It started as a pleasant evening. Although my husband was away for work, my dad was in Johannesburg on business and staying with me for the night. We had dinner together, chatting about family, work - the usual. It had been a good day.I live in what's known in South Africa as a security complex - a residential development with controlled access and security fencing. Most homes in my neighborhood, whether small apartments or large houses, are in similar developments.

The NBA's next unicorn streaks down the court for an easy two-handed dunk. In five seconds, the newest Texas Longhorn flies from defending a pass on the opposite baseline to flushing the ball through his team's hoop. As the start of conference play propels college hoops into high gear, astute fans are no doubt familiar with the names of high-scoring star freshmen like Trae Young (Oklahoma), Marvin Bagley III (Duke) and Collin Sexton (Alabama).

Listen to a country's music and you'll learn some things. Pop songs spilling from radios tell you what the youth are dreaming about - or what dreams are being sold to them. And the sounds emanating from dark, underground venues are a clue to what they're angry about, rebelling against. A country's music is like its state of mind, etched into history like lines on a record.

Already struggling with those New Year's fitness goals? In this original series, Freakishly Fit, join OZY for a look at some of the wildest ways some people stay in shape. Read more.Say you're looking for a vacation. One where you come back looking healthier, not hungover. How about a holiday where you learn to land a kao tone (knee attack) on the next person who grabs your ass on the subway? Well, follow me to Thailand. Follow me into the ring.

As kids in New York City, Kyle and I knew each other distantly."Our biggest meeting was like 50, 60 heads. It was crazy; it was just like a big circle of teenagers with two going at it in the middle."We reconnected. I was drawn by Kyle Shaw's Fight Club, like in the eponymous film, even if it may have been a solution to the clichéd first-world problem. "There's no more rite of passage for young guys.

Join OZY as we travel through all 50 states to uncover the challenges and meet the innovators reshaping a country that's more divided than ever. OZY’s Nick Fouriezos, on the last leg of his Herculean efforts for the States of the Nation series, took the last train to Clarksdale and wandered into a jukejoint nonpareil to bring us a True Story of a decidedly different stripe. Enjoy.

"Beauty is meaningless until it is shared," George Orwell wrote in Burmese Days. You could say the same thing about wine. Sure, it has value alone, but it's even better as an excuse for gathering friends for celebration or a good meal - even a trip to a country that until recently wasn't on the global wine trail.Myanmar has beauty - lush jungles, valleys floored with ancient pagodas. Now it has wine too.

Seeing something and saying something aren’t always the same thing. I’ve known playwright Israel Horovitz since I was 7. In the summer of 1991, when I was 19, Israel approached me with an informal assignment related to my interests in French studies and the theater. Together with the jeune fille au pair charged with looking after his younger kids, I was to produce a word-for-word translation of one Israel’s plays, from English to French.

Everything is not always what it seems.That is: Before you judge someone, get to know them. You might be surprised. Me? I was born in Bakersfield, California, in 1970. I was part of a set of fraternal twins with my sister. Unlike my sister who was born healthy and able to go home, I was born premature. I was in an incubator hooked up to sensors and tools to keep me alive. I was also born with asthma and allergies to everything, most of which could kill me, since they could cause an asthma attack.

OZY and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have partnered to bring you Leadership Journey, stories and audio about how top execs ascended the corporate ladder. Listen below to hear how the Head of Investor Relations at JPMorgan Chase got to where she is today. Enjoy the rest of our special series here.Leadership Journey: Julia BatesMy mother earned her Ph.D. when I was 5, which means she was wrestling with her dissertation when I was just a toddler.