I was wondering how many people share my Christian name. So, I Googled ‘eric’. And came out this ‘Results 1 - 10 of about 197,000,000 for eric’. I guess ‘Eric’ is a very common name to have. And, I am just 1 out of millions. I still remember in my Form 5, I share classes with another Eric, and there are 5 Erics in total taking Form 5 in my school.
Then came along nicknames for me. Oh yes, it started when I was in primary 1 when every of my little classmates started to get smarter and learn words. Consequently, the name ‘Eric Soo’ would be the best platform for them to show off their newly discovered skill and words.
My first nick-name: Sony-Ericsson. Haha, I don’t know how they got the idea of associating me with the company name. Maybe the pronunciation of ‘Eric Soo Soon’ as in ‘aeric su soon’ is almost similar to ‘Ericsson’. This nickname I still will hear people pronounce once awhile.
My second nick: Susu. For obvious reason it’s derived from my surname ‘Soo’. Susu, for those who don’t understand Malay, means milk. The creamy milk. This nick lingers around me even till I get into secondary school. It all started with primary 1 when everyone started to learn Malay and till now sometimes people still address me that way. “Eh, soo soo” or “Eh, susu” which is the one they use, I can’t differentiate. But, my friends got more mature and they seldom tease me anymore.
They even got a song sang after my name: Oh yeah, I was in Form 2. One of my friends, funny guy, sang a Hokkien song. When he saw me, he will sing ‘su su yang yang, su su yang yang’.. then it later turns to ‘susu yum yum susu yum yum’ LOL as in ‘milk tasty milk tasty’.
Then, there is this: Kiasu.. Lol, it’s a term that means ‘afraid to lose’ in Hokkien. It can bring good meaning or bad meaning, depending on how the person uses it. But often in my case, its associated with bad meaning. Haha, I first heard people calling me that when I was Form 4. “What’s your name?””Eric Soo.””Huh? Kiasu!!!” ROFL.
This is odd: Erica. I was, am still I think, called ‘Erica’ by a couple of my friends. Hahah, by adding a single vowel, they refer to me as a girl. How did this come along again? Haha, but I join the laughs anyway.
Entirely unrelated nick: Santa. Huh? Why indeed. This nick was given to me about 1 year ago or so. I was told, its because I was introducing ‘Loving Hands Gathering’ about visiting sick children in hospitals to my friends. And they say its like Santa Claus. And they start imagining I’m a Santa giving children presents. That is how it started. I am a little proud of that nick because Santa means Saint. Lol.
I wonder if any other ‘Eric Soo’s out there will have the same experience as I do. (Results 1 - 10 of about 2,560,000 for ‘eric soo’.) Anyway, its not that I dislike or anything about all those nicknames and song 
. Haha, with little sarcasm and mockery, but that’s fine. In fact, I thank them for giving me names. Haha, maybe this how they chose to remember me, and I appreciate the efforts they put into remembering me. Haha, keep calling me names or even sing, I don’t mind. I might sing-a-long with you too.
I may be a normal plain eric among millions of Erics but I live my life for myself. And it doesn’t matter of how many Erics that share this common name with me, it matter most is how I make this eric name of mine distinctive and significant in my own way 
.
So world, ‘Santa’ or ‘Susu’ or ‘ Eric Soo’ or ‘Soo Soo’ or the song, I will still give a response. ‘Kiasu’ or ‘Erica’, hmm…, maybe, depends. Hahahz.
