Topic Research: the Lion King

I think my favorite theme out of all my brainstorm ideas was the Lion King one. I have several stories in mind, some of which I mentioned last time. I really like the idea of combining a few themes into one, but my favorite one is the Lion King for now. 

#1) I was thinking about replacing Scar with Ravana, Simba with Rama, Mufasa with Dasharatha, and Nala with Sita in this story. It would work out so well, because obviously Ravana wants something that Rama has, just like in the Lion King, Scar wants the kingdom that Simba will get once he's older. Dasharatha dies and Rama goes into exile all at once it seems, just like in the Lion King, Mufasa dies and Simba leaves his home for years. I could write about the story in a different perspective, maybe of Nala's, since it would be different than how the Ramayana is written (Sita's perspective is not shared as much as Rama's or Ravana's). Or I could write it in the perspective of all of the characters, switching off every paragraph. A resource I could use is A Kingdom of Love in a Lion Pride, which is a storybook done by a previous student, who replaced all the characters in the Ramayana with lions. This is essentially what I intend to do, so maybe I can look at what this student did and decide whether I want to have lots of dialogues between the lions or just do a third person view of the story.

#2) Another idea I had was talking about other animal characters in the Ramayana, such as the bird Jatayu, but having him appear to Rama in the form of Timon or Pumbaa. There are many sages and animals that Ram, Sita, and Lakshman encounter in the forest in the 14 years they are there, so I could have them appear to the characters and help them along their journey. One resource I could use for this is Narasimha. This article talks about the Man-Lion reincarnation of Vishnu, who maybe could come help the trio save Sita from Ravana. I know Hanuman comes and helps Sita, but I wasn't sure if I should take him out of the picture or just have him come into the story as Timon or Pumbaa. Narasimha could be Pumbaa and Hanuman can be Timon, or vice versa. I haven't figured that out yet but I think it would be cool for Ram, Sita, and Lakshman to have characters and friends such as Timon and Pumbaa by their side. 

#3) Lastly, I would like to integrate two or three themes. For example, I could have Nagini from Harry Potter appear in the story as Soorpanaka; it would fit nicely if we had an evil female character just like in the Ramayana. On the other hand, I could make Nagini, or Soorpanaka a good character and have her switch sides in the story, helping everyone take Ravana down. Another idea I had was maybe having the Doctor from Doctor Who come into their world; the reason being he was chasing rakshasas around the world and ended up in the forest where Ram, Sita, and Lakshman are. I'm not sure if this could potentially be my storybook / portfolio, but I'll figure it out soon! I could do three "chapters" sort of, where each time a new theme blends with the Lion King one, or I could start with all three, not sure yet! A resource I could use for this is Rakshasa; this article describes rakshasas as "powerful warriors, expert magicians, and illusionists" which fits into the supernatural theme of things, if I was to go through with that.

Source: Photo of Narasimha, which I would love to use if I were to write him into my story.

Feedback Strategies: Or Should I Say Feedforward?

I like helping people out a lot, so if someone asks me for feedback or an honest opinion on something, I'm happy to give it to them! However, if I want to comment on something but the person did not ask me for feedback exactly, sometimes I get nervous because I do not want to offend them. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to word a message so that they understand my point as well as take it seriously and casually instead of offensively. 

One of the articles I read was Preschoolers and Praise. I liked how it talked about saying things like "Good job on _____" instead of just "Good job." I think that is important because it will make the kids feel better about what they did. If you always say "good job" to someone, I feel like they might notice that it is very repetitive and they might not think those words are important anymore. However, if they can tell that you are really invested in what they're doing and that you notice the small things, I think they will be more likely to keep doing it in the future or do different things and see if their achievement is rewarded.

The second article I read was Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback. I really liked the study they did, where they asked participants to tell a random person what they would like to change about themselves and then the other person had to give them suggestions or ideas. I think it's a great way to give ideas on how to improve, especially since everyone will be honest with each other and (hopefully) not judge one another. I especially loved how at one point it said "We can change the future. We can't change the past." It's a great quote in my opinion, because a lot of times we focus on the past and regrets, when we should be focusing on the present and on the future.

Source: Because this is what everyone will be getting on their stories soon :-)

Week 3 Story; The One At Hogwarts

***Find the whole and revised version of the story in my portfolio here***

Albus Dumbledore learned of Parvati and Padma Patil, the twins who had great potential to learn to use their magical powers at Hogwarts. He felt it necessary to go straight to their palace in India to persuade their father, the king, to let them come with him. He had also heard of the stories of Lord Brahma and his creations, Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati, and Lord Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi (who is also referred to as Padma, which means lotus). When he learned there was a set of twins named Parvati and Padma, he knew there was something special going on. So, he began his journey through the Forbidden Forest and the huge lake that stood between Hogwarts and the King's palace. When he got to the palace, King Daksha Patil was surprised to see Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, standing before him. Nevertheless, he greeted him gracefully and pondered what the meaning of this meeting was.

"Professor, I am rather intrigued by your visit. What can I do for you?"

"I want your daughters, Parvati and Padma, to come with me to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They have great powers that will be able to help me journey back to the school as well as help others once they arrive at the school, which is guarded by monstrous creatures."

Dumbledore was so straightforward with his answer and King Daksha was so surprised at it that he almost fell out of his throne.

"Excuse me-- you want what?"

"Your daughters have a great potential for magic; I have been able to sense their powers and ask your permission to let them come with me and allow them to explore this world they are attracted to."

"But they're just children! At only eleven years old, how will they go away and live without their family in an unknown land?! I'll send anyone else with you, anyone. My eldest nephews and nieces would probably be more than happy to accompany you."

At this, Dumbledore argued, "If you cannot send Parvati and Padma, I don't want anybody. I'll go back alone."

Dumbledore was rather upset, but he could see that he could not get Daksha to change his mind so easily. He began to retreat from the palace. Meanwhile, Parvati and Padma had been upstairs in their room, but they happened to hear everything. They quickly came running down.

"Professor! Please wait!" they cried out. "Father, Father! Please let us go join this man! He seems very knowledgeable and we can learn so much about these powers we have been wondering about!" 

After several minutes of begging and negotiating, King Daksha realized he could never deny his daughters the opportunity to grow. He finally agreed.

Dumbledore and the Patil sisters were all very excited for their journey, although Parvati and Padma had no idea what was to come or what they were capable of. 

They began their journey through the lake that Dumbledore had crossed earlier. While the twins were busy steering the boat in the direction Dumbledore had indicated, the professor exclaimed, "Oh, treacherous waters! How full of life they used to be, now stained with the darkness and evil that lives within!" 

At this, the twin sisters were a bit confused. "What is so special about these waters?" Parvati asked. "What do you mean by fulfilled by the good and the evil?" asked Padma.

Dumbledore had his story ready. "Well, long ago, there was a wizard called Lord Voldemort that seized rule over these waters. He convinced all the half-mermaid, half-human (merpeople, as I like to call them) inhabitants in the lake that his rule would bring them more wealth, so of course they followed him. He killed everyone in the surrounding villages until there was only one boy left. When he attempted to kill the last remaining human alive, he somehow failed and the boy's unknown power repelled the evil Lord. The merpeople, still loyal to Lord Voldemort, have now taken over parts of the lake and its inhabitants and eat anyone that swims in the water. Some parts of the lake are so bad that even touching the water can poison travelers. After this incident, I had a dream in which I heard a prophecy which stated that the boy would never grow up to realize his powers and get rid of the merpeople and their evil deeds, but only his children could defeat the merpeople once and for all. That boy grew up to be your father, and you two girls are the only people who can touch these waters without being poisoned."

After hearing this, Parvati and Padma were indeed stunned, but were able to pick up the courage to ask Dumbledore how they could help. Just as they asked, the merpeople swam to the surface of the lake and were about to attack their boat when Parvati and Padma both threw out her hands as if defending themselves. Bolts of piercing light came out of their hands and hit the merpeople straight in the chest. The sisters stared at their hands, mesmerized but also terrified, waiting for Dumbledore to say something.

"Ah, finally! Oh wondrous children! You have finally given the animals in the lake and the people around it hope and life! Bless you, bless you both. Now, as we are almost to land, we will walk through the Forbidden Forest until we arrive at Hogwarts. More stories to come along the way!"

Source: An animated version of Parvati and Padma.

Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana, p. 1-53.

Author's Note:
This story is the one about Vishwamitra. He goes to King Dasharatha and asks if Rama can come with him. Dasharatha is reluctant at first and tells Vishwamitra that Rama will not go anywhere without his brother Lakshmana. Vishwamitra states that he will look after both sons, as long as Rama is there. He goes on with the journey and along the way, tells them the story of Thataka, Ganga, and Ahalya along the way. He also takes him to Janaka's palace where Ram breaks Shiva's bow and marries Sita (which I have not gotten to yet). I decided to place this story in India and Hogwarts (connecting the two with only a lake and a forest). I replaced King Dasharatha with King Daksha (which is Sati's father; Sati is another name for Parvati), Vishwamitra with Albus Dumbledore because they were both mentor-like characters, and Ram and Lakshman with Parvati and Padma. When I was writing about Lord Voldemort and the merpeople, I was thinking about the Goblet of Fire, where the merpeople are in the lake in one of the tournament challenges. I replaced the Death Eaters with the merpeople because it made more sense with the story of the lake. 

Reading Notes: R. K. Narayan's Ramayana: Part B

Rama's Exile and Bharata
I really liked how much everyone supports Rama; they were all willing to go live in the forest with him and I thought that was super special! I also admire Bharata's humble character; he really hoped Rama would be king and is even staying out of Ayodhya until Rama comes back. I was hoping they would all revolt and through Kaikeyi out or something, but they are all good people so that did not happen :-) like I said in my last reading notes, I might go with my Lion King theme, where I would have Rama replace Simba and go out into the forest for years and have all the other "lions" be upset and be under the whole of someone they don't want. I could put a twist on it and make Bharata take the place of Scar, so in that case he would be an evil person instead of a loving, humble one. 

In the Forest
I liked all the different people that Ram, Lakshman, and Sita met along their journey. I could replace some of them with Hanuman, Timon, and Pumbaa to reiterate the Lion King theme. I could them tell stories of how they got there and other things that come later in the reading. I think this would be a great story because there are many characters in the Ramayan, so I could combine all my story ideas and have Nagini from the Harry Potter series come in. I could also have characters from Doctor Who come in and be rakshasas that Ram defeats. Soorpanaka's character could be replaced by a rakshasa or even Nagini if I decide to make her an evil character in the series. Or this could be where Nagini comes in and Ram convinces her to be his companion instead of Lord Voldemort's (just like Dumbledore convinced Snape to be on his side rather than a Death Eater). Just some ideas I'm throwing out there.

Soorpanaka and Ravana
There is a lot that goes on in this part of the Ramayana. Ravana comes up with an elaborate plan to capture Sita, although she clearly is not interested in him. There are many stories like this one, so it might not be too hard to come up with a story plot for this part. If I do combine Doctor Who and Lion King, I could have the Doctor chase some of the rakshasas that got away from him last time, and they all end up in the forest. When Ram and Lakshman get tricked by Mareecha and Ravana takes Sita, the Doctor could even help in bringing her back, while Ram and Lakshman can help the Doctor defeat the alien rakshasas in return.

Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana, Part B.

Source: Ram killing the golden deer, who is actually Mareecha in disguise.

Reading Notes: R. K. Narayan's Ramayana, Part A

As I was reading the beginning of the Ramayana, I was very intrigued because there were many stories which I haven't heard before and many that I have, but not in such detail. Here are some of the thoughts/questions I had about some of the stories in Reading A:

Vishvamitra
I really liked this idea of a mentor, kind of guiding Rama and Lakshmana through the forests and cities. He allowed Rama to obtain and realize his full potential as a leader, which was really neat. I could write this in many ways, because there are many stories in which a mentor guides a student. For example, Professor Dumbledore guides Harry Potter in many ways. In my version, he could guide the Patil sisters. Also, Oogway and Shifu were both great mentors in Kung Fu Panda, which is another setting I could use. Lastly, if I went along with my Lion King story theme, I could use Rafiki as the mentor (sage Vishvamitra) and Simba as the mentee (Rama). 

Ganga
I had actually never heard the story of how the river Ganga came to be, so I thought this story was really interesting. The Horse Sacrifice was something new to read about, and I wasn't sure where the story was going until it mentioned Ganga coming down and cleansing the bodies of the people that died trying to find the horse. It was weird reading how Ganga and Shiva were making Bhagiratha go back and forth, but it was even more interesting to see his determination of praying to the gods for thousands of years for the salvation of his ancestors. I also found it interesting that all the holes Sakara's sons dug up to find the horse became "the oceans of today." I'm not sure if I will rewrite this story, because I can't think of a more interesting way to write this; or at least, I think I could write more about other stories than this one. 

Ahalya
I don't usually see gods in an evil light, so when Indra is shown in such a negative way, I was really surprised! I had never heard of his infatuation with Ahalya and what he did to try to receive her love back. I do think it was a little harsh of Sage Gautama to punish her to become a stone for years, though, because she was not aware that Indra had taken her husband's place. This was a fairly short story, but there are still many stories about unrequited love that I could replace the three main characters with.

Sita
I loved the part where Sita and Rama first meet. It was simply adorable and the typical "love at first sight" scene. I could actually picture it in my head. I don't think I could write stories about this one, it's too historical to change :-)

Ram's Exile
I was so upset when reading about Kooni and how she manipulated Kaikeyi to be harsh towards Dasharatha and Rama. Kaikeyi was actually happy to see Rama become the next King, until Kooni told her she was being absurd. Kooni is the one that brought up how Kaikeyi still had two boons, and told her exactly what she should demand. I don't think Kooni had any right saying those things and disrupting a perfectly happy Kaikeyi and her family. I was also surprised about how quickly Kaikeyi changed her views and immediately became so cruel towards Dasharatha and Rama, so I wonder if she actually had the same thoughts as Kooni but did not realize them until they were brought up. I could go with my Lion King theme again here, and replace Dasharatha with Mufasa, Rama with Simba, Kaikeyi with Scar, and Kooni with the hyenas that assist Scar. I'm not sure who would play Bharata, so I might have to add in a character for Scar's son.

Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana, Part A.

Source: Rama breaking Shiva's bow, which gained him Sita's hand in marriage.