What was that again?
New Indian guy to join my office.
Boss comes up to me and asks, 'How do you pronounce his name correctly? I want to make sure we useless Americans get it right.'
'Why should it bother you Jack? You have been mispronouncing my name for four years.'
The poor guy was so rattled that I felt bad and quickly tried to calm him down, 'Not that I really care. As long as it doesn't get distorted to Bitch.'
'So it is not Sumaaaan?'
'No, it is Summmun. Mun as in 'fun'.
'Oh ok. Simple enough. I will remember that.'
'Seeuuuummmun, he hollered the next day when I walked into his office.
'No no', I said shaking my head with dismay and regretting the freakier version that was emerging. 'Su…as in Subbramanikanteshwar. Forget it, it's fine actually.'
'Suman, did you manage to get that transmittal out? he asked when I was busy at the copying center.
Not recognizing my own name when it was pronounced right, I didn't even bother to look up this time.
Boss comes up to me and asks, 'How do you pronounce his name correctly? I want to make sure we useless Americans get it right.'
'Why should it bother you Jack? You have been mispronouncing my name for four years.'
The poor guy was so rattled that I felt bad and quickly tried to calm him down, 'Not that I really care. As long as it doesn't get distorted to Bitch.'
'So it is not Sumaaaan?'
'No, it is Summmun. Mun as in 'fun'.
'Oh ok. Simple enough. I will remember that.'
'Seeuuuummmun, he hollered the next day when I walked into his office.
'No no', I said shaking my head with dismay and regretting the freakier version that was emerging. 'Su…as in Subbramanikanteshwar. Forget it, it's fine actually.'
'Suman, did you manage to get that transmittal out? he asked when I was busy at the copying center.
Not recognizing my own name when it was pronounced right, I didn't even bother to look up this time.
Thursday, April 07, 2005 |






























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Blog Weight Loss December 5, 2014 10:58 PM PST ![]() Good idea and more informations | ||
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Pallavi April 21, 2005 10:51 PM PDT ![]() hahah I have our counterparts there calling me PAAHLAAVI | ||
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Akshaya April 16, 2005 04:54 AM PDT ![]() Interesting blog you have it seems! Will havta come more often! :) -- Akshaya | ||
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alpha April 9, 2005 01:33 PM PDT ![]() uspeed, sudeep..wah wah..what creativity. uspeed should be easier for 'them'. | ||
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uspeed April 9, 2005 01:10 PM PDT ![]() with my name (sudeep) the problem is they are toooooo familiar with something very close (sandeep), and they say the other one perfectly :-D | ||
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alpha April 8, 2005 06:54 PM PDT ![]() chakri, you are nowhere close..just chill! | ||
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Name April 8, 2005 05:57 PM PDT ![]() true, Suman Jha | ||
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alpha April 8, 2005 01:24 PM PDT ![]() Gabby, Thanks sweety... i'm glad you just walked into the blogworld and haven't started calling me alpha on the phone. | ||
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Gratisgabe April 8, 2005 12:59 PM PDT ![]() One busy morning and by the time I come to this ma'am has posted, post-mortemed and what-not!...Sumana I'm the only one who prefers Suman to Alpha it seems... | ||
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alpha April 8, 2005 11:56 AM PDT ![]() Patrix: Oh wait, I have many more posts on my name. So take a deep breath. And what are you waiting for..click the ads and return the favour. No typepad for me. A good dinner is more like it. Boredwife: I told you to get that divorce before you become skeptical and increasingly bored in life. See, now that's whats happened. Hope that was snooty enough for you. People, I am still planning on posting as alpha..so don't slash-Suman or bracket-Suman me. I seriously won't take offense. | ||
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m April 8, 2005 11:36 AM PDT ![]() .........boredom takes me down many unneccessary paths- i would hardly call that obsession.........blunt to the point of rudeness perhaps i might be- but hardly obsessed. | ||
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AmitL April 8, 2005 09:36 AM PDT ![]() LOL.Twin,why not tell them to call u Alpha??:)Funny pronounciations can get really,err,funny,u know....:)And,I can't really believe u told ur boss Su as in Subramanikanteshwar. Poor guy would have fainted....why not su as in subtle,for instance?BTW,what was the new guy's name????Out here,I've had my simple name pronounced as Ameet,Hamid,Hameed,etc etc...:) | ||
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star April 8, 2005 07:26 AM PDT ![]() Heretic: When I read your solace over your last name I just about coughed up my coco puffs. Alpha(Suman) cant take solace over that either. Her last name, if converted into life size dimensions could cover three states-end to end! Ashwin: Yo! Just tell them to call you Win! Problem solved. Alpha(Suman): Im taking over your comment box if that's ok with you. | ||
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Heretic April 8, 2005 01:21 AM PDT ![]() Aaah! The first name is really open to surgery, especially after it gets anglicized to the lil menace of a brat who keeps harassing old Mr. Wilson. It might help if one is named after one's pet... mine is Dino :D It gets easier with the surname: I get away by explaining it reflects where my forefathers came from... Most of them get the Eire part right. :)) | ||
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:-) April 8, 2005 12:35 AM PDT ![]() Finally the real name has come out. :-) Its only a matter of time before your boss reads your blog. Spare a post tell us how nice and handsome he is. | ||
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shub April 8, 2005 12:08 AM PDT ![]() LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!! so sue-maaaaaaaaaaaaan!! ok baaaad one! :p | ||
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Tan April 7, 2005 11:12 PM PDT ![]() Heee heee! :-) | ||
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namesake April 7, 2005 10:33 PM PDT ![]() one of my friends named Anant had a tough time aswell, 'An Ant' is how they interpretted it. now the poor soul is stuck with it! | ||
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the fillerman April 7, 2005 08:08 PM PDT ![]() Ah, natural post, now that the name is out. I had stopped thinking of you as Suman. Feels wierd now. | ||
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alpha April 7, 2005 06:11 PM PDT ![]() lol ashwin, I bet they get the win part right...loosers! ermm..I am sure we go around butchering their names too.. John is actually Jaan. | ||
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alpha April 7, 2005 06:08 PM PDT ![]() Matrix: Suddenly bringing lalitaji into the picture is scaring the shit out of me. Please don't do that again. How are they to blame when the 'Ra' is pronounced differently in Raju and Ravi? Teja Singh, De ja apna beja! What link? What scared? Poor kid, I guess you are hallucinating. Star: No, male version of my name is Suma. Oh well, what would you know abt Indian names. poor Pratik was called prick. Name: Now that is a name no one would confuse. Transpo Engineer? I take care of the smooth operation of Traffic by designing great roads. Pardon me, while I blow my whistle and flash a Stop sign. Maybe a post about this is due. | ||
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Ashwin April 7, 2005 06:07 PM PDT ![]() i have been at the receiving end too. telling someone here that the "Ash" part is pronounced as "Ush" as in "usher"(not the singer) results in me being called "Ewwshwin" most of the time.. | ||
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Name April 7, 2005 02:34 PM PDT ![]() Suman, What does a transportation engineer do? | ||
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star April 7, 2005 02:07 PM PDT ![]() is the male counterpart of your name suwoman? ....... Dont feel bad, I wouldnt know they were calling you either! | ||
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Matrix April 7, 2005 12:38 PM PDT ![]() damn they cant even get my name right? Lalita ji will surely get angry at this! | ||
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alpha April 7, 2005 11:59 AM PDT ![]() m, haha I did realize it was PC's name. see, everyone is coming out in the open with their real names. And thanks for calling me cute. Did PC approve? Star: You are at least lucky. When people are calling me by the male counterpart of my name, I wouldn't even know. Good thing abt this country- They dont know Suman could be a boy's name. I'm lucky in a way too. There is no couch nearby. | ||
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star April 7, 2005 11:29 AM PDT ![]() I've gone through my name issues before but it still bugs me that people dont get my name right sometimes. I think I have the most american name ever and they still call me by the male counterpart of my name. Is there a couch nearby where I can lie down and tell someone how I feel about this? | ||
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m April 7, 2005 11:28 AM PDT ![]() should read as my sons name- better clarify-knowing you - i will be known as the weirdo with a guys name.....haha. | ||
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m April 7, 2005 11:23 AM PDT ![]() i ran my three names through a test run of 15 office staff - before i chose - pravan- believe it or not - they could all pronounce that one right.......... | ||
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alpha April 7, 2005 11:09 AM PDT ![]() shoba: Lol amma..now that would have scarred me for life. zo: as you can see, I have been dying to tell this all this while. You don't like my face, my name... I'm inconsolable now. Anyway, I will be blogging as alpha. | ||
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Shobha April 7, 2005 10:49 AM PDT ![]() Heheheheee....u bet, I am called Amma by some friends :| Dont ask me why...but am so sued to the friggin name tht I actualyl turned back once when iw as in the road a kid yelled Amma....the point is one gts so conditioned....hehe! | ||
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