When I was growing up I lived 1,733 miles away from where the Oscars take place and every year, around this time, I’d look at the people surrounding me and think, “How can all of you possibly be happy knowing everything important is happening somewhere else?” It’s not that I didn’t …

Nothing makes me chuckle in quite the same way as the ongoing discussion around beauty standards. No one can seem to figure out who sets the standards and is thus in charge of our perpetual inability to meet them.  It used to be the magazines. When I was growing up, …

Some of the best news the rest of us plebeians could have ever received has been leaking this fall as Julie Andrews makes the publicity rounds for her new book Home Work. Maybe you haven’t been paying attention so here it is: Julie Andrews swears. A lot. I would hardly …

A few years ago my sister found a recipe for watermelon salad that sounds almost unappetizing but is surprisingly refreshing. Its simplicity and charm make it a delightful addition to any summer party.  I’m no food blogger so I’ll put the recipe right at the top: To make it, you …

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 …