What's in a name?

Today, is another milestone for me. It is the day that I was given my official Chinese name!

Ah Ma took Daddy to a famous geomancer to select a suitable name for me. After giving the geomancer my date and time of birth, my eight characters were determined. The geomancer also told Ah Ma and Daddy that I am a very intelligent girl but I am also very stubborn. How dare he tell on me to my Daddy!



Then he proceeded to calculating the strokes needed in my Chinese names to give me that will give a life full of good fortune and prosperity. 24 Chinese characters were then selected; 12 for the first character and another 12 for the second. The combination of these characters plus my surname would then give a perfect combination. Daddy then gave the "nice" man an 'Ang Pao' (To all you married Chinese couples. Give me lots of these at the next Lunar New Year, ok?) and they all left.

Back home, Daddy gathered a team of people to do some research on the characters to determined the best of the best name from these 24 characters. The team consists of Mummy, Daddy, Ah Ma, Godma Geraldine (who also happens to be my blood auntie) and grand-auntie Connie. Each character signifies an element; metal, earth, fire, water and wood (Like I know what that is) . Some will be a good combination, others will contradict. So they went about doing their research very earnestly. Several hours later, the name has been chosen.

Kaitlyn Marie Cheng Yen Leng

That is what they have decided that will go into my birth certificate. It may sound a bit common but we all like it.