Skype

-
I got a U.S. based telephone number through Skype and now anyone can call or text* me here in China by calling/texting a U.S. phone number. Magic!  And I can make unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada.  The only downside is that I have to be at my computer to talk and text, but still: calling and texting again!  For only $5.00 a month! (I'm not going to post my number here for obvious reasons, but it's a regular telephone/cell number, you'd never know it goes to a computer.) Skype even let's you choose the area code you want your number to be in. I feel a bit like Kip in Napolean Dynamite: "I love technology...not as much as you, you see...but I still love technology..." Yeah, I do.  

*Addendum: people can't text me, I can only text them. BOOO, improve this, skype!

www.skype.com

Comments

Wayfaring Wanderer said…
And they have awesome video chatting!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Matt said…
That's probably the Great Firewall preventing the incoming IM.

I know for the Chinese-branded Skype they include a filter which makes verboten IM topics simply disappear (the whole IM, not just offending words)...with no notification.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Rebecca Foster said…
WW, yes, they do! It's always more fun to talk to long distance friends when you can see them.

Matt, I didn't know that. Makes sense.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Notes

-
I cut my hair today, it now looks like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. It took two hours, it was the most meticulous haircut I have ever received. He was amazing. I wish I could take him with me to Chongqing. Tomorrow I move into a hotel with the other volunteers in downtown Chengdu. We have a few days of meetings and then I move to Chongqing on Wednesday. It's about 4 hours away by train. Our new school helps us move, I am crossing my fingers they bring a car or some strong men to help! My suitcases are hella heavy. We had a banquet last night for our host families. The power went out so we ate in the dark, and then we decided to move to a restaurant next door where dinner started all over again. It was a very China evening. I will post pics asap.
Read more

This One Time I Thought I Was Really Hot (But It Was Just The HVAC Talking)

-
Back in San Antonio, my friend Stacey had asked me to pick her up from the airport. It was full summer, and for those of you who haven't been in San Antonio in the summertime, you know that expression 'hot as an oven'? Well, I like to say San Antonio summers are 'hot as downwind from an exhaust pipe.' (Which means when you actually are downwind from an exhaust pipe, things get really unpleasant.) It's quite common for there to be a temperature difference of 35-40 degrees between indoor and outdoor air during a San Antonio summer. True story: I had a small heater at my work desk and turned it on in the summer, not winter, because the air conditioning was on so high in our building I froze to death at my desk. So anyway, I go straight from the gym to the airport to pick up Stacey. It's 10 pm but still around 100 degrees outside. Inside, it's a balmy 60 or so. Gotta give those tourists a false sense of comfort! I'm pacing a bit in the baggage area wa...
Read more

Really?!?? AKA, Cultural Mishaps in China, They Will Happen

-
After judging a speech competition all morning at a school that is not my own, I was asked to hand out the second place prizes. They also asked some other teachers, but I missed the details because they only gave them in Chinese and I didn’t understand everything. I was only supposed to hand out 4 of 12 prizes. But the prize girl kept handing me certificates, so I kept handing them out, while the audience laughed at me. I didn’t know what was going on, so I just kept going until someone stopped me. Later, I was interviewed for the school news, on video, and the girl interviewing me asked me this question: Random Girl: “When you made the mistake and everyone was laughing at you, what did you feel inside?” Really, random girl? Really? On camera you ask me this? Really? Two years ago, this would have devastated me. Now, I just have to laugh and say, “Oh well! Such is life in China.” Cultural mistakes will be made. It happens. For the record, I told her I felt that it is maybe go...
Read more