How to address leh?

About this friend in my previous post (scroll down...) whom we got to know whilst in Brunei, there's this question of how-we-call-each-other that hangs over my head at the time.

This couple, are in their 50s or maybe late 40s? They have 3 teenagers, all very well mannered, pretty and handsome looking. The dad's, let's call him Danny, knew my hubs first through work contact, and is a businessman. Then our families met and naturally, I was introduced to him and I call him Danny, no problem.

Then, his wife, she doesn't have a westernized name, like Mary or Jenny, just a chinese name, like myself. And as we weren't introduced properly, we just smiled and said "hi" with a wave of the hand for the first few encounters.

Funny how we always do that when we meet without properly acknowledging each other. I do not know how to speak Chinese fluently and they were all conversing in Mandarin. Also, at those times, my 3 kids were very young then so I was always busy taking care of them and wasn't part of the conversations mostly.

When it came to a point, we just can't have a "hello smile" and really NEED to address each other, we were totally unprepared. I found out later her name is Hong *something* and she fumbling called me "auntie". A WHAT???

I was totally stunned! Eh, hello? I thought I'm way younger than you?

Like this. When we were about 20ish, little kids 10 or more years younger than us call us adoringly as "che-che". I like. And the name still remained as it is till now, and till when I'm old, I suppose. So when I'm in mid-30s and these teenagers I just knew, it would be weird for them to call me "che-che", so Danny told his kids to greet us "uncle and auntie".

Welllllll....

Reluctantly, but still ooooookkayyy, I think. But I still think a 20yo lady calling me by "auntie" is rather weird la. They probably feel it's rude to call me by my name as well. Che-che yau not right, auntie yau not right, just by the name yau not right, how?

But mama calling me auntie too?? And shall I call her "big auntie"? *pout*

From that experience, I reminded myself that next time, when I meet any new person/people, I should get their name right and make the right greetings there and then! And after further thinking, I think it should be "Hong *something* che" and I shall encourage them to call me by my name! Never mind if they need to ask me several times what my name is! But not "auntie" when they are older than me!