I chose that profile name because 1) Koreans place the last name first, and 2) "Cho" is actually pronounced "Jo" in Korean.
Dan hated the English pronunciation of "Cho." He said it sounded so "chinky."
He told me how everyone mispronounced it which seemed surprising to me- how hard could it be? C H O . I had been Pirritano before so I was looking forward to the shorter, easier name.
It's a lot of work changing your name, and the social security office in downtown Brooklyn where I'd gone is probably worse than the one I visited yesterday in Hackensack, NJ.
So, after all that work, Dan tells me he wants to change his last name...to Hayworth. Daniel Hayworth. Gotta love him. He was trying to make it in the music industry- he didn't want the stereotype of being a nerdy Asian guy who played a classical instrument.
No way, I told him- I've just changed my name.
Well, I've found over the past six years, he was right. People are constantly mispronouncing my name. "Mrs. Chew?"
"Julia Chow?"
Later he thought about just changing it to Jo- as it is pronounced in the proper Korean.
Maybe Jo is easier. Julia Jo. Jo Julia.