Rebecca A. Foster

This past 4th of July was hot, rainy and humid as Hades in Chongqing. We had our 4th of July American-style barbecue in the 8th floor stairwell because of the rain, which gradually moved into one of our apartments, because of the heat. One of the volunteers was dating a Chinese girl who spoke very fluent English and she came to our party. In the apartment we started talking about sex, as rained-out Americans in mixed company are want to do. I found out later this girl was shocked that we would discuss such things in mixed company in such detail, as this is just not done in Chinese culture. And, she was shocked at how much sex education we all had and felt comfortable discussing, period. Of course, we thought nothing of it. It reminded me that learning the language of another culture does not always equal understanding the culture. (This was also the weekend T. ate food he'd dropped on the stairwell floor and the next day got too sick to leave my apartment to go home and the resulti...

I'm revisiting my last letter, I realized I had more to say about it. My last two posts were pretty serious, so how about something more light-hearted for now? 1. Old Things. My mom abhors old things, so I know I get this from my dad, in some cases literally. This little desk was his nightstand during college, but I remember it as the place he stored wiring and electronics, etc. He gave it to me, I painted it black (not well-- needs to be redone) and I use it to store toiletries/medicine cabinet stuff. I reckon this little chest is about 40+ years old now. I love it because it was my dad's. He also gave me his Army toolbox, and a really cool old Army messenger-type bag from the 1940s. I think he got it at a surplus store, but he used it as a fishing bag and I cherish it. It's in storage right now and I have a cold and am too chicken to venture out in the snow for it. I'll share a picture another day. I bought my bed at a used furniture store for $200. It's b...

I love dill pickle flavored potato chips. If you haven't tried them, I recommend them highly. My favorite are Canadian brands, but Lays are okay too.  I'm a big fan of the pickle in general, claussen's are good. Every year in my stocking I used to get a jar of baby dills I didn't have to share. My favorite part was drinking the juice and garlic pieces when they were gone. Yeah, I'm kinda gross. _______ But this is good, I promise! Sichuan-style dumpling soup. Here's how I make it: 2 cups chicken broth A few splashes of sesame oil A few more splashes of soy sauce about a teaspoon of hot chili oil (not that sweet stuff, the darker hot stuff) red pepper flakes chopped green onions a few frozen dumplings (I used 6) Fresh greens (spinach or any other fresh weedy green) Combine everything except the greens, boil until the dumplings are cooked, then add the greens for a minute or two, just enough to cook them down. Here's what it looks like when it...

I've been sorting through old pictures from my travels; lots of pictures of bridges and buildings. You know those job/skill aptitude tests you can take? I always got my highest score in 'spatial relations', which I've thought is a pretty lame thing to have high skill in-- so I can figure out where things should go in space, big deal! Although it does probably explain my love of bridges, because bridges are inherently rather spatial, no? I found shots a friend had sent me of NYC bridges and other scenic shots; I won't post them here because they're not mine to post, but they still bring me so much joy. Maybe I'm austistic, y'all, and bridges are my thing? From looking at old pictures, I've noticed my perspective on what constitutes 'clean and nice and inviting' has drastically changed. For example, I took this photo in Manhattan because at the time I thought, "Wow, look at all that garbage on the street! And now I think, "Wow, ...

It has been raining every day for almost two weeks straight in Chongqing. I don’t do well without enough sunshine. I feel really blah and sad. There is a reason I love San Antonio so much: abundant sunshine and delicious food. I miss home. And rain makes my sinus problems flare up. I would not have done well on the Ark. Okay, enough whining, onto the topic of the post: I took this picture on the street over the weekend. The man tried to block my camera, which normally doesn’t happen here, so I figured something must be up. I asked a student, and she said it’s illegal to sell teeth on the street like this. I asked her what animal this is, and she didn’t know. A Google search revealed that teeth from Tibetan wolves are thought to be good luck charms, but I have no clue if these are the jaw bones of Tibetan wolves. But the little jaws in a pile like this made me feel queasy.  Queasy story #2: We ate a big bowl of Xiang La Xia (香辣虾)“Fragrant Spicy Shrimp” for dinner last weekend...

Those of you who read here before I left for China know it used to be called “Stuff I Love.” In memory of times gone by, here are a few things I love right now: 1. Fit To Strip , the workout DVD by Carmen Electra. I know, I know, it sounds lame, but disc 2 is a calisthenics routine that has nothing to do with stripping and everything to do with building strength in your core, legs and upper body. I used this DVD before I ran a half marathon a few years ago and was the most toned I’ve ever been. I let myself get chubby after my dad died, so I’m back on a strength training/toning regime, and this DVD is part of my new routine (along with running, weights and yoga). It kicks your butt in a really good way. Amazon.com, $12.99 2. Community , the tv show on NBC. One of my friends in the U.S. prodded me to watch this show, and it takes the place in my heart that used to be occupied by The Office until The Office turned kinda lame. (Sorry, but you know it’s true.) Abed and Troy crack...

The English says 'dogmeat', but the Chinese says 'ground meat.' Not sure if it's a euphemism or a mistranslation. (And I think we'd say 'black eyed peas' but that is perhaps a regional English thing.) In any case, I didn't buy it. Random Transformers character outside a club chain called '88.' (8 is a lucky number in Chinese culture.) There was a sign next to him but all I could make out is that he was some kind of party monster from another planet who was coming here to throw the best party of all time. Might be a New Year's Eve thing. There were still too many characters I didn't know. (I hate that, but good study motivation!) Chinese grandparents are the nation's babysitters. All day long, it is common to see babies and grandparents, shooting the breeze, feeding some pigeons, etc. This picture is a little bit blurry, I know, but check out those mouse ears and stocky legs. Chinese babies are delicious little butterballs in the...

Last Tuesday I went biking in the countryside, and saw a mamma goat with four little baby goats (one of which was sunbathing!). I couldn't resist stopping for a few minutes to play with them. (Little known fact: I love goats! My family used to have pet goats, and they are smart like dogs.) But two days later, I was one sick puppy. Is there such a thing as Goat Flu? I am feeling better now, still some bad fatigue and achiness, but wow, it really knocked me off my feet. Hence the lack of posts lately. And these are the other goats in my life: the Chinese "Happy Goats", aka Xi Yang Yang , a local kid's cartoon taking China (the world?) by storm. It's a simple cartoon about cute little goats who have to fight off a wolf; the wolf doesn't want to eat the goats, but his wife makes him try. All the goats have their own little nicknames and skills and they always succeed in besting the wolf, but the wolf always comes back for another try. This show is also popular w...

If all goes according to plan, this is where I'll be spending part of my winter break. You can get very cheap airfare from China to Indonesia, and stay in cheap huts on the beach, perfect for someone on a Peace Corps (read: nonexistent) budget. I need fresh air and open space. Can't wait! Also, I was talking yesterday with a friend about men who aren't fully honest about their dating/marital status. Reminded me of a guy I went out with a few times in Texas, I think Tony was his name. I went to his apartment once, for just a few minutes, and he had a cat. And I remember thinking, single guys in their 20s don't usually have cats. Suspicious! Also, he had the world's cheesiest flower painting on the wall. So I went home that night and shamelessly googled-- and thank heaven for Texas and their open records laws, there was his marriage certificate in all its PDF glory!  And no divorce certificate to match. Thanks, cat, for saving me from a loser. (Interestingly, t...

1. I thought I liked playing video games, but it turns out I just like thinking about playing video games. 2. Now when I see pictures of tan people on the internet, I think "Oh, what is she doing to her skin?!" 3. These days, if I had to choose between making out with a really hot guy and eating a big juicy hamburger, I'd probably eat the hamburger. Or at least, eat it first.* 4. I've stopped giving unsolicited advice. I'm an oldest child, it's hard to stop. But it's liberating, too. I'm not responsible that everything works out for you? Okay! 5. I keep asking people to send me Velveeta cheese, and I think they think I'm joking because no one sends me any**, but seriously: I want Velveeta cheese. I know it's gross. Don't judge. 6. I had a dream Alec Baldwin was hitting on me. Actually, I don't know if it was Alex Baldwin or Jack Donaghey, but still: brain, what's up with that? That's the best you could do? 7. I like Diet Coke be...

I went a-wandering today and came across a small shop selling "hip hop" fashion (their words, not mine). A few of the items for sale: An Obama 'Hope' belt buckle: $100 bill belt buckles: And of course, the Yankees: You could also buy a Mao bags, Che Guevera bags, big fake diamond earring studs and fake gold rings with "50 Cent" printed on them. And this Paul Frank monkey, wearing a military uniform and waving a flag: I really want to go back and buy something from this store, just for the fact it exists in China. While wandering I also found these fake eyelashes with little diamond studs at the lashline: A very productive day!

Bunnies and hamsters and turtles, oh my! The stairs at my neighborhood metro station, painted as an ad for Mountain Dew. Grrr... (see post below) Two of my cutie-pie students, Sabrina and Vivian. (They choose their own English names.) I love my students, they are the light of my life here. I'll probably never have kids of my own, so I'm sure I'll never know how it feels to be a parent, but I feel very protective of my students. I think I'm going to worry and wonder about and wish good things for them all the rest of my life. (And I can actually read all those characters on the wall behind them. Can you believe it?  It still shocks me I can speak and read any Chinese at all.)

This is where I buy my vegetables. It's not clean, but you can't eat veggies without decontaminating them in some way anyway, so it really doesn't matter. (And 100% organic!  A bit different from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's though.) You can buy produce from the supermarket, but it's 3x as expensive and has to be weighed at a weigh station rather than at checkout like in Western grocery stores. There are no lines, so you have to fight your way to the front, push other's bags of produce out of the way, and get your food weighed by a sullen faced girl who doesn't acknowledge you. It sucks. So I come here instead. This type of market is the most common way to buy vegetables in China. Here you can see potatoes, onions, and different kinds of greens for sale. The quality varies depending on the day and what they are able to get. But you can usually get these basics, along with tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms. Sometimes they have radishes, lettuce, broccoli and caul...

Today was our trip to the hot springs, about 45 minutes from my neighborhood, and it was really cool!  I'm going to post small pics here, you can click on them for the full size version. First, the scariest picture of me ever taken: Rebecca The Floating Head. I am in a pool with the water up to my jaw line, hence the creepy floating head illusion. Here is a picture of the grounds at the hot springs. They have around 10 different "spa" pools, each one with a different theme: rosewater, tea, Chinese medicine, lavender, etc. Each pool smelled wonderful. There was even a red wine water pool, which is supposed to be very good for your skin. And reminded me I always wanted to take a red wine bath, but forgot about it. When I get back to the States (and a bathtub) I'll do it. Another view of the grounds. Behind each circle wall is a spa pool. They were playing traditional soothing Chinese music over little hidden loudspeakers, it was very relaxing. The open air and view didn...

It feels good to have someone with you whose hand you can hold, someone you trust to be good to you. I love holding hands while walking, on the subway, watching a movie, and especially in the car. It's very sweet to silently hold hands on the way home from anywhere. I also love it when little kids reach up and hold your hand. It makes me feel needed. It's the perfect compliment from a child: "I trust you to take care of me."

How come little ears are so cute? A friend of mine has small ears. A 3 year old girl once told him, "Yous got reentle teenty ears!" So now I call things that are small and cute 'reentle teenty' (in a normal, not cutesy, voice). This definitely fits that criteria.

When you're sleepy, what feels better than rubbing your eyes? Love it. One great benefit of never wearing mascara: rubbing my eyes with abandon without smearing makeup all over my face. I also unabashedly stretch and mewl when I'm sleepy. Pointing my toes, stretching my arms overhead, yawning...I look ridiculous I am sure, but just feels so good. This morning I woke up on my back with my head turned to the side, arms bent, hands curled up against my ears. I wonder what I was dreaming about to end up in that position.

I don't wear a watch. I just figure out in my head what time it is. I can even take a nap and tell myself to wake up at a certain time, and I do. But knowing what day I'm on? Sometimes takes a few tries. Days seem to sneak up on me and then fly right by. So an easily accessible calendar, especially at work, is a must-have*. As always, I had several options for the new year: Girls In Bikinis Should I get a calendar that forces me to stare at well-lit, well-toned and well-enhanced women all year as a way to motivate myself to eat fewer nachos and make my work-outs at the gym last just a bit longer? Maybe it could work. But really, using a bikini calendar as a realistic indicator of progress only works if I also have an air-brushing and lighting guy following me around all day. So, maybe not. (Side note: you know how in movies when the hero is about to seduce the heroine, the lighting turns all soft and flattering? Yeah, that should happen in real life too.) Kitten s an d Puppies ...