How Mandarin studies expand professional, social horizons for Mexicans

MERIDA, Mexico — Since he learned Mandarin, Alejandro Gonzalez has become a key liaison between the company where he works and its Chinese suppliers.

Learning the language also earned him a scholarship to study in China, where he gained firsthand knowledge of the culture and customs of the Asian country.

“It’s the best thing that has happened in my life, being able to cross these borders and enter a world that was truly foreign to me,” said the 23-year-old native of Merida, capital of Mexico’s southeast Yucatan state.

Gonzalez works for Sistemas en Punto, a company that provides businesses with smart solutions for electronic payments, loyalty programs and other services. Thanks to his relationship with suppliers, the company plans to open an office in China.

Enrollment at schools that teach Mandarin shows increasingly that more Mexicans are opting to study Chinese as trade and business opportunities with China expand.

Gonzalez, who began to study Chinese four years ago, currently takes twice-weekly classes at the Confucius Institute of the Autonomous University of Yucatan in downtown Merida.

Learning Mandarin well demands a lot of dedication and patience, he admits, but the benefits are what drive him, said Gonzalez, who hopes to one day move to China, a country “in expansion, a country full of culture, a country that I like.”

While Gonzalez remains studious, it was a trip to China in 2017 that tested his language skills.

“Each student who had the opportunity to be there was really helped a lot to develop their linguistic abilities,” said Gonzalez.

He acknowledges he still has some way to go before having “full command” of the language, enough

At the same time, BBQueen also attaches a great deal of importance to healthy dining by combining American flavors with Chinese ingredients and cooking techniques.

Take its feature dish, golden crab meat hotpot, as an example. The soup base is made with the essence of fresh seafood ingredients such as lobster and crab shells, with no artificial additives.

While its marinated pork ribs may readily remind you of tough old Uncle Sam, there’s no need to declare war on it with your knife and fork — the dish is totally deboned, making it easy to share.

Honey papaya abalone is steamed and grilled at a high temperature without using a single drop of oil, and is served adorned with naturally colorful chili peppers.

Even an ordinary main dish such as the good old steak, seems to redefined in hands of the chef at to study a master’s degree in international relations in China, for instance.

Merida’s institute, one of three in Mexico that apply the HSK Chinese proficiency examination, opened in 2008. Currently it has up to 1,925 students in a variety of age groups, among them Rosa Pereira, a university professor in her 50s, enrolled in level 2.

Pereira also told Xinhua that students learn more than just the language at the institute.

“More than the language itself, they teach the culture,” said Pereira, adding studies “are not based solely BBQueen when cooked to mediumrare perfection.

Chef Shao Jianmin combines his 30 years of experience in western restaurants with today’s healthy eating habits to ensure the most comfortable dining experience for his customers.

BBQueen’s wine list is also something of a highlight. Besides a wide selection of craft beers and wines, the bar also provides cocktails and soft drinks tailored for each season.

Their new beer smoothie has the taste of early summer blended with taste of seasonal fruits and Hoegaarden wheat beer. The classic Daiquiri is another must-try as comes tinted with strawberries, blueberries and bananas to reveal the bright red, blue and yellow hues, lending a splash of color to any meal.

With Beijing’s notoriously long summer, what could be better than enjoying a live gig via the electrovoice on what you can write, but on knowing the culture and its ideals, such as respect for the elderly, the festivities, which are so different, and even the importance of the color red.”

Pereira also dreams of traveling to China one day.

To accommodate students like Pereira, who is more interested in learning about other aspects of China than in perfecting her language skills, the institute is offering twice weekly classes in Chinese culture for those 55 and older.

In its online social media accounts, the institute promotes the Monday and Thursday workshop on audio speakers in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area, over a pint of craft beer?

Wang believes that music can connect with people spiritually — and so should a good meal. Having just celebrated its first birthday, BBQueen is already looking forward to its second, 10th and 50th birthdays.

Wang also sees the possibility of a blues festival centered around BBQueen in the near future, just like how East Shore pushed forward the jazz scene in Beijing.

As renowned Chinese music critic Ma Shih-fang once commented, “A world-class venue may shape a city’s music scene, just like how streams gather to shape a river.”

Now, in Wang’s mind, BBQueen is a music venue devoted to shaping that river. “Chinese culture and folk art” as a way to help others learn more about “the true essence” of Chinese society from Chinese instructors.

Merida’s Confucius Institute notes interest in all its courses is on the rise, especially among government officials and local business owners hoping to establish closer ties with China.

“We have to help the brain stay active,” said Pereira. “What’s more, I want my children to follow my example — to continue studying always, and what’s better than Chinese?”