Have you heard this song?
Come on everybody I say now lets play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme, out of anybody’s name
The first letter of the name I treat it like it wasn’t there
But a ‘B’ or an ‘F’ or an ‘M’ will appear
And then I say “Bo” add a ‘B’ then I say the name
Then “Bonana Fanna” and “Foe”
And then I say the name again with an ‘F’ very plain
then a “Fee Fi” and “Mo”
And then I say the name again with an ‘M’ this time
And there isn’t any name that I can’t rhyme
O.K. Let’s do Tony!
Tony, Tony Bo-Bony Bonana Fanna Fo-Fony Fee-Fi-Mo Mony
Tony
[embed]http://youtu.be/DkGlptqH2Ng[/embed]
When I was young, my nannies used to sing that song, and they would use their names. Then I would ask them to use my name. They would just tell me, “Ay hindi pwede ‘yung pangalan mo.” I would ask why, but they would just tell me hindi raw talaga pwede. OK fine.
As you may already know, I have a unique name, and I have a love-hate relationship with it. There was a time I hated it because it was difficult to spell. I have received love letters in grade school where my supposed stalkers spelled my name, “Geomain” “Juming” “Gimeng”. Hay naku. Although I also used it as a measure of whether the guy was smart—if the guy misspelled it, turn off.
There were also times I liked it when people complimented how unique it was. Then I’d hate it again because I could not find a Robee ready-made sticker of my name . Then I’d like it again because, at least, walang villain sa mga pinapanood ko na Dewmaine ang pangalan.
Uhhh, no you don’t! (Image lifted from estore.robee.com)
I also have to credit my name for forcing me to listen to my math teachers when the topic is Functions and Relations. Pa’ano, paulit-ulit binabanggit ang “domain”. So feeling ko lagi akong tinatawag. I guess that’s why I found Math 14 easier than Math 11. Hehe.
What’s a domain? Oh, that’s Momster Teacher. Lame. I know. (Image lifted from www.mathsisfun.com)
On the contrary, I hate introducing myself. Especially over the phone. This is often the scenario:
With a Sosyal/Intellectual Stranger (SS)
SS: May I know who’s on the line?
Me: This is Dewmaine…
SS: Again?
Me: Deeeeew-maiiine Ma’am.
SS: Uh…Ju-what?
Me: Dewmaine Ma’am. Para pong pong Mountain Dew at Sharmaine.
SS: Huh? You’re Sharmaine?
Me: Ma’am, Dewmaine po. Delta. Echo. Whiskey. Mama. Alpha. India. Nancy. Echo
SS: Ah okaaaay…Dewmaaaaaaine…
(Note to Randy: Babe, now you know why I’m good at the International Phonetic Alphabet a.k.a. radio/over-over lingo. Matindi ang pangangailangan eh.)
(Image lifted from www.stevewiens.com)
With a Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino Stranger (PMPS)
PMPS: Sino nga ito?
Me: Si Dewmaine po.
PMPS: Ah Janine/Juning. O sige Janine/Juning ha, salamat!
So yeah, mas trip kong makipag-usap sa PMPS na lang. And I guess this is one of the reasons why I was never fond of Starbucks or any other coffee shop where the baristas are all hurrying but would pause irritated when getting my name. And then still misspell it.
My longstanding hatred toward my name began when I learned that “dew” is really pronounced as “doo” or “dyoo” and not as “jew”. So even though I greatly admire people who are conscious about correct pronunciation, naaasar din ako sa kanila when they would insist on calling me, “Doo”. Parang, Ano ba?!? Naririnig n’yo na nga that I address myself as Joo-meyn di ba? Ano’ng kaartehan ‘yang pagi-insist na “”ako si Doo-meyn?! But I can’t complain out loud because I know deep in the recesses of my mind that that is what’s right. In the same way that I call every “Stephen” I know “Stee-ven” and not “Stee-fen”. Yes ladies and gentlemen, leaning towards “V” po at hindi “F’ ang sound ng “PH” sa “Stephen”. And “Thomas” is “Tom-ass”…the “Th” just sounds like “T” as in “Tom” (you: Oooooh so that’s why Thomas’ nickname is Tom and not “Thom”).
They’re all Jewish…ibig sabihin, mga fans ko sila. Nyehehehe. (Image lifted from www.jewishhumorcentral.com)
But wait, there’s more: I was more exasperated when my American boss refused to call me “Dew”, as my other friends did. He reasoned that calling someone, “Jew” sounded racist and was actually an insult. So I better make people start calling me “Maine” when I’m in the US. Anyway, a quick Google of my name revealed that there’s a town/city in Illinois, USA whose name is also “Dewmaine”. That reminds me: I ought to put a trip to Dewmaine, Illinois in my bucket list. I have to hear how the locals call their town/city.
Image lifted from skreened.com
Before I park, I know you want to know the history behind my name. Well, Dad came up with that name. And take note, one week na akong tao nang napangalanan ako. Anyway, it’s an incorporation of my parents’ name: [Edwin + Emma] – m. Gets? And yes, he thought “dew” was pronounced as “joo”, kasi uso raw nun ang Mountain Dew and everyone was saying, it’s Mountain “Joo.”
Dew-mocracy!!! Since most people call me “Joo” and since it’s not offensive, lezzgo with the status quo. ‘Wag nang i-push ‘yang “Doo” na ‘yan, OK?
Anyway, whaddya think of my name?
Part 2 of the Name Game some time soon. 
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Diane says
March 17, 2014 at 3:00 amI have a confession to make … I’m one of those people who silently mispronounced your name. *sorry* 😉
Setting aside the mistake, I actually like your name. Ang unique at creative ng dating. There’s also a disadvantage of having “too common” names like mine. A previous teacher interchanged my grade to a classmate with the same name. I even had a schoolmate who shared the same family name. There was a time when schoolmate’s mother delivered her medicine through the Principal’s Office. I was surprised when the Principal’s secretary handed me an asthma and medicine kit. WALA PO AKONG ASTHMA hahaha
I don’t know if you are aware of this, but there are government papers that are processed faster for applicants with unique names.