Rebecca A. Foster

Pretty sure this scene is hotter than an entire "romance" book. Call me unromantic, but a lot of what passes for romance in popular culture is bullsh*t. Just give me a sweet, clothed shower with Daniel Craig. It's enough.

Today is my birthday and I have been overwhelmed with the good wishes and kindness shown to me. I plan on answering everyone individually, but until then, THANK YOU! You have made me feel very loved and remembered. A new guy I work with offered to take me technology shopping last week because he knows a lot more about these things than I do. I don't know him well, so I was really touched at his generosity. I am now the new owner of a flat screen lcd tv (the first tv I've ever purchased) and a Blu-Ray wifi dvd player, purchased at his advice, and through which I can stream Netflix and Pandora over my television. The technology available to me in America still blows me away. And as a birthday gift he bought me the HDMI cord I needed to hook my new dvd player to the TV. I was surprised, because as I said, we barely know each other, but he is a generous and thoughtful person. Good people are everywhere. The first movie I watched? This is not a good movie. But, um, I enjoy hi...

How could I have forgotten Xanadu for 'X'? Here's a brief clip of the final medley , during which she wears her little tiger skirt outfit. One of these years, I simply MUST replicate this outfit for Halloween; anyone who recognizes who I am is instantly on my love list. When we were out in the countryside training rural English teachers, we got REALLY bored. It was hot, and there was nothing to do there. So we downloaded this movie and spent an afternoon watching it together. Now I always think of Yunyang, China when I hear songs from Xanadu. (Which is more frequently than you'd imagine.) For those who haven't seen it, please know this movie is all kinds of ridiculous and the ending makes no sense. But, it's an 80's kitsch classic. Another time, I overheard a guy in Target gushing about Xanadu. I immediately sent out a text that I was in love. My brother texted me back: "You do realize the chances he is straight are very slim, right?" Or someth...

Confession: I love having someone else to help zip up my dresses. And zip down. It feels very decadent, no? And did you know this dress exists? I had no idea, until I was googling 'zipper.' All I can think is, it must be very uncomfortable in hot weather. Ouch! I also love my black & beige zebra print napkins I bought at Pier 1 Imports years ago. Tried to find them online to show you a photo, but looks like they don't carry them right now. I'm too lazy to go take a picture so: picture zebra print napkins. I love them. Just for M: Zoolander's best scene .

Swear on the bible, earlier this week I saw a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal in internet-passing and thought, "I bet there's a good chance if he met me, he'd ask me out." This means one of three things: 1. My self-esteem is waaay out of control 2. I'm delusional 3. I'm delusional I don't ever think this about famous people, but you know what? I bet if I met Jake Gyllenhaal in person, he'd want to ask me out. He looks like a bunch of guys I went to college with, and they seemed to like me just fine. It could happen! Hehehe. _____ I've accepted that Google pretty much owns me; gchat, Google voice, gmail-- everything they do, I love. Except Buzz. That sucked. But everything else is great. I actually get disappointed when I have friends who use yahoo and hotmail because then we can't gchat. Which brings me to my second point: I've noticed lately that men kinda dislike email. One guy I know, he'll always answer my emails, but he...

Something short to offset the long post beneath this one. A favorite quotation from the book Heroes, Rogues and Lovers * : “She says it is unfortunate that women find rash men so appealing, but they do, and it is because women know in their secret hearts that men who won’t kill for them are useless.” It's not a favorite quotation because I necessarily think it's true, but because it sort of explains the whole Indiana Jones thing, doesn't it? It’s true that I usually choose the men I date because they are thoughtful, kind and fun but also tough, intelligent men of action. And they are each of these things in a way I’m comfortable with. But kill for me? That sounds extreme. Consciously, no, I don't expect that. Millions of years of biological influence into choosing a reproduction mate? Hmmm... the question of nature vs. nurture is fascinating to me. Especially when it relates to attraction and who we choose to invest in. But on the other hand, there's this: ...

Wow, time flies! E. came down for a few days, and then I had to go to Chengdu for my end-of-service-very-thorough medical examination. It lasts a few days, and we get tested for communicable diseases and whatnot; I check out okay on all fronts, yay! And blood pressure 114/78, bring on the salt! We have our parasite test the day before we leave, and I don’t think you want to know the details of how that is done. But, I hope to also be parasite free, cross your fingers for me. Last Tuesday night we had girl’s night at the movies and saw Prince of Persia . Definitely China-good, meaning, only good because we are living in China and need the American eye-candy. My Chinese friend Summer came with us and she liked it a lot, for the same reason we did. Hotness is the universal language, y’all. I got in late last night and had to teach early this morning as a make-up for the days off I get next week for Dragon Boat Festival. Tonight we are watching the U.S./Britain soccer game at 2:15 ...

Ok, I do have a documented weakness for dark-haired, green-eyed men , but still...this is one good-looking man. Hrithik Rashan, South Asian Indian actor. V. loaned me a movie he's in called Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.   I loved the clothing and dancing. Bollywood movies can be cheesy, but they are also fun.

A few weeks ago, we joked that we should have a Chongqing PCV Writer’s Club, in which we’d write bad/cheesy romance pieces, then read them out loud to each other a la open mic beat poetry night. Did I mention it has been raining FOREVER in Chongqing? It’s making us all a little crazy. So last week in our downtown Starbucks, the Writer’s Club* had their first meeting. (I should mention, Starbucks here are almost like libraries, with sectioned-off rooms, long tables with study lamps for laptops, super comfy couches and lounge chairs, and all the free wi-fi you can handle. You can basically hang out there all day and no one blinks an eye. Also, they make all their specialty coffee drinks in non-coffee versions, which is great. I wish they did this in the U.S. They do this because many Chinese don’t like the taste of coffee. So, a caramel frappuccino will have whole milk instead of coffee, along with the caramel flavorings etc. They also have more teas on the menu here.) We each spent abou...

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...

I started packing to go back home, and here’s what it looks like so far: I left most of my clothes in China, so I don’t have a lot to take back. So hey, why not candy, pretzels, bacon bits and pudding? Underneath all the candy etc. there are jars of salsa, jalapenos and hot sauce wrapped in bubble wrap tucked inside Ziploc bags. -------------------------------- So, completely changing gears, here are the deep thoughts of my late night mind: you know that moment at the end of the movie when the slightly awkward girl gets a makeover and wows everyone away?  And then sometimes, she turns around and walks away, leaving That Boy who didn’t like her enough for who she is in her high-heeled dust? I love that moment. (Watch from about 7:45 in this video for a great example.) It’s not politically correct to love that moment, but deep down, I still have my own little fantasy makeover moment, where That Guy I just wasn’t girlfriend material enough for realizes how girlfriend-m...

'Choggles' is a combination of two words, 'China' and 'goggles.' Choggles are similar in function to beer goggles, but with a broader spectrum. For example, you buy some cookies. Are they good cookies, your friend asks you? They're choggle good, you say, meaning, not good if you're in America and have access to Mrs. Fields, but good when you're in China and desserts are commonly sweetened with red beans. What you mean is, these have a little sugar in them, not beans, and are somewhat edible. Choggles make it difficult to remember what you like and don't like. You wonder, do I like this because it's good, or because I'm wearing choggles? Is The Hangover actually this funny, or do I just miss Western irony and sarcasm so much, I'm willing to laugh at even the weakest examples of it? Is that guy actually hot, or is he just a lot taller than me and therefore I can't take my eyes off of him? And so on. How long does it take choggle...

This video clip is from a movie called  Sophie's Revenge . (Original Chinese name, Fei Chang Wan Mei « 非常完美».) There's a scene where the lead girl and guy are eating dinner together, and it struck me as an excellent example of eating culture in China, so I want to share it with you. It's a short clip, about 1 minute long. Ignore the dialogue, it's not important. A few things I want to point out: 1. Notice how he puts food into her bowl? It's very polite to do this for someone. I do it now, too. 2. Chopsticks should be held high up on the stick. I often now see American shows where I think people are holding the chopsticks in a really weird way. No wonder the Chinese think we don't know how to use them! 3. Almost all food is eaten out of a small bowl like this. You fill it with rice, then just keep adding food on top and eat down the rice until it's gone. No big plates or bowls (unless it's a big bowl of noodles). 4. The pick up the bowls and hold...

(I found internet access so I can post by email, but sorry, I can't see anyone else's blogs or make comments. I will have a lot of catching up to do!) My week of training is going very well so far. I spend half the day in Chinese class, and the other half listening to guest speakers and completing activities. So far we have had the NPR Beijing correspondent come speak to us (really interesting!) and now we have reps from the State Department who specialize in education here doing some training with us. It's like being back in grad school, and I am eating it up. And we are all here in a hotel together, so there are lots of fun times eating and playing together after the work is done. Overall, a great way to spend the week! I complained before about Spiderman Syndrome, so I feel I should also share this small anecdote: V. and I were watching C rouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon earlier this week in his hotel room. Near the end of the movie, he got up and put a little travel pa...

Today I learned* that the movie He's Just Not That Into You is translated into Chinese as  In Fact, You Don't Know His Heart ( 其实你不懂他的心) . And really, that's just so accurate, isn't it?   *I decided my Chinese textbooks were super boring and unmotivating, so now I study by reading popular culture magazines. It's slow-going, but I'm learning a lot.

First of all, I read back over my recent Spiderman post , and I cringed. I am so mouthy sometimes. I've been working on controlling myself when I "get my Latin up" as one of my friends puts it, but sometimes I say things without thinking. I sounded harsh, and I didn't mean to. I made a goal not to talk about my personal life here, and I feel like I kinda violated that on that post. So, apologies, I'll refrain from future discourse like this. Toasts: it's not just what's for breakfast. During formal dinners, either family or business, it's traditional to give toasts to each other throughout the meal. I don't really enjoy this tradition, because I just wanna eat all the delicious food, you know? But it's an important part of the culture here. (During our training period, we even had a banquet to teach us this custom. It's that important.) You must give the toasts in the proper order, or it's a big faux pas; the most honored person in t...

Breaking news: in three weeks, I'm being taken to 'China's Hawaii', an island located off the south coast of China called Hainan. Here's a picture: I know, I was surprised too! It's a gift, and I'm extremely grateful for it. And excited! We stay for a week, and I return a few days before I leave for America. I won't know what to do with all that sunshine, but I'll be nice and rested for my trip back to the U.S. Okay, a few more tidbits about my weekend trip: We visited a place with one of those swing-y bridges: I love bridges , but they also make me dizzy; when I was 15, I was hiking with my dad and fainted off the side of a foot bridge into a river. The little girls wanted to cross the bridge, so I sucked it up, grabbed their hands, and away we went. A large sign at the entrance says not to swing the bridge, but why get on a swingy bridge if you're not going to swing it? So of course, quite a few boys got on and started monkeying away. The littl...

(This has nothing to do with China. It's just random talking.) So here's the deal: I have a lot of theories. Theories are comforting to me. And because if I sit too long with out moving my hands, my brain wanders far and wide. This is also why I am not a smoker, btw. It would be waaay too easy to keep my hands moving by wrapping them around a cigarette. I'd be one of those people smoking through a hole in their throat, guaranteed. But I digress... I was talking to a friend the other day about Spiderman 2 , and realized I finally had the perfect name for a dating phenomenon I hate: Spiderman Syndrome. Because you know how Peter Parker keeps letting MJ down because he has to take care of very important Spidey Saving The Day Moments first? And she doesn't know he's Spiderman, so she thinks he just doesn't care enough about her to step up to the plate anymore, but we know he's really out saving the city from the bad guys, so we cut him some slack and inter...

It's been interesting to me to see which things from my home culture are popular here and which are completely unknown, even though in my eyes, they are comparable products. These things listed as 'popular' are well-known to people in my city; that is the average Chinese person you meet here would know and like them. The 'unpopular' category are things I consider popular in the U.S., but are unknown here. Popular TV: Prison Break (they LOVE it), Big Bang Theory (this one surprised me), Lost , Gossip Girl , Desperate Housewives , Ugly Betty Unpopular TV: 30 Rock , The Office , The Daily Show , CSI -type shows, Reality TV Popular Fast Food Chains: KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway Unpopular Fast Food Chains: Wendy's, Taco Bell, Carl's Junior, Quizno's Popular Candy Bars: Snickers, M&Ms Unpopular Candy Bars: Everything else Popular Movies: Titanic (oh man, you have no idea), Forrest Gump , Gone With The Wind , recent action movies ...

I've loved roller skating ever since my little sister Mishka brought me roller skates from heaven when she was born. (Thanks mom and dad, you're right, I don't hate the new baby now!) I lived across from Arlington National Cemetery as a kid, and I spent hours and hours skating along all those paths. I can't walk worth beans, I sorta fall over for no reason, but on skates? I am Kira in Xanadu, even without the awesome knee high boot skates. So during the recent weekend of shenanigans, when we found out their small town had a skating rink, of course we had to try it out. It was like nothing I've experienced before. (Shocking, I know!) First of all, they give you two plastic bags to wear over your feet.  Do skating rinks in America care this much about foot hygiene? No, they don't. Here's a picture of me putting on my foot bag: The rink itself was fully lit, which discouraged any sort of skating rink romance, so disappointing!, but this I could overlook. T...