Light-skinned-ed Girl

Me & Barbara Kingsolver: A Tale about How The Girl Who Fell From the Sky Floats on Air

I am about two inches taller as I float on the high of last night!

I met Barbara Kingsolver when she was in town promoting her new book, The Lacuna (with a biracial protagonist btw).

It was wonderful to be able to finally thank her in person for awarding me the Bellwether Prize and well, changing my life!  She was lovely, warm and kind--so absolutely genuine, and wonderful.  I know I am gushing, but you know how you meet someone you admire and you worry about being disappointed?  My absolute admiration has increased ten-fold since meeting her.  I mean--she really is what she presents herself to be--smart, curious, sincere, funny, and concerned about the world we live in.

I was surprised when she suddenly introduced me to the audience during the presentation as she talked about establishing the Bellwether Prize.  Truthfully, I thought I might faint.  She asked me to stand and for the audience to welcome me with applause.  It was surreal. 

So that is my Barbara Kingsolver moment.  It was my fantasy of the moment come-true. 

Now I hope that the book will make her proud.  I have much to live up to.

Light-skinned-ed Girl in Egypt: Luxor

It's been a busy, exhilirating, frustrating, and exhausting trip.  I've barely had any time to process all of the experiences and no time at all to blog.  But I wanted to share a few photos and will blog more about the trip once I return stateside!  After leaving Sharm El Sheik on Monday, we spent two days in Luxor, and yesterday we arrived in Cairo.  Today it's a tour of the Egyptian Museum and walk through Islamic Cairo and the markets.  Tomorrow to the Pyramids.  More soon!

Light-skinned-ed Girl in Egypt

Hello from way over here!  It took a full 40 hours to get here with some very long lay-overs including one overnight at the Cairo airport but it was well worth it.  We're now in Sharm El Sheik -- on the Red Sea coast.  Beautiful but kind of like Cancun in the amount of touristic development--it's all hotels, restaurants, bling.

I would include photos except the best stuff I've seen has been underwater.  I dipped into the Red Sea the other day just off the hotel's jetty and felt like I had jumped into a giant aquarium.  Gorgeous coral reef, band all colors and stripes of fish.  I'm not a big snorkler, but even I couldn't resist seeing that.

Yesterday took the tour from hell to St. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai to see the "burning bush" and the Well of Moses where he is said to have met his wife, Zipporah.  But group tours are not my thing.  We waited for the stragglers more than once for up to an hour.  We left too early to catch breakfast in the hotel and we didn't have lunch until 2:30pm.  On the way back the bus tire ran out of air so we had to stop for a repair job.

Luckily, the night and my flagging spirits were saved by a delightful meal at a restaurant called Camel in Naama Bay.  We joined a group of Israelis we'd met earlier in the day for delightful conversation and a great meal.

Today, some shopping in the Old Market, some snorkeling and some rest.  Oh, yeah, and I'll take some photos. Promise.