the name game

Many people here in China have so-called English names. Often at the
school we are required to name the children on the spot. The parents
look at you expectantly as your mind goes blank and you grasp for
names of friends and relatives or celebrities that have two syllables or
so and no tricky sounds.

But many times students already have a name, one too strange or old-
fashioned to come from an American. I don't know where they get them,
but I kinda like it. It's fun and a little retro to teach a Peggy or a Morris,
or maybe a Mickey or a Winnie.

Tim with the old-timily-named Betty.

And it gets better. Many cultures give names with direct meanings,
including this one. My friend's Chinese name literally translates to
"Beautiful Rainbow," while her English name Catherine has somewhat
vague Greek origins (torture?!). These differences, plus the Chinese
tendency for nicknames, result in some gruh-ate 英文的名字. Such as
Haiti, Star, Lake, Panda, Tiger, Sparky, Yo-yo, Banker, Spring, Philos,
Even, Iki, Aiki, and Icy, Cherry, Black, Queenie, Ichiro, Fake, Windy,
Baby, Nite, and He-man. Good times.