Learning Challenge: The Importance of Sleep

The sleep-related article I read was Yes, Your Sleep Schedule Is Making You Sick. For me, this article confirmed the importance of sleep. I personally have to get 9 hours of sleep to feel perfectly healthy, and when I don't get that I feel like trash and my mood is all over the place. The article mentions that a study was done on a group of depressed patients, and a "night of complete sleep deprivation produced an immediate, significant improvement in mood in about 60 percent of the group." It really is incredible what a lack of sleep can make you feel, and for my friends who think sleep deprivation doesn't affect them, I always wonder how long it has been since they've gotten enough sleep to actually realize they don't feel normal.

One new thing I learned that I did not know before is that there is a treatment called chronotherapy to alter the circadian rhythm: "This involves exposure to bright lights at progressively earlier times in the morning, which should make it easier to fall asleep earlier." For those who just give up on sleep because they have tried over and over, this might be a good therapy to try.

One thing I am now curious to explore is avoiding my smartphone and laptop in the evening. Although this is my peak studying time when I seem to have the most energy to accomplish tasks, this article made me realize it might really be ruining sleep for me. I might try this for a week or so over a school break to see if I notice any positive effects.

Circadian Rhythm image from Icinori (from the article)

Week 10 Microfiction: Harry Potter, Book Five

[Warning: Spoilers below if you haven't read Harry Potter.]

The Veil

The fall gave Sirius a tranquility unlike any he had felt before. His life flashed before his eyes, but only the good bits: meeting James, smiling at Remus, playing Quidditch, laughing with Lily, hugging Regulus, successfully sneaking out of the castle, visiting the Potters at Christmas, holding Harry, meeting Harry all over again... He faintly heard screams and wanted to respond but the lack of air in his lungs wouldn't allow it. Don't worry. Sirius thought. All is well now. I will see you again someday. A feeling like light filled his entire body and he finally understood complete peace.

Loss

No matter how many objects Harry threw and broke, he could not relieve the incomprehensible pain of loss. How many more loved ones would he have to lose before his heart shattered completely?

_____

Bibliography: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling.

Author's Note: 

The Veil: I decided to write a 100-word story on Sirius falling through the veil. He was hit with the killing curse right before that so this takes place sometime in the instant before death. This heartbreaking moment is something that pains me every time I think of the fifth book, and I wanted to write something that made it a little easier to comprehend. I do not deal with death of loved ones well, but thinking of it in a way where the person feels complete peace really helps me. I wanted to write a 100 word story because it felt like the exact right amount of words to give justice to the last moments of a person's life.

Loss: For my second story, I wrote a dribble (no more than 50 words) about my absolute favorite scene in the entire series--when Harry is breaking objects in Dumbledore's office and screaming because he's in so much pain from losing his godfather. That whole scene is so emotional to me and just physically describes the pain of loss so well. I wanted to write a dribble about the actual emotions Harry experienced. Rowling definitely did a better job but I tried! Here is a beautiful and sad comic illustrating the scene (from one of my favorite artists).

Image information: The Veil from Harry Potter Fandom Wiki.

Wikipedia Trail: From Yajna to Shaktism

In this week's reading, I came across the term yajna. It means sacrifice, worship, offering, or devotion. In Hinduism, it is often a ritual with mantras performed in front of a sacred fire. The tradition began as offerings to gods in sacred fire and transformed into "symbolic offerings in the presence of sacred fire."

That article led me to Agni, which means fire in Sanskrit. It is also associated with the Vedic fire god in Hinduism. Agni guards the southeast direction, and he is the mouth of the gods and goddesses. Agni (fire) is also one of the five elements in Indian religious cosmology.

Agni led me to Holi, which I have heard of before but never knew the significance. Holi is an ancient Hindu festival that is known as the "festival of colours/love/spring." It's purpose is to recognize the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It gives people a chance to "repair broken relationships" and just take care of each other. What a beautiful celebration!

"The Mughal Indian emperor Jahangir celebrating Holi with ladies of the zenana" from Wikimedia Commons

That led me to Shaktism, which is a Hindu tradition where "the metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically feminine and Shakti is regarded as the supreme godhead." I was pretty confused by this article, but generally I think Shaktism is a denomination of Hinduism where certain goddesses are seen as the highest powers. 

Week 9 Microfiction: Harry Potter, Book Four

The Perils of War Show No Mercy: Cedric Diggory

A flick, a flash; an innocent, pure heart stopped. A pointless murder, but a necessary one all the same. 

Book Four

The beginning of a darker time. 

______

Author's Note:

My two sentence microfiction is about Cedric Diggory, who was murdered on Voldemort's orders. Diggory is one of my favorite characters, and it took me two re-reads to finally accept his death. At first, I was completely distraught because it felt pointless. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Diggory's death was a pivotal moment in the books. It was the evidence many people needed to realize that Voldemort was back, and that he was going to do whatever horrible things he had to to achieve power. Killing Diggory was one of the biggest mistakes Voldemort made for so many reasons, but the biggest was that it brought people together. Anyways! I wanted to make it a six-word story but in the end I realized a short two-sentence story was more meaningful. Also, I really like the idea of creating a long title for such a short story. It feels kind of silly but also important. It forces the reader to take in every single word and gives them more to analyze.

My six-word story is about the book in general. The ending of The Goblet of Fire is a turning point in the series that introduces some very intense and unsettling content. I wanted to convey this in a succinct way, and I think a six-word story does it well.

Bibliography: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Image information: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire poster from Flickr. I haven't seen this before and I thought it was so good!

Famous Last Words: Week 8 Assignments Finished!

Week 8 was a review week, and thank goodness for that because I badly needed some reflection time. I have not had much time or energy to seriously contemplate my work and schedule this semester, so being forced to do so was immensely helpful. It is wonderful how much reflection can help clear your head and take a weight off your shoulders that you didn't realize was there before. This also makes me realize I need to put aside some time for journaling again.

I am still having a lot of fun writing my Harry Potter microfiction. I feel like I'm starting to run out of writing steam, though, so I might take a break from biography or microfiction? Although usually right when I give up on those, I come up with an idea to write about. Before I know it, the assignment is done. Maybe that is saying something about how I need to stop overthinking... Some of the best advice I've ever heard is "don't try so hard" (from the show Parks and Recreation), and as simple as it is, it's definitely what I need to hear most of the time.

My other courses are okay, although I'm starting to feel a mid-semester lull where I am tempted to skip... (This is why I prefer online classes! The amount of energy it takes just to go to campus, find parking, get to class, wait for the professor, etc. is equivalent to doing an entire module in an online class.) But I am too scared to miss class just in case a professor decides to throw in a pop quiz or extra points that day, so I still go to class anyways. The main connection I see between this class and my other classes is that Indian Epics helps me improve my writing skills, which makes essay-writing easier for other classes. It's wild how just a few weeks without practice can make it so much harder to write.

To finish, I randomly came across this HEART image and wow do I feel personally attacked. I've always struggled with over-highlighting because everything feels important to me. But then when I try to minimize my highlighting, I end up focusing on things that apparently the professor doesn't see as important. It is such a frustrating cycle!

Meme from Learning by HEART blog

Week 8 Biography: Camelback Mountain

The sweat on my back and my twitching muscles were constant reminders that my body was not used to such rapidly increasing elevation. Camelback Mountain was no joke, especially for someone who had never seriously hiked before. I laughed at my confidence from an hour before, when I brushed off warnings about this strenuous hike for those who were inexperienced. Locals passed me one by one, and I had to remind myself to not get competitive and to instead take my time. Up and up I went, using my hands to climb up and over boulders. I soon realized this was not so much a hike as it was rock-climbing. My journey to the top was not an easy one, but once I made it, I basked in the pleasure of my accomplishment. For me, hiking will never be a pretty or elegant venture, but it will always be a worthwhile one.

______

Author's Note:

In keeping with my hiking biographical writing, I wrote about my Camelback Mountain hike in Arizona. I have been trying to write a shorter story but have found it to be very difficult since I can't figure out which details to leave in or take out. I'm so glad I was finally able to do it! I'm pretty happy with what details I decided to share in this one. It tells the story of how brutal this hike was for me, but I hope it also shows how it is one of my favorites. I have a lot of love for Camelback Mountain, and I'm glad I was able to write a small tribute to it.

Image information: Personal images of Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona, March 2017.

Week 8 Wikipedia Trail: From Trimurti to Pāṇini

I started with Trimurti, which is a term I saw mentioned in a past storybook for Indian Epics. This is a triple deity in Hinduism that personifies creation (Brahma), maintenance (Vishnu), and destruction (Shiva).

I then clicked on Maitrayaniya Upanishad, which is an ancient Sanskrit text in the Yajurveda. There are so many terms I'm unfamiliar with in this article so it's hard to decipher exactly what this term means, but I think it's a really important text in Hinduism.

I had no idea what the Yajurveda was so I clicked on that next. It is basically scripture for worship rituals said by a priest. It is one of the four Vedas and was probably made between 1200 to 1000 BCE.

From there I clicked on Pāṇini, who was a "Sanskrit philologist, grammarian, and a revered scholar in ancient India." He is known as the father of linguistics (just in India, I believe) and he did a ton of work to form and improve Indian language.

The Trimurti at Ellora from Wikipedia

Week 8 Microfiction: Harry Potter, Book Three

Lupin's Decision

Remus held the Hogwarts letter in his hand, wondering what possibly qualified him to be a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He wondered how Professor Dumbledore would justify and explain the werewolf issue to parents. His main concern, though, was the memories. He didn't know if his heart could take being back in the only place he had ever been truly happy, surrounded by the ghosts of his past adventures. He thought of James, Lily, and Peter, and how they would have told him to take the job. He thought of Harry. Then, he replied with: Yes, I accept.  

Sirius in Azkaban

He was innocent. Dementors don't care.

________

Author's Note:

In continuing with my Harry Potter microfiction, I wrote some about book three. For my first story, I wrote a 100-word story about what I imagine it was like for Remus to get the request from Dumbledore that he teach at Hogwarts. It was extremely brave of him to say yes, especially with all the PTSD he definitely had... I'm not sure I captured the amount of immense anguish and indecision he probably felt in that moment, but I did what I could with 100 words.

For my second story, I wrote a six-word story about Sirius' time in Azkaban and how brutal dementors can be. I chose to write a six-word story for this one because there really isn't much more to say than that (if you understand the context)--he didn't deserve the pain he endured. I had difficulty with tenses, though. I wanted to say "the dementors didn't care" but that would be a seven-word story, which defeats the purpose... I think it works this way, too, though.

Bibliography: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Image Information: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by mcgenabdgma is licensed under CC CC0 1.0

Week 7 Famous Last Words: Thoughts from the Week

The reading for this week went well, although I still prefer the Ramayana. I did love a lot of the aspects of the Mahabharata, though, and I finished both sections. All the odd stuff with the Pandavas was really interesting and unexpected.

This week I had a ton of fun writing my story. I wasn't sure about it at first because I didn't know what perspective to write from, but I'm really happy with it. I didn't realize how much can be written about so little, but that was kind of the whole idea of it for me. I needed practice in drawing out a scene because I too often just speed through scenes/topics like they don't matter. I also had fun writing the Grand Canyon story, although I think it could do with another round of edits.

I have been looking at other people's storybooks and I'm really looking forward to reading them! They all look so fun. As for blog stories, my absolute favorite so far that I've read in this course has been this one (I'm not sure if it's weird to link other people's stories.....but I am going to anyways). It just feels so beautiful and meaningful to me, and the wisdom that comes from it is something that I would have a hard time writing myself. I'm always so impressed with the stories people come up with in Laura's classes--so many of my peers should seriously consider writing outside of this class if they don't already.

I know the week 8 assignments are review posts, so hopefully I can get even more ahead with those. I did not expect to almost be done with all of week 7 by today, so I'm definitely excited about that. I only need to do the project story, but I always put those off until the very end. I really need to stop doing that. Over the next week, I'm also going to continue working on cover letters for internships, and I'll probably take Yumi to the dog park since the weather is getting better. :)

To close, here's an unrelated picture of Yumi from our snow day recently. :)))

Yumi playing in the snow (personal image, February 2020)

Week 7 Wikipedia Trail: From Tapas to Eschatology

I started with Tapas (Indian religions), which is mentioned in the Mahabharata. I was interested to learn more about it as a form of meditation and spiritual growth, so naturally I decided to research it. I then clicked on Asceticism because I wanted to know more about abstinence from sensual pleasures and why certain people choose to do this. According to the article, usually people do this to achieve spiritual goals. It sounds like people who do this find a lot of fulfillment in the spiritual realm--I'd imagine they'd have to, to be so dedicated to something like that.

That led me to an article on Zoroastrianism. I clicked on that specifically because it's such an interesting word...I had to know what it meant. It turns out its the word for "one of the world's oldest continuously practiced religions" and it focuses on good and evil (amongst a bunch of other things). It has influenced tons of religions, including Christianity and Islam.

I finished off with Eschatology, another interesting word. It's a part of theology that focuses on the "final events of history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity." This is definitely something I'm going to look into more, as it's right up my alley in terms of things I like learning about.

Four horsemen of the apocalypse, as depicted in the Apocalypse work by Albrecht Dürer from Wikipedia

Week 7 Biography: The Grand Canyon

At the trailhead of the Grand Canyon's South Kaibab trail sits a sign warning hikers not to hike down to the Colorado River and back in one day. For me, it was a little too late for that knowledge, as I had just spent months planning and training for a rim-to-rim day-hike. Ignoring the sign, I shouldered my bag and went on my way.

Ooh Aah Point about a mile into the South Kaibab trail (Personal image, May 2017)

Hiking down was more difficult than you would think. I had to use a set of muscles I don't typically put to use, as I'm not typically walking on a downward slope for about six miles. Still, I knew I'd be missing it in a few hours when I was on my way back up.

Going down the South Kaibab trail (Personal image, May 2017)

At the bottom of the Grand Canyon, tadpoles swam in the Colorado River, and the flat ground provided much-needed relief from a slope.

Near the bottom of the Grand Canyon (Personal image, May 2017)

I had not been making very good time, though, so I had very little time to enjoy it. I stuck my feet in the river, took a few minutes to enjoy the view, and then went on my way.

On the way back up (Personal image, May 2017)

On the way up the ~8 mile Bright Angel trail, I eventually thought I wasn't going to make it. About a mile in, I couldn't believe I ever thought I enjoyed hiking. About three miles in, I thought I would have to be one of those people who are helicopter-lifted out. But I refused to quit, because I knew I could do it. I knew I was stronger than my mind was telling me I was. That last mile was tough. It never got easier. By the time I reached the Bright Angel Trailhead at the top of the Grand Canyon, I didn't even really care. After 12 hours of walking (well...probably nine hours of hiking, and three hours of eating, drinking water and gatorade, and resting), I was just glad to be done. Eventually, I was glad to have challenged myself, but at the moment of finishing, I just wanted a bed and a massive amount of food.

Someday I hope to hike the Grand Canyon from rim-to-rim-to-rim, but I'm at least self-aware enough to realize that I am definitely not in shape enough for that right now. But someday.

__________

Author's Note: Last week I wrote about my Manitou Incline hike, so this week I decided to keep writing about my hiking adventures. I tried to write a 100-word story, but obviously that didn't work. Still, I tried to keep it minimal and only give the most vital details. When thinking about my Grand Canyon trip, these are the snapshots I remember, so I didn't try to dig too far into my memory for the sake of writing more. I felt like these were the most important points, and they would make for the best story.

Week 7 Microfiction: Harry Potter, Year Two

Riddle's Diary

Ginny felt lonely; the diary knew. 

Tom Riddle's Diary by James_Seattle on Flickr

The Voice

Isolated his whole life by differences, Harry found that even in the world in which he belonged, he was an outcast. This didn't bother him much, but the voice in the walls that only he could distinguish did.

__________

Author's Note:

For the first story, I did a six-word microfiction about how Tom Riddle's (Voldemort) diary was possessing Ginny. I had trouble deciding if "the diary knew" should have been first, but I think this order packs a punch a bit more. I'm doing six-word stories every week to get better at them (I need a lot of practice...it's definitely not my forte), so that's why I decided on that length. 

For the second story, I wrote about Harry hearing the basilisk in the pipes that was causing paralysis  in Hogwarts. I wanted to depict Harry's differences, but when reading the series I noticed that Harry had much bigger things that he focused on than "woe is me." He had Ron and Hermione, which helped him get through any feelings of isolation, and he listened to his instinct in the second book, telling him that the noise was definitely something concerning. I decided on a two-sentence story because I wanted to point out two different things, and I felt like that necessitated two sentences. 

Bibliography: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

Week 6 Biography: The Manitou Incline

As my alarm rang at 4:00 in the morning, my excitement mixed with anxiety. I tried to ignore all of the emotions I was feeling and just accept that I was going to do this no matter what--I would hike up the Manitou Incline whether or not I was physically ready for it. I had driven to Colorado primarily for the Incline, and I would not leave until it was done. I would push through every single one of the 2,744 steps even if it took me all day. Locals apparently hiked it weekly in under an hour with ease, so why couldn't I at least try it?

The first few steps made me overly confident. It wasn't too steep yet, and I was passing people already. Then, about 15 minutes in, I realized my error. Those people I had passed were now passing me as I slowed to catch my breath. I knew I would need to take it slower.

The Incline from near the bottom. The top half is hidden from view, which makes you constantly think you're almost there...but you're far, far from it. (Personal image, October 2018)

Some minutes would pass quietly, where it was just me, the sun rising, and the people hundreds of steps both ahead and below me. Other minutes, someone would catch up with me and a stranger would become a hiking buddy. Then one of us would decide to pick up the pace or slow down, and silence would return.

Halfway up, I sat down to take a break and was glad for it. While the amount of steps I saw below me did not compare to the amount I thought I had walked up, it was still an incredible feat. That didn't even compare to the view of the town below and the mountains in the distance. I was happy to be there, even if my rapidly beating heart wasn't.

About 2,200 steps in, a deer slowly made its way across the stairs, giving me an excuse to take another break. 2,400 steps in, I wondered if I should just turn around, but then realized my brain wasn't thinking clearly because that would make no sense--I was almost there.

Those last 344 steps were a lot. Extremely steep, and extremely tiring. There were some times when I almost fell backwards because it was so steep. I had to use my hands to climb at one point. Every muscle in my body was screaming, so I took multiple breaks because I'm a firm believer in not creating a preventable dire emergency situation.

Near the top. (Personal image, October 2018)

Then, at last, after about two hours total, I was there. I had pushed through all the aches and pains, and I could now enjoy the view from 2,000 feet up. A few chipmunks were running around, looking at all the sweaty and exhausted people. I didn't really know what to do with myself at that point, so I just sat down and appreciated what I had accomplished. I ate some trail mix, made some friends, took some pictures, and watched Colorado be beautiful.

View from the top. (Personal image, October 2018)

Then, with stiff muscles, I began my descent.

I'm hoping someday I can live near the area and learn to hike it in an hour like the locals, but for now I'm proud enough that I finished. I definitely got lost on the way down (you have to take a different route back), and then proceeded to get trapped in my hotel elevator for 45 minutes and had to have firefighters help me out, but those are stories for a different time.

A chipmunk(?) friend I made at the top of the Incline. (Personal image, October 2018)

A picture I took on the way down. (Personal image, October 2018)

________

Author's Note: In trying to decide what to write about, I realized a story could be told about my hiking adventures. I might write about my Grand Canyon and Hawaii hikes in the future, but for now I started with this one that is extremely important to me. I'm not sure why, but it holds a special place in my heart. Ever since I visited Manitou Springs and saw people walking up those stairs, I knew I wanted to trek up it, too. It's such a simple hike but it makes you feel like you've accomplished so much. While writing this story, I had trouble deciding what to include and what to take out. I didn't want to make it too long, but there are some details that are just too significant to leave out. I'm pretty happy with the length I decided on and the way I told the story.

Famous Last Words: A Fairly Average Week

The reading for this week went well, although I am definitely more of a Ramayana person. There are so many names to remember and keep track of that I keep getting lost. This means it takes me forever to finish a single page. Still, I did have time to finish both portions. Once I realized how long it would take to get through it, I allotted the necessary amount of time for it in my schedule. The reading did leave me with questions about the characters and certain ideas in Indian culture, so hopefully I will be able to explore those in future Wikipedia Trail posts.

Since I did a story lab this week, I don't really have many choices of my best writing from this week. So far from this course, though, my favorite writing has been the story I wrote about Yumi. I also had a lot of fun writing the introduction for my project last week. I have never described a place in so much detail before, so it was a new writing style for me.

Outside of this course, my coursework is going okay. I am struggling with quizzes in one course, which is frustrating because I know I can apply the knowledge we've learned but I just have trouble memorizing it. Doing the work for this course provides much-needed relief and helps build my confidence when my other courses aren't going well.

Outside of school, I have been looking into publishing internships. I recently realized how much I want to work in children's literature, so I just finished editing my resume and writing a cover letter for internship applications. Unfortunately, I lack qualifications and experience, but hopefully someone will take a chance on me.

Next week, I am hoping to get back into a routine. This past week I have been busy catching up with assignments, so next week I need to get back to my schedule. I definitely notice a difference when I don't have a routine, and I haven't been taking very great care of myself so the plan is to allot some time for resting, reading, and working out.

Reflecting on this past week - Image from Growth Mindset Memes blog

Week 6 Microfiction: Harry Potter, Year One

Story 1: The Train Station

Platform 9¾ was only the beginning.

Story 2: The Philosopher's Stone

The stone did not tempt Harry, for even he knew there were more important things than immortality.

_____________

Author's Note:

For my first microfiction, I did a six-word story on the famous Platform 9¾, where it kind of all started for Harry. It was the entrance to a world that introduced him to the realization that he was loved. It's where he met the Weasleys, and it's where he got on his first train to Hogwarts. I wrote a six word story for this one because I wanted to see how much I could tell of Harry's story in six words.

For the second story, I wrote a <100 word story on the Philosopher's Stone. It's based off of the part where Harry is able to obtain the stone because he has no desire to use it. I feel like this shows his character so well because it emphasizes what he values and what he doesn't--which inevitably leads to later successes for him. I had a hard time writing this one, too, and I definitely had to cut it down to be less than 100 words because I have so much more to say about it.

Image information: "Headed to Hogwarts" by Daniel Incandela is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Bibliography: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.

Wikipedia Trail: From Ganga to Samsara

For this Wikipedia trail, I started with Ganga, who is the river Ganges personified. She was mentioned in the first few pages of the Mahabharata and I was really curious to know more about her.

Hindus believe that bathing in her river lead to "liberation from the cycle of life and death", which is known as Moksha. I clicked on Moksha because I was really intrigued by that idea, and that led me to Nirvana.

A depiction of liberated souls at moksha from Wikipedia

Nirvana is a term I've heard of before but knew very little about. Basically, it's when a person doesn't have any suffering or any desires. It turns out this is actually another term for Moksha.

From there I clicked on the word Samsara. Coincidentally enough, I actually just found and listened to a song with this title the other day. I had no idea that it is a Sanskrit word meaning "wandering" or "world", and it emphasizes cyclical change. What a beautiful idea!

Biography: Okinawa

As my grandma and I walked out of the plane into the Japan airport, I was overwhelmed. Signs all around us were only written in Japanese characters. I did not know nearly enough of the language to figure out where to go. I glanced at my grandma, concerned that we wouldn't be able to get to our next plane, but I had never seen her more confident in my life. She steered us to the exact right place, weaving in and out of crowds, down long hallways, and through baggage claim. She had not been here in years, but muscle memory took over. She was home.

In Okinawa, we met family, stopped by my grandma's favorite childhood spots, and visited ancient castles. My grandma saw Okinawa from a touristy perspective for the first time (for my sake) and was shocked by the growth of the island as a vacation destination. As for me, I learned to live off the few Japanese words I knew, as well as the kindness of my relatives. They did whatever they could to communicate their love without words (when my grandma couldn't translate). One day I told my great-aunt that I loved the sata andagi (Okinawan donuts) she had given me. The next day, she handed me two bags full of them to take home. The language barrier felt very minimal at times like that.

Visiting a non-English speaking place changed my perspective on the world. It was extremely humbling to have to depend on someone else to translate everything for me. I had to learn to let go of being in control because I couldn't. Language barriers are tough, but allowing that to stop you from exploring places with one will cause you to lose out on a lot of incredible experiences. The day we left Okinawa, I felt a sadness in my stomach that I had never felt for any other place. I know I will go back someday, and until then, I'll keep brushing up on my Japanese.

(Personal image of Okinawa from the top of an abandoned castle.)

Author's Note:

For my post, I used this prompt: Have you traveled or lived in a place where you did not speak the language spoken around you? Write a story prompted by that experience. I was going to make it a 100 word microfiction, but I ended up wanting to tell a longer story. Japan (and Okinawa specifically) means a lot to me, and I wanted to write a bit more of an emotional story than the one I wrote for my favorite place post.

Microfictions: The Bow and Sita's Commitment

Story 1: Rama and the Bow

The strength of love had won.

Story 2: Sita's Commitment

Even in her deepest pain and sorrow, Sita remained firm in her devotion to Rama. No threat or temptation would ever replace the love and longing she felt for him.

__________

Author's Note:

For my first story, I was inspired by the part of The Divine Archer where Rama has to bend the bow to marry Sita. The way the story talks about Rama's love for Sita (and vice versa) makes their love seem more powerful and stronger than any object, which is what inspired my six-word story. I chose this short of a story because I feel like fewer words packs more of a punch; it makes the story even more charming and emotional.

For my second story, I wrote a two-sentence story summarizing Sita's time under Ravana's capture. I imagine the imprisonment was difficult emotionally, but the original story makes it seem like her love for Rama never faltered. Although corny, it does make for a beautiful love story!

Bibliography: The Divine Archer by F. J. Gould.

Image information: Rama bends the bow from Wikimedia Commons.

Wikipedia Trail: From Ashwatthama's Gem to the Sudarshana Chakra

For one of my stories in my storybook, I will likely be writing about Ashwatthama's gem. Here is the link to the article on Ashwatthama. The article mentions that "Ashvatthama is born with a gem on his forehead which gives him power over all living beings lower than humans; it protects him from hunger, thirst, and fatigue."

(Ashvatthama uses Narayanastra, from Wikipedia.)

That led me to this article on Krishna, because Krishna cursed him after he had to surrender his gem. Krishna is the eighth avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism. He is the god of compassion, tenderness, and love.

I noticed that Krishna had a few weapons, so I clicked the link for the Kaumodaki. This is Krishna's mace, and it is known as one of the oldest and strongest weapons. Vishnu is often depicted holding the Kaumodaki, along with three other objects, which led me to...

...This article on the Sudarshana Chakra. This weapon is another of the four things Vishnu holds. It's a spinning weapon and has been featured quite a bit in Indian mythology!

Microfiction: Jatayu and Ravana's Error

Story 1 - Jatayu

More than an eagle: a hero.

(Ravana fights Jatayu)

Story 2 - Ravana's Error

As the Brahma-astra soared towards his heart, Ravana realized the error of his ways. His invincible strength was nothing compared to the perseverance of man.

________

Author's Note:

The first story is about Jatayu, who died trying to save Sita. Even though he had very little chance of defeating Ravana and surviving, he still made a brave attempt and deserved to be honored because of it. I felt like his heroics could be summarized in six words. The simplicity of it makes it feel even more powerful. My story is kind of corny but I think it at least summarizes Jatayu's situation fairly well.

The second story is a two-sentence story about the second before Rama's astra killed Ravana. The Ramayana says so much about how humans learn to play their strengths in spite of weaknesses. Humans refuse to give in, and they do what they can to help those in need. I feel like in his last second of life, Ravana might have realized his mistake in doubting humans.

Bibliography: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. By Kamban and R. K. Narayan.

Image information: Image source: Ravana fights Jatayu, abducts Sita;illustration by K. Venkatappa
in Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914).