ma-insa

Methods and tones for paracosm immersion

Close to my driftwood hut on the edge of the beach, about where it ends.

  • 5 things you can see
    • The driftwood hut to 5 o clock
    • The beach at 3 o clock
    • Grassy sand
    • Tall wild grass to the 9 o clock
    • The sunrise
    • Driftwood on the shore
    • A trail from the beach to the site of Wisin
    • Trees in the distance
    • Various rocks and stones all around me
    • Mountains in the distance on 9 o clock
  • 4 things you can hear
    • The waves on the beach
    • Seagulls over the waters
    • The wind filtering through the grass, breezing south
    • The wind whistling through driftwood
  • 3 things you can touch
    • The sand at my feet and tail
    • The tall grass
    • The topsoil grass
    • A large smooth stone I am standing near
  • 2 things you can smell
    • The sea salt
    • The fragrance of the wild grass
    • The ashes of my fire
  • 1 thing you can taste
    • The grass, it tastes like those long thin grass tubes

Semantics Analysis

Group, Use, Action, Properties, Location, Association

The tall wild grass

Group: thing, each blade or strand of grass is its own plant. Use: can be burned for tinder, used to strengthen bricks also. Low nutrition food source, okay for smaller animals. Action: slow growth action, but otherwise inert unless acted upon Properties: thin walls with a hollow core, can be bent but will break if bent too far. Has a notably plant flavor, but very little of it. Colors range from green to brown. Seasonally dies off or burns and is revitalized. Waist high. Consider stereotypical wild grass. A slight stinging sensation if you cut yourself on the grass. Location: near the beach, there's some cutoff between the taller grass. It leaves enough buffer that you can build near it, but the seasonal burning makes this potentially undesirable Association: carefree summers, childhood wonder, simplicity, nature

The dry beach sand

Group: Thing, many small things, but a thing Use: You can use it for construction, pathmaking, and just for feeling the small components of Action: Largely it just sits there until acted upon Properties: Smooth, there's variety in the size of the individual grains of sand, they range in color from orange to red to this off-white, maybe some darker specks too, salty taste, very hard to chew, do not suggest eating Location: The beach, near water Association: memories of going to beaches, digging for clams, general associations with childhood.

On the beach, west flank of the island:

  • 5 things you can see
    • The ocean
    • The sand
    • The sky
    • The waves
    • A large rock at my 10 o'clock
    • Small stones to skip
    • Driftwood on the beach
  • 4 things you can hear
    • The waves hitting the beach
    • The wind
    • The noise of seagulls
    • My tail moving around
    • The fire crackling
  • 3 things you can touch
    • The sand's rough texture
    • A smooth stone, about palm-sized
    • Driftwood, both rough and coarse
    • The heat of the driftwood campfire
  • 2 things you can smell
    • The sea salt
    • The campfire burning wood peacefully
  • 1 thing you can taste
    • The salty ocean water