Week 14 Storytelling: The Lonely Mermaid

"Grandma said I could start looking for a man when I turn 15," Ariel reminded herself as she counted down the second left until her 15th birthday. "Three, two, o--" Ariel was interrupted by a loud crack of thunder coming from far above her underwater abode. "That was unusually loud. Might my father be scaring off a surface-dwelling traveler again?"

Quickly swimming to peak her head out of the ocean, Ariel heard another loud crash. Only this time, it didn't sound like thunder. With her mermaid tail moving faster and faster, she soon made it to the top of the ocean to find a wooden vessel stranded on a rocky beach in the midst of a storm. "Surely they are seeking shelter," Ariel wondered to herself. She quietly swam closer, continuing to hide from view. She saw a few men carrying supplies ashore at a fast pace. The storm seemed to be picking up.

"Oh, my!" Ariel spotted the most handsome man she had ever encountered. She watched as he commanded his group of men to build an awning-like covering near a small cave. His skin seemed to glow. "He must be a prince!" Suddenly, another burst of lightning tore through the sky. That was Ariel's sign that it would be in her best interest to return to the depths of the ocean.

The next morning, Ariel's curiosity got the best of her. She got up extra early, before any of her sisters, to go take a look at that island. When she reached the outer edge of the rocky beach, she noticed the men still remained even after the storm blew over. It looked as if they intended to take residence on the island rather than simply take shelter. She desperately wanted to call out and make her presence known. She wanted to introduce herself to the man, and maybe he would be the one she marries. But she was too afraid to speak, so she silently watched. Soon, they had several maps flattened on wooden tables, being used in conjunction with sextants and telescopes. "What might they be up to?" Ariel pondered. She decided she would keep track of their work.

For weeks, Ariel would surface the waters early in the morning only to find the men doing the exact same tasks each day.  She felt like all of the work was meaningless. She wanted to know what was so important. But as each day passed, she became more and more disinterested in the men. She decided she would check on them one last time, but come morning, the men and ship had completely vanished. She circumnavigated the island looking for any sign of life. Once she returned to the point where she started, she decided she would never know. However, as she swam away from the island, she spotted something glimmering atop the water.

She quickly made her way to the object, to find a business card with the handsome man's image along with contact details printed with a metallic finish.  Hurrying back home, she looked the man up online. The first search result was for a blog about exploring. "Surely this is it," Ariel spoke to herself. The side of the web page confirmed her suspicions. There was the man -- a prince!

I, Prince Martin, have been out on the ocean for the past few months. As you know, it was prophecized that my soul mate would be a mermaid! I traveled to the only known location of mermaids, and I did the only thing I could do -- I waited! Yet, no mermaid came to me. I guess this is a cruel fate I must come to terms with.

Horrified at her decision to remain silent, Ariel began to post a comment. I was there! I watched you from afar, but I didn't know why you were there. Surely I am the mermaid foretold in your prophecy! she typed. But before she could hit send, she decided it was too late. He was long gone, and what are the odds he would actually believe her? Ariel turned off the computer and went to play with her sisters. She knew he was the man her grandma told her she would fine -- but he was gone.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: For this retelling of The Little Mermaid, I focused solely on the part where the mermaid, who I name Ariel after the Disney version of the story, sees the man at the surface of the water. I extend the time she watches him to create an apparent timidness in Ariel. In the original story, she eventually meets the prince after trading her voice for human legs, but I decided that I wanted her shyness to represent her lost voice. I use her inability to speak as the way to the tragic ending of loneliness. Since this is a story I will be using for my storybook, I touched on a bit of social media -- a blog in this case -- just as a basis for when I write the full story.

Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories, by Hans Christian Andersen

Image:  Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen

Week 14 Reading Notes: Hans Christian Andersen, Part B

For this assignment, I chose to read the story of the Little Mermaid since that is the story I am adapting for my storybook. In my notes, I recorded things that stood out to me -- anything I might try to incorporate into my storybook entry.

The first character introduce is not the Little Mermaid, but instead the Sea King. Obviously, he must be included in my story. I also might want to include the marble statue the Little Mermaid adored. The story mentions she is 15. I think my story would have her at an older age, but I might start it at 15, progressing through her years to show how long she did not reach to the handsome prince (as I plan to do in my story). She also has a noticeable disconnect from all of her sisters. I would probably use this for conflict in my story.

The Little Mermaid has a notably beautiful voice -- which she later loses -- so I might use this as a feature of her. Since all the other stories I have written for my storybook maintain the original nature of characters (i.e. the wolf remained a wolf in my telling of Little Red Riding Hood), I have to figure out how to keep a mermaid a mermaid. I might need to expand on the side of the prince. He may have been in search of a mermaid to be his bride. I think the best bet is to give him motivation. I might even do one of those cheesy "find local singles in your area" type apps for a touch of humor.

A major piece of the original story is the loss of voice. I originally considered just having her too afraid to send a message to the prince. My intro mentions that this story was a blunder of Social Media's so I will need to find a way for him to screw up. I also might have his character act like she died to cover up his screw up.

~  ~  ~

Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories, by Hans Christian Andersen

Image:  Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen

Wikipedia Trail: From International Romani Day to Czechoslovakia

 

Flag of the Romani People, via Wikipedia

International Romani Day: I first began with this article due to noticing it in the class announcements (and subsequently writing a blog post about it and how I studied the people in a world music class). I was mainly interested in knowing when it began, which was in 1990.

14th Dalai Lama: I then moved on to the Dalai Lama because I saw he lit a candle to commemorate International Romani Day in 2003. That seemed pretty significant to me, so I thought this would be the right direction to move down the rabbit hole.

Refugee: I then moved on to refugee because of a parallel I thought of. The Romani people were and are often thought of in the same way as many people in the US view refugees -- terrible people. They both are despised by many, even when there is nothing despicable about them.

Czechoslovakia: I ended my journey with Czechoslovakia because of my bloodline. There were many Czechoslovakian refugees during the Nazi era, so that tied well with the previous article. I am also 25% Czechoslovakian, so I thought it was cool to see how my ancestors are just a few jumps away from a holiday that celebrates a group of people that I have been studying in my world music class.

Growth Mindset: Growth Beyond School

This year school year, I have served as a program director for the Union Programming Board, and I can say with 100% confidence that it has been the single most challenging thing I have done in college. It has pushed me in so many ways, and I have seen growth in myself that I would have never imagined. Being able to call me a leader is something I never thought I would be able to do. Yet, here I am, two events down. I have seen growth in time-management skills, growth in empathy, and growth in self-confidence. My own mother was telling me today that it astounded her, and many others from my hometown, to see me flourishing the way I am. This was simply something so out of character for incoming freshman Todd.

Next year, I see even more growth for myself due to UPB. I will be taking on a new role on the executive board -- public relations director. Now, I get to learn a whole lot of new stuff. How to brand an organization, how to effectively use social media, how to market an organization so that we can attract more members, and so on. This is new territory for me, but I believe the growth will be worth the effort.

Image: plant, via Pexels

Learning Challenge: Sharing a Happiness Tip

One tip I've taken and applied to my life is keeping a journal. I've found that since I've started, my overall happiness has increased. I just write down things about my day, whether good or bad, and then I reflect on them. I write how I think it applies to my life and how I should react to those things. I have learned that there are a couple of things to keep in mind when journaling.

First, don't write down only the bad stuff. If you only write down bad stuff, you start to think that your life never has good stuff. Likewise, don't only write down the good stuff. I find it hard to be reflective and self-critical if I don't acknowledge what I don't like.

Next, don't make it easy to journal. By this, I mean you shouldn't have an always-accessible journal. Don't do it on your phone. If you can write something in an instant, you won't give yourself the time to think about the thing. You won't think about how it actually affects your life. You won't be able to realize you overreacted.

 Writing it down makes you acknowledge it's real and that it matters to you. It may not work for you, but it has definitely made me a happier person. I've been able to recognize and work on the aspects of my life that I want to change. But I think self-reflection, in general, can make anyone happier.

Image: journal, via Pixabay

Famous Last Words: Almost Over

It feels weird because this is the first time in a while that I was able to get both reading assignments finished. But that is probably because I finally am finished with most of my extracurricular stuff. I actually enjoyed the challenge of retelling a nursery rhyme. I think it was really good that I challenged myself to take so little content and flesh it out into a story. I also had fun trying to imagine what the mind of a seven-year-old would be like.

I am really happy with where my storybook is going. At first, I was worried that my idea would be great in theory but garbage in execution, but I have pleasantly surprised myself. Now I just have one more story to write, so, hopefully, it turns out as well as the last two have. I am also excited to write it because it will be the first non-"happily-ever-after" story I write. I actually can't wait to have this project entirely finished; it seems like something cool I can look back on in the future.

I wish my other classes were winding down, but most of them are ramping up in the amount of work to do. In contrast, I feel my motivation is quickly diminishing. All I can look forward to is summer at this point. I would like to get the class over as soon as possible, not because I do not enjoy it, but because it would be convenient. I am almost there, but part of me wants to just put a bare amount of effort in each week and not finish early.

My plan is to do all of the extra credit assignments for this week. That is why I'm writing this. If I do, then I think I can get myself enough points next week so that I can coast the rest of the semester in this course. Wow, that sounds bad and lazy.

Image: tired dog, via Flikr

Week 11 Review: International Romani Day

 This week, one of my favorite topics included in the course announcements was about International Romani Day. The reason this one stood out to me is because of the world music class I am currently taking. In it, we spent a couple of days watching a movie called "Latcho Drom" which documents the travels of a Romani group from India to Spain. It focuses primarily on the music of the people, and the music is rather depressing. They have a tragic backstory, and they all just wish to be accepted bu the world.

Image: Roma woman and daughter, source

Week 11 Storytelling: The Last Bird

. . . 

ONCE I saw a little bird
Come hop, hop, hop;

. . .

For several months, I have waited for you to appear. You are the last one on my list -- the blue jay. I can't wait to meet you. Are you a boy or a girl? My grandma and I have tried to meet every bird that lives in my area, and we have been working on it for as long as I can remember. I am now seven years old, but in just a few weeks I will be eight. My goal is to finish this list before I am eight so that we can start on a new list. I think I want to try butterflies next! Oh, no! This is my chance!

. . .
So I cried, "Little bird,
Will you stop, stop, stop?"

. . .

Please stop! I must meet you. Surely you understand how important this is. I am almost eight! I've met your friend the red robin -- she was really pretty. I wonder if you are friends with that woodpecker. He got on my nerves. I am so glad I do not need to meet him again. Oh, and the hummingbird! I do not understand how something so small can fly. I, too, am small, but sadly I cannot fly. My grandma says this is normal, but I think I could make wings for myself to try. Imagine where I would go. Maybe I could go and meet your grandma. We could have fun parties and be best friends. I must come and meet you!

. . .
And was going to the window,
To say, "How do you do?"

. . .

What do you do every day? Do you have a job? Where do you live? I wish to know these things. My dad is a lawyer. I am not sure what that means, but he does know some really big words. He tells me that I know some big words for my age, so maybe I'll be a lawyer, too. My mom is a school teacher. She does not work at the school I go to, but I think that is for the best. I get into trouble. My teacher tells me to wear my jacket so I don't get wet, but getting soaked from rain is like swimming on land. I bet you do not like the rain because of what it does to your feathers. I bet your home is somewhere that is always dry. Do you have children? What about grandchildren? Would you take them to meet every kind of people? I am almost there so that I can ask you all of these things!

. . .
But he shook his little tail,
And far away he flew.

. . .

Wait! Where are you going?! I had so many questions! And I am almost eight! How will I complete my list? I do not want to wait several months more just to try and see you again! I was almost to the window where you perched. Is something wrong? Did your family call you away? Sometimes I am having fun but my mom calls for me to leave. I do not like to leave, but I guess I have to if she needs me. Well, I hope we soon meet again. I cannot meet the butterflies until I have met you.

 ~ ~ ~ 

Author's Note: I based this story on a nursery rhyme about someone trying to meet a bird that ends up flying away before he or she can. The italicized words are the actual nursery rhyme, taken directly from the source. All of the other text is what I have added. In my case, it was the internal dialogue of a child. For my retelling, I imagined the person meeting the bird to be a young child, about seven years old as indicated in the story. The most important thing I strived to do was to try and recreate the mind of a young child. Children often talk to things that aren't human as if they were, and I wanted to replicate that. I also let the thought of the child go down long tangents because children's minds will run wild. 

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes: Natural History, Part 1 from The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang

Image: Blue Jay with peanut, via Wikimedia Commons

Week 11 Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part B

Since so many of the nursery rhymes have no meaning, it has been hard to find areas to be creative. However, I did find one in the Natural History (Part 1) section about a little bird. In it, a person wishes to know how a bird was doing. But as the person neared the window, the bird flew away. This makes me think of a very young child enamored by a bird, curious at how it flies. So if I were to write a story, I would focus on a small child who has a love for birds.

Then there is a story about a little boy going to take hay to a barn, only to be scared by the owl that resides there. If I were to write a story, I could see the boy having a fear of the barn because of the owl. Eventually, he would try to conquer his fear of the owl and see that it is harmless. But in the end, the owl would become scared by the human, fly away, and scare the child. 

Those are really the only two stories I see room for being creative. I figured doing the nursery rhyme section would be difficult anyways. 

~ ~ ~

Bibliography: The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang

Image: Humpty Dumpy statue, photo via Pixabay

Tech Tip: Editing Pins

After adding a Twitter widget to a blog post, I have now added it to the sidebar. I chose to use the professor's Twitter stream because my fellow classmates might notice something of interest or relevance as they read my blog.

Tech Tip: Sidebar Box

I have added an HTML sidebar box to my blog. In fact, it was really easy. Yes, I really have eaten tons of Jolly Ranchers while writing for this course. And yes, you are wrong if you don't think the blue raspberry ones are the best. Because they definitely are.

Tech Tip: Twitter Widget in Post

Tweets by OnlineMythIndia

Week 11 Reading Notes: Nursery Rhymes, Part A

I chose to read Nursery Rhymes this week because they are often very short. I feel like that gives me a plethora of opportunities to expand on them.

One story that stick out from the section "Tales", is Robin the Bobbin. Robin eats many things, but he is never full. In a retelling, I could make each thing a metaphor for something rather than a straightforward, hyperbole that it is in the nursery rhyme.

Reading from the "Proverbs" section, I could see myself taking "For Want of a Nail" and making it a longer story. It provides key details, but how those details come about would be completely up to me.

I really don't know how to take notes over nursery rhymes, to be honest. They are often childish, nonsensical rhymes. Sometimes they may have a moral behind them, but that is not always the case. A huge part is just making the stories flow well. I think between the two nursery rhymes I took notes of, I will have a good basis for my story come Wednesday.

~ ~ ~

Bibliography: The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang

Image: The Nursery Rhyme Book, cover illustrated by L Leslie Brooke, source

Week 10 Review

This week, my favorite piece from an announcement was about punctuation. In the picture, it showed various punctuation that aren't often used. In fact, I was only familiar with one of them -- the interrobang. Something I like about the different punctuation marks is that it allows for greater nuance in meaning. Sometimes a question mark just won't do. Here's the picture:

Class Announcement: http://ouclassannouncements.blogspot.com/2017/03/friday-march-31.html
Image Source: http://writingwithaesop.blogspot.com/2016/01/little-known-punctuation-marks.html