Gringilla

It's just a little thing, but it's one that I was a little indignant about.

In Costa Rica, you can change a word's meaning pretty simply. Some examples: The ending -ita means small, but it has more of a feel of love to is. -son means big. -illa is disrespectful. I'll use the word "casa" -- which means house-- as an example.

A casita is a little house that you like a lot. A casilla is a little house that is ugly; a shack. And a casona is a nice, big house.

So last night I was in the taxi with my tica sister, Moni, and the taxi driver is talking to me. I've struck up a conversation about shutting car doors; in the US, we pull them pretty hard to make sure they latch. In Costa Rica, taxi drivers will sometimes say "Don't close your door, I'll do it for you" to avoid this sort of treatment of their cars. My professor told me that a gringo closing a Costa Rican taxi door is "tragic."

So we're talking, and the taxista calls me a gringilla! I don't know if he just didn't know how well I understand, or what, so I called him out on it. Then he asked if I was meeting my boyfriend at the bar, and if not, I should give him a call sometime.

I'm starting to wonder why a disproportionate amount of the taxi drivers in Latin America like me... Especially since I'm not just a gringa, but a gringilla.