Modismos del Viaje - Trip Dictionary - Part 1 PreTrip

Here is a quick glossary of terms that have evolved in preparation for the Darwin Range Traverse.

let´s do this - what "i have a dream.." is to Martin Luther King Jr, what "one giant leap for mankind" is to NASA, what "i´m lovin´it" is to MacDonalds, is what "let´s do this" is to the team of the Darwin Range Traverse.

bencina blanca - also known as gasolina blanca. A highly noxious substance and known carcinogen used in Patagonia for stripping paint from cars, eliminating gang style grafitti, and easily removing that irritating rust at the edge of the toilet bowl. And oh yeah...used in camping stoves to cook food too.

BOOM - an explosive term, used mostly by team member Steve Ogle, to inflate the importance of an otherwise banal story or point. eg."I was walking down the sidewalk looking for an internet cafe and minding my own business and then, BOOM, my shoelace came undone."

polishing a turd - a term only used by team member Kari Medig during times of creative depression that refers to the seemingly insurmountable task of turning a visually unstimulating scene into a swan. Most commonly experienced when following team member Ogle on a wildlife shoot. eg. "I don't know, nothing here interests me, all I see everywhere are these penguins. Sometimes you just can't polish a turd."

make or break - a stern term, often accompanied by prolonged Clint Eastwood-esque eye contact, referring to a fundamental object or action in the planning of the expedition that is the fulcrum for the precarious balance between success and failure. eg. "See this here Gold Bond? This is MAKE OR BREAK."

penultimate - A term used, only by team member Steve Ogle, when a "big" word is needed, regardless of whether its definition or usage is correct. Often accompanied by 'vis a vis' or 'in lieu'. eg. This meal is the penultimate! Vis a vis, in lieu of the one we had last night that sucked.

Kimberley-style - when a person or thing uses fiction to make a point, as in "that guy is pure Kimberley style"; specifically, to mislead the observer by saying you are from one place when in fact you never, at any time, lived in that location (but actually lived in Cranbrook); also describes anyone sporting a full, scruffy beard and Peruvian toque.

it´s the full Ogle - refers a photograph, actually, any event that involves an act of nature or action sports scenario. Preferably, both occuring simultaneously. eg. Hey look at the ruby throated pilliated Magellan bluefooted woodpecker shredding that huge pow line, that´s the full Ogle.

it´s the full Medig - refers to Kari Medig´s style of photography, often thought to be embodying more meaning than in actuality, with an obvious disdain for corporate logos, making saleabiltiy a near impossibility. Subject matter is usually cultural in nature, often with a prominently obscured subject filling a majority of the negative space. Style shows a negligence of usual photographic ´rules´like focus and the much despised ´rule of thirds´. eg in a sentence: Look at that old guy walking down the street carrying his old skis in front of that rusty tractor, that´s the full Medig.

necessito - a predominantly gringo term derived from Castellano that is the lead to nearly every question. It is often mis-construed by native Chileans as being demanding and tactless, which it is. eg. yo necessito ayuda con todo, por que yo estoy inutil. translated: i need help with everything, because I am useless.