Thoughts on a Train

I wrote both of these on the train to Frankfurt on Friday. I should have been getting some work done, but adding to my blog seemed much more exciting.

Why do people call me Beth?

Here’s a brief overview of the types of names I deal with on a daily basis in Western Europe: Yannick, Gregana, Pietro, Ignacio, Geza and Titia. There are others that I still haven’t figured out how to pronounce or spell. And yet, I do not call these people Yan, Piet, Ig, Gez or Tit (thankfully). So why exactly is it universally and naturally assumed that Bethany can be shortened to Beth? I’ve been walking around with this name for roughly thirty years (give or take a few) and am rather certain that this is not a terribly common name, especially in non-US cultures. So, why exactly do people from other countries automatically assume that Bethany can be shortened to Beth? Somehow in the only one month that I have been working in WE, my name has become…to some…Beth. I’m getting emails to this “Beth” person and in meetings, my work is referred to as “Beth’s” analysis. Who is this person and why is she getting all the credit? I wouldn’t begin to assume, if I met someone named Nadja, that I could start calling her Nad. So why Beth?
One could argue that the “th” sound in Bethany is a difficult sound for some cultures to make (I’m regularly called Bettany or Be-tan-ya). But abbreviation doesn’t solve this problem?
My other hypothesis is that there has been in the past a less-than-savory character named Bethany who could not in full-confidence own up to the richness of her full-name. She hence created an alter-ego…which everyone came to know…and hence “beth” was written into western europe lexicon.
It’s not that I’m against a nickname. I realize that my name has a whole three syllables which can get a bit overwhelming to some. If you must shorten it, I actually like the name “B” as in “Hey B” (best spoken with enthusiasm from Kristin Kent). Even Betney – the name my parents and sister have called me for years – is one that I’ll answer to. But Beth? It seems so simple….so country….so Little House on the Prairie.

That’s Awesome.

My office loves to make fun of people from different counties. Primarily because we are all from different countries. Depending on the day we all make fun of the British, the Hungarians, the Italians…the French get more than their fair share…and occasionally it’s time for the Americans. Luck would have it that I am the only American on my team right now…so when it’s USA’s time to be ridiculed, I stand and look amused like a Texan in a vegetarian restaurant.

It basically all comes down to one word. “Awesome” I’ll admit that I’m guilty of sprinkling this word throughout my day on a regular basis. It’s like “sweet” or “great” or “excellent”….a random adjective used to express that I’m pleased with something. But Europeans find this hilarious. When enquiring as to the hilarity I’m told “God is awesome, waterfalls are awesome…office reports are not awesome. Getting your email to work is not awesome. “ Clearly if you are European, you use the word awesome to imply that something causes awe. Whatever. That is soooo literal! Where’s the creativity in these people? And so, scenes abound of Europeans doing bad American impressions slinging the word awesome back and forth like teenage girls. I sit there, I continue working and just wait till they get back to making fun of the French.