It's All in A Name

Today I thought a lot about names. I wasn't quite sure how the kids here got their "English" names, but they range from Ivy to Jason to Isuki. There were Warrens, Jacks...most of the English names the students have I really like. And then...there are the odd ones.

In a class of 55 it is near impossible to remember all names, especially after two days. But, when there is an odd one...it definitely sticks out. One kid told me his name was Nike. Another introduced himself as Smart. A third stood in front of the class and said, "My name is Milk." I kind of didn't know what to do. Inside I wanted to laugh, but is that disrespectful? When I asked him to repeat himself, the other students giggled a bit, so I knew I maybe wasn't the only one who thought it was funny. There were also some Lions and Tigers in my class. (Never thought I would say that.)

At first I thought it was a translation thing. I guess I kind of thought the kids would go to a computer site - similar to the one English people can go to and get their Chinese names. But, the kids told me their names were given to them by either their parents or by their English teacher. If not, they chose them on their own. Clearly Nike, Smart, and Milk chose theirs.

Anyway I started to think about the origins of names and wanted to learn about how the Chinese get their names. At lunch I decided to do some research. Here is what I found...

Chinese names usually have three characters. The family name character comes first. Next, comes one or two characters which are chosen by the parents. This is different from the names we have, because in our culture, our family names are last.

So, if we followed the same pattern, my name would actually be Miller Maureen. Chinese people commonly address each other with full names instead of just their given name. So, let's take Yao Ming. He would be formally addressed as Mr. Yao not Mr. Ming. His informal name would stay Yao Ming. Seems complicated, but it isn't.

I also came across some information on the Chinese Zodiac calendar. I got curious: was I a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, rooster, monkey, dog, or pig? And before I even find that out, I wanted to know where this calendar came from!

One story says Buddha was leaving the earth and he summoned the animals together to say goodbye. Guess how many showed up? 12. So, to show his appreciation to those animals, Buddha named each year after one of them in a continuous cycle.

Another story goes on to describe how the order came out. It says that these 12 animals were arguing over who held the head of the cycle of years. They asked the gods to decide. So, the gods decided to hold a contest: whoever reached the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish. So, off they went. The ox was just about to jump ashore and win, but the rat had hitched a ride on his back. Right before the ox jumped ashore, the rat quickly beat him to the punch...winning the race. The pig came in last. This is why the rat is first in the cycle, and the pig is last.

1982 was the year of the dog. According to what I have read, it is a very likable sign, and apparently loyalty is it's main attribute. Here is what I pulled off about The Year of the Dog:

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth.

I kind of struggle with the fact that everyone born in 1982 falls under this category...but hey...it's just a zodiac sign! Find out what you are: Click Here