Monthly Archive

I am very annoyed at the moment because I wrote an entire post about this prompt, posted it, but it never published on my blog. My original draft was never actually saved either. So, when I went to check back, the only draft copy I had was blank. Other than that, here is a rundown of all of my nicknames.

When my dad was alive, he would often refer to me by my full English first name. Occasionally he would call me 妹 (mèi, the shortened version of 妹妹, which means little/younger sister). In fact, within my immediate family circle, I am often referred to as 妹 (mèi)…little sister, as I am the youngest child. My mom even calls me 阿妹 (ā mèi)…mostly. She also calls me by my full Chinese name, but only when she is very mad or very serious. (No, I am not going to reveal my Chinese name.)

The only person, however, who does not call me “little sister” is, in fact, my older sister. She just calls me Mel, the shortened version of my first name. Jian & most of my friends from all of my various circle of friends, also refer to me as Mel. Very rarely do they address me by my full first name.

One nickname that I go by jokingly within my friend groups, that I also use on the internet is “Melsenpai”. This nickname has more of a cultural meaning for me, & has absolutely nothing to do with the “I Hope Senpai Will Notice Me” internet meme.

Politeness has always been a critical facet of Japanese culture. Ever since the feudal era, when Japan was a highly stratified society, use of honorifics – which can be defined as polite speech that indicates relationship or status – has played an essential role in the Japanese language. When addressing someone in Japanese, an honorific usually takes the form of a suffix attached to one’s name (example: “Asuna-san”), or as a title at the end of one’s name or in place of the name itself (example: “Negi-sensei,” or simply, “Sensei!”).

^{Description courtesy of: DelRey Manga, Kodansha, & Ballantine Books}

Sempai/Senpai: This title suggests that the addressee is one’s “senior” in a group or organization. It is most often used in a school setting, where underclassmen refer to their upperclassmen as “senpai.” It can also be used in the workplace, such as when a newer employee addresses an employee who has seniority in the company.

^{Description courtesy of: DelRey Manga, Kodansha, & Ballantine Books}

I have been using the “senpai” honorific as a nickname for many years. It just so happens that I am the oldest in age amongst all of my friends, so they jokingly call me “senpai”, not as an actual status symbol or seniority title, but simply because I am their elder. In the beginning, when this nickname was first circulating amongst my friends, I had some sensitive sentiment towards this name. Back then, I was very sensitive towards revealing my age & had negative feelings regarding my age. I still have an extremely hard time talking about my age bracket, but I have become more comfortable with the “senpai” title, & have grown into that role, especially since revealing that one of my biggest & most defining traits is being a take-carer.

Can I count the times when people have mistakenly called me Melissa or Melanie as being called a nickname? Probably not. Hopefully this post will actually publish this time. Sheesh. Cheers!

Today’s song of the day: