Python: Convert a complex dict with possible UTF values into a regular STR one

convert_complex_unicode_dict.md

def array_to_utf(a):
    autf = []
    i = 0
    for v in a:
        if isinstance(v, unicode):
            autf.append(v.encode('utf-8'))
        elif isinstance(v, dict):
            autf.append(dict_to_utf(v))
        elif isinstance(v, list):
            autf.append(array_to_utf(v))
        else:
            autf.append(v)
    return autf

    
def dict_to_utf(d):
    dutf = {}
    for k,v in d.iteritems():
        if isinstance(v, unicode):
            dutf[k] = v.encode('utf-8')
        elif isinstance(v, list):
            dutf[k] = array_to_utf(v)
        elif isinstance(v, dict):
            dutf[k] = dict_to_utf(v)
        else:
            dutf[k] = v
    return dutf

test = {1: u'1', 2: '2', 3: {'x': u'x', 'y': 'y'}, 4: [u'ara', 's', 123], 5: 123}

print(dict_to_utf(a))
# {1: '1', 2: '2', 3: {'y': 'y', 'x': 'x'}, 4: ['ara', 's', 123], 5: 123}