My full name is Jade Sheryl--not Jade, not Jadesheryl, and not Jade-Sheryl. Americans seem to have a hard time accepting this fact. "It's like Mary Jane," I tell them, "or Billy Bob." They still don't get it. (In America, if you're given two names, the second name automatically becomes your middle name.) Ever since I arrived here six years ago, it's been a constant struggle to set things straight, especially when it comes to paperwork. My husband keeps telling me to give up the fight, not worth the aggravation, he says. But I can't. I was born with that name, and I'll fight to keep it. The battle:
Credit Cards. The credit-card invitations I get in the mail have either of the three iterations I've mentioned above. If I'm interested, I call them up and say, "I'll sign up for your card if you can fix my name." Their response is either it's "too long" or "we can't fit two words." WTF! (I acquiesced once because the deal they gave me was too good to pass up. They printed my name as Jade S. Y. Z---.)
License. When I got my Learner's Permit, same response (too long...no two words). So my name came out as Jade,Sheryl. Then, when I applied for my driver's license, the rude woman behind the desk made me choose between Jade or Jadesheryl. "See here miss, the computer won't accept the spacebar." Fucker. I chose the former.
Citizenship. Now this is tricky. When I got my green card, both names were printed correctly. When I applied for citizenship by mail, some clerk (probably caffeine-deprived) typed in my name as Jake Sheryl. I sent them a letter to correct my name, and when their acknowledgement came back, they addressed me only as Jade. Now I don't know if that's what my citizenship card's going to say. I'll have to wait and see.
So for all the people in the world with a Samuel, a Kay, a Renan, a Rose, I hope you're not having as hard a time as I am. The Beths, Aldwyns and Teds are the lucky ones.
7 comments:
Hehe....
In Japan, it was a similar kinda story. They couldn't understand the hyphenated last name. I wanted to keep Castillo-Winsor and they had the hardest time.
Here in the UK, it depends. I usually have Beth C W-- on my cards, but there are some who actually spell out my maiden name.
R and I have been racking our brains about names for our child! We have a few in mind, but I don;t think we've hit the jackpot already :)
Gosh, picking out a name was the hardest decision we've ever made. We actually changed his middle name a few days before he was born.
Good luck!
Hi Jake Sheryl, nice to meet you ;)
I dropped Kay after I got married. I thought it was time, I never really liked being called Kristyn Kay because that was my elementary name (EVERYONE called me by my complete name, imagina unsa ka taas?? "kristyn kay kristyn kay asa ka paingon kristyn kay?").
I do feel a bit bad not being able to include my mom's maiden name though since I totally love it. KML na ko diri ron and the hyphen name is very common so way blema :) Diri kay okay ra maski five million ang second name nimo (which is really their version of a middle name). but even if la koy second name diri, tagaan gyapon nakog second name among mga anak hehehe (already have names for both girl and boy, decision was made before we even got married hehehe)
well, actually, i don't remember anyone calling me jade sheryl all the time. maybe jokingly, but that's it.
wow--mga anak. how many do you plan on having?
5 siguro hahahaha bitaw dili uy, more than one definitely
sus! pasalamat ka mao ra na imo problema, dri sa pinas kay ang ilang g-problemahn kay sa kadaghan sa anak, ang pangalan kay uno,dos, tres, kwatro,singko, ug sais...imagine! unsa kabuang sa inahan ug amahan... hahaha...mine is usually meyspeylld...i usually end up with brazil or brasil... nevertheless, i love my name!!! WHOA! hi beth, and kristyn kay...love you all...musta namo?
hoy hija! may gani nakahigayon ka ug bisita diri...thanks for stopping by. send me pics of analy's wedding, ok? or sa friendster pwede pud.
take care and i miss you. mwah!
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