Gina Yoryet

Gina Yoryet


Monday March 21, 2011
By: Gina Roman

La fuerza de tu pasión te hace imparable


Ever since I was a child, there was some discontentment with the spelling of my name because it is very unusual so that brought many doubts. There was always the question as to whether my parents had invented that spelling. I am “Yoryet” (pronounced “Georgette”), which almost 100% of Latinos and Mexicans pronounce without a problem, unlike English speaking people because of the way the letter “Y” is pronounced. It is pronounced as a much softer sound.
I’d always ask my mother, “why did you name me like that?” “Are you sure this name really does exist?” I would’ve much rather be named something else.” My discontentment changed long after when I started doing journalism. Our nature is to investigate everything and get to the bottom of it, well, I investigated the origin of the spelling of my name, “Yoryet” which exists indeed. According to my investigation “Yoryet” means something beautiful, uncommon and Strong. Ever since then I’ve felt quite content with my name because there aren’t many “Yoryets, you can find many “Georgettes” though.

In Elementary School, Junior High, High School, College and University I hated it when teachers used to take roll, I just knew they were going to sabotage my name by mispronouncing. Growing up as a very timid and introverted little girl I’d always sit at the back of the room and I never said anything, I’d just cringe at the awful sound of my name so I never felt like a “Yoryet – Georgette.”
But with time I got tired of people ruining my name so I started explaining the origin and the correct pronunciation but it got overwhelming at some point.
One day when I had just arrived to Guadalajara, I started working with the people at the Lake Chapala Community, of course every single one of them messed up my name and I didn’t feel like giving them the whole spill so one day I was like, “ok, call me Gina.” From thereon I became “Gina.”
It is fun and interesting at times to see people call me “Gina, Yoryet or Gina Yoryet,” so “Gina” has become my adoptive middle name which in the end it is exactly the same thing. “Georgette” is the equivalent of “Georgina” which “Gina” is the short form for “Georgina.”
Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like “Yoryet” is my real name since mostly everyone calls me “Gina.”
Many people that I’ve worked with and most of my clients and students still think my real name is Gina. At the company where I am a Health and Fitness Consultant, they always laugh because when I am interviewed, they ask jokingly, “Gina, Yoryet, who the hell are you?”
When I had first started working at the school there was this funny incident, one of my students came to pick up a handout I had left for him and he asked the receptionist for“Gina.” They were a bit confused and told him that there wasn’t anyone with that name so he told them the subject he was taking and the time of the class and needles to say they concluded that it was me. Since that time they started calling me “Gina.”

Now when someone asks, “which name do you like more or which name do you feel more comfortable being called?” I always reply, either one is ok, they are both part of me, even though I am “Yoryet” by Birth, “Gina” is now my adoptive name which I will change legally in the future. So I’ll be “Gina Yoryet Roman.” From time to time when I feel like it, I tell people how “Gina” became a part of me.
I always like to look at “Gina” like this, she will always be there to complement Yoryet, “Gina” is my cheerleader, my engine, my drive when Yoryet doesn’t feel motivated to do anything. When Yoryet has a hard time hopping out of bed, “Gina” is always there to push me, she is my best and closest friend, the only one who can put up with the strain I put myself through workwise and at the gym. The only one who can compete with me and put up with waking up at 5am and go, go go until 9, 10, 11 at night without a break.
Like I have always said, I’ve always believed in positive and unselfish competition among women because in the long run, Yoryet is the number one obstacle I have to overcome, it’s Yoryet I have to convince, push, and encourage when it comes to goal setting. There is absolutely no room, time, or energy to act selfishly with other women and try to look like them because number one, I’ll NEVER look like them and much less have what they have and number two, they will NEVER look like me nor will they possess the qualities and skills I have. If I want something, then I work for it, I don’t try to pretend something I am not, I don’t try to make it appear I am wealthy unlike many women in this city. I am Gina Yoryet, I have my own unique style and I won’t change it just to go with the flow. I only go by this line, “the strength of my passion makes me unstoppable.”
Plus I love the way “Gina Roman” sounds because there is an actress with the same name. She was very popular in the 80’s, she used to come out on TV commercials advertising Cerveza Superior, she was called, “La Rubia que todos quieren.” – The blonde woman loved by everyone.” I was unaware of her existence until a few of my students mentioned the fact that my name sounded like a celebrity’s name so I decided to Google it and there was Gina Roman, La Rubia Superior!

Vintage Cerveza Superior Gina Roman Made in Mexico
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Cerveza-Superior-Gina-Roman-Made-Mexico-/320674307186