Week 12 Famous Last Words: So Long, Farwell

With the completion of this post I will have achieved the minimum amount of points to get an A in this class! I am so excited that I decided to take this class. It was very rewarding and I have honestly learned a lot from the readings that I would have otherwise never have even considered reading. It was great that I got to reconnect with someone that I knew in high school and got to meet other people both within my major and those who are not. This class was great at allowing me to express my imagination and creative capabilities. It is something that I would like to continue to develop after this class.

Since I am done, I now have time to focus on my other projects and finals in my other classes. I have not decided yet if I want to comeback next week or later before the end of the semester and complete my Storybook. I have put a lot of time and energy into the development of the plot and the characters and I would like to see it to its completion.

It is strange how it has only taken 51 posts to achieve a total of 410 points, but I have worked hard and did my best to stay diligent in doing the daily and weekly assignments as well as a few extra credit assignments each week. I look forward to seeing what everyone in this class does in the coming semesters and in the future after graduation.

I wanted to say thank you to everyone for your comments and support on my stories and my Storybook throughout the semester. You have all been really helpful. A special shout out to Dr. Laura Gibbs for her hard work on the development of this class and her insightful comments and critiques on my stories.

BYE!

Week 12: Storybook Review

I have had a lot of fun in this class, especially doing the Storybook. It was extremely rewarding being able to flex my imagination and really make the stories I have read my own. I feel like I have grown as an writer and my interests in mythology and folklore have developed.

This week I decided to backup all my stories to my OneDrive account just in case something should happen to them whenever this class is up. What I did was export my stories as PDFs and saved them to both my computer and to my OneDrive account. Who knows maybe I can use them later for another project?

Perhaps my favorite announcement this week was the news that there is no required work for this class during Thanksgiving week. This makes me really happy since I have plans to visit some friends in Georgia!

Microsoft OneDrive

Week 12 Story: This Little Piggy Got Hungry

"Betty Pringle had a little pig,

Not very little and not very big;

When he was alive he lived in clover;

But now he's gone, escaped from his owner.

So Billy Pringle he laid down and cried,

And Betty Pringle she got up an tried;

Searching for little piggy wiggy."

-Adaptation of a nursery rhyme

Betty Pringle traveled far and wide, searching for her piggy wiggy. They had been best friends growing up always sharing each others food and place to sleep. Betty Pringle was a pretty girl, with eyes like diamonds and hair like coiled gold. Her brother begged her not to go, but she left anyway searching for her piggy wiggy.

She looked under every stone and on top of every mountain but could not find her little pig. One day, a man in an old van pulled up beside her as she walked down the road offering to help her out. Betty Pringle being the small, naive child that she is took him up on her offer. She told the man all about her piggy wiggy and began to cry at the thought of him being dead. The man consoled her telling her that he knew exactly where her pig was and offered her some candy. This candy was strangely wrapped, but Betty Pringle was happy to have help on her search for her pig.

She asked the man for his name which he replied was Willy. Satisfied with the trustworthiness of her new friend she popped the candy in her mouth and noted a strange taste before quickly drifting off into a deep sleep...

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Betty Pringle woke up in a dark and dank room. The only light in the room was from the static on a TV in the corner. Confused about what happened she called out to her new friend that gave her the candy. The man rose from the armchair in the corner and whispered to her in the dark:

"Curly locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine,
But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream!"

-From a  nursery rhyme

Finally becoming aware of the situation that she was in. Betty Pringle cried out:

"What age may I be? What age may I be?

My boy Willy?"
"Twice two, twice seven,
Twice ten, twice eleven:
But, oh! I'm too young
To be taken from my mammy."

-Adaptation of a nursery rhyme

Sobbing her eyes out, Willy felt distressed in her presence. He moved to comfort her, for she was his beloved. He felt that in his bones. He unchained her from the wall and began to rub her back. Before he knew it, Betty Pringle had tied the chain around his neck and it was lights out for Willy.

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Months had passed and Billy Pringle had not heard from his sister. The little pig returned from his adventure and waited anxiously for Betty to play. Billy decided to search for his sister. Searching far and wide, under every stone and on top of every mountain. Billy could not find her. One day he was walking down the street he got a chilling feeling when he passed an old house. He could tell his sister was close by. Tearing the house down, plank by plank. Billy came to a locked door leading to the basement.

Removing the lock, Billy entered. He retched at the stench, but he pressed on down the stairs into the cold, dank basement. The only light in the room was from the TV in the corner. Confused Billy called out for his sister. She rose from the armchair in the corner. Her golden hair was matted, and her face stained red. She carried a bone in her left hand:

"Betty Pringle so lost and single,
Eating a man bone;
How she gnawed it, how she clawed it,
When she found she was alone!"

-Adaptation of a nursery rhyme

Artwork of Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter

Author's Note: 

Poor Betty Pringle, what an adventure she has had. I took from four different nursery rhymes to create this story. I had to adapt a few to make them fit with the story. I have always found nursery rhymes to be creepy. As I was doing my reading this week, I could not help by draw connections between them as many have the same themes. I wanted to make this story as dark as possible. Making Betty Pringle a monster that is arguably worse than Willy was actually kind of fun and it reminded me of an expository writing class I took while here at OU called Modern Monsters. There have been many cases where people have survived for months from plane crashes or ship wrecks by eating the flesh of their fellow passengers. Most notably the Stella Maris College Rugby Team.

Bibliography:

The Nursery Rhyme Book. Andrew Lang

Week 12 Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Section B

Nursery Rhymes, Section B

Jingles:

"HEY! diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laugh'd
To see the sport,
While the dish ran after the spoon."

"TO market, to market, to buy a fat pig;

Home again, home again, dancing a jig
Ride to the market to buy a fat hog;
Home again, home again, jiggery-jog."

"RUB a dub dub,

Three men in a tub:
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick-maker;
Turn 'em out, knaves all three!"

Love and Matrimony:

"CURLY locks! curly locks! wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine,
But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam,
And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream!"

• An old creepy dude kidnapped a kid with curly locks and he wants to marry her. Hella creepy dude...

"What age may she be? What age may she be?

My boy Willy?"
"Twice two, twice seven,
Twice ten, twice eleven:
But, oh! she's too young
To be taken from her mammy."

Natural History:

"BETTY PRINGLE had a little pig,

Not very little and not very big;
When he was alive he lived in clover;
But now he's dead, and that's all over.
So Billy Pringle he laid down and cried,
And Betty Pringle she laid down and died;
So there was an end of one, two, and three:
Billy Pringle he,
Betty Pringle she,
And the piggy wiggy."

• Betty Pringle can be the protagonist of the story. Her pig escaped so she goes out to look for it and then she gets kidnapped by the creepy man who wants to marry her.

Betty Pringle's dad

"CURR dhoo, curr dhoo,

Love me, and I'll love you!"

"BAH, bah, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
"Yes, marry, have I,
Three bags full:
One for my master,
And one for my dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries in the lane."

Relics:

"HANNAH BANTRY in the pantry,
Eating a mutton bone;
How she gnawed it, how she clawed it,
When she found she was alone!"

• Betty ends up killing the creepy dude, but is trapped in his house so when she is found... months later. She had eaten most of the creepy dude.

Week 12 Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Section A

Nursery Rhymes, Section A

Tales:

"THERE was a fat man of Bombay,
Who was smoking one sunshiny day,
When a bird, called a snipe,
Flew away with his pipe,
Which vexed the fat man of Bombay."

• I can probably make a story from this where the fat man is the king or something of Bombay and is really oppressive to his subjects. The snipe is personified by a rebel, who steals the kings pipe - his symbol of power.

"SOLOMON GRUNDY,

Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday:
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy."

• I just think this one is funny for some reason...

Proverbs:

"FOR every evil under the sun,

There is a remedy, or there is none.
If there be one, try and find it;
If there be none, never mind it."

• This proverb represents how I deal with situations in real life. If I can fix something bad, I fix it. If there is no way for me to make a situation better, I just move on.

Songs:

"LITTLE Polly Flinders

Sat among the cinders,
Warming her pretty little toes.

Her mother came and caught her,
And whipped her little daughter
For spoiling her nice new clothes."

• What a mean mother and stupid daughter

Riddles: Some possible ones I can use in a story...

"IN marble walls as white as milk,
Lined with a skin as soft as silk;
Within a fountain crystal clear,
A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this stronghold.
Yet things break in and steal the gold.

[An egg.]"

"FORMED long ago, yet made to-day,

Employed while others sleep;
What few would like to give away,
Nor any wish to keep.

[A Bed.]"

Of course I am going to do my best to make this week's story a creepy one with creepy little kids...

Kids are little monsters

Week 11 Famous Last Words: Excuse me while I move to the Projects

Projects on projects on projects on projects.

I have so many coming up and I can begin to feel the pressure rising from them.

For one class, this project is completely optional and serves as a source of extra credit. Now, the professor made it optional, but with the current class average, the only thing that will keep many in the class afloat is by doing this project. Luckily, I am doing alright in this class so I have the luxury of skipping out on it. I thought long and hard about it, and I decided to do it, albeit half-assed, but I will do it. I figure it would be a nice cushion to have should I do poorly on the next exam or the final.

Another class I have a project is basically just a paper on my favorite infectious disease. Now going into it, I though it would be easy. But the disease I chose does not have a lot of research that has gone into it since it is considered a "neglected tropical disease." The length of the paper is not terrible, but I worry about the quality since all that I currently have is about half of the requirement. I could fluff it up, but I hate writing scientific papers like that.

Finally, my last project serves as a final. I am in a group of three and we are doing our topic on a rather hot topic in the microbial ecology community. Unfortunately, the other two in my group have almost no research skills. The first time we met to work on it they brought sources from Wikipedia and other non-peer reviewed sources. They also are not motivated at all to do it. Most of the work for this project I have done alone so it is an added stress.

Luckily, I have the project in this class too. It is actually the only one I look forward to doing...

The Projects

Week 11 Learning Challenge: Empathy

So this week I decided to do a learning by H.E.A.R.T. challenge. Specifically one on empathy.

I visited a website called PostSecret where people confess some of their deepest secrets to help them feel better about themselves. There are some really powerful things here. One struck me real close to home though. The image of it is posted below.

"Fraudulent"

So, I am multicultural. My mother is Latino with strong family ties to Mexico and my father is Caucasian. I grew up with strong influences from both cultures. So I identify as both White and Hispanic, but I look 110% like a white male. I remember during my first year at OU I went to an HSA (Hispanic Student Association) meeting and felt so out of place. I was getting sideways glances and skeptical questions about my ties to Hispanic culture. This situation happened every single time I went to one of these meetings, eventually I just stopped going because of how discriminated I felt by people of my own culture and race.

My second year at OU, I made a friend and we were just hanging out one day when the topic of my culture and racism came up, I told him that I was Latino and I too feel the pressures of racism sometimes. He laughed in my face. Now this friend is African American so I thought he would understand. After an hour of trying to defend my background and convince him that I too can be discriminated against, he looked me dead in the eyes and said, "You cannot be discriminated against even if you are Latino, your diversity is invisible and you benefit from being White."

Needless to say, he and I do not talk much now. His words were extremely painful. I am Hispanic, but I am not accept and recognized by that community or others.

Week 11 Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

So I have had the Canvas mobile app for a while now on my iPhone and it makes it so easy just to do a quick check on what I need to do for homework or what I need to start focusing on while I am on the move it is so convenient! I recently got an iPad too. The first app I downloaded was the Canvas mobile app for it. It has made keeping up with assignments so much easier! It is like I am carrying around an electronic binder of all the things that I need to do or all the notes that I have taken.

At first I was concerned about the switch to Canvas as it was an unwanted change because I honestly liked D2L. But after experiencing the mobile app and its capabilities. I am so pleased with the switch.

One of the great things about the Canvas app and having an iPad or an iPhone or anything with internet connection capabilities is its use alongside Microsoft's Onedrive. Onedrive is basically a cloud storage service. Because we are students we get a bunch of free space. I store all my slides that I download from Canvas to Onedrive. I can even submit assignments directly to canvas from Onedrive. I am honestly pleased with the direction that OU decided to take with its technology services!

Canvas

Week 11 Reading Notes: King Arthur, Section B

King Arthur, Section B

The Adventure of Sir Percivale:

In this story, this knight is met with all kinds of misfortune, but he preservers through his troubles and makes friend with a lion after helping it slay a serpent. Is this a play on words? Who knows...

Image of the noble Sir Percivale

Sir Lancelot and the 500 Knights:

So in this story, Lancelot stumbles upon a skirmish. Seeing that one side wears black armor and the other wears white, he was perplexed. The Black knights began to lose so Lancelot went to support them only to be beaten in the process. He later finds out that it was a battle between sinners (black) and those of faith (white). Lancelot had defended the sinners and thus is punished for his actions.

The Adventure of Sir Bors:

In this story, Sir Bors meets a hermit and together they travel to a pilgrimage. The Hermit realizes how pure of soul and youthful the knight is so he gifts him with many things. As Bors adventures about, he unknowingly get into a fight with his brother. Before he can deal the final blow, an unknown force stops him and tells him to meet Sir Percivale at the sea. Bors apologizes to his brother and goes off to meet the other knight.

Sir Lancelot Meets Sir Galahad:

Father and son reunited. Lancelot returns to Camelot to find out that many of the knights of the round table have been slain.

Week 11 Story: An Unwise Decision

Magic is a powerful essence that surrounds all living things. To the common people, it is beautiful and mysterious. But to the select few who are able to experience and wield its power, magic is volatile and deadly, there is nothing beautiful about it. It is my duty as a wizard to not fall into the temptation that it holds. With a clear mind, I shall resist the darkness within magic and use my power to protect all that is just and all that is right. That is the promise I made my him and that is the promise that I have kept...

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It had been a tactical skirmish. Our unwavering faith in the king was a strong as ever. Through his leadership we defended Camelot's gates from the tides of Vikings. Their siege on the city had begun to wear on the walls and the morale of the troops, but we fought on diligently. With the king's guidance and my father's consul, the troops of were able to regain control of the Eastern watchtower.

As a woman, my job on the battlefield was simple. Find the wounded and care for them. More than once I had been forced to take up a sword and defend myself from the perverse minds of the enemy. Luckily, my father insisted that I learn how to wield a blade between my daily magical training.

My magic was unmatched, even to that of Merlin's. Who would expect his own daughter to surpass him? I can close wounds with a blink of an eye and I can replace limbs with a soft caress. My skills in the healing arts have brought me much fame and glory among the citizens of Camelot. They call me a saint and an angel, but I do not let these compliments get to me. My duty is to the people, I deserve no such reward for that.

One day during a skirmish, I was watching as King Arthur went riding into battle with his golden armor and dazzling sword. My admiration soon turned to fear as I see the man I love topple from his horse to the ground. Rushing to his aide, I see that an arrow had penetrated his armor and had pierced his heart. I could see the life draining quickly from his eyes. 

Weaving a masterful spell even I can cheat Death. Unfortunately, a spell so drastic requires a sacrifice of equal value. Without considering the consequences I resurrect the dead king in my arms. It was as if time had stood still for a second, all the noise had faded away. The ground beneath us erupted in a spectacular array of light in all different colors. The king's color returned to his face and the warmth to his body. I had done it, I had resurrected the king and saved the future of Camelot!

The display of my power must have been enough to scare away the Vikings as they began to retreat. It was not until after they had left did I realize what my actions had done. All around me, the ground was black. All the grass, the trees, and the flowers withered and dry. It was that day that I realized that a king's life is worth as much as the land he owns. All the land in Camelot was barren, by resurrecting the king, I had damned the country I spent so long protecting.

The resurrection of King Arthur

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Author's Note: The motivation of this story comes from many different places. This week I read the stories out of the King Arthur section. While reading, I was surprised by the power the different female characters had on the development of the King Arthur and his story. I want to create a story that centered on a girl and her power. I was also interested in Merlin and his unhealthy relationship with Vivien. I like how he taught her magic, so I created my character with the Vivien in mind. I decided to make her his daughter rather than lover because... well it was just super creepy of him to be fawning over a little girl. Also, not proud about this story, I did not have any motivation when writing it. I may completely change it, I may not. We'll see.

Bibliography:

"King Arthur" Unit, Section A and Section B

"The Passing of Merlin" King Arthur Unit, Section A

Week 11 Reading Notes: King Arthur, Section A

King Arthur, Section A

The Drawing of the Sword:

Follows the general legend that I already know about King Arthur.

The Questing Beast:

In this story, Arthur meets Merlin for the first time and they talk about their future. Merlin offers advice, but Arthur will not take it and grows angry. He leaves Merlin behind to pursue a beast he saw earlier.

The Sword Excalibur:

Here Arthur and Merlin get the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. I thought the sword that he pulled from the stone was Excalibur. The more you know...

How the Round Table Began:

In this story, Arthur gets Guenevere to marry him. As a form of endowment, her father gifts Arthur with 100 knights and a round table where they can all sit. Merlin does his job to get fifty more to join the table.

The Passing of Merlin:

In this story, the wise Merlin is bewitched by the beauty of a maiden. He teaches her magic amongst many other things before she deceived him and buried him alive.

How Morgan Le Fay Tried to Kill King Arthur:

So like the name implies, Morgan tried to kill her brother by tricking him to wear an enchanted mantle that would burst into flame should be put on. She also stole the scabbard to Excalibur and threw it into the lake where it was lost.

Morgan le Fay

Week 10 Learning Challenge: Hand Washing Makes for Better Health

So in relation to my previous post, I thought that I would share some facts and statistics about the benefits of hand washing and disinfection. 

Many bacteria and viruses are able to spread via direct contact with infected people or with infected surfaces, known as fomites. Some pathogens are able to persist on these surfaces for long periods of times. Influenza for example can persist on surfaces for up to three days. Microorganisms are terrifying. Most of the bacteria that can be spread by touch include an antibiotic resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus also known as MRSA, or Streptococcus species which can cause toxic shock syndrome or necrotizing fasciitis, and then there are the Salmonella species and other enteric bacteria that can cause diarrhea and vomiting, which is probably what caused my illness. 

The sad thing about most of these bacteria is that they are ubiquitous, meaning that they are found every where. Up to 40% of people are asymptomatic carriers for S. aureus with about 10% of those being carriers for the MRSA strain. About 15% of people are actually carriers for Streptococcus species. Both of these genera of bacteria are found in people's pharyngal cavities or on their skin. Isn't microbiology cool? This is the stuff I live for.

Image of MRSA on a blood agar plate.
Blood agar is a deep red color and opaque, no light can shine through.
What you are seeing above is the beta-hemolytic properties of MRSA.
Basically, this plate is showing that MRSA has the ability to completely lyse the red blood cells.

Disinfect your work and cooking areas, keep your hands off your face, and carry around a bottle of germX.

Attached are some important links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) webpage:

When & How to Wash Your Hands

Here is a link to a video of the director of the CDC, Dr. Tom Freiden, laying down the facts about why hand washing is important.

Handwashing: A Win for Everyone

Week 10 Famous Last Words: I am a survivor

So this week had its ups and downs.

In the beginning of the week, I had a phone conversation with a Primary Investigator (PI) from a lab at the University of Alabama. As we talked, he told me that he wanted me to go do my Masters research with him on the ecology of subterranean ecosystems. It was an exciting moment, I had finally got someone who is willing to take me in as their student next year!

Unfortunately, later that day, I started to feel a little off. I went home early from the lab where I am doing my senior thesis research and went straight to bed (4:30 PM) I woke up at 10:00 with intense stomach pain and rumbling bowel movements that sounded and felt like an earthquake (it was actually an interesting experience in hindsight). I had some sort of stomach bug! I was out of commission for the whole day and the next. It was terrible. A few of my friends and other people in my department got it as well. It was quite literally and figuratively a shitty experience.

Even though I recovered by Thursday, my whole week was shot. I had no motivation and no energy to do anything. While my stomach pains and frequent trips to the bathroom stopped, I found out it was only because I had run out of things to expel from my body. Every time I ate something, not even an hour later, it would be back outside of me. In a course of over 48 hours, all I ate was a tortilla and half a glass of water. I was extremely dehydrated on Thursday and Friday. I guess the moral of this story is to wash your hands kids.

Image courtesy of the CDC

Week 10 Reading Notes: Apache Tales, Section A

Apache Tales, Section A

The Emergence:

Just your average origin story. People climb up from the Underworld wearing out the ladders and leaving two people behind. According to Goddard,  "These two are the rulers of the world of the dead which the ghosts reached through the place of emergence. They pass down easily but cannot return because the ladders are worn out. This place is said to be situated somewhere many miles north of Taos and is reached by four trails."

The Culture Heros and Owl:

What was the purpose of this story? Two boys encounter an Owl who tries to eat them, but the boys are protected by some sort of magic... Moral of the story... Do not go north???

Naiyenesgani Rescues the Taos Indians:

In this story an Apache medicineman saves some of the Pueblo Indians. In this story we see the two older people left behind from The Emergence story. It was a nice full circle. 

Coyote Secures Fire:

Just like the tile suggests, the Coyote gets fire, only he does so by not asking for it. When he finally gets fire, he sets the whole world ablaze and the only thing that did not burn was petrified wood.

The Swallowing Monster:

I have no idea what purpose the four people making the children's noises serve in this story or what the Swallowing Monster actually does in this story besides search for them in vain, and then eat them all out of no where? I'm so confused about all these stories.

Releasing the Buffalo:

This is a story of the how the Ravens became scavengers and how the Apache people were dying of hunger, but were able to trick the Ravens into releasing all the buffalo stopping the famine.

BISON (One of my favorite animals)

Week 9 Story: A Memoir

I want someone to know my story, so I will do my best to write down what I can, while I can...

It is just another day in paradise...

The air conditioning had just kicked on and now the white linen curtains around my bed are beginning to sway in a solemn dance, it feels so refreshing against my hot skin. If I pretend hard enough, the cool air almost felt like the ocean wind blowing through my window at home and sometimes I can also smell freshly cut grass and tropical flowers… I just had another coughing fit, I need to do my best to stifle the noise so I don’t alert the scary men in space suits outside my door, they always poke me with needles and never answer my questions…

I remember the first day I was brought to this lonely room - it was about a week after my father had returned home to Okinawa from his military deployment in China. My family was so relieved when he came back okay and was showing no signs of sickness. I mean who would expect him, my father of all people, getting sick? He is a doctor after all...

Cape Manamo in Okinawa, Japan 

According to the news, it all happened so suddenly, one person got sick in China and the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. They thought maybe it was just pneumonia or maybe the flu, so they prescribed some antibiotics and gave him some steroids and let him be on his way, he was found dead the next day… Soon his family members and others who had had close contact with him went to the hospital for the same symptoms, then the nurse and other medical staff that cared for him also became sick, then the friends and family of them. Apparently it is the world’s biggest outbreak of the 21st century. Or so they say, I don’t get out much anymore…

My father’s cough started a few days after he returned home from China. Soon everyone in my family was also sick. The scariest part about this all was the uncertainty… No one knew what was going on. Because his rank in the military and his connections with doctors in the US. My father was able to get us all on a plane to New York where “we will be getting the best treatment possible,” he assured us. He died soon after the plane left the Kadena Air Force Base…

When he died my mother didn’t say a word to my sister or me. She sat there with his head on her lap trying to breathe between her coughing fits and sobs. She died soon after we landed in the states… Sometimes at night when I can’t sleep, I imagine them both here with me. She is holding my hand and wiping the sweat from my forehead and my dad is checking over my medical charts, smiling at me reassuringly…

My sister and I shared a room at first... I remember she would hold me tight and kiss the places they gave us shots and then sing me to sleep. Out of our entire family she was the only one who didn't have a cough. The doctors were hopeful too for her recovery, until she died just a few days ago… I’ve begun to lose hope…

Sometimes I imagine my sister here with me too. She always tugs on my hand asking me to play with her, but I’m too weak to move. “Just try, silly!” she always says... One day I finally worked up the energy to play with my sister, I was surprised by how easy it was to get out of bed. Maybe I am getting better! My sister tells me that she knows where they keep the extra jello, but we would have to sneak outside the room. She grabs my hand and leads me outside, the doctors look at me, but it is as if they do not see me… She leads me down a dark hallway to a door with a bright light behind it…

She looks at me and says, “I lied, I don’t know where they keep the extra jello. I am really here to bring you home to mommy and daddy.”

The Light at the end of the tunnel

THE END

Author’s Note:

This story is inspired from “Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts” from the Inuit Folktale section. In this story, Qalagánguasê’s family eat some bad seaweed and fall ill, dying off one by one. Qalagánguasê is the only survivor, but he too is on the verge of death. The closer he becomes with the afterlife, the more different ghosts start to visit him. He is eventually lead to the afterlife by his sister’s ghost. I decided to take this story and make it have a more modern feeling to it. I decided to use SARS as the disease that is causing his family’s death. Other than the whole family dying, and a few other details, I made this story very personal to me since I grew up in Japan during the initial outbreak of SARS in China and the rest of Eastern Asia, it is also one of the main reasons why the military returned my  family  to the States. I personally credit my experience with this disease for the main reason why I am pursuing a degree in microbiology.

Bibliography:

“Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts.” Eskimo Folk-Tales. By Knud Rasmussen

Week 9 Reading Notes: Eskimo Folktales, Section B

Eskimo Folktales, Section B

Pâtussorssuaq, Who Killed His Uncle:

This a story of a man killing his uncle because he is very fond of his wife and they are moving away. After killing his uncle, the uncle appears in front of him in the form of his spirit animal and rips him to shreds.

The Eagle and the Whale:

I like this story. In it two sisters become the prisoners, for lack of better term, to an eagle and to a whale. Their brothers make plans to save them with much success after some trial and error. It would be interesting to twist the plot to where one or both of the sisters get Stockholm syndrome after living with their capture for some time.

THERE SHE BLOWS

Ángángŭjuk:

This is an interesting story of a boy who was kidnapped and ultimately rescued by his father and a magic man. Because of what they did to the boy's captors, the family could no longer live in their old house and had to find a new one.

Âtârssuaq:

This is a story of a man who had many enemies so he decided to train his son to kill them if that day should ever come. Which, of course, it does. The son was a really good swimmer and diver and ended up drowning all of his father's enemies save one so that he could tell his people to never try to kill him or his family again.

Kánagssuaq:

Basically a story of two hunters helping each other out in their times of need. It is a nice bromance...

Week 9 Reading Notes: Eskimo Folk Tales, Section A

Eskimo Folk Tales, Section A


The Coming of Men, A Long, Long While Ago:

The Inuit creation story. The Earth fell from the sky with no apparent reason. For their geographic location, they mention some pretty interesting details. Willow trees, sand, a great flood.

"For when men die, they go up into the sky and become brightly shining things there."

The Woman Who Had a Bear as a Foster-Son:

This is almost like a sad Disney movie. A woman raises a bear cub who is eventually loved by the entire village until one day it kills someone in self defense. The now bear is dorced to leave home. It was almost like White Fang by Jack London...

Qalagánguasê, Who Passed to the Land of Ghosts:

I like this story. In it a boy's family dies after eating some seaweed -- probably had some sort of pathogenic microorganism on it. As the boy was dying he would begin to see ghosts. The way the story is set up makes his death beautiful alas he grows to accept his fate and ultimately makes the decision to die on his own terms.  

• I could make a story set in present time.
• A boy and his family who live in the third world eat some bad meat. The boy's family dies and he lies there suffering in the hospital. It is a hard and cruel place since he had no family or friends, only doctors in white suits visit and poke him with needles. As his energy energy begins to fade he begins to see wispy figures that comfort him and keep him company during the nights and hold his hand durin the tests. One day, then wispy figure begins to tug on his hand. The boy gets up and follows the figure, he feels no pain and the doctors do not seem to notice his movements. At the end of the hall, at a door with a bright light on the other side, he sees through the smoke and notices that the figure is his dad. Feeling comforted, they walk through the door together...

Soldiers infected with the Spanish Influenza

The Giant Dog:

This story is exactly as the name implies. A man had a giant dog that would do no harm to him but would attack other villages. Almost like the dragons of Game of Thrones.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

How I feel about the Growth Mindset

I am just going to open this with saying that I had a whole post ready to write up how I do not like a Growth Mindset and think that it is ineffective. As I wrote, I realized that I have a "Growth Mindset." (Please not the disdain that I am feeling in the last sentence.) Also, I purposely avoid doing the Growth Mindset challenges because they make me feel like a colossal asshole. So sorry in advance, this is after all a personal opinion post.

______________________

I still do not like the idea of Growth Mindset. Like I said before, I think it is too binary. I cannot explain why, maybe it has to do with the reason that I have decided to focus on hard sciences and thus feel an intrinsic stigma against research based in the soft sciences? Maybe it has to do with the reason that I already have a so called "Growth Mindset" and think it can only be achieved individually and therefore is ineffective in implementing in a group setting? I don't know, I'm trying to find reasons here...

I will admit that this class does a great job at promoting a Growth Mindset, since it is entirely up to the student on how much effort that he or she puts in and we can all move at our own pace. This class is unlike another that I am in that is trying to implement this strategy to a group of >125 students in a physical setting. In the group setting it is extremely ineffective and unfair, I feel this way because every time I am in this class, I feel like my education is being stalled for the sake of the other students who do not understand the material as readily as I do. It is selfish - I know - but when it comes to education, mine is the only one that I care about which is completely understandable. Right?

I also feel that Growth Mindset is based more on individual personality rather than something that can be taught. Changing an individual's way of thinking to a Growth Mindset is a form of brainwashing which is fundamentally wrong. Is it not? Okay, this last part sounds like a conspiracy theory, I've been watch a lot of the X Files.

_______________________

So in summary, I have no reason to dislike the Growth Mindset idea. I also have to begrudgingly admit that I have have a Growth Mindset. I think my biggest challenge is overcoming how the Growth Mindset negatively effects me which isn't something that I can work on in this class since I get to move at my own pace. I will try to check myself in my other class that incorporates a Growth Mindset since I recognize what it is doing for the other students.

Week 8 Reflections

Over the course of the semester I have noticed that my writing has been getting better. In my opinion, my first two stories are a little painful to read, but I think that could just be me being hyper critical of myself.

I am super proud of my stories form Weeks 3, 4, and 6. Interestingly enough, these were the stories that I had the most motivation to write. The motivation stemmed from the reading that I did that week. The more interesting the traditional story, the more interesting I think my idea for the week's story was. I have noticed that I ted to stick with a narrative type of story as I write. It is not necessarily a bad thing because of the different themes and genres that I try to incorporate into them. It helps to keep the same writing style funky fresh.

I have found that whenever I am writing my story for the week, I do not really have any difficulty with the writing process. I am able to grind one out without looking at my notes or having to take breaks because of a writer's block.

On the topic of notes, the ones I take are not really helpful (I purposely do this) as I personally think taking notes restricts the amount of creative freedom that I have. I find myself referencing them more often the more detailed that they are. Also, a general rule of mine whenever I am in class is to take minimal notes that only capture the main topics and themes of the topic.  Having the ability to recall the topic based off the minimal detailed notes helps me with actually committing the topic to memory. This is usually how I write my stories too, I recall the topics in my head, to some extent I am sure that they are skewed, but it results in a story of my own. That is a main purpose of this class, right?

Perhaps later in the semester, I can try a different perspective of writing. I am sort of doing it my Storybook project. Instead of it being a complete narrative, there are some moments of first person monologue. I honestly do not find this kind of writing very rewarding, but it is something different from what I am used to...

A little of inception for you. A screenshot of my current desktop.

Week 7 Story: Innocent Little Girl

The air smelt of cedar wood and was laced with wispy coils of smoke rising up from the burning wood. We huddled together under heaps of blankets to protect ourselves from the bite of the chilling night. The only barrier between us and the forest was the edge of the dwindling fire's glow...

"It happened a long time ago... There was once a great plague that swept through the country and only the most affluent and notable of the citizens were immune to the disease. They abandoned their lofty manors and many servants to hide behind the walls of the king's castle."

"Months went by and the glamorous balls and evening feasts that the king had prepared for his guests began to strain the castle stores. As time went on, the rations became so scares that the guests of the castle began to eat the rodents that scampered by and moss growing on the cold stone walls. It eventually got so bad that some guests began to resort to violence and were cast out with the rest of the infected folk... if any were living."

"There was one family worth mentioning during this time... This family often resided in the shadows casted by the other nobles. They had a beautiful daughter, one so pure and innocent that even the sun dared not shine when she was outside. No matter how little food there was, she remained as youthful and healthy as the day her family entered the castle. As she aged to maturity, many of the castle's noble guests asked for her hand in marriage. She happily obliged to all inquiries."

"One by one, she would invite the suitor to her room for negotiations on the dowry only to never return. Upon these visits, it was said that a commotion could be heard from the room before a blood curdling scream pierced the dead night. The daughter would emerge from her room weeping and soaked with crimson blood, a stark contrast to her pale skin and ivory hair. Upon investigation, no body was ever found of the suitor, only hot ash in her fire place."

"Eventually, the plague penetrated the castle walls and took the king's wife. Mourning for only a moment, the kind knew his duty was to find a new queen. The king sent his page to the innocent daughter's room one night to ask for her hand in marriage on his behalf. After hours had passed and no response, the king himself ventured to the innocent daughter's room."

"Without knocking, he entered her room. Immediately he saw an assortment of cleavers and knives and the innocent daughter, soaked in blood, standing over a bloody heap. The remains of the king's page. Smiling with a toothy grin, the innocent daughter acknowledged the king and asked if her would join her for dinner."

"The gruesome sight caused the feeble-minded king to pass out cold where he stood. Upon waking up, he felt a numbness in his abdomen... Looking up he saw the same sharp toothy grin of the innocent daughter as she used the hem of her white dress to wipe away the bits of what remained of the king's stomach from her mouth."

"Eventually, the innocent daughter ran out of suitors to eat and ventured out of the castle and into the surrounding city and forest. It is said, that she has an unquenchable thirst for blood..."

The fire had almost died out at this point, only emitting a soft orange glow. There was a crunch of a broken stick behind us and what sounded like the metallic ring of a knife being drawn from a sheath... It was just the wind right?

Campfire

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Author's Note: The inspiration of this story came from the short folklore myth,  The Story of the Hare, from the South African folklore collection. In this story, different animals are assigned with the task of guarding the cohort's group, but is tricked by a lizard and is killed by the other animals for their failure. The Hare in this story, a seemingly innocent animal, tricks the lizard and eats him instead. The other animals are then upset that the Hare took such intense actions and punish it, but the Hare in turn escapes them by trickery as well. It all sounded very much like a horror story to me, so I made a campfire story out of it since it is camping season and I have plans to do so this weekend. I used the setting from the Masque of Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe.

Bibliography: 

The Story of Hare. South African Folk-Tales. Trans. James Honey

The Masque of Red Death. Edgar Allen Poe (from my personal collection so no link, sorry)