Thursday, June 04, 2009

Shafinaaz



I met a woman named Shafinaaz today. It really was the strangest day...

I was on my way back from the interview with a sweet old lady, namely Mrs. Sisulu... when I made a little detour to pick up a parcel at a store in Greenside. The owners were expecting me. I was to meet a lady who refers to herself as 'Selma'. And when I spoke to her to enquire about directions, I introduced myself as well, who I am: Shafinaaz. She seemed to go silent on the phone, everytime I said my name. Maybe she forgot who I am? I didn't venture an explanation. When I arrived, finally, I met with a woman in purdah. Her name is Salma... and we proceeded to chat about the reason for my visit. And then her husband says: 'you didn't tell her your real name'... and I am baffled. So she says: 'my name in all my documentation, is Shafinaaz.'

I'm so not used to that! I mean, really... what are the chances? But, she says, she changed it to Salma because people said that it had no meaning. Hmm, so she was waiting to meet me so that she could ask me what my/our name means. Phew. Okay. Philosophical discussion time... :)

I think I'm going to refer to another post I wrote some time back about the meaning of my name. It's called 'A Rose by Any Other...' and was writ way back in 2006 when I was known to the blogosphere as Kimya and to the real real world as Shafinaaz. All in order, I may have managed to re-instate in her, the name she was given at birth; and the name that she has abandoned for some eight years now.

I did good, right?

I mean, after all, I am Shafinaaz :P

10 comments:

Americanising Desi said...

oooooooooohhhh!!!
so this is creepy!
in a good way obviously! ;)

Anonymous said...

interesting tale indeed,

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

seher-ji yea! creepy is it. and it gets creepier because i met her through dealing with the previous store owners who happened to be 'Hassim's' - not related to me. Hassim is not a very popular surname in my part of the world. Rather, I don't have alot of family with that name except for my dad's brothers and some first cousins :)

So names and words bind us in intricate ways.

Az said...

:D This is so lovely :D

I have to go now...have to read a post that was posted in 2006 :P

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

lol.. thanks azra! hmm ok do that. and you know what else? i miss our chats! hope the MBA-course is keeping you in top form! mwah:)

Anonymous said...

Wow...that's a fantastic story :) You did good :)

Anonymous said...

of course you did good... why should one change their name because of what other people say / think of it.... its what your parents / the universe, etc thought you should be called.... of course if your name is Psychology (as one of my student's names turned out to be)... you might want to re-consider your parent's wisdom : )

Ire said...

Nice story!


How have you been? Visit the Mumbai blog...lots of pics coming up!

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

thanks ladies! fatima, lubna and nikki! oooh nikki more mumbai piccies! would love to see them :) thanks u!

Shafinaaz Hassim said...

Hi. I'm Psychology. Sigh. That would def take some nerve :P