They didn’t let us take photos. No video either. “Yesterday,” said our guide, “someone tried to sketch a drawing of what they saw.” So during my turn to see North Korea with my own eyes, they made another rule — no notebooks. “If you get caught with a camera,” said …

Already two separate Koreans have complimented me on my chopstick skills. If the rest of the trip winds up a bust I have this much to hold on to, which might not seem like a lot but wait until it happens to you. When a Asian in Asia compliments you …

Getting a haircut before a big event is always risky, but I decided this year to tempt fate. It was four days before my birthday and I needed a trim. This would seem like an inconsequential haircut to many but is known to long-haired girls everywhere as a white-knuckled adventure …