Week 10 Growth Mindset: From Day One

This will be my last post for Mythology and Folklore! I know I titled this post as a growth mindset challenge, but I didn't participate in any new challenges. However, I would like to talk about how this particular class made me grow. I'll be honest, I took Epics of India last semester because I needed a filler class, and my friend suggested Epics of India because there were no exams. In short, it was an easy A. I never thought I would enjoy the class as much as I did! My creativity for story telling has improved dramatically. In the beginning, I was rusty on developing characters and interesting plots. Now, several ideas for stories come to me with ease. I enrolled in Mythology and Folklore because I wanted to continue writing creatively. However, I noticed that I was more engaged in one particular assignment: growth mindset.

I was first exposed to growth mindset in last semester's class. Ever since that first week of school, I looked more into the growth mindset philosophy and its research. Everything that I read, every challenge that I participated in, and every blog post that I wrote taught me something new. I never thought that I would learn so much about myself through this assignment. I've learned that I can do anything as long as I accept the challenge in front of me. I've also learned that failure doesn't define me; it's either a lesson or an opportunity. Through the growth mindset assignments, I have learned to reflect on myself and practice introspection. I've realized that I must acknowledge my accomplishments, as well as my failures, and learn that it has made me the person that I am today.

All in all, I greatly appreciate the lessons that this class has taught me. Although I will be ending this class a few weeks earlier, I know I'll forever practice the growth mindset philosophy.

Growth Mindset: stretching my brain since day one. Source.

Week 10 Reading Diary: Alaska Legends Cont.

This is a continuation of the Alaska unit. These readings are from Myths and Legends of Alaska by Katharine Berry Judson (1911). The two chapters that stood out to me were the Land of the Dead and The Ghost Land

The Land of the Dead

Before I read this unit, I thought that maybe this chapter would talk about zombies (just because that's what my generation is all about now). However, when I read the story, I found myself shivering with chills. It's was quiet creepy. A woman died and is woken up in the land of the dead by her grandfather. He gives her a tour of the land of the dead. She found a village where people are beaten with sticks. This village was known as the dog shades so that the dead could feel how living dogs were beaten. I guess in this legends, the shades refer to the people or animals that have died. In other village, a man had roots and grass growing through his joints, and this was his punishment for tearing up the earth when he was alive. The most interesting part was the river in the land of the dead. The river consist of tears from the living who mourn for dead loved ones.

The Ghost Land

 This chapter could be developed into a suspenseful horror movie. I shouldn't have read it at night. A man's wife passed out which made the man really depressed. He was so depressed that he wandered off into the woods, walking on the Death Trail. Towards the end of the Death Trail, he found the Ghost's rock. Across the lake, he saw a village. A Ghost Canoe took him across the lake where he found his wife. He brought his wife from the ghost village and to his own village. The man told his father that he brought his wife back. When the chief saw the man, he did not see his son's wife. However, when a robe was placed on the wife's shoulder, the robe floated in the air as if someone was actually wearing the robe. When the wife was eating, the spoon floated as if someone was eating, yet there was no one there. For some reason this didn't freak out anyone in the story!

Ghost Land. Source.

Week 10 Reading Diary: Alakan Legends

For this week's reading, I decided to read through Myths and Legends of Alaska by Katharine Berry Judson (1911).

 Raven's Creation

 I liked this story because it reminded me of a creation story. Basically a man was born from a pea pond. The Raven came and introduced himself. He then made man a companion., a woman, and several animals out of clay.

Raven Creates the People

In this story, Raven thought that the Earth looked plain and bare. With that in mind, he made more animals and people out of clay. He noticed that the water was empty, so Raven made sea creatures such as fish and dolphins. In the end, the Earth was full of life from humans to animals to plants all thanks to Raven.

Skyland and the Sea

 Raven took the man to the Skyland which was filled with smaller people with fur. The Skyland had a better climate and all was joyful. It reminded me of heaven. Raven decided to make more animals for man and also taught man how to use tools. In this way, man could survive on Earth. I liked the combination of these three stories because it described the origins of man, animals, and plants. It appears to me that Raven is like a god to the Alaskan people. How odd that it was a black bird that created the world? One would think it would have been an angelic creature.

Native American Raven. Source.