Yet Another Name Game

I like to think that the woman I share a cubicle with, Teuy, and I have gotten close. We spend our days working only 6 feet apart from eachother and while it's not constant chatter it is always reassuring to know that she is there. Working, talking on the telephone, looking at pictures of Winnie the Pooh. Teuy loves Pooh. Teuy wears a ring of Pooh holding a pearl. Teuy has a toilet paper dispenser in the shape of Pooh. Teuy works surrounded by pictures, cartoons, stickers of Pooh and the gang. Teuy ends many sentences with, "you know, I love Pooh." When I recently asked why she loved Pooh so much her response was, "we have the same figure. And he's cute like me." I love Teuy. Teuy loves Pooh.

Teuy's real name is Chollada. Our at least it was until Friday. Friday afternoon Teuy left the desk for about 20 minutes. As she floated casually back into the cubicle I looked up. "Where have you been?" I asked. "Changed my name," she said. "I'm now Chollaphat."

This is not the first time I have witnessed a Thai person change their name at the drop of a hat. The office secretary recently went from Aey to Sassy and a boy in my class who mysteriously disappeared from my roster came to my office to inform me that he changed his name because his old name was "bad luck." Everyone else takes this in total stride. "Oh I'm sorry Collada isn't your name anymore? What should I call you now?" Name changing is common and quite normal. Whenever I ask a Thai person why this occurs the answer is always, "Thai people are crazy! Oh and by the way I'm not going by Pornthip anymore."