What's in a name?

I'm immensely proud of the unique name that my parents gave me, But it sometimes (*read most of the times) drives me nuts when people fail to pronounce / spell it right...

How hard is it?? Its just a four letter word R - I - N - O or more clearly just a two syllable word 'Ri' 'No'

There are people in my life who have been conveniently using different variations of my  name to address me, my humble efforts to correct them have always remained futile and

every time I try to correct them, they stare blankly at me with a whats_wrong_in_what_I'm_saying look  : / and that look Shhhshs me up instantly... : P

 So  I have been stuck with those variant-names for years now .

 Check these out:

 #REENA

My favorite math teacher coined this name for me.

 She handed out some test papers in my first year and my test paper had the name 'Reena' scribbled on it.

 I took the paper back to her and said that this wasn't my paper and so these weren't my scores.

 She took one look at the paper and said that it was mine and I suck at math.. : (

  I agreed that I suck at Math, but c'mmon this wasn't at all my name.. : /

 Me-  "Ma'am but my name is not 'Reena' its 'R-I-N-O' "

 Teacher-  "Rino ?? what kinda name is that ?? "

 Me-  "Ummm.. Er.. The one my parents gave me i guess ? "

 Teacher-" It doesn't sound right at all, and to me calling you 'Reena' appears simpler. So now stop arguing  and go improve your math scores."

 Me- ?

 And that's how I have been stuck with 'Reena' for the past 13 yrs now and though Math still creeps the hell out of me, I have so gotten used to it that every time I hear her say 'Reena' it makes me smile... : )

# RINU

One of my aunt and a neighbour calls me this since my birth, to them its easier to use the syllable 'U' than 'O' coz if you call-out 'Rinoooooooooo'  its sounds very shrill and 'Rinuuuuuuuuuuu' sounds very sweet.

Geez Aunties, thanks for changing my name to be in perfect harmony of your vocal chords... :P

But i got to agree that when my Mum calls-out to me as 'Rinoooooo' it does sound like some fishermen-folklore.. : /

# RENU

Most of the people call me 'Renu' as they feel no Hindu female name ends with  'O' , it should either end with 'A' or ' I ' or 'U'

Really ?? That made me embark on one of my life's quest of trying to find a reasonable Hindu feminine name ending with 'O'

Countless failed google searches and references has not dithered me in my quest yet, but a little help here would not b that bad.. : D

#R(h)INO

I swear I'll kill the next person who uses this word to address me. Really Rhino ???  Dude please use a spell-check, there is no 'h' in my name.. : /

My grandparents and maternal relatives back in my native place call me with many nicknames and I think they have actually forgotten my real name coz when the postman came with a letter addressed to me, my grandpa said "The address is correct, but who the hell is Rino?" Sheesh. : /

I'm sure the ones who have stumbled by here and are reading this post are vigorously making a google search to find out the meaning of the word 'Rino'. Yup I did it too, but the damn Google reports that Rino means 'Little King' in Italian and is used as a BOY's name.

Noooooooooo... Noooooooooo.. It's a girls name!.. a girl's name!... No matter what the pizza dudes think. :P

I really hate you 'Google' even though you help me a lot at work  for this defamatory remark that Rino is a 'Boy's name'. Bleah!.. : /

And I would also like to stick with my dad's version that he named me 'Rino' which means 'new' in Greek after reading the word in a political science book coz my birth gave a new meaning to his life.. [Wow! that's really very cool Dad, but I still wish you had picked up  the Book with baby names when u were planning to name your baby... :P]

Though I do have doubts regarding my dad's version (probably he just used this tale to soothe my feelings towards the bizarre name they gave me), my humble request to any of the  Greek experts who have stumbled by is please please do not burst my bubble ever.. : |

In college when I had introduced myself, one of the professors had exclaimed "Is it Greek!"

I had taken it as a question and explained to him that yes it was and it means 'new' in Greek.

But now that I think of it, he could have just been using the expression 'Your name sounds all Greek to me..' Sheesh : /

Having said and gone through all that, I too would want to name my kid with a unique name so that one day he/she can grow up and sue me for crippling him/her for life... : P

Guess it runs in my genes now... Muhahahahaha.. : D