Believe it or not,
it is rare that someone will pronounce my name one hundred percent
correctly. Sure, my name isn’t long, nor does it have multiple consonants that
make you feel as if you’re reading a different language. Actually, I’ve heard
people refer to my full name as “short, but sweet.” So you’re probably
thinking, what’s the big issue?
Nicole Gillian
Lue—on the surface it doesn’t seem too complicated. My first name is a piece of
cake, but it’s when we get to Gillian that we start to see problems. No, my
middle name is not pronounced like the gill of a fish; and yes, there is
supposed to be a “G”—it is not a spelling error. Despite the confusion with the
letter “g,” I’d take Gillian over Gladice any day, considering that that is
what my parents originally wanted.
My last name is
only three, simple letters, yet it is the part of my name that is mispronounced
most often. I’ve actually found the different ways people have said my last
name to be quite creative. There’s the classic, “Luey,” which tends to be the
most popular, but there’s also “Lue-a” pronunciation. Perhaps the most
problematic part of having Lue as a last name comes from the fact that my father
works for an English bank. In England, the toilet or the bathroom is referred
to as the “loo.” Although it is spelled differently, the pronunciation is
identical. This never fails to make making a dinner or hotel reservation in
England a bit awkward. When making a reservation, most people laugh or think
that my dad is a teenager thought it would be funny to make a reservation under
the name “loo.” That being said, my family has learned to make reservations
under our first names.
Clearly, my name
is not as cut and dry as it seems. It may appear simple, but when someone goes
to say my name out loud (especially if that person is from England), that
simplicity seems to disappear into thin air. The same goes for getting to know
me as a person. I may seem like the typical student who is involved with clubs
and sports, but it turns out that my personality is more complex than that.
There’s a lot more to me than the girl who seems to have it all together.
I really enjoyed reading your blog.It's definitely interesting to hear your perspective on the pronunciations(and mispronunciations) of your name, as well as the problems you face in the UK with your last name. My parents, when they first heard your last name, didn't believe me at first! Your personality definitely showed through this post, but I think one thing you could have worked on was showing your stance on global issues-that didn't really come across very clearly to me. But all in all, I really liked your post! Good job!
ReplyDeleteThis is a spectacular post. I think the way you wrote it is very smooth and it's not at all choppy. I think that it has just the right amount of pretty much everything. There's humor, explaination, and detail and all under 600 words, it's very developed and impressive, and quite intimidating when comparing my writing to yours. Anyways, it was very enjoyable to read. I love the whole thing you added about the "loo". I really like the whole meaning behind explaining that things are more complex than what they seem to be. I like that point of view that you have.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! i think you Included your personality well and it is an interesting post. I love the humor in your blog because it makes it interesting to read. I love how you wrote about how people pronounce your name because it was a unique idea to write about. I understand that it may seem like your global stance wasn't shown, however it showen by they way words can easily be mixed up when you go different places. I could defiantly connect to what you wrote which is also why i liked it!
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