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Posts by drcolon  

Joined: 14 Oct 2009 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: -
Threads: Total: 1 / In This Archive: 1
Posts: Total: 5 / In This Archive: 5 		From: London, UK
Speaks Polish?: Oczywiscie.

Displayed posts: 6
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drcolon   
14 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Legally changing my Polish name [28]

Hi everyone, I just discovered this forum, while searching for information on changing my surname in the UK. I actually found everything I needed and was just wondering what would you guys think about my situation.

I am myself a Pole, currently living in the UK and considering changing my legal name and surname to an English-friendly one. My surname is 12 characters long, quite difficult to pronounce for a non-Polish speaker, and practically no one gets it right, even after a few attempts at pronouncing it. I would not normally care much about that, but as I am training to become a doctor, people are going to call me by my surname a lot. I now more or less know how most English speakers would go about pronouncing my surname, but when it comes to foreigners, I can't really predict that and I had a few situations in which I wasn't even realizing that they are talking about me. On top of all that, some English people just don't bother pronouncing my surname in full and I just end up being called "Colon...". I can already imagine: "Dr Colon to the ICU" !!! Do you think it's a good enough reason to change my name?
drcolon   
14 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Legally changing my Polish name [28]

Thanks OsiedleRuda, I now know all about Deed Polls and Statutory Declarations, I am just still hesitating whether I should do it or not.

I actually realized that I posted in the wrong section of the forum, as my situation doesn't have much to do with "Living in Poland". I now moved my question to the "Polonia - UK and Ireland" section - wouldn't really like to be banned for spamming after my first post.
drcolon   
14 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Legally changing my Polish name [28]

No, not a joke, not really. Actually, it's all because I don't want to become one - Dr Colon might as well be a cartoon character.

You should be proud of your polish heritage.

As far as being proud of my heritage comes, well, maybe it's just not this stage in my life yet :P

Your name is part of who you are

I am not really ashamed of where I come from, besides it's not like I'll ever pass for an English person with my accent. My identity is more than just a name, so I don't really feel like I am going to be compromising a large part of it.

It's not the question of people mispronouncing or misspelling my name either. I am just afraid that when I will start my foundation year next year, I am going to be Dr What's-his-name and in the competitive environment it's always going to be easier for the nurse to call Dr Gray, Dr Stevens or Dr O'Malley than me.

Also, I don't have problems forcing people to get my name right in social situations, but we're talking about my patients here, I am kind of there for them, not the other way round.
drcolon   
15 Oct 2009
Language / Anyone use "SERWUS"? [46]

LOL, jendi, how old are you? I am guessing you're not a teenager anymore.
Believe me, if any Polish teenager ever says serwus, it is just jokingly, never as a real greeting :P
drcolon   
15 Oct 2009
Life / Who is your favourite polish writer? [15]

I don't read as much as used to, but I spent many cold winter nights wrapped in a blanket reading Chmielewska's crime stories... And those were the pre-Snuggie days, so it wasn't that easy...