Epics of India

Man, I really like these quotes. (splash painting of a bird, from Pixabay ) All Art Comes from Love No one asks what Mozart means. Or an Indian raga or the little tripping dance of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to “Cheek to Cheek” in Top Hat. Forget about making things that are understood. I don’t know what Abba means, but I love it. Imagination is your creed; sentimentality and lack of feeling your foe. All art comes from love — love of doing something. JERRY SALTZ It's true - in every widely known piece of art, no one asks what it means , so much as they enjoy what it is . A skillful display of brushstroke, a layering of notes that make you feel a certain way, an exciting weaving together or words in a particular order that inspires you - there's just... something  about it that you enjoy. And it's not from understanding it, but from you sharing the same love the creator put into it. It's like they put so much love into doing something that it spills over...

Notes taken from  "The Five Brothers: The Story of the Mahabharata"  by Elizabeth Seeger. I feel like this extra detail could be a story project for this class! I could see it on a portfolio or storybook that explores the "behind-the-scenes" of the Mahabharata. The Bridal Choice The king of Panchala is holding a tournament for the hand of his daughter - it's her swayamvara, or bridal choice. The Pandavas, hearing about it (and Draupadi's exceeding beauty) pretty much begin to swoon over her, and decide to go to this tournament. The challenge, of course, is nearly impossible, set with exactly one person in mind that could finish it and marry the king's daughter - Arjuna, the third son of Kunti. The king of Panchala wanted none other to marry his daughter. Karna, the mad lad, does it with ease, however, but before he can finish, Draupadi rejects him because of his low birth. Poor Karna. He is able to do everything Arjuna can but because of his social ...

Notes taken from "The Five Brothers: The Story of the Mahabharata" by Elizabeth Seeger. Sons of Pandu I love reading a story, then finding out the backstory behind the main characters, and this is what Seeger's story does. It takes the backstory of the Pandavas, from when they first arrived in Hastinapura, and provides more detail and imagery than what was provided in the Mahabharata. For example, in the Mahabharata, it doesn't mention the Pandavas noticing the four different castes present in the kingdom. It also provides more details about the poisoning of Bima by the jealous Duryodana (spoiled much?), the meeting of Drona and his skill/accomplishments, and how Arjuna is not one to be taken lightly - he's actually pretty awesome. (Drona's test, taken from Kidsgen ) The Tournament In the Mahabharata, I always viewed Karna as a kind of rebellious challenger, but with the explanation given in this story, it seems he has every right to challenge ...

Impostor Syndrome : I saw this on the class Twitter feed and it piqued my interest. From the name, it sounds like it would describe an irrational fear that everyone is an impostor out to get them or something - a Truman Show-esque scenario. That, however, is more descriptive of the Capgras delusion, where someone believes a loved one has been replaced by an impostor. Impostor syndrome refers to one's belief/fear that their effort and accomplishments is a fraud, it was based on luck, and that they're living as an "impostor" - portraying themselves as someone they're not. I think this has a real, serious detrimental effect, especially on one's self-confidence and in today's society. I always see memes and jokes on the internet about people who are thirty and it just now hitting them. "When did I become an adult?" or "Adulthood is just faking confidence when you don't really know what's happening." ICD : ICD stands for Intern...

The mobile Canvas app is rarely used, but when I do need it, it's a lifesaver. I take my phone everywhere, and as such, I can quickly check messages that a professor or TA has sent, check the syllabus of a class I'm in to make sure I'm not missing an assignment, or in a real emergency when my laptop has died, I can use it to take a quiz that's being administered through Canvas. It's convenient and handy! But also not something I use regularly. If you have space on your phone to install it, I would say do it. There's no big losses in having notifications from your classes.