My name

My Korean name is Min Kyu Kang. First of all, the reason why I chose an English name to use in ISKL was because I thought that my name was too girlish. All the other people say that it’s not true but I don’t know why I still think that. Actually, I kind of understand why, because in Korea, you read it as Min Gyu Gang but it is read as Min Kyu Kang in the foreign countries. My name wasn’t inherited but named by the pedigree that was passed from my ancestors. My name seems unnaturally empty. I once asked my mom and she didn’t accept the fact that my name was either girlish or empty. When I still wasn’t satisfied with the rather boring lecture, she told me that my name actually has a meaning. Oh well, how boring would it mean I thought as I signaled her to continue. Firstly, she told me that long time ago, Korea used Chinese language until King SaeJong had created the Korean. Still, most of our name has a Chinese meaning. Korean surnames are always based on the name of the city or the area around. So Kang means the Geongju Province, South to Seoul, Min and Kyu basically means a shiny and bright jade. In the old days, only the emperors were allowed to keep a jade since it was one of the most precious things in the world. I had nodded reluctantly and silently went back into my room to consider my name more carefully with more respect. I let myself lay sprawled on the bed staring at the clean and white ceiling. As I reconsidered, I learned profuse facts such as that my name meant a jade which was shiny, precious and clean like the ceiling in my room. The more I thought about my name, the more I began to think positively. I had a barely visible memory of a jade. It was an emerald jade and it might have been the most beautiful thing I had seen in my life. It was even smaller than my palm but the shape and the outline of it was glorious and completely fascinating. The magnificent jade… my name… When I came back to my senses, I had realized that I was smiling by the fact that my name is a precious jade. Unlike before, I started to think that my name wasn’t girlish but powerful and precious and that my name wasn’t empty but full and rich with the colorful sunlight glinting off my name which was a jade. From now on, I won’t be ashamed of my Korean name.