Chris revisited….

Well today was pretty much a blur, it started in Brisbane City along with a 90 minute $28.00 parking permit (that’s more expensive than London City!) and finished at Chris'(1) place eating Indian and having a good chat about lots of things.

In the middle was a session at Helga’s House of Pain, aka getting a leg and chest wax at The Beauty Boudoir, while I was there I got my eyebrows waxed, for the first time. All I can say is, “Wow!” what a difference getting the brows tidied and shaped makes, the question is why didn’t I do this before even as a man?

As an interesting aside, as the waxing was being done I was talking away (nothing unusual there) and it turns out that I am the first transgender person they have known, or has come into their shop. I find that rather surprising, especially considering their close proximity to The University of Queensland. Not that university students are transgender, just that in todays society with a high concentration of young individuals it would be statistically probable that there would be an number of transgender people in the locality.

This evening was my visit back to see Chris(1), which I was looking forward to as the previous encounter didn’t go so well. The evening started quietly and in a predictable sort of way, we sat and talked, he seems to want to understand what it is that I am, why I’m doing it, and why would anyone do it.

The conversation was long and protracted as Chris(1) suffers from a mental condition where he does not remember anything he can not understand. As he cannot understand (yet) what it means for someone to be transgender he is having trouble even remembering some of the more important parts of the conversation.

Of course the usual questions came out throughout the conversation, for example:

  • What am I going to do about toilets.
  • What are my work colleagues going to do.
  • What does Ally think.
  • Is Ally going to stay or leave.
  • What are my long term plans.
  • How long does it take.
  • Am I going to have surgery.
  • Am I gay, or a lesbian, or what.
  • …etc…

Of course most of those are easy answers, and I have covered some previously. The hard part was explaining everything in a way that Chris(1) could relate to, so that he could get that level of understanding he needs to be able to deal with it.

Later we ordered Indian from A Night In India, which the food was uncharacteristically disappointing, and continued chatting until I decided I needed an early night when I left.

I left a lot more positive than the previous occasion as I am sure that Chris(1) is a lot more happier in himself, even if he doesn’t fully understand it yet.