In English class, many students get English names. Generally, your teacher helps you pick a name that sounds close to your Chinese name. However, sometimes random names are thrown into the mix. My friend used to have a girl English-named "Cow." She suggested a new name for Cow.
I have a student English-named "Handsome." Handsome is pretty attached to his name, and I just can't find it in me to ask if he wants to change it to something more boring and less unusual. Like Harry or Henry. So Handsome it remains. Although maybe it would be cruelly kind to make the suggestion: imagine 15 years from now. Handsome goes to America. He is 26. A girl asks "What's your name?" and he replies "My name is Handsome." The girl pauses "What's your
real name you loser?" Handsome gets the wrong(?) impression about American manners.
Handsome may not end up growing into a Handsome young man. But he is pretty precious little fellow. He is in 6th grade but has not yet hit puberty. So he is about a head shorter than all the other kids in his class. His best friend is Sherry. (Sherry is also precious. Once she gave me two seashells and said two words, small and big, to describe them). Sherry and Handsome's friendship consists of chasing each other. Mainly. Handsome's English is not very advanced but he sure does try hard. He comes up to me a lot to say "Teacher, Hello!" And I return it with "Hey Handsome, how are you?" For most of my students there is only one answer to this question: "I'm fine, thank you." This is what Handsome says. Except the other day I realized he has mixed up "thank you" and "handsome" and always returns my question with: "I'm fine, Handsome"
I haven't found it within myself to suggest an alternate for this either. I'm a bad teacher.
Side note: In Chinese class, I have a Chinese name. Which sounds like "Kai Lee." It used to be "Kai Ray" which I liked way better, but my students told me it sounded like a boy's name. So I asked my Teacher to change it to something that sounded a little more feminine.
