"Salut! Je m'appelle Dana"
"Deena?"
"Dana"
"Diana, enchanté!"
"non non non c'est Day-na"
That is every single first conversation with everyone I meet. Well not always French I'm just acting exotic because yes I believed the French may find it difficult but even all the international students I meet -- no one understands or can say my name! It's very difficult for them. Except when I'm with Dane since then they can connect the two and realize it's just an "uh" at the end of his name.
But I regret to inform you all that I am now Dana as in...Dah-nah, or maybe more accurately when speaking French, D'nah. The beautiful name my mother has given me has been butchered here haha. It really just makes a lot of confusion for everyone! So now I say Dahnah and everyone gets it right away. I don't get what is so difficult about Day-nah but these people don't get it.
Also there is another American named Dena (who studies at Penn! but is from Kentucky) and people mix us up all the time. "Oh yeah yeah Dena we just met the other night I remember you!" No obviously you don't because you met Dena obviously not Dana you just can't pronounce my name. Ayayaye.
Dah---nah??? What's so difficult about that??? Makes me feel brilliant that I can pronounce all of my students' names!
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