Allow me to introduce myself.

My name is Nana. Yep, courtesy of my lovely colleague Carol, this is now my Chinese name. Having a cute, girly ring to it and bearing no dodgy meaning besides that, it will now help me introduce myself to students and other locals. For my real name, as sumptuously French as it may sound, presents quite the challenge to the average Mandarin speaker, what with the strange combination of /d/ and /i/ and all. Not that the people here would be the worst Nadine-pronouncers, that would have to be the Irish. (No, for the hundredth time, my name is NOT Nay-deen!) In any case, I’m now frantically practicing the spelling, trying not to feel too smug about finally having a Chinese name.

Bis dann,

Nana (pronounced with a falling intonation on the first syllable – can you do it?)