Male or Female?

There is this growing and common "trend", I guess you could say, sweeping it's way through the nation of Thailand. That is the trend of the 'gutoy'. At first glance you are deceived by their beauty, their long, dark hair, their meticulously done make-up, their feminine movements...and then you begin to notice things that just aren't right...adam's apples, 5 o'clock shadows and the like. You have just had a run-in with a lady boy.

This was my experience the other day. I decided that I best do something rather than mope around my hotel feeling sorry for myself, so I bartered with the neirest motosai driver, hopped on the back of his bike and braved the wild streets of Bangkok. We ended up at a very large mall. I began sauntering through, looking at this and at that, questioning the shop attendant on prices and such...then it happened! I picked up a lip gloss and began looking at it...perhaps my first mistake. It was then that this beautiful girl approached me and rambled off a confusing mix between English and Thai, I assume trying to convince me that I need to buy it. It was then that I realised not all was right with this person. She was a lady boy selling make-up in the cosmetics department! Somehow between me picking up the lip gloss and her approaching me, I got tricked into the make-up chair and she/he started doing my make-up. Now, I must say, she/he did a fantastic job and I later ran into some friends and they complimented me on a face well done. It was just one of those moments of uncertainty though..."where do I look?", "does she/he know that I'm looking at her/his whiskers?", "does she/he know that I know that she/he is not a girl?".

I am now on my last few remaining hours in Thailand. I have been saying my goodbyes...going for lunch, coffee and the like. I guess in the end, it is not goodbye. I'll be back. It's simply a 'see you later'.