Quite an insight into a lurid mind. These thoughts are yours alone. Congratulations on the confession.

The enlightened mind accepts, it does not expect.

lol. i think this question is a perfectly reasonable one as most people have suggested, although i think it could possibly be phrased better to avoid negative interpretations.

im black, abd ive been to lots and lost of places, i get stared at in swisss, but im going to asume is cause im beautiful rather than black (lol )

im from London, UK, and the black population is far greater than here in Zurich, not only that but in London i tend to see them everywhere not just on the streets. In the company i work for currently, which employs people in thousands i think ive come across about 2 other black people, and i can safley say i had a wider smile seeing someone 'else'.

i havent noticed my 'blackness' as much as i have since being here, and i have been to more 'whiter' places. but then this might literary be because in those other places they speak English!

In my experience in the U.S., Switzerland, and a handful of other countries, I have had more than my fair share of awkward, uncomfortable, and/or humiliating experiences. I'm sure many of these experiences could be passed off as "it could/would have happened to anyone." Really, can't they all be passed off that way.

I don't mean to be immodest, but please note I am a good citizen both at home and abroad. I am a rule follower, I integrate, and I do as the Romans do so to speak. With that said, I think the amount of times in my life I have been accused of stealing, trailed in stores by plain clothes and official security, approached by creepy old men at the train station, stopped by police officers while driving, informed by young gentleman that their parents wish us to no longer speak, told that my educational successes are due to affirmative action, outright stared at when by myself, when with my husband, when with my children, and the list goes on and on and on and on is rather telling. There are the subtle experiences on regular basis and then there's usually a big one every year or two. Usually these experiences make me laugh or roll my eyes, but some can make me cry or get my blood boiling.

I always hesitate to speak openly about these kinds of topics with people who don't know me because it's very easy to assume that I'm a jaded, "angry black woman" who just wants to play the race card at every opportunity she gets. Anyone who knows me personally, knows that is far from the truth. To legitimize my perspective, I start to feel like I have to rattle off jaw-dropping, "there was this one time" stories in order to justify my perspective and who really wants to go there?

Anyhow it always gets under my skin a little when I hear people say that race doesn't matter. It shouldn't and often it doesn't, but when you're "the other," you know that race and ethnicity matter a lot more than many believe or want to admit.