Indian Names & Airport boarding troubles

Indian Names & Airport boarding troubles

My first name in passport was far more complicated for a typical American immigration official to pronounce. He did not dare to call out my name. Reason: My name in passport (including my father’s name) is Rangaswami Anantha Rama Krishnan.  The first name had a spelling mistake and read as Rangaswmi with a missing A. Even an Indian will find it difficult to pronounce the name with that kind of spelling.

But it posed a different, interesting, problem, when I was travelling with my father to Sharjah (my father’s only foreign trip). My father and I were waiting at the boarding hold for departure. An announcement, shook my father. It said, Mr Rangaswami, passenger bound for Sharjah, please report to the counter no ###. My father was wondering why of all people he should call an old man aged 82.

I consoled him saying, he is not calling you dad, he is calling me. For that matter all your children will only be called Rangaswami, be sons or daughters.

Then I told him, "if they ever wanted to call  you they will say “Mr Sholavandan, report to boarding counter” . He countered, if they did will all those whose belonging to Sholavandan not throng to the counter….should he not call me by name ? I clarified, that the confusion is because, he has listed the village name as the first name in passport. His initials were “S.K” which expanded to “Sholavandan Krishnaiyer”