Week 2 - Reading Diary B: The Golden Deer

Rama's unselfishness is something that I really admire. To go into exile for 14 years without any question is a truly admirable thing to do. Also Bharata's character and unselfishness can me compared to Rama's. Its interesting to see Ravana come back after quite some time in the background. I almost forgot about him! Pretty sad considering he is the main villain from the prophecy. I'm trying to understand if theres a reason Lakshmana cuts off the specific body parts of Shurpanahka maybe to make her resemble a snake like her brother Ravana..? I wish I was better at analyzing the symbolism in the Ramayana.

Week 2 - Reading Diary A: Rama and Sita

This story is pretty hard to follow but the guides help a lot! I can recall that Vishnu has 8 devas or avatars but i didn't know Rama was the first one. I'm pretty sure each reincarnation of Vishnu has an epic story just like the last reincarnation Krishna. These stories are interesting in the fact that there are many mini stories being told within the big giant plot of Rama's life. Some of the reasons and symbolism behind the sacrifices is hard for me to understand but there seems to be quiet a few for the first fifty pages of the book already! Also, this book covers time spans really quickly. Also I get a bad feeling from Vasishtha. I feel as if he is going to cause even more problems for Rama.

Week 1 - Storybook Favorites

1. https://sites.google.com/site/goodnightnaga/

Goodnight Naga

I was drawn to this website initially because of the word 'Naga'. The website contains three different stories about the Naga. The physical layout of the website is very simple. Everything is easy to find and there isn’t much to the website. The introduction for the website attempts to set up an imagery in the reader’s head that their grandfather is telling them old tales of the Naga around the fireplace. The stories provide a background and description of the origins of the Naga and makes it clear what the stories are about.

2. https://sites.google.com/site/karmathegoodthebadandtheugly/home

Karma: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I was drawn to this website because, being a Hindu, I am extremely familiar with the idea of karma and what it entails. The website attempts to teach the idea of karma through various stories. At the end of each story there is an author’s note with an analysis and breakdown of key points in the story. Similar to the website for Goodnight Naga the layout of this website is very simple and easy to navigate. Everything is presented clearly and is easy to find.

3. https://sites.google.com/site/hindubeasts/home

Hindu Beasts

I was drawn to this website because I initially thought of the animals deities such as Gayatri but it ended up showing me two gods I am very familiar with and Garuda, which I am not that familiar with. The website has three separate stories for the three separate Hindu animal deities. Similar to Goodnight Naga the introduction attempts to transport you to a setting where Lord Brahma is telling you these stories before bed. The layout of this website also resembles the first two. Once again, very easy to navigate and simple to find everything.

Week 1 - Introduction

My name is Avi Natha. I am twenty years old and was born on May 27th, 1994 in Sacramento, California. I am tall, skinny and I am of Indian and English descent. I have 3 other members in my family and one little ragdoll kitten named Onyx. In my free time I enjoy playing basketball at the huff, hanging out with friends, trying new foods, and relaxing at home. I enjoy eating all different types of foods and it is always one of things I look to do when visiting a new place. I moved to Oklahoma City with my family when I was three years old and have lived here ever since. I attended Mustang Public Schools almost my entire life and played tennis competitively all the way until college. I am now pursuing a pre-med degree in Biology as a junior at the University of Oklahoma. My main aspiration is to become a doctor. This has been my dream for a very long time. I hope to go to OU’s medical school in downtown and be able to continue my education here in Oklahoma. I love watching and playing sports like basketball, football, and tennis. I also am a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Cowboys. Some of my favorite athletes include: Rafael Nadal, Lebron James, Dez Bryant, and Tony Romo. I currently am taking Microbiology, Physics 1, Physics 1 lab, and Health Facilities Management. This summer I went to Honduras on a medical brigade and also took a summer class at OU. At OU, I am the treasurer for the Oklahoma Undergraduate India Society and also a member of the Pre-med club. I plan to take the MCAT in April or the summer and start applying for medical school very soon.

My Favorite NBA team Picture Credit

Week 1 Storytelling - The Old Man and the Boy

One morning a young schoolboy decided to take an alternate walking route to his school. He decided to take a rural path with an old road adjacent to it. The path was dark and unfinished, and the dirt road winded down lower into an old forest near the back of his school. As the boy trudged on he noticed a flicker in the distance and decided to follow it. For quite some time the boy was mesmerized by the light and followed it for quite some time before being awoken out of his spell by a man who spoke up to catch the boy's attention. The forest was quite dark for the clouds and trees blotted the sun’s luminescence and covered the man’s appearance. The only thing the boy could make out was that the man seemed to be quite old. The old man explained that he needed help reaching something in his crawl space for he was too old; the old man also offered him candy as a reward. The boy slowly began walking the old man to his home and looked around to unfamiliar surroundings. This was not the path his neighbor had described to him. As they approached the entrance of the home, the young boy felt the old man's grip grow tighter and tighter on his arm. The boy heard a scream and his vision went black. There was no chance of escape.

Author’s Note: The story of the Old Lion and the Fox, from Aesop's Fables, is about an elderly lion that uses his old age as sympathy to lure visitors into becoming his prey. One day, the old lion invites a fox into his home. However, the fox is cunning and notices the footsteps of the lion’s former prey leading into his home but none leading out. My story is a dark twist on this fable with a not so happy ending.

Boy in Forest

Week 1 - Indian Epics

I share similar background with this class and therefore am excited to see what else I can learn about my culture and heritage. I don't have any questions so far but this class has piqued my interest and I can't wait to see how the rest of the semester turns out.

Tech Tip 1 - Blogger Templates Tech Tip

I chose green because its my favorite color, also I have never blogged before.

Week 1 - My Favorite Places

One of my favorite places is Qdoba. I enjoy going to Qdoba because I really enjoy all their foods and especially their three cheese queso. I've been a rewards member at Qdoba for almost four years now. My favorite meal from Qdoba is the three cheese nachos and a grape Mellow Yellow.

A Qdoba similar to one  I would eat at often.
http://www.nooga.com/154674/chattanooga-qdoba-locations-to-offer-free-chips-queso-on-april-11/

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