The Mandarin Morph

"Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese I really think so"

Sorry, I don't know who to quote on that one. This song keeps popping into my mind lately although I think I need to change the lyrics a little. At this point something more appropriate would be: Turning Chinese, My husband's turning Chinese I really think so. We've been here nine months and Pancho seems to be adopting, not some, but many Chinese characteristics.

When we first arrived I was dumbfounded when we would go to restaurants and the waitresses would seem to have a complete conversation with him although he didn't speak more than 10 words in Mandarin. He told me that his trick is simply repeating and nodding. He won the hearts of Chinese people all around Beijing while we were eating strange dishes and drinking mysterious brews.

These days we know enough Mandarin to survive on the street but now everyone we meet asks if Pancho is from Xinjiang Province. Xinjiang province is located in the far north west of China. Apparently his physical features and rare accent transform him from a Mexican into a person born in the Gobi Desert near the border of Kazakhstan? or was it Krygyzstan? I told him that we should go and visit Xinjiang because everyone there would be able to understand him perfectly.

It's not the cultural confusion that has made this transformation so noted (and admittedly a little scary). He also carries around a pair of walnuts. Yep, walnuts. He carries them around rubbing them together in his hands as a form of ancient Chinese relaxation. He's not alone, hundreds of thousands of old Chinese men also rub their walnuts;). After years of rubbing the walnuts become smooth and the textured outer layer becomes a natural work of art. On Sundays you are sure to find some retired walnut rubbers in the park comparing nuts.

Now you're thinking walnuts aren't so bad. Okay, he also locks himself in the bathroom in the dark and uses a meditation bowl to make a loud humming sound. The bowl is made out of brass and has beautiful characters and designs etched in its surface and the rim is completely smooth. To make the ringing noise a small wooden cylinder is rubbed around the upper edge of the bowl much like making a glass sing with your wet finger. The bowl is about ten times louder than any glass I've ever heard though. Tibetans use the bowl as a meditation device so I suppose the only difference is location - a ninth floor apartment bathroom versus the Himalayas.

Still, no Chinese morphing could be complete without your very own feicha. A feicha is a long staff about 1.75m in length. It is used in Chinese Kung Fu (Wu Shu) to roll over your body while it remains constantly spinning. The tricks he can perform with this staff surprise everyone, including the Chinese. Soon he will have his very own real weapon feicha complete with a three pronged metal blade on the end. We recently went shopping for his authentic Kung Fu garments to complete the look.

All of Pancho's Chinese activities are completed in his traditional Chinese shoes. Black cloth loafers sewn by old woman hands. He even bought me a pair. They are not the fashion rage here but they are very comfortable and we both feel a little more at home in our authentic shoes considering that approximately 20% of Beijingers wear them.

All of this still may seem reasonable. When you live in another culture inevitably you will be influenced by its traditions, fashion, and lifestyle. We are no exceptions to the rule. The most recent development in this transformation is the purchase of a three wheeled rickshaw type bicycle complete with motor (see photo above). Pancho had been telling me about all the advantages of this strange vehicle long before he convinced me that we needed one. Today, it is in the shop having the cabin area installed so that our daughter and I have a place to sit on family outings. Most of the locals react with laughter when they see Pancho zooming around on his trusty, yet unconventional wheels. They say that he looks funny driving the vehicle. Just wait until they see me on the driver's seat!

All of these transformations would be scary if it wasn't for the fact that the Chinese people are so wonderful. We Westerners could stand to learn many things from this Eastern culture. Walnuts and rickshaws are just some of the amazing tools Pancho is using to help try to understand our new neighbors. Cultural immersion can lead to cultural understanding. I can?t wait to see what's next?