Mi Casa es su Casa: A Little Taste of Latin America to China

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For Iris Bula and her family, moving to China was like opening a door to valuable, priceless experiences that no book could match. The Panamanian family first moved to Beijing in 2011 for Iris’ husband Pedro Febles Cortez’s work, and from that point to on, it has been the most enriching time in their lives. From the beginning, they made an effort to get involved in the local community and were especially interested in forming friendships with Chinese people and learning about Chinese culture, traditions, and day to day life. Since then, they’ve also enjoyed returning the favor, sharing some of their traditional Panamanian and Latino cultural traditions and food with their friends in China.

While the family has had the opportunities to celebrate festivities like the Lunar New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Lantern Festival, and even traveling to their friends’ hometowns, meeting their relatives, parents, and grandparents, the benefits her family have enjoyed from moving to China run deeper. Bula’s daughter Tayra was eight years old and her son Pedro was six when they arrived and for both of them, Beijing is truly their home.  “One thing I am impressed is to see how much my children have absorbed Chinese culture.” Bula says “They speak the language and have adopted habits of the Chinese like showing great respect to adults and others and this is something I appreciate a lot which comes as a result of being here”.

Bula and her daughter in traditional Panamanian dress

By way of sharing her Latino culture with her Chinese friends, Bula has invited them to celebrate Christmas with her family, showing them how this holiday is done in her country and why it is special in the western world. Her friends have been especially interested in understanding the meaning of gift-giving, experiencing the special Christmas meal served at 10 pm on Christmas Eve, and learning about the emotional and spiritual aspects of the holiday. Another Latino cultural highlight that Iris and her family have brought to show their Chinese friends is the way in which birthdays are celebrated for children. Besides having the child’s favorite meal prepared on their special day, the guests could enjoy other yummy food, cake, and drinks.

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Bula also enjoys having her Chinese friends over when it’s time to try the food from Panama. The distinct flavors, spiciness, and different presentations and textures of this food are highly appreciated by her friends, especially as it’s not particularly easy for Chinese people to visit Latin America during normal travel times. “It’s bringing Latin America right to China without having to take a plane there”, she says. In fact, Bula’s love for cooking and her love for the Panamanian cuisine has allowed her to participate in a cooking show sponsored by CCTV made for Spanish speaking audiences called “De China a tu Cocina” (From China Right to Your Kitchen) in which she presented a few Panamanian dishes.

Despite the great distance that separates Panama and China, Bula has no regrets about moving here almost ten years ago. “My family and I couldn’t be happier living all of these years in China. We are so fortunate to enjoy the good company of friends, the peace of mind of knowing that our children are safe here, the peacefulness I personally feel when strolling through parks next to ancient monuments, the time we have as a family for each other, the quality of life and more. For those planning to move to China or for those who have recently arrived, I say, keep an open mind, take time to learn and understand Chinese culture, and everything else will flow”.

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Photos: Courtesy of Idris Bula 

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