Lisa and Lam

so, like yeah. we're married.

anyone who uses gmail knows that they can label their conversations with people. since i've met lisa, she and her family's been under the "friends" category. i'm anxiously awaiting the day (in three days!) when i can start using the "family" tag.

what's in a name, they ask. that depends on what your name is.

i don't know what the history of my last name is, but i do know its history as it relates to growing up as a first generation american. the exact pronunciation of "nguyen" is... well difficult if you're not a native speaker. the closest approximation i can give you is "wiiiIIING", pronounced sweepingly and punctuated with a question mark. i know what you're thinking: say what??? hey, that's why even i don't pronounce it like that.

in the early to mid 80s, an attempt was made at "americanizing" the name. that just meant it was pronounced phonetically: "nuh-goo-yen". personally, i'm not keen on any name that has the word "goo" in it. in fact, i actually detest this pronunciation. during the 80s, this was the most popular way to say the name... among non-native speakers. it was easy. but it was also inaccurate and lazy.

the early to late 90s saw an era of enlightenment. we were all one step closer to a correct pronunciation: "new-WIN". whoa, what? how do you get a "w" sound from a name that has no w's? don't ask me; ask my ancestors. (all i know is it's the "ng" that creates that sound. then why is annunciated in the MIDDLE of your name, you ask? i'll explain in a minute.) although not the last incarnation of the pronunciation of my name, it is my preferred pronunciation. this is the way i've been saying it most of my life. even so, i sometimes found myself being corrected by people now and again. "oh, you mean 'nuh-goo-yen'."

the late 90s to present found "nguyen" pronounced more or less like it was supposed to be pronounced: "win". that's right. simple isn't it? although still utilizing that "phantom w", a six-letter name has been condensed into a three-letter word, and it's easily pronounced in english to boot. and who wouldn't want a name like that? imagine if your last name was "champion" or "king' or "moneypants"!

among vietnamese folk, i believe that "win" is the preferred way to say the name. but i also believe it is a bit misleading. after all, that phantom w can throw you for a loop. "i have a reservation." "very good, sir. your last name?" "'win'." "let's see... w-" "no, it starts with an 'n'." "really? are you sure?" and so i remain one of the few of the anachronists who choose to pronounce the name with two syllables, and starting with an "n". it at least gets people on the right track: "can you sign for this package?" "ok." "last name?" "'new-WIN'." "n-?" "n-g-u-" "oh, 'NEW-yen'. got it."

for more on this, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL8ykslcTH8

absence makes the heart grow fonder.