how often do you have really embarrassing moments? i mean...the REALLY bad kind...the kind where you're kicking yourself ALL day and want to avoid people. i had one a couple weeks ago when i went in to renew my green card. [yes, green card. no, i'm not a citizen yet. and no, that's not why i'm marrying emmanuel.]
so when i get there, i sign in with the security guard/immigration official. he mentions how my name is hebrew. i smile, nod in acknowledgement, and sit down to wait for my name or number to be called. i'm anxious to get this whole process started coz my current green card has expired. so i wait...and wait...and wait. i call my art director to let her know that i'm going to be much later than i anticipated. she graciously tells me to take the day off if i don't get called soon. what's the point of me working for just a couple of hours on a friday? i thank her profusely. so i go back and continue waiting. and i've started to notice that every so often, a small, middle-aged lady steps up with a clipboard and calls out, "li-hon! li-hon!" she does this several times, and i'm wondering, "who the hell is this li-hon dude and where is he? what...did he change his mind about his green card and bail? he's holding everyone up! i've been here for hours!!!"
and then...
the security guard/immigration official...the one who recognized the origin of my name as hebrew...comes up to me and says, "uh...hannah...i think she's calling you." i'm totally confused. "really? me?" so i go up to her and check her clipboard. "Last Name: LEE, First Name: HAN, Middle Initial: N" i get it now. my legal name is Lee, Han Nah. she had been calling "LEE, HAN" not "Li-Hon" so she had been calling ME this WHOLE TIME. what makes it worse was that i was the only one in that huge, packed room without a translater by my side because i was fluent in english. and i was the one who didn't recognize my own name!! i just about died on the spot.
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