Nick Names

Date: April 21, 2011

I was teaching a class this morning and we were playing a game.  On the powerpoint slide was a picture of a girl with the word bubble: "Hello.  My name is Elizabeth.  But you can call me Beth."  The question was "What is Beth?"   I was trying to elicit the answer "Beth is a nickname."  It was a vocab in one of their lessons and in the other classes, with a little help, the students quickly got the answer.  But this class was having a hard time actually getting the answer.

So my co-teacher, the lovely Mrs Kim, pops up and joins in me trying to explain the slide.

Mrs Kim: "Her name is Maggie.  But she is also called Catfish.  You know the word catfish?" [She pantomimes  the exaggerated mustache that is the universal symbol for catfish.]  "Yes.  Okay.  Maggie's blah blah blah* is Catfish.  What is blah blah blah?"

I kid you not.  I broke into a huge smile--because it is true.  I didn't know she knew that I actually do go by Catfish with my friends.  Sarah, my best friend in Korea, frequently will call me not by Maggie, but by Catfish.   For Mrs Kim to just pull this out--it made my morning!

* = In Korea, they use "blah blah blah" instead of "blank."  In America, I would use "Maggie's blank is Catfish."  In Korea, blank is replaced with blah blah blah.  Half the time I feel like I am in a Ke$ha song.

ps:  I have never really had a nickname before.  Since my name really is Maggie (not Margret), it is not like there is a super obvious nickname.  My brother goes by CDank, but that has a flavor to it.  MDank does not.  Plus there are two M-Danks in my family: Mom and Me. So, to actually have a real nickname makes me smile.

pps:  Having the nickname Catfish makes me really want to fill out one of those official forms (I remember college forms) that has the following questions:
            First Name: __________________________________
            Last Name: __________________________________
           Other Names (nick names): _____________________

I don't know if it be very professional, but it would be a great "WTF?" moment (if they actually take the time to look at the forms.  If I was looking for a way to differentiate me from the average joe--I think I just found it.  Maggie "Catfish" Dank.  Yep, that is not average.