What really IS in a name?

I noticed here pretty quickly that my name was not going to work. If I wanted people to be able to remember my, let alone pronounce it, Kirstin was just not going to do. From the time I got off the plane and people began asking my what my name was I had various reactions and only one person that could say it. The most typical responses were as follows, WHAY???, laughing- followed by "Oh, Okay," and my personal favorite, blank stares. I then had my first day at the school and it was a continuation of the same thing. When I returned to the school on my second day, EVERYONE had to ask me for my name again because they could not remember it. That night I went home and knew I had to change my name... but to what?

Well, luckily and unluckily my name has caused problems for people to pronounce and remember my entire life. Even to this day I have family members that call me the wrong name (usually KRI-stin). When we were younger my brother could not say my name and started calling me Kiki. That has been a nickname for me since I was little, however ONLY my family called me it. Kiki is now my name.

I introduce myself to everyone now as Kiki. At first I would start to say Kirstin and have to stop myself. Now I tell everyone and have a hard time saying Kirstin when I actually meet people who could say it (other Americans and Europeans I have met). Kiki has worked great though. People love it. I get compliments on my name here all the time and have been told people want to take my name. Two other responses I get to Kiki are laughs, followed by someone saying "Like you kick a ball?" and the other is people start singing me the song about Kiki (I don't know it, but they enjoy singing it for me).

Here all of us volunteers (whites) are referred to as sisters. At school every morning (and now on the streets when the kids are not in school) I enjoying hearing them yell, "Sister Kiki, sister Kiki. How are you?".

Cultural Differences

-Men and women do not eat together. Men are not supposed to see women eating and vice versa. If you are seating at one table you out your chairs back to back so you do not see one another.

-You eat everything with your fingers and only the fingers of your right hand.

-You only use your right hand!!! For giving and receiving ANYTHING, especially money. If your hands are full you are to find a way, but you WILL NOT use your left hand. If you need to use both hands you use the top of your left hand, never flipping your hand over to use your palm!

-Personal bubbles do not exist. Your space is my space and your arms especially are free for anyone to touch!

-Nothing is off limits for putting in your mouth (especially until the age of about 13). Many, many people here would not be passed the oral phase according to Freudian Psychology.

-Everything is to be carried on your head (except children). This is to keep your hands free, you can carry more weight, and it keeps things more steady.

-Children are carried on the back. Women wrap clothe around themselves and the baby is secured (will have pictures when I return). This too keeps your hands free.

-Hitting children is acceptable. In school, discipline is achieved through using a stick to beat (this is the word they use, however it is to smack/hit) the children.

-Men and women are not to shown any public affection in public, this includes things as small as holding hands. However, it is quite common for people of the same gender to hold hands, it is a sign of great friendship and is more commonly seen among men.

-Love in general is not expressed through outward emotion or actions. At first it appears that children are not loved by there parents, but is seen here by how you provide and discipline your child.

There will be more to come, but I have not had a post in a while and needed to get something up :)