Week 12 Lab - Microfiction: New Beginnings

Drabble Version

New Beginnings

The wind howled as she slammed the door on the truck. Turning, she put her hands on her hips and surveyed her new home.

"It's not bad, but it could be better," she said to herself.

Walking up to the front door, she unlocked it and stepped inside. Inhaling, she breathed in the smell of new beginnings. They smelled oddly of...pot? "That's going to be fun to get out," she thought to herself.

The next few days sped by as she unpacked her life, rearranging it to fit into this new one.

At the end, she knew she'd be okay.

Image of a Moving Truck.

No Changes Made. Source: pixy

New Twitter Version

I just moved into a new place, and I can't believe this is actually happening. The people who lived here before me were apparently big into pot? Like, even the garage smells of it?? Besides that, I guess I will be busy unpacking. Here's to new beginnings! Hopefully it's all good!

Author's Note: These stories are of a woman moving into her new home and settling in, and they are inspired by the facts that I'll be moving after I graduate next month, and the fact that my current neighbors love hotboxing their apartment, leading mine to smell like pot most days. I thought adding that detail in might add humor into the stories. I decided to make the second version a "new twitter version" because I love Twitter (probably too much). Hope you enjoy!

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues, Part B

I think the second part of "Sita Sings the Blues" did a great job of using the parallels between Nina's and Sita's story to show how they were both treated poorly by men and spent too long trying to be perfect for them, only to finally put themselves first in the end.

This was also reflected in the fact that, at the end, it was Vishnu rubbing Lakshmi's feet, not the other way around like in the beginning. I really love the message of female empowerment! It was different than the message I got from the original Ramayana.

However, one thing that stuck out to me was the song that Sita's sons were taught to sing to praise Rama. I at first thought it was weird, but then I realized it was a perfect summary of how Rama is portrayed throughout his whole life. He is treated as divine and perfect and unable to do wrong (he is an avatar, but still!).

I don't have as much to say about this part because it was shorter and much faster paced, but I do think I enjoyed it more than part A. I think if I were to write a story on this part, it would involve something about a girl learning to choose herself over her relationship.

Image of Sita and Ravana from "Sita Sings the Blues".

No Changes Made. By: Nina Paley in 2008. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography:

"Sita Sings the Blues" by Nina Paley in 2008. Link: YouTube

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues, Part A

This is definitely the most unique reading I have done so far for this semester (ignoring the part where it's actually a movie)! While I definitely can't say I would watch this on my own, I still thought it was a very unique retelling of the Ramayana.

One thing I found very interesting, and that I didn't know before, was that Ravana's kingdom of Lanka is actually Sri Lanka! I thought that was very cool. I also thought it was interesting how Nina Paley's story was interwoven with the story of Rama and Sita.

The thing that stood out to me the most, however, was about 30 minutes into the movie, when the narrators argue about why Sita didn't escape Lanka with Hanuman when her first found her. That is such an interesting idea! One of them argued that maybe she was trying to "glorify Rama" but letting him save her. I call bull on that! I hate how Sita is shown as so powerless during the Ramayana, and I think Sita securing her own escape would have been an excellent way to showcase her as a powerful female character.

That also leads into one thing I didn't like about this film so far. I didn't like how the fact that Sita was singing the music meant that while she was just off singing, all of the action in the story happened without her. She sang both while Hanuman burned Lanka, and while Rama defeated Ravana.

For a story based on this reading, I think I would go off from the idea of Sita securing her own escape from Lanka.

Movie Poster for "Sita Sings the Blues".

No Changes Made. By: Nina Paley in 2008. Link: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography:

"Sita Sings the Blues" by Nina Paley in 2008. Link: YouTube