Let’s Try Harder to Get Names Right

Hindi the , “the” and “t” sounds do not exist in English which make phonetic translations and sounding things out difficult, I understand.

Why do I mention this today, after a life time of people calling me different names? Atheethee, atithee, adviti, adt etc

1. It didn’t used to bother me at all, but of recent I have seen people WANTING to make an effort to learn how to say names. AND I have often felt like I should oblige by making it easier on them say I would say “ADT, like the security system”. I have realized in the past few days that I am in the wrong by doing that. When someone wants to make the effort, I should educate them to the best of my own knowledge as well.

2. While editing a few Hindi-English books and working on my own Hindi English resources (releasing next year), I realized that if we are raising kids to be more aware and accepting, we have to LET them and our friends be willing to make the effort in learning.

3. Also, when naming both my kids I THOUGHT I picked names that would be easier for them in this multicultural world but I don’t see that happening coz Aarav is often called aRAAV and Sharvi is often called SHAARvi … Plus a few friends face the same with their kids.

4. My kids’ school started doing squads like Harry Potter and in the name of being diverse they have a squad called Mitra. Which means friends in Hindi. Which is actually great coz my kids love having the tie to Indianness in their school. But they say Mi-tra and NOT Mitr with the t touching their mouth roof tops which is grating to the ears to me personally. When my daughter tries to tell teachers, they say, “oh! We can’t possibly get that right!”

And while all this is perfectly OKAY, it has a direct impact on my own personal efforts in teaching my kids Hindi as they also feel, “They can’t get it right!”

Learning is not easy. Evolving is NOT easy. Building acceptance, diversity and personal growth is uncomfortable work. And that is okay too. For all of us.