Vivek??.. Who's Vivek??

Chizu, one of the PIs in our lab calls me Vivik. In fact, most of my lab-mates call me Vivik. I tried explaining Chizu a couple of times that I am Vivek, and not Vivik. But that didn't change anything. I can, for once, understand that people have difficulty in pronouncing my name, but Chizu even addresses me as Vivik in her emails. :).

I actually find it very funny, in fact kinda like the way she says "Vivik". And Chizu has been very very nice to me. So no problems Chizu.

But I sometimes feel that, as far as my name is concerned, I have lost my unique identity in the past couple of years, especially since coming to Cleveland. I go by any name but Vivek...people (I am talking about non-Indians, of course) call me Vivik, Vivaek, Veevek, Vivak, Viv, V,... anything... but Vivek.

Even in the desi community at Cleveland, I don't have a copyright for my name. I go by Vivek R. There is a certain Vivek Walimbe, who has got all the copyrights for the name Vivek (Vivek W is my very good friend, so I dont mind that. Poor guy also has lost the sole copyright on his name.. he now goes by Vivek W). So my last name invariably comes into the picture.

Let me make couple of things clear: I am not very possessive about my name at all. I admit that there is nothing great or special in my name, and Vivek itself is a very ordinary name. But whats so special about Vivik, and Vivaek ??... If people can pronounce Vivik, what is it so difficult in Vivek??

Also, very strangely no one has any difficulty with my last name. I also agree that Raut is also a very ordinary last name. There is no "personality" associated with Raut. I would have loved to have a last name like Khan, Kapoor, Mukherjee, or even for that matter Tendulkar, Kanetkar (actually I will settle with any Kar)... but I did not get a chance to choose my last name... so I have no option here. I am not too fond of my last name though. I guess Maharashtrians in general prefer to go by their first name, and not the last name.

I hope, one day everyone calls me by my real name... VIVEK.