Week 1: Introduction

My name is Barclay Weddle. I am from Tulsa, Oklahoma and am currently a senior at OU. I am studying biochemistry and applying to medical school. I love Oklahoma and would be honored stay here and go to medical school at OU and live in OKC. I'm only in seven hours this semester, so my semester will be pretty laid back. I'm in a fraternity on campus and like to play raquetball in my spare time. Because my class load is light this semester, I am planning on volunteering at a hospital or clinic. I went to EMT school the summer after I graduated high school, so I have some experience in the medical field. Hopefully I will be able to find a volunteer position where I will be able to use some of those skills.

I have a dog named Indy, and she is a Scottish Deerhound. Deerhounds are very large and were bred to hunt deer and wolves in Scotland. However, they are a very docile breed and prefer to lay around most of the day. I like to take her to the dog park, where she can run around freely off a leash and play with other dogs. Deerhounds have a very high prey drive, and if I let her off the leash anywhere that isn't fenced in, she will chase the nearest moving car or animal.

A Scottish Deerhound, Wikipedia

I really enjoy ancient epics and am excited to learn about the Indian Epics. In high school I took Latin and read several Greek Epics and The Aeneid. However, I struggle with creating stories and being creative in that aspect, so that part of the class would be challenging for me. I would honestly rather learn about chemistry than write a story, and even the first 300 word story was a challenge for me. 

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

When I first scrolled through the list of Indian Epics scrapbooks, the first one to catch my eye was Food and Culture. I love Indian food and frequent Indian restaurants in my hometown of Tulsa and in Norman. The welcome page of the storybook featured some pictures Indian food and spices. The author briefly introduced herself, and explained why she was interested in this topic. Then the author discussed several Indian dishes and her travels in India. The text was accompanied by images of the dishes she was discussing, or the location she was describing. I thought the images she chose accompanied the text very well.  At the end of the storybook, the author shared two recipes with her readers. I think I might try and prepare the Chicken Tarkari.

Next I investigated Zoo Animal History, which seemed like an interesting topic. I expected to learn about animals in Indian zoos, but was pleasantly surprised. The author created a fictional zoo filled with three animal characters of the epics, and told a brief summary of the animal and how it relates with the story and characters of the epics. I thought this was a creative way to cover this topic. The author included images of the animals in the zoo, which helped visually represent these characters for someone who is not familiar with them.

Finally, I read the Indian Travels storybook. I also love to travel and was interested in the authors travel experience. The author introduced herself and talked about the three locations she most wanted to visit in India. The first location was the Himalaya Mountains, which I found interesting because I love the mountains. I've been mountain climbing in many states here in the U.S., and I've also been glacier climbing in Washington. I also would love to visit the Himalayas.

Week 1 Storytelling: The Flag Pole and The Marble Slab

A Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some

slender Reeds.







When the wind blew, the great Oak stood proudly

upright with its






hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the Reeds




bowed low in the wind and sang a sad and mournful song.



(The Oak and the Reeds)



--------------







A giant Flag Pole stood in the center of a town next to a Marble Slab. The Flag Pole held the flag of the town high in the sky, for everyone who lived there to see. The Slab was laid in the ground next to the Pole, and could only be seen if a person was standing near. 



The people of the town decided to record the history of the town on a special flag. The flag was decorated with expensive materials to show off the wealth of the town. The town elders spared no expense, and the flag was the grandest thing anyone had ever seen. Once the flag was raised to the top of the pole, it was visible from around the countryside. 



All of the craftsmen in the town had worked on the flag except for one, the town mason. The mason’s family had kept the town’s history on the Slab for many generations. The Slab was plain and without decoration, and the people of the town gave no thanks to the mason nor attention to the Slab.



One afternoon a mighty storm suddenly came through the town. The people had no warning, and no time to lower the flag from the Pole. As the storm passed over the center of the town, the flag was ripped from the Pole and torn to pieces by the wind. 







A storm wrecked flag pole





When the storm was over, the people of the town emerged gasped at the sight of the empty Pole. The people of the town were in anguish, fearing the rich and noble history of their town lost forever. The mason stepped forward and reminded the people that all the history was recorded on the Slab. 



The people of the town thanked the mason for ensuring the history would survive, and vowed to never again make such a wonderful flag that would be at the mercy of the cruel wind. 



Author's Note: This story was inspired by the fable "The Oak And The Reeds" which is quoted before my story. The original fable can be found in the book Aesop For Children, illustrated by Milo Winter (1919). My story is a different take on the original where something that seems mighty and grand is not so in reality. 

Week 1: Indian Epics

I am excited to learn more about the Indian Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. 
I took a class in high school that gave a brief overview of both epics, and am looking forward to an in depth study of these texts. I have read epics from other cultures, such as Virgil's Aeneid, and am looking forward to epics produced by Indian authors. 

Week 1: Favorite Place

My favorite place is the British Virgin Islands. My father and I like to go sailing and scuba diving there during the summer. The water has great visibility and there are tons of great dive sites.

A photo of Road Town, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. 

Henry A-W (July 10, 2006) Source: Wikipedia