#immersion through reading

[onigiriforears]

日本の歴史366 Day 11

1月11日 Summary:

Have you ever heard of the Japanese proverb "Give salt to your enemies?" No? Well, neither did I until today. This phrase comes from the time that Uesugi Kenshin (daimyo of Echigo Province during the Sengoku period) delivered salt to his longtime rival, Takeda Shingen, (daimyo of the Kai province) after everyone else had blocked him from salt imports. Uesugi says that wars are to be fought with bows and arrows, not salt. Uesugi doesn't believe in using such underhanded tactics to win war (supposedly lmao).

Vocab beneath break:

上杉 謙信 うえすぎ けんしん Uesugi Kenshin (daimyō who ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period)

敵に塩を送くる てきにしおをおくる lit. send an enemy salt/give salt to your enemies (to help an enemy in need)

卑怯な手を使う ひきょうなてをつかう to play a dirty trick; to use underhanded methods; to hit below the belt; to play foul

許す ゆるす to forgive; to pardon; to excuse; to tolerate

武士 ぶし samurai; warrior

弓 ゆみ bow (weapon)​; archery

刀 かたな sword (esp. Japanese single-edged); katan

戦う たたかう to make war (on); to wage war (against); to go to war (with); to fight (with); to do battle (against)

敵 てき opponent; rival; adversary​; enemy

今川氏 いまがわし Imagawa clan

北条氏 ほうじょうし Houjo clan

止める とめる to prevent; to suppress

苦しい くるしい painful; difficult; tough; hard

立場 たちば position; situation

武田 信玄 たけだ しんげん Takeda Shingen (daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan)

救いの手 すくいのて helping hand; help; support; aid

差し伸べる さしのべる to offer (e.g. aid, help, etc.)​

長年 ながねん long time; many years

宿敵 しゅくてき old enemy; longtime enemy; arch-enemy; arch-nemesis; longstanding foe

貴公 きこう you (primarily used by males when addressing their male equals or inferiors)

争う あらそう to compete; to contest; to contend

弓矢 ゆみや bow and arrow

あらず not​

泣かせる なかせる to make someone cry; to move someone to tears​

当時 とうじ at that time; in those days

人々 ひとびと people; men and women; everybody; each person

命 いのち life; life force; most important thing

保つ たもつ to keep; to preserve

命を保つ いのちをたもつ to preserve life

大切 たいせつ important; precious; valuable

手紙 てがみ letter; missive

必要 ひつよう necessary; needed; essential; indispensable

約束 やくそく promise; agreement; arrangement; one's word;

ライバル rival

宿命 しゅくめい fate; destiny; predestination

大事 だいじ important; serious; crucial; valuable

流通 りゅうつう circulation (of money, goods, etc.); distribution

困る こまる to be troubled; to have difficulty; to be in a fix; to be in straitened circumstances; to be badly off

何たる なんたる what (e.g. "what rudeness")​; what (something) is like​

白黒をつける しろくろをつける to determine whether something is right or wrong; to make something clear; to settle a matter​

苦しめる くるしめる to torment; to pain; to inflict (physical) pain; to hurt; to harass; to cause (emotional) pain; to afflict; to distress; to bother; to trouble; to stump; to baffle

ひきょう cowardly; unfair

きわまりない extremely; in the extreme; knows no bounds (e.g. rudeness); unparalleled; boundless; limitless

心配 しんぱい worry; concern; anxiety

いくらでも as many as one likes; as much as one likes; great many; plenty (of)

正々堂々 せいせいどうどう fair and square; open and aboveboard

#shay's taking notes #japanese history 366 #japanese history #japanese #learn japanese #study japanese #japanese culture #learn through reading #immersion through reading #reading immersion #reading practice #reading comprehension #japanese figures #vocab #uesugi kenshin #daimyo

[dont-offend-the-bees]

That bit in the comics where Rose is only wearing a bed sheet in her dream so Morpheus shows up in an emo bed sheet and shows some skin. Solidarity, equality, 10/10 no notes

#Mr. Bees reads Sandman #Yes I'm 30 years late yes I'm reading it cuz the show slapped what you gonna do #Tbh I struggle with comics a bit bc I read them quickly/don't appreciate the pictures enough bc of the speed read instinct #Like I don't particularly enjoy books that power through events too quickly bc I get left behind/lose immersion #And comics for me generally are that problem to the nth degree #So they're not my media of choice #But I am enjoying it #(Morpheus shows some skin on many other occasions btw but this defo felt like a solidarity move on his part) #(it's actually wild that post-ep 1 TV Morpheus covers himself as much as he does) #(petition to get some of the sexy one-shoulder looks into season 2) #mr. bees speaks #the sandman

[purpleshadow-star]

Pic context: Talking about the exy stadium at USC considering the fact that USC is a real school

I love how Nora just invents things in order to avoid complications with real-life things.

Like, using USC's football stadium as the exy stadium too would take a lot of work to figure out how that would be possible. Solution: invent a new stadium!

Having the characters play a real sport that already exists would mean looking into all the rules and regulations and history, etc, and there could be multiple elements of the sport that work against the plot of the story or complicate it in some way. Solution: invent a new sport!

I mean, it gives her full creative control over what happens in the story, and we as readers get to learn about a cool new thing without feeling the need to fact-check every element. Tbh, it makes so much sense to me.

Like, go off! Make stuff up! It's your world. We're just reading and enjoying and becoming obsessed with it!!!

#also the fact that palmetto state university is made up #it's based on an actual college but it doesnt actually exist lol #and again i think that makes sense #it allows us to become immersed in this fiction story even though it takes place in our world #i think having these elements unique to that world also makes it easier to go along with the plot #like imagine if neil was being hunted by his serial killer father and the yakuza while attending the university of south carolina #and playing hokey or lacrosse or smth #the made up stuff helps woth the immersion imo #anyway i just wanted to point out how funny it was that her solution is to make stuff up #like makes sense 100% work smarter not harder #tbh if the series wasnt centered around a fake sport i prob wouldnt have read it 💀 #like im just being real here #so thank you nora for going through the trouble of creating a whole new sport #bc im sure that was the final thing that convinced many people to read it (i.e. me) #anyway rant over #aftg #all for the game #nora sakavic #the sunshine court #tsc #the foxhole court #the raven king #the kings men #exy

[aurosoulart]

I’ve been having fun turning my VR art into AR paintings lately.... really makes me feel like I’m just casually living in the future. this scene is the landscape from ‘Reality Is’, and it was brought into AR with Figmin XR!

if you want to see how this was made, I’ve got a process video here. (everything you see was hand painted and hand placed in virtual reality)

Patreon | Insta | Twitter | Ko-fi | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

#vr #ar #figmin xr #artists on tumblr #art #digital art #landscape #nature art #landscape art #mandala #sun #i still can't believe that it's now my full time job to just... make stuff like this and publish it as Official Content #for the app it was created with #if anyone reading this owns a quest2 i highly highly recommend getting figmin xr #not just to put art in your own living room and walk through it yourself #but for the simple joy of being able to doodle on real life #quest2 passthrough is black&white but it's still entertaining even without color #immersive painting

[toffeelemon]

I don’t feel like our love is brand new. There must have been lovers, soulmates, before us, experiencing what we get to have. And it’s giving me comfort to imagine there will be many more like us to come. Our kind of love is the kind of love that makes this rotten world worth living in.

prince simon in madrid

a pilgrimage along the world that @prince-simon created 🥹

Simon’s neighbourhood, Chueca

“It’s actually the Queer Neighbourhood of Madrid, and coincidentally also where I live.” He lowered his voice as if to tell a secret, “It’s actually not a coincidence at all.” (chapter 2)

Casa de Campo (view from the Royal Palace lol oop)

Wilhelm didn’t even recognise himself. He didn’t think he’d ever looked that happy. And Simon… his eyes were closed and his curls were a mess and Wilhelm had never seen anyone more beautiful. (chapter 3)

El Retiro

Simon looked at Wilhelm much too adoringly for a statement this goofy. “The ducks are gay!” He yelled at Santiago and Paula, “Just so you know!” (chapter 9)

Palacio de Cristal

“Here’s a funny thought - bear with me, okay? But just imagine. Flowers. Everywhere, like on the ceiling, up the walls. Fairy lights scattered all through it. It would be so gorgeous as a- uh, like. For a wedding…” Realising where his train of thought had gotten him, Wilhelm fell quiet, looking at Simon with wide eyes. (chapter 9)

El Palacio Real de Madrid (more specifically the Throne Room lmfao)

Simon traced his fingers over the bruises on Wilhelm’s neck and in the opening of his dress shirt, humming contentedly. Wilhelm followed the movement in the mirror, and marvelled at how good they looked together, how well they fit together and how much Simon belonged right here – on the throne, with Wilhelm. He deserved the world and so much more. (chapter 12)

Museo Nacional del Prado

Around them, the other visitors kept moving, admiring the art on the walls, and for the moment Wilhelm felt infinite, imagining himself a painting, looked at and analysed hundreds of years from now. El Abrazo de los Príncipes.

Lo Spasimo, Raphael, 1515-1517

“Are we allowed to kiss in front of Jesus on his way to crucifixion or is that tasteless? Because I really want to kiss you right now, Simon.”

Las Meninas, Diego Velázquez, 1656

“He made me look at Velázquez in the painting and how he was looking back at the viewer, at me. I still remember the exact tone of his voice, how he was so certain when he told me that I had every right to be where I am. That I am the subject of this painting, the king being painted. All those tyrants, King Felipe and Emmanuel and all those that came in between, they are trapped in that mirror forever while I am here, alive, we’re here. Velázquez is looking at two queer princes, ready to paint us.” (chapter 13)

Casa Alberto

“So, tell me more about this special part of Madrileñan history.” He was slightly teasing but mostly actually curious. 

Simon seemed all too eager to answer that question, and it hit Wilhelm how genuine Simon’s care for his city — his country — and its people was. It made him a little sad to know that a lot of people didn’t get to see that because they only focused on Simon being too gay or too Latino, or even just too carefree and enjoying life because he was young, to be their future king.

bonus content:

Iglesia de San Antonio de los Alemanes (where Simon goes to church)

“I think I need to go somewhere.”

“Oh?” Wilhelm said softly, “Right now?”

Simon hesitated before he nodded. “I need to- get some clarity? Or - I hope that I’ll get it there?” He whispered, voice shaky.

“Do you want to tell me where you’re going?”

“To- uh, to pray? I mean- to church? I don’t know if I’ll pray…” Simon’s voice was shaky, uncertainty shining in his eyes when he dared to look up at Wilhelm. (chapter 11)

#god i don’t think i have immerse myself into a fictional world so deeply before #this story lives and breathes #and i love what it has given me god to imagine when i read the first chapter i have not moved countries or gotten a cursed degree yet #he feels like a friend i held by the hand and walked through adventures together🥹 #i really went to a particular restaurant and ordered particular dishes because i read about it in a book #and it was as magical as i imagined heheh #(including the snails sksksk) #prince simon i love you forever #prince simon au #prescribing everyone a reread Right Now! #give me attention and i’ll come back with extra pics of the food sksk #simon’s depression church is not mentioned in Text but this is canon source hehe #i’m not the first person to visit pscu locations and i love everyone who’s done it what a great idea it was so fun! #yes i know you’re not supposed to take photos in the prado but then i remembered this was built by a colonial powerhouse then felt less bad

[ejunkiet]

Am I the dummie who has been wondering why she has been fighting a migraine all week while simultaneously devouring books on a tiny old phone with a speed she hasn't reached since she was 12?

Yeah. Eyestrain is real folks. I've swapped over to my paper white, which I've had the whole time, just didn't think to use for some reason sksksks

#in my defence the books I'm reading are very bingeable #i actually paid for a month of KU past the trial (shock horror) while i ride this trashy book phase out 😂 #sometimes you just want to read a book where you don't need to think much #or three #I've gotten through 600 words this weekend #and i uh don't really skim #i'm an immersive reader - I'm slower because I'm watching the whole thing play out #so this is FAST for me #and the eyestrain is real 😂 #such a dummy!! this wasn't rocket science! #but I stare at screens all day anyway #the tiny phone screen wasn't working for me #the last time i had a migraine was because of bg3......... where i played it the same amount of hours as my fulltime job..... #but honestly I'll happily take this over the insane migraines i got at my last job where my vision fucked up because of stress #and burn out ahahahaha #this is why i switched to audio books for a while but i'm so picky about narrators and the pacing #plus this is. trashy fiction. 😂 #i'll return from this rabbit hole soon.... #tbd

[shywhumpauthor]

You know the writing’s good when your eyes start watering as you type

#stoic leader whump just hits different #does anyone else get that #like you’re so immersed in the story—reading or writing—that you just start crying? #like not sad crying but just. whumperflies but not entirely? #I don’t know. it might also be sad crying right now because I feel so bad for leader #they’ve been through it #the words are really wording tonight

[thatrandombystander]

Kinda whack when you're a huge fan of a longfic fanfic for a media work that you're not that big a fan of because it's just that good.

Am I fan of Fallout 3 or Fallout 4? Not particularly. They're fine but kinda bad, and yet every time this ongoing Fallout fic with 700k+ words (so far) gets a new chapter I go feral and have to restrain myself from installing the games.

#alas the fic has just done an exceptional job of fleshing out the world and making me feel immersed into it #which is NOT what I'd get in the games >:( #the basic premise is what if Deacon Fallout 4 was actually The Lone Wanderer (Fallout 3 protag) #and boy does it RUN with the concept in the best way #ramblings of a bystander #i haven't been able to read any fic except for tr*gun because of the fixation for the last couple of months #<- asterisk so it doesn't show up in that fandom's tag #and am now going through my backlog of fic subscriptions #boy they've posted more than FIFTY THOUSAND words since May. #and this is after having no chapters for like a year and a half #i'm going to go feral reading all of that #i'm looking forward to it :)

[seherstudies]

Japanese grammar: ほど/程度 and くらい/ぐらい

ほど （程）and くらい are both nouns that represent an extent or an amount of eg. money, time, distance, possibility. The difference between them is that ほど implies that the amount is great, whilst くらい marks the amount is indefinite or in some cases as small.

これくらい - about this amount, about this far, about this much これほど - this much, this amount, this cold, this hot; but here it is stressed that this is a large extent

程度　【ていど】 has the same meaning as ほど but simply is more formal.

【Notes】

ダメに決まってるでしょう？歩きながら眺める程度で我慢しなさい。 だめに　きまってるでしょう？あるきながら　ながめるていどで　がまんしなさい。 Of course you can't. You can only look at it while you walk.

眺める (ながめる）- to look at 我慢 (がまん） - self-control ___ 決まってる - the い in the -ている form is often skipped in spoken language i-stem + ながら - While....; Both actions A and B are occurring at the same time. Emphasis is placed on the second action (B) in the sentence. i-stem + なさい - giving an order/command; usually used to someone younger or lower in status

Source

#this has been sitting in my drafts forever #I also still haven't read Digimon Survive past the intro *sigh* #let's see when I will get back to it #japanese grammar #japanese through immersion #japanese #日本語

[ittybittybeastiebuddy]

If anyone can recommend good literature exploring the folklore/cultural practices surrounding magic in the Appalachian region I'd love some help, doing research for character and personal reasons and having trouble finding accessible texts that go into depth

#beastiebites #books & libraries #book recommendations #folklore #Im doing research into 'granny magic' / the general magic practices of Appalachia #as well as the folklore and culture of the area #I usually prefer sources that are either firsthand from people within the culture #or otherwise in conversation with lived experiences #because i find that when doing research for characters to portray things authentically #its more effective to find the people who live the experiences and listen to them to get an idea of what its really like #as opposed to reading a text from someone outside the culture who hasnt taken the time to really immerse themselves in it #i will also accept any recommendations of places where i can find info on this topic or community threads i can read through #appalachia #appalachian culture #writing research #research #research help #Im also looking into Appalachian folkmagic practices because of all the practices ive researched it feels the most grounded #I was born in the region but raised elsewhere so its also sort of a search for culture because I unfortunately am not connected to mine #Currently Ive read H. Byron Ballard's 'Roots Branches & Spirits' and found it incredibly helpful and interesting on so many levels #im going to try and get ahold of her other books on the subject and go through the recommended reading she has in the back of that book

[onigiriforears]

日本の歴史366 Day 20

1月20日 Summary:

In a post-WW2 Japan, school lunch began to be offered to all children across the nation. The goal was to keep children from being malnourished during the ever-so-important growth period that children experience. This also helped to lift the burden on struggling households.

Vocab beneath break:

学校給食 がっこうきゅうしょく school lunch

おかず side dish

戦後 せんご postwar period; period after Second World War

育ちざかり そだちざかり growth period (in children)

栄養不足 えいようぶそく malnutrition

全国的 nationwide; throughout the nation; throughout the country; countrywide

行われる おこなわれる to be done; to be practiced; to be practised; to take place; to be held; to be prevalent; to be in fashion; to be in vogue; to be current; to come into use

大盛り おおもり large serving; large portion

貧困 ひんこん poverty; penury; need; destitution

家庭 かてい household; family; home

対象 たいしょう target; object (of worship, study, etc.); subject (of taxation, etc.); recipient

配る くばる to distribute; to hand out; to deliver; to deal out; to serve out

規模 きぼ scale; scope; structure; plan

試験的 しけんてき experimental; provisional

都市 とし town; city; municipal; urban

広がる ひろがる to spread (out); to extend; to stretch; to reach to; to get around; to fill (e.g. a space)

簡素 かんそ simple; plain; modest

脱脂粉乳 だっしふんにゅう powdered skim milk; skimmed milk powder; non-fat dry milk

#shay's taking notes #japanese history 366 #japanese history #japanese culture #japanese language #learn japanese #japanese grammar #japanese #study japanese #japanese figures #vocab #jpnstudynet #japan #learn through reading #reading practice #japanese reading comprehension #learning through immersion #immersion through reading #ah queue! bless you

[shenyaanigans]

the journey of a writer is you begin writing just for the sake of writing and often hand wave details that aren't that important to you to get to the fun bits. then you decide you want to improve and you go through a rigorous process of thinking about lots of mechanics and abiding by sense and rationality, because the most damning insult to a piece of fiction is testing the reader's suspension of disbelief too much. this level of self criticism then colors the interpretation of other texts as well, where they are held to a particular standard where every detail must be perfectly logical, well researched, and contain no contradictions (cinema sins, if you will). nirvana is when you realize that doesn't matter and you go back to hand waving details that aren't that important to you.

#kat chats #i know i complained on my priv twitter abt smth like this but i just saw ANOTHER post of this caliber #i'm SO close to doing a deep dive on the suspension of disbelief and its merit as a method of literary criticism #spoiler alert i feel very strongly that if your criticism could be easily suspended through narrative buy in its not a valid critique #or at the very least the buck Does Not Stop at you not believing the author. you have to answer the question why #'it's not compelling because i'm not immersed' ok. why. what's broken the immersion #like. idk. sometimes there are interesting discussions to be had wrt narrative risk vs narrative payoff vs suspension of disbelief #and the fact of the matter is some narrative risk on the part of the author can lead to MUCH greater pay off #can lead to truly affecting art #and sometimes the narrative risk does not have a high enough reward to justify itself #sometimes this happens for only some people and other times this happens for large swathes of the population #shaping what literature we societally say is Good vs Bad #it's a good discussion to have in craft circles and to be aware of #but ultimately stories without narrative risk are almost meaningless. if they're even stories at all #and also sometimes your issue with suspension of disbelief comes down to pedantry #and forgive me but being a pedant does not make for good literary criticism #actually it makes you incredibly bad at it #you can't see the forest for the trees. you cant see the story for the extremely niche nitpicks that do nothing but buff your own ego #remind yourself that reading is not just a self indulgent exercise. you are entering a conversation where you have to listen for a long tim #and you must make meaning of all those words #you are not required to continue going through something that doesn't speak to you #anyways...

[writingthroughthenight]

I know staying up until 6 a.m. to finish a book is "pointless" when I could have managed my time better or -- crazy concept -- exerted self-control and paces myself. I know I'll forget half of what I read and be exhausted the next day.

But nothing beats the rush of my OTP finally kissing when darkness reigns and no sound is heard except the church bells tolling 4 times in the distance.

#the world fades from sight and you immerse yourself in an alternate existence #reading through the night #the cruel prince #6 am #6 am thoughts #4 am #beauty #beautiful thoughts #slow burn #enemies to lovers #otp #jurdan #bells toll #church bells #night #late night thoughts #booklr #booksbooksbooks #poems on tumblr #writers and poets #amwriting #author #nighttime #night sky #fanfic #manacled #dhr

[fantasiavii]

I generally believe that exposure to a thing leads inevitably to familiarity with the thing but my one exception is (American) football. Fourteen years I watched that shit and I still cannot explain what a first down is.

#i truly believe it would be easier for me to learn a foreign language solely through immersion than it is to understand football #admittedly i did read through most of the games #other ppl were watching football and i was learning about dragons #i think i won this one #l’histoire de ma vie

[paunchsalazar]

of course I cannot speak for her but I absolutely think Robin Hobb knew she was writing a gay epic or at least figured if out by Tawny Man

I just think she has been so committed to writing this particular (idiotic, incredibly damaged) character and keeping to his lens and worldview in this imagined world and that is why it is the way it is

#she is one of the most immersive first person character authors I’ve read #like I think it is fitz being unable to put a name to anything and accept his feelings etc. #she seems like a normal liberal 60 year old lady lmao #and gay people outright exist and are treated positively through the books like the fool is tortured by loved profoundly #the couple in kelsingra? #I think she just picked fitz as her avatar and this is what he is like and has become over the years #like what if I wrote about a weird sad closeted guy + his life over the course of 60 some years in my rich fantasy world I want to play in #not excusing some absolutely crazy frustrating narrative choices though #robin hobb #realm of the elderlings #fitzchivalry farseer

[fictionadventurer]

"Never Abate" fantasy (if this is still open 💖💖)

Never Abate by Juliet Martinsen

In a certain seaside village on a hidden stretch of shore, the locals say that Patience Cotterill has always lived in the cottage by the cliffs. She was there before the oldest villagers were born--before even their grandparents came to this place--yet every description of her exactly matches the young woman who lives there today. She waits, they say, for her lost love, who circles the world in the form of a bird while she watches for his return.

But the years of waiting have not made her bitter. There are tales by the dozens of those who meet her and find their hearts lifted, their sorrows eased, their joy in the world renewed. In a fickle, faithless world, she is constant, and none who meet her walk away unchanged.

#imaginary book recs #answered asks #imissthembutitwasntadisaster #this book #it lives next to manalive in the 'finding joy in living' section of my heart #i was taken in immediately by the odd structure #more like a commonplace book than a novel #all those little scraps and fragments gathered together #bits of novel stitched together with diary entries and newspaper stories and all those poems #it all just washes over you and creates such an immersive atmosphere #i could page through it for days #just finding joy in the exploration #such a slim little book but so much packed into it #please tell me you've read it because i need someone to talk to about it #i've been recommending it to everyone ever since i read it