29: Ö

In my last name (Törnström) I have two letters Ö, and that can be a problem when I am travelling because you always have to ”spell your name exactly as it is spelled in your passport” on airlines and when you apply for visas.

It is impossible, because you mostly can’t use the letter Ö in the digital systems.

You can substitute ö with o or oe. The problem is that you never know what kind of substitution your airline has used. I have been stopped at the check-in procedure several times. ”I’m sorry madam, but the name on your ticket is not the same as in your passport.” Sometimes it takes a very long time to explain that there are several ways of spelling my last name in English.

How do you pronounce my last name? Well, if you pronounce it like Turnstrum (in English), it’s pretty much like how you would pronounce it in Swedish.

The problem is when I am abroad and the kind person at the desk asks you: ”What is your name?” If I say my name, they mostly get problems with the spelling of it. The easiest way is to show my ID or passport so they can read it from there.

This is a December calendar with brief views in alphabetical order throughout advent, over Christmas and until New Year’s Eve. Every day is a new word.
I am very interested in your thoughts on these subjects. Please share them in the comments field below. <3