understudy

As march holiday homework for gp we were suppose create a blog.

This was my first post:

Most people generally mispronounce my name. I can't blame them really, Jaclyn isn't the traditional or should I say, a more common way of spelling my name.

So this is what usually happens:

Person X (after quizzically staring at my name for a few seconds): 'jeSS'-lyn huh? Interesting name…

Person X then proceeds to grin, looking positively pleased with himself/herself for managing to decipher the complexity of pronouncing strangely spelled names.

I: It’s 'JACK'-lyn actually…

Person X (looking rather sheepish and apologetic): I'm sorry; I thought it was spelled as 'Jacqueline'? And it’s just that doesn’t the ‘c’ in the middle contribute to the‘s’ sound?

This explanation appears odd but I suppose it makes some sense although I have yet to figure it out.

I: Well, I don’t know… It’s just the way my parents wanted it to be.

Person X then nods. Sometimes I think it may be out of sympathy.

I: You can call me ‘Jac’, most people do.

It is here I must admit that the ability to not look or feel annoyed comes with years of experience for one cannot deny that having people mispronounce your name repeatedly can get pretty exasperating, but of course after having heard the reason behind each person’s way of pronunciation does make me more understanding. Do not get me wrong, it is not as if I dislike my name and wish I was named ‘abc’ or ‘xyz’. The point I am trying to drive at is that ‘strangely’ spelled names are not such a bad thing; it’s unique and people remember you for it. Recognition is what we want isn’t it? In this society of a rat race we are all running to win? Anyway, if anything I am thankful for having my name spelled the way it is. Because it is a really good conversation starter.

It is a challenge to stand out in a society like Singapore’s; especially with an education system like ours. This evidently is a whole other concern about elitism which is undeniably present in today’s context. But one must want to stand out to indeed stand out. And being excellent under the minimum requirements is simply not enough. Hence why I say we are all running to win the same rat race.

Anyway I shall move on to properly introduce myself.

I am Jaclyn Alexandra Chong and I will be 17 in October.
I have been and hopefully with God’s grace, will continue to be blessed with many things in life, including a loving family, a caring set of friends and a healthy mind and body.
I love to talk, babble and ramble on about everything and anything under our beautiful sun.
I dislike feeling like I have been taken for granted.
I live to eat.
I have a fixation with shoes, one can never have too many.
I wish I was musically inclined.
I happen to give advice quite effectively.
I have always wanted to eat ice cream and only ice cream for a day.
I want to be a journalist, social worker, children’s author, television host, actress, storyteller, lawyer, speech therapist, counselor and I have a feeling the list may continue to expand.
I cannot, for the life of me, draw, but I did get a distinction for art in Secondary two (It was abstract art. Explains it all, doesn’t it?).
I cannot stand cold soup.
I am a dreamer.
I think I am a do-er.
I tend to get overly ambitious.
I tell people to stop waffling only to do so myself.
I believe in the ‘law of compensation’, a theory I have been trying to develop.
I write poetry.
I adore Sylvia Plath’s works.
I am proud of my up-side down six.
I have never had a hand at commentary blogging before so this experience is definitely new to me and I suppose I will be brave and boldly state that it will not be much of a difference as compared to ‘normal’ blogging (what is ‘normal’ in this world anyway?). The difference being, our aired views would concern local and global issues. This ultimately will be what we would have to do for any GP essay anyway so no objections here.

I sat up till 1am to do the above. It felt really relaxing actually. Maybe this whole gp blogging thing wouldn't be so bad after all((: