I hate being asked my name here. Not because of any struggle with the words je m'appelle, but because I never know how to pronounce my own name, and that's a problem that one doesn't come across very often.
For some reason, with almost no exceptions, just about every foreign* person I've ever introduced myself to has had difficulties in saying my name. I had no idea that 'Zoë' was so difficult, but apparently it is. After years of being called 'Joey', 'Sophie', 'Zor' and any number of variations by the Fijian and Gurkha chefs I used to work with, I've got used to just answering to pretty much anything now.
Despite the fact that the name 'Zoé', with a slightly different pronunciation, exists in France, the same problems occur here, which means that I am presented with a dilemma. Do I say my name properly, knowing full well I'll have to repeat it three or four times before they understand it? Or do I pronounce it in a weirdly fake French way**, risking looking stupid or worse, patronising? I'm reminded of a Chinese student I used to live with at university who used to infuriate me by telling me I could call him 'Ken', and refusing to tell me his real name, insisting that there was no point because I wouldn't be able to pronounce it anyway. My protestations that I was studying phonology and possessed all the same vocal equipment as him fell on deaf ears.
Then, once I've decided that, I can work on whether or not to put a gutteral French 'r' in the word 'Brighton'. Sigh.
* That is, foreign to me. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm the bloody foreigner here.
** More or less, 'zor-WAY', as opposed to 'ZOH-wee'.
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