When Heather is Geder is GDR
A few weeks ago – and I meant to blog about this back then, but you can see how my procrastination is running wild – the DH was chatting online with one of our nieces. She is eight years old and lives in Logroño, Spain.
At some point in the conversation, I came into the room and the DH typed: “Heather is here now and she says hi.”
My niece replied, “Who is Heather?”
Heartbreak! It is terribly difficult living so far from family – they don’t even know who you are! So I have to say I was much relieved to see the rest of the conversation:
“Heather is your aunt! You just saw her in August in Avilés.”
“Oh! You mean Geder?”
I should mention that the chat took place in Spanish and that my name is impossible in Spanish. The letter ‘H’ is silent and ‘th’ doesn’t even exist.
Sometimes a bilingual existence necessitates alter-egos. In my Spain world, mine is Geder, often shortened to just GDR.
Related Posts:
- ESPN?! Those Are Not Necessarily the Facts Okay, I have to complain. I just went to the...
- Reverse Culture Shock Anyone who has traveled away from their homeland has probably...
- Great Feasts – Secreto Ibérico I’m starting a new series here on the blog, because...
- La Costa Verde The Northern Coast, near Cabo Peñas, Spain I’m not having...
- Be Water, My Friend Okay, I have to know. Is the entire world being...
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
So at the end you must be happy, the little girl knows you and for sure she remembers you. So dont be sad. You are not so far, the world is inside your laptop.
Just curious, what’s your name in Chinese?
Oops! Sorry for not replying sooner, Elizabeth. I don’t have an “official” Chinese name, as most everyone calls me Heather, but when they do use Chinese, they call me 王孩子Wang Haizi, (haizi meaning child), which is all the more funny to my colleagues when they call Ivan 一万 Yi Wan, (meaning ten thousand), so together we are “ten thousand children.”
Heheheheh… Love that.