You know “pica” because you know “picante,” right?

The first time I heard “pica” was actually in regards to a mosquito bite.

My host mom and I just found each other in the courtyard. The Peace Corps staff gave us small cards with pictures and we had to find the picture that matched and who was holding it. I saw Rosa Maria and noticed that she was shorter than me, with glasses, and wearing a coral blouse. She told me that she had three sons and that I was going to be her daughter.

She took a ‘pica’ out of my heart, right then.

We went from introducing our host moms to the group to a session on food prep to a session on mosquito nets to lunch. During the mosquito lesson, the presenters asked a question “What do the mosquitos do?” (They are called zancudos here, mosquitos in Guatemala refer to flies only..). My mom answered: “Insectos que pica” and made a pinching motion with her fingers to her skin.

So pica means bite? I gathered.

I moved into the house and at the first meal she asked “Quieres pica?” and I said “Sí!” So pica means spicy, but the original translation is “bite.” Makes sense!

But then when I get the fleas, I told my host mom I had “picas” and she said “picaduras?” So I guess that means ‘bite.’

At every meal, there is algo “pica.”

Whenever I hear the word, I see my host mom’s fingernails pinching her skin to demonstrate the bug bite.

Pica, picante, picaduras. The circle of life.