Hanafedora - What Is In my Name?

I hate my name.

In the good old days where going to school was about friends and running around playing hide and seek,the boys chasing the girls, period was a taboo, we have to line up outside of our classrom before we start our lesson after recess and the class monitor need to order the whole class to say a simple good morning to the teacher. That is when I hate my name.

I always thought I have a weird name. I hate it because I know it will be pick up among 30 other names from the class list for the one who needs to answer a question from the teacher. I just wish malaysia have the "volunteering culture". That will definitely save me. Mispronounced is a norm. Oh! I hate it when it happens. Some thought its an Italian name, a French name, an English name but most of them claimed its an Indonesian name. I can't be more bothered.

Once in a while I had one or two that I swear I could see their faces turns green as if they wanted to vomit from hearing the name i introduced them to. They thought that I've made up my name so I can make it sound so "mengada'. When I explained to them that is my real name. Their faces turns to shocked. Sometimes I just laugh. Funny.

Actually it was my aunty's idea. She wanted to have a girl so that she can put "Anna fedora" for their child's name. Unfortunately the first 2 childs born was boys. One year after the second born child along came me, my aunt was so excited she gave mommy the name. Those were the days when parents were influenced by an english name due to the long-enough-british occupier here in the country. I even have a friend name "Amanda sabri". Nice name.

But now I realized its beneficial to have such a unique name. My friends remembered me eventhough its been 10 years since I left school. Shopkeeper remembered me so its easy for me to bargain stuff. Teachers and lecturers remembered me making it hard for me to be absent in class that is why I was never absent in my undergrad. The front desk banking people complimented me which sometimes makes my day. Finally, I learn to love it to bits.

Mom and Dad decided to changed it to "Hana' Fedora" because they thought it was so english although my face is as malay as it can be. So there you have it Hana' Fedora. You can call me Hana'.