day 56_business cards

Any Thursday that feels like Friday is a welcome day, and because my company has planned some "corporate team building activities" for all day tomorrow, this was basically my Friday for the week. I made it to work at a decent hour, stayed busy-busy and had lunch with a couple of coworkers. The weather was lovely... definitely the kind of day when I wish I was outdoors instead of living behind a desk! But the real excitement to my day came just as I was preparing to head home.

My business cards have finally arrived! <Insert cheers here> And I really wanted to post a pic for you! [But I've decided I don't actually want my business card on the world wide web for all to see...]

I have been anxiously awaiting the day, and so excited about my new bilingual business cards... but there is a catch. They sort of, kind of, definitely printed the wrong Chinese name for me - and I was totally depressed about it. You may recall -from previous blog- that the office had quite a bit of fun tossing out Chinese name ideas for me, and eventually settled on a first and last name that I liked and could more or less pronounce. This also meant that the hubby could be given a Chinese name with the same last name as me. But instead, the cards were printed with a shortened version of Elizabeth (in Chinese). No last name.

Even as I type this, I am kicking myself for being so frivolous (I know)... but I guess it was just a moment I have really been looking forward to (!) followed by a letdown. I took the cards, acted grateful, and will get over it... but it was a hard moment for sure. There's not really anything to argue. The cards were printed with a more literal translation of my true English name. Even still, there is something about it.

Now before you start pitying me - because I have done such an excellent job of playing the poor innocent lamb - let's consider the following:
A. This is a frivolous fret all together
B. Technically the translation is my name
C. I work for the green building design team and was just handed a large stack of business cards. There is NO way that I am going to ask them to reprint that entire stack... so not green! : /
So there.

I have always like my English name -and the many forms of it- I have adopted the nickname that I think "feels like me". Maybe having a Chinese name that I liked and could pronounce made me feel a sense of belonging? Where as, receiving a different name all of a sudden made me feel like I don't belong. [Oh, your name has been Jan for the past two months? Sorry. It will be Jananee from now on every time you introduce yourself...] Having cards still beats not having them. I no longer have to accept someone else's card only to tell them that I don't have any. I just need to learn how to say my new name now... I think I will still refer to myself using the initial Chinese name that I liked so much whenever the setting allows... It just won't be on my cards.

Hmph. So there you have it.