What's in a Name

We all have nice names. Our parents have given us nice names. But it never fails that over the course of your life you get nicknames. Chances are these nicknames are so far off from your name that people, and you yourself, wonder what your name really is.

I remember the first time I heard my husband mention a friend's name, it was Skunk. I was like "what, huh?!?" The best thing is, hubby dearest doesn't know what the guy's name really is. Good one yes!

I have a name that has been changed and twisted. So much so that different friends call me different names. There are only a handful that call me Hayati in full. My friends from school call me "Haya". My friends from work call me "Yat" and my friends from Uni days call me "Yatz". Of course there are the other people who call me "Yati". Sounds so boring after all those variations.

My kids have short names, not three or four names. Hubby and I like short names. Especially knowing that friends may shorten it. I myself refer to them as No 1 and No 2 sometimes. Only because my friends get so confused who is the eldest and the second child because of their close gap and size.

I have a good friend from Uni days who has a very nice name. It's Rumana. But know what? A few of us call her Sneak. Hmmmm.... And it has stuck till now. She actually answers to it too.

My son's name is Ali. We have fielded many questions about his name. Some people even make fun of it. They say it is a very kampung name lah, so short lah, why Ali only lah. Even when Bob wanted to register his name at the JPN counter, the lady asked him, "Itu saje ke? Ali saje?" She said it is very rare these days to get parents only registering one name, it is usually two names minimum. The thing about Ali, his name is easy to remember. Everyone knows his name. I take him to the shops infront and everyone calls him. All the nurses in the clinic know his name too. I like Ali. I have a friend named Ali. He works with Awani now and I have always liked him too. Nice chap! The name goes with him too.

But there are parents who are somewhat cruel to their children and have given them names they are not proud of. A few names come to mind but I don't think I should mention it here. Anyways, people have changed their names before. Old people tend to believe in that -- sometimes a name is too strong or too weak for a person so they change it. Like if a person is always sick they say the name is wrong so they change the name. It works most of the time from what I heard lah.

Point of the story is -- think properly before naming your child. Or their friends might end up calling them Skunk. Oh ya .. for the record, Bob doesn't know who gave him that nickname. His name is Mohd Sobri...