My Many Names

Over the years, I have been called by nicknames, each has it's own identity attached to it.

1. Quel/Kehl- This is how friends call me. If it's spelt like the latter, we're tight. "Feeling close" friends may use this too. =)

2. Ate Quel/Kehl- nowadays most youth ministry members in our church are younger than me. Ate Kehl was their Sunday School teacher. Now she's their Youth Leader.

3. Kelly- This is how I was called by my ate's and kuya's in Youth Ministry back when I was the younger one.

4. Kaye- There was only one person in the world who called me this. And I liked it! It's nice to be called in a name that no one else calls you by. Lalo na if that person was not just anyone either. Talk about "special" treatment.

5. Raqs- Lilibeth gave me this nickname. Soon enough, everyone from Chancel Repertory was calling me Raqs, even my boss, which I think was cool. I liked it so much, that I used it in friendster, blog, in my ID, letters, etc.

6. Rocky- it was meant to be a joke! My teammates have names like Jackie, Jenny, Maggie, and for the sake of rhyming, Ra..qui? Tl Chester was even humming the intro of "Eye of the Tiger", you know, the soundtrack of the movie. I used to hate being called like this, I would scrunch up my face and stomp my feet. But even before I was strong enough to speak up and protest, everyone from the team was calling me this. One STL even said I should't feel bad, because the name is cute. Soon, the other people who hears call me by this name too, until eventually I got comfortable. Now, I like it.

7. Raquel- Ironically, kung sino pa ang kapamilya ko, sila pa ang walang palayaw sa'kin. Nanay calls me Quel if she's speaking to me directly, but that's about it. They all call me by my full name. Well, in all fairness, I don't call ate by any cute name either. I call her plain and simple "Ate Sarah".

My mother tells us that the first name she has been thinking for me was "Dane Marie". But you know how some people would use Bible names sometimes, so I got the name Raquel instead. When I was little, I was pestering her why she didnt settle with Dane Marie instead, so I can be called "Dane". Now, I'm happy with Raquel. One languange trainor even said that my full name sounds like that of a beauty queen. Parang ang ganda at ang tangkad, pag nakita mo naman, nyaaa, "iyan na ba'yon?"

I also like the "Q", a rare letter present in the first name and the last name. Parang Xerex X., o kaya Nova Villa.