My name, Jeehan, is of Arabic origin. My father named me after Jehan Sadat, human rights activist and wife of Anwar Sadat, the third president of Egypt and Nobel Peace Prize winner. I have been told that my name means "the world" and "beautiful flower." I love my name but I do not always live up to its glorious meaning, alas, because I am, you know, human. I certainly do not feel like a beautiful flower on Monday mornings. Nor do I feel as though I am "the world" when I am lazily lounging on the sofa for hours piling up chocolate wrappers. My friends call me Jai Jai or JJ or Jai. My naughty older brothers came up with a different nickname for me when we were young. They still call me by that name which I will not mention, a Cebuano word that rhymes with "utot," which means fart because they specifically had fart in their minds. I am glad they have a sense of humor.
I grew up in the island of Cebu. I am drawn to the water. I am a child of the sea.