Reading Notes: Southwestern and California, Extra Credit

I read a lot about Native American creation stories and the Coyote in this reading. I liked the idea of the eagle's feathers coming down and becoming trees. It's interesting to see how many different animals are involved in these stories. I like the variety! No one would think a spider could make the world, but it's one of the cooler stories for me. I was itching to know what was in the boxes at the beginning. Coyote's seen as a clever, cunning character, so I understand how he could make the earth and light. I like that these stories address a lot of aspects of the world coming to be and they have stories for it all. They believed in the Great Flood, like Christians, I believe. Even the course of the sun is addressed in one of the stories.

The sun goes where he pleases. Image: Flickr

Tech Tip: Canvas Calender

This is probably one of the best features about Canvas. You can see every upcoming assignment, quiz, or test in every class on one calendar. It's useful and helpful when trying to figure out what to first. I usually keep my agenda updated, but I sometimes use my Google calendar too. Syncing them together brings your entire life together, so it's pretty nice. The only issue is sometimes, professors won't put everything on Canvas until after the assignment, but other than that, it's great!

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part B

As I've said many many times before, I'm a huge Disney fan, so naturally, I was waiting to read the original "Aladdin". It was interesting to see all the various differences between the two versions. I liked that it was multiple parts because it allows more depth to the story. I thought the part about the father's grief over the son being lazy was a bit dramatic, but I overlooked that. I liked the evil magician and his brother, but I feel like their storylines were too quickly resolved. This great and powerful magician was taken down by a little bit of poison. It's not that it's unlikely; it just seems too neat and clean. There's no real sense of urgency throughout the story, so I missed that aspect. I did like the small details, like the unfinished window in the castle and the extra genie in the ring. I wish he had more powers, though. Character-wise, I think they did a good job with Aladdin, but I wanted the princess to have some more depth to her. I could be feeling this way because the Disney version emphasized Jasmine's emotions and beliefs so strongly. Overall, I enjoyed the story. I missed Abu, of course!

The moment Aladdin fell in love with his bride-to-be. Image: Un-Textbook

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part A

This week, I read Arabian Nights. First off, Scheherazade is one of the most clever and creative characters. I would not be able to tell that many stories in succession, let alone make them interesting. I was very surprised that the genie let him go, especially for an entire year! I feel like this is unlikely. I also feel like an alternative title could be "Story-ception". I don't know that my version will have characters with this much patience. They're all too trusting! I enjoyed the first part, but in all honesty, it was a little too confusing for me.I wish it would be one long story instead of a lot of little ones. It's slightly hard to follow and keep track of who's telling which story. I look forward to reading the rest, though, and finding out how it ends.

A story in a story in a story. Image: Un-Textbook