Tara is a 2006 graduate of Mountain Home High School and a junior at the University of Idaho. She is spending a semester studying in Chile and will blog frequently about her experiences there.

The Truth

Posted Monday, September 1, 2008, at 9:14 PM

(All the dates are wrong in the corners of my pictures, but i dont know how to change the camera setting)

Excuse me for the long lapse of time in between postings, but now I've got two to post at the same time!

Okay, so there's somethng I haven't told all of you back home. I just wanted to wait untill I passed out of the lime light. A couple weeks ago on my birthday (August 12th), Las Ultimas Noticias, a newspaper comparable to The New York Times, published a half-page article about me and my blogs. The author, Orrieta Santa Maria, ran across my blog and contacted me through the university for an interview and sent a photographer to my house.

Although her description of me was rather sarcastic and some of the quotations were badly misconstured in translation, (I did not say, ¨en que me me met'¨!) it turned out to be one of the best birthday presents and I really appreciate all of the comments, both possitive and negative, that my readers have left me.

One thing that people have asked me, ¨Well the article says you like to write poetry, where can I read my poetry?¨The answer is, I've always been kind of shy about my poetry, but here goes.. this is a poem I wrote upon arrival in Chile.

August 5, 2008

Spanish waves break & smash

tug o'war between dos dorados-

the sun and the sand.

Never settled like the land

the ocean groans and swallows

The golden sand, ugglied

with washed up rubbish,

ocean breaths deep

and waves tickle lovers feet.

Foamy ocean breaths

music carries on the breeze.

Oh seagull, take me with you

to live with the sky dwellers-

high flyers hear everytime

the flailing ocean bellers.

High above where the terra firm swelters.

As high tide approaches

muddy ocean fingers-

streatch towards me, unreaching

slickened surface lingers.

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"Although her description of me was rather sarcastic and some of the quotations were badly misconstrued in translation"... Yes, I can imagine that. It is quite possible that the information was "altered" before publication, with the aim of having the reader's attention.

By the way... Happy Birthday... (late, but is better than nothing)

Hey!. Thanks for share your poetry... double thanks because you have broken the shyness. That is very valuable.

I'm trying to understand all the meanings... some words (or phrases) are difficult to understand for me: "ugglied with washed up rubbish", "dwellers-high flyers", "the flailing ocean bellers", "slickened surface lingers"...

----------

Olas de español se rompen y golpean

"tira y afloja" entre "dos dorados"-

el sol y la arena.

Nunca se establecio como la tierra

el océano gruñe y traga.

--

La arena dorada, afeada

con lavado de basura

el oceano respira profundo

y las olas hacen cosquillas en los pies de los amantes.

Aliento de océano espumoso

lleva la musica en la brisa.

--

Oh gaviota, llévame contigo

a vivir con los habitantes del cielo

de altas promesas cada vez

que el océano está frenético

muy por encima donde la tierra firme sofoca.

--

Como marea alta se aproxima

dedos de oceanos barrosos

se extienden hacia mi, inalcanzable

la superficie manchada permanece.

----------

It is very interesting!... like translate some songs of specific artists (sometimes difficult words for me, but excellent ideas in global terms).

I hope I have made a good interpretation of the poetry. I don't want to do a bad interpretation! (like as in the newspaper ^__^)

Hasta Pronto! :)

-- Posted by aferreir on Tue, Sep 2, 2008, at 1:50 AM
Hi Tara,

My mom told me you were writing blogs for the newspaper, so I thought to check it out. The poetry is really beautiful; it's very vivid, you can really set a scene.

I think you're doing a really good job describing your experience, if through the lens of someone who grew up in small suburban Idaho--well, we can't be blamed for that. I recently had a similar experience; my younger siblings and I visited our Dad in Colombia and from what I can tell you and I both were shocked by many of the same things upon arriving (the stray animals, the DRIVING--I'm not sure how it is in Chile, but traffic cops and thus rules do not exist in Colombia, and especially street vendors, although they are not so bad where we were in Barranquilla because it's not a touristy city, in Cartagena--a world-class travel destination--they are relentless!). I had to just decide for myself that I make the effort not to (what seems to present itself naturally) think in terms of how things could be 'fixed', or people 'helped'. I was able to appreciate every thing in its own individual context, and I learned soo much in my 2 weeks there. I'm very envious of you, though. I didn't get to do any club hopping or even hit the bars.. I can't even speak the language (yet), but the experience was amazing and eye-opening to the extreme and I can't wait to go back for an extended stay. I'm looking forward to reading more about what it's like to live on Mars--I mean, Chile :).

party hearty

Jared.

-- Posted by jaredmartin on Tue, Sep 2, 2008, at 2:02 AM
Hey Tara,

Just talked to your Dad and he told me about your blog so I decided to check it out. I quickly read your entries and must say that you seem to be enjoying the experience the right way by taking advantage of every opportunity - good for you. Have a great time!

Jerry Bates

-- Posted by jwbates on Wed, Sep 3, 2008, at 5:12 PM
SARCASTIC?

come on! are you kidding me!? you are gringa! gringos are the most sarcastic thing in the world!

suck it up!

-- Posted by svp on Mon, Sep 8, 2008, at 4:10 PM

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