“I Am From” / Round 3

Do you ever notice or wonder about the history of your own name? Let me share the story about my name.

My name means mercy or pity in my language which is Khmer. In Thai, my name means please. Well, it’s mean similar meaning between my language and thai. In my school many people trying to match me with my name like “ Oh, her name mean pity or mercy. Does she feel pity to other or not?” or “ Ohh, why do your parents put this name for you? It’s nothing relate with you. You are lucky enough. Not really pity for you”. They can say this, but in lavian my name mean crown. I want to tell all my friend that I have power because my name mean crown. You will regret in someday by making fun with my name. I don’t know why I’m saying this.

This name is come from “ Prom Vihear Thor”. This is a Khmer advise that teaching student about the good things and to have a feeling in our mind that we need to give love, pity and happiness to other. There are four Prom Vihear Thor which are, Meta, Kakrona, Mutita and Opikha. As I said the same thing, Kakrona mean mercy and pity. Have pity feeling in your head a feeling that god have give you.

For me, I don’t want to have the same name with others because I feel like…. people will compare me with that people who share the same name with me. I don’t like being compare. I never believe myself that I’m a better person, so that’s the reason I don’t like being compare. My name exist when I was born. My mom is the one who decide to put this name for me. Like I said at the first time, it’s mean mercy or pity in Khmer. During my birth was the struggling day of my mother. Also, I’m the youngest in my family and my dad pity me for being the last. I don’t understand why. The last reason is I wasn’t born in the hospital or in my house or my relative house. I was born in a place where you never expect. I don’t want to tell you where is it.

“Does you feel pity for others?” This is the question that my friend ask me. I wonder why those people need to know and compare the name with the people. For sure! My name match with my attitude because I feel pity for some animal and some other people like begger or homeless people. Give love and happiness to homeless people is like helping a million people. I would also give the food to some stray animals and help some small animals like ant, grasshopper….. In class, I always help them out with their homework or their work in class. Everyday I’m trying to act myself to match with my name. It’s so difficult when you have the name that mean polite or pity. You sometimes get bullied by other people because of your name.

“Why your parents decide to put this name for you? You should have a different name than this name, Kakrona” My friend joking. I don’t mind them because it’s real. I was born in a place that you’ll never believe. I don’t want to tell what it is. If I have a chance, I want to change a name that is cooler than this, but it doesn’t have any meaning. Well, I like my name now. It’s not bad, but I don’t want people to dig into the history of my name like now, I’m writing and explain about my name. In conclusion, I like my name. I don’t want to change my name and I always want to have the name that my parents give it for me.

In our class, we also make a poem about our name.

“I Am From” Poem

Adapted by Levi Romero

Inspired by “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon

I am from a black blanket, from a red hammock and my blue two seats bicycle . I am from the up wooden and down brick house that smell dew drops water every morning. I am from the crown of thorns. The mango tree, the short coconut tree whose long gone lims I remember as if they were my own.

I’m from loving and phumben time, from my parents and my older sisters. I am from a joke team and small party and from family backyard picnic.

I’m from paradise and advise of life and birthday song made up by me which is misheard lyrics, buffalo eat a dog.

I’m from older respecter. I’m from a small room and pure khmer blood, greatest people and a mixture of healthy vegetable.

From a struggling man who work hard for his children and his family. Inside my photos album were recorded all memories of my family. A family photo without my first sister made me remembering a time when I hike to a mountain with my greatest people. Flashback smile on those photos make me watering my eyes, I smile again with hope and happy.

Student name: Kakrona Pos                                   Date: 16/01/2019