Famous Last Words for Week 5

This week I am exhausted. Speech season is always a time when I am running everywhere all of the time for the sake of tournaments. I have one nearly every weekend. This weekend, we are luckily here at OU, though. Hosting the tournament is just as exhausting as participating in one because I have to run around doing everything my coach or our co-hosting coach needs of me.

My classes were okay this week. I was so tired on Wednesday that I went to bed without doing any homework. For me, that is something that NEVER happens. I am so intent on always doing my homework and turning it in on time, so for me to not do it… I felt horrible the entire day next day for it. But, I am motivated to get all A’s this semester, so I cannot let it happen again.

For this class, I did not do my storytelling assignment, so I don’t have much to base my writing off of. However, Laura really liked my intro for my Storybook so I did not have to do many revisions for it at all. That was pretty nice. I am proud of my Storybook so far. In Japanese, I am doing pretty well. We had two quizzes this week, both of which I did pretty well on and I am spending this weekend studying for an exam in the class on Monday—when I am not busy with speech, that is.

This weekend will be very busy for me due to speech, but I am hoping that it won’t be too hard. I am also hoping that I can do really well tomorrow when I actually get to compete. Next weekend will be just as busy for me, as well. I am used to having so many speech tournaments in the semester, so I will definitely power through!

Today at the tournament I am running the ballot table and carrying a selfie-stick around to take pictures of the contestants. 

Personal Photo at Speech Tournament from February 2015

Week 5 Reading Diary B: Sita's Abduction

• I don’t know if it’s just because I am tired, or what. But the beginning of this section was actually pretty funny. Ravana approached Maricha with words to butter him up, to which he practically just asked what he wanted. Maricha then pretends to be in pain so that Ravana will stop talking to him, but of course Ravana doesn’t stop (page 162).
• Haha, Ravana called Rama a “false hermit with a holy hairdo” (page 164).
• When it comes to the part with the deer, Sita really annoys me. First, she begs Rama for the deer. Lakshmana tries to convince Rama it isn’t real, and it’s a trap. But Sita still wants it so he goes after it anyways. Then, when they hear the fake Rama scream, Laksmhana tries to explain it’s fake and Sita practically calls him a traitor for it. So he protects her with a circle that she can’t leave, and she steps right out of the circle without a second thought!
• The story of Vali’s and Sugriva’s conception was not what I expected. A monkey who was male jumped into a river, came out as a beautiful female that two gods made love to it. And then, as she bathed her children they splashed her and she became male again (page 185). Crazy!
• It’s cool that they believe that if your left eye winks involuntarily and you’re a woman then it’s good luck, but not if you’re a man (page 195).
• The death of Vali happened quite quickly in this version.

Image Information: Ravana Approaches Sita; Web Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Week 5 Reading Diary A: Rama's Time in the Woods

• I liked seeing Bharata question Kaikeyi about why Rama left. He just could not believe that his brother would commit and atrocity that could get him banished from the kingdom. He was even more horrified to learn that he had simply been banished so that Kaikeyi could make him the king, and make him happy. Clearly he was not happy at all about it (pages 113-114).
• Wow, Bharata even called Kaikeyi a whore (page 114).
• I loved this line in the book: “The Sun had gambled away all its splendor, and Night spread over Earth” (page 121). Something about it is just so inticing.
• The scene where Viswakarman comes down and creates gardens, food, and buildings for Bharadwaja’s guests was really cool (page 123).
• Also, the fact that Lakshmana could just receive supplies from the plants in the forest, like needles, cloth, soap, medicine, etc. was also pretty awesome (page 126). I wish plants did that for me.
• And poor Sita just being attacked by a crow as she was when she was trying to have a nice day out with Rama (page 127).
• In the other version of the Epic, Rama and Lakshmana received Bharata suspiciously, but in this version they welcomed their brother (page 129).
• I have been interested in Dharma lately, so I really liked this quote, “Dharma leads to happiness, but happiness cannot lead to Dharma” (page 145).
• Also, it’s cool that the ocean used to be milk (page 147).
• Whaaaat, and the story is interrupted by Sita being abducted by a cursed god that was turned into a Rakshasa (pages 154-156)!?
• Buck really made Surpanakha sound ugly. Also, the interaction between here Rama and Lakshmana was a bit humorous (pages 156-157).

Image Information: Lakshmana Punishes Surpanakha; Web Source: Wikimedia Commons.