Daily writing prompt

Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

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Born into a Reunionese family with Chinese heritage, I’ve always felt a strong connection to this part of my culture. Although history meant that my parents and I were never fully taught some aspects of the Hakka culture (on my father’s side) or Cantonese traditions (on my mother’s side), I made it a point to learn Mandarin, visit temples, cook, and more. When I began studying Mandarin, I was given a Chinese name that was meant to be the closest match to my real name, “Myriam”: “Ma Li”. Ever since then, my father started calling me “Jolie Mei Li” (“pretty Mei Li”). I’m not sure how he came up with this name, which is actually a common first name in China, nor if it’s related to the “Ma Li” story. In any case, when I decided to create my original music project, I knew instantly that I wanted to adopt the name Mei Li—both a childhood nickname and a tribute to my heritage.