What's my name again??
Today is my grandmother's birthday. She will be 71 years old and she hasn't gone out of her house for a long time now. It's so sad to see a this wonderful lady who has many stories about life just sit at home and keep to herself. I don't know why my grandmother refuses to go outside anymore, maybe she is afraid of the changing world around her. I just don't know.
Anyway so it's her birthday today. I like calling her up. It makes her feel special, plus whenever I do, she loves to talk. Actually every time I visit her she has a story or two, or three to tell me. I don't think there was a time she stopped telling her stories, even if I heard them over and over again. It's always a pleasure.
So while talking on the phone, she asked me about California. It's raining today, actually it's down pouring, rain is just an understatement. So as I remember Sunny California, I sit here in my own city while it pours on this June day. I tell her stories of the baskets of fruit we enjoyed in California. Just thinking about it made me miss being there. As I continue to talk to my grandmother about the adventures, some how we end up getting into the conversation about my Chinese name. It turns out she doesn't remember the change she made to my name. She would rather let me use my Chinese name in it's original dialect which is pronounced "Mee Kim" which means beautiful gold. Then she said but I have written down the change to your name which is "Mee Ten" which means beautiful lantern after my dad's name. She goes on to tell me she wants to change my name to make me a stronger person.
"Your father use to cry and cry and cry all the time. His name use to be a weak name that was making him weak as a person, but then your great grandfather changed his name to Fire because fire makes you a fighter and stronger person. So when I change your name I am going to make you a stronger person this way too, so your name is Mee Ten."
Much to my confusion I rather stick to the Cantonese version of my original Chinese name, which is Mae Gum however for her purposes I will use Mee Ten or Mee Kim. Coincidently the name Kim is also in our family Chinese name line. Kim Yuen was my grandfather's name on my mother's side. His name meant golden cloud and he was a well loved and respected man. So in that respect, I remember him when I think of my name in Hakka which is my dialect.
So to the conclusion of having so many names it's natural for people to be confused on what to call me. I am confused on what to answer by, going with my English name at times, my Chinese name at times in different dialects and so fourth.
Anyway the day went well considering that I did not have to attend work today because I took the day off to practice how to drive. My mom says I am getting better and rightfully so. With the confidence I had gained on tour everything in my personal life at home seems to have improved. I am praying God will let me pass on June 25th when I take the exam but we will see if it's in His will it will happen. If I don't pass, there is always a lesson to be learned.
Starting July I will be moved to another office and do all the work by myself. I am a little bit unease with the situation but if God has a reason for me being there then God has a reason and I should not be so worried.
So working under a pressure cooker is not so bad, after all there is always lessons to be learned and friends to make and maybe one day when I am tooth-less and old all these things will come to pass and I will understand why these things happened, or I will just be old and tooth-less and can't remember who I am.
From the girl who doesn't know her name,
"What's my name again" Mae
Anyway so it's her birthday today. I like calling her up. It makes her feel special, plus whenever I do, she loves to talk. Actually every time I visit her she has a story or two, or three to tell me. I don't think there was a time she stopped telling her stories, even if I heard them over and over again. It's always a pleasure.
So while talking on the phone, she asked me about California. It's raining today, actually it's down pouring, rain is just an understatement. So as I remember Sunny California, I sit here in my own city while it pours on this June day. I tell her stories of the baskets of fruit we enjoyed in California. Just thinking about it made me miss being there. As I continue to talk to my grandmother about the adventures, some how we end up getting into the conversation about my Chinese name. It turns out she doesn't remember the change she made to my name. She would rather let me use my Chinese name in it's original dialect which is pronounced "Mee Kim" which means beautiful gold. Then she said but I have written down the change to your name which is "Mee Ten" which means beautiful lantern after my dad's name. She goes on to tell me she wants to change my name to make me a stronger person.
"Your father use to cry and cry and cry all the time. His name use to be a weak name that was making him weak as a person, but then your great grandfather changed his name to Fire because fire makes you a fighter and stronger person. So when I change your name I am going to make you a stronger person this way too, so your name is Mee Ten."
Much to my confusion I rather stick to the Cantonese version of my original Chinese name, which is Mae Gum however for her purposes I will use Mee Ten or Mee Kim. Coincidently the name Kim is also in our family Chinese name line. Kim Yuen was my grandfather's name on my mother's side. His name meant golden cloud and he was a well loved and respected man. So in that respect, I remember him when I think of my name in Hakka which is my dialect.
So to the conclusion of having so many names it's natural for people to be confused on what to call me. I am confused on what to answer by, going with my English name at times, my Chinese name at times in different dialects and so fourth.
Anyway the day went well considering that I did not have to attend work today because I took the day off to practice how to drive. My mom says I am getting better and rightfully so. With the confidence I had gained on tour everything in my personal life at home seems to have improved. I am praying God will let me pass on June 25th when I take the exam but we will see if it's in His will it will happen. If I don't pass, there is always a lesson to be learned.
Starting July I will be moved to another office and do all the work by myself. I am a little bit unease with the situation but if God has a reason for me being there then God has a reason and I should not be so worried.
So working under a pressure cooker is not so bad, after all there is always lessons to be learned and friends to make and maybe one day when I am tooth-less and old all these things will come to pass and I will understand why these things happened, or I will just be old and tooth-less and can't remember who I am.
From the girl who doesn't know her name,
"What's my name again" Mae
posted by Miss Mae | 4:08 PM
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