Dissecting the UnTextbook

I would like to compare choosing which units to read to choosing which Godiva chocolate covered strawberry to eat first - all are great, and it’s nearly impossible not to inhale them all. With that being said, since I have to choose five favorites, I will proceed to present to you my top choices.

One of the first units I would like to read would be the unit on Chinese Fairy Tales. I've always had a soft spot for anything Chinese, so this unit would satisfy that love. I'm excited to explore the world of Chinese literature a bit more.

(This book cover alone makes me want to lock myself in my

room and not come out until I've read it all. Source)

Another unit I would enjoy reading would be Russian Folktales. Although I was born in Kazakhstan, I'm technically Russian, so naturally I would love to read the folktales of my homeland. The few that I've read throughout the years are kooky and entertaining, so I look forward to whatever creative stories this unit entails.

A third unit I would love to read would be Turkish Fairy Tales. I got the chance to spend a day in Istanbul a couple of years ago and fell in love with the culture. I would go back in a heartbeat. I'm sure the Turkish fairy tales are as amazing as the country from which they came.

Tibetan Folk Tales is unit that I would love to cover. I have a Lhasa Apso, which I've been told was the royal guard dog of Tibet at one point and still might be. That alone is enough of an incentive to read this unit.

A final unit that I would enjoy digging into would be Egyptian Myth. I've been intrigued by Egyptian mythology for as long as I can remember. I got a kid's mummy kit in elementary school that sparked the interest, and I've been hooked ever since.

Storybook Favorites

The first project I looked at was The Legend of Odysseus. I’m familiar with the legend of Odysseus and really enjoyed how the author expanded on the legend and made it into something new and interesting. The introduction captured my attention because of its clarity and intrigue. The layout was easy to follow, which helped make the reading experience that much better.

The second project I looked at was Justice al Dante: Notes From Inferno's Newest Intern. The title initially grabbed my attention because just reading it made me realize that there were some plot twists written by the author that would only add to the classic tale. The layout of the Storybook was great, and what stuck out to me most was the attention to detail. I enjoyed the organization of the Storybook as well as all of the little extra details that really pulled me in. Seeing a project like this inspires me to put the same effort into making my Storybook look as good.

The last Storybook I looked at was Queen of the Underworld: Tales of Persephone. I’m very interested in Greek mythology, so the titles with Greek mythological names were the ones that stood out the most to me. I’ve always been interested in the story of Persephone because of how she ended up in the Underworld. The introduction was very detailed, which left no room for confusion of any kind. I also really enjoyed the layout, because I feel like it corresponded with the feel of the Storybook very well, and it called to mind all of the Greek legends.

(Image used in the Storybook about 

Persephone, Source)

Something that I liked about all of these Storybooks was how intricate all of the tales were. Each Storybook author completely made the tales their own and offered something unique and creative. The Storybooks provided ample inspiration for my project.

Introduction: Welcome To My Life

Hey, Everyone! I’m Tatyana, and I’m an Art History and Psychology double major. This is my senior year, and even though I graduate in December, I’m already starting to get separation anxiety from this amazing university. Seriously, I love college! Sometimes, when it’s 3 in the morning and I’ve been doing homework since the previous afternoon, I might think differently, but overall I really do love college. I decided to double major for several reasons. Initially, I wanted to have an Art History degree but wanted something to go along with it so that I would have more options in terms of jobs. For this reason I decided to get a second major in Business Management. After getting a 43 on my first exam in Microeconomics, I decided that maybe I should choose a second major that I was more interested in. Growing up with a mom that’s a therapist made the decision easy, and that is why I’m getting my second degree in Psychology.

(Me in a peach orchard in Oregon, taken summer 2014)

I’m a person of many interests, which probably has something to do with the fact that I’m curious about basically anything. This is also why I wanted to be pretty much everything when I was growing up. When I was about 10, I saw a man blowing glass in Mexico. Seeing him blow glass and making it look so easy made me decide that after getting my high school diploma, I would buy a shack on the beach in Mexico and blow glass for a living. Around that time, I also saw my mom’s caterer friend make a gorgeous cake, which made me want to be a baker. I went to Silver Dollar City in middle school and saw the furniture they made and sold there, and, you guessed it, I wanted to be a furniture builder. Being curious sure has made life interesting, though. Seeing the world as being chock-full of things to discover means that there is absolutely no room for boredom.

Something I’m very interested in is reading. If you’ve ever seen Gilmore Girls, you know that Rory is an intense bookworm. I like to think that she and I are kindred spirits in that sense. You can always find a stack of books in my room consisting of books I want to read or reread. I also always have a book in my purse, and my car has a little crate in the back seat just for books that I might want to replace the book in my purse with.

(Photo taken by me of last summer's

reading stack)

Another thing I’m interested in is photography. My godmother gave me her Nikon D50 as a graduation gift, which has inspired me to work on my photography skills. I’m not a professional by any means, but I do like experimenting with techniques and capturing moments that are dear to me. I really love photographing nature. Something about looking at a photo of God’s creation makes time slow down and helps me realize that I live in a beautiful world.

(Photo I took of Mt. Hood, OR, summer 2014)

Anywho, this is just a little bit about me. If you have any questions or anything, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! :)

Week 1 Storytelling: Hector Protector

Fashion has been around since the dawn of time. Those who could afford more than one garment of clothing would take pains to ensure that what they wore was up to date with the trends of the day. Primarily those of royal blood were the ones that called the shots on what was “in” and what was “so last season.”

It is interesting to note, then, that Paris Fashion Week was started by Marie Antoinette and her husband, King Louis XVI. The year that Paris Fashion Week started was a memorable one, for it set about a series of events that would change France forever. The whole week of Fashion Week had gone by smoothly, with aristocrats drooling over the latest lace collars and silk dresses. The men, not to be forgotten, viewed an immense variety of trousers, shirts and jackets, all stitched by the finest paupers in France. The King and Queen had saved the best designer for last. He called himself Hector Protector because, in his mind, his mission in life was to protect those most fortunate from looking like the lower class or worse, the British. He was sent to them from the kingdom in Austria in order to further propel their fashion to the next level, and they could not wait to see what he had in store for them.

When the first model set foot on the runway, it seemed as though time had stopped. The clothing was immaculate, and the blue bloods were actively wiping the drool off of their faces with their fashionable silk hankies. Each model after the first was just as exquisite, and the King and Queen were extremely pleased in their choice to save Hector Protector for last.

Just as they stopped saying to each other that the day couldn’t get any better, Hector stepped on the runway. There was a collective gasp. Hector was dressed in head-to-toe green with green leather shoes greener than the mold on the peasants’ bread. Marie Antoinette’s stomach dropped. She felt sick. Did this Hector Protector not realize that green was in LAST season? How dare he show himself in such shameful garb, which in her mind completely discredited all of his work that she had seen on the runway. She turned to the King. His face was ashen. He had been let down by the designer in whom he had placed all of his faith. In his mind, only those inarticulate Siberians would do such a shameful thing as wear last season’s color on this season’s runway.

(Green Clothing)

What happened next was a blur. Tables and chairs were flipped. Windows were broken. Hector Protector was dragged away by the guards and told that he would never be welcome in France EVER again. Weeks later, as word spread of the atrocity that had occurred at the Paris Fashion Week, events for the country as a whole turned dire. Mounting tension between France and Austria occurred because of how Hector Protector had been treated. Eventually, Prussia sided with Austria, which then resulted in the insulted King declaring war on their former fashion friends. The rest, as they say, is history. History which can be read about in any and all books on the French Revolution. The moral of the story: NEVER double cross true fashion lovers, no matter how unintentional your motives may be.

Author's Note: I based my story on this nursery rhyme about Hector Protector:

“Hector Protector was dressed all in green;

Hector Protector was sent to the Queen.

The Queen did not like him,

Nor more did the King;
So Hector Protector was sent back again.”

I found this nursery rhyme in The Nursery Rhyme Book, which was edited by Andrew Lang in 1897. I wanted to make this a historical account because this was written about a King and Queen. Also, I thought that if the King and Queen didn't like Hector Protector, it could be because of a fashion faux pas he committed when he decided to wear green. This is how I got the idea to include Paris Fashion Week and then tied it in to the start of the French Revolution.

My Favorite Place: Lithuania

I've been traveling since before I can remember. My mama told me that I took my first plane ride when I was four months old, and I guess the travel bug bit me then and took a firm hold. I was born in Aktau, Kazakhstan, but spent the first four years of my life in Pyatigorsk, Russia. When I was four, we moved back to Kazakhstan. Then, when I was six, we spent a summer living in Limassol, Cyprus, before finally moving to Oklahoma. I come from a family that is obsessed with travel, which probably contributes to the fact that we are all scattered around the globe. My mama and I go overseas every summer to visit our family, and one of the places we visit most frequently is Lithuania, where my aunt lives. This is just one of the many reasons why Lithuania is my favorite place. 

The capitol of Lithuania is Vilnius. It's one of the neatest places to explore.

(Image Information: Personal photo of the cobblestone 

streets in Vilnius; photo from July 2013)

Vilnius has a rich history and the architecture to prove it.

(Image Information: Personal photo of the property around 

Gediminas' Tower; photo from July 2013)

On top of having urban charm, the nature side of Lithuania is also breathtaking.

(Image Information: Personal photo of a lake outside of

Visaginas; photo from July 2011)