My Name
Nov 12th, 2005 by Alvin Chong
On The Side Note:
1) Readers of my blog (grand total of 0), please leave comments if you have anything to say about any of the posts or just drop me a line in the comment box to let me know that you have dropped by. Appreciate it lots and thanks for dropping by.
2) I wish I could just erase my memories and start all over again. Life’s so unfair and will always be. Just when you thought everything is alright, it never was. Just when I thought I could let go, I realized I am still holding on.
Let’s dissect my name one at a time shall we? Let’s see:
First Name: Alvin Shin Fui
Last Name: Chong
Yes, that is how my name was written when I was in Australia doing my studies. In fact, I filled out most, if not all, Australian forms like that. In our society, Alvin is supposedly my English name. Chong would then be my surname and Shin Fui would be just a stupid name derived from some chinese characters. Yes, Shin Fui is supposed to sound like my chinese counter part, èƒœæ– (shen fei). Sound alike? Oh well, almost.
Chong is also derived from a chinese character but there could be a lot of different English surnames for the same chinese character. Chong is actually derived from the chinese character å¼ (zhang). Notice the character on the right of the chinese character? It’s é•¿ (zhang), which means long.
I don’t know if this was how they derived my English surname but I reckon it should be. I am a Hakka and the word long is pronounced as chong in Hakka and hence the derivation of the surname, Chong.
In Asian countries, I am called Alvin Chong Shin Fui. Over in Australia, I am known as Alvin Shin Fui Chong or Chong Alvin Shin Fui. Them Australians have a weird systematic naming convention. Perhaps I should have put my first name as Shin Fui Alvin. That way, I’d be called Shin Fui Alvin Chong or Chong Shin Fui Alvin.
Them Australians also have a cryptic way of deriving my name. My university just sent me a letter 3 days back and if my memory serves me right, I registered my first and last name with them as:
First Name: Alvin Shin Fui
Last Name: Chong
For some reason, the computer system, with some special name derivation algorithm, came up with this:
Mr. Shin Chong
I ain’t no Mr. Shin Chong?!?!? How did that come about? Don’t ask me, I am just as dumbfounded as you are. For a moment, I thought they actually got the wrong person and was actually addressing this very familiar person.
Mr. Shin Chan. Da xiang! Da xiang!
Oh Well…what an interesting blog talking about name. I have never seen any before…the first i have ever read in a blog! keep up the good job in maintaining your blog. do not get discourage because you think that no one is actually reading it! Don’t be! At least you know you have one reader here!
Hello Mr Shin Chong Fui Alvin. Hmmmm… doesn’t sound very correct. Oh well… u know who u r… ;o)
Here are some points for you.
#1. No one read ur blog? Not true. I am a regular reader. So blog more!
#2. Your name is fine no matter how you transpose it. Take it as your Aussie-given name. Hehehe… who know… u might even get a PR there… soget use to it. ;o)
#4. When iu come back to Kuching… call me up. We go “yam char”.
No #3 coz I dont want it there. Hehehe…
Take care man!
Your friend who is still stuck in Kuching,
Sam.
Grace, thank you thank you. Nah, I just blog for the sake of blogging to release tension from the real world and all. So, I blog and I am just assuming that no one is actually reading it. Oh well, thanks for dropping by anyway, and thanks for the encouragement. Do drop back, there’ll be more posts.
———–
Sam a.k.a. Sigmoid, yo yo yo… how you doin mate? Doin fine? OK, in reply to your points:
#1. Really?! You are a regular reader of my blog? Hmm.. ok ok.. I’ll blog more in the future. Thanks for droppin by anyway.
#2. Yes, I know my name is still the same, but it just amazes me to see how my name can be transposed in so many ways.
#3. I WANT this number! LOL
#4. I am already back in Kuching. Gimme a call anytime… I ain’t too sure when ur free though, coz ur bz with work aye? =)
OK, you take care too, mate. I gotta run now… c ya later.
Haven’t been dropping by for a long time.. nice post btw. The shin chan part is really funny
Trust them aussies to mess up your name..hahah.
I’m reading ur blog at the moment. hiak hiak hiak.
HIAKS HIAKS HIAKS… Thanks for dropping by mate. Hope you enjoy the posts.
hi…alvin.tat is an interesting blog bout ur name.i never know a person name can turn so many ways….ahahha..and it finally become mr shin Chong..tats reali “good”!
hheheh