The Name Game

-
Just like everyone else, the first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone. (Don't lie.) Most of the messages I read are conversations started by friends and family, and they usually open by calling me a (nick)name. Here are some common/amusing/recent ones that I've been called:

Tocinoface
Because most of my conversations with Sera always comes back to our love for tocino.

Wanker
I don't think Sheri has ever used my real name.

Punk
I get called this a lot even though I'm certainly no punk. 

Bebi 
An inside joke that evolved into a meme. It's really "baby" but in an Arabic accent.

Princess 
In a sarcastic way. Always. Usually my family - brothers, cousins, who say things like "Hey, Princess, you done being useless?"

Mr. Chris
My 10-year-old students assigned me this nickname. I don't even remember the story of this name, but I remember it was hilarious.

Madame President / Roslin
Only because I monopolize the presidency (which is always quickly stolen from me). #BSG

Bess / Biana
My brother Waleed started this meme when we were kids. He would change the first letter of our names to the letter B, and for some reason, we thought this was hilarious. Now, even colleagues at work call me this.

Tamatim
The "Arabic version" of my last name. Technically, all my brothers were called this, too.

Miss Reem
Many times I've introduced myself as Nessreen, people think I want them to address me as Miss Reem. Naturally, it stuck. For a while back in university, I had a bunch of people call me Christine after hearing me wrong, and I didn't correct them - just to avoid having to explain things.

Booby
Sally started this one a few years ago. Our favorite story: We were at a party where we met Fadi, who thought it was my name, and introduced me to everyone else as Booby. Contrary to popular belief, Sally didn't mean boobs. I can't remember what it was exactly, but it's some European word that sounds like Booby. 

Alberto
Rayan and I had this long-running joke that involves lame porno plots and subplots (I'm not gonna get into it here), and for a while, we called each other Alberto. It got picked up by everyone else, and now, I am (and he is) occasionally referred to as Alberto, the sexy, South American, ethnically ambiguous pool cleaner in leopard print.

What are your name stories?

Comments

  1. SherilinRJanuary 31, 2012 at 11:57 AM

    i like your many names. you certain have plenty & they're so colorful!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

OTHER POSTS BY NESSREEN:

#45 ~ V-Day

-
Image
Happy Valentine's Day, Bebi!  All the way from Jeddah. Coz Bebi, WE ARE CLEAR. While most of the world is celebrating love and commercialism, our Hay2a is busy prowling the streets ( again ) for businesses and individuals participating in this love-mongering, and preaching against this day. In the process, they have unwittingly been raising more awareness and promoting this holiday. Hilarity ensues. Great job on defeating your purpose(s)! On a lighter note, here's a great post from Sharifa's photo blog , and here is a song from the Backstreet Boys, for is there not a better time to unleash the boyband ballads than on an equally mushy day? You agree with me, of course. Enjoy! And if you're one-half of a couple, remember never to compare your relationship to others (because that's very unfair and stupid), and always make time to spend with each other. "Attention is truly valuable." - Seth Godin
Read more

Eleanor.

-
I got a pretty inspiring quote from a friend today. It goes: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt Now, that's quite true. A little insensitive to the little details of the things, people and situations that make someone feel inferior, but sure, she might truly be on to something here. The quote implies that everyone has (and can) control everything that goes on in their lives. That is of course, misleading. Human relationships and the human mind are both very complex and so intertwined that there is no way for anyone to be in full control of what or who makes them feel inferior. Therefore, it is important to remember that these quotes are not to be followed religiously in all aspects all the time. Think of it as a reminder to be aware of the things you can control so you may control them, and to eliminate those things you are able to eliminate so that you are not made to feel inferior. Eliminate. What will you be eliminating?
Read more

Fear vs Faith

-
We don't always know where our faith lies. Or even what it looks like. Or if it's ever enough to sustain us. We stumble around in our meaningless existence, with our gadgets and that endless babble of apps running in the background, straining against religion. "We are atheists!", we cry. Silently. We are not for the rigid walls of any religion, we don't subscribe to these restrictions, these violations on our freedom, these killings of our true selves. We are young, we are invincible. We are such strong people. We are so strong we refer to ourselves in the collective. There is no abstract idea that can break us, not words, not heartbreak, not betrayal, not fate nor any series of unfortunate events. Except maybe something so basic and so physical as literal, unbearable pain. And only then do we draw on our faith. "God SURELY wouldn't give me anything I wouldn't be able to handle. For He is All-Compassionate, He is Most Merciful." ...
Read more

Band-Aided.

-
Image
When they said that Band-Aid s could fix anything, I didn't really believe it. Early this year, (a few months after I bought my laptop Olaf), I dropped my phone charger on it and the thin layer glossed over it acquired a tiny crack. Over time, the crack got bigger. I resisted the urge to put a sticker over it, mainly because the reason I loved Olaf so much was how minimalist and white it was. Anything would've distracted from this. Besides, there isn't a sticker cool enough to be on the cover of Olaf. (Yes, I mother it to death.) However, it really got worse. I had to do something. The solution? A nice kiddie adhesive bandage that I can remove anytime (in the event that I get tired of looking at it) without causing the crack to expand. Yes, Band-Aid AND Snoopy are always the best solutions. *** You know how sometimes you say the stupidest thing, and you realize that AS SOON AS YOU SAY IT, at that exact moment when you just can't take it back? Man, I hate that feeling. ...
Read more