Week 2 Reading Diary, continued: Ramayana Part B PDE

For some reason in the Part B of the Ramayana PDE, I could not help myself but have an old English accent while reciting the poems. The language is just so proper that it reminds me of Shakespeare. Overall I flew by easier on this part than the first and I think it is because I have a better understanding of all the roles that play a spot in these stories or ‘episodes’. What is ironic is that there is an actual Indian show that is based on Ramayana. I really never cared for it but I decided to tune in on it and I was surprised on how well the actors played each role. I wish I could remember the name of the show but if I find it again I’ll be sure to update it here.

Reading Ramayana, there is a feeling of constant hope you have for Rama in each difficult situation he faces, or at least I do. I pondered for a bit on his quote when speaking to the Jabali in Rama and Bharata, “Truth is our ancient path.” That is true. Truth is our only connection to the past. Nobody will believe in something false as history, knowingly that is. I plan on using this aspect into my story someway somehow.


Lastly, every great story needs symbolism. Symbolism is most likely the easiest way for the author to catch the reader’s attention because it will retain more efficiently. I plan on changing the choice of symbolism but keep the same meaning as in The Sandals. In this reasoning, The sandals of Rama were the symbol of royal authority. Therefore, I have to start jotting down all the qualities of royalty to keep the tone of power the same as in this episode.

 

                                                         Bharata requests Rama's sandals.
                                           By Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi, 1916. Source

Bibliography:
Public Domain Ramayana: Table of Contents

23. Rama and Bharata, 

24. The Sandals

Week 2 Reading Diary: Ramayana Part A PDE

In this week’s diary I enjoyed reading as well as listening to the stories of Ramayana. Having the stories switch from novels to poetries enabled a sort of delicacy to the whole reading. Understanding the assertions made from different God’s can input various emotions but the one thing that stays constant is the environment. I admired that with description we are able to design an image of the background of each story. In the beginning of Ramayana when reading about King Dasharatha, the amount details in the city of Ayodhya really captured my love for the city. I plan on following the same plan in making my story as detailed as possible so the reader can picture it as they take in my perspective.



I am an enthusiast of love stories. While reading I was intrigued by the story of Ahalya. I don’t exactly know how I want to portray the reading just yet. Most likely I’ll write about the story from her perspective but it would also be interesting to have the story come from first person than the third person. Ahalya has many beautiful characteristics which I can definitely work with. The way that seduction play the key role in this story can also influence my story. I may use the enticing part from Ahalya to more of her motive than an innocence she carried. Indra was head over heels for her because Brahma created her to be the most perfect of a woman. The picture below is a replica of how Ahalya was imagined, long black hair, with mesmerizing eyes and a beautiful curve of a body. I am excited to use her as a character in my story.

Ahalya Source

Bibliography:
Public Domain Ramayana: Table of Contents
1. King Dasharatha
7.Ahalya

Tech Tip: Blogger Profile

I am a huge fan in creativity. The only negative is that it can be time consuming. I like seeing a picture of the author of the blog that I read to. It makes me feel more at ease for some weird reason. My picture is about 3 years old so I have to update it but at the moment my computer is having glitch problems so I’ll fix it later on. I have also updated my cover picture to one of the defaults of a latte with a cute cream design. I am a huge coffee lover so it was a no brainer for me to choose that picture. Slowly but surely I’ll get my blog to alternate it to more of my personality but it will definitely take time.

Learning Everyday about Challenges

Honestly, the one topic that I believe surrounds the rest is attention. It is one of the only topics that supports the others. For example, if you lose attention, you can lose your health, attention span in time and reading and loose the care for others. H.E.A.R.T. is a great concept and I do believe that it is something that each and every one of us has faced at least once in our lives.


Happiness is a given gift that most people take for granted, myself included. I did not and still do not realize how lucky I have it. There are some days when it gets tough and I just want to quit but that’s when Empathy kicks in. I have a beautiful family with loving parents and I often forget the sacrifices they did to give me a better life. I need to pay more Attention in giving them Happiness from taking away their heartaches. The one thing I wish I did more is Read. I remember the days when AR points were not a big deal because I was infatuated in books. From mysteries to love stories, I loved them all. Lastly, Time. Time is something that we need to stop, figuratively of course. In our fast-paced world, if we are not with the time then we are automatically ‘living in the past’. It get ridiculous on how quick our generation has become. It seems like ‘trends’ have a whole new definition to all most every aspect in life.


In the long run I do believe that time is very essential but in my perspective without attention there is no way of telling what is or is not important. Currently, I know myself at a procrastinator and turning this blog in at 2:30 A.M. will surely be evidence but that does not mean that I can’t change. Certainly there are times when I have finished my work on time or even earlier but having so many distractions and other commitments some things end up coming in last place. Now saying so, I am not trying to justify myself, simply reassuring that it happens.



Being a 21 year old, I am sure there are more wise and conceptual advices out there on life. My perspective about life revolves around the typical, “don’t give up”, “see the brighter side” and nonetheless “live your life your way” theme. I’m hopeful that as I make more mistakes (which I have no doubt about) I will learn from them like I have in the past and make good of them.

Procrastination meme. Source.

Growth Mindset: Increase your Knowledge

I know what growth is and I know what mindset is but I have never heard the two terms together. Listening to Carol’s point of view of growth and fixed mindset, I had mixed emotions trying to relate. I have a comfort zone and it is usually in the middle, not one side or the other. I’m sure that I do fit into fixed or growth only but I’m a huge believer in best of both worlds. Having a growth mindset will surely do good. The only problem would be having the constant thrive to keep growth and never cutting yourself too short.



I took for granted how simple high school was compared to college. In high school there was little to no competition and yet everyone graduated as valedictorian. The reason being is the location as well as the education level in the district itself. I remember moving in 5th grade from a community who strive to become very high in education because that was their only way of receiving funds to transferring to the new elementary who strive in looking like the best on the outside but asking for parents on the down low to fund the school.




I always believe that the one thing that can stop improving is knowledge. It is your best bet in anything in life. The more you know the more powerful you will feel. After surviving college for 4 years, I have come to terms in growth. I struggled all throughout college but never gave up. Even though I had a more hopeful mindset in which position I’d be in my last semester I am just happy in graduating with a degree. Finally to have a piece of paper that will help me pay the worth of every caffeine and sleepless nights that was put into it. I wish everyone to always believe in themselves because you are your biggest supporter.

Growth Mindset meme. Source

Storybook Favorites

The first storybook that caught my attention was Hindu Goddess. I was immediately intrigued when the storyline’s introduction was spoken by a child asking her mother for a bedtime story. Ever since I can remember, I always loved playing with children. I have had memories when I used to babysit my little cousins along with my little sister and they would beg for a bedtime story whenever I caught them faking to be asleep. I like the excitement in the girl when the mother is trying to explain the stories about Ganga, Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Her excitement made me want to be excited as well. 

Mother reading to child. Source

The second storybook that I chose was Karma Dreams. Now, I don’t practice Hinduism but I definitely believe in karma. I have had experiences personally as well as known others who had experienced karma too. Usually, I used to determinate karma negatively but after understanding that there is a possibility for karma to be positive my faith is now stronger. This storybook is well written and it elucidates the dreams of four different people who are faced with difficult decisions for their future. Knowing how karma is very effective in whatever happens, their future is at stake if chosen the wrong path.



Lastly but not least, my top favorite storybook is How I Met Your Mother. When I saw the title I was a little confused and thought this had to be mistakenly added on the list. After reading the introduction, I was determined to share it with my friends because of how funny the concept is. I admire how creative Rachel Cunningham was by thinking of replicating the notion of a father’s perspective of how they met their future wife. I am a huge fan of the real TV series. To the point where I used to host watch parties when the show first started. So with that being said, I am already in love and can’t wait to discuss more about this storybook.


I love how different and interesting all of the storybooks are and am very excited to find out more information about them later on!

Overview of Course

For week 2, I plan on reading PDE Ramayan version. The reason behind why I chose this version is due to the fact that it is simply online. I have always like online versions better when it comes to choosing books because of the easy accessibility I have instead of carrying around a book. Even better, this version comes with audio and I am a huge fan of audible.com. On some days I love listening to a book while I take my time getting ready for an event and I'm even able to finish listening to it while I drive. Overall, it just fits better into my schedule.

Browsing through the different Gods' and their history I gravitated towards Sita, Ganga, and Hanuman. I grew up watching Hindi TV serials so I knew references of these Gods but never took the time to know about the history.

I really don't have any experience in Epic anything except for Epic Meal Time on YouTube. Which has nothing really epic in it besides the overwhelming calorie count of the entire meal at the end.

This is the first class I have ever taken that involves anything related to religion. I have meditated and my religion is Islam so there's no surprise there.

My family is from Bangladesh and since we're neighbors with India, I have a very Indian culture background. I understand Hindi and speak Bengali fluently but cannot read nor write in either language. I grew up listening to the music and watch all of the Bollywood's movies. Favorite Bollywood actor and actress are Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

I chose to include Shiva and Parvati, solely on their names. These names are very popular in the baby book, I assume since they have Godly meanings.

Shiva dancing to Parvati playing music. Source

Introduction to a Future Pharmacist

Hello. My name is Benika Islam as you can already tell from the title of this blog. I am a senior with a Planned Program major. My major is focused on Pharmaceutical Science and I hope to apply to OU Pharmacy School this fall. I love my country music. Especially the country men like my man, Luke Bryan. Man, what I would do if he ever dedicated a song for me only. 

I graduated from a small Boone dock of a high-school and I could not be more grateful since I grew more of a family than friends. I always planned on coming to OU for my undergrad ever since I could remember. I was born and raised in Moore OKC but moved to Edmond in 5^th grade and now I live in Norman for the past 4 years. So you could say that I know my way around the cities.

I am a Pharmacy technician at Walgreens for the past 2 years so I have somewhat of an experience of what I want my future to look like. I love talking to all the patients about their medication and their health problems. The reason behind choosing Pharmacy as my future career is my mom.

My mom is a wonderful human being as most kids say but my mom is my inspiration. I remember the exact day and every detail when my mom went into a coma and lost both her kidneys. I was eight years old so it impacted me a lot. Thankfully with the grace of God, she woke up and was able to receive a donor for one kidney within a year. During that year I was a bystander in all her operations and surgeries and before she knew it she was taking almost 40 pills a day. Being the oldest of two, I sought that it was my responsibility to take care of her. I would help her with all of the information of when, how, and the quantity of all her medications so it was one less thing she had to worry about. In the end, my family is the most important factor in my life and it was always be.

Personal Picture with mom. (Taken August 29, 2015)

Besides that heartfelt story ( swear I did not mean to get that deep), I have many other factors that I often take for granted. I love cooking. Growing up in the south and having a Bangladeshi background, recipes were very strange but the taste was incredible. Cooking is the one thing that I can do to relieve my stress almost immediately. My roommates always ask, “So if Pharmacy doesn’t work out, are you going into Culinary School?” My snarky reply is always, “I have hobbies and interests.” My other hobbies consist of doing free makeup and hair for special events for my friends. As well as releasing my creative juices by sketching random objects or painting sceneries. I also found a love for writing. I used to be a horrible speller in the younger days but now it's actually exhilarating also because spell check is awesome. 

Truth is, I never thought about going into Art, Culinary, or Cosmetology school because I don’t like the idea of making my hobbies into a job. My interest is and will be in the health field and I will do almost anything to get there.  

Week 1 Storytelling

There once was a girl who felt oh so proud about the way she looked. She would prance around the town for the benefit of the others, since they were in the gracefulness of her presence. The girl was well known for her doe-eyes, luscious hair, glowing skin, breath-taking smile and her sweet voice. It was obvious that the other girls in the town were hiding behind a jealous figure but secretly adoring her. While the boys of the town could not get enough of her they would slyly follow her around the village.

The girl knew how beautiful she was and when asked about how she became to be this gorgeous she would simple reply by saying, “It is a gift from God.” Her statement made girls pray more than ever to be blessed like she has been and the boys to pray that one day they would be the lucky one to marry her first. What the girl failed to mention was that God was not the God everyone believed in, but a stranger who falsely claimed to be the creator of all of mankind.

What people neglected to see past the girl’s beauty was her intelligence. Although she would exceed in the ‘regular’ townspeople criteria, she would still make her way through the village to brighten others’ day with her charisma. When she would stop by a shop to talk to people, there would be repeated talk about her angelic features. The more they talked about her beauty the happier and more beautiful she would get. People did not see the importance of talking about intellectual topics since beauty had a higher curiosity.

One day she was looking dull and her stomach had a horrible ache so she decided that she should visit ‘God’. So, she packed her belongings and headed out for her three day trip. Once she arrive to the cottage and stepped foot on his yard she could feel a sense of change in the atmosphere. She knocked on the door and waited for a couple of minutes before peering around. She found a crack open in the widow and pulled herself through. After looking around for quite some time, she was not able to recognize anything in the cottage. Worried she was in the wrong place she hurried to leave and bumped into the nightstand. Scattering to put back all the books the way they were she found a note that fell out of one of the journals. The note said,

“Dear girl,

I hoped that you will find this note in time before it is too late. It is true that I had helped you improve your looks to be the most beautiful girl in town. Although what I have failed to inform you is that with this great appearance you must uphold beauty within. Before you met me, you wanted to help the townspeople you told me that no one would give you attention because you believed that you were ugly. I did lie to you because I am not God I am a sorcerer. Intentionally, I created a curse instead of cure since you would not hear me when I said that you were beautiful both inside and out. Alas, I am sure you are here to seek for my help again but this time I would not be able to. If you are feeling some sort of pain and then you should know that your time is up. If not, then know that there is still a chance.

I wish you the best. “

Frantically rereading the note, the girl broke into tears and started to destroy the room. From tearing down the wall hangings to breaking the mirror, she could not stop. Once she was able to gather herself she caught a glimpse of her face through a shattered mirror piece. Slowly reaching to grab it, she is terrified to see what she has become. Her skin is now pale and her eyes have withered. She cannot recognize herself. Frightened, she throws the piece and it shatters into tinier pieces. Unknowingly, one gets lodged in her throat and she started gasping for air. She suffocated that night and her beauty was never to seen again.

Abstract girl in the mirror. Source

                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note

The moral from the fable was  "We often make much of the ornamental and despise the useful" which was easy to be creative with. Overall the story defines that true beauty lies within and without that prior knowledge you will lose it before you know it.

Bibliography. This story is based on the fable "The Stag and His Reflection" in The Aesop for Children book, by Anonymous, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919) Source

Favorite Place to Someday Visit

My favorite place to have a dream vacation would be Bali, Indonesia 

Not only is the environment absolutely breath taking, but it is nice to know the historical and cultural background of Bali. 

 Villa in Bali Web Source:Vagabound Tour

If I get a chance to visit Bali, the first thing I am going to do is book myself a relaxing day at the spa at Uma by COMO. Now, I am sure it is common to visit the nearby spa, locally. Yet, the spas in Bali consist of more than relaxation. They have an increasing amount of serenity. The ambiance is known to be soothing and peaceful.  They are known to complete every desire known to man. 

Uma by Como Villa Interior.  Web Source: Booking

Comment Wall

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Luke Bryan

I Don't Want This Night To End

Classic, to me at least. He is the reason why I love country men so much. haha! This music video is only the first part. If you want to see what happens next here's Drunk on You.

I love this music video even more since he reflects from the concert scenery and it makes me remember when I first saw him in Tulsa. My favorite part was when he brought a nice black Silverado on stage. He has won Entertainer of the Year twice so far and many to come. If you want to see more statistics over his wins here is a link to the CMT artist information. Hope I convinced you enough in becoming his fan as well!

Hello, it's me

I was wondering if after all the years you'd like to meet.