SABROSITA

S is for sabrosita which means tasty or flavorful.

I know I write a lot about food so you probably think I'm going there, but I"m not.  I'm taking a slight detour.

You know how construction workers in the U.S. have an awful reputation of catcalling and hooting at women as they pass?  Well, imagine that but with every man regardless of age.  And imagine not just whistling but them yelling out exactly what they think of you and what they'd like to do with you for the whole neighborhood to hear.  If you're imagining it well...you're in Nicaragua.

The men here truly think that yelling at you like that is going to somehow make a love connection.  Must be a macho thing I guess.  Their favorites are to comment on your color and size.  For instance, my roommate is African-American and they're always hissing negrita at her while they leer.  Sometimes, just to be cute, they translate it to English and yell out "Black! Hey, black!"  It makes for interesting moments.

And for me?  Well, I'm not a small lady so they love to tell me "hermosota."  I kind of love that the word hermosa which technically means beautiful, here in Nicaragua refers to large size.  Cute, huh?  So when they say hermosota they're really saying big, thick girl.  They also call me chelita which refers to the fact I'm light-skinned.  I labeled this sabrosita because one day walking home a man followed me on his bike whispering that to me for about 2 blocks.  I finally just ducked into a house until he passed.  Ew!