"I don't understand why people don't remember my name."
- Paul Lynde
"H - A"...
"E"...
Oh no....here we go again
"No, it is A as in apple".......
"Ah....A...."
Yeah right, your "aye" sure sounds like an "A" :(
"Can I have your surname please?"
Maniacal laughter in the background...aaargh it is coming from inside my head........"You sure can....." but I do pity you
"It is U-M-A-K-A-N-T-H-A-N"
"And now can we have your husband's surname, please?"
Ok somewhere around this point, I am due for a screaming fit :( I come across this problem every single time we have to give our names for any paperwork over the phone. I don't quail at the thought of spelling our names every single time but trying to pronounce it in a way that suits the Aussie ears.....oh please give me a break. As I cannot blame anyone for this, I choose to rave and rant and shy from phone calls where I have to torture myself and the person at the other end. It is a lot easier in person, I literally grab the pen off them and write our names and when they see the scrawl stretching onto the second line, they definitely appreciate my gesture.
So nowadays I stick to a single syllable when I am asked for my name.....and I try to say it with the same panache as Bond and fail miserably......."I am Su, Sujatha" :) Seeing that Sujatha and Annathurai have become Su and Anna, we decided to give our kids very short and easily pronounceable names hoping that they might have an easier time with their names than us. Most of our Indian friends still wait for us to complete Madhu's name when we introduce her. They ask if her name is actually "Madhubala" or "Madhumathy" and we reply "Madhu".....short and sweet, literally, is our bundle of joy :)) Despite this, I still hear the numerous distortions people make of their names at school, hospitals and sigh and roll my eyes.
Having said this, I am no exception to failing the name games as well......I have trouble getting "Siobhan" or "Gawith" or "Rwakatiwana" right......I still struggle to pronounce "Paula" the Serbian way or "Ghassan" the Arabic way, but if there is one thing that I have learnt from my own unpronounceable name is to make sure I make an effort to pronounce other names right.
When people try to get my name right despite when I offer to be called “Su”, I go “yeah, that’s the spirit baby” and shower them with a 400-watt smile.
I hear the phone ringing and I don't recognise the number......please don't tell me I am just about to start the name game again :((
Ha ha ha!
ReplyDeleteSo your name has become 'Su' now!
It is a good decision to give short names for your kids.
As they have short & easily pronounceble names, they'll definitely have easier time with their names than you.
Kala
To avoid our name being butchered and to save time pronouncing our name stressing on each letter and/or syllable until they get it right (which is close to impossible and is a never ending process), it is rather wise to come up with a shorter name or an Anglican name which for sure would make our lives easier and not a living hell.... and everyone is happy.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know NRIs change their name not to blend into the society they live in but to avoid the tragedy of people trying to perform an autopsy on their name. Why should a person undergo postmortem of his/her name while he/she is still alive and kicking? That is torture!
I understand 100% why you prefer to be called Su and I am sure everyone who has sailed the same boat will agree with you. You go Su !:-)
Ha, thanks Kala Akka, I was waiting for you to write to me :)) Once again appreciate your support and feedback.
ReplyDeleteJo Kutty, did I tell you I forget that I tell people to call me Su and dont respond quickly enuf....and then people have to remind me that I am Su :))
ReplyDeleteI have trouble with pronouncing the As and Anna's name is full of it :)) He has given up on saying his name over the phone and I have been his personal assistant all these years :((