Reading: Week 9 - Brer Rabbit Part A

 Brer Rabbit: How Mr. Rabbit Was Too Sharp for Mr. Fox (Story Source)

• Brer Fox catches Brer Rabbit using the tar baby
• Brer Fox says he is going to leave Brer Rabbit there until he can build a fire to roast him
• Fox says its too much trouble to kindle a fire so he's gonna hang him
• Brer Rabbit tricks Fox into throwing him into the briar-patch
• Brer Rabbit gets away

Brer Rabbit with the Tar Baby (Image Source)

Week 8 Progress

 So far I am fairly happy with my progress because I finally have a decent schedule for each week. I am going to need to do a lot of extra credit opportunities in the coming weeks because I have missed a few assignments in coming weeks. It has kind've come at a good time because I tested positive for Covid-19 and have a ton of free time on my hands. haha A major thing I want to change in the coming weeks is to jump out in front of due dates and work on assignments throughout the week.

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Week 8 Comments and Feedback

 I have loved all of the comments that I have received from my fellow classmates. It really makes me want to put more work into my comments that I leave on people's pages. I have received quite a few comments on the layout of my portfolio page so I am going to work on making that a little more eye popping. I won't lie my comments have been lacking when it comes to other people's sites. I have yet to find a good way to come up with enough material to keep it from sounding like I am rambling. However, I am confident I will find one and am not disheartened. I have been getting a sense of knowing other people through the process of comments and feedback. In the future I am going to be more intentional with my project comments and really make the most out of them.

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Week 8 Reading and Writing

 So far the reading and writing assignments have been very beneficial. I have noticed that it is very important to read the whole story even if I only write about part of the reading. I have not quite figured out taking notes over the reading because I don't know how someone could get up into 200 plus word counts and not end up telling the same story over again. I am more happy with my website then my blog because my blog just seems kind've jumbled and cluttered. My favorite reading so far has been the segment on Sinbad the Sailor because he was very adventurous and it was very easy to stay engaged throughout the whole reading. I am excited to work in the future on taking notes more like a writer because then I will be able to sculpt my story I will write as I am reading.

Reflection (Picture Source)

Week 7 Story: Sinbad the Sailor - The Sixth Voyage

  Sinbad the Sailor: The Sixth Voyage (Story Source)

The past three months have gone by without much going on. This was a peaceful time of rest compared to Sinbad's typical adventures, but that was all about to change.

Sinbad was grateful for this peaceful period of his life, but he needed adventure. Little did he know that his next adventure was right around the corner. 

As Sinbad was walking around the market one day, he overheard talk of a long voyage towards new lands. Sinbad was very intrigued.

He made his way to the docks and found the captain that was to set sail. The captain said he could use more hands on board as long as Sinbad carried his weight. Off they went.

Not long into their voyage, a dark storm arose and their ship had nowhere to go. They were tossed around for days until eventually a large cliff appeared and the ship was dashed against it. 

Sinbad was the only one that was able to scramble onto the rocks and make it to safety. Once he was on the island, he stumbled upon a cave that was filled with diamonds and rubies. Sinbad also found a lot of water and plentiful fruit. He decided that this was a place that he could reside for at least a little while.

A movie cover for the 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Picture Source)

Week 7 Reading: The Monkey King - Part B

 The Monkey King: The Great Saint (Source)

• Sun Wu Kung asks his friends what his title of stablemaster means 
• They said it is not a rank at all and he gets mad because he is a king
• He storms out and gets back to his island Mountain
• His apes asked him what he had been doing and he told them he was in heaven for only 10 days until he was treated badly and came back
• Two horned devils came and and brought him a yellow imperial robe
• They then gave him the title The Great Saint

Sun Wu Kung (Picture Source)

Reading Week 7: The Monkey King Part A -

"The Ape Sun Wu King" in The Chinese Fair Book, by R.Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H Martens (Story Source)

• The apes are aware that they will eventually die off
• An old ape tells a story that whoever obtains a buddha, spirit, or god will live forever
• The king of the apes wants to go find them
• The old ape says they live in caves and holy mountains in the world of mortals
• The king of the apes sets out alone on his quest
• He lands on a shore and tears the clothes off of a fisherman and wandered around the famous spots
• He wandered around for 9 years and found nothing
• He then sets off on the sea again to find the buddhas
• He heard someone singing and went off in the woods to find this lovely voice
• He meets a wood-chopper that had been singing a song taught him by a saint
• The wood-chopper tells the king the way to the saints
• The ape king was led into the cave through the gate
• The saint named him Sun Wu Kung
• The ape king lived there for some six or seven years learning the ways of the saints
• But he had still not put away his wild nature

Sun Wu Kung (Picture Source)

Week 6: Storytelling - Sinbad: First Voyage

 Sinbad the Sailor: First Voyage part 1(Source)

It’s dark, cold, and ominous. The waves appear to be cliffs rushing toward the ship. The Insurrection’s crew notices a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs as they begin to realize that their ship will not make it through the night. 

Despite the near impossible task ahead, the captain puts all the men to work. Some men are bailing water for their lives while others try to keep the ship pointed bow first toward the incoming waves. Everyone stops what they are doing at the sight of a wave bigger than any of them had ever seen. All that can be done at this point is to hang on for dear life and say whatever prayers one might need.

As dawn breaks over a peaceful ocean, Sinbad wakes up in a confused stupor. He takes in his surroundings only to realize that he was the only one that survived the storm. He was fortunate enough to have grabbed ahold of the mast and managed to hang on to it through the night. 

Sinbad was sitting there contemplating his options when he noticed a large portion of the ship floating along in the water, so he swam over and climbed on board. Being utterly lost and out of food or water, he decided the only thing to do was to lay on the wood and pray that someone came along or he drifted to some island. 

After three days, Sinbad was at his wits end and began to wonder if he should just end it all instead of dying a slow hallucination filled death. At that exact moment a pod of dolphins swam up to him. They asked his name and what circumstances had led to his current situation. Sinbad recalled his tale to them, and when he said his name their eyes lit up. 

“Are you the great Sinbad?” their leader asked.

“That would be me” replied Sinbad. 

The dolphins told him how they had heard many things about his great travels and tales. They also mentioned that there was an island not too far away that was inhabited by a friendly people that would take him in. 

Sinbad climbed on the back of the strongest dolphin and away they went. After about an hour with the dolphins, they dropped him off on the shores of the island they said was owned by King Mihrage.

        This story is based off of Sinbad's First Voyage from The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang. The original story begins with Sinbad telling another man named Sinbad about how he squandered his wealth inherited from his parents and now goes from ship to ship seeking adventure. He then tells the story of one particular ship he was on that would stop at little islands on the way to the West Indies to trade goods and explore the cities. They then accidentally land on a whale and he gets thrown into the sea. He then lands on some cliffs on an island and climbs up. I chose to head straight into to Sinbad getting thrown into the ocean and floating about. The part about the dolphins is based off of one of my favorite songs by Jimmy Buffet called Jolly Mon Sing. In this song a traveling musician gets thrown into the ocean, but a dolphin has heard him singing and loves him so he takes him to an island. I thought this would be a fun little twist to the original telling of Sinbad's First Voyage.

Animated Picture of a Dolphin (Picture Source)

Week 6 Reading: Sinbad - The Sixth Voyage

 Sinbad the Sailor: The Sixth Voyage (Story Source)

• Sinbad Travels overland to a distant Indian Port where he set sail with a captain looking to make a long voyage
• Got caught in a big storm as well as a large current that was sweeping them away
• Their ship got smashed against rocks but not before they got out
• They found a cave covered in rubies and diamonds
• Sinbad is the last one alive and decides to make a raft because he might as well die out there
• He gets on a raft and is swiftly carried away by a river and is on the raft for many days and nights
• Runs out of food
• He falls asleep and wakes up on an island surrounded by friendly-looking black men
• They are nice and one of them speaks Arabic
• They fed him and listened to his story. Astonished they brought him to their King
• He has a great time on Serendib (the island) but wants to leave so the King loads him up with gifts and sends him on his way

A movie cover for the 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Picture Source)