Week 3 Storytelling: An Ant's Tale

The ant mound was in a total state of shock. The queen, the mighty Queen Ira, had been kidnapped. The crazy eight-eyed black widow spider, Rivana, had tricked her into coming out of her chamber. All the guards were told to go leave that night, the first time ever. The mound council called an immediate emergency meeting to plan the rescue. They knew the task would not be easy since the spider’s web was across the backyard. Many tribulations and obstacles would need to be passed to rescue the beautiful Queen Ira. The task could only be executed by one ant, and one ant only. It was the strong red fire ant Zane. They beckoned Zane. The rescue was on.

Rivana

Source: SpiderWorlds

Zane took his brother and other ants with him. This was more personal to him than anyone realized. Zane and Queen Ira had grown up in the same mound and had a past of friendship and passion. He was an ant on a mission. With weapons sharpened, the group started their trek to Rivana’s web knowing very well that he knew that they would be coming.

After marching halfway across the yard, Zane felt a chill run down all of his legs. He knew they were being watched by something, but he did not know by who. As he led the formation, he heard a large rumble behind him along with screams from his troop. The last ant in line was squirming around in the hands of the enormous praying mantis. The ants moved into attacking formation before launching wooden spears into the giant praying mantis. Spears broke as they hit the rough hide of the enemy. All seemed lost until Zane took out his secret weapon, a holy staple given to him from the mighty beetle Shimma. He slid under the legs of Khamton, jumped on its back, and cut off the mighty praying mantis’s head. Zane stood amidst his fallen enemy. Rivana, revengeful, jumped on his speedy dragonfly and flew into the battle with thousands of spiders at his hand.

Zane versus the mighty Khamton

Source: Metro

As Zane and the ants fought off all the spiders with his mighty staple, Rivana decided to counter the troop of ants. Zane sensed this with his antennas and turned around just as Rivana attacked. Rivana launched web, sticking Zane to the ground. His brother 

quickly cut the web, freeing Zane. Rivana nosed dived his dragonfly towards Zane trying to use the speed to defeat Zane. Zane, at the last second, jumped to the side and launched his staple into the side of Rivana. Rivana fell to the ground, dead.

With the eight eyed spider now dead, the Queen was now free. Zane freed the royal captive, looking deeply into the eyes of the beautiful queen. Zane spoke sweet words to his old love, “My queen, my love. You have been dearly missed. You are the light in my eye. Forever and ever I will serve you with love and affection”. Taken back, Queen Ira walked away from Zane with guards surrounding her. She knew of her responsibilities to the mound and that she could never marry the rugged Zane. Zane was heartbroken, but he understood her decision

As the years past, Queen Ira thought of Zane, and Zane though of Queen Ira. And as both took their last breaths, they slowly slipped into a dream of a wonderful land. They both were in heaven, together. At last, the two ants could spend eternity together. 

Author Notes: I received inspiration for this tale from the Ramayana. It followed the parts B, C, and D. I utilized the story of Rama and Sita being in love. While the ten headed Ravana is portrayed by Rivana, the eight eyed spider. These two are very similar throughout the story. I, however, did not include the part where Lakshman hurts his sister. He kidnaps the beloved Sita from Rama, and Rama attacks the rakshasa to rescue her. This is exactly what I wanted to accomplish in my story with the ants and spider. Also, the praying mantis Khamton, resembled the giant Khumhakarna and his mighty battle with Rama (Zane). Khumhakarna was important in the original Ramayana because it was a great battle that showed Rama's strength. I thought about potentially making Zane and the Queen get together immediately unlike the original Ramayana. This would have made a better dynamic but I wanted to stay true to that part of the story. Overall, the story from when Sita was kidnapped on was very interesting to me and that is where I got my overall inspiration. Thanks for reading.

Bibliography: Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India, condensed into English verse by Romesh Dutt (1899). 

Week 3 Reading Diary: Part D

I just finished the Ramayana and I was a little disappointed in the ending of Rama and Sita’s relationship. Sita was banished from the kingdom due to the possible infidelities while she was kidnapped by Ravana. I feel that he should not have because the god Agni was able to verify that she has not been stained by Ravana. However, at the final end they were both able to go to heaven together and live together again. I really enjoyed how they both finally were able to end the epic in the best place they possibly could. Also, I have not written much about Lakshama, but I am glad he was able to follow Rama and Sita into heaven.

Secondly, I really enjoyed the fighting scenes between Rama, the armies, the rakshasas, and Ravana. I especially found the battle against the giant Kumbhakarna to be interesting. The battle really displayed the strength and power of Rama because he was able to defeat this mighty enemy. The bow is a great weapon of Rama and I was glad to see that he used this in the battle to save Sita. During the battle, the Gods and Goddesses watch on as their avatars are battling. I am curious why Vishnu did not create an avatar that immediately killed Ravana instead of waiting for Rama to grow up and go through all of his tribulations. My favorite part of the battle though was seeing how Ravana implemented illusions of Sita to distract Rama. You can tell that Ravana was getting nervous as Rama defeated many of rakshasas. However, Rama was lucky to have Ravana’s brother Vibhishana to tell him it was all an illusion. If it were not for Vibhishana, Rama could have mentally been out of the battle and lost Sita for real.

Source: Rama Defeating Ravana

Overall, I really enjoyed the Ramayana and the stories it told. I am looking forward to the next epic we read in this class!

Source: Kumbhakarna

Source: Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India 

Author: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder

Week 3 Reading Diary: Part C

The story of the Ramayana continues to become more interesting as the sections go on. I really like the introduction of the monkey King, Sugriva, along with Hanuman. I do find that Rama hiding in order to kill the brother of the great monkey King Sugriva is not a typical Rama action. It find that it can be attributed to Rama’s compassion and the potential for Vali to ask for mercy/protection, as mentioned in Rama’s Confession. Rama knew he needed to defeat Vali in order to have Sugriva’s help in finding his beloved Sita. Rama’s love for Sita is insurmountable, therefore he would do anything to get her back. I do wish though that Rama would have fought Vali with honor because I feel that he would have easily won and defeated Vali. Rama, in Part A fought off thousands of demons without any problem. Although he did not do what I felt he should have, he is still my favorite hero. I do find that having animals having the characteristics of people is something I would love to implement in my storybook. I found the bears to be intriguing and I will make sure to put one in.

I also enjoyed reading more about Ravana and his interactions with Sita. Sita is continuously fighting off Ravana’s advancements even when he is threatening to put her to death. This displays her love and compassion or Rama, and only him. She even refused to touch Hanuman’s body because she did not want to touch any man but Rama. I would enjoy being able to write about two characters that love each other that much. I feel that it adds a nice dynamic to any story, therefore, my storybook (if I choose that option), will have a love story.

Finally, I have not talked about it much, but I feel Karma will come into play more in the final readings. I cannot wait to continue my readings of the Ramayana. 

Source: Sugriva and Rama

Author: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder

Learning Challenges Week 2: Reading/Happiness

Source: Learning Challenges 

I really enjoy this meme about reading and happiness. The best part about reading is the ability to escape all of life's worries. I enjoy reading non-fiction, however, sometimes a fiction book that is very creative is the best way to become happy. I enjoy reading for fun and recommend to everyone to make reading a hobby!

Week 2 Announcement Review

Below is one of my favorite announcements from this past week. I felt that the words of wisdom are very funny and interesting. Also, this makes me curious about the other course Myth-Folklore. I feel that I would also really enjoy reading those epics and writing those stories!

Thanks for reading!

Famous Last Words: Week 2

This week went very smoothly and I enjoyed the assignments from Week 2. I felt I did a good job staying ahead of the assignments and reading the Ramayana. I hope to continue with this process as the weeks come along! At first, the Ramayana was difficult to follow due to the many characters involved. However, continuing to read allowed me to feel comfortable and understand fully every character and their motives. I am extremely interested in reading about what Rama and Lakshama do in order to rescue Sita. I feel that I am very interested in the god Shiva and Rama for my potential storybooks. I would love to implement these characters with either karma or a love story intertwined. I felt my best piece of writing was my story this week about King Dakin and his son Khal. I felt I did have more things to write about the story and that I ended it sort of abruptly. I hope I can incorporate the story again in future writings to complete my story. Next time I will try and make more of an outline in order to not run out of words in my stories. The stories I read for my project feedback are all very good though and I enjoy getting to read other creative stories!

My other classes are slowly picking up also. In my drilling lab we were able to create our own drilling muds which was very interesting. I cannot wait to see what this lab will have in store in the upcoming weeks. I noticed that other petroleum engineers were in this course therefore they reached out to me in my classes. We now discuss both Indian Epics and our PE courses. I am glad I got to meet them.

Source: Cat Memes

Overall this course has been very interesting and I am looking forward to developing my project and reading another epic. Thanks for reading everyone!

Growth Mindset Challenge

I just read an article that goes into Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset project. The article discussed on how to teach children into becoming better at topics that may not be good at now. The key in every teaching aspect is saying that brains are malleable and able to learn any topic. For example, they go into detail about saying that kids that are not good at math need to be taught that they simply are not good at math YET. This allows for self-confidence to be built up in the children. Furthermore, the need to teach children that effort is best must come at early ages. Children as young as 1-3 years old have developed better skills due to this growth mindset. This is a great way to change how we all learn.

Thanks for reading!

Online Source

Tech Tip: Creating a Pinterest

Hey everyone, I created a Pinterest account and created an India Epics board. I searched for Professor Gibb's pin board and located pins that I enjoyed. If you do not have one, I recommend making one to keep up with the course.

Thanks for reading everyone!

-Trevor-

Project Brainstorm: Potential Storybook Topics

In the following post, I will write about potential topics for my Storybook Project:

Heroes and Heroines

Every time I read the Ramyana I enjoy the stories told about Rama. He is my favorite character due to his deep personality and his strength in battle. He excels in every battle, fighting off many demons at a time with no help. He has mainly caught my attention though because of his obedience and empathy towards the fellow characters. My favorite scene thus far is when he obeys his father in being exiled to the forest for fourteen years. I feel I can really use this in my own stories because I want to write about a well-rounded hero/heroine that can perform in battle, while being a great leader by showing trust, obedience, and empathy for people.

The research I have done thus far is on many Wikipedia pages regarding Rama and his battles, especially against the rakshasa Khara. I also read about the scene where the demon Maricha forms into a golden deer and tricks Rama. I further looked into Sita and Lakshmana because of their constant involvement with Rama. I hope to continue reading about these three and their adventures with saving Sita.

Past Storybook

Gods and Goddesses

I find the Gods and Goddesses to be very intriguing because of their power and ability to create avatars. Thus far my favorite God is either Shiva or Vishnu. Vishnu has been very involved with the Ramayana because of his avatar Rama. Rama is sent by Vishnu to defeat the monarch of rakshasas, Ravana. I find it very interesting that they are able to become more than one person and go onto earth as a human to accomplish tasks they want done. They are very unique beings that can be useful in creating many stories that can be creative and different. The Gods and Goddesses, especially Shiva, constantly battle the demons to protect everyone. I will definitely use a God or Goddess and their avatars in my future Storybook.

The research I have done are mainly on Shiva. He is a vital God in the Hindu religion that takes on many forms. For example, he puts on the roles of Destroyer and Benefactor, Ascetic and Householder, and Nataraja. Nataraja is his involvement with dance and music. These are all found on Wikipedia and I really enjoyed reading more about this God. My research of Vishnu is mainly on the Ramayana and his avatar Rama to try and destroy Ravana. I have also looked at past storybooks about different Goddesses.

Source: Reikiserpent

The God Shiva

Past Storybooks

Rakshasas and Asuras (Demons)

I have really enjoyed reading about the stories involving the demons. I find it interesting that the demons can transform into other creatures to trick the heroes/heroines. My two favorite demons this far are Ravana and Maricha. These two are interesting because they team up to trick Rama in order to kidnap his wife Sita. Furthermore, their unique appearances allows me to imagine the many different possibilities for these demons. Ravana is imagined to have many heads and arms. This will make my stories easier because these demons can be anything that I want them to be, allowing me to be very creative in my own stories. Also, going into the readings I thought that demons only represented evil and were not capable of being good. However, in the Ramyana, Virdha is a celestial musician trapped inside a demon. This could come in handy when I am writing my stories to create an interesting plot twist.

Source: Reddit

Ravana and his ten heads

My research thus far has been on Wikipedia, the Ramyana, and past storybooks. I have focused on Ravana mainly because I feel that he is the root of all evil (a.k.a. all the demons). Ravana is very intertwined in Ramas, who is my favorite hero. Therefore, I will continue reading about Ravana and the demons he employs to kill Rama (Maricha).

Past Storybook

Love Stories and Epic Couples

In the Ramayana, I have enjoyed reading about the relationships between the two main couples; Dasaratha and Kaikeyi, and Rama and Sita. I liked these love stories because they were the cause of many of the crucial decisions in the Ramayana. For example, I found the dynamic between Dasaratha and Kaikeyi to be extremely interesting. Without her decision to force Dasaratha into exiling Rama, many of these epic tales would not have happened. Furthermore, Rama and Sita’s relationship allow the depiction of Rama’s true heroism to be displayed as he hunts for the kidnapped Sita. I feel that love stories and epic couples will allow me to create the motivation for my hero/heroine. This will be an aid in many of my main plot points in order to create the feelings and emotions of the heor/heroine.

My research thus far have strictly been on Wikipedia and past storybooks for the love stories and epic couples. I have done a lot of research on Rama so far, therefore I know more about Sita and his relationship more than most. They have been quoted plenty of times for saying that they cannot live without each other. You can see this in Sita’s decision to be exiled with Rama as sacrifice. I am interested in furthering my research into many more of the epic couples in the Ramayana. 

Past Storybook

Source: DollsofIndia

Rama and Sita in the forest after exile

Tech Tip: Embedding a YouTube Video

Hey everyone, I uploading one of my favorite college football YouTube videos. It involves some of the best trick plays in the history of college football. Check it out in my introduction!

Thanks everyone for reading and watching!

-Trevor-

Tech Tip: Following on Twitter

Hey everyone! I have logged onto my Twitter account to follow certain pages I find interesting. This week I followed none other than our Professor Gibbs! She is constantly tweeting important things about our course. I recommend following!

To follow, you need to:

1. Set up an account on Twitter.com
2. Either stay on your laptop or download the Twitter app on a smartphone. 
3. Click the search button on the top right of your homepage. 
4. Type in the name of who you want to follow. For Professor Gibbs,  type in "@OnlineCrsLady"
5. On her page, click the person on the top right of her page. Now you are following her and will see all the important tweets!

Thanks for reading!

-Trevor-

Tech Tip: Weather

Hey everyone I updated my sidebar with the current Norman Weather. If you are every wondering what the weather is just come to my blog! Thank you.

-Trevor-

Storytelling Week 2: The Tale of Two Princes

King Dakin slammed the tankard on the table in celebration.  He was the most powerful king in all the kingdoms and he had just heard news of his first boy being born. As King Dakin finished the warm red wine the rest of his council around him sang the kingdoms hymn with celebration for the future king. Once finished, Dakin walked up the stone staircase to his chamber to meet his exhausted wife, Kiya, holding a sweet little boy. With a quick swift of the king’s massive hands, the little prince was in the arms of his father. King Dakin looked down in awe at his new boy, and muttered, “Welcome to the world Khal”.

Source: Castle 

As the years past Khal grew into his large frame and became one of the strongest men in the kingdom, even rivaling his father. He quickly became an expert with the long blade sword, and even better with an eight food spear he could throw clear across the pasture.  All the boys in the kingdom envied his strength and swordsmanship. By the time he was eighteen, he had seven siblings, six sisters and one brother who was a thousand moons younger. His brother’s name was Kaydo. Now the brothers got along most of the time, however, Kaydo was consumed with the greed and envy of becoming the king instead of his brother. Furthermore, Queen Kiya favored the younger son due to his weaknesses compared to Khal. The Queen and Kaydo conspired a plan to kill the king and pin it on the eldest prince. They wrote the plans on a scroll in order to ensure their success. They would implement the plot against the king on his first hunt of the winter months.

Finally, on a cold winter night, the King went on a hunting trip with the two boys for sport. The men crept along the frozen stream, swords and spears in hand. Just about when they gave up, they heard a rumbling noise in the distance. Out of nowhere jumped a huge boar with tusks longer than the spear Khal possessed. As the boar attacked the king, Khal launched his spear with blistering speed into the side of the boar’s head. The boar let out a deafening cry as it took its last breath. The king, breathing heavily, grinned at Khal looking at their hunting feat. Just as Khal and King Dakin embraced in victory, Kaydo slid his sword into the back of the King, mortally wounding him. Khal yelled out in horror, seeing his father fall down and breathe his last breath. Kaydo then turned his attention towards Khal and tried to give him the same fate as the King. In disbelief, Khal picked up his spear out of the boar and in utter anger threw his spear into Kaydo. Kaydo was slowly dying as Khal peered down at him. Kaydo slowly realized the terrible mistake he has done by trying to take over the kingdom. As he laid their dying, he spoke to Khal.

“Khal, these actions I have done engulf the worst decision I have ever made. The crooked Queen Kiya, our mother, persuaded me and threatened me to commit these crimes. There is a scroll in my chamber that has written out the details of our plan. Goodbye my brother, I will miss thee.”

Source: Scroll

Khal, in despair, walked back to the kingdom directly to Kaydo’s room. He located the scroll before talking to anyone. As he entered the eating chamber, he looked right into Queen Kiya’s face he dropped the scroll onto the table. In utter disbelief that Khal had located the scroll, the Queen broke down crying for she knew of her fate. Khal, in his empathy for his mother, spoke the words, “you shall be banished to the forest for every moon until darkness”. As Kayo wept for what happened, he realized he was now the King. He had to be what everyone thought he was, a strong and intelligent King. As he walked out of his chamber to the balcony, he looked out at his new kingdom where his mother and father will no longer reside, ready for a new beginning.  

Author's Note: My inspiration for the Prince Khal is of Rama and his excellent wielding of weapons, along with his strength and knowledge. The King Dakin and Queen Kiya have a first-born son that is destined to be the king. They soon have a son a thousand moons (a little over three years younger) younger who will never be king because of age. The Queen favors the youngest son Kaydo, therefore they plot to kill both the King and Khal. The three men go on a hunting trip, which I received inspiration from Game of Thrones when Robery Baratheon dies. Kaydo kills the King and tries to kill Khal. This fails and he is then mortally stabbed by Khal. Kaydo, in remorse for what he has done, tells of a scroll that has written the plans of Kiya and him. Khal returns from hunting to face his mother, a murderer. Instead of executing his mother for her crimes, he has empathy and only banishes her. This is inspired from Rama himself  because he is a very forgiving and empathetic king. This was great to implement into my story because I feel that empathy is one of the best characteristics of a king. Khal is now the king of all these kingdoms as he watches his mother be exiled. Also, the Queen trying to make her son a king is inspiration from the Ramayana section, "Kaikeyi and Dasharatha".

Bibliography: Mackenzie, Donald, "Kaikeyi and Dasharatha". Indian Myths and Legend. Warwick Globe. (1913). Web Source: Project Gutenberg

Week 2 Reading Diary: Part B

The story of the Ramayana is continuing to get better and better with main plot points being displayed in this day’s readings. I am enjoying seeing the progression of the great Brahma’s plan of killing Ravana come into action with the capture of Sita from the forest. One of my favorite moments thus far in the Wednesday reading is when Shurpanakha and her brother Khara fight the two brothers in the forest. My favorite character is still Rama because I know he will accomplish what the great Brahma wants. He displays his power and selflessness during this battle. When the great ruler of the Danda kingdom sends thousands of troops, Rama tells Sita and Lakshmana to hide in a secret cave in order to be safe. He sacrifices his own life, potentially, in order to save the ones he loves. However, he is victorious and destroys all of the demons and Khara himself, proving he is king worthy. Another moment I find very interesting was when the demon Maricha helps the great Ravana by transforming into a golden deer to enchant Sita to be kidnapped. I really thought this was something I could implement into my own storybook. I definitely want to have rakshasa transform into another being a trick a main character into doing something they would of normally not have done. I can relate this to the Devil forming into a snake to persuade Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden apple. Also, Rama told Lakshama to stay with Sita the entire time and not leave her so she would be safe. Against Rama’s wishes, Lakshama disobeys him and Sita is captured by Ravana. Rama, instead of getting angry at Lakshama, he is forgiving and is only interested in returning his beautiful wife. I find this to be another great quality of Rama and more the reason why he is my favorite character in the Ramayana thus far. Finally, I enjoyed how some of the rakashasas are trapped in their demon bodies, and ultimately want to be set free. I did not understand that this was possible and now I am not quick to judge any demon due to the endless possibilities and circumstances.

Source: Ninapaley

Rama and the Golden Deer (Maricha)

Source: Wikipedia

Rama fighting Viradha

Overall, I am excited to see what Rama and Lakshama do when the encounter Ravana himself and try and safe Sita.

Author: Laura Gibbs

Week 2 Reading Diary: Public Domain version of the Ramayana

I am very interesting in continuing my reading of the Ramayana due to the potential of Rama desiring revenge against Kaikeyi after Dasharatha’s death. The character development of Rama is slowly making him into a hero that will prevail no matter what the obstacles are. My favorite moment thus far in the Ramayana is when Rama and Lakshmana fight the female rakshasa Thataka. This marks the beginning of Rama’s heroism in battle. I feel that all powerful kings first engage in many battles that define who they are. When people hear of these great victories, they fall in love with the hero and want him/her to become their leader. I sense that this is what is happening to Rama as he fights off these demons. Another interesting aspect of the battle that develops the personality of Rama, is his remorse and sympathy for Thataka before he kills her. He does not want to kill a woman, even if she is a demon and a threat to him and his brother. The compassion and leadership of Rama is extremely prevalent because, in my opinion, compassion can be a king’s/leader’s greatest quality. Furthermore, I enjoyed the moment that Rama bent the bow of Shiva to win the beautiful princess of Sita. This further displays Rama’s great power and potential future of ruling the kingdom with a wonderful princess by his side. And yes, it does remind of a fairytale which is why I enjoyed this moment! Finally, I enjoyed Rama’s character because he is very loyal no matter what is asked of him. For example, before Rama is even aware he is being banished, he says,"O Speak and I will obey even if I am asked to quaff poison and die ere my time. My promise is given, and my lips have never lied". This is important in displaying his love for his family and kingdom.

One thing I am curious to read is what happens to the new king Brahata and his mother Kaikeyi. I feel that to push Dasharatha to order his son to exile will not end well for either person. You can tell early on that Rama is the favorite prince and that everyone loves him. You can come to this conclusion by reading what the people say about him in “Heir Apparent”. He is a loving and compassionate man, not quick to judgement (qualities of a great ruler). I think in my stories I want to tell of a young woman or man facing trials, such as deception, him or her becoming triumphant, and ruling the kingdom. I think I will be able to really provide different angles and develop deep emotions of the hero/heroine. 

Rama breaking Shiva's Bow

Source: Spiritual Messenger

Author: Laura Gibbs

Famous Last Words for Week 1

Over the past week I have enjoyed writing about many different topics. My favorite writing this week was my storytelling about the Map of the Area Surrounding our Holiday Home. Even though I am not the most creative writer, I liked the endless possibilities I could write about. I really took my time on what I wanted to write about and planned out what I wanted to write about before I even started writing. I feel this is the best way to fully grasp and display to a reader what you wanted to write about.

When looking at the Spring 2016 posts, I noticed that Olivia’s favorite place to visit was the Whale’s Tail in Costa Rica. It is such a coincidence because my family has recently purchased a house about fifteen minutes away from Uvita (Domincal). We have visited the Whale’s Tail plenty of times and it was a close second for my favorite location. It is definitely extraordinary!

Source: Costa Rica House

So far this week my other classes have been going okay. I feel I am going to really enjoy my Production Engineering 1 course for a couple of reasons. First, Doctor Pournik is one of my favorite professors in the program. Also, I feel that this course will really help my future internship this semester. I feel Dr. Pournik is one of the better professors at the idea of growth mindset. My most difficult course will probably be Formation Evaluation, therefore I will spend most of my time on that course. This course involves formation evaluation concepts, such as logging tools, to better drill, complete, and produce certain reservoirs. Although this course will be difficult, I am really looking forward to understanding the material and utilizing it in my internship. Below is an example of a openhole log that we will study in this course. 

Source: Open Hole Log

When it comes to outside of the class, my most important news is that my oldest sister is due to have her new baby on Jan. 23^rd. This will be my second niece or my first nephew (we don’t know the gender!). So I am very excited to go home this weekend and hopefully get to see the new baby!

Overall, this was a great first week to the course!

Week 1 Review

Phonetically Defined Words

Source: Week 1 Announcements 

I really enjoyed this post from the past week's announcements. My favorite was either the hammock or the stilted. 

Also, I enjoyed seeing a post about George Orwell and his book the Animal Farm. I read this book in middle school and I really enjoyed all of the connections to real people in the Russian Revolution, including Joseph Stalin as a pig! If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it. I have not yet read Nineteen Eighty-Four but I will definitely add that to my list!

George Orwell's Animal Farm

Source: Week 1 Announcements 

R.I.P. George Orwell 

Check out the announcements for other cool and fun  posts!

Tech Tip: Blogger Template

Hey everyone I updated my blog layout and colors! I hope all of you enjoy the new blog design. Comment on if you like the new changes. Thanks!

You should try and update yours to whatever you like!

-Trevor-

Learning Challenges

H.E.A.R.T.

I find that Attention and Time Management are the most important when it comes to both academics and working. I struggle sometimes with attention, however, I feel my friends and I excel at time management. Although these are very important, I feel that if you step away from the constant working and studying that empathy, reading, and happiness/health become more and more important. 

First, health is important as you get older and build strong relationships with people you love. I am big on giving more than receiving and being extremely generous, and the letter “E” stands for that. As you go on in your life, the focus on others needs to grow on grow. I love my family and am very close to my parents and three sisters. As we all go our separate ways, the need to continue relationships and communication is vital. You never know what can happen in this crazy world, so you need to treat every goodbye and get together as if you may never get that again. 

Second, reading for leisure is something I wish I could do more of. Nowadays I feel that all I read is information about my classes, news, and information on investments. Although that is useful knowledge, I feel that more leisure/fiction readings completes a person’s mind. I do read on occasion, however, I think it is vital for me to continue taking time out of my busy day and read for fun. 

Source: Wikipedia 

Finally, the happiness and health aspect of people’s lives, I feel, are pushed to the side. For example, I feel that the stresses of work, money management, and family life consume a person’s mind, not allowing them to focus on their own happiness and health. It is extremely vital for someone to push through these issues and understand health and happiness are important in living life to its fullest.

Source: Health and Happiness 

Exploring the Idea of Growth Mindset

I have never heard of Carol Dweck or the growth mindset before today. I cannot speak for all majors, however, I do find that as an engineering student at the University of Oklahoma the grading of process versus final grades is in the works. Many professors nowadays grade highly on the process at which you attack a very difficult problem, with only a few points considered for the exact answer. This encourages students to truly study the material instead of memorizing a certain solution to a problem. To focus on what went on in their brain and thought processes allow for students to feel worthy of the task at hand and not get discouraged when failing. I have personally always thought that process is the most important aspect of learning, therefore, I will continue researching the growth mindset this semester and in future. I feel that every teacher/professor needs to look into the growth mindset project and utilize the ideas of Ms. Dweck in their own curriculum. Overall, this idea, along with Ms. Dweck’s growth mindset, are what we need to focus on in the future.

My own goals will continue with what I have thought of in the past. With going through difficult courses, I of course want to get the final grade of an A. However, I value the actual content and processes I have learned versus the letter grade I receive. I would much rather get a “B” in a course and learn a great deal of knowledge versus and easy course that I receive an “A” in.

Growth Mindset

Source: Phoenixisrisen

Finally, in the work force, processes are important in everyday tasks. As a hopeful future manager, I can emphasize the importance on what thoughts my employees have if they did not do the task right instead of focusing solely on the result. With a combination of teaching and understanding how employees operate, I feel that a manger can excel at their job. 

Storybook Favorites

Tales of Kailasa

This story intrigued me because the main character was actually a mountain instead of a person. I found the story to be unique and something that I might potentially write about myself. I read a few of the stories and I enjoyed the transformation and growth of the relationship between the mountain Kailasa and the hermit. The story entails many emotions of love, death, sorrow, and companionship. I find the story has many angles and stories hat intrigues me. I am looking forward to writing my own story that involves all of these emotions. I enjoyed the layout of the story, however, I felt the tab should have had introduction to make it easier on the reader (it was not hard to navigate, I just would have added “Introduction: Kailasa and the Hermit”).

Mount Kailash at Sunrise

By Bhagyati Nath

Diary of Karma

I find the idea of Karma very interesting and can create great stories that involve personal conflict in the main characters due to their own actions. Reading the introduction, I noticed that the author provides a few stories that include characters that face issues many years after poor choices they have made. The stories have potential to really dig deep in the characters minds on important decisions they need to make, allowing the stories to communicate well to the reader. I find that the stories that I can relate to are the best to read. Therefore, the process of making decisions and the following effects of those decisions are something that anyone can relate to. I find this to be my favorite story of the three because of the idea of karma and the potential stories that can branch off of the idea of karma. This had the best layout for me due to its breaking up the different stories that all relate to karma.

Dasaratha and the Dead Young Man

Source: India Net Zone

The Story of Ravana

The introduction starts off with a quick story of a famous king and the consequences of his thirst for revenge. The ultimate consequence of any decision is death, and King Ravana suffered that fate. The other stories are written from the king’s grandfather, recounting the life of the king and how he came into power. The stories depict the hardships of the young king, along with his dedication and hard work to be the best. I typically enjoy stories of people working hard and facing many trials to get to where they are now, therefore, I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the layout of this storybook, allowing me to understand what was going on easily. 

Ravana

Overview

I have not read or studied epics before. However, this course really appeals to me because I have close friends that are Hindu and I have always been interested in their culture. My friend and I are actually wanting to plan a trip to India soon. I have chosen the second Ramayana. I chosen this version because of the multiple authors that have contributed to this version. I think this will allow for better interpretation. Also, the opportunity to read this online seems like it may be more accessible and allow me to read more at home. Below is the image I found most interesting.

Krishna, Arjuna and Pradyumna fight the Demon Nikumbha

(circa1820, shown in Sotheby catalog)

I am curious about this picture because of the endless possibilities that could have occurred to bring these people to this predicament/fight. 

Introduction to a Future Petroleum Engineer

Hello my name is Trevor Eckard. I am originally from Boerne, Texas near San Antonio, however, in high school I moved to McKinney, Texas just north of Dallas. I am currently a junior Petroleum Engineer (PE) and plan on graduating in the 2017 Spring. The coolest thing about being a PE is the many opportunities to travel and experience new locations. You can either stay in the United States, go offshore, or even go out of the country to European or South American countries. Last summer I had an internship with Denbury Resources in Houston, Texas. It was an awesome experience and I am lucky to say I have an internship with them again in Plano, Texas next summer. 

This past break, I was able to go with my family to Dominical in Costa Rica. We were able to go the beach, ATV through the rainforest, and hike to many amazing sights. The best thing we were able to do was to hike to Nauyaca Waterfall. The 200 foot waterfall is surrounded by lush vegetation and numerous animals, such as the howler monkey. If you ever make it down to Costa Rica, I highly recommend visiting the Nauyaca Waterfall.

Source: Nauyaca Waterfall

My favorite book series is the Vince Flynn series about Mitch Rapp, a young aspiring CIA agent and his life after becoming one of the top agents. It is a great series that includes historically correct events with entertaining stories about Rapp’s adventures. Also, I am a huge movie person, with my favorite movie being the Shawshank Redemption. Other favorites include the Batman series, The Departed, and The Prestige. I am usually up for any movie and am always looking for great new movies! And to go along with the movie scene, my favorite snack food is popcorn by far. I definitely love going to the movie theater just get popcorn with jalepenos (trust me it’s good).

My hobbies include cooking, poker, and playing sports (specifically basketball). Even though I do not play basketball competitively anymore, I love to play basketball with friends up at the Huff or Lifetime in Dallas. I am a huge Spurs fan! I enjoy playing and watching almost any sport though and know plenty of useless sports trivia.  

Source: Tim Duncan AllPoster

Nice to meet everyone.

-Trevor-

Here is a video of the best trick plays in college football: Top Teen Trick Plays of College Football

Week 1 Storytelling

Source: Cabin in the Woods/Paradise

The “Sold” sign slowly disappeared as my parents and I drove off. We were moving again, of course.  This was the third time this year and all I could think about was how many more times will I have to be thrown into another school. A new place, new friends, and a whole new beginning, again. My parents said this move will be different though, they called the new cabin an oasis in the middle of a secluded forest.

As I looked out of the window at the foggy landscape, I could feel my eyes yearning for sleep. I did not want to miss any of the drive so I fought with all my might to stay awake. Just then I heard the blinker on the car turn on and we exited off the highway onto Eerie Forest Road. We were driving on the bouncy road as huge oak trees consumed the sky above me. All of a sudden the car jerked forward as the car came to a complete stop. My dad revved the engine, trying to free us from whatever had stopped our car. As I looked out to see what it was, I could feel the car slowly sinking into the mushy ground beneath us. It dawned on me. I quickly unbuckled and yelled to my parents, “Quicksand!”. We jumped out of the car just in time as the quicksand completely engulfed the car until all we could see was the antenna poking out. We all stood in shock staring at the ground, trying to figure out what actually just happened. We knew that the best way to fix this crazy event was to head towards the new cabin and call for help, so we started walking.

We walked for what seemed like forever when my dad decided he needed to go to the restroom. With my dad gone, my mom and I heard a murmur coming from the distance. As we waited and waited the murmur got louder and louder. All of a sudden, my dad came running towards us, screaming, with a large swarm of killer bees following closely. As I turned to run, I noticed a stream of water. We all were able to make it to the water and to escape the deadly stings of the bees. Just in time.

              As we continued walking, we finally made it to where the cabin was in sight. Just as we let out a sigh of relief, we heard a chopping sound near the cabin. From behind the house walked a crazy axeman screaming at us to get off his land. As the man ran after us, we hid behind a large oak tree, breathing ever so softly. As the axeman searched for us, I accidently moved my foot, causing the axeman to hear where we were. He started chopping down tree we were behind. With the cabin nearby, I went around the left side of the oak and yelled “Over here!”. As the axeman quickly looked my way, my dad came out from behind the tree and tackled the axeman, sending his axe flying away. We all sprinted as fast as we could to the cabin, with the axeman right behind us. He quickly caught up to me, and as he lunged forward to grab me, I woke up to my mom holding my arm as we arrived at our new cabin. It was all a dream, nothing but a dream.

Author note: Written from the inspiration from Tom Gauld's Map of the Area Surrounding our Holiday Home. I started from the South, worked Northeast, and finally arrived at the cabin where the axeman was located. 

Map of the Area Surrounding our Holiday Home, a cartoon by Tom Gauld from his book ROBOTS, MONSTERS Etc., 2006. http://onlinecourselady.pbworks.com/w/page/12763863/week1storytelling 

Comment Wall

Hello,

My name is Trevor Eckard and I am currently a Petroleum Engineering student. I am a junior and plan on graduating after the Spring 2017 semester.

Source: Offshore Oil Rig

Hope everyone had a great break!


-Trevor-

Hey everyone I wanted to post one of my favorite song's music video. I really enjoy this song, but the music video is a little weird lol. Hope you like the song though.

Source: Youtube

Cayman Islands- Favorite Place

Cayman Islands

One of my favorite vacations was when my family and I would go to the Cayman Islands during the summer. The crystal clear water and white sands were always a relaxing way to end my summer vacation. If you have not been to Cayman, I definitely recommend going! (especially Stingray City and the Turtle Farm)

7-mile beach is the prime tourist location with many restaurants and hotels. If you go, I would definitely stay on 7-mile beach.

Stingray City is an awesome and rare way to see wild stingrays in their own habitat without being enclosed. It is very exciting. 

-Trevor-