Resourcefulness Awards

I won my first Restourcefulness Award in college, for excellence in decorating, when I used Q-tips, wedged between layers of a mirror, to secure Christmas lights around the mirror. The lights were shaped like starfish, and the whole rig lasted for the academic year.

In China, resourcefulness comes in handy. Without a bag for my cell phone, I rigged a pocket with a bandana threaded and tied through a few belt loops. Without an oven, I made apple cobbler in my slow cooker, which actually turned out to be cake-like. Here is the shocking result:


I think today I will win another Resourcefulness Award, this one for excellence in toiletries. Yes, I made my own sugar wax, for removing body hair. Without strips, and without an old piece of cloth from which to cut strips, I tried cutting up a plastic Walmart bag. Not only did it work, but it was not as painful as regular wax with cloth or paper strips. Also, sugar "wax" is water soluble, so the clean-up was so easy.

-吴佩芙