Category: Travel

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You’ll never get it all in!

Hi

“You are never going to get all that in there,” I said to Sylvester.

“I squeezed it in before,” he replied, reaching down and pressing harder.

“You should try to sit on it,” I suggested helpfully.

Sylvester is one of those people who try to pack too many things into his ancient suitcase, and then expects it to close as though it’s half empty. It’s always this way.  And I have to say it’s never the way it is in the movies.  I mean, James Bond doesn’t go through the sort of trials and tribulations at checkout time that Sylvester does. He’ll be trying to close an overstuffed suitcase, and finally when he does he finds he’s zippered his tie into the thing and is walking around the hotel room trying to disentangle himself from 20 kilos (45 lbs) of suitcase. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.  Poor Sylvester.

“All you should do is gently tuck everything out of the way. Don’t over do it. It just doesn’t need to be so hard,” I told him. 

“But I’m carrying the bare minimum,” he protested.

“I would hardly say that,” I replied.

I glanced down at the contents of the case.

“What are these,” I asked, holding up a large pair of oversized shorts. “Beagling shorts? Were you planning on going Beagling when in Brazil?” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagling

“They’re comfortable,” replied Sylvester.

“I think the Capybara Protection League might have something to say about that,” I muttered.

Sylvester looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, “Do you think people hunt Capybaras?”

“Well, I don’t really know how they taste,” I said.

“They’re a bit like beaver,” mused Sylvester and then said, “And people eat…”

“Shut up, Sylvester!” I snapped. You know he really can be quite coarse.

Actually, the capybaras are friendly lovely things. They’re quite big too. Like an over inflated guinea pig. Two hundred pounds of guinea pig.

I’ll be heading back to Vancouver shortly, and posting a lot more content.  I have a sense that the Canada I return to is very different from the Canada I left.  I am picking up a lot of anger about the situation in the US. I will write more later.

On to more serious issues: I have today read about a tragic murder of a trans man in the US. I urge all my members to be very careful in the current climate in the US. I would strongly suggest you get off dating sites until some of the tension dies down. If you have to meet someone unknown please be extra careful. That means making sure someone knows where you are, and that you will contact them after your meeting ends. Let whoever you are meeting know someone is expecting to see you after the meeting.  And use your phone to share your location with a trusted friend. Be careful.

If you are on my Patreon you’ll know a lot more about what’s going on in the transgender world, and of what’s happening for me. I’d love to see you as a member. Join my Patreon here.

It’s still a wonderful world, it’s still the Gulf Of Mexico, and I am still transgender – regardless of anyone’s executive order.

Fiona

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Camouflage

This will seem a little self indulgent, but it’s something I feel I should share. I have observed an unusual shift in the way I feel about myself as I walk further down this transgender path.

At moments in which I’ve felt the disapproval of others I have chosen not antagonise anyone. I find rudeness is rarely a solution to anything, and if my appearance offends someone I generally choose to retreat a little.

I have contained myself a little and I fall into a more androgenous behaviour. I generally feel the desire to appease rather than confront. However, recently my perspective on the question of presentation has shifted a little.

Recently I was in a bar with a couple of friends enjoying a beer. I glanced across the bar room and noticed a trip of young men looking in my direction. I wouldn’t describe their attention as exactly hostile, but it certainly was ‘something’. But who can guess what is in someone else’s mind?

I found my immediate reaction was to look at my reflection in a nearby window. Were my forearms looking a little too masculine? Was I appearing a little too masculine?

Swiftly my thoughts shifted, though, and I found myself thinking I wanted to present in a more feminine manner. In other words I wanted to push the needle further to the feminine side of the gauge. I felt no desire to retreat into the androgynous space.

I’ve become aware that as I progress further in this transgender journey the desire has become to dress better rather than to dress in a less confrontational manner. And of course, the dressing is merely the aesthetic. An expression of who I am, rather than actually ‘who I am’.

It really comes down to my simple acceptance of myself. I am what I am.

I really don’t wish to force that on anyone. However, I am not responsible for others discomfort. They own that.

While I won’t intentionally antagonise others I do have a right to be myself.

And the three young men? Well, they certainly weren’t rude to me. Perhaps their attention wasn’t so malevolent, after all. Instead I chose to think that it was nice to be noticed.

A few moments later a drink arrived at our table courtesy of the young men across the room. It just goes to show, first impressions can be wrong.

Fiona

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It might be the most LGBTQ bathroom in Brazil.

I don’t really like to approach the bathroom issue. It seems so divisive for some people.

My mother always used to say that a guest may use any bathroom they wish – otherwise why invite them into your house? Sadly in some places this line of thinking seems just a little too adult for the simple minded. I’m thinking particularly of the Montana State Legislature.

In a display of outright bigotry and a childish attempt to embarrass a duly elected member of their Congress, a motion was introduced to ban Zooey Zyphyr from the female bathrooms in the building. You can see the attempt, and watch it fail, here – https://youtu.be/LTJJi4QrKCQ?si=P18xXcI3lzUgodBV.

Zooey is an elected member, simply doing her utmost to represent the members of her constituency. She is a fine trans woman and takes her public service seriously. Regrettably some members of her state body are too infantile to accept that they have a responsibility to work like responsible adults – but what can you do!

Meanwhile, here in Brazil, where I am currently traveling, I have found people not so much ‘tolerating’ of transgender people, but more calmly indifferent. It is, to use the common parlance – like, ‘whatever’. The idea that people are people is quite the norm. Why would anyone have an issue?

I am currently in Curatiba, home of the capibyra and beautiful art. I will do more on that a little later, however last night Sylvester and I treated ourselves to dinner at Hambergay, a gay restaurant. In fact it was so gay we were practically showered in glitter on arrival.

The food was lovely, I had the Barbie burger, and Sylvester chose the flamboyant Gaga burger, both of which came with rich toppings including edible glitter. In fact, the drinks (Margayritas) also had edible glitter in the ice cubes. Fabulous!

The restaurant is genuinely family friendly, a couple seated by us included their young children. Halfway through the cocktails I was provided with a pink feather boa, and led to their photo wall and photographed extensively. Perhaps, I thought, my fame had stretched even to here, but ‘no’, most guests get the same treatment. The staff are courteous, engaging and add a note of fun.

Now, Sylvester being Sylvester, had to make some vulgar comment about needing to use the bathroom, and disappeared into a pink mist that led the way to the facilities. After a suitable time he came rushing back, out of breath, and at first I thought he had done something self indulgent in there – as you know he can really be quite coarse.

But, no. He was excited to announce it was one of the most extraordinary bathrooms he had had the pleasure of… Well, using. I include some photos above.

I shall be contacting my people back in Canada and suggesting we adopt this very decor in our Parliament building. It seems very appropriate. Justin is usually quite attentive to such things when we chat.

Fiona.

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That ain’t no way to treat us.

This post first appeared on my Patreon. I’ve been traveling in Brazil and following some tech challenges could post only on my Patreon. If you’re not already a member on there, this might be a good time to join.

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As I continue to travel here in Brazil I am falling into a routine of listening to the news as I shower and prepare for the day.

I wash and shave, even with HRT there’s still a little shadow there. I don’t really suffer from dysmorphia, but I really don’t like facial hair. It is something of a reminder of something I want to leave behind. So I shave thoroughly, as the BBC newscast goes on and I hear of further erosion of trans rights in the US.

In the mirror I see the reflection of my upper body. I see the curve of my breasts and I brush my hair, now long and lustrous after years of care.

On one breast I have the names of Nex Benedict and Brianna Ghey tattooed, memorializing two of the many trans people who have been tragically taken before their time. I honor them and say their names each morning.

I say a prayer for all my trans sisters as I ready myself for the day. That reflection reminds me that the sun will still come up, I am still transgender, and no executive order will change that fact. The Gulf of Mexico is still the Gulf of Mexico, and life does go on.

The actions of one insecure little man will not change any of this. It is still a wonderful world. Those who mistreat us define themselves through their cruelty.

We will still be here.

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Seal the blast doors.


I do love to travel. So much so, that when a friend invited me to travel to Curatiba in Brazil I was not going to turn down the offer.

So here I am in the south of Brazil, in what to me is a rather unusual AirBnB — but something that is very common here. It’s basically an entire tower block turned over to AirBnB accommodations. I’ll describe this in another post later, but it’s quite remarkable. I think it’s what happens when there’s little in the way of regulation around this type of accommodation.

The rooms are small, they have a basic kitchen and a bathroom. Travelling with Sylvester, the bathroom arrangements are rather important. The fact that the place is so small is a concern. To put it delicately, after a visit to the bathroom by Sylvester, there’s what is best described as an environmental hazard for some time.

Sylvester, bless him, had bashfully suggested buying a scented candle, however there really is only so much one can ask of a candle. To be quite honest I also feel disinclined to have a naked flame around at a moment like this. Unusual as it may seem, our bathroom seems to have two doors, one opening inwards and another opening outwards. I can only put this down to a serendipitous choice buy the management to limit the blast radius from Sylvester’s bowel movements.

Continue reading “Seal the blast doors.”