Epic Things

I received my first Pfizer COVID19 vaccine just a few days after Christmas. I was excited, terrified, and nervous. I read the studies, did my own research, and determined that the vaccine is what I wanted. As someone working in the emergency room with constant COVID19 contact, I cannot emphasize how many times I have been stressed and anxious whenever I felt just a little bit under the weather. "Is it COVID19 or a typical cold?" "Should I get tested again for the 10000th time?" It was mentally and physically draining for my body. And yes, the vaccine does have its own risks and side effects. It isn't perfect but when I calculate the pros and cons for myself, the benefit completely outweighs the risks.  A lot of people asked me if I have gotten any side effects. After taking my second dose two weeks ago, I can now give you a complete answer. The first dose gave me the most annoying achy pain to the injection site. It was sensitive to every little touch and reall...

Dr. Gibbs (Laura) mentioned Garuda in one of my comments and that made me curious about it. I started with Garuda  which is a legendary bird that is Indonesia's national emblem. Garuda is actually an important creature in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. I grew up with the Garuda logo and actually live on Garuda street as a child. Garuda led me to the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park  which is a beautiful attraction in Bali, Indonesia. The attraction is devoted to Vishu and his companion, Garuda. This really stood out to me because as someone who's been to Bali, I am disappointed that I didn't know about this place when I was there. The  Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park  led me to the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue . It is a large statue that situates in the park designed as Vishu riding Garuda. The crown Vishu is wearing is actually covered in gold mosaic. According to the page, the statue is the tallest Hindu deity and the tallest statue in Indonesia. It took a wh...

The Canvas gradebook is an extremely important feature in Canvas as it really tracks and tells you what your grade is. My favorite feature is that you are able to change the displays from module, title assignment, or even due date. I prefer to put it on the due date as it puts in chronological order that makes it easier to track. You can also edit the grade for a "what if" sort of view which is one thing I always do to see what grade I would need in each assignment to achieve my grade goal. The Canvas gradebook is extremely important for me that it is actually one canvas link I bookmark.

Drabble version (100-word): Mommy  The plumber comes into a house and heads right to the bathroom.   He says "your kids sound like they're having fun." The woman smiles and nods. He heads into the kitchen asking for water. The woman hands him a notepad instead.  The plumber says "I'm sorry but I'd like a glass of water, not a notepad." The woman points to her ears and mouths "deaf." The plumber writes "water please" and the woman does so.  "Mommy, Mommy" the plumber hears.  The plumber writes "your kids are calling for you." The woman stares at him and writes "what kids?" I love my mom (Source: Pixy ) Dribble version (50-word) : Mommy A woman has a plumber over. The plumber enters and hears the kids calling after her. He tells her but the woman points to her ears and mouths "deaf." The plumber writes "your kids are calling for you." The woman stares at him and writes "what kids?...

Growing up I have always been expected to do the best, to be perfect, and to make no mistakes. In a traditional Asian household, I was expected to be a certain way or should I say, the perfect way. Critics were all I heard as a child, a teenager, and at most times now as an adult. Sometimes, I hear it in my own head. Whether it is in an interview "what are you saying" "you aren't making any sense" or even in an exam "you should know this", I am always bound to critic myself even when I do not mean to. Sabrina Nawaz makes a great point in her article Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head . All the echoes of negative thoughts in my head that I think would push me to my goal are actually preventing me from reaching them. As Nawaz emphasizes, we rely on dissecting our weaknesses to further our potential but fail to realize that most of our potential lies in our strength. I really liked how Nawaz was so relatable for me personally. Every sentence in thi...

 Supernatural Characters of the Ramayana I am interested in writing and learning more about supernatural characters of the Ramayana. I am playing with some ideas of maybe possibly having Ramayana characters as the origin of the modern monsters we know like vampires, werewolves, and such (possibly some sort of evolution). There are many characters that I am intrigued by including some of the rakshasas , Suvannamaccha , and Viradha . What really stands out to me is with the rakshasas as the Ramayana is flooded with them. Having that contrast between good and evil is great if I would prefer to do a superhero type of story.  Alternate Version of the Ramayana After seeing the many creative past projects, I am inspired to write my own version of the Ramayana. Although there is much to the story, I am most interested in Rama as the focus of my story. Exploring the love story between Rama and Sita might be a great challenge as well. Their love story is complicated with twists and tu...

An alternate version of Goblin City with a twisted prequel. Long ago on the island of Ceylon, men rule the land with an iron fist. Women were expected to bear the child, care for the child, and spend the rest of their lives working to supply food for the people. While men were to eat, sleep, repeat and do what they please with women. On one cold evening, the women gathered around to pray and hope for a better future. A witch appeared and grant them a wish. A woman stood up and said "the death of men." And just like that, all men fell ill with an incurable disease. But, with every wish comes a price. The witch turned all the women into terrifying hungry goblins with an uncontrollable hunger for human flesh. With that, the goblins attacked. What the men didn't know was the goblins were able to shape-shift. Each of the goblins shape-shifted into the most terrifying looking beast. One by one, the men were eaten alive. Each of the men screamed for help while others accepted th...

Goblin City Story source: The Giant Crab, and the Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse. Mythic Rakshasa: Modern Interpretation by Denman Rooke Setting: The island of Ceylon Characters:  - She-goblins : inhabitants of the island of Ceylon who force travelers to marry them and eat them when they grow tired of them. - The Captain : cast ashore to Ceylon due to the shipwrecked. The first sailor to realized he married a goblin. - 500 sailors : some believed in the captain and were able to escape while others did not believe the captain and were eaten. - Fairy : a kind fairy who hated the goblins who sent her flying horse to save the sailors. - Flying horse : sent by the fairy to save the sailors. The Flying Horse by W. Robinson (Source: archive )    Synopsis Breakdown:  Background:    On the island of Ceylon, the inhabitants are no one other than the she-goblins who would force travelers to marry them but would eat them afterward when they grow tired of...

I have chosen the Tiny Tales from the Ramayana  version. This is mostly because its written by Laura Gibbs! I am excited as it seems that this version has more backstory. The fact that it is short is also a plus. As a student, the fact that it is free and online is a big yes! The two comic books that really stood out to me were  Rama: Retold from the Ramayana   and Guide: Saraswati . I chose these two because they are both different. I was interested in the Ramayana comic book as this specific one is able to tell the whole story in a single comic book. It was condensed but still very detailed. I felt like the Saraswati one really called me out because there is something about Saraswati that sounds so familiar. I believe it was a Hindu goddess that I have seen arts of in Bali... I am really interested in seeing how Indian epics prevail in other Asian countries. The two videos that I was interested in were Harry Potter Meets Hindu Mythology and Mahabharata meets Game of Th...