Named, noted, and quoted…

Hey, this is cool.  Our story on the CSC City Slicker and Zero electric motorcycles was picked up (and quoted extensively) by a website called Electrek, an Internet magazine focused on electric vehicles.   Imagine that…being quoted in a magazine.   That’s cool…other people quoting me.  I’m working on learning how to write gud (spelling and grammar mistakes intended, folks) because when I grow up I want to write as well as Arjiu (and that would be my good buddy and literary hero, Joe Gresh).

Okay, enough on that.   I said I would someday explain the Dajiu and Arjiu business, and this is that day.

So I’m Dajiu (which means big uncle, I’m told) and Joe Gresh is Arjiu (which means little uncle).  Our Chinese buddies gave us those names on the Western America Adventure Ride (you can read about that in 5000 Miles at 8000 RPM).   Joe and I were leading a ride around the western US with a group of guys from China, and they were having difficulty with both of us having the same first name.  It’s funny…most of the Chinese guys had adopted English names (Hugo, Leonard, Kyle, etc.) to make it easier for us, but they were having trouble with us having the same English name (Joe and Joe).  On the second day of that ride, Hugo (Zongshen’s factory guy) fixed it by giving us new names, Dajiu and Arjiu.  Hugo called us all together to make a formal announcement, and he handled it in a very solemn manner.   I imagine the ceremony was similar to becoming a made man in the Mafia, or maybe a Bar Mitzvah.  The Chinese guys thought it was marvelous.

The pronunciation is “Dah Geo” and “Ar Jeo” and our new Chinese names stuck.  Whenever we’re with the Chinese guys, they simply refer to us as Dajiu and Arjiu, as if those were our given names.  That’s how we’re introduced to others in China.  It’s pretty cool.  You can call us that, too, if you wish.