Cassie, Casi

Before coming down to Colombia, I pondered how people would pronounce my name since Spanish doens’t really have the A sound like in “aaaaapple”, nor do Colombians have an obnoxious Chicaaaaaago accent. They also don’t have the long A sound like in “basement” (no idea why that was the example that came to mind) which would rule out “Casey” that I have learned to respond to over the last 24 years. Which by the way people, its pretty obvious its Cassie with A like in “apple” and not Casey with an A like in “basement”, I mean look at it: 2 S’s and “ASS” is right there in case you needed help figuring it out. I digress. So when I came down I was not surprised when people would hesitate when saying my name because the only A sound they use is like in the word….well I’m stuck. It’s just a Spanish A, which kind of sounds like the sound an O makes in the word “obvious”. Also, I just realized that “ape” would have been better than “basement”. Darnit. Focus.

As if my last name were’t foreign enough, these poor people can’t pronounce my first name either. I kindly pronounce it for them as I would in the US and receive confused stares, not surprisingly so as this is a vowel sound unknown to them. However, it seems that they DO know the long A sound and alas, Casey I am again. I kindly repeat it using the Spanish sounds turning my name to Casi, with a Spanish A and an emphasized I (which soulds like a long E). I knew before coming down here that casi in Spanish means “almost”. Although I did NOT realize just how hilarious people would find it. Like when I play volleyball after school on Wednesdays with some Colombian teachers. I’m running and running for a poorly hit ball and just miss it and John Freddy (who speaks little English) says, “casi, Cassie” and then laughs to himself. Funny right? Or when I am running for the bus (which was leaving 3 min too early) after softball on Friday and Harold yells, “Corre Cassie, casi allí Cassie!” (“run Cassie, almost there Cassie!). Or when I almost get a hit past David in softball (because for some reason they always put us on different teams). Si casi.

I may have to change my name.