The Namesake......leaves some thoughts

Yesterday, i saw the movie "Namesake". As expected it is a great movie. Mira Nair has captured the essence of immigrants and their confusions nicely. That movie stirred quite a few thoughts in my thought factory. I could compare myself with the character "Gogol". In the movie though h plays the character of second generation Indians in US, his dilemmas were common like mine. As that character asks himself regarding his name and try to justify it so do i. When i joined my engineering in Paralakhemundi, i could find the complexity of my name. Usually professors were used to fumble while speaking my name. I used to stand up as it became a habit and i told them not to spell my name. Lecturers who used to speak in my mother tongue they do not had issues. As most of the lecturers were form Andhra and they do not have the letter by which my name starts. The funny part was one Andhra lecturer tried and he was able to speak my name with least modification. I was one of his favorite student. There was another lecturer, in whose class i used to feel sleepy and boring as he used to dictate a lot. Although he spoke the language "Oriya", my mother tongue, but he used to sell my differently in each class. Due to him, i got dozen of names. I was pissed of with him and lastly i told him to spell my name with last name.
That was most embarrassing part for me. Always i wondered why they gave me that name.

After that when i joined Cognizant, the Bengali people changed my name again. They do not spell "Kshyama", they spell "Khema". Finally i gave up trying to correct my name and i got bunch of names. When i came to US, again the issue with name came up. The officer who took my visa interview said, you have a very short last name unlike south Indians and a bit equivalent first name. When i went to join "Target", the name issue was prominent. My team was having member from India an US. Some US members were from Asia and had settled. Though my Indian member was able to spell my name, my US team members changed my name from "Kshyamasagar" to "Sagar". Another member who was from Asia but settled in US, used to call by my first name an she had list mistakes.I really appreciate her effort. Anyway day in Target went off. I relocated from Minneapolis to Seattle. During interview only i could sense the damage to my name with the new company. And boys it came true. They changed my name from "Kshyamasagar Das" to "Sagar Das". I was dumb folded. The also had issues with "Sagar". how to spell it. Sometimes "Sager", "Sugar" blah blah. Finally i told them to call by my last name if they have issues. The name "Kshyama" lost his importance, the name which my dad loved most and he used to call me by my name not pet name. He used my pet name to call mom and he used my first name to call me. He gave me that name thinking that his kid will be know by his unique name and maybe inherit some characters which this name means. "Khyamasagar" means "Sea of forgiveness". But in this modern world, my name has lost it's purpose. Peopple can not spell my name and they modify it in their own way. How far my character resembles, that my friends and family can only tell. But it was a unique name and i am proud of that.At the end it seems that what is in a name. It only gives you a medium to interact people. But my name will do that, as people usually get a surprise face when they hear my name. I can not change my name like "Gogol" did in "Namesake" because i love my name. I only want one day people in world Will become habituated with this unique name. The movie gave me one point though. When you get an opportunity bounce on that and do not fear to travel distant islands. I am trying hard to achieve that and implement it. "The Namesake" definitely leave an impression in my heart. It also tels how different man and woman think back in India. My dad thinks like the character of Irfan khan and mom is like Tabu. Well my thinking may not be as close as Kal Penn but it has striking similarity. It is a movie for all immigrants and more then that it reminds me of Kolkata from where i started the journey to US. All people should travel different parts of world as it gives more global thoughts. US is more like India in terms of diversity of population and culture.Sometime when i think of myself, i just wonder about my life here. what does i want from this. But after watching this movie, i am clear about that. I want my parents to visit this country once and i want them to see and understand it. That was my child hood dream. I wanted them to travel with me different countries.Enjoy the culture, nature beauty, food etc. At least this county and this project has given me enough time for my inner thoughts and to understand my self. I want to roam the world just like "Gogol", as i am free and i want to part of this huge planet which god has gifted to man kind. Whether that will become reality or not does not matter. But that is what i want and i hope one day everybody could spell my name......................