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December’s Top Reads

Here are my top books of December!

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I love this series so much. Clary Fray is a tennager when she realizes that she sees things that others don’t. She meets Jace, Isabelle, and Alec, the other Shadowhunters. I loved their adventures and there were so many lot twists that shocked me. This is such a great book and I loved reading it so much. I totally recommend it to you!
The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch
I read the second and third books in this series (If You’re Reading this, it’s Too Late and This Book is Not Good for You). Cassandra and Max-Ernest are such great characters and I enjoyed the involment of a new character, Yo-Yoji. this stories are great and I loved the storytelling style. I love this series!
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I am in love with this series. In this book, Avery continues her adventures with the Hawthorne Brothers. There are so many secrets revealed and a whole new land is discovered. I really, really enjoyed the plot and the characters. I totally recommend this book to you!
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
I really enjoyed this book! In this book, Shiori, the only one with magical powers in her kingdom, gets cursed by her stepmother, Raikama. Her brothers turn into cranes and Shiori, without a voice, sets out to save them. I loved the story and the plot! This is the first part of a duology based on the fairytale, “The Wild Swans,”.
The Verdigris Pawn by Alysa Wishingrad
I loved this book and the way it invented a game that worked so well with the book. When Beau meets Cressi, he finally sees the true ways of his father and the ones before him. He realizes that he has to take control of the king, but before he can do that, he needs his ace and his pawn. I loved this story so much!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April: click here
Top Books of May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September: click here
Top Books of October: click here
Top Books of November: click here

I really enjoyed talking about my top reads of each month! Do you think I should continue this next year?

A Bold Dance of the Ages

Recently, for my English class, we had to write a brochure based on an element of our culture. I picked Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance from the state of Tamil Nadu. I hope you enjoy!

Strong taps echo through the auditorium as the audience watches, mesmerized by the bold and strong dance. The dancer is performing Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance. Bharatanatyam is one of the most interesting dance forms because it’s bold, unique, and captivating.

The History:

Bharatanatyam has a rich history through thousands of centuries and kings. Here are some of the most important parts of its history.

CHOLA DYNASTY (9th to 13th century):
The Chola kings left a lasting legacy to Indian classical arts. In the Brihadeeswara temple, there are verses from the Natyasastra and sculptures of Shiva performing the 108 karanas. Many forms of art centered around the temples and grew well.

VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY (14th century to 15th century)
The Vijayanagar kings provided a lot of patronage to dance. King Krishna Deva Raya (16th century) is said to have been a great supporter.

NAYAKA KINGDOM (16th to 18th century):
King Raghunatha Nayake encouraged dance and music. The king also wrote the Valmiki Charitra which included information about Sadir (the old name for Bharatanatyam) and the talam system.

MARATHA DYNASTY (18th century)
The Maratha rulers had the strongest links to the present-day Bharatanatyam. King Tulaji wrote the Sangeetha Saramitra with a list of adavus. Natwanars were also significant members of the king’s court. The famous Thanjavur brothers lived during this era.

BRITISH ERA
The British Government tabooed dance performances and dancers lost their glory.

REVIVAL (early to mid 20th century)
Art lovers worked to remove the stigma from dance. In 1932, Sadir was renamed to Bharatanatyam.

The Mythological History:

At the beginning of Treetayuga, peoples´ lives were filled with greed, anger, and jealousy. There wasn’t dharma and the asuras ruled the world. To combat this, Lord Brahma created a fifth Veda that would be enjoyable and dispel the bad. Lord Brahma taught this fifth Veda (the Natyaveda) to Bharata, who in turn taught it to his 100 sons.

Bharata asked Lord Brahma to bring down apsaras to add grace.

With this, he was satisfied and performed it at the Dhvaja Mohatsa. The asuras got angry because the play was pointing at their demise. As a result, they started attacking the performers.

Brahma asked the divine architect, Vishwakarma, to build a Natyagriha that would restrict access to evil. Vishwakarma instantly built the perfect theater.

Then Brahma took this play to Lord Shiva. Shiva suggested that they add nritta to the play to enhance it. After watching the show, people understood how to defeat the demons and started living better lives.

The Margam:

A margam is the order in which you learn and perform Bharatanatyam items. The complexity gradually increases as does the time and the abhinaya sections.

It begins with a Pushpanjali and an Alarippu. Combined, this section is around 5 minutes. Next is a kouthuvam, the simplest item, usually 2-3 minutes long. It focuses on bhakti. After this is a jathiswaram. This is a pure adavu dance with no abhinaya. Then, there is a shabdam which is followed by a 45-minute varnam. After that is a Padam or keerthanam, which is more abhinaya based. The margam concludes with a Thillana.

Dr. Sunanda Nair, a Bharatanatyam expert, says the margam is important because “It’s like a school syllabus. You can see every step and you know what you’re learning. When you graduate with a Thillana, you have control of what you know. You peak at that ending point. The margam also gives you a connected approach to dance where everything is linked.”

Her favorite type of item in the margam is the “Padam or Keerthanam, I think. In these, you get connected abhinaya where you can really become a character instead of having abhinaya broken up by jathis.”

The Parts:

There are 3 parts to Bharatanatyam, which are all used to form most items.

1- NRITTA
Nritta is pure dance. It is made up of angas and karanas. It doesn’t contain abhinaya, instead focusing on adavus. One example is the Jathiswaram.

2- NATYA
Natya in Sanskrit means dramatic art. It doesn’t contain adavus, instead focusing on abhinaya. One example is the Padam.

3-NRITYA
Nritya is a combination of both nritta and natya. It includes both adavus and abhinaya. One example is the Kouthuvam.

Aaharya:

There are 3 main parts of the Bharatanatyam Aaharya. These parts are the costume, the makeup, and the jewelry.

There are many different costume styles in Bharatanatyam. There is a skirt style which includes a blouse and a skirt. Another style is the pant costume which is a blouse and pants, with a pleated fan attached to the pants.

The makeup is bold, with thick black eyeliner outlining the eyes, pink eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick. The tips of the fingers and toes are also usually colored red with the palms painted with a red circle.

The jewelry´s base color is gold with green and pink jewels set in. There are two necklaces, a choker and an aaram. You wear a chandra and surya on your head to remind yourself to be grounded and that you are only a speck of dust in the universe. There is also a nethichutti which is partly on your head and partially on your forehead. The earrings are small jumpkhas attached to a maatal. You also wear valaiyal.

The hair is braided, sometimes with a pre-braided extension adorned with ornaments attached. Fake flowers are attached at the back.

On your ankle, you wear chalangai. On your head, you wear a pottu.

Glossary:

Aaharya (aa-har-yah)- the costuming, makeup, and jewelry
Aaram (aa-rum)- a long, dangling necklace
Abhinaya (a-bin-ney-ah)- emotions and feelings, sentiment
Alarippu (A-lar-ip-poo)- a dance where you warm up the body
Angas (un-gah-s)- the major parts of the body
Apsaras (up-sah-rahs)- heavenly nymphs
Asuras (ah-suh-ras)- demons
Bhakti (buk-tea)- devotion
Bharatanatyam (buh-ruh-ton-aat-yum)- an Indian classical dance from Tamil Nadu
Brahma (bruh-ma)- the god of creation, one of the three main gods
Chalangai (cha-lung-ay)- ankle bells, to make your taps sound pleasing
Chandra (chund-reh)- the moon
Dharma (duh-r-ma)- good
Dhvaja Mohatsa (dh-vaj-ja mo-hut-sa)- Indira´s flag festival
Karanas (kah-rah-nas)- the poses
Natwanars (nat-van-ars)- people who keep talam
Natyagriha (nat-yuh-gree-ha)- a theater
Natyasastra (nat-yuh-sas-tra)- the book of dance
Pottu (puth-tuh)- colored dot/shape on the forehead
Shiva (shiv-a)- the god of destruction, one of the three main gods
Surya (shur-yah)- the sun
Talam (tal-am)- how you keep the beat
Valaiyal (vul-ay-al)- bangles, bracelets

Bharatanatyam has filled people with wonder and joy for centuries. It has flourished and grown, even when there are obstacles. Bharatanatyam is such an interesting dance because it is diverse, vivid, and enchanting.

NaNoWriMo 2021

If you remember, last year, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). This year, I’ll be doing it again! I’m very excited with the plot/characters that I have created and I’m so excited to have this opportunity. Before starting, I have already created a plot, a sense of how much to write in a day/week, and some of my major character that will be involved.

Because of this, I am not planning on publishing many blog posts, only one more at the end of the month (The Top Reads of November). I am so excited to go on this journey again!

Have you ever considered doing anything like NaNoWriMo before?

Fictional Characters I Admire: Riley Oh

I smile through tears as Riley finds her sister. It’s been a heartbreaking journey, but so much has been gained from it. Riley Oh is from The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim. She’s kind, strong, and determined. I love her story and here’s some reasons why.

Riley is very determined. When her sister began to die, Riley went on a huge quest to save her, even if it meant connecting with dangerous people. She knows how much her sister means to her and believes in her all the time. They have such a sweet relationship and I love the way that they’ll both do anything for each other.

Riley makes sure to get friends that she can depend on and trust. She has two sets of families who love her very much- one is from the Gom clan, the family that raised her, and one is from the Horangi clan, her true family. SHe’s also made friends from many different clans and they are there to support her when she needs help. She loves and works with them all, even when it seems challenging.

Riley Oh will always be one of my favorite characters, because of how determined she is and how she friendly she is. She’s such a great character and I love reading about her and the person that she is.

My Favorite Places in New York

I went to New York last weekend and I enjoyed it a lot. We experienced a lot and had a lot of fun exploring the city. All of the places we went to were amazing, but I had a few favorites. Here are some of the best places I visited in New York.

✨The Metropolitan Museum of Art✨:

I loved all of the art in the Met. We mostly focused on the Greek art, because of my interest in it. I found the pieces there stunning and the plaques were well detailed, so I could get the story clearly. I got some great pictures of the artwork and it was amazing to just wander around and see the work.

The sparkles indicate a Percy Jackson site! This is where it all started. At the Met, we got to see Percy using his powers for the first time. This is also where he killed his first monster (Ms. Dodds).

Broadway (Wicked):

When we went, Broadway had just opened, so we were lucky to get tickets. We went to Wicked, a twisted fairy tale. I loved the story and the way that all the characters were played. Everyone seemed very in character and their singing was perfect. It was all very great and enthralling.

✨Empire State Building✨:

We went up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. The views were spectacular and so were the exhibits. One of my favorites was the King Kong exhibit, which was funny and had great photo props. It was nice to see all around the city from one of the tallest buildings there.

The Empire State Building plays a major part in the first series. Olympus is located on the fictional 600th floor and the final battle takes place there.

✨Central Park✨:

Central Park is a very relaxing place and I found so many amazing and beautiful places there. Some of my favorites were the John Lennon memorial and Cleopatra’s Needle. They were all so pretty and the whole atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed.

Percy and Nico visit Orpheus’ Rocks in Central Park to get to the Underworld in the last book. With Grover’s music, they find a way in. In the Kane Chronicles, Zia, Carter, and Sadie create a portal through Cleopatra’s Needle to get to Cairo.

Times Square:

Times Square is such a marvellous and thrilling place. The billboards are always bright and the crowd is always thick. There are some great places to get food and have fun. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps.

The Difference Between MG and YA books

I close the book I had just finished and pick up the next one. Even after only 10 minutes, I can find so many differences in the two books, and it’s not just because of the genre. The whole type of writing has changed and I know exactly why. It’s always so crazy to finish reading a middle grade book, then switch to a young adult one. Today, I’m going to tell you the differences between middle grade and young adult books.

I go back to the book’s cover and look at it closely before picking up the other book and doing the same. One of the major differences between middle grade and young adult book is their covers. Typically, YA books have darker covers, while the opposite is true for MG books. This proves true especially in fantasy novel covers. I believe that it is because of the darker themes usually found in YA books. After all, the covers should reflect the book.

I marvel at the differences in the conflicts and in the way the characters solve them. The challenges in both types of books are very different. In Young Adult literature, the main character is in the adult world beyond their friends and family. The goal is to understand (themselves, their journey, and the world they are coming into, etc.). Some common themes are self-reflection, which is why the book is usually in first person. In Middle Grade literature, the characters’ conflicts are about friendships and dealing with bullies. The characters react to what happens to them, focus on their friends and family. Real-life situations are common, which is why the book is usually told in third person.

I close the book to the sound of my mom calling my name. There are so many differences between the two genres, yet I love them both just the same.

One of the major sources I used was this article.

Best of 2020

2020 has been a strange year, but here are some of the things that happened.

1. Starting the year with family:

I love spending time with my grandparents. I’m glad I got to do it in the beginning of this year, even if I couldn’t make my annual summer trip to India 😭. I also got to spend some time with my uncle and aunt, before they moved countries.

2. Ending my elementary years and staring my middle school ones:

I finished 5th grade (virtually) and started middle school and the school of my choice (also virtually)! Virtual school is less than ideal, but I’ve learned to adjust. You can read about my experiences here.

3. ARCADIS Science Fair:

I participated in the ARCADIS science fair and did a project on supercooling and snapfreezing water. I learnt a lot and was really surprised when I won!

4. Mini Getaways:

Since we couldn’t travel a lot, I relied on a few small breaks to get away . My favorite one was definitely my birthday weekend getaway with a few of my friends and family. I also liked the Corpus Christi, Driftwood, and Pensacola Beach breaks.

5. Dance:

I spent a lot of time focusing on dance during these COVID times. I’ve taken place in a Bharatanatyam dance exam (for both theory and practical) and started learning a new Indian classical dance form, Mohiniattam. I performed a few solo items and recorded them. I’ve also began to learn Carnatic music to support my skills.

In Western dance, I was able to get one last performance on February in my elementary school dance company and I’m in my new school’s Drill Team. It’s less than ideal, but I’m hoping to be able to go back to performing soon.

6. Life Skills:

2020 has been a year where I learnt and tried so many new things.

I learned to crochet, and did a few art projects including tie-dye projects and wreaths for our door.
I cooked and baked (I even made my first layered cake!) and got comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the treats I made include mint chutney bread, cranberry cookies, brownies, and more. I also learned to make rice and keera kootu.
I’ve learned a lot of handy household chores like doing the laundry and handwashing clothes as well as ironing and sweeping.

7. Improved Technology Skills:

I started to use Instagram and I wrote on my blog more. I got better at using Google Drive, Docs, and Slides. I’ve learnt about different features on computers and got better at navigating through the digital world.

8. Writing:

I wrote 2 stories (which I’m going to edit this year) and a few short stories for my blog.

9. Reading:

I’ve read a ton this year and made friends with a few bookstagrammers. On my instagram, I took part in two challenges, the #mgbookmarch challenge in March and the #mgbooktober challenge in October. I’ve also started new series, and began to read a higher level of mglit!

**(If you’re not following me yet, you totally should)**

You can check out my insta here.

My classes

I’ve seen different news channels reporting that many kids are failing this school year and that online classes are not effective. But, I have seen that my grades for virtual school have not dropped a lot. There was a slight decrease for the first 6 weeks, when I was trying to understand the way middle school operates. But I have been working hard and my grades are good. I wanted to share with you some ways my teachers have helped my with my classes and some tips for virtual schooling.

My school currently uses a hybrid model for school. About 50% of the students do virtual learning and the rest go in-person. The teacher has some kids in front of them and others behind a computer screen. I am doing virtual, but I am hoping that once I get COVID vaccination I can go to school safely. The in-person students also bring their computers with them to school, and they log on the call from there.

My school setup:

I have a laptop which is connected to an external monitor (I have found my dual monitor setup to be very helpful). I also have a stylus and a pencil stand nearby. Next to my desk are notebooks for (almost) every subject, a binder to store my project work, and a few mechanical pencils, pens, and highlighters.

In my computer, I use the Snip and Sketch tool frequently. I also like to use Google drive for my notes (this includes docs, slides, and sheets) and my teachers use Peardeck frequently. Another item is use is the Microsoft Whiteboard. These tools on my computer and at my side have helped me a lot when it comes to virtual learning.

My First Class : English

In my English class, we have just finished a unit on inferences. Since I go to an IB school, we ended the unit with a project! I made a small comic which we could draw 3 inferences from and shared it with the class. It was pretty fun and I enjoyed the making of it.
I don’t find the virtual or in-person classes to be very different. I would expect the same level of teaching that I get in a virtual setting if I were in an actual class. The only difference is instead of printed homeworks and sheets, I access them through an online portal and I type my answers on my computer.

Class 2: Theater

I am currently working on a sound project with my ensemble in theater! We are creating a play (only audio, no visuals) in our groups of about 4-5 people. Working together is a bit hard, as we’ve got people in-person and people who are virtual, but we’ve realized good ways to connect and talk easily, using different platforms like Zoom and Discord.
Our teacher has told us how different our units would be if we were back in campus safely and how we would work. I’ll admit, I wish I was back in-person, especially for this class, but I have learned different online tools to make my projects better.

My third class: Math

In my math class, we usually learn about our topic on hand using an online interactive slide called Peardeck. In this platform, we can type out our answers and draw on it, like Google Slides, the only difference being that the teacher has full controls and is able to share different responses. We also use Imagine Math a lot for our homework purposes where we can get practice with the topic we’re working on.
The best thing that has helped my through my math class is my dual monitors. It helps me so much when I can keep the meeting on my external monitor and my Peardeck on my computer screen (since it’s a touchscreen, it makes it easier to write on). I also like having a few scratch papers by my side to use for calculations, because in a virtual world, all the questions are on my computer screen.

My 4th class: Spanish

Spanish has been one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had. Our teacher is super nice and it’s one of my favorite classes. Another great thing about Spanish, is that every other Friday/Thursday (depending on our schedule), we have a “Game Day Thriday”. We normally play an online game called Gimkit, where we get to review our Spanish vocabulary while having a lot of fun (like competing who can take out who on the leaderboard). Gimkit also has different variations making our games so much fun
I really like having dual monitors for Spanish as well (especially game day Thridays).

Class 5: MUN (Model United Nations)

In this class, we make our own imaginary countries (ICs) and get a chance to develop them however we wish. Some of our countries rely on magic, while others use science for their daily needs. Some places are located next to a black hole, and some are lost in the deep depths of the oceans. We also learn other skills, like debating and MUN meetings.
Some fun things we do in MUN are IC game day Fridays. On every Friday we have class, we will all split up into 1 of 3 rooms. Our teacher will then come to each room and give us a problem or idea which we have to solve or develop. It gets super crazy sometimes, because of our different ideas, but it’s always fun. After our idea is created, we go back to the main meeting to share it. Another awesome thing is our “scavenger hunts”. There are 2 small stuffed animals hidden around the classroom. The inperson students will try to find a well hidden one, while the teacher gives the virtual students a clue on where to find the other one. One thing that I’m super excited for this year is the Imaginary Country festival. In this festival, we have a chance to show off our countries and our skills.

My 6th Class: World Cultures (or Social Studies)

In World Cultures, we get to learn about different parts of the world and how life goes on there. Using sources like videos and newspaper articles, we get to learn about many features of the places we’re studying. Right now, we have started learning about Sub-Saharan Africa, and we have recently finished the Middle East. It’s a great way to learn about the world, bit by bit. We also get projects based on the area we’re learning about like when I made the Dome of the Rock from objects around my house.
Our teacher uses Peardeck a lot more specifically the typing feature. It is an easy way to interact with the teacher while staying virtual. I have found having an external monitor for this is pretty useful. I’ve also used tools like Google Maps more for the purpose of studying the places.

Class 7: Drill Team

Drill Team is what I take for PE (physical education). It is a performance dance, where we learn new items for competitions. We have currently already learned 2 items and are learning a third. We start every day off with a “dynamic warmup” in which we move through a series of stretches that will keep our muscles moving. Each week, we learn a new technique (we’ve been working on some hip hop techniques for a while) and practice it in class. We also learn a new bit of choreography on the dance we’ve been working on. Every Thursday or Friday, we submit a video with the technique and choreography for that week.
If we happen to have drill team on a Friday, then we get to have a “Health and Fitness Friday” where we have a video to watch and follow along with (the video is usually another kind of dance or a workout), then we do an activity on health. We have been working on MD Anderson’s Aspire program for the past few weeks, and are starting something new soon.

Class 8: Science

We are currently learning about energy (thermal energy, to be specific) in my science class. My teacher selects certain videos from different sources for use to use and learn from. Using these videos we are able to extend on the topics we have talked about. Our teacher uses Peardeck frequently, so we can use interactive material to show our understanding of materials. We are also allowed to use a calculator for our calculations, sometimes making the process easier. The topics are explained in a way easy to understand, which is why I really enjoy this class.
I miss doing our experiments, but we do get to see some being done through videos.

I really wish that we could go back in-person without COVID. Our teachers have mentioned the fun activities we normally do, and I really wish we could do them. Luckily, everyone has adapted to the new hybrid model and are continuing to make learning fun. I’m a lot more connected and comfortable with technology now. I’ve learnt tips and tricks and my typing is faster.

4 Graphic Novels I Enjoyed

Graphic novels are almost like normal books. They capture a lot of the same emotions and talk about problems in the same way. The only difference is that they are usually lighter and more fun to read. Here are some of my favorite graphic novels.

Raina Telgemeier books

I absolutely love the graphic novels that Raina Telgemeier writes. She writes many different ranges of books. 2 of my favorite books by her are Smile and Sisters which talk about her experiences with mouth troubles and her relationship with her sister. I also enjoy her graphic novel take on the novels written by Ann M Martin. The Baby-Sitters Club series is so lively and it’s one of my favorites. I also love her stand alone books.

2. Go With The Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann

This book talks about periods and how one certain middle school never had pads and tampons stocked up. It is really exciting and I love how the authors tied in the theme of friendship in as well. Each character’s personality is so different and I loved the idea of protests. This is such a great book and you should totally read it!

3. 5 Worlds series by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel

This series is so captivating and exciting. Each graphic novel ends with an enthralling cliffhanger and makes you want to read the next book. It follows the story of Oona Lee and her friends who are trying to save the 5 worlds from extinction. There are so many plot twists and everyone has secrets. I love the fantasy element and it’s so fun to read! This is a great series and the last book is coming out soon!

4. Emmie and Friends series by Terri Libenson

This series is so upbeat and I love the problems and solutions. It’s really fun to read and each book can be read as a stand-alone or a series. It’s one of my favorite series, because of the realistic characters. It’s so fun to read and I always can count on Emmie, Brianna, and Jamie (even though I haven’t read her book yet- it’s on my TBR) to cheer me up. This is such a great series and I really think you should read it.

What are some of your favorite series?

Category: Information

Top Reads of 2021