“Night and the day, when united, Bring forth the beautiful light.” ― Victor Hugo My first night in London was very nearly the Harlequin Silhouette fantasy I’d been dreaming about since girlhood---a brisk, cool evening, a handsome man, a foreign accent, and Piccadilly as our backdrop. All was going swimmingly up until the moment between passionately clumsy kissing my gentleman whispered into my ear the words: I’ve never kissed a black girl before. It was an ice bath minus the

I refuse to let a system or a culture or a distorted view of reality tell me that I don’t matter. I know that only by owning who and what you are can you start to step into the fullness of life. Every year should be teaching us all something valuable. Whether you get the lesson is really up to you.” —Oprah, O, the Oprah Magazine, May 2011 The 16th Annual Jinju Nongae Festival. I'm official! You will never believe where I am! I can hardly believe it myself. Drum roll please… K

“Women may be the one group that grows more radical with age.” ― Gloria Steinem I triumphantly upgraded to a room with a balcony! INTERLUDE ONE I know you were expecting a modern take on "Othello" or at least an update on the dreadful Mekhi Phifer and Julia Stiles movie “O”, and I promise you will have it, but first I must bring you the first in a series of what I’m calling Interludes. These Interludes, a periodic break between the chronological posts of my various travel ex