An interesting encounter :
"My name is Mr Soandso and I want to
congratulate you for your courage to wear the clothes which
you like to wear"
Momentarily, I
feel rather surprised but, as soon as I realize that I have
nothing to worry about, we start a conversation while I do
not even think to offer a seat at my table or raise to
accept the hand offered to me. But, I must admit that it is
the very first time that a man gets out of his way to
entertain me about the rather unusual way I dress.
As this conversation
takes place, I am seated at the one and only McDonald's,
located in the small town where I have been living for the
last few months. All year round, some tourists spend a few
days here but the population, which does not
exceed 5000 inhabitants, is considered to be very
conservative. As an example of the way they live, at
lunchtime, the restaurants are full at noon and, at 1
o'clock, they are almost empty. In the evening, the same
thing happens between
17:00 à 18:30.
During the preceeding twenty-four
months, I did not have too many
opportunities to live my life as a "part time woman". So, I
started to do my daily outings in "male mode" but with a
little twist. Which means that I wear only clothes and shoes
made for women. On top of that, I also put black mascara and
black pencil around my eyes. The nails of my hands and feet are
also painted with bright colors. It even happenned that I
traded my slacks for a mini-skirt
(see
).
Since I
started this clothing extravaganza, many interesting
experiences occurred to me with people who went out of
their way to make contact with me. On many occasions, I even
got complimented by some of them. Oh! I also lived less
interesting situations but I can count them on the fingers
of one hand.
Since, for many
years, I already have lived in Quebec City, I apprehended the
conservative and small town mentality of the inhabitants of
the locality. At the time I moved, I even acquired some
clothes and shoes which would be less noticeables. But, at
the same time, I was determined to make as few compromises
as possible on the way I dress.
Fortunately for me, after only a few
weeks, I realized that I could push the envelope much
further than I had anticipated in the first place. Ounce the
initial surprise over, a few people started to make contact
with me, in order to know me but also to take the
opportunity to inquire about the height of my heels.
Most of the time, these contacts were
initiated by women, aged between 25 and 50 years of age. The
reaction of the men have been much more reserved. Sometimes,
they acted like they did not notice anything special but, for a
few of them, their body language meant disapprobation.
I believe that it is probably for this
reason (or it is because I was so focussed on the reading of
the paper) that this man, who spoke to me, using the english
language, surprised me. I even believe that, at first
glance, he seemed rather suspect.
Anyway, during our
conversation, this man lets me know that he
is a skier from South Carolina (USA). And more, without
being too specific on that point, he makes me believe that I
had been the object of his observations for the last few
days.
What surprised me also is that, today, I
do not wear anything out of the ordinary (in my opinion). Apart from
a pair of very plain blue jeans and a dark blue sweater,
worn aver a t-shirt of the same color, and medium size
earrings, I wear no makeup around my eyes or polish on my nails.
For the most attentive ones, only my high heeled blue denim
mules
(see
the picture on the top left hand corner of the page)
could be the object of a more sustained attention.
Even during
our conversation, because I believed it is that particular
item which he had noticed first, he seems to discover them,
when I point out my mules to him. Anyway, I must admit that
his reaction pleases me because, on the day before, I
wore a much more elegant pair of beige boots
(see
the other picture on top of the page),
at least to my own taste.
Morale of the
story, even if it is the very first time a man get out of
his way to compliment me, I hope that I will live long
enough for this to happen a second time. Maybe, on that next
occasion, if the guy is as handsome as that fellow american,
I would rather be "en femme". Just in case I could raise
some interest from his part? 
Epilogue :
In the same fastfood, about one year later, while I was in
line at the counter to place my order, that same man came to
talk to me again. It was fun to see each other again and to
talk about the events which affected us during the last year.
A few weeks later...
At the same
restaurant, as I am heading for the largest room, looking
for an empty table to eat my meal, a woman tells me: "You
are so handsome! I have been watching you for quite a few
days and I find you very handsome!"
I sincerely
thank her and we engage in a conversation (including the
participation her two girlfriends) which lasts for a few
good minutes.
I must immediately admit
here that, as soon as I take place around my own table, I
check my clothes and shoes in order to find out if there is
something in particular which provoked such an interest from
the part of that woman. As you probably already have
concluded, I cannot find anything "special"
.
Since the first warm Spring days, I
started to use my bicycle to run errands and to go to my
favorite fast food place. The clothes and shoes I wear today, are
similar to the ones I usually wear when I ride my bike. Just
have a look at the picture at the beginning of this text to
see how I am dressed up today. But, since I am in male mode,
I wear no wig, false boobs or make up.
If you strated to read at the beginning of this page, you
probably recall that I currently live in a small town where,
at the beginning (two years earlier), I wrongly believed
that some people could act agressively towards me. What
really happenned is that just a few individuals made
contact, mainly to ask questions about the height of the heels I wear
usually.
However, I
must confess that the kind of life I currently live, in this
part of the Quebec City area, helps me a lot to blend
more easily. And, even though the fears I had at the
beginning would have been justified, I sincerely believe that the
interesting contacts and the valuable experiences which
happenned to me, in spite of my "special" look, means much
more to me than the negatives experiences I could have lived
because of it.
A year later...
By
the end of March 2005 (about a year later), while I was
reading the newspapers inside the same fastfood
establishment, another woman
came to me. Very caustiously, she asked me if I was
Micheline Montreuil,
the self-proclaimed "most
well known transgender lawyer, professor, writer and hostess
in Canada". When I told her I was not her, she seemed
dissappointed. That was not the first time somebody thought
I look like her, and it always took me by surprise but that
was the first time when I was not enfemme.
Inside
the same McDo's
again...
This morning, May 10, 2005, again inside that same
McDonald's, I am seated at a table, reading the morning
papers, when a man comes to sit in front of me.
He is an ex-policeman, who is very pleasant and friendly. I
had met him, for the very first time, on January 1st, 2003,
inside the only restaurant open for business on that day.
Today, I wear the same androgyn style clothes which I
usually wear (see the picture at the beginning of this
text).
Since that first time we met, at anyplace we see each other,
that same man comes out of his way to talk to me. He does
that even though he had already spent a long time speaking
with all of the people he knows inside that fast food place (he
seems to know almost everyone there).
This morning, after having been very precautious, in order to
avoid hurting my feelings, he starts to explain that, on a
regular basis, some people express their surprise about
seeing him talking to me. And he adds :
"Usually, I do not bother to justify my behaviour because I
consider this it is none of their business. But, this
morning, I decided that the time had come to teach them a
little lesson".
Then, he continues adding that he explained to them that I
am an interesting and captivating individual and that they
should speak to me to check for themselves. Puting the icing
on the cake, more specifically for his male audience, he
says :
"You see, while you are running after the ladies who come
here, many more of them than I had ever observed before are
running after him".
While hearing what he just said, I start to roar with
laughter and I am afraid everyone, inside the place, hear me
too. Never, in my whole live, I would have thought something
similar could happen to me.
Then, he starts to laugh too and we continue to talk about
life and many other subjects.
Do
not
you believe it
is a very sympathetic story?
Funny situations:
About three weeks ago, probably for the first time since I
started to wear high heels and ladies' clothes on a daily
basis, two days in a row, the same man was verbally
aggressive towards me. It happenned as I was going out of my
favorite McDo's, on my way to get onto my bicycle. He used
only a few words but they were rather explicit. I almost
talked him back but I refrain from doing it and he ended up
carrying on his way.
I
have been expecting something like that could happen some day and it
surprises me that it did not happen sooner.
The reaction of the peoples I meet is usually neutral or
positive and, even sometimes, funny situations arises, which
brighten my day. As an example, today, July 18, 2005, in a
Wal-Mart, in Quebec City, as I was going out of the men's
restrooms, a man was coming in. When he saw me coming out, he made a
double check on the door sign to make sure he was not
entering the ladies' restrooms.
Women's curiosity:
I
particularly appreciate curiosity which is part of the
personality of the majority of women. It often gave me the
opportunity to meet interesting people and to talk about
subjects which I enjoy very much. Here are some examples.
On August 2, 2005, my favorite McDo is crowded and the
empty tables are difficult to find. When I see one, I cannot
miss, right beside it, a splendid pair of flowered pink mules
with very high heels.
While I eat my breakfast and read the newspapers, I cannot resist
a few furtive glances at these shoes, which I envy, and at the
woman who wears them. She is a bit overweight and overdressed for the occasion but her clothes and shoes are
of very good quality and seem rather expensives. She looks like a
television artist, well known by the quebecers, named
Genevieve St-Germain. Even her voice and her behavior are
almost similar.
The woman, seated in front of her, is a little older.
She seems very sympathetic and is well dressed too but with
less sophistication than her friend.
About twenty minutes later, a rain storm bursts out and most
of the customers are captivated by what is going on outside.
The two women beside me express their concerns about the
possibity to have to cancel their activities for the rest of
the day. Trying to reassure them, I tell her that, according
the weather forecasts I read earlier, the rain storm should
be over pretty soon.
Without missing a beat, the oldest woman points out to me
that my shoes and the ones worn by her friend look almost
identical. We do not need any other incentive to start a
conversation on the subject of our common passion and on a
lot of other subjects too.
A
long time after the rain had stop falling, the parking lot
is still flooded. So, when my neighbor expresses her
concerns about the danger to ruin her shoes in the water, as
a joke, I offer her to exchange our mules and the three of
us have a good laugh.
Sometimes later, when both of my neighbors had left their
table, I meet them again around the exit and the lady
wearing the pink mules comes back to me to engage in a new
conversation before she leaves for good.
About a week later, on August 11, a tall and beautiful
woman, very sociable, come to occupy the table beside mine.
Pretexting an experience which just happenned to her, she
starts a conversation with me.
The usual questions about my choice of clothes and shoes and
the difficulties to walk on heels as high as the ones I
wear, arise. She tells me a little more about herself and
demonstrates some jealousy about my long nails, although she
has very beautiful ones. Then, during long minutes, she
tries to convince me to revise my lack of implication in our
society. According to her, I am a worthy individual who
should give back more to other people. I try to explain
that, for more than five years, I have been unsuccessful at
trying to convince people that I could be useful to them.
But I cannot change her mind before she goes back on the
road.
A
few days later, on August 14, 2005, I am standing at the
counter, waiting for the breakfast I just ordered. A woman
who, also awaits the delivery of her meal, asks me whether
my nails are my own. Starting with that question follows a
conversation which last several minutes and goes on well
after our meals are delivered to us. She wants to know
everything about my nails: how can I keep them so long, how
much time I must use to maintain them so well polished,
how can I accomplish my daily chores wearing them, etc...
She has the look of a beautiful a grand mother, smiling all
the time and down to earth. She, no doubt, is someone who is
loved by everybody. She is also well dressed but without any
excess. Unfortunately for me, she wears shoes which looks
very comfortable but are not very attractive for my own
taste.
If
I continue to live these kind of experiences, I will have to
believe that my buddy is right when he says that "women runs
after me" (lot of laughs).
A remarkable lady:
On
this September 28, 2005, I stand on line, at the counter,
waiting to have my cup of coffee refilled, when the woman in
front of me turns around saying to me: "Where do you buy
your shoes? You constantly wear models which I do not see
anywhere else!".
This woman, whom I meet on a regular basis, at various
places, where we usually just say hello. But, to date, we
seldom had started a conversation together. Except, perhaps,
one time that I recall, when she had complimented me and had
asked questions about the relative difficulties to live, on
a daily basis, with nails as long as the ones I wear. (The
pictures above, are those of the sneakers and of the nails I
wore at the time of our conversations).
She looks like a young grandmother, probably around fifty,
and still has a very pretty face, in spite of some visible
wrinkles. Usually, she does not dress herself with refined
elegance but she often wears beautiful clothes. What makes
her particularly remarkable is her personality and,
especially, her beautiful blue eyes, so sharp and
intelligent.
At
the McDo, where I see her several times a week, she almost
always occupies the same spot to read the newspaper and to
work on crosswords. Regularly, some people sit at her table
to enter in a conversation and she always seems interested
by what they have to say. She laughs easily and smiles in a
cute mocking way.
All in all, even if I frequently have been complimented
about my shoes, the interest shown by this woman is probably
one of the most rewarding situation, which happenned to me,
as of to date.
Earrings:
On
a rather regular basis, I receive compliments, from women,
about my shoes and the clothes I wear, while in my usual
androgyny mode. What is less usual is to have been
complimented about my earrings twice during the last few
days.
Last Thursday, I was en femme when it happened. But, today,
Sunday, May 28, 2006, I am not.
I
was part of a line up, waiting to order my breakfast, when a
lady, on line behind me, tapped on my shoulder to tell me
that she is crazy about earrings and she likes very much the
ones I was wearing.
The funny part about it is that I bought them from Wal-Mart,
for less than $5. No doubt I made a good deal (lol).
Little
pleasures which make my daily routine more enjoyable:
On
June 7th 2006, a little conversation I herd between two
ladies, who could not see I was approaching:
“HE impresses me, every day, with his shoes. Are not they
beautiful?”
I
had these shose on, that day
.
As
soon as they saw me, they stop talking and went their own
ways.
Is
not it cute? Do not you believe?
On
June 10th, 2006, a lady, who had previously told she would
do so, gave me two bottles of nail polish. I am not sure I
would find occasions to wear theses colors but, for me, it
proves that she wanted to please me and it meant that she
does care about the unusual way I dress.
