You sadly make the erroneous assumption that people actually take the time to read her her real name.
Americans easily become hideous confused by Japanese names and the "consonant/vowel" pattern. We seem to insist on throwing extra letters in on a whim, or swapping around the ones that are already there (Like the time she was called "Komoko." Sorry, only one "o").
We also like to accent syllables differently. I tend to pronounce her name "kiMEEko", while her mother pronounced it "KIMiko". Even the Japanese will use these different pronunciations.
Yeah, just like my friend DocRyder said. I think the worst was Kokomo, like the Beach Boys song, and that from a woman I worked with for nearly a year by that time.
There's been Kikimu, Kimoko, Komiko, and just plain stammering and looking uncomfortable. At that point I just tell them to call me Kim. And I've been dealing with this since I was a kid, so that's why I wanted a simple SCA name like Joan(e).
And I may just see what our Herald suggests, our old one, as our new one I don't know too well.
Yeah. I see what you mean. I am continually amazed at the amount of people who mispronounce kimono. Come on... I don't expect your vowel sounds to be precise and Japanese, but pronouncing both the i and the terminal o like a is just laziness!
Of course I won't mispronounce kamikaze or karaoke no matter who doesn't understand me. So I'm a snob. =)
People have trouble pronouncing your real name?! But it's said just like it's spelled!
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Americans easily become hideous confused by Japanese names and the "consonant/vowel" pattern. We seem to insist on throwing extra letters in on a whim, or swapping around the ones that are already there (Like the time she was called "Komoko." Sorry, only one "o").
We also like to accent syllables differently. I tend to pronounce her name "kiMEEko", while her mother pronounced it "KIMiko". Even the Japanese will use these different pronunciations.
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There's been Kikimu, Kimoko, Komiko, and just plain stammering and looking uncomfortable. At that point I just tell them to call me Kim. And I've been dealing with this since I was a kid, so that's why I wanted a simple SCA name like Joan(e).
And I may just see what our Herald suggests, our old one, as our new one I don't know too well.
Reply
Of course I won't mispronounce kamikaze or karaoke no matter who doesn't understand me. So I'm a snob. =)
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