English names differ from Chinese names in that many people share the same first name.
Common male names include James, Dan, Mark, Peter, William, and David. Common female names include Hannah, Amy, Lizz, Donna, Leah, and Lucy.
At our garden centre, there were two men named William, both around the same age. One worked in the fish department, and the other worked with sundries.
One afternoon, a lady approached me and asked, "Do you know where my husband is?"
"What's your husband's name?" I inquired.
"William!" she replied.
"William? I don't think so," I said, surprised.
"Yes, definitely!" she insisted.
I was taken aback. Do English men change wives often? I wondered. Just a month ago, I had met William's wife, their daughter, and two grandsons by the fish pond. The woman before me was a stranger. Unbelievable! William seemed like a good man; he couldn't possibly get a new wife every month. How could I believe this? I had to be sure.
"No, I don't think you are William's wife. I know his wife, and she is much taller than you."
"Yes, I am William's wife, without a doubt! Should I go home and fetch our marriage certificate?"
"That won't be necessary. Which department does your husband work in?" I asked, trying to clarify the details.
"Sundries. Outdoor sundries," she said.
"Oh, I see! Your husband isn't the one with the fish; he's the one with the pots," I suddenly understood.
"What? My husband is a pot?" she misunderstood.
"No, not at all. Everything's clear now," I reassured her.
I glanced toward the sundries section and saw her husband bending down to pick up a large pot.
"Over there! Look at that big pot. Your husband is right there."
It felt as triumphant as Columbus discovering a new continent. I finally breathed a sigh of relief!