Her name, by the way, and you may wish to know this, is Thushara.

The title adapted from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy p.578 .



Some of my friends have asked me about the meaning behind my sitename. PureDew.com. Well, I originally wanted Thushara.com. But, since it was taken, I've decided to be a little creative. And came up with PureDew.com.



The name "Thushara", I've been told, has two meanings. One is that it is another name for the Hindu goddess of Education, Saraswathy. It's a little apt here for me considering how much I love books. In fact, in high school, I was known as the class bookworm. Another definition to Thushara would be "dewdrop". I do not know what language this is in. But, this is the first definition I knew of for my name.

When I was born, my parents wanted an unique name for me. Just like all parents, they wanted their kid to be different. They went through a lot of books and asked many relatives to name me. Of course, they followed the Indian tradition of names common in Malaysia. i.e. go to the temple priest and ask what alphabet/syllable would be appropriate for a baby born in that particular month and so on. My mother even contemplated naming me "Bathsheba"! Yes, the very same Bathsheba from the classic Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. Which, incidentally, is one of my fave books.



Finally, one of my mother's friends offered up a name - Thushara. She wasnt show what language it was in, if I'm not mistaken, but she did know that the name meant morning dew. A clear dewdrop. My mother liked the name very much and thus, I was named as such.



Over the years, I've grown pretty much used to people asking me the origin of my first name. They've also asked me if I am Sri Lankan or had any Sri Lankan roots. Questions have cropped up about the religion associated with my name - somehow people think I'm Christian due to my name. Well, to put everyone straight for the record, I'm Malaysian Indian and I'm Baha'i. :)



Pronounciation of my name has been a pain for me. My name has been mangled from "Thus-hara" to "Shara" to "Sharon" to "Tasha"! When people ask me for my name, and I reply, "I'm Thushara." They get this puzzled look on their face and go,"Tushara?" or "Tusara?" and even "Sara?" How did they even come to the latter, I have no idea!?! Somehow, the "h" in my name escapes them. I like the "h" in my name - it adds character! ;) So when someone pronounces or reads my name correctly, it's a delightful surprise for me!



At home, my sobriquet is not one but many. My family like calling me "Thusha" and/or "Thush". Sometimes, in a moment of humor, it's "Thush Bush" and "Thushee", also "Toshiba" - not unlike the laptop brand. My friends have used the similar for me and also have even converted my name to Mandarin and called me that for a time.



So, do I like my name? Well, yes, I do. I like my name being different and it almost always comes in handy when I strike up a conversation with a stranger. I'm not gonna dump on you a quote by Shakespeare about roses and names smelling as sweet. :) Instead, I like the quote by Swoosie Kurtz, in which she says,"Change it [my name] to what? Tiffany? It's been an advantage. It's unforgettable. I'm the only one."



My name's like that too. Although I'm rapidly finding out that many other kids out there are being named after me! :)