Experiences – Life – Inspiration 🇨🇭🇯🇵

In Part 2, I’m diving into the intricacies of my names, starting from my first names and concluding with my last names.

Let’s jump right in.

My birth name is Karl, but for the majority of my life, I’ve been known and addressed as Bobby.

Since my infancy, my mother consistently called me Bobby, never Karl. As a teenager, I speculated that this might be connected to the popular TV series “Dallas” from the late ’70s to the ’90s, where the character Bobby Ewing was prominent. My mother denied any correlation, although I used to playfully tease her with this idea.

Another reason for the name Bobby, I suspect, is the Thai tradition. In Thailand, individuals often have both a formal given name and a casual nickname, known as “ชื่อเล่น” (cheu len) in Thai. The formal name is used in official situations, while the nickname is employed in daily life. Given my Thai heritage, this dual-naming convention might have influenced my mother’s choice.

Even my father in Switzerland referred to me as Bobby, despite having named me Karl. Perhaps influenced by the patronymic naming convention (his first name being Kurt), he stuck with Bobby.

In the Netherlands, all my friends and former colleagues know me exclusively as Bobby. The name Karl never used until recently.

Moving to my Swiss last name, Tschopp, its pronunciation has been a persistent challenge in the Netherlands. Rarely has any Dutch person accurately pronounced it, often turning it into variations like Teeshop or Tssss Chop. Official forms often distorted it to names like Het Schop or Chop. Correcting these errors became a routine hassle.

Lastly, my Thai last name, Navarat, is derived from my mother’s maiden name. I adopted it in my mid-thirties when I acquired Thai nationality. My Thai passport carries this name, though globally, I prefer using my Swiss passport as Karl Tschopp for simplicity and better travel visa options.

My wife, unable to pronounce Karl correctly, calls me Bobby. I heard her saying my first name once when she introduced me to her colleagues. She pronounced it as Curl.😫 

Lastly, to Japanese authorities, I am Karl Tschopp, transformed into KaRu ChoPu when spelled in Japanese…I have no words for this. 😶

Life has been a tapestry of mishaps and confusion around my names, particularly in the Netherlands. I’ve come to terms with these complexities, leaving no surprises.

Stay tuned for Part 3, where I unravel the entertaining tale of my native language.

#NamesSaga #CulturalInfluences #IdentityJourney