How many nicknames have you earned for youself? In the 18 years of my life, i guess i have accumulated a few.

When i was young, i was often called by this title. It isnt exactly a nickname, but i guess it can barely passed off as one. i looked like a girl when i was young. So whenever i picked up something my mum bought from a hawker stall, the owner might just call out to me, "Ah Girl ah? Here you go..." i'd get so embarrassed i react with an expressionless face just to hide my feelings. Then my mum would just step forward and say, "He's a boy, not a girl!".

The next nickname i gathered was from my English name, but only a person calls me that, even up till now. My primary school classmate, Jonathan Tan, always call me Ah-Son (as in arson). It skips between this and Ah-Sonist (as in arsonist). Often, we made fun of these nicknames i had. We talked about how i would start fires here and there.

Many years later, until i reached JC, another nickname came along, this time by my classmate, Stefni. She calls me afghanboy. This was how the name in my blog URL came about. The main reason she calls me that was once again based on my girly looks, especially in my eyes. You know those National Geographic magazines or documentaries you see? When Afghanistan was hot in the press, many Afghan women appeared on them, with their hoods on and only showing their eyes. Stefni, together with the rest of her gang, agreed i looked feasible enough to pass off as an Afghan and be on those magazines. When other people asked why they call me afghanboy, they would use their hands and cover my face, exposing only the eyes and ask, "Doesnt he look like one of those Afghan ladies appearing on those NGC magazines?"

Going on to the army, i earned another nickname in BMTC. But this was more of a title/salutation to each other. My nickname was Pussy Monk Teo. Pussy was the title/salutation because we just simply loved calling each other pussies. Monk was because an accident happened. After POP, i went to this barber asking to even my hair on my head. Instead, he shaved it all off, leaving a No. 1 on my head. In the end, i had my hair so much shorter than all my peers. It was even shorter than when i just enlisted in Tekong. It was No. 2 in there. Teo was just my surname to complement Pussy as a title/salutation.

Moving further on in the army, in the unit where i am right now, i have another nickname thanks to one of my commander. During one of our training, when i had to take off my glasses for a long while, he said i looked like this cartoon character. Guess what? Even i couldnt believe it myself. He said i looked like Astroboy! Omigosh. How much more ridiculous can my nicknames get? Afghanboy was getting close to the extreme but Astroboy? How can that even be possible?