three thirteen

i've recently started getting into podcasts, which is great because i have a 30-minute walking commute.

thus far, i've listened to "trans-ponder" (a podcast by two trans-women who discuss transgender issues) and "this american life" (a public radio news show that focuses on a different theme each episode). here, check 'em out:

• trans-ponder
• this american life

i'm testing out a few others, but i'll hold off on naming them now in case i lose interest by episode 2.

i had been feeling a bit isolated and cut off from the outside world (beyond the bubble of this city)—i don't have any trans friends here, and only one good friend who's american.

but now i feel a little more grounded. (^-^) thanks, podcasts!


i have an appointment to see a doctor (transgender specialist) in about 3 1/2 weeks. i'm a little nervous that i'll have to start from square one, since we're talking new country new doctor. :-/

maybe i should translate my letters from my last therapist into japanese...

i've been thinking a bit lately about transition and where i am at the moment. i'm mostly in boy-mode / androgynous-mode, all the while taking hormones and taking care of permanent facial hair removal.

i think people get a weird impression of me. quite a few people have assumed (or at least questioned) that i'm gay. i don't imagine people would think i'm trans, without my telling them.

does it bother me? not really. just an observation (^o^)

i bet things will just slowly shift from "he's gay...?" to "she's a he...?" and maybe ultimately to "she's a lesbian...?"

or maybe not. don't know if i'm that butch.

リンゴ酢 yo

i'm not sure how i forgot to mention this, but my head is all better!

so how did i do it? behold!

apple cider vinegar.

yup. 1 part water, 1 part acv. used it like shampoo. two weeks later, my head was good as new.

i learned some interesting facts along the way.

1. vinegar burns your eyes. i would have guessed as much, but now i know.
   
2. vinegar stings on open wounds and freshly shaven skin. i wasn't sure about sunburns, but i decided against testing it out last week after i got bright pink from a day of snowboarding.
3. vinegar odors dissipate quickly. i usually stop smelling like a salad about an hour after showering.

i'm still using it maybe once a week—just to keep the problem from recurring.

in other news, naruto: