Feedback Focus

1. The first method, reading out loud, was hard at first for me to keep up, but it became easier as I went. The only problem is that I read very quickly and when I do this out loud, I sometimes focus more on the sounds and my articulations and inflections rather than the actual words themselves. I found myself doing this several times, so I imagined that I was reading it to a small child and I was able to focus easier. I think this will be a helpful mechanism if I am having trouble focusing while reading!
2. The second technique did not work well at all for me. I felt burdened and slowed down by having to copy and delete and then didn't always know what to write as a note in place. I felt the need to write something every time, even if nothing noteworthy happened. I think this piece would be helpful if the passages were very dense and I was having trouble understanding the language, but for most readings, I do not think I will use this method.
3. The third method was my favorite of the three and one I can see myself using, especially if I need to get many things done in a limited amount of time. I set the timer for 10 minutes, but I actually read the entire story in 3, so I even felt proud of myself at the end that I had beaten that time. I think this would technique will help me stay focused and on track and be more realistic with the time that I have because I usually plan to do too many assignments in a small amount of time. I like this idea!

(My favotie of the methods- timing! Photo from Pexels)

I would rank the methods in order of helpfulness and usefulness as 3, 1, 2. I was not surprised at all that I liked the method where I was racing time because I am a fast reader and like to get things done as quickly as possible so that I feel efficient. I have used the timing method in the past and it has been productive for me, so I think I will keep doing it. My favorite story that I read during this exercise was Zoology 1114 because I have taken that class and know exactly what it was like, so it was a blast seeing Adam and Eve and Satan's temptation be adapted to the OU classroom. I thought that story was very clever and it is a storytelling technique that I would like to try next!

Tech Tip: Creating a Google Site

For this week's tech tip, I was very proud of myself for creating a new Google Site! At first, I was intimidated and confused because I didn't know which item I was naming what and was unsure of what I would be able to change later. I didn't want to name anything permanently for one topic if I decided to write about another (especially since I'm torn between two right now) so I decided to keep the page address simple with my name. I then simply picked one of the themes, even if it isn't the final one, and created a title and placed an image behind it on the home page. I chose the keyboard picture because it fit the theme of the news special and journalism idea of the idea I picked, so it was nice to already have that as a pre-loaded image on the site. This was a little difficult for me, but I had fun creating this website and I am excited to get started on my Storybook!

Week 4 Storytelling: The Handsome Thief

"I can't believe this!" Father yelled as he slammed his fist into the wooden table, causing several pitchers to crash to the ground. "We had ten guards stationed at the entrance. Ten! How could they have possibly gotten by?!"

"I don't know, Your Highness...We'll question the guards again. All I know is that there were no signs of anyone entering or exiting, but they had clearly been in there for one of them to fall into your trap," the head guard Milo stammered, clearly terrified by King Rhampsinitus' anger. I felt bad for him, knowing my father would likely have his head for this.

"You better. If one more piece of gold or precious jewel is taken from my treasure again, you'll surely be the one to pay," Father threatened while lifting Milo up by the shirt. He nodded, bowed, and hurried away as Father turned to face me. I was confused by his thoughtful expression.

(The King's Treasure)

"My sweet Maya... I would like you to do a favour for me. One of the two men who has been stealing from my treasure chamber was caught last night in the trap I laid...only he was found to have no head. Clearly, they both entered and did not want to be caught, so the other left and took the head with him. I want you to use your charm and beauty and see if you can find the other man and identify these men," Father condescendingly explained as he pulled my hair back behind my ear. I couldn't believe what he was asking me to do. This was my chance to escape the palace and my overbearing father- if even just for a few hours.

"Yes, Father, I will do what you ask of me," I responded, pretending as if I was not thrilled by this task. I rushed to my room and quickly donned my oldest cape, dress, and mud-stained riding boots usually saved for excursions in the rain. With one last look in the mirror to ensure I was unrecognizable with the hood over my face, I raced down the winding staircase and through the double-door entrance and out to the streets.

I dodged my way through the crowded bazaar and located a man who I thought to be friendly enough to ask if he knew anything about the robberies. He quickly nodded his head "no" and scurried away when he realized I was not interested in purchasing any fresh apples or pears from him. So I asked the next man I saw and the next but received the same response each time. Finally, someone tapped my right shoulder and I turned around to find a handsome young man smiling at me while holding a young toddler boy chewing triumphantly on a piece of bread.

(Egyptian Bazaar)

"Hello there, Miss. I couldn't help but overhear your questions to the men you met earlier. You know, about the robberies. I might be able to help you if you help me in return," he playfully suggested, grinning ear to ear while playing with the small boy's dark hair.

"Hm... how about... I will marry you if you tell me who the robbers are," I offered with a sly smile of my own, knowing it was an opportunity no one in their right mind would resist. I mean, I hope no one would be able to resist that.

"Now, how could I ever resist that?" the man laughed. See, I was right. I knew he wouldn't be able to. "Alright, I'll tell you. It was me. I stole the treasure." I was taken aback for a moment. There was no possible way that this man holding a small child and smirking at me was the robber, let alone the man who cut off another man's head just to save his identity. But he kept grinning at me and we couldn't tear our eyes away from each other.

"If it was really you... then what's the most wicked thing you've ever done?" I challenged this man knowing full well he wouldn't have the right answer. I crossed my arms and tried to look intimidating as he thought for a second.

"Well, if you really must know, I cut off my brother's head when he was caught in a trap inside the royal chamber while we were stealing gold to sell and feed the children of the orphanage we both ran together. But now I suppose it's just me and the orphans," he sadly explained. My jaw dropped because I had not expected such a seemingly normal- and did I mentioned handsome- man to have committed such a terrible deed but for such a charming and wonderful reason. How could I ever explain that to my father? He would never understand. I knew what I had to do, but I also knew what I wanted to do. I chose the latter.

"Well, not just you...I'll come with you!" I exclaimed as I grabbed the young boy from his arms and started off down the street, not even sure if I was going in the right direction. Turns out I was and the man- whose name I still didn't know, but at this point, didn't care- caught up to me, with a look of shock and excitement on his face. I glanced back at the palace and thought of my father, what he would think, and what he would say. But I didn't care about that either. It was just liberating to be out of that cold palace and doing something spontaneous for once, even if I didn't really know who this man was. I was sure I would figure it out, just like he would realize I'm the princess- all in due time. We shared a crazed look and continued down the street to a cluster of children- the rest of the orphans- and then home to the orphanage, with the children laughing and singing the entire way.

Authors Note: 
I took inspiration from this story from the tale of two brothers who are robbing the King's treasure over and over and when one of them is caught, the other cuts off his head so that their identities are not revealed. The part I wanted to expand on was when the King sent his daughter to try to find the brother who was still alive and capture him, but he was too sneaky and escaped, causing the King to be so amazed that he gave his daughter in marriage. There was not much said about the daughter so I wanted to explore her character and tell the story from her point of view. I added that she did not like her father and no longer wanted to stay in the palace, so she was excited at the task of finding the thief. I also wanted to give the brothers a heroic and good reason for stealing all of the money so that they were not just greedy robbers. When Maya and the man (to whom I never gave a name because I found it humorous that the men were only referred to as the brothers throughout the entire story) met, I gave them instant chemistry and attraction, which resulted in her insanely and spontaneously deciding to go with him, even though she didn't know him. I know it's a little crazy, but so is love!

Bibliography:
Link to Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie.

Reading Notes: Egyptian Myth and Legend, Part B

The Two Brothers:

• Younger brother Bata lived with his older brother Anpu and his wife farming
• One day Bata went back to grab more seeds and Anpu's came onto him, asking him to stay with her, but when he refused, she told Anpu later that night that Bata had struck her
• Anpu wanted to kill his brother but when it was revealed what really happened, Bata journeyed away to the valley of the acacia and Anpu slew his wife instead
• The gods pitied Bata and made a beautiful wife for him to love, to whom he told the secret of his soul residing in the acacia tree, but she was taken by the king and his soldiers chopped the tree down
• Anpu journeyed to find Bata but he was already dead when he found him, but he searched for Bata's soul and poured it into a jar of water for Bata to drink and come back to life
• Bata, now a sacred bull, went to his wife at the palace where she had him killed and then he became two Persea trees, which she had chopped down so that she would not feel guilty about telling his secrets
• She then became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was actually Bata, and he became the new king, judged her before all men, reigned 30 years and made Anpu his heir
• It would be interesting to change the beginning of the story to a modern-day affair or to expand on the cruelty of the wife when she kept "killing" Bata

(Acacia Tree where Bata's soul was)

The Book of Thoth:

• Nefer-ka-ptah met a priest who told him of the Book of Thoth that would allow him to enchant the world, understand every language, and know the thoughts of everyone and everything
• His father grants him the royal barge and he sets off with his wife Ahura and son Mehab to find the book 
• He sails river to the gap in the river where the iron box holding the book was surrounded by snakes, scorpions, and the serpent that no man except for him was ever able to kill
• Thoth was furious when he learned that Nefer-ka-ptah and Ahura both read the book and learned all the spells 
• Ra granted Thoth vengeance and Nefer-ka-ptah, Ahura, and Mehab all fell into the river at different times and were buried properly as royalty
• Instead of Nefer-ka-ptah dying, it would be interesting to see him and Thoth have a great battle over who is more powerful and understands the earth better

The Tale of King Rhampsinitus:

• Two brothers knew of a secret stone that could be moved so they could enter the king's treasure chamber and steal his riches 
• However, one day, one was trapped inside and one brother had to cut the head off the other and run so that they would not be identified
• The king sent his daughter to stealthily identify him through several questions and when she had, she grasped his arm to seize him but it was actually his brother's arm
• So the king was so impressed that he pardoned him and gave his daughter to him in marriage
• Could expand on the relationships of the brothers at the beginning and give them a reason for stealing all of the treasure such as paying for food for their family or for an orphanage

(The King's treasure that was stolen)

Bibliography:
Link to Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie.

Reading Notes: Egyptian Myth and Legend, Part A

Creation:

• The world began as a vast expansion of water and a bright, shining egg appeared to float on the water
• The gods that arose from Nu, the god of brightness, were: Ra- the divine father and ruler, Shu- the wind god, Seb- the earth god, and Nut- the goddess of firmament
• Ra desired to be the Creator and the words he spoke came to life, making mankind in front of him and him the first king among men
• Could write a funny family rivalry and argument between "siblings"  about who is stronger and who is wiser as they all arise from the egg

The Secret Name of Ra:

• Ra's daughter, Isis, wished to have the same power as he so she crafted a magical serpent to bite him, knowing that she would only break the spell if he were to tell her his secret name
• All of his children gathered and she was the only one who was not sad. She saved him at the last minute when he sent his name from his heart to her heart
• Could change the story so that the other children suspect what she is up to and manage to stop her before they realize she is the only one who can save Ra

Ra and Hathor:

• As Ra was growing old, he heard of rebels speaking against him and his ruling, so he asked for Nu, Seb, Tefnut, and Nut's guidance in how to punish them
• Nu recommended his eye ascend from heaven as Hathor and kill all of the men who had spoken against him so that she could drink and wade in the blood
• Could give the eye a personality of its own before it turns into Hathor and explore what it saw as it looked for the rebels
  

The Sun's Journey:

• Ra decides to make a journey through the dark, twelve hour-divisions of night in Duat in a barque accompanied by Nu, Nut, and Thoth
• Throughout his journey he encounters the newly dead, the underworld god Sokar, the jackal god Anubis the divine judge Osiris, the dark serpent Apep, the god Horus, and Isis, who is the wife of Osiris.
• Could expand on one particular encounter of his journey, such as the jackal god Anubis or the dark serpent Apep, and describe their battle                           

(Ra on his river journey through Duat from Wikipedia)

Osiris:

• When Ra grew old and rose up to heaven, Osiris took his place and ruled over Egypt during a savage time of hunting and battles with decrees of wisdom and peace
• His consort, Isis, gathered wheat and barley and urged Osiris to teach men how to farm, toe harvest, to prepare bread and meals, and how to plant and pick fruit trees
• Osiris left to travel the world and teach the same wisdom and lessons to other men, leaving Isis reigning in his place and his evil brother Set plotting to kill him with his followers
• Could change the character of Isis to someone secretly evil and plotting with Set to overthrow Ra with phony farming lessons

The Journey of Isis:

• Isis gave birth to her son Horus, but Set found out where they were so Isis fled with Horus into the night and traveled to Buto, where the goddess Uazit would keep him safe
• The coffin of Osiris drifted onto Byblos, Syria and was erected unknowingly into a pillar for the king and queen. Isis told them who she was, she received the pillar and cut the chest out
• While visiting Horus, Set found the coffin and chopped Osiris' body into fourteen pieces that Isis later found in the ocean and buried
• Since Isis did several terrible things to get the coffin from the king and queen, I could expand on the insanity and vengeance Isis had to find the body

King of the Dead:

•  Horus grew into a man and challenged Set as he continued to rule and persecute many people and they went into battle many times until both were wounded
• The god Thoth descended from heaven to heal both of them and decided that Horus was the rightful king and should have the throne
• Ra heard the cries and grief for Osiris so he sent Anubis to reattach the severed portion and wrap them in cloth, signifying the first mummy, and he became the Judge and King of the Dead

The Wax Crocodile:

• A scribe created a magical wax crocodile to cast into the lake behind his house whenever his wife and the handsome youth she was having an affair with swam there
• Upon touching the water, the crocodile came to life and snatched the youth up who was neer to be seen again
• The wife was then burned at the stake in front of their house for cheating on her husband
• Could create an entirely new twist where the crocodile actually falls in love with the wife and steals her away instead to take her to his humble abode. There could even be a spell where she becomes an animal as well

The Green Jewel:

• One day King Sneferu was very bored, so his scribe suggested they take twenty virgin rowers out on a boat and enjoy the beauty of the day and the girls' sweet singing 
• The lead girl at the oar suddenly stopped when she lost a green jewel from her hair and since she would not have another to replace it,  the scribe cast a spell to part the waters so that it could be returned to her
• Could have the scribe lose control of his spell and the water crashes on top of all of them so that they must return to land and avoid any crocodiles in the water

(The green jewel photo from Flickr User Michelle Tribe)

Bibliography:
Link to Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie.