Nicknames and Culture

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I just realized that I have soooo many nicknames! Since my day in school, people called my differently, and that is particularly because my Ma and Pop decided to give me a looooooooooooooong name when I was born. Ok, wanna know my real name? Here it is.. Elisabeth Paramita Poetri Koentjoro. 4 words with more than 5 letters each! And here are my nicknames that I can remember of how people around me been calling me since school days:

<from my schoolmates>
- puth
- powed (read: poet)
- pow

<from my teachers>
- elis
- paramita
- putri (in English it means Princess)

<in working place>
- liz
- lisbeth
- lizzy
- beth

I have funny experience too with those different nicknames. One time, I was an Intern in one Japanese Advertising Agency in Jakarta, and as I was expected, I have some new nicknames (because I always introduce my self with one first name (elisabeth) and one last name (paramita)). If I'm not mistaken this embarassing moment happened in second day:

My boss: Lisbeth.... Please email a meeting invitation to the team. You can use my computer.
Me: (seating in my desk behind her) ..............
My boss: Lisbeth....
Me: .............. (giggling quietly while reading friend's comment on Facebook)

(finnaly...)

My boss: LISBETH!!!!
Me: (oops, that's me!!!) Aa, yes??? (panic....)

There is also another, well, I might see it as a disadvantage, of having such a long name. And that is when it comes to filling the application papers or exam papers that requires me to write my full name as it's stated in my birth certificate. The disadvantage is, when other students or people already begin to filling their answers or another step after filling the name box, I'm still busy completing and writing my name! LOL. But that's never a big deal for me anyway.. Oya, not to mention, my brother and sister ALSO has such long name.

This is quite funny I suppose, because here in my country, we have this different cultures of naming the children. Here's some hints:
1. Different idea from common rule of 1 first name, 1 middle name, and 1 last name
Here, some parents give heir children with ONLY first name! Yes, they don't have any last name nor family name. Some, creative enough to give theirs 2 first names, 1 middle name, and 1 family name (that's me!)

2. The longer the better
Some parents also believe (in certain culture), that the longer the words or letters they given for their child's name, the more successful the child will be in the future.

Well, above all, I'm grateful with all I am, and thanks to my Ma and Pop (for the long name), I have some experience which I can share with you in this post ;)

Until next post, toodle-doodles!