You may also find that the Chinese refer to one another by their job title—Mayor Wang, and Manager Li and so on. This is a direct translation of the way they would normally refer to one another in Chinese, and you might find it a useful habit to adopt, because you are almost bound to meet several people who share the same surname, and it will help you keep them separate in your mind. (Like Dostoevsky characters. Does this not make you want to be a, um, o say a dominatrix contortionist dog grooming spinning class teacher efficiency consultant or some weird ass thing, just for kicks?)
These days, however, complications can arise when Chinese people start choosing Western names for themselves. They are, of course, quite right in thinking that “James Chen” is easier for a Western visitor to remember than, say, Chen Jianrong. Particularly in Hong Kong, you are likely to come across many a “Peter Wong” or “Ivy Mao”, or even the odd “Ribena Lo” or “Rolex Chan”, but this habit of reversing the order of surname/personal name is occasionally carried over into their Chinese names too. So it is a good idea, especially when confronted with a Chinese name of only two syllables, such as Jing Wang, to check whether the bearer of that name is a Mr/Ms Jing or a Mr/Ms Wang. (Ok, all jokes aside, how do you politely check that? Can you stare rudely Western style and ask, "What do you want me to call you?" And if they say “Greg” because you’re too stupid to deal with a Chinese name, do you feel offended or guilty?)
Ryan Adams - English Girls Approximately
