Let the masses weigh in!

As predicted, here is a blog about baby’s. Ours to be specific.

From time to time I learn a little Japanese. Little is really an overstatement. I probably pick up about 1 word a month. These words range from practical to silly. Everything from “thank you” to “that was totally delicious”. (In case you couldn’t figure it out “thank you” was the practical, and “that was totally delicious” was on the line of being silly—but still practical really.) Well, about 3-4 years ago I learned the word “shamoji” which means rice paddle. This wonderful little instrument is what we use to collect rice out of our rice cooker. It is a very useful tool that we would be lost without. Somehow it is specially engineered to prevent the rice from sticking to the paddle, something that amazes me to this day. Anyway, the word “shamoji” has a particular ring to it wouldn’t you say? I would and did. Just say it in your head a few times as your are reading this: “shamoji, shamoji, shamoji”. Oh yeah, a great word. In fact I clearly remember saying when I learned it: “hey, that would make a great name for our first child”. Now, before you claim this as slipping into the silly column, let me explain.

“SHA-MO-JI”. There, now you understand right??? Right!!!

I’ve been trying to explain this to Jori since she found out she was pregnant to no avail. “What would we do when we visit Japan??? I can’t tell people our child is Shamoji”. After a couple of hours of obstinately pleading my case as above, “SHA-MO-JI”, she eventually relented...sort of. The agreement was/is that we could call our child “Shamoji” until he/she is born at which point a “real” name would be given. I took this as a decent compromise for the time being counting on time to allow for “Shamoji” to grow on Jori.

My plan took a turn for the better the other day. By chance, for our Halloween party at youth group, a bunch of we leaders were dressing in green and going as gang-green (get it—sort of like gangrene). Anyway, Jori wrote the Japanese character for green on my arm as a makeshift tatoo. Fortuitously, someone who was watching asked Jori what it said.

“Midori” she replied.

“Whaaaaaaaat????” I said very excitedly. “Like the Japanese violinist???”

“Yes” she said

“How come a famous Japanese violinist can be called ‘green’ and our child can’t be called ‘rice paddle’”??? I asked incredulously.

I had her cornered. Lined up in the cross hairs. She replied with a somewhat lame retort of “it’s sort of like naming a girl April”.

I still think it is a great name. It’s a character building name. It’s unique (do you know any shamoji’s???). It even provides for some nice alliteration “Shamoji Sharda”.

Jori’s lab mates are doing a terrific job of using the name with great frequency and enthusiasm. In fact, in her lab you could say that Shamoji is developing character already. So, now I need your help faithful and well respected blog readers. What do you think of Shamoji??? It’s a great name isn’t it.