Oscars…

As the biggest annual gathering of Hollywood's top stars, all decked out in their finest gowns, best Armani suits, freshly bronzed tans, the Oscars are definitely an exciting event! That is on television.

I covered the Oscars several years as a correspondent for CNN and CNN Headline news. As glamorous as it seemed on television, I always found it as such an extreme juxtaposition between what is seen on television on what really happens behind the scenes.

That is, especially on the part of reporters, who like me were, on the red carpet. An enviable spot for many viewers, most reports wait several hours in cramped spaces, in at times, extreme Los Angeles heat, just for a few minutes of well rehearsed PC responses from the likes of Tom Cruise, or Halle Berry. Miserable as it may have been on the red carpet to cover, I wouldn't have traded the experience for the world!

South Korea

I traveled to Seoul in the height of recent war of word between the US and North Korea's regime. It was a time when the US was being pressured to get out or reduce its presence in Seoul. I found a country that despite its exposure to so many foreigners over the years, either via the US military, visitors during the Olympic Games of 1988, or just as tourists, remained much closed. At least that was the case outside of Seoul, where school kids gathered around me as if it was their first time meeting an African American. Cool place!