This happened a few months ago, but I think it’s a funny story worth sharing.
In Rwandan culture, it’s common for people to refer to you by your last name. A lot of the Rwandan teachers and PC staff often called me Kim or Kim Jo. When I first met my host brother, who was home briefly from Medical School, we had a fun conversation that went like this:
Me: Hey, I’m Joanna Kim, but a lot of people call me Jo.
Him: Hey! Ah, Kim, you must be Korean. The home of Samsung.
Me: Yes, wow, how did you know? (I was so impressed!)
Him: A lot of people from Korea have that last name. Hm, Kim, Kim Jo. Kim Jo. Hey, do you know Kim Jung Un?
Me: …
Him: I like his haircut.
Funny, right?! I’ve never had a conversation like that before, especially since nobody has ever compared our names like that. I hope it brings a smile to your face as it did to mine. It happened months ago and I still laugh about it!
On the topic of names, my host mother gave me a Rwandan name. Peace Corps recommended our host families to give us Rwandan names, especially if our American ones are difficult to pronounce, to help us integrate. On my second day with my host family, my host mom said that she would call me Keza (keh-zah). Names are an important part of Rwandan culture, there’s even a traditional naming ceremony for newborns where people offer names that reflect them or have a significant meaning behind the name. So, I asked my host mom, “what does Keza mean?” She said, “beautiful.”
I was embarrassed when she told me that. I never thought of myself as beautiful or ever being called that. Hopefully, I’ll grow into it.
Rwandering around with Joanna 