In Cuba, work is not always trabajo. Sometimes it’s pincha.
“Tengo mucha pincha” means “I have a lot of work.” If somebody asks you “¿En qué tú pinchas?”, they are not asking where you work. They want to know what your job is, what kind of work you do.
It comes with the usual Cuban talent for making a sentence shorter, faster and more direct. Why ask for a full explanation when one little verb can do the job?
You’ll also hear pinchar as a verb:
“Mañana tengo que pinchar temprano.”
“I have to work early tomorrow.”
And if the job is exhausting, you can say:
“Esa pincha está dura.”
“That job is brutal.”
