Soul Tran

Reading this week went well, I made time to do both parts of the reading as well as the extra credit reading. I liked reading Arabian nights to compare the story of Aladdin to the one that I was used to watching on Disney growing up. I also really enjoyed the parrot in Tales of a Parrot who tried to keep the main mistress from committing adultery while her husband was out of town by telling her stories to captivate her attention and keep her from leaving. I thought it was a comical story line and super interesting to read as well. I sadly ended up not having time to write my story this week because I was too busy drowning in my other classes. I usually put a lot of time into writing because I like to plan out what I want to write before I write it and I didn’t want to rush the writing for this class because then I would end up with a story that I am not proud of. I really enjoyed the storybook introductions that I read this week. I am super excited to read the storybook about trickster...

My favorite part of the announcements this week was from  Tuesday's  learning by heart post. I am a huge Game of Thrones fan so the graphic stood out to me.  Tyrion Lannister Quote: oulbh blog

Miemun and Khojisteh Characters:  Miemun: the main character who marries Khojisteh and buys the parrot Khojisteh: wife of the main character Parrot: wise bird that is bought by Miemun Ahmed Sultaun: dad of  Miemun Setting: Former times of Persia Overall Plot of the Stories: Miemun goes out of town and Khojisteh is about to commit adultery but the parrot continuously tells her stories every night to keep her from leaving. Plot of the Intro: Miemun and Khojisteh were set up by Miemun's father and they were the perfect couple who always spent time with each other. Miemun bought the parrot with a ridiculous sum of money because the bird was wise and kept up with current affairs as well as told advice on what to invest in for the market.  Story Idea: Change the setting to modernize the story line and change the wording as well as names to make it easier to follow along. Miemun with the parrot: Wikipedia Bibliography. "Miemun and Khojiste...

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Characters: Aladdin: the main character Evil Magician: pretends to be Aladdin's uncle Minor characters: Aladdin's parents Storyline Aladdin's dad was a tailor who passed away and was depressed at the fact that Aladdin was idle and had no trade so one day, this evil magician shows up to tell Aladdin and his mom that he is Aladdin's uncle who left 40 years ago so that's why they don't know him. He takes Aladdin into a shop and buys him all of these wonderful suits and what surprised me was that the story started saying fake uncle at this part when it hadn't earlier. The magician tricked Aladdin into going into this underground tunnel and retrieving a lamp for this fake uncle and then quickly left and never came back. The only problem is that the magician forgot to take the ring back from Aladdin as well. Ending Aladdin rubs the ring on his finger and a genie comes out of the ground with 3 wishes to offer and the magician ...

The Physician's Revenge Characters:  Vizir: advisor to the king The Greek King Douban: a physician for the king Plot: The weak king gets tricked by vizir who means to do Douban harm. Vizir tells the king that Douban is actually trying to kill the king instead of heal him and the king sadly falls for his lies. The king orders Douban to be killed but Douban begs the king to let him take care of everything before he dies and amazes him with a book that with Douban's head on it can talk and give him advice. So the king allows Douban to go back to his house and grab the book with a guard and take care of last minute things before dying. Douban gets his head cut off and tells the king to go through the pages of the book while licking his fingers between each page but the King was confused as the pages were blank. Ending: The king gets poisoned by the pages in the book and Douban still ends up dying. Possible Storytelling Idea: Have the physician find a way to get the vizir ...

The readings were wonderful this week! I really liked all of the stories from Twenty-Two Goblins. The riddles proposed by the goblin were so thought provoking and I was curious to how any of them could be answered. I had time to do both portions and the bonus reading as well. I had to rush when writing the story this week because I became really sick after going to the state fair so the story is not as detailed as I would like it to be. I did not have time to relax and take a deep breath when writing; I had to just force words onto the page. I loved all of the portfolio stories that I read as well as the storybook introductions. Most of them left me in awe and I wanted more because they were all so interesting. It also gave me more ideas on how I want to design my portfolio. My other classes are a bit overwhelming. I feel like I am getting buried in workload and I fell more and more behind this week because I could not concentrate on anything while being sick. I also have had to host ...

My favorite portion of the announcements from this week was this graphic on Thursday . I will keep this in mind when writing my stories!  Imagination graphic: Buddha Doodles

     There once was a successful merchant named Jewel with a wonderful wife named Pleasing and a beautiful daughter named Pearl. Their family was well off because the father was successful in his trade in the town of Adyodhya. Jewel was content with his life and all he had left to accomplish was to marry his daughter off to someone successful. He brought great merchants and even kings over to meet Pearl but Pearl had no attraction towards any of them.      That night, there was some rustling outside of Pearl’s window. She cautiously walked towards the window as she heard loud yelling coming from a group. She could make out some phrases such as “We need to find him!” and “I’ll make sure to get back what was mine!”. She looked out the window to see a man hiding in her bushes and an oncoming angry crowd with weapons. Her heart raced as she tried to figure out what to do but she decided that every story has more than one side so she opened her window and usher...

     The story starts off with a merchant's daughter named Pearl who lives in Ayodhya and rejects all the men. She is beautiful and charming but refuses kings and great merchants. Her father is deeply sad about her love life but then the citizens were being robbed every night by thieves so the king went to go stop the thieves. The king found one and told the thief that the king was also a thief so the thief took him home to show him hospitality but the maid told the king to escape or he would be harmed so the king escaped to go get help and came back to capture the thief. He successfully captured the thief with his own hands and brought him back to be killed. Pearl saw the thief out of her balcony and cried at the sight of his death because she fell in love with him at first sight and her father thought she was crazy to love a thief but not kings or merchants but she wouldn't have it. She said she would go die with him and took his body to the stake to be burned with him...

I added a weather widget to my blog following the directions at this link  and I honestly love it!

     Ra complained that humans who he had created were speaking ill of him behind his back and were wishing to slay him so he called a council of the gods and goddesses to discuss what he should do to punish them. Some gave their opinions and they eventually reached the consensus that Ra should release his eye upon the people and Hathor violently slaughtered many humans until they all went into hiding and Ra tried to stop her by offering many jars of alcohol as a gift to her to finally make her stop. Ra then happily had loyal supporters who would never speak ill of him.      To change this story, I would modernize it because some of the parts were hard to understand at first. Ra and Hathor: Flickr Bibliography. Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie: link to online reading .

     The story starts off with a merchant's daughter named Pearl who lives in Ayodhya and rejects all the men. She is beautiful and charming but refuses kings and great merchants. Her father is deeply sad about her love life but then the citizens were being robbed every night by thieves so the king went to go stop the thieves. The king found one and told the thief that the king was also a thief so the thief took him home to show him hospitality but the maid told the king to escape or he would be harmed so the king escaped to go get help and came back to capture the thief. He successfully captured the thief with his own hands and brought him back to be killed. Pearl saw the thief out of her balcony and cried at the sight of his death because she fell in love with him at first sight and her father thought she was crazy to love a thief but not kings or merchants but she wouldn't have it. She said she would go die with him and took his body to the stake to be burned with him ...

Goblins: The 3 lovers The goblin gives the king riddles for him to solve and this one is about a beautiful girl named Coral. She has three lovers but she dies suddenly after getting a fever so the dad was sad until he found a brahman doing a spell to bring a baby back to life that was thrown in the fire. The dad took the book and found one of the lovers who slept in the cemetery with coral's ashes and the second lover at the ganges river where he left her bones. So the dad did the spell to bring coral back to life and claimed that coral should be his wife, while the other two also complained that coral should be their wives because of their contribution to bringing her back. The king said that the guy who slept in the grave should be chosen to be the husband because he actually did hard work. Goblins over a fire: Youtube Bibliography. Twenty-Two Goblins by Arthur Ryder: link to reading online

The reading was wonderful this week! It was really difficult for me to decide on just one unit to read from last week and it made me so much happier this week to be able to choose from another unit to read. I had enough time to do both portions of the reading because I worked ahead and read when I had time before I became really busy during the week. I remember the trickster stories the best from Aesop’s fables. I think all of the trickster stories are so interesting because there’s always a cunning and sly character and we get to see how they try to get what they want or we see someone else trick the trickster. My best writing this week was in this class for sure! The only other writing I had to do was a long lab report for my microbiology lab. I haven’t tried writing with a different style but I really enjoyed my story this week. I just relax and listen to music while I write to get into the writer’s groove. My favorite stories that I read this week by others were the ones retelling ...

My favorite item from this week's announcements was this graphic from Wednesday . I definitely agree that villains always have a similar background in what kind of occupation they have.  Common vs Less Common Villains: The Guardian

My portfolio can be found at this link:  link Image source: Lion: Buzz Feed

   This story is now on my portfolio:  link     A lion was on his usual hunting routine in the forest. He stealthily hid behind trees and bushes as he tried to stay out of sight of his prey. He moved slowly to avoid making any noise. Behind the bushes, a group of hunters were camouflaged and slowly approaching the antelope with the same goal in mind as the lion. The hunters set traps in the forest ahead of time and were waiting to scare the antelope into one of their traps in order to capture the antelope. The lion was so focused on the antelope in plain sight that he did not realize the people in the forest who were also hunting the antelope. The lion beat the hunters to making the first move as he decided to dash straight towards the antelope. The lion built up speed so that the antelope would not have enough time to run away but by the time the lion spotted the trap, it was too late to stop his momentum and he ran straight into a trap set by the hunter...

The experiment was a success! I really enjoyed looking back at the end of the week and reading through what I had written throughout the week. Usually when something bad happens to me, everything else throughout the day becomes that much worse and it turns into a huge domino effect. The jar allows me to focus on the bright part of everyday and the good things that happened to me so that I can look past the sad parts. I definitely prefer having the physical jar rather than the digital one because just looking at the jar on my desk makes me happy. To improve this experiment, I would need to continue to add more to it for longer periods of time so that I have a greater collection to draw from.  Happiness Jar: Dot Com Gift Shop

Venus and the Goddesses  Word had spread that Cupid was at his mom's place and badly burned on his shoulder while Psyche was at the sea bathing and bad rumors had spread about how their relationship was disintegrating. Venus found out who her son had married and was outraged at her worst enemy becoming her daughter in law and possibly giving her more daughters. Venus scolded her son for being a disgrace and choosing such a girl to marry and ordered others to go find Psyche. Cupid and Psyche painted by Luca Giordano from 1692-1701:  Wikipedia                          Bibliography. Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius; link to online reading

Birds Part 1: The Fox and the Crow A crow had a piece of cheese on her beak but a cunning fox that wanted the piece of cheese decided to flatter her in order to obtain the cheese. He went on about how wonderful of a singer she was and asked her to sing a song and as soon as she started singing, she dropped the piece of cheese that was quickly snatched away by the fox. The Fox and the Crow:  Page by Page Books Bibliography. Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs,  link to the reading online

Foxes Part 1: The Fox and the Stork The fox invited the stork over for dinner and offered to cook. However, the fox put the food in a shallow bowl that the stork's bill barely grazed. The stork then offered to have the fox over for dinner next time. When the stork made dinner, the stork placed the food in a narrow jar that only the stork's bill could fit into in order to get food and the fox was left to starve.  Foxes Part 2: The Fox Without a Tail A fox lost his tail when trying to escape a trap that he was caught in. He was ashamed and embarrassed everywhere he went so he decided to convince other foxes that he didn't need his tail and that others should also cut off their tails but the others didn't listen. The Fox and the Stork:  Kids Zone Bibliography. Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs,  link to the reading online

The readings were great this week! I was so sad that I had to narrow it down to just one reading unit. All of them were so interesting and the part that took me the longest was deciding which unit I wanted to go with. I ended up reading a majority of them before I could finally decide which one I wanted to stick with. I remembered the Aesop’s Fables unit the best because each one ends in a nice summed up moral of the story. I also ended up reading both the one by Winter and Jacobs. The best writing I have done this week is definitely for this class. The only other papers I have had to write are my lab reports for my science classes and essays for my perspectives on U.S. economic policies class which were tiresome. I really do enjoy reading and writing for this class, I consider it more of a destressing activity rather than work I have to do. I like to listen to music and relax on one of the couches in the library in the morning while writing. I read such amazing stories from other stud...

What caught my eye from this week's announcements is a video from the Wednesday announcement . The video is called Grammar Lessons with Food and it reminded me of when I went to the state fair and there was a sign that said Man Eating Chicken. As people read the sign, they were curious as to how this was possible and many paid to go see this attraction but were disappointed as they entered and saw a 50 year old man sitting on a stool, eating a drumstick.  Man Eating Chicken: YouTube Cover Photo

The three stories I chose to focus in on are The Fox and The Stork , The Fox Without a Tail , and The Fox and the Crow . All of the stories are from Aesop's fables and have the fox as the main trickster. In The Fox and The Stork, the fox cooks for the stork but puts food in a shallow plate that only the fox can eat out of and the stork in return makes food and pours it into a narrow jar. In the Fox Without a Tail, a fox loses his tail and tries to convince other foxes to also get rid of their tail so that he won't feel as ashamed and embarrassed to have a missing tail. In the Fox and the Crow, a crow has a piece of cheese on her beak and the fox compliments her singing and asks her to sing a song so as soon as she started singing, she dropped the piece of cheese that was quickly snatched by the fox. I want to try to turn these stories around by having the trickster be tricked.  A fox without a tail:  Whispering Books

I read Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback that Fosters a Growth Mindset  and I also read The Difference Between Praise and Feedback . I agree with both articles in that people should praise the process instead of a personality trait. I do catch myself giving feedback with the same phrases that the second article said not to use. I typically begin my feedback comments with "I think..." or "I like that...." when I should focus more on the person I am giving feedback to. I need to learn to take out my feelings and emotions. I don't feel confident giving people useful feedback because I'm afraid to come off as rude so I normally try to find something to compliment. I need to work on giving useful feedback. Feedback Matters: Leahy's

     Jonah was a fisherman in his little village. He had a caring wife who stayed at home and cooked, cleaned, and looked after their four children.  He woke up every morning at the break of dawn to go down to the largest and deepest pond in their village. The pond was at the edge of the forest which he had to trek through every day to get to the pond.       One day when Jonah was fishing in this deep pond, he was concerned about his financial situation at home because they were getting ready to have a new addition to the family. He decided to stay and fish a little longer today to earn more money for his family. As the sun started to set, he grew fatigued and started to drift off. He was woken up by a large splash as he realized that he had dropped his fishing pole in the pond. He looked deep into the pond to see if there were any signs of his fishing pole but there was no trace of it. The pond was much too deep for him to jump in and look for...

I took developmental psychology last year and learned at what age kids normally develop empathy so I focused on observing children to see how they express empathy. I went to the park with my family to play volleyball and while taking a water break, I noticed a kid fall over on the playground. As soon as he started crying, another kid came running over and sat down to cry with the hurt child even though he wasn't hurt from anything. I want to be able to express the level of empathy the child expressed to where I could feel the same emotions the person in pain feels so I could know how to give advice or how to help.   A child expressing empathy for another child: Charter for Compassion

The Oracle of Apollo: Since Psyche was beyond beautiful, no one would take her as a bride. She was a mere ornament for people to stare at and admire. Her parents went to Apollo and received a command to wed her to a fatal marriage and they had  no choice but to accept. They made her go to a miserable marriage and they cried and wept bitterly as she had to go up to a top of a mountain by herself. I could retell the story by changing the beginning to where there were many suitors after her because I feel so sad that Psyche was lonely and and wept. I am also upset that her sisters were sought after but she wasn't. Psyche adored by the people painted by Luca Giordano from 1692-1701: Wikipedia Bibliography. Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius; link to online reading

Mercury and the Woodman A woodman was in the forest trying to chop down a tree when he accidentally dropped the axe in the water after a long tiring day of chopping. He cried bitterly without his axe because it was his source of income and his life line. He didn't have enough money to buy a new one. Mercury heard his cries and dove deep in the water to retrieve his axe but instead pulled out a gold axe. The woodman denied that it was his and Mercury then pulled out a silver which the woodman also turned down and then finally, Mercury pulled out the one that the woodman lost originally and he happily accepted. Mercury gladly gave him all 3 to keep for his honesty. Other people in town had heard about his fortune and started hiding their axes in the bushes and forest and pretending like they had lost their axes and called out to Mercury to help them find their axes and once again, Mercury offered them the gold one first and they tried to take it but Mercury instead hit them with the...

The Ass and his Driver A lazy donkey was going down a hill and did not want to go down such a long path so he saw an opportunity to take a short cut and go down the nearest cliff. His owner pulled him back and tried to stop him but he was determined to take the fastest way down and ended up tumbling down the cliff. For my story telling, I could add more to the beginning and the end. For the beginning, I could talk about how in a previous situation, the donkey had run through the ominous woods as a short cut instead of following the main road and he made it out fine and then when he tried the mountain cliff, he got scraped up a bit but he was also fine. He started becoming arrogant and self confident that he was invincible since he could go through a forest and down a cliff unharmed. So one day, he sees a long winding path to the other side of the farm that he didn't want to take and instead, he goes through the water and ends up drowning. A donkey running off of a cliff:  F...

I tried reading out loud to my dog Leo and it allowed me to imagine the scene and setting a lot more vividly. Since I read a lot more slowly out loud than in my head, I took up more time reading than I normally do. I do enjoy reading out loud because there is more emotion coming from the story and I take the time to enjoy the story rather than reading to just finish reading. The disadvantage is that I read a lot slower out loud but I will try reading out loud when I have time.  Reading out loud: English Harmony

I like the 6 hour class schedule that was suggested in the email, I am following it quite well and am getting all of the core assignments done and doing the extra credit whenever I can find some free time. I am on track to finish the class early because I have been doing quite a bit of extra credit. I'll most likely keep to the schedule. Time Management: Smead

I am going to write an experience that makes me happy everyday this week and then take them out at the end of the week to read them! Happiness Jar: Fitnessali

I tried the pomodoro technique by setting the timer to 30 minutes and taking a 5 minute break each time the timer went off. I don't think the pomodoro technique is best for me because I normally am the kind of person that when I'm in the zone, I can work for hours straight and I'll be more productive that way. I end up getting more done when I didn't take a break with the pomodoro timer. Pomodoro Technique:  Lifehacker

Genius is.... 20% Persistence 15% Creativity 10% Mistakes 20% Motivation 15% Reflection 20% Endurance  Definition of Genius: Graphic made on Canva by Rosa Tran

I chose this graphic because it perfectly describes me. I love trying new things and learning to skills. Exploring is my favorite thing to do! Trying new things:  Growth Mindset Resources I really like this graphic because sometimes when you run into an obstacle and you get pushed back, you start to forget why you were trying so hard in the first place so it helps to take a step back and imagine your goal. Looking at the bigger picture:  Growth Mindset Resources

I really like this graphic because I have always tried harder until I surpassed my goals so that I would not have any regrets.  Determination: Growth Mindset Cat I chose this graphic because I have always been an independent person who refused to ask the professor for help or anyone. I would persist until I figured it out on my own, no matter how long it took but then I realized that I need to learn to depend on others sometimes.    It's okay to ask for help: Growth Mindset Cat I like this growth mindset cat because it reminds me that even if I run into an obstacle, I can't just give up and stay in one place. I have to overcome the obstacle or learn to move 2 steps forward when life pushes me one step back. Persistence: Growth Mindset Cat

This motto means a lot to me because I have been through quite a few obstacles this year and persisting through with the right mindset has gotten me past all of these obstacles. I just have to take a breath and push myself forward to take the challenge even when life sets me back.  Motivational Motto: Made on Canva by Rosa Tran