The Difficult Name

Of course I have long known that my name is not the most internationally viable name one can have. The very name of this blog is an evidence of that. But here in Brazil it seems to be even a bigger problem than in other places. People just can not handle it. But as the very kind and polite people they are, they try not to pretend that they have no idea how to pronounce my name and that they just can not remember it.

Today I joined some of my local colleagues for a pilates class. The trainer asked a couple of times for my name, but after the class I found out that in addition to asking me, he had asked one of the colleagues several times what my name is and if I do not have another name. While talking about this, the other colleagues joins in and tell me that other colleagues in the office ask them all the time about my name.

Later, one of the colleagues sent me an e-mail saying I HAVE to come up with a nickname. She had just helped me to make a reservation at a beauty salon and had had a very difficult time getting them to understand my name.

I guess my poor parents had no idea I would live such an international life!