Galapagos Trek

April 24, 2006 (11:35PM)

He calls me T; perhaps, it is because I go by the pseudonym Theren Alexander. So, it is T for Galapagos Trek. In college I had a fancy at the Muslim guy in my freshman class Abdelshan Amilhasan who was also the only other fellow who called me Maria. He said he wanted to be different, because everybody else would call me by my second name, which is Theresa. At home I am called Teted, my cousin Jasper calls me Patet. My Home Economics teacher in my junior year in high school would call me Tere and DJ Venus calls me Thess.

What’s in a name?

I always loved the name Alexander, basically the reason why it is the second name in my pen name. But for Theren…ah, that is the mystery. Only a few people know by now the composition of Theren. But anyway, the purpose for this piece of writing is not really to dwell on the definition of my by line. This is to tackle the relevance of what name we are being identified with. I would love to have been named Alexander, because it sounds so brave and dignifying. But for having been born under the Feast of St.Therese of the Child Jesus so I got the name Theresa.

Way back at the University, a friend of mine from Beijing told me that the name Theresa in Chinese meant Quiet Soul. I really don’t know what her basis was for saying that, however, I was attached to the realization that it did resemble some of my personalities, and yes I am a quiet soul, I believe so. Since high school, I used to give people the impression of a snob, almost close to autism. However, despite that, I had a lot of friends. Amongst my friends, they always regarded me as a person with depth. So thinking back now to the time when my friend Tong Xue Na told me I was Quiet Soul, I believe it defined my persona in ways I could imagine.

Moreover, talking about names and what we are called, I have always found it nice the names Jen and Ben, because they sound so quick but lovely. When I write short stories, I would pick those names more often to identify with my characters.

On another note I wanted to ask, and this is a bit funny, what’s that certain name you have encountered more than once in your lifetime? Well, Theresa is a very universal name. For me, these have been Ryan, Jason/Jayson, Jonathan, Rowel, Nelson, Danny and Dennis. I knew of a Ryan Elumba, Ryan Diero, Ryan Robillo and now Ryan Fulo. The very first Jayson I knew is my cousin Jayson Juaton, then Jason Chavez, the Jason who knows and idolizes Jason Chavez whom I encountered at a voyage to Cebu, Jayson I used to work with at Jollibee, Jayson Li who became a special part of my life and a certain Jason at the agency. For the Jonathan’s there’s Jonathan my elder bro, the late Jonathan Flores who was the elder brother of my elder brother’s ex girlfriend, the late Jonathan Ma who was a WMSU MassCom Rebel Returnee who died of suicide, Jonathan Que best friend of Jason Chavez and another Jonathan Que who is at my workplace. There was the Rowel our neighbor, and three Rowels in high school a Rowel in College and now my close friend Rowel Villalobos. I knew of two clients respectively named Nelson Uy and Nelson Go. Well, of course, there’s the current Nelson that I know of who is my dear office mate Nelson Ceniza (Shut-up, Jneil, your name is not common!). So far for the Danny’s, I have come across Danny Lim of Astoria Hotel, and two Danny’s who were my merchandisers for the combat team in all-hell-broke-loose Samar. I knew a Dennis from my childhood, another Dennis who is the elder brother of my college friend, a couple of Dennis To who runs businesses in Zamboanga, Dennis at SMS AC and a Dennis who was a text mate for a time.

When you think about it, we can almost build portals where all persons with the same name can live together, and fancy at how many there are in one. So what’s in a name? Either you were named such because of a special occasion, or because Mom and Dad wanted a series of R’s in the family, or you are a junior of a father or grandfather, what have you? Our names speak of who we are.

I remember a funny incident in high school a friend of mine had the name Florence Enriquez. She had a cousin who went by the name Theresa Enriquez and they had a common friend who was called Theresa Bautista. They went to the same class. Here comes the present-absent roll call, the teacher calls out, “Enriquez!” Florence and Theresa would ask, “Which one, Ma’am? Florence or Theresa?” So the teacher calls out again, “Theresa.” The two Theresa’s stood up and asked, “Which one, Ma’am? Baustista or Enriquez?” The teacher, aghast had to everyday say their complete name just to distinguish one from the other. So there, it was all for the love of name duplication. I don’t know about you, but I had a good laugh with that.

By this time, since living twenty-six years of my life, I’d say the most unique name I have come across is the name of one of my closest friend Filipino Estacio. Okay, anyone who knows of another by that name raise your hand! I can see you laughing now.

If I had the option to pick my name when I was baptized, I would have stuck with Theren Alexander. But this is not to say I am not pleased with the name I was given on my baptism. I have a beautiful name, and proud of it!

This article was written out of a stroke of inspiration. For Galapagos Trek, whose real name I have lost recall but whose name I know and I prefer; for the guy who once stumbled upon my wilderness where it began, ended and began again.


Copyright ©2006 Theren Alexander