Life's like that: Jolene and the dictionary

I have 2 thai students who are coincidentally roommates in a boarding school. The other day, I was having tuition with one of them for the first time. My new student was having some vocabulary issues and I told him to get his dictionary.

After some time, he came back with a blue and yellow Longman dictionary which is exactly the same as the one my other thai student uses. I was rather curious about it because not many people I know use a Longman dictionary.

me: Did your school ask you to buy this dictionary?
him: No.
me: Then why do you all have the same dictionary?
him: This is Ah Hong's dictionary.
me: ... Then where's yours?
him: I lost it.
me:

Ah Hong is my other thai student. Of all people, he borrowed from him. What a coincidence.

***********************

The next day, I called SBS customer service to claim a refund for my EZ-link card. The customer service officer who attended to me, sounded like a jovial auntie who seemed to be enjoying her job, which is weird because customer service officers are usually grumpy and impatient. Well, probably because she's in the Refunds department and not the Complaint department...

her: What's your name?
me: Gerlynn. G-E-R...
her: Ok. Jolene. J-E-R...
me: No. G-E-R.
her: Ok. J-E-R.
me: Nono! G! G! Not J!
her: Okok. G-E-R... hehehe
me: *argh*

I don't know why some people just can't accept my name. They have to distort it with the wrong pronunciations and spelling. Some even distorted it so badly that I didn't know they were calling me! This reminds me of an incident in class.

I was having Physics lesson...

teacher: *insert funny name here*

no response from the class...

teacher: *insert funny name again*

Everyone was puzzled.

somebody: No such person here. You looking at the wrong class list izzit?

teacher: *checks list again* No, correct what... 4/4... Number 1.. *insert funny name again*

no reponse...

lab partner: *nudges me* Eh, I think he's calling you.

me: o.O?

Anyway, back to the SBS story...

That lady asked me to hold on while she gets the refund number for me.

her: Ok, here's the number. Write it down. You ready?
me: ya
her: 9-9-9-0-1 ....
me: *writes down* 9-9-9-0-1... wait. 999 is police number. How to call?
her: haha don't worry this is not a telephone number.
me:

I felt kinda stupid. I think I'd rather be known as Jolene to her now.