Famous Last Words Week 1

I think this is a great idea to do a little recap of the week and what we have learned, experienced, and pondered. I normally try to write in my own journal about different personal thoughts and experiences, but rarely do I take the time to reflect on my schoolwork. I think the weekly "Famous Last Words" posts will be valuable at the end of the semester to look back and see all the interesting things I have learned and really appreciate everything I have accomplished in the course.

The storybook favorites assignment got me excited for all the the things I will learn in the course. I LOVE how we are able to choose our own topics to explore. I am very interested in Greek mythology and am glad I can choose to read more about this topic.

Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War, 

Source

This week I learned how to Google image search using the "labeled for re-use" filter. This is very helpful for this class when we have to use images in our blog posts, and it will be helpful in my other classes for projects. I have also never used a Google blog (Blogger) and usually use Wordpress. However, I am finding this blog is very simple to use and I do not spend more time trying to figure out the technological features that actually writing the content.

My other classes are mostly particular to my HES major and include Exercise Physiology, Exercise Testing and Prescription and my Senior Capstone. I am also enrolled in an Internship in HES class where I receive course credit for working at my job at Physical Therapy Central. It is nice that I can get credit for my internship where I gain so much knowledge specific to the field I want to pursue: physical therapy. My last class is a Women and Gender Studies online class, which resembles this course. We do not have a blog but we write discussion posts about readings and respond to our classmates' posts, which is similar to our responses in this course.

It is helpful in online classes that I can work ahead in order to balance my schedule. As I mentioned, I work part-time at an outpatient physical therapist clinic and am in the process of applying to physical therapy school. The applications are lengthy and take up much of my "free-time." I greatly appreciate the format of this course in being able to work ahead and complete assignments around my busy schedule. I look forward to the rest of the course!

Week 1 Storybook Favorites

 I was amazed at all the options to choose from for the storybooks and I had a hard time narrowing it down to just 3.

One of the storybooks that caught my attention was titled Monkeys in Brazil. The introduction describes how the storybook covers the different regions of Brazil and the exotic animals that live there. It also mentions how Monkeys play a large role in Brazilian folk tales. I studied abroad in Brazil and spent months there learning about the history, culture, and people who call Brazil their home. I was immediately interested in this storybook because it contains even more interesting information about the rainforests of Brazil and its inhabitants than I was able to learn on my trip. Almost every meal we would have cute little monkeys creeping in trees waiting for us to be done with our food. I also have a love for animals so the tales that this storybook encompasses made it seem like I would really enjoy reading them.

Another storybook that caught my eye was  Greek Gods Galore.  In being a member of a sorority, you constantly hear different stereotypes projected onto you. I was interested to see how the author of this storybook would tackle this subject in an interesting way that was not offensive or praising. I have also always loved Greek mythology and especially the Gods and Goddesses. They stood for so many different things with different strengths and each had such a unique story. I always wanted to know more. I decided this storybook would be interesting and after reading the introduction and seeing how the author was relating the campus and Greek life to the Trojan war and fidelity I knew the stories would include very interesting content. I ended up reading the stories and my instinct was correct in assuming the spin on the Trojan war using fraternities was witty and I enjoyed the comparison.

The last storybook I decided to focus on that really grabbed my attention was  Greek Godesses on Trail. The name caught my attention because I enjoy the topic of Greek mythology; especially Greek Gods and Godesses, but the introduction page had me wanting to read all the stories right then. The introduction was written as if Hermes, the God of language and writing. It was such a unique idea to have it written this way and the language and voice in which the storybook is written drew me in from the beginning. The four Goddesses are put on trail for their wrongdoings in actual Greek mythology stories and I think this was very creative of the author. This was my top favorite storybook I looked at.

Week 1 Introduction Post

Hi my name is Emily Groff, and I am a senior and graduating in December. I am a Health and Exercise Science major and hope to attend Physical Therapy school starting in the summer. As a health and exercise science major I have a wide base of knowledge in nutrition and exercise and like to lead a healthy lifestyle. I enjoy running and cycling and have participated in half marathons. Running allows me to release stress and is my calming time to myself where I forget about all the to-do lists and obligations I have waiting for me after my run. I feel accomplished I also enjoy doing yoga for the same reason; it calms me. I hope to complete a triathlon next. I enjoy cooking and always cook for my friends and family. One day I hope to be able to take some culinary classes and expand my cooking capabilities.

This summer I had to take classes as prerequisites for physical therapy school and I also worked as a physical therapy technician during the week to gain experience in the field as I begin to apply to physical therapy schools. Over Fourth of July weekend I did get to take a break from work and school to visit my closest friend in Denver, Colorado. We spent each day hiking and then each night exploring delicious places to eat in the city. Some of my favorite hikes were in Winter Park, Colorado and Boulder, Colorado for the amazing views at the top of the mountains. 

My friend Nicole and I hiking in Boulder Colorado

The Waterspring Trail in Winter Park, Colorado, photo by Emily Groff

One of my favorite past times besides running is reading. My favorite book is a tie between The Giver by Louis Lowry and The Pact by Jodi Picoult. I first read The Giver in middle school and have reread it many times since then. I love the themes and messages of the utopia vs dystopia society. The Pact is a story that switches back and forth between characters and times to tell a love story between teenagers. The way the book is written is the reason it is one of my favorite books. I also enjoy watching movies and some of my favorites include action movies like Law Abiding Citizen and Man on Fire.

Week 1: Un-textbook Picks

Week 2: I choose to start off my reading with Greek Myths: Ovid III because the story of Venus really fascinates me. I have always been interested in Greek Mythology and the elaborate stories of war, love, and wonder. There are so many options included in this unit that sparked my interest.

Week 3: Although I love Greek mythology, this week I wanted to branch out and do a biblical story focusing specifically on the Bible Women unit. I think many times the women in biblical stories are not as commonly known and I would like to explore into more detail the significance these women had on biblical stories.

Week 4: I have chosen the unit Ancient Egypt for this week simply because I have always been intrigued by Egpyt and especially ancient Egypt. I went to the Metropolitan museum in New York and spent hours looking at the ancient artifacts such as jewelry and tools from this time and area. I know that any of these stories would spark my already-growing  interest in ancient Egypt.

Week 5: I decided to stay in the Middle East section and choose the unit Arabian Nights. After reading the description, I was hooked knowing the "Alladin and the Lamp" story was included in this unit. Growing up my brother's favorite movie was Alladin and we watched it on repeat so I have grown to have a deep appreciation for the story reminding me of my childhood.

Week 6: I have chosen to focus on Chinese Fairy Tales for this week because I always think fairy tales are so magical and as a kid you love to imagine all the possibilities in the world. I think it would be interesting to see the fairy tales that Chinese children grow up listening to and fantasizing about compared to the fairy tales I grew up hearing.

Week 7: For this week I have chosen the Brer Rabbit unit from the African Traditions section. I grew up hearing the Brer rabbit stories but never actually knew it originated from Africa. I think I will enjoy reading the stories again and seeing how I remember them as a kid and if my perspective has changed now.

Week 9: I have chosen to read the unit Marriage Tales for this week. The description includes the story of a Zuni Cinderella: Turkey Girl. As a girl, of course I loved the story of Cinderella growing up so I am interested to see how this story of Turkey Girl compares to the version of Cinderella that I know.

Week 10: This week I want to do the unit Eskimo Stories because I really do not know much about Eskimo culture. I think it would be interesting to learn more about Eskimo stories.

Week 1 Storytelling: The Fat Man of Bombay

"THERE was a fat man of Bombay,
Who was smoking one sunshiny day,"

Fat man of Bombay, wikipedia

On a sunny day in the city of Bombay a man sat reading his favorite book and enjoying the green grass, running water, and birds chirping. His favorite spot underneath the big willow tree provided just enough shade for him to relax and enjoy the day with a smoke from his pipe. The man was rather large and his plump belly hung over the waistband of his stained green pants. He brought his favorite pipe his father had given him to smoke. His perfectly round belly made the perfect rest for his pipe as he began to close his eyes and drift into his dreams. 

 

"When a bird, called a snipe,
Flew away with his pipe,"

Snipe Bird, Natural History Wikipedia

As his eyes were fluttering closed a bird with a very long slender bill started eyeing the man by the tree. The bird was brown with speckled feathers. Not an extraordinary bird in any way. The bird was a snipe and rather small, but little did the fat man of Bombay know, the small bird was going to make a big change in his day. The bird circled in the sky as the fat man began to drift and snatched the pipe right off of the fat man’s belly. He flew off with the pipe in his bill. The fat man could have sworn as the bird flew away there was a small evil grin spread across the snipe’s face. 

  
 " Which vexed the fat man of Bombay."

As the man struggled to reach down and grab pebbles from the ground, the bird began to fly away out of sight. With as much force as he could the fat man began throwing pebbles at the bird and cursing at the bird who stole his most prized procession. When all hope was lost in getting the pipe back, the man waddled home in a gloomy and angry mood. The cursing continued under his breath all the way back to his house.  He could not get over the idea that this small little bird took his pipe right from his own belly. The fat man of Bombay had lost his favorite item that day.

Authors Note: The idea for this story came from the tale out of the The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang. The original rhyme reads "THERE was a fat man of Bombay, Who was smoking one sunshiny day, When a bird, called a snipe, Flew away with his pipe, Which vexed the fat man of Bombay." The original rhyme was utilized in the story as the larger bolded sections. The story was elaborated on by describing the bird and the pipe and how angry the man was. Rather than changing the plot of the rhyme, I simply went into greater descriptive detail about the appearance and setting of the scene. 

Bibliography: 

 

Book: The Nursery Rhyme Book

Title: The Nursery Rhyme Book
Author: Unknown
Editor: Andrew Lang

Date: 1897 (ebook 2008) 

Web Source: Gutenberg Project Files

 

Week 1 Favorite Places: Brazil and Colorado

It is hard to say where my favorite place is but two places I have fell in love with while traveling have been Rio de Janiero, Brazil and Winter Park, Colorado. Both places I am drawn to for very different reasons and I think this is why I could not choose between just one.

Last summer I had the privilege to study abroad in Brazil. Exploring the people, culture, places and everything the country encompasses was an experience I will never forget. Rio de Janiero in particular was one of the most amazing cities I have ever seen for its diversity. It is the stark contrast of the beach and mountains, rich and poor, skyscrapers and nature that make the city beautiful. My favorite scene is from Impanema beach looking up into Rochina, the largest favela in south America. Some people view the favelas as a disgrace to the city’s beauty because they are slums, but I think they just add to Rio’s beauty. Samba music blares out of the clubs at night, people practice martial arts on the beach, and there is always a fun energy in the city. You constantly feel happy and energized while in Rio because there is always something going on whether dancing in the streets, concerts on the beach, or samba dancing the night away. Just because the sun goes down does not mean the people of Rio say the day is done. 

Rio de Janiero at night, wikipedia

            Winter Park, Colorado is beautiful and one of my favorite places for a very different reason. There is no loud music blaring or people dancing in the streets, but that is the reason I love it. The mountains, lakes, and trees make the scene a picture of calmness. I start my days on the porch with a cup of coffee and then head out for a run or all-day hike in the mountains surrounding the town. Packing a lunch and picnicking on top of the mountain while I look out into the beautiful nature below me brings me a sense of peace and allows time for reflection. 

Winter Park, Colorado. Photo by Chris Favero