The Name Problem

I just got off from a call with Yatra.com. I had to call them just because I ran into some minor issues while doing it online.

Having a mallu (malayali) name is a nightmare sometimes. it took me full 10 minutes to make the customer service associate that my name is "Kannan Kartha"(K-a-n-n-a-n K-a-r-t-h-a). Now, I don't know if it has anything to do with my accent (though I think that I have done decent job of neutralizing my mallu accent) and by the time I completed spelling my name out, I was exhausted.

There are two issues with spelling out a name. First is that people just jump the gun thinking they can get spell it right when I know that they cannot. I remember an American addressing me as "Canon Karta" on email after we had a conversation over phone. This Yatra guy took down my name as "Kanan Kartka". Secondly, the use of "nn" and "th" is mostly there in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and not used to by people from other states especially from the north.

People find it hilarious how mallu names are derived, but believe me, any mallu can learn any language in the world. Be it tamil or mandarin.

As I continue to spell my name to each and every non-malayali I meet, I have also joined the group called "People Who Always Have To Spell Their Names For Other People" on Facebook. Check it out.