[*]My name is... Part.2

Japanese version

Date: Tue Oct 20 1998

Past day, I recieved an E-mail from the U.S.A. It was the mail from Bob Mucci, who is an associate professor of anthropology. By looking the access log of my web site, I noticed that some foreign people visited my web site. But, I thought that it was something wrong, or a few Japanese people who works abroad visited.

Even if I were a barbarian, I'm not a living fossile which connect the missing-link between monkeies and human species.

You see? His name is Mucci. And my pen name is Mucci, too. Previously, I wrote my pen name came from my nickname.

Today, I'll talk about the small discussion. Excuse me, I edited the E-mails to look like a dialogue.

Bob： How you have Italian name?
Tak： When I was a student, my classmates called me "Mucci." because of my family name "Murakami"'s "Mu." "GUCCI" is a well known brand to Japanese. Many Japanese girls have GUCCI's bags. So, I decide my E-mail address "mucci." I exchanged "G" for "M". It sounds like my nickname.
Bob： Your English is excellent, have you lived abroad?
Ah. those words are picked up from my dictionary on my desk. I'm not good at English conversation.
Tak： Thanks. I have lived in Japan for 28 years since I was born. I have never been to any foreign countries.
Bob: Do you pronounce your nickname Moo' chi like Italians do?
How to express? We pronounce "Mucci" as "Mucchy","Mu'tchii"or"Mo'chii"....? Do Italians pronounce "GUCCI" as "Goo' chi"? In Japanese pronunciation, "Mucci" sounds like "GUCCI."
Tak： One of my classmates gave me a lecture about "Mucci." He makes studies at a university in Italy.　　　
"Mucci is a popular family name in Italy. And, "Mucci" is pronounced "Moo'chi." "Mucci" is a famous name as a president's name of an automobile dealer in Rome.

Mmm, we don't pronounce as Italians do.
By the way, how do you know my E-mail address? Are you a coordinator of WWM(World Wide Mucci)?
Bob： I found your email on your webpage by searching the web for other Mucci's. I am fascinated with Japanese culture, not only as an anthropologist, but also as a web-surfer; I have even set up my browser to display the japanese characters -- not easy to do in the USA versions.
Tak： Do you understand Japanese language?
Bob： No, I do not understand nor speak any Japanese, nor can I interpret the written characters, but it is fun to visit Japanese web sites because they have some English, and lots of photos and drawings, and I learn a lot; without a Japanese web browser the script is displayed as ASCII characters, and the whole design and beauty of the page is lost.
I think it isn't a web browser's problem.
Tak： I'm not good at drawing. So, there is only a few drawings on my web site. Whereas, I have many photos on the web. But those photos are not normal landscape. they have some strange situations, or miss use. It looks funny, interesting to me. Some of them need ability of Japanese. So, I suppose, it is difficult for those photos to make you smile or laugh.
Bob： In Italy Mucci is pronounced MOO chee, but I am not sure what those letters might mean to you. ( I know that in Japanese, MacDonald sounds something like Ma Ko Do Na Do.) Mucci is the same as Gucci.
I thought Mucci was a rare name in Italy, it is much less common in USA than Gucci or Pucci. My friends sometimes call me Mooch, with a ch like Chicago. Some of my family pronounce the Mucci as Musee or Meusee, because they thought Americans couldn't pronounce Moo chee, but now most of them have gone back to the Italian.
Takeshi, Which I take is your personal given name, not your family name.
Tak： Takeshi is my personal name.
This is one of my interest about Japanese English. In Japan, I introduce myself "Hajime mashite Murakami Takeshi desu." in Japanese. This means "Nice to meet you, I'm Takeshi Murakami." Most Japanese people exchange the order of family name and personal name. That sounds funny to me. If I had three or four or five parts in my name, how I decide their order? I think, this is a case of the proverb "When in Rome, do as Romans do." So, We Japanese upset the order of our names. But, It sounds strange to me.
In Japanese, "McDonald's" sounds "Ma Ku Do Na Ru(or Lu) Do". Japanese "Ru(or Lu)" have a little difference from both "R" and "L." Most of Japanese young people say "McDonald's" as "Makudo" or "Mac."
Bob： In America kids refer to Ma Ku Do Na Ru Do as Mih Kee Dee's (Mickey D's), a combination of Micky Mouse and MacDonalds; sort of a statement about Disney and being simple and boring.
Tak： I'm not a typical Japanese. And my web site is little strange. I hope you do not have misunderstanding about Japanese culture, because of my site and mails. Thanks.

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