It’s been a wild ride this spring and summer because we moved out of San Francisco and up to the beautiful Sonoma coast, which is about two hours north. Moving up here has been a great decision so far.
A new local discovery is KBBF Radio, a bilingual English-Spanish community radio station out of nearby Santa Rosa. Check them out – they have great programs, music, news, and more.
Since leaving SF my work life has also changed. Instead of teaching Spanish in the classroom, I now offer individual and small group instruction as well as Spanish-to-English translation services. I’m ready for the new road ahead!
To celebrate the month of love, here is a poem by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto). Scroll down for the English!
“Si tú me olvidas”
Quiero que sepas
una cosa.
Tú sabes cómo es esto:
si miro
la luna de cristal, la rama roja
del lento otoño en mi ventana,
si toco
junto al fuego
la impalpable ceniza
o el arrugado cuerpo de la leña,
todo me lleva a ti,
como si todo lo que existe,
aromas, luz, metales,
fueran pequeños barcos que navegan
hacia las islas tuyas que me aguardan.
Ahora bien,
si poco a poco dejas de quererme
dejaré de quererte poco a poco.
Si de pronto
me olvidas
no me busques,
que ya te habré olvidado.
Si consideras largo y loco
el viento de banderas
que pasa por mi vida
y te decides
a dejarme a la orilla
del corazón en que tengo raíces,
piensa
que en ese día,
a esa hora
levantaré los brazos
y saldrán mis raíces
a buscar otra tierra.
Pero
si cada día,
cada hora
sientes que a mí estás destinada
con dulzura implacable.
Si cada día sube
una flor a tus labios a buscarme,
ay amor mío, ay mía,
en mí todo ese fuego se repite,
en mí nada se apaga ni se olvida,
mi amor se nutre de tu amor, amada,
y mientras vivas estará en tus brazos
sin salir de los míos.
“If you forget me”
I want you to know
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.
If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.
But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.
Pablo Neruda’s home, “La Sebastiana,” in Valparaiso, Chile
This month I began reading The Time In Between by Spanish writer and professor María Dueñas. It’s a fascinating book that my mom passed along to me, and tells a woman’s story of growth and adventures while living in Morocco during the Spanish Civil War. You can read a thorough description on Goodreads.com.
My colleague also told me about the Spanish series that is based on this novel, also called “Entre Costuras.” So I definitely plan to watch the series when I’m finished with the book.
For me, the last few days in the U.S. have been hellish/disappointing/scary. Last Friday I went to hear Maná in Oakland and it was a breath of fresh air. How wonderful to hear people on a stage actually speaking the truth. Your could feel the collective relief and agreement in the arena.
Here’s a video with lyrics to their song, “¿Dónde jugarán los niños?” – “Where will the children play?” In our lust for material wealth, it is the earth and the health of children – our future – that loses.
Here’s another great picture….
I’m very happy to be in California right now. We here on the West coast kept up our liberal agenda. Wishing you a week with a few more spots of peace and understanding.
I just watched the 2016 indie film “Where the Road Runs Out”. This is the first feature film to take place in Equatorial Guinea, and I am ashamed to say that I didn’t realize Spanish was the official language of this West African country. I knew that Spanish was spoken there, but assumed that French was most likely the official language – little did I know this beautiful movie would be all in Spanish and English, and that the government website is in Spanish, English and French.
This is a heartfelt movie about one man’s search for self in his native Equatorial Guinea. I won’t give away too much – I have a rep for spoilers! – so just know that the film is now on Netflix and has won quite a few awards this year. See it and let me know what you think!
Ordering coffee in Spanish while traveling can be a challenge! Most coffee in Spanish speaking countries is made espresso-style. No watered down Folgers or to-go mugs here!
Summer, hopefully, means lazier mornings and perhaps having more time to enjoy a morning coffee. So if you need to order in Spanish, here are the phrases you’ll want to use. And yes, I’m including a tip for tea, too!
café americano: A small cup of espresso but with a bit more water to make it less strong.
café cortado: A small cup of espresso with a splash of milk.
café con leche: Half espresso and half milk.
café con hielo: Iced coffee.
descafeinado: Use this adjective at the end of your request. Not all establishments will offer decaf, but it’s worth a try. For example, “Un cafe cortado descafeinado, por favor.”
Don’t forget us tea drinkers! Here is my tip for ordering tea: Don’t ask for “té con leche” because you will get hot milk with a tea bag in it. If you drink black tea with milk, ask for “té negro con un poco de leche al lado.”
Let me know if you have any questions or tips to share about coffee! If you are living in a Spanish-speaking country, what other coffee drinks do you like to order?
Alison Trujillo Translations 