Bi Lei, Billy and Beat It

 Lei Bi

January 29, 2026



        My name is Lei Bi, and the Chineses characters are "毕磊"- Bi Lei. In China, the order of the name is opposite to The United States, and usually put the last mane first. For my last name. I inherited my family's name, Bi, which can be traced back to the Zhou dynasty and our ancestor is "毕公高"- Bi Gonggao. My grandfather gave me my first name, "磊"- Lei, which translates to three stones in English. The first name means that I should be straightforward and honest when I deal with anything. Although the sounds of the characters make sense, I don't like it because they are too positive and stiff. After I started to think for myself and see the world with critical eyes, I knew that the world is not black or white, and there are many grey regions. It means the world is complicated, and everything is changing. Thus I need to play with balanced arts. Conversely, I want a smart name which presents flexible, changeable and knowledgeable, because in Chinese culture, names represent individual personalities. Therefore, I want to be a person who has this personality that I mentioned. 
        There is a funny story about my Chinese name Bi Lei. The singer Micheal Jackson has a song "Beat It", and the pronunciation is very similar as my Chinese name in the song. When I was younger than eighteen, my classmates used to call my name and it sounds like playing the song. Therefore, I was offended by it, but I don't care anymore now.
        This is my name's story, as I said, I don't like my Chinese name, but I am used to it and I don't want to change it because it is too troublesome.

Comments

  1. Naila BencellaFebruary 5, 2026 at 12:56 PM

    Your story shows the balance between your inherited Chinese name and the flexibility of your creative self with your American one. I think you are really smart, also your writing was beautiful to read. Thank you Bi Lei!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aria HuangFebruary 6, 2026 at 7:49 PM

    I like your attitude and reflection towards your name. I think your personality makes you a more powerful person than your name describes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. QitingFebruary 6, 2026 at 9:57 PM

    It is also my first time to know your Chinese name. Your story has shaken me. I think you have become the person who you want to be because your heart is so clear.

    ReplyDelete

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