(no subject)

I originally chose the user name "Mysteena" sort of as a play on words. In the South, it is custom for children to refer to adults as "Ms. + first name". Sometimes adults call each other this as well. It is sort of a sign of respect, a casual way of keeping up the custom of Mr and Mrs. When I first became old enough for people to start referring to me in this way, it always made me giggle a bit. Ms. Tina sounds so...you know, fantasy story-tale-ish. However, since I started my livejournal (almost five years ago? Wow.) Ms. Tina has become mysteena in my mind.

So now that I've moved back to the South, every time someone calls me Ms. Tina, I very briefly do a double take. I find myself looking at them, wondering if they've somehow found my livejournal and are calling me mysteena in a mocking way.

Needless to say, today at church an older gentleman called me Ms. Tina and then said, "I know who your husband is. He's that guy with the little beard!" The funniest part is that he was totally serious. He did not mean it as a joke. I laughed anyway and said, "Yes, that's him. It's called a goatee." He carried on with, "Yeah, he does Oriental Studies, right?"

I know it doesn't matter to most people, but the truth is that Oriental is an outdated and somewhat offensive term. There is no such place as "The Orient". "Oriental" is a completely westernized term and it has come to be as outdated as "Negro". Don't use it. Say "Asian" if you have to use a blanket term. It's much more polite.

But did I say that to him? No. I was still giggling over the little beard comment.