Gods, only a couple more days. Can't wait!
Woke up early and headed to the clinic. I started with my typical examination and cleaning. Then the doctor explained what he wanted to do. Said that he wanted to do a minor reduction to my labia, since he had played it safe before. This would be the last touch up needed, as I would, of course, be headed home. We had a couple hours before the actual procedure. K got to chat with both Dr. Pichet, again, and the anesthesiologist, Dr. Mo. Then they brought me to the OR, put the mask on, and I was out.
Woke up a couple hours later. It really was a VERY small amount of tissue that got taken care of. He also took most of the stitches out at the same time, while using dissolvable stitches for the last of today's procedure. They should come out on their own in a week-ish. After which, I can swim again. Granted, back in LA, I will be less likely to go for that unless I can get access to a heated pool. At least until summer.
I spent much of the rest of the day kinda lazy. Unfortunately, the connection at the hotel was absolute shit for the rest of the day. I can only hope it comes back up in the morning before I leave.
The plan is as follows, just in case I can't get another connection. I fly out Friday at 16:40 from Bangkok to Shanghai-Pudong. We arrive around 22:00 locally, and are heading to a Howard Johnson hotel nearby. The next leg is at noon Saturday morning to LAX. It's 11 hours, but because of the date line cross, we will arrive around 09:00 Saturday morning. Finally, I will be home. By evening, I hope to be rested enough to hit up the Shine club again...but more importantly, I'll be back home in my love's arms.
20 January, 2011
Pattaya
Amazing couple of days I've had! Let me try and get a recap going.
On Tuesday morning, we got on a van for Pattaya at 06:30. Talk about early, at least compared to our normal days. Ah, well, I managed. Pattaya was a beach resort a couple hours from Bangkok, and in the past couple decades has sprawled to its own small city. The tourism made a huge part of it, so it had a lot of influences from around, including India, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, China, you name it. You could tell alot from the local pubs to the architecture, as well.
We arrived around 09:30, and checked into the hotel we had booked as part of the package. En route, the road got a little bumpy, and I was napping against an odd ridge in the window with a strip of velcro on it. So, you'll notice a small mark on my forehead in a few of the shots. We got ready to go by 10:00. We joined another group, primarily Indian, and got in a small pontoon boat. We were to hit up Coral Island, and on the way, we made two optional excursion stops.
First stop: Parasailing! We pulled the boat up to a floating barge with a large takeoff platform. They also had a small bar. All of this very open and taking full advantage of the warm air and ocean breeze. The parasailing was pretty simple and organized: A harness sewn into a life jacket, and attached to the cords of the parachute very quickly with buckles. The rest of it stayed attached to the motorboat, which made a quick circle of the barge. Participants were allowed a single, optional dunk in the brine right upon takeoff. They also took pictures for you. Mine came to me framed already, so this shot might look a little funny.
[Placeholder]
Upon landing, you were caught by workers and quickly detached. All you had to do was run in the beginning. But man, what a fuckin' ride!!
Next stop: Deep Sea Walk. I had to sit this one out. Doctor had ordered me to keep the surgical area dry for the next couple of weeks, and an underwater soak was pretty much out of the question. K went, though. They had O2 tanks, large old-school bubble helmets, all connected to a line. They also wore gloves, as they got a chance to feed some of the fish that were down there. Did I mention coral reef? Yeah. Damn, I wish I could have gone for that. As it was, I hung out on the barge.
Finally, we landed upon Coral Island itself. A large beach with several souvenir stands and carts. Also available were jetskis and towboats, and a lot of sun and sand. Not a whole lot more, but who needs more? Did I mention I think I was a mariner in another life? I could live on the water!
Lunch was included in the tour package. While walking along the carts towards the restaurant, I noticed one interesting technique that I would later find all over the place in Pattaya. The carts would have water pump systems and large bowls with several live fish in, including shrimp, lobster, crabs, and some small white fish. When one was ordered, they scooped them out with either tongs or grated baskets, and drop them straight into a steamer! The white fish would be gutted, scaled, breaded and deep fried whole. This restaurant did the same thing, and served with fried rice, corn, salad...and french fries. Apparently ya gotta have french fries. Good fries, actually, I can't complain. Our meal was two crabs, six shrimp, and two of the fish. Lot of food for just the two of us!
By 13:30, we were on a boat back to Pattaya. I took a nap while K got a look at our surroundings. We walked around and checked out some of the block. It was filled with a few malls, hotels, souvenir shops, small food carts, major restaurants, and several bars. On the way back, I got a quick "Hello" from a few girls from a katoey bar. I never made it back, but I kinda wish I had the time to step inside for a drink.
At 17:30, we got another ride. The final included part of the package was the Alcazar cabaret show! There was no photography allowed, however. It was certainly interesting, nothing I've ever seen before. The show and the songs were primarily Thai, but I saw a lot of outside influence. Indian quarter-tone scales, Korean and Chinese set and costume designs, even some American pop. Oh, and speaking of American, between the song selections like "I Will Survive" and "Poker Face" AND a shit ton of sequins and glitter, well, it was enough to make a WeHo boy cry.
The next day was spent leisurely in comparison. We slept in, and did some souvenir shopping after breakfast at The Coffee Club. This restaurant was a nice blend of American, European, and Thai dining, along with a coffee and pastry shop, all in one. They also had a full dinner menu with draft beers. I can see that kinda place taking off in the states quite well!
Afterwards, we had an hour on the beach before heading back to Bangkok. All in all, a great trip. It was also pretty good for distracting me from the constant reminders of how long this trip is taking, and how much longer before I get home to my honey. Tomorrow morning, one last touch up procedure, and I'll probably take it easy, just to play it safe.
On Tuesday morning, we got on a van for Pattaya at 06:30. Talk about early, at least compared to our normal days. Ah, well, I managed. Pattaya was a beach resort a couple hours from Bangkok, and in the past couple decades has sprawled to its own small city. The tourism made a huge part of it, so it had a lot of influences from around, including India, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, China, you name it. You could tell alot from the local pubs to the architecture, as well.
We arrived around 09:30, and checked into the hotel we had booked as part of the package. En route, the road got a little bumpy, and I was napping against an odd ridge in the window with a strip of velcro on it. So, you'll notice a small mark on my forehead in a few of the shots. We got ready to go by 10:00. We joined another group, primarily Indian, and got in a small pontoon boat. We were to hit up Coral Island, and on the way, we made two optional excursion stops.
First stop: Parasailing! We pulled the boat up to a floating barge with a large takeoff platform. They also had a small bar. All of this very open and taking full advantage of the warm air and ocean breeze. The parasailing was pretty simple and organized: A harness sewn into a life jacket, and attached to the cords of the parachute very quickly with buckles. The rest of it stayed attached to the motorboat, which made a quick circle of the barge. Participants were allowed a single, optional dunk in the brine right upon takeoff. They also took pictures for you. Mine came to me framed already, so this shot might look a little funny.
[Placeholder]
Upon landing, you were caught by workers and quickly detached. All you had to do was run in the beginning. But man, what a fuckin' ride!!
Next stop: Deep Sea Walk. I had to sit this one out. Doctor had ordered me to keep the surgical area dry for the next couple of weeks, and an underwater soak was pretty much out of the question. K went, though. They had O2 tanks, large old-school bubble helmets, all connected to a line. They also wore gloves, as they got a chance to feed some of the fish that were down there. Did I mention coral reef? Yeah. Damn, I wish I could have gone for that. As it was, I hung out on the barge.
Finally, we landed upon Coral Island itself. A large beach with several souvenir stands and carts. Also available were jetskis and towboats, and a lot of sun and sand. Not a whole lot more, but who needs more? Did I mention I think I was a mariner in another life? I could live on the water!
Lunch was included in the tour package. While walking along the carts towards the restaurant, I noticed one interesting technique that I would later find all over the place in Pattaya. The carts would have water pump systems and large bowls with several live fish in, including shrimp, lobster, crabs, and some small white fish. When one was ordered, they scooped them out with either tongs or grated baskets, and drop them straight into a steamer! The white fish would be gutted, scaled, breaded and deep fried whole. This restaurant did the same thing, and served with fried rice, corn, salad...and french fries. Apparently ya gotta have french fries. Good fries, actually, I can't complain. Our meal was two crabs, six shrimp, and two of the fish. Lot of food for just the two of us!
By 13:30, we were on a boat back to Pattaya. I took a nap while K got a look at our surroundings. We walked around and checked out some of the block. It was filled with a few malls, hotels, souvenir shops, small food carts, major restaurants, and several bars. On the way back, I got a quick "Hello" from a few girls from a katoey bar. I never made it back, but I kinda wish I had the time to step inside for a drink.
At 17:30, we got another ride. The final included part of the package was the Alcazar cabaret show! There was no photography allowed, however. It was certainly interesting, nothing I've ever seen before. The show and the songs were primarily Thai, but I saw a lot of outside influence. Indian quarter-tone scales, Korean and Chinese set and costume designs, even some American pop. Oh, and speaking of American, between the song selections like "I Will Survive" and "Poker Face" AND a shit ton of sequins and glitter, well, it was enough to make a WeHo boy cry.
The next day was spent leisurely in comparison. We slept in, and did some souvenir shopping after breakfast at The Coffee Club. This restaurant was a nice blend of American, European, and Thai dining, along with a coffee and pastry shop, all in one. They also had a full dinner menu with draft beers. I can see that kinda place taking off in the states quite well!
Afterwards, we had an hour on the beach before heading back to Bangkok. All in all, a great trip. It was also pretty good for distracting me from the constant reminders of how long this trip is taking, and how much longer before I get home to my honey. Tomorrow morning, one last touch up procedure, and I'll probably take it easy, just to play it safe.
17 January, 2011
A Day Narrative
Trying out something different. Let me know what you think! ~Sera
Hmm, I dunno what to think. Everything I read keeps telling me this could be dangerous. I'm in a foreign country. Can I even talk to the girls? I know it'd be cool to hang with the local tgirls...would it be worth it? Or would I just have to fend of skeezy guys all night? Gods, I miss Elizabeth. Wonder if she'd go with me, if she could.
I'm home. That's a long walk. Oh well, it's good for me. Wonder if Elizabeth is on? I hope so, I'll get to talk to her. Hope the new panties fit. I swear, I packed more. Oh well. Baby!!...
Shit, they don't fit. I guess I'll have to go back tomorrow. Hope I can figure out the exchange. Will it work? I gotta try. I love talkin' to my baby! I don't think I'm going anywhere tonight. I don't feel like it, anyway. Plus, I still don't know how I'd get back home. Oh well. I can go next week, anyways. Then I'll have my honey with me! And be back home where I have a way out, and at least a phone if something happens. Guess it's time for bed...
Okay, K's asleep. Gotta do my cleaning before I crash. Let's see, mirror. Wow, it's looking good. Better still, like it's been. I want to touch...gods, damnit, stop that! Can't fuck anything up down there. It is beautiful, though...fuck. Well, 'fuck' is kinda the problem, isn't it. I can do this. And I'll be home in a few days...
...Where am I? Why am I breathing so heavily? Why is it so hot? My pillow...it's not under my head anymore. No, it's between my legs. I'm grinding against it. Woah, that was a helluva dream. Shit...did I? No, I don't think I went that far. Probably shouldn't anyways...but if I went that far maybe I could...
DAMNIT!
Okay, show some control, girl. It's easy, just go back to sleep. I have an early appointment. Need sleep...
...On my way to the clinic. Hot shower felt good, breakfast was pretty good, too. Ann's at the door. She's the smart one on the nursing staff. Following her to the exam room. Ooh, the fun part. Wonder how many different ways they can poke me today. Doctor's here. He's great. My pants are off and my clam's in the air. Normally this could be a little degrading...unless Elizabeth were here. Then she could--damnit. Focus, here...
The doctor's explaining the dilating. I have to write this down, I'll never remember it. It's going in...woah, that's weird. Feels good, but a little strange, too. Well, I'm not really in the mood, right now. It'll be better then. Besides, I'm just holding it here. Not the same thing. Not nearly as much fun. Am I done yet? Okay, good. Now for another cleaning. The doctor wants me back on Thursday for one last touch up. Hm, I wonder how it'll look, now? It already looks damn good. Maybe he's mostly just taking out stitches? I'll find out. I trust him with my life. I kinda wonder if K wants to drop in the OR. Maybe? That'll probably be a little hard to do. But, the doctor still gets her the details. I have no idea what they're saying. It's cool, though.
I'm back at the hotel. My baby's on! Gods, I need this week to end. I need to be home, so I can hold her again. How many more days? Fly out in 4, it'll still feel like more. Honey...I love her so much...
Okay, time to fix the panty issue. I don't have enough for this trip to Pattaya tomorrow. And the sets from yesterday are too small. Grab them and head back to Robinson's. Cool, that was easy. I just paid the difference. K needs socks, so we head to menswear. Not that I'm surprised by that, by this point. It's actually kinda cool.
Lunch time. Mmm, curry. I start blabbing about restaurant work again. I kinda miss cooking. Anyways. We hit up the drugstore. There's a girl waiting by the door, she catches my eye. I'm not sure, why. Hmm, sunscreen. Do I even need it? As it is, I'm way paler than I should be. A couple days at a beach will be fun. Too bad I can't swim, yet. Hmm, what else do I need. Right, I don't want to run out of KY. Maybe I should make my way over to the lubes. That girl's right in front of that aisle. Wait a minute...the brow? The heavy makeup? I wonder...no, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. That wouldn't be nice.
Hmm, only 99 Baht for this one. No, wait, is that right? I can't tell, the fast-track is all fucked up and off centered. No, I think this is the "male desensitizer." Whoops, put that down, I don't need that. Another sales girl comes up to me. I think she's asking if I need help, but I don't speak Thai. No, wait, she pointed at me. The girl from before is laughing! She's laughing at me? Fuck, she read me. They both read me. Fuck, fuck fuck. Wait, if she read me, then was I right? Did I clock her? I dunno, I still don't speak Thai. Fuck it, I have enough for now. I'll be back later. What was I here for? Sunscreen? Wait, where's K? I do a full heelspin. She's checking out. That girl pointed again. Yeah, she read me. Fuck.
Heading home. I wonder how Elizabeth is doing? She might have cracked up at that scene. I think, I dunno. Gods I miss her...These are going to be some pretty hard days. I wanna go home. Just to be with her. I need her...
We're probably eating in tonight. Pizza Hut, for a change. Sounds good. Wonder if I can call Elizabeth again before she goes to bed. We're going to Pattaya very early tomorrow. If I miss her tonight, I may not get to her for a couple days. Maybe I can login in the morning. It'll be mid afternoon for her. Maybe she'll be home. I hope so. I miss her...
Hmm, I dunno what to think. Everything I read keeps telling me this could be dangerous. I'm in a foreign country. Can I even talk to the girls? I know it'd be cool to hang with the local tgirls...would it be worth it? Or would I just have to fend of skeezy guys all night? Gods, I miss Elizabeth. Wonder if she'd go with me, if she could.
I'm home. That's a long walk. Oh well, it's good for me. Wonder if Elizabeth is on? I hope so, I'll get to talk to her. Hope the new panties fit. I swear, I packed more. Oh well. Baby!!...
Shit, they don't fit. I guess I'll have to go back tomorrow. Hope I can figure out the exchange. Will it work? I gotta try. I love talkin' to my baby! I don't think I'm going anywhere tonight. I don't feel like it, anyway. Plus, I still don't know how I'd get back home. Oh well. I can go next week, anyways. Then I'll have my honey with me! And be back home where I have a way out, and at least a phone if something happens. Guess it's time for bed...
Okay, K's asleep. Gotta do my cleaning before I crash. Let's see, mirror. Wow, it's looking good. Better still, like it's been. I want to touch...gods, damnit, stop that! Can't fuck anything up down there. It is beautiful, though...fuck. Well, 'fuck' is kinda the problem, isn't it. I can do this. And I'll be home in a few days...
...Where am I? Why am I breathing so heavily? Why is it so hot? My pillow...it's not under my head anymore. No, it's between my legs. I'm grinding against it. Woah, that was a helluva dream. Shit...did I? No, I don't think I went that far. Probably shouldn't anyways...but if I went that far maybe I could...
DAMNIT!
Okay, show some control, girl. It's easy, just go back to sleep. I have an early appointment. Need sleep...
...On my way to the clinic. Hot shower felt good, breakfast was pretty good, too. Ann's at the door. She's the smart one on the nursing staff. Following her to the exam room. Ooh, the fun part. Wonder how many different ways they can poke me today. Doctor's here. He's great. My pants are off and my clam's in the air. Normally this could be a little degrading...unless Elizabeth were here. Then she could--damnit. Focus, here...
The doctor's explaining the dilating. I have to write this down, I'll never remember it. It's going in...woah, that's weird. Feels good, but a little strange, too. Well, I'm not really in the mood, right now. It'll be better then. Besides, I'm just holding it here. Not the same thing. Not nearly as much fun. Am I done yet? Okay, good. Now for another cleaning. The doctor wants me back on Thursday for one last touch up. Hm, I wonder how it'll look, now? It already looks damn good. Maybe he's mostly just taking out stitches? I'll find out. I trust him with my life. I kinda wonder if K wants to drop in the OR. Maybe? That'll probably be a little hard to do. But, the doctor still gets her the details. I have no idea what they're saying. It's cool, though.
I'm back at the hotel. My baby's on! Gods, I need this week to end. I need to be home, so I can hold her again. How many more days? Fly out in 4, it'll still feel like more. Honey...I love her so much...
Okay, time to fix the panty issue. I don't have enough for this trip to Pattaya tomorrow. And the sets from yesterday are too small. Grab them and head back to Robinson's. Cool, that was easy. I just paid the difference. K needs socks, so we head to menswear. Not that I'm surprised by that, by this point. It's actually kinda cool.
Lunch time. Mmm, curry. I start blabbing about restaurant work again. I kinda miss cooking. Anyways. We hit up the drugstore. There's a girl waiting by the door, she catches my eye. I'm not sure, why. Hmm, sunscreen. Do I even need it? As it is, I'm way paler than I should be. A couple days at a beach will be fun. Too bad I can't swim, yet. Hmm, what else do I need. Right, I don't want to run out of KY. Maybe I should make my way over to the lubes. That girl's right in front of that aisle. Wait a minute...the brow? The heavy makeup? I wonder...no, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. That wouldn't be nice.
Hmm, only 99 Baht for this one. No, wait, is that right? I can't tell, the fast-track is all fucked up and off centered. No, I think this is the "male desensitizer." Whoops, put that down, I don't need that. Another sales girl comes up to me. I think she's asking if I need help, but I don't speak Thai. No, wait, she pointed at me. The girl from before is laughing! She's laughing at me? Fuck, she read me. They both read me. Fuck, fuck fuck. Wait, if she read me, then was I right? Did I clock her? I dunno, I still don't speak Thai. Fuck it, I have enough for now. I'll be back later. What was I here for? Sunscreen? Wait, where's K? I do a full heelspin. She's checking out. That girl pointed again. Yeah, she read me. Fuck.
Heading home. I wonder how Elizabeth is doing? She might have cracked up at that scene. I think, I dunno. Gods I miss her...These are going to be some pretty hard days. I wanna go home. Just to be with her. I need her...
We're probably eating in tonight. Pizza Hut, for a change. Sounds good. Wonder if I can call Elizabeth again before she goes to bed. We're going to Pattaya very early tomorrow. If I miss her tonight, I may not get to her for a couple days. Maybe I can login in the morning. It'll be mid afternoon for her. Maybe she'll be home. I hope so. I miss her...
15 January, 2011
On love and absence
I want to start this out by saying that I've been wanting this for a long time, and that I'm so VERY happy I've made it. I also want to say that I'm recovering quite well; I catch myself staring at myself in the bathroom, admiring even how well this has gone for me. At first, when the bandages came off last Friday, I wasn't sure. It looked hideous, a pale and strange attempt and forming genitalia. I had to take a minute of studying myself to see even what was supposed to be what. And some of it had to be explained by the nurse. I had to remind myself that many surgeries don't resemble their final product at first, and the complex nature of this particular surgery. Now, with each passing day my labia and clitoris shrink as the swelling fade. I can see the finished product much better, though it may be several more weeks before I am healed completely. And I am so very happy.
That all said, this has been so incredibly hard. I fell in love - HARD - with the woman of my dreams right before my trip. We had grown so incredibly close to each other in that short amount of time, that I knew our separation would be a trying moment. We both stood there at the airport, crying for as many minutes as security would let her park the car in a loading zone, before we finally stepped out. "I love you," was the last thing we said to each other.
I'm grateful for technology. It's let me write this blog. It's also let me call and e-mail her whenever i can. Yet it has its limits. We still cannot touch each other...we cannot hold each other like we want to, to fall asleep in each others' arms. It has given us so much, and yet it's becoming very clear that these weeks are the longest weeks of our lives. And we still have one more.
I love you, Elizabeth. I love you more than I can put into words. Just a little more, baby. We're almost there. I'm almost home. And absence makes the heart grow fonder. Stay strong, my sweet.
That all said, this has been so incredibly hard. I fell in love - HARD - with the woman of my dreams right before my trip. We had grown so incredibly close to each other in that short amount of time, that I knew our separation would be a trying moment. We both stood there at the airport, crying for as many minutes as security would let her park the car in a loading zone, before we finally stepped out. "I love you," was the last thing we said to each other.
I'm grateful for technology. It's let me write this blog. It's also let me call and e-mail her whenever i can. Yet it has its limits. We still cannot touch each other...we cannot hold each other like we want to, to fall asleep in each others' arms. It has given us so much, and yet it's becoming very clear that these weeks are the longest weeks of our lives. And we still have one more.
I love you, Elizabeth. I love you more than I can put into words. Just a little more, baby. We're almost there. I'm almost home. And absence makes the heart grow fonder. Stay strong, my sweet.
13 January, 2011
On recovery
Today wasn't a whole lot of anything interesting, but I did have another follow up checkup in the morning.
First thing was, like before, Dr. Pichet came in for a full examination. He told me everything is looking good, but I can't begin dilating today. He said that in some patients, the graft of skin (formerly my scrotum) takes longer to set in the vaginal canal itself. While everything else seems to be healing well, he wants to wait a little longer before I begin dilating. It shouldn't be an issue; he'd rather wait than risk tearing it, and a couple more days won't hurt me any. I stand behind his professional opinion on the matter.
That said, I made a couple of strides today, all the same. For one, my blood drainage minimized to nearly nothing. I'll have to see in the morning if I can do a full night without any stains. Here's hoping! I'm also not "spraying" when I pee nearly as badly. Most of the time I have a solid stream. VERY good progress; that's one of those totally weird feelings, especially knowing that my urethra is no longer mobile. Finally, I was given the okay to begin taking my hormones again. That felt wonderful; I made it out of what felt like an eternity without! Granted, I had almost no T going around without my testes, so that helped a bit, but I missed my estrogen.
After I got back, we took a small walk around the block. We decided to get lunch at a roadside cart; BBQ chicken! Pretty good, too. As for how safe? Meh, I feel like being adventurous while I'm here.
We got back in the afternoon, and I logged on for awhile. I got to video chat with my darling again. I love technology some days, because I get to keep in touch with everybody back home. Even my readers here, which is great, via this blog. Seeing her beautiful, smiling face instantly brightens my day. She is my world. My everything. And I can't wait to be back home, so I can fall asleep in my love's dear arms again. I love her completely, with all of my being.
First thing was, like before, Dr. Pichet came in for a full examination. He told me everything is looking good, but I can't begin dilating today. He said that in some patients, the graft of skin (formerly my scrotum) takes longer to set in the vaginal canal itself. While everything else seems to be healing well, he wants to wait a little longer before I begin dilating. It shouldn't be an issue; he'd rather wait than risk tearing it, and a couple more days won't hurt me any. I stand behind his professional opinion on the matter.
That said, I made a couple of strides today, all the same. For one, my blood drainage minimized to nearly nothing. I'll have to see in the morning if I can do a full night without any stains. Here's hoping! I'm also not "spraying" when I pee nearly as badly. Most of the time I have a solid stream. VERY good progress; that's one of those totally weird feelings, especially knowing that my urethra is no longer mobile. Finally, I was given the okay to begin taking my hormones again. That felt wonderful; I made it out of what felt like an eternity without! Granted, I had almost no T going around without my testes, so that helped a bit, but I missed my estrogen.
After I got back, we took a small walk around the block. We decided to get lunch at a roadside cart; BBQ chicken! Pretty good, too. As for how safe? Meh, I feel like being adventurous while I'm here.
We got back in the afternoon, and I logged on for awhile. I got to video chat with my darling again. I love technology some days, because I get to keep in touch with everybody back home. Even my readers here, which is great, via this blog. Seeing her beautiful, smiling face instantly brightens my day. She is my world. My everything. And I can't wait to be back home, so I can fall asleep in my love's dear arms again. I love her completely, with all of my being.
12 January, 2011
Day 10
First off, I'd like to apologize. I was hoping to get some pictures from today's events, but I, in all-too-typical fashion, forgot to charge the battery in my camera. Sorry about that. The only pictures taken were on K's disposable camera, so I may edit this post later if I can scan them in.
We had decided to take one of the hotel's offered partner sightseeing tours today. Originally, we thought it was going to be a charter bus like we had seen, but it wasn't until arriving in the lobby that we found out it was a private tour with a single English speaking tour guide and a driver. In the end, it worked out in our favor that way! Our guide was very sweet, if a little hyper at times.
En route to the first stop, we passed several interesting attractions, including the Parliament building, the UN building, and several other government offices like the Ministry of Defense. All very ornately done by our standards. Nearby, we saw several gold-painted shrine-like portraits of the King, much like we have so far seen throughout the city. I detect a strong, sincere reverence for the King here, and far be it from me to show disdain for a working government, however that may be. I'll leave the politics out of it. Let's just say that unlike many Americans, I wouldn't object to a monarchy if it were done right.
Also, our tour guide had asked us several basic questions, including what brought us to Thailand to begin with. I explained that I had originally come for plastic surgery. She told us she got her nose done (which I would not have been able to tell, it looked perfect already), and asked me what I had done. I told her, "sex change." She didn't seem to really pause at that, but she did ask about how long ago it was done. She had clearly seen the donut, and throughout the day, she would hold my hand if it appeared that I was slowing down, or just around stairs, etc. It was very nice of her; even if I really didn't need the help by that point, I still appreciated it.
Anyways, our destination for the day was the Grand Palace. Interestingly enough, there was a pretty strict dress code; both K and I were wearing shorts, and that was not up to par, so we were issued traditional wrap-style skirts. Now, I have no objection to skirts, even though I don't wear them very often...but I couldn't tell you the last time K had worn one (like many gender-nonconforming women, for that matter.) So it was a rather curious affair. Luckily, they issued me a purple one, which matched the trim on my shirt.
The temple grounds were incredibly beautiful. We stepped into the main building early on, which was the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The smell of incense, the sounds of shuffled bare feet and a quiet reverence were all that pierced the air inside. We bowed for several minutes before stepping back outside.
Several other areas among the grounds were incredibly interesting, including the smaller chapels, the bellfry, and the walls engraved with pictoral tales of Buddhist myths and Thai legends. After a small restroom break, it was on to the palace itself.
The palace's main chamber housed a golden cradle and throne, with large, vaulted, and highly detailed ceilings. Again the rooms were hushed to a quiet murmur. And then there was the armory.
That was my geek out moment. I've believed, and often spoken, that you can see much of a culture by their weaponry. Polearms seemed to be the dominant choice; lances, pikes, tridents, and poleaxes were a large feature. They were often long enough to fight with on the backs of elephants; so we were told, elephants were a royal and revered creature. Their swords and daggers were not missing, either. Their main sword style seemed to be an interesting blend of Chinese, Japanese, and European (mostly French) styles. I even found a pair of spiked maces, which totally made my day.
We hopped back in the car real quick before dropping off again at Wat Po. The architecture here was more influenced by Chinese neighbors throughout the time, especially during the building of these structures under the reign of King Rama IV. The main temple housed the famous Reclining Buddha statue. HUGE! I think I saw it was at least 30-35 metres in length, all painted in gold. I participated in a little luck ritual in the temple. You start with a handful of 50 cent pieces. Along the (northern?) wall, are a long row of bowls. You walk along the wall, dropping one coin in each bowl until you reach the front of the temple again.
Wat Po was notably quieter than our previous stop. Probably why there were kittens everywhere, many of which were clearly of a Manx decent. K got a huge kick out of that, including stopping to give some of her water to one of them that was relaxing in the shade. Such a cute scene.
We made our way back. Our tour guide was fantastic all day. At this point, as the conversation went along, we were talking about several of Thailand's draws as a country, and Bangkok as a city. I mentioned, truthfully, that many girls like me go there for this procedure, and that it's rather famously considered by many. At this, she asked me a question about the process. From what she told me, it appeared that she thought I was a girl all along, and that when I told her, "sex change," she thought that meant I was becoming a boy! Whoops! I guess that says something about my passing. I clarified for her. She was kind of embarrassed, but she was hardly hung up on the idea. So she asked if I had a boyfriend. I told her, "No, I have a girlfriend." That actually was a bit more confusing, but after a minute she told me she understood. And I believed her. She handled the entire thing with the utmost of professionalism.
All in all, it was a lot of fun. Tomorrow I have a clinic appointment first thing, and after that, I just don't know what'll happen. Still, you'll know when I do.
We had decided to take one of the hotel's offered partner sightseeing tours today. Originally, we thought it was going to be a charter bus like we had seen, but it wasn't until arriving in the lobby that we found out it was a private tour with a single English speaking tour guide and a driver. In the end, it worked out in our favor that way! Our guide was very sweet, if a little hyper at times.
En route to the first stop, we passed several interesting attractions, including the Parliament building, the UN building, and several other government offices like the Ministry of Defense. All very ornately done by our standards. Nearby, we saw several gold-painted shrine-like portraits of the King, much like we have so far seen throughout the city. I detect a strong, sincere reverence for the King here, and far be it from me to show disdain for a working government, however that may be. I'll leave the politics out of it. Let's just say that unlike many Americans, I wouldn't object to a monarchy if it were done right.
Also, our tour guide had asked us several basic questions, including what brought us to Thailand to begin with. I explained that I had originally come for plastic surgery. She told us she got her nose done (which I would not have been able to tell, it looked perfect already), and asked me what I had done. I told her, "sex change." She didn't seem to really pause at that, but she did ask about how long ago it was done. She had clearly seen the donut, and throughout the day, she would hold my hand if it appeared that I was slowing down, or just around stairs, etc. It was very nice of her; even if I really didn't need the help by that point, I still appreciated it.
Anyways, our destination for the day was the Grand Palace. Interestingly enough, there was a pretty strict dress code; both K and I were wearing shorts, and that was not up to par, so we were issued traditional wrap-style skirts. Now, I have no objection to skirts, even though I don't wear them very often...but I couldn't tell you the last time K had worn one (like many gender-nonconforming women, for that matter.) So it was a rather curious affair. Luckily, they issued me a purple one, which matched the trim on my shirt.
The temple grounds were incredibly beautiful. We stepped into the main building early on, which was the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The smell of incense, the sounds of shuffled bare feet and a quiet reverence were all that pierced the air inside. We bowed for several minutes before stepping back outside.
Several other areas among the grounds were incredibly interesting, including the smaller chapels, the bellfry, and the walls engraved with pictoral tales of Buddhist myths and Thai legends. After a small restroom break, it was on to the palace itself.
The palace's main chamber housed a golden cradle and throne, with large, vaulted, and highly detailed ceilings. Again the rooms were hushed to a quiet murmur. And then there was the armory.
That was my geek out moment. I've believed, and often spoken, that you can see much of a culture by their weaponry. Polearms seemed to be the dominant choice; lances, pikes, tridents, and poleaxes were a large feature. They were often long enough to fight with on the backs of elephants; so we were told, elephants were a royal and revered creature. Their swords and daggers were not missing, either. Their main sword style seemed to be an interesting blend of Chinese, Japanese, and European (mostly French) styles. I even found a pair of spiked maces, which totally made my day.
We hopped back in the car real quick before dropping off again at Wat Po. The architecture here was more influenced by Chinese neighbors throughout the time, especially during the building of these structures under the reign of King Rama IV. The main temple housed the famous Reclining Buddha statue. HUGE! I think I saw it was at least 30-35 metres in length, all painted in gold. I participated in a little luck ritual in the temple. You start with a handful of 50 cent pieces. Along the (northern?) wall, are a long row of bowls. You walk along the wall, dropping one coin in each bowl until you reach the front of the temple again.
Wat Po was notably quieter than our previous stop. Probably why there were kittens everywhere, many of which were clearly of a Manx decent. K got a huge kick out of that, including stopping to give some of her water to one of them that was relaxing in the shade. Such a cute scene.
We made our way back. Our tour guide was fantastic all day. At this point, as the conversation went along, we were talking about several of Thailand's draws as a country, and Bangkok as a city. I mentioned, truthfully, that many girls like me go there for this procedure, and that it's rather famously considered by many. At this, she asked me a question about the process. From what she told me, it appeared that she thought I was a girl all along, and that when I told her, "sex change," she thought that meant I was becoming a boy! Whoops! I guess that says something about my passing. I clarified for her. She was kind of embarrassed, but she was hardly hung up on the idea. So she asked if I had a boyfriend. I told her, "No, I have a girlfriend." That actually was a bit more confusing, but after a minute she told me she understood. And I believed her. She handled the entire thing with the utmost of professionalism.
All in all, it was a lot of fun. Tomorrow I have a clinic appointment first thing, and after that, I just don't know what'll happen. Still, you'll know when I do.
11 January, 2011
Day 9
Today was fun! Let's start from the top.
As the morning started, we debated as to what to actually do on our other days. Eventually we decided to take a guided tour of sorts tomorrow, and spend today wandering about the city - within walking distance, at least.
We ended up checking out whatever random stuff we could find. I like these little shrines that you find on various residential and business lots:
We eventually made our way towards this little mall. First off we grabbed an iced mocha from a little corner cart. Good stuff! We've actually had some difficulties finding decent coffee around here, and being a hot day, it hit the spot.
As we wandered around, I started to get a bit self conscious again. I had gone out without a bra. See, in the weeks before I had left, after stopping my hormones before surgery, I had put on a little weight. My bras didn't fit worth a damn, and I hadn't the time to grab anything but a pack of cheap sport bras. Granted, that made me look flat, too. I don't exactly have a lot to work with, though I suppose I'm not too bad for being all natural hormone-induced growth. There was a bra fitter in the lingerie department, so I asked for help, not knowing what kind of sizes we were working with. Eventually I managed to settle on a cute little 90 B number in baby blue with a bit of push-up and lace.
For lunch, we hit the food court. It was a very elaborate setup, with about whatever you could imagine. Even though they were all owned by the same company, they had varying flavors, including vegetarian, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc. I had the Roasted Duck and Basil Fried Rice. Got a plate full of this with a bowl of soup for 45 Baht (about $1.71 - great deal!). Great flavor, good size, and had a nice chili garlic kick, too. I'm a big fan of spicy food, by the way. (Side not: I ate some of it before I snapped the shot, it was a full plate)
Moving along, we took the road back up a ways. Passed a few private schools...
We had walked a good ways, and were on our way back by this point. We hit a little convenience store once we realized we were back on our street again, and only a block or so away. For one, we wanted drinks. Two, I needed more pads. Yeah, not afraid to say it, either. While we were shopping...
Those would be Lay's Stax in Nori Seaweed flavor, and Pringles in Grilled Shrimp. Yeah, you read that right. Believe it or not, they're actually really good:
Yeah, I'm sweaty. Turns out we had pulled a good 6 miles or so round trip. Works for me! My legs are kinda sore at the moment, but I'll be good. Besides, I could use it. Check in tomorrow for the Temple City tour!
As the morning started, we debated as to what to actually do on our other days. Eventually we decided to take a guided tour of sorts tomorrow, and spend today wandering about the city - within walking distance, at least.
We ended up checking out whatever random stuff we could find. I like these little shrines that you find on various residential and business lots:
We eventually made our way towards this little mall. First off we grabbed an iced mocha from a little corner cart. Good stuff! We've actually had some difficulties finding decent coffee around here, and being a hot day, it hit the spot.
As we wandered around, I started to get a bit self conscious again. I had gone out without a bra. See, in the weeks before I had left, after stopping my hormones before surgery, I had put on a little weight. My bras didn't fit worth a damn, and I hadn't the time to grab anything but a pack of cheap sport bras. Granted, that made me look flat, too. I don't exactly have a lot to work with, though I suppose I'm not too bad for being all natural hormone-induced growth. There was a bra fitter in the lingerie department, so I asked for help, not knowing what kind of sizes we were working with. Eventually I managed to settle on a cute little 90 B number in baby blue with a bit of push-up and lace.
For lunch, we hit the food court. It was a very elaborate setup, with about whatever you could imagine. Even though they were all owned by the same company, they had varying flavors, including vegetarian, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc. I had the Roasted Duck and Basil Fried Rice. Got a plate full of this with a bowl of soup for 45 Baht (about $1.71 - great deal!). Great flavor, good size, and had a nice chili garlic kick, too. I'm a big fan of spicy food, by the way. (Side not: I ate some of it before I snapped the shot, it was a full plate)
Moving along, we took the road back up a ways. Passed a few private schools...
We had walked a good ways, and were on our way back by this point. We hit a little convenience store once we realized we were back on our street again, and only a block or so away. For one, we wanted drinks. Two, I needed more pads. Yeah, not afraid to say it, either. While we were shopping...
Those would be Lay's Stax in Nori Seaweed flavor, and Pringles in Grilled Shrimp. Yeah, you read that right. Believe it or not, they're actually really good:
Yeah, I'm sweaty. Turns out we had pulled a good 6 miles or so round trip. Works for me! My legs are kinda sore at the moment, but I'll be good. Besides, I could use it. Check in tomorrow for the Temple City tour!
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