Not-So-New Year's Resolution

Cliffs: I'm an a-hole.

I don't want to be one of those self-absorbed jerks who claims, "I'm just terrible with names," but remembering people's names is something I need to improve on. In my defense, I am going to make the argument that this task is more difficult when the names themselves aren't very familiar.

As beautiful as they are, Turkish names were probably the most challenging. Before moving to Istanbul, I did not know anyone else who went by Zeynep, Zümrüt, Barış, Mertcan, Canan, Ayşe, İzgi, İrem, İdil, Çinar, Duygu, Ceylan, Şeyla, Nur, Mithat, or Ufuk.

Brazilian names are much more recognizable, but people often call each other by nicknames. Most of these nicknames make sense (unlike, say, the transformation of Richard to Dick), but this can still complicate things.

Some examples:

Maria Luisa = Malu
Manoella = Manu
Maria Julia = Maju
Fernanda = Fe
Fernando = Fe Fe
Luciana = Lu
Juliana = Ju
Camila = Ca
Isabel = Bel
Isabela = Isa
Rafael = Rafa
Nicholas = Nico
Gustavo = Gu
Guilherme = Gui

I'm pretty sure that Babe-A's swimming teacher has one of these long names that's often shortened, but I have no idea what it is.

Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

Cliffs: It's way too late now.

Entropy has been taking swimming lessons at the same pool for a year and a half. Babe-A began taking lessons there in August, and since she's still too short to walk very far on her own, I have to get in the pool and do the class with her.

Babe-A's current teacher was not Entropy's teacher, but I frequently saw her around and talked to her before Babe-A was born. A year and a half later this woman does not know my name.

She used to waver between three mumbled versions of something that only slightly resembled my name.

We'll pretend that I really go by Rene. If this were true, the swimming teacher would call me things like "Rachel," "Roxy," or "Rindy." Recently, however, she has settled on one of these names and has begun to use it with confidence.

I was working up the nerve to tell her how my real name is pronounced, when she decided to tell me that she is pregnant and is considering naming her daughter after me.

So if you see me at the pool, I'm only answering to Roxy.