Week 6: Famous Last Words

Wow- so the week has drawn to an end and so much has happened in such a short amount of time.  Last weekend, I was home.  That Sunday, I completed the Buffalo Wild Wings challenge and my boyfriend became my fiancé (HE PROPOSED)!!! It was so romantic and sweet.  The whole week I’ve been on Cloud 9 and have had trouble focusing on schoolwork as a result.  I really want to plan my wedding and do all sorts of fun wedding stuff, but I also have been trying to get myself to still focus and be a good student and RA as well.  I got to hang out/grab dinner with several friends this week which was really nice- I was planning to hang out with them this past week anyways, but then I got engaged and we had that much more things to talk about.  The week has flown by and unfortunately schoolwork has caught up to me.  I have 2 exams tomorrow and exams the weeks following this one.  I’m also an alcohol peer educator so I’ve been busy giving sessions for that to freshmen and transfer students as well.  My Pinterest board has gotten larger this week as I tack on “wedding” pins.  I also am very scatter-brained and excited as you can probably tell.  This coming week I am looking forward to having another event for my floor (we’re doing a mixer with the guys) and catching up further on schoolwork.  I can’t believe September is already over- I’m in disbelief as I look through my planner and school is full-swing and I just can’t get over that.  I’m so excited but also sad since it’s my last year at the University of Oklahoma.  I’m definitely doing all I can to make this year count.  Have a great week guys!

This cutie was waiting for me when I went home last weekend 

(personal photo, March 2014)

Week 6: Reading Diary B

I think Sugriva has some wide words and ideas when he’s trying to convince Rama to stay strong for if he doesn’t, he won’t be able to get Sita back at all.  I wonder why the monkeys had to carry Lakshmana and Rama.  At first, I thought maybe it was to keep them from growing weary, but I thought Rama was supposed to be nearly invincible so he probably wouldn’t grow weary then.  It’s neat to see both monkeys and squirrels come together to aid Rama.  Skipping forward, I though Vibhishana didn’t want to fight her own people, but he broke the disguises of Sardula and Sarana- guess that doesn’t count which is good because that’s a very useful thing to be able to do.  I think it’s ironic that even the giant Kumbhakarna even tells Ravana to just let Sita go and avoid war with Rama.  I sort of wanted to laugh at Ravana when his cover was completely blown after he tried to convince Sita that Rama was killed.  Prahasta definitely messes up that plan for him, but I’m sure Sita is very shaken up upon realizing that Rama has arrived and is definitely going into a very dangerous situation that could cost him his life.   It’s nice that Trijata consoles Sita and tells her that Rama isn’t really dead- I wonder why she wanted to comfort Sita.  I thought she was on Ravana’s side- maybe she empathizes for Sita or maybe she thinks Ravana is being absurd and wants to save Sita any pain she can.  Or, maybe she expects Ravana to lose and wants Sita’s favor so Trijata would possibly be spared in the event that Rama was going to kill everyone in Lanka.  Regardless, poor Sita must be experiencing a roller coaster of emotions and I can’t imagine how she must be doing.  She’s probably very anxious.  Skipping forward, it’s particularly cruel that Indrajit conjures a fake Sita and kills her in front of Hanuman.  That must have been both upsetting and scarring for Hanuman to witness and also very defeating because he has worked so hard to keep her alive and now he thinks she’s dead.  I can’t imagine what that would have been like and I wonder if Hanuman’s first instinct would be to tell Rama or to not tell him in fear that he would throw Rama off and he would get killed because his grief would overtake his ability to keep himself safe in battle.

                                                     

Week 6: Reading Diary A

I love the description of Lanka island- green hills, warm white sand, aloe abundant in the lushness of the land… However, the descriptions turn to be not so pretty when describing the Rakshasas and it’s disgusting that Ravana’s wives are all strewn about all over one another sleeping on the floor- they deserve better.  Also, how can each Rakshasa daughter desire him- he has twenty heads! That would disgust me.  Also, his wives aren’t exactly treated super well so I don’t understand why anyone would want to marry him.  I also think it’s weird this whole time that Hanuman chose to disguise himself as a cat- were there lots of cats around or why would that help him blend in any more?  Jumping forward, I wonder why Ravana has drums go off in his room every morning and why there were female demons serving as guards rather than males.  I would have figured he would have made as many females as possible his wives.  I really admire how Sita keeps her composure when talking to Ravana and doesn’t falter or even entertain the things he offers.  She even calls him out a couple times and he loses his temper.  He must have looked absolutely mad and terrifying when his eyes whirred around and he had a fit.  I feel bad for Queen Mandodari because she no longer gets Ravana’s attention like she used to and this must be hard on her as well.  It makes my stomach turn to think the rakshasas wanted to eat her.  I wonder if they were just trying to scare her or if they actually wanted to.  It’s pretty weird that Hanuman refers to Sita as “mother.”  It’s sweet though that he reassures Sita and answers her questions.  He even offers to take her home at that moment.  I wonder why she says no.  Perhaps she doesn’t believe him.  When Ravana wants to cut off Hanuman’s head, I think it’s very noble that Vibhishana refuses to do so.  Not only because morally it’s wrong, but he also knows the laws and knows that’s simply not fair in the face of the law.  And, ohhh karma- Hanuman doesn’t feel the fire, but he is able to set fire to Lanka.  I admire Hanuman for also rushing back where he was just attacked- he thought she would be burned in the fire for sure, but he went on the slim chance she was alive and she was.