Recently, "becoming Chinese" has been trending online. Some people are drinking hot water, practicing Baduanjin, or learning how to cook Chinese New Year's Eve dishes.
But this guy took it to another level. He has lived in my hometown, Wenzhou, for 13 years. Not only has he embraced Chinese culture — he has learned the Wenzhou dialect, often called one of the most difficult dialects in China. Some even call it the "devil's language". And now? He teaches it online.
During Spring Festival, I went back home and had a long conversation with him. When someone from another country speaks your hometown dialect to you, it feels...different. Personal. Unexpected.