2001-03-22 - 20:01

"mintzenyams". that's what i heard when a volunteer called to tell me she was interested in helping out at the frigo. "what is your name again?" i asked. "mintzenyams", she said again a little louder. i still didn't get it. i needed more phonetic stimulation and articulation to get this so i put on my super-fab listening ears and said, "my phone sucks, can you repeat your name again?"

"MIN-TZEN-YAMS", she said, loudly and clearly.

"OK! i said... uhhh, mintzenyams?", to which she replied, "Yes."

i must admit i am currently as we speak re-writing the volunteer list and mintzenyam's name has come up. i could call her and ask how to spell her name, but i think i'll just write it down as it is.

similar situation comes up when JP calls me "AYE-dum" and do you know what? no one corrects him. not one of my friend's has corrected JP. he's francophone and has a radically oppositional conception on phonological rules than do i.

should we be insistent on ensuring the viability of a consistently and correctly pronounced name? why not have different names for different people?

anyway enough of that. if i can remember someone's name because it sounds like my favourite foods, than that's great. imagine all the spellings of names we would have.

"my friend kercheena said to jenifah"...

way cool.