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With age comes
wisdom. From relationship advice to stories of
life in the good ol' days, Mama tells it like
it is. Got a question of your own for Mama? Email
her at: mama@cigarcitymagazine.com.
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Dear Mama,
I was researching my family history at the public library and found
my grandparent's listing in a city directory from the early 1900s. It
listed my Nonno's name and his occupation, then my Nanna's name
and her occupation ... stripper! My sweet little Nanna was a stripper! Then,
to make matters worse, this is published in a city directory for all of Tampa
to see. All of my life I have been told that my Nanna worked in a cigar factory.
I don't know if I can ever look at her in the same way.
Ruth who can't
handle the truth
Dear Ruth,
You're a complete babba! A stripper was someone who worked in a cigar
factory and stripped the tobacco leaves from its stem.
Mama |
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Dear Mama,
I offered to take my elderly neighbor around town to run a few
errands. But I have no idea where she wants me to take her. I haven't
lived in Tampa very long, but I thought I knew my way around. Can you tell
me where Guolmar, Besbai, and El Pobli are?
Need a New Map
Dear Map,
You don't need a new map, you need a lesson in Spanglish. Guolmar is Wal-Mart,
Besbai is Best Buy, and El Pobli is Publix. Just in case you offer to help her
on a regular basis, Quemar is K-Mart, Guindici is Winn-Dixie, and Wagrin is Walgreen's.
Mama |
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Dear Mama,
My car broke down, and I needed transportation to work for a few days.
My neighbor suggested I take a wawa. He speaks limited English, so
he couldn't really
explain what a wawa is. Do you know?
Whatsa Wawa
Dear WW,
Wawa is Cuban slang for bus. The name comes from the sound made by the horn "waaaaaaaawaaaaaaa".
Mama |
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Dear Mama,
My wedding is in a few weeks and my fiancé and I have decided to
wait until our wedding night to consummate our relationship. OK, to tell
you the truth, Papa said he would kill Guiseppe if we didn't wait. I'm
a little nervous. Can you tell me what to expect?
Virginia
Dear Virginia,
Fill the tub with lots of soapy water, wear your best camisa di notti from
your trousseau, use your best aqua di colonia and blow out the candles.
Mother nature will answer all your questions.
Mama |
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Dear Mama,
Last night
my mama beat my butt with a big wooden spoon. Should
I call HRS?
Too Sore
to Sit
Dear Sore,
First of all, HRS will take you out
of the house and your mama will finally have some
peace and quiet. And secondly, I'm sure you
deserved it!
Mama
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Dear Mama,
What did most immigrants bring with them from the old country?
Sophia
Dear Sophia,
Most immigrants who left their homeland were fleeing because of political oppression
and poor economic conditions. So when they left their country, they
left with the clothes on their back and very little in their pockets.
Mama |
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Dear Mama,
My mother keeps telling me that she's going to hit me with her chancleta.
What is a chancleta?
Julio
Dear Julio,
What kind of "latino" are you! A chancleta is a flip-flop style shoe
that goes "clakita clakita" when you walk. Although considered a
multi-functional item, mamas mostly use them to throw at their kids to get
their attention when they are misbehaving. The main reason the shoe is thrown
is because your mama can't sneak up on you to whack you on the head with
it because of the "clakita clakita" sound. Chancletas can also be
used to throw at the family pet when they are doing something wrong, and for
killing roaches and flies.
Mama |
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Dear Mama,
What kind of summer camps did kids from Ybor and West Tampa attend in the olden
days?
Mary
Dear Mary,
You gotta be kidding...we didn't have summer camps! For fun, when we heard
the mosquito truck coming, we would run behind the truck as it sprayed
the mosquito killer mist. We would steal avocados and mangos from our neighbors'
trees, and sometimes go swimming at Cascaden Park. On Saturdays, you would
get dropped off at the movie theater, and given 50 cents. The 50 cents
would cover the cost to get in, popcorn, coke, and a pickle...and you could
stay all day.
Mama |
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