So I was tagged. And no matter how gosh-darn corny, I can never resist a tag. Dang it.
The premise is simple: Share the different names that different people call you.
My first name alone gives people a whole lot of ways to corrupt it. These different versions of Jewel are obviously the most common:
It is often pronounced correctly: “joo-wuhl”
Sometimes, a little more Tagalized: “joo-wel”
But there’s the more common than you’d think “jee-wel”
And rarely enough, but it has happened OMG: “jeh-wel”
I’m just glad no one calls me Christine. DON’T START.
The others worth mentioning are:
Jung
pronounced Joong
We all know how parents get gigil with their children’s names, right? This is what my Mom came up with. From Jewel, I became Jung Jung. (Thank you, Mom.) Which was eventually shortened to Jung. And the nickname somehow, magically, unbelievably, with the unfathomable powers only a parent can possess has spread… And now the whole world knows my semi-mabaho nick.
Jew
not the religion
For those are too lazy to call me “Jewel,” or who just haven’t warmed up to “Jung.” One friend, Jake, who isn’t lazy and doesn’t call me “Jung,” calls me Jew-girl. He’s by far the only one who’s ever called me that. Let’s not forget another special version though:
The Jew
again, not the religion
This is thanks to the strange way that Baddie’s mind works. How I was suddenly deserving of a “The” to precede my name, I don’t know. This way, at least, he’s not allowed to bad-mouth me lest he be grossly misunderstood. This nickname is (super)slowly infiltrating the online world. Ohnoes.
Denise
The rest of the UPLB Jocks still call me this a lot. It was my airname back when I was on LBFM, our local radio station there. I wanted it to be Clarice but it couldn’t be at the time because someone beat me to it! It would have been cool to give people the excuse to say “Well helloooo Clarice.” “Hello, Denise” just doesn’t quite cut it.
Ate
I don’t think my brother ever called me anything else. And in the way of the Filipino family, my Mom calls me “Ate” too. Even when my younger brother isn’t around. I guess she finally got tired of “Jung Jung.” It’s funny though how a term of respect can lose its meaning along the way, and in several ways, too:
Ate Yooh-wuhl
said best in the most retarded possible way
Courtesy of my “slightly” younger cousin Cindy when she’s feeling malambing or… not. When she’s bored. When she’s happy. When she’s hungry. Whenever she feels like it. She gives me no choice in the matter really. Moving on.
Ate Fass
Back when I was all skin and bones and fat ass. Hahahahaha. This one’s phased out… Because my ass is now just “well-rounded,” thank you. Again, courtesy of the Angeles cousins.
Miss
Borne of the imaginative minds of the tricycle drivers, carpenters, tambays and trabahadors. “Hi Miss” they say when I pass by. Always with a “sexy” smirk. Right.
And now my task is done and my blog post is too long. Did I miss anything?
I pass the Meme Curse onto: Celine, Siesha (How do you spell your nickname, Miz Iya Santos???), Baddie (I double dog dare you. And Ade!), Ade, Japs, Anna O.
That’s more than 5 people, but whatever. Game!
