories they read.
I don't really give my online identity too much thought. I just try to be me and not share too much information. I will definitely be more wary of what I post and what I write when it comes time to apply to dental school, but it won't be much of a change.

Reading Notes: My Lord Bag of Rice (Extra Credit)

Bag of Rice - by Laura Turner; Flickr

I enjoyed reading this story because it reminded me of those superhero comics and television series that everyone watches. I really liked how the story involved some magic, especially how the Dragon King could disguise himself as an actual dragon whenever he wanted. I found it funny that a dragon would be scared of a centipede but after reading a little more, it looks as if the centipede wasn't your average critter. I enjoyed the exaggerated version of it though. I think this could be a good starting point for my next story because there's a lot to work with. My story could be about a fearless warrior like Hidesato or it could be a twist on the original from the centipede's point of view. There's so many directions I could go with this!

I think I definitely want this story set in modern times though. I think it would make it much easier to relate to for the readers if the same concept of the original story was just applied to modern circumstances. For example, instead of Hidesato saving a dragon from a centipede, I could write about a man or woman saving a deer from a lion or a civilian from a murderer. The possibilities are endless! I like the idea of a civilian being saved from a murdered more than the other because it adds excitement and intensity to the story!

One thing I really thought was a nice element to the story was how grateful the Dragon King was afterwards. The gifts Hidesato was given all seem so marvelous and useful. Who wouldn't want a magic cooking pot and unlimited rice and sowing material? In my story maybe I could make the gifts a little more practical but also super handy. Great read overall and plenty of information for me to use for a future story of my own!

Bibliography: Yei Theodora Ozaki's Japanese Fairy Tales: My Lord Bag of Rice

Week 7 Storytelling: The Cony Who Got into Bad Company

Bad Company 

Picture by: Rakel Franco

Source: Flickr

Bananas were the biggest treasure to the kingdom. They provided food for all the seasons including the terrible thunderstorm that strikes every year. Roger and Pete, the two most unliked monkeys in the jungle had the most bananas piled up for just them too. Little did the jungle know, they stole all these bananas, along with other fruits from all the other trees when the entire jungle was asleep.

There was a gorilla in the jungle that was about to be the new big dog in the kingdom. Everyone liked Gary. He looked scary, but had the kindest heart. Gary had a giant tree that made unlimited amounts of bananas. He shared his unlimited amount of food with all the other monkeys. Roger and Pete heard about Gary through a mutual friend, and decided to go visit Gary and check out this tree for themselves.

They reached Gary’s tree, and Gary kindly introduced himself, and gave Roger and Pete a banana. Roger and Pete had never eaten such a yummy banana. They were so surprised they asked for another one. Pete suggested Gary come join them for a feast during the weekend. Gary was super excited for this feast. He knew Roger and Pete were some of the most well known people in the entire jungle, but he didn’t know the reason why.

Gary showed up to the feast in his finest suit. He had a wonderful time. He talked to everyone, ate bananas, peaches, grapefruits, kiwis, grapes, strawberries, and oranges! He wondered where all this food came from. Roger and Pete told Gary that if he hung around them enough, he too would have the most delicious meals.

Gary, Roger, and Pete started to do everything together. They would climb trees, go on runs, and eat! One day, it was late and Gary decided to stay the night with Roger and Pete. Roger and Pete had other plans that Gary was unaware of. They told him they were going to go for a walk in the jungle at night, and Gary must join them because he’s never seen the jungle when its silent. They packed their bags and started the journey.

Roger and Pete started their mischievous plans at the Kelly’s tree. They took the bananas when Gary wasn’t looking and placed them in Gary’s bag. Gary kept on walking and talking, and didn’t even realize when either Roger or Pete would climb and tree and steal bananas. Gary started to notice his bag getting heavier eventually.

Mr. Kelly woke up and noticed some of his bananas were missing! He noticed some animals on a walk, and decided to go after them! Roger looked back and saw that Mr. Kelly was after them! He signaled to Pete with his tail that someone’s on to them! They continued to walk, but Mr. Kelly was one step ahead of them and climbed the biggest vine to where they were, and jumped down in front of them.

He took their bags and found all his bananas in Gary’s a bag. Gary was confused and immediately told Mr. Kelly he didn’t take his bananas, but Mr. Kelly knew he was friends with Roger and Pete—the biggest thieves in town. Gary lost his tree, and all his bananas because he was hanging out with wrong people.

Bibliography: Tibetan Folk Tales, "The Cony Who Got into Bad Company" by Albert Shelton

Author's Note:

“If you are without kindness, you will meet no kindness in return.” Tibetan Proverb. This was the moral behind this short story. The phrase caught my attention, and I interpreted it as if one is associated with someone without kindness, then he/she is also not kind. The end lesson in this story was that the people you surround yourself really do matter more than people think. The cony associating himself with the rats because he just wanted friends portrayed this concept. The rats were known to be thieves. I had monkeys and a gorilla in my story show the consequences of being friends with the wrong group of people. I also included bananas as the prize being stolen. I feel the original story does a very well job in making people think about the people they are around, and if they’re worth the consequences. I think this is a good lesson to teach at a young age because then people grow to choose friends, wisely. In other words, surround yourself with people that bring out the best in you. I hope my story makes you think about the people in your lives as you read about two deceiving monkeys and one kind gorilla.

Note: The updated version is available at my portfolio!

Week 7 Reading Notes:Tibetan Folk Tales (B)

How the Rabbit Killed the Lion

First thing I noticed about the short story was the detail and imagery used to describe everything happening. It really made the story come together and impress. Again, I notice the trend of some trickery going on, no doubt for entertainment purposes, as well as some long, winding sentences to coax the reader into reading more. I do enjoy the writing style and tone of the author.

The Story of the Three Hunters

This story was a little dark in my opinion! It's interesting how the wives just decided to hate the sister on whim. It didn't seem like they had any reason to besides the fact that they just might not like her living there with them. I wasn't sure if the soul of the sister transferring to the bird was supposed to be a hint at reincarnation but it certainly seemed like it was. From what I remember (I may be very wrong), this region does believe in the idea of reincarnation. If so, it would make sense! There was a lot of killing involved in this story so I don't think I'll include much of that in my story for this week. I like writing happier, more enjoyable stories because I think it reflects on who I am as a person.


How the Raven Saved the Hunter

 I liked the message that I got from this story. In his greed, the man neglected to understand why the raven kept knocking the water out of his hand. It's not until after he kills the raven that he begins to suspect something is wrong. Sure enough, he finds that the water is toxic and that he killed the raven for no reason at all.

A flying raven; Wikipedia

 Bibliography

Tibetan Folk Tales by Albert Shelton

Week 7 Reading Notes: Tibetan Folk Tales (A)

The Tiger and the Frog

I found this story to be quite entertaining from the beginning. It was humorous that the tiger was so easily fooled and frightened by a boastful frog. It goes to show that looks can be deceiving and not everyone is who they seem! Something I didn't fully understand was the part about the tiger and fox tying their tails together...maybe I'm missing the point while reading it or it's meant to be taken figuratively? Regardless, I like the playful nature of this story and hope to implement something similar in my story this week. Maybe instead of using animals in my story, use actual people and see how that turns out. Or I could stick to what seems like a theme in this unit and write with animals as the main focus.

Frog vs. Tiger; UN-Textbook

The Cony Who Got into Bad Company

I liked the writing style of this story the most. The way it opened up with a long, winding sentence really caught my eye and drew me into the story. What was really nice about this story was that it taught a lesson to the reader, a moral if you will. That's something that I feel is difficult but also something that I want to improve upon and try this week!

The Story of the Donkey and the Rock

My favorite story yet! I wasn't expecting this twist at all but I sure did enjoy it. The author gets you to expect one things but something completely different ends up happening. I found the irony in the story to be refreshing and got a nice kick out of it. I noticed again that this story also starts off with a longer-than-usual sentence that helps get the reader's attention. A moment that I found was particularly important was the fact that all those people showed up to watch a ridiculous trial. What were they expecting?!

Bibliography

Tibetan Folk Tales by Albert Shelton