Speaking of names

I chose a Chinese name before coming to Taiwan and it’s served me well. Most of my friends here call me some variation of Zhen-Kang (振康), and I like it.When I received permanent residency last year, my Chinese name became official. I now have two names on my Taiwan identity card: My original English name (written in English), plus my Chinese name (written in Traditional Chinese).When making online purchases, signing contracts, or using my name in any official capacity, I can choose which to use.In contexts where my language skill is likely sufficient, I’ll use my Chinese name. But when I want to signal that I’m a functionally illiterate foreigner, I’ll use my English name instead. This is useful, for example, when visiting the doctor—as administrators or nurses can readily identify me in the waiting room.A Chinese name is also useful in contexts where there’s only space to write three characters in a ‘name’ field. (Three characters being the standard length of a Chinese name.)…

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