What's in a NAME...?

Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma.... itulah masalahnya bila nama dah glamer giler... :)

Many friends do not really know my full name. Family members would call me Pejol... old friends would call me Faizul... ITM friends would call me John... and after that it became Johan.

Most new friends still do not know what my exact full name is. Well, it is Faizul Johan Bin Abdul Manaf. When I was studying in France, the university mates had difficulties in remembering the name Faizul (my surname would automatically be Manaf... how la, I don't have a surname, so I use my father's name if anybody asks me my surname).

So, I have decided to make my name simpler and easier to remember: Johan Manaf... Johan being a common name in Europe, so I thot that it would be easier for the friends but unfortunately, most of the time it became "Yohan"... what to do, I accepted it...

After returning to "Tanahair" (I luv this word), I forgot to change back my name to Faizul... Btw, I kinna like the name Johan (champion one you know!)... people would be calling me "champion" all the time, and I believe that psychologically, it does work...it makes me a better man...hehehe...

But now, in this part of the world, they kinna relate the name "Johan" to a western name...a biblical name, a Hebrew name...John or Yohannes...the meaning is also quite nice "God is gracious"...ok what, nice name rite...? But no, not so...nice name - Yes, Western name - also Yes. So when they get to know that I am Muslim, they kinna ask me why the name Johan so the whole story comes out...dadadi...dadada...voila...! Johan...

They say that I better use back my first name: Faizul...or even better the original version of it...Faisal (btw, previously in UAE, my name was written as Faisal in Arabic) Why Faisal in KSA? Because the people here like the name Faisal...Faisal is a common name in KSA, it was the name of the late King Faisal of KSA...hmmm...have to check out what Faisal means...

Just checked it out...it means - "Resolute/Decisive/Criterion/Arbitrator/Arbiter/Umpire"...hua like that one huh...? Hmmm...nice, nice...

Currently in my biz card, they have put my name as "Faisul J. Abdul Manaf"...apa2lah...! Jgn panggil Manaf sudah...!! Tersedak my father in Malaysia everytime somebody calls me "Manaf". Hehehe....

(Cultural note : Malays believe that if you accidentally call out the name of a person who you know, but who is not there at that time, the person will choke/hiccup - tersedak, at the other side of the world. So whenever somebody chokes/tersedak, means that somebody just mentioned his/her name somewhere...iyalah tuh! Kat Mesia nih, macam2 ada...!!)

Hmmm...how to sign off now? Johan? Faisal? Manaf...? Tauke tempe? Hmmm King Kong ajalah...!! Hahaha...