What's in a Name?

So, I promised to share with you the conversation that Liran and I had about what my name should be in Israel.  Let me give you our conclusions:

Megan just won't work, as it will be pronounced MAY-gan, Mah-gan, MaGen, MeeGan.  Then he throws out "Ortal," a fairly typically Israeli name.  What?!?  My exasperation with this project was growing, as my name is simply Megan, "Meh-gan," but darnit, there just aren't the right vowels to properly make my name!  Dilemma!

So, this game morphs.  He says I need a Hebrew name, and I share with him that I have one - Meira, "Meh-ir-ah."  Therefore, my name becomes Meira Ortal Turner, but then he decides my last name should actually be Amzaleg, which is much more Israeli than Turner.  I then point out that Turner was the last name of the mayor of Be'er Sheva, the city where I am moving, a few years back, but he says that he doesn't want people to get us confused...me, confused with an older Moroccan man.  Nice.

So then I become Meira Ortal Turnerovitch.  And I protest because I am not Russian.  So it morphs into Meira Ortal van Turnerski.  Which I take to be German, but which he points out is a tip of the hat to my Dutch heritage.  I then say if we are doing that, we obviously have to include my Native American heritage, so he changes it yet again to Chief Meira Ortal van der Turnerski.  I add a little more flavor to it, and, drum roll...my new name upon arriving to Israel will be:

Chief Meira Ortal van der Turner-Howling-at-the-Moon-ski

I swear to you, I almost peed my pants at the end of this conversation.  Random, but I also want to share what I ate yesterday, as it is pretty sad to admit.  I ate:  a bowl of oatmeal, yogurt, two vegetarian corndogs, a handful of "dipping corn chips," a wheat roll with butter, and two mini Zebra cakes.  I'm definitely losing weight and getting lots healthier, but if this kind of championship eating continues, I'm sure that won't be the case.  Lol

Take that, Monday!  I am laughing on your dreaded morning!  Baci, amici!