Famous Last Words: Week 10 INDIA!!!

Ummm. Hi! I'm going to INDIA!!!  *Breathing heavily*

Not sure if you can tell that I am excited or not. I just found out on Tuesday that I have been given the opportunity to work in Gurgaon, India for my internship this summer with Honeywell! I am so stoked. Like, I basically don’t have words to explain my excitement. I’m just ready for all of the adventures (both the good and the challenging moments).

I have been talking with some of the past interns who have had this opportunity and I have already started to network as much as possible. I am definitely going to keep a blog (starting now actually…to document from the beginning to end). Therefore, I am really thankful to have some blogging experience from this class (how ironic too…both India related). Ahhhhh everything is just so cool right now. I haven’t come up with my full list of what I would like to do, but the top three things in my mind right now are:

1. To ride, touch, hang out, see, etc. an elephant
2. Visit the Taj Mahal
3. Travel to Nepal and see Mt. Everest

Painted Elephant. Source: Melanie Thelen's personal photo

I had such a terrible time focusing this week due to my excitement. Which was unfortunate, because I had a test. I even had to go for a run (which I HATE cardio) the day I found out to try and get some energy out. At the same time, it has been great for my motivation. I started eating healthier and working out a little more.

I feel like this opportunity rejuvenated my desire to travel! Sometimes we get so stuck in our everyday lives and focus too much on our surroundings. I think college and the lack of finances made me forget about exploring as much as I can. I got to thinking about my schedule this summer. I’ll bust my buns throughout the work week and have mini trips on the weekends…so it sounds like my rest and recovery will actually be on the weekdays. Unlike college. It seems like we try to catch up on the weekends. I hope that maybe I can take a few mini vacations over the weekends next school year and explore the U.S. a little more than I have!

I feel very blessed to have this opportunity and can’t wait to start my adventures!

Week 10 Reading Diary B: Deathly Destruction

From Narayan's Mahabharata

Thoughts and Favorite episode:

• All the war and violence!
•  Pg 162. This is vivid and gross. I'm sure the act of dismembering Dussasana's body and drinking his blood is a sign of disrespect. At least some of the other characters find it astonishing. It reminds me of when I went to Spain and Italy and saw statures with their private parts removed (a sign of disrespect and was usually performed by an opposing force).
• Karma has been very busy! I was drawn to pages 178-179 where Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and Kunthi die in a forest fire. Also, Krishna's people kill each other and the Pandava brothers die.
• Seems a little Romeo and Juliet.

Death. Source: Wikimedia

Week 10 Reading Diary A: I spy

From Narayan's Mahabharata

Thoughts and Favorite episode:

• KARMA! Pages 86-87 Duryodhana tries to make the Pandavas look foolish by setting up a grand camp near Kamyaka. Duryodhana is captured and loses men in a fight. The Pandavas end up saving Duryodhana.
• Page 92: I don't exactly understand why Karma (or whoever) allows the brothers to come back to life. I guess I don't feel like Yudhistira answering a few questions correctly should be enough to reverse death.
• The lake could be a fun storytelling post (reminds me of the troll who guards the bridge).
• Another cool twist for a storytelling post is to have a modern day spy story. Pages 93-96

Sneaky Spy like the Pandavas. Source: pixabay

Favorite Quotes:

• Didn't find many cool quotes :/

Famous Last Words: Week 9

A lot has happened in these past two weeks! I’m sure everyone will be commenting on the racist video in their famous last words. And I am glad! I think it is so important to have educated and respectful conversations about this incident. A lot of my friends have expressed to me how glad they are that people are actually talking about racism because it is very much still alive. I think most people have become more willing to talk about sexism and other issues in today’s society, but it seems like racism is still a touchy subject and one that people might try to avoid a little bit more.

One thing that I haven’t enjoyed is the stereotype that has now been made for the University. When an outsider hears ‘The University of Oklahoma’ the first thought that might pop up into their head is a negative one. That bums me out because I love OU and all of the amazing experiences I have had here.

I wish that in this world we could just learn to respect one another! I know it probably isn't as simple as that, but sometimes I think it could be. If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all.

On another note, Spring Break was fantastic. I went back home to Colorado and the weather was perfect. It was a relaxing, yet productive spring break. The biggest thing is that it boosted my motivation a little bit, so that was important! I did many fun things! I went for a hike with my best friend, I hung out with my sister and we went to the opening show for the Garth Brooks Concert (amazing by the way!!!), I hung out with my cousins, I made a chocolate silk pie for pi day, my aunt came over and taught me some more cool crochet tricks (see the cool headband I made below), and I volunteered at my old high school by helping to give mock interviews for the students. Very awesome spring break!

Colorado Headband that I Crocheted. Personal Photo

Erin (my best friend) and I after our hiking endeavor. Personal Photo

Delicious Chocolate Silk Pie to celebrate Pi day. Personal Photo

Week 9 Reading Diary 9: House of Joy

From Narayan's Mahabharata

Thoughts and Favorite episode:

• Wouldn't it be great if the world today could depend on another person's word? I've noticed in the Indian Epics that vows are valued (more than today it seems).
• Page 7: Grrrr. I hate how women are portrayed sometimes. Ambika was ordered to 'decorate herself and wait in the bedchamber.'
• Page 7: Vidura is introduced as wise, having good judgement, and courageous with speech and actions.
• Page 16: I got a quick glimpse of Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets in the streets. The Pandava brothers around Arjuna and the Karna, Duryodhana, and elders starting to bicker.
• Page 25-26: House of Joy is a possible story topic.

House of Joy (a mansion). Source: Wikimedia

• Page 35: I find it disturbing that a female would be forced to lay with 5 brothers. I know historically and culturally this has been accepted, but it is so hard to fathom in today's world and the American culture that I have been raised in.

Favorite Quotes:

• Didn't have any :/

Famous Last Words: Week 7

This week was a longer one for me (despite the class cancellations for the snow and ice). I was very thankful for those by the way. Sometimes my weeks are longer because I have a hard time judging how long some of my Chemical Engineering homework will take me. I have definitely become more on-point when judging the time it should take throughout the years, but sometimes you just don’t know.

Luckily, I did make it through the week and ended it with a very fun weekend. Friday was Fluid Dynamics Lab (sounds terrible, but it is actually where us engineers study the flow of green fluids at O’Connells Irish Pub and Grille). This past week was Engineers’ Week. It’s a wonderful time where we get to celebrate all that we do. Our traditions at the University of Oklahoma are to have competitions/events (sometimes more than one a day) every day from Sunday until Friday. There is lots of free food, raffle prizes, and cash prizes for those who win competitions. Friday’s event is Fluid Dynamics...and lots of fun is usually had. During E-week, one might see a lot of green and clovers. This is due to our history and tradition/Irish background. It is said that Patrick, the Saint of Engineering, saved England from the invasion of snacks by inventing a machine that rid them. He was dubbed a Saint. Hence, why we have an Irish background and go to an Irish pub at the end of the week.

E-Week on the Quad. Source: Facebook

I was doing better in this class, time wise, but I definitely procrastinated this weekend and am here, yet again, finishing off last week’s assignments. At the end of March I will have a short, six week course, so I really need to get my bum into gear for that extra work. I have faith that I can do it.