Feedback Strategies

General Notes

I was happy to learn more about how to give feedback as I am a leader of Concrete Canoe and I am always looking for ways to offer feedback without upsetting the members. If I come across as rude, we will surely lose members we really need. Hopefully after reading these two articles I will be able to offer constructive criticism without seeming condescending.

Another place I have struggled to give feedback is at work. As an engineering intern, I made up my own ways to accomplish tasks and sometimes found quicker ways to a solution. However, I was always worried to offer feedback as I didn't want to upset my bosses but I did want to help improve processes. Sometimes I would just casually bring it up, sometimes I'd show my coworker while asking a question, and sometimes I would ask my coworker whether they thought my way was a good way to come to a solution so that they could make a decision on their own. It was interesting to read about good strategies for offering feedback to see what I did and did not do.

"How to Provide Great Feedback When You're Not In Charge"

Source: Farnam Street

This article gave four pieces of advice to give feedback. The first piece of advice was to show appreciation for when things are done right. To establish the necessary respect to offer the feedback you need to first learn to offer feedback even for good things. The second piece of advice was to offer constructive feedback on ideas, not on the person. By doing this, you're more likely to get the person to listen to your feedback. The final two pieces of advice are to not offer feedback too often and to take feedback yourself.

"How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk"

Source: Next Big Idea Club

The biggest piece of advice in this article is to explain why you're offering feedback. Psychologists found that feedback recipients were 40% more likely to accept feedback when the reasoning for feedback is offered. The next piece of advice was to show that you aren't offering feedback because you think too highly of yourself, but because you genuinely want to help. Ways to accomplish this are to make sure you let the feedback recipient know that you accept feedback, ask if they are willing to receive feedback, and have a conversation instead of a lecture.

This image from Pixabay shows that feedback should be
a conversation, not a lecture.

Topic Research: Vishvakarma

General Notes:

After my previous project brainstorming post, Professor Gibbs gave me some story recommendations for Vishvakarma and also recommended that I tell the story from Vishvakarma's point of view. I really, really liked the idea of telling the stories from Vishvakarma's point of view as that gives me a lot more freedom in which stories I can tell and how to tell the story. I've compiled some story ideas, but I may change my mind if I learn of other interesting stories I want to retell. I have included four potential stories to tell as I wanted more freedom to decide when I get start writing my stories.

Story 1: Rama Builds a Bridge to Lanka

According to this story from the Ramayana, Rama gathers an army of vanara, intelligent monkeys, to help construct a bridge from India to Lanka to get Sita back from Ravana. The lead architect of the bridge is named Nala, a vanara who happens to be Vishvakarma's son. The bridge discussed in this story of the Ramayana exists today, though it is covered by approximately 3 feet of water. The bridge was constructed out of stones.

When I tell this story, I may talk about how Vishvakarma gave guidance to Nala to build the bridge. I can use some simple engineering knowledge discussed from Vishvakarma's point of view to make it seem like Vishvakarma really designed the bridge.

The vanaras build a bridge to Lanka with Nala and Nila shown as blue and white monkeys
talking with Lakshmana and Rama. From Wikimedia

Sources:

Nala from Wikipedia

Adam's Bridge from Wikipedia

Story 2: Vishvakarma's Chariot Shop

Vishvakarma was credited with designing many different chariots or palaces that flew through the skies including the Pushpaka, Indra's chariot, and 

This story has the potential to be expanded into multiple stories told about battles/other events that took place using Vishvakarma's chariots that he helped construct. However, I struggled to find complete stories for each of the different chariots. If I can find complete stories that mention the chariots, I can use Vishvakarma as a storyteller for three stories in which Vishvakarma describes his chariot he made then discuss stories from Vishvakarma's point of view. I think that this story has potential to expand, assuming I can locate stories from the Ramayan a

Sources:

Kubera Comic

Vimana from Wikipedia 

Indra from Wikipedia - This source briefly discusses Indra's chariot

Story 3: Vishvakarma's Celestial Weapons

Vishvakarma was also accredited with the creation of some of the astras used in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Some astras I have found to be specifically accredited to Vishvakarma include astras used by Shiva and Vishnu. 

My original intent was to discuss some of the weapons Vishvakarma created, thereby introducing many gods/goddesses. I could also focus down on one astra and its adventures through stories as told from Vishvakarma's point of view. One potential complication is that different Indian mythology sources accredit the creation of astras to different deities.

Sources:

Astra from Wikipedia

Sudarshana Chakra from Wikipedia

Story 4: The Story of Lanka

Lanka was the city which has ties to Shiva, Kubera, Ravana, and the battle between Ravana and Rama. Vishvakarma was said to have made the palace in the city of gold. The palace was so beautiful that it ended up creating drama when the palace would trade hands between owners throughout Indian mythology.

This story is very related to the Pushpaka story and serves as a complete story if I decide to go more in-depth on each chariot and the surrounding stories. I would talk about Vishvakarma's many creations in Lanka throughout the Ramayana.

Golden palace in Lanka from Wikipedia

Sources:

Lanka from Wikipedia

Kubera Comic

Wikipedia Trails: From Ramayana to Mankameshwar Temple

Ramayana

I started with the Ramayana as I was interested in the historical accuracies of the book and wanted to see what Wikipedia had to say. Furthermore, I was interested in the potential writing topic discovered on the Wikipedia Page.

Ayodhya

I went to the Ayodhya page as I remembered reading about Ayodhya in this week's readings and wanted to learn more about the history of the city. I was also interested to see what the city looked like.

Temple in Ayodhya. I was amazed to learn that Ayodha has more temples
than one could count. Image from Wikimedia

Hanumangarhi

This page caught my eye because the structure was described as a massive fort surrounded by walls and it intrigued the civil engineer in me. I always find it amazing that civilizations were able to construct such large, sturdy structures that still stand today without heavy machinery and computers.


Mankameshwar Temple

Once again, I got curious about historical Indian engineering and architecture and found this article. The Mankameshwar Temple was dedicated to Shiva and contains several smaller temples dedicated to other Indian mythology characters such as Rama, Hanuman, and Krishna.

Week 3 Story: The Wild, Wild...East?

On July 18, 1849 a man by the name of William McCoy was elected the first mayor of Independence, Missouri. At the time, Independence was beginning to boom - it was the gateway to the West and had a rapidly growing population that had finally surpassed 1,000 citizens and economy. As a man looking to set up a family in the West, William prayed for a son to carry on the family. William's prayer was answered - William eventually had a total of four sons, though each was with a different wife. With his wife Katherine, he had a son named Remi. 

Remi was quite the extraordinary young man. He learned exceptionally well from any book he could find, and he was as good of a shot with a rifle as anyone in Independence had ever seen. Remi would regularly venture out into the wilderness to bring home a deer or squirrels for his family to eat. As soon as he entered manhood, Remi was given the office of Independence Sherriff. 

One day, a man named Victor that owned a trading post in the town of Council Bluffs, Iowa, went to Remi's sherriff quarters to report that his trading post has been vandalized frequently by outlaws. Remi volunteered to help stop the outlaws and went with Victor to Council Bluffs. However, Remi wanted to bring along his brother, Larry. Victor was eternally grateful for the young men to help, and he paid them with guns that seemed straight out of the heavens; the guns were powerful and shot straighter than Remi or Larry had imagined guns could shoot. Sure enough, Remi and Larry made short work of the outlaws, capturing or winning gunfights against each outlaw. After dealing with the outlaws, curiosity caught up with Remi and Larry and they wanted to experience more of Council Bluffs.

The young men decided to talk a walk through Council Bluffs to see what they could find. While touring the young city, the men happened upon the mayor's house. The house was the biggest that either brother had ever seen, and was decorated perfectly. The yard was filled with flowers of all types - from the soft pink wild rose to the vibrant yellow goldenrod. While walking around the mayor's yard taking in the beautiful botany, the mayor's daughters happened to walk outside. Remi caught a glimpse of the mayor's daughter named Sally and instantly fell in love. Sally was beautiful, and she took a quick liking to Remi as well. Remi approached Sally and confessed his feelings, and Sally let him know that the feeling was mutual. After a month of meeting up daily, Remi asked for Sally's hand in marriage. Sally was happy, but the mayor was not yet convinced that Remi was the right man. To convince the mayor, Remi would have to capture a bison. However, the mayor greatly underestimated Remi's strength, courage, and intelligence and when Remi returned with a buffalo, the mayor happily let Remi have Sally's hand in marriage.

Remi and Larry with the celestial weapons given to them by
Vishvamitra. Image from Pinterest

Author's Note:

This story was derived from the Part A readings from the Public Domain Edition Ramayana. These readings start by telling the story of how Rama ventured into the jungles with his brother, Lakshmana, to help Vishvamitra rid of the rakshasas terrorizing his hermitage. Vishvamitra gifted the young men with celestial weapons, and Rama and Lakshmana slew all of the rakshasas. While helping Vishvamitra with the rakshasas, the young men ventured into the town and went to the king's palace to pick flowers. The king was named Janaka, and he was the father of Sita. While there, Rama met Sita and they instantly fell in love. The king told Rama that he could only have Sita's hand in marriage if he could string Shiva's bow. Sure enough, Rama attempts to string the bow and does so well that he actually breaks Shiva's bow. The king is then convinced to let Rama have Sita's hand in marriage.

Bibliography: 

Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana Part B

Characters

• Bharata - Brother of Rama
• Atri and Anasuya - Sages in hermitage visited by the exiled persons
• Viradha - rakshasa
• Agastya - Another sage visited by Rama
• Shurpanakha - rakshasa woman
• Khara - brother of Shurpanakha
• Jatayu - Vulture that had been watching over Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana

Plot

• Bharata returns to palace and learns that Rama has been exiled and Dasharatha has died
• Bharata is distressed as he wants Rama to be the king
• Though Bharata is distressed he organizes Dasharatha's funeral as Dasharatha deserved
• Funeral involved making sacrifices to fire and adorning Dasharatha with gold and gems
• Bharata tracks down Rama in the jungle and offers the throne to Rama
• Rama refuses as Dasharatha had wished Rama into the jungle for 14 years and Rama does not think it is right to take the throne against his father's wish
• Bharata gives Rama sandals to put on then returns to Ayodha and places the sandals at the throne, signaling Rama as the ruler but absent
• Bharata then leaves to Nandigram to rule the kingdom from the forest
• Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana spend time at the ashrams of sages
• Anasuya was told the story of Sita's life
• Sita born and found while father was plowing
• Discusses exile of her and Rama
• Sages blessed the exiles
• The three meet Viradha who tries to abduct Sita
• Viradha can't be slain by weapons
• Rama and Lakshmana have to fight with hands, dig a pit, and throw Viradha in
• Rama and the crew meet Agastya
• Given celestial bow, shining dart of Brahma, Indra's quiver, gold hilted saber
• Agastya tries to get Rama to stay at his hermitage, Rama refuses and wants to venture deeper into the jungle
• Shurpanakha was shapeshifting rakshasa woman who fell in love with Rama
• Normally very ugly but shapeshifted to be beautiful to try to win Rama's love
• Rama declines and says Lakshmana is single
• Shurpanakha was not humored by being made fun of and attempts to attack Sita
• Driven back by Rama and nose and ears cut off by Lakshmana
• Returns to brother Khara who sends 14 rakshasas after the crew
• Khara and his army came to kill the crew
• Rama sent Sita and Lakshmana to a cave to hide while he battled off the army
• Fire arrows killed most of the army
• Dushana killed by Rama's celestial weapon
• Khara killed by a blazing arrow from Rama's bow
• Shurpanakha is Ravana's sister
• Shurpanakha returns to Ravana and tells of Rama
• Ravana decides to set out for Rama
• Talks with Maricha about Rama
• Develop plan to take Sita
• Maricha assumes the form of a beautiful deer
• Sita sees the deer and wants Rama to slay it
• Lakshmana is weary as rakshasas like to try to disguise themselves as deer
• Rama strikes Maricha in the heart with an arrow and Maricha uses Rama's voice to call for help
• Sita believes Rama is in trouble but Lakshmana thinks it is a trick
• Sita is sad and Lakshmana decides he will go investigate in case Rama is in trouble
• When Ravana saw Lakshmana leave Sita he moves in to kidnap Sita and falls in love with her
• Jatayu stepped in to try to save Sita but Ravana slays him
• Brahma foresees Ravana's death at Rama's hand
• Sita returned to Lanka as Ravana's prisoner
• Ravana is trying to woo her
• Rama is told that Sita was kidnapped
• Rama comes upon dying Jatayu and is told what happened
• Rama comes across a demon while searching for Sita and has to burn the demon's body so he can be reborn in a better form and tell them what happened to Sita
• Rama comes across a hermitage with an old lady who had been paused in time and she was told of Rama's coming in the past and he frees the time curse and performs her funeral

Setting/Buildings

• Ayodha
• Chitrakuta jungle
• Lanka - Ravana's home

Picture of Ravana cutting Jatayu's wings off as Shiva is
shown in the background. Picture from Wikimedia

Bibliography

Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana Part A

Characters:

• Dasharatha - King of Koshala
• Father of Rama, Lakshmana
• Sacrificed a horse (Ashwamedha) to have 4 sons with his wives
• Janaka - King of Mithila
• Father of Sita
• Ravana - Monarch of rakshasas
• Gods and demons made powerless to Ravana by Brahma
• Vishnu - Located in Ocean of Milk
• Vishvamitra - Status was brahmarishi
• Sita - Avatar of the goddess Lakshmi
• Rama - Avatar of the god Vishnu 
• Janaka - King of Mithila
• Father of Sita
• Parashurama - Avatar of Vishnu
• Guha - King of Nishadha

Setting/Architecture/Engineering:

• Ayodhya - Capital of Koshala 
• Big streets
• Palace of Dasharatha was fortified with walls
• Palace of Sita's father
• Lake that was very clear/reflective (a looking-glass) with smooth stone steps
• Filled with flowers, fruits, etc.

Plot:

• Minor gods want out of control of Ravana, ask Vishnu, located in the Ocean of Milk, to help
• Vishnu divides himself into four parts to be born to Dasharatha
• Rama and Lakshmana go with Vishvamitra to help preserve his rituals from Ravana's attacks
• Gifted celestial weapons
• Travel to the hermitage and slay many rakshasas
• Vishvamitra tells story of Ganga River to Rama
• Rama is told story of Ahalya
• Cursed by husband after Indra, a god, tricked her into falling in love with him by disguising himself as Gautama, Ahalya's husband
• She became invisible and the curse would be lifted when Rama visited the hermitage
• Rama and Lakshmana go into the town where Vishvamitra lives and wandered the streets
• Go to king's garden and pick flowers
• Rama meets Sita and they fall in love
• Rama must be able to string Shiva's bow to marry Sita
• Rama succeeds, gets Sita
• He breaks Shiva's bow
• Parashurama tells Rama he must string Vishnu's bow to be forgiven
• Rama and his 3 brothers all marry Janaka's daughters
• Dasharatha decides he wants Rama to be king
• Manthara disproved - she was the nurse of Prince Bharata that Rama hit as a kid
• Manthara convinced Kaikeyi, mother of Bharata, that Bharata deserves the throne and she should tell Dasharatha he owes her two favors
• Kaikeyi demands Dasharatha make Bharata king and banish Rama for 14 years or she will drink poison
• Dasharatha is not happy but does as she asks
• Rama is told that he is being banished and Bharata will be king
• Rama is not concerned with the banishment and willingly leaves
• Sita and Lakshmana decide to go into the jungle with Rama after much protest from Rama
• Guha took care of the horses and gave paste for their hair to live like hermits
• Sita prayed to Ganga for safe return in exchange for offerings when they return
• Dasharatha had accidentally killed a hermit's son
• He was cursed to have a son taken from him
• Dasharatha died of grief because Rama was dead

Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana being banished to the rainforest.
Image from Wikipedia

Bibliography:

Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie