A little plan for a long journey

OK, so I have been trying to do a little planning for my future and here is the rough idea: as I have just signed up for the Grade 5 practical violin exam and am thoroughly not prepared for it, from now till September my focus will be dedicated to music, both practical and theory. 


After that, I will embark on a diploma in translation, for which again I feel I'm not qualified to take on. But then, I've been thinking of this for a long time, even taking up a business Mandarin course to brush up on my Chinese a little. I don't know why, but I desperately want to be effectively bilingual. Taking the diploma part-time would take up about 2 years. And after that, maybe I can realistically start to eye a master's in Chinese Studies, or something similar. 


It's very tempting to want to do everything at the same time, but unfortunately I have a one-track mind and can focus only on one thing at a time. Besides, I want to have time for fun too. :) I am not confident about my competency in all these studies that I want to pursue but maybe if I do it slowly and steadily, I will eventually get there. Learning is going to be a long journey, but one which I am eager to undertake. I just hope that this plan sticks, this time!

What are you calling me?

So I had been telling family, close friends, and colleagues that I want to get an English name. I had expected them to be a bit bewildered and ask "Why?" and "Why only now?", but most of them took it in just like that, and enthusiastically threw up all sorts of suggestions.


Suggested names included Tessa, Summer, Jennifer, Jody, Julia, Judith (I have a preference for J names), Heather, and even Maureen. Actually, I already had June in mind. But there were more no's than yes's for it. Too common, was the most common refrain. You don't look like a June, said my eldest sis. The June's she knows are all , well, bigger in built. 


There are so many pretty names out there that it'd be difficult to choose. Once I become a June, I can't become a Sarah. If I had my way, I'd be called June Summer Sarah Tessa Teng. :) But I've like June for a long time. Though I cannot recall how and when I first liked the name, I remember as a student practising my signature as "June Teng", imagining myself signing off my credit card purchases with a flourish.  


The reason I'm doing this only now is mainly because of my parents. Being conservatively Chinese, my father didn't even like it if letters addressed me as PH Teng, with my surname last instead of first. As teenagers we've asked them before if we can have English names, and they explicitly said no. But the years seem to have softened them, and I'm about the change my IC anyway, so what better time than now? 


I had explained to my sister that I feel no affinity to my given name. My ex-work neighbour was one of the most enthusiastic in giving me suggestions for names. He said, can you imagine having to introduce yourself as PH to people for the first time. I instinctively and hotly defended my name, saying that it's perfectly fine. Because even though I do not quite identify with it, it is mine and given by my parents. But I guess, I do want something that I can identify with, finally. So even though most people asked me to consider other alternatives, I will probably stick with June when I finally get around to replacing my IC, because it feels right, and comfortable to me, like a slightly over-sized woollen sweater. But it's probably going to take some getting used to. And of course, my dear friends and family can use it if they want, and not if they don't. Hello, my name is June. :)