tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54863966380674966692024-03-05T22:18:28.137+11:00Skirting The IssueOh, no; not another crossdressing blog!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-18801840157803104882020-06-20T14:51:00.000+10:002020-06-20T14:51:08.957+10:00Well, Doesn't Time FlyIt's been nearly eight years since I posted here.<br /><br />To be fair some of that was due to a technical issue which led me to believe that the blog had been hijacked by the Forces of Evil and removed. or simply removed. It turns out that it was a redundant script simply redirecting people away from it. Anyway, it's been dealt with and if I can see the blog again, then so can you.<br />
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I last posted in 2012, and It's interesting looking back through posts and realising how much has changed since then. I'm now openly dressing to a level I never thought possible then. I have featured in the local paper. Twice. For the right reasons even. I've marched in Sydney's Mardi Gras parade. I've been to the 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' festival. Attended protest rallies. Come out at work. Performed burlesque. For a paying audience.<br />
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So many things.<br />
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Maybe I'll start posting here again.<br /><br />Maybe.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-2415077822337273382012-08-08T09:58:00.002+10:002012-08-08T09:58:26.749+10:00Those Shoes - The Final MomentsHere's a picture of me in Those Shoes, a mere half-hour before I realised that they were no longer fit for purpose ...<br />
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Nice legs though, eh?<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-37316460184068104572012-08-06T22:11:00.000+10:002014-02-20T07:10:37.047+11:00RIP - ShoesJoin me in mourning the sad loss of a pair of size 8 Clarks black patent leather 2" wedge court shoes. They finally fell apart today, beyond repair.<br />
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They were bought in a charity shop in Staines in 2005 and were, for a couple of years, the only femme shoes I had - hidden at the bottom of a box of stuff with the rest of the small stash that was 'Rachel' in those days. Once I leapt out of the closet, and into the real world, they came with me, and attended a couple of parties and social events, dancing the night away and, once, almost winning a game of musical chairs with e $1000 camera as the prize.<br />
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Today they went for a gentle stroll around Sydney, but they weren't up to it. The soles, already held together by the finest shoe glue pour local hardware shop could provide, started to detach (unnoticed) a couple of hours into the outing. It was only when I stopped in a shoe shop to try a nice-looking pair that were half-price that I realised my old friends were in a sorry state. I was obliged to buy the new pair, and wear them for the rest of the day.<br />
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When I got home I chucked my old friends, but there was nothing that could be done for them.<br />
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Farewell.<br />
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The new ones are awesome, though - grey ankle boots with high-heels. Took a bit of getting used to, but worth it.<br />
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Pictures from the outing are to come when I get around to uploading them.<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-16960534585587718422012-03-12T11:20:00.002+11:002012-03-12T11:20:37.491+11:00Seeing RedIt's a good job that I'm not the kind of guy who goes around with his shirt off, otherwise the rather obvious strappy-top sunburn I'm currently sporting would raise rather more questions than I'm willing to answer.<br />
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Anyway, I had a fantastic day out in Sydney yesterday as part of a iPhone-based photo-walk. Yes, once again I inflicted Rachel on 'real people' who were, as ever, not bothered.<br />
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Since the day was all about square-format pictures, here's one that features me. It was taken with my 'real' camera as opposed to the iPhone:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oooh, Look - Shiny Reflective Surface!</td></tr>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-14650597661330472432012-03-04T10:51:00.000+11:002012-03-04T10:51:34.400+11:00Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/6950233123/in/photostream">The Cool Urban Look</a></td></tr>
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I went for a cool alternative look for my latest outing into Sydney. I decided to see if I could make my LBD look casual enough for a Saturday expedition to the Big City, and found a denim jacket of my wife's set it off nicely. A hippy-style handbag (do I have any other kind any more) added to the look, and off I went.<br />
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I was doing OK - browsing, shopping and generally being a girl-about-town. Until I got something out of my bag, then closed the sip, only to have the thing come completely apart. That is, the whole metal assembly came off the end of the zip, leaving the bag closed with no way of opening it. Well, short of picking it open with my fingernail.<br />
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Eventually I managed to bodge it back together, but it's not as secure as it was, and needs proper work.<br />
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Anyway, the rest of the day went well, and I got to the train for the two-hour ride home. I plonked myself down in my seat, and felt something give - the whole zip on the back of my dress had split open. Fortunately it had held together at the top, but I could feel it open all the way down my back. The jacket would hide it, but it was obvious the zip was done for. Very annoying.<br />
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So, a nice day out, but at the expense of a damaged bag and a dress that probably isn't worth repairing (the zip has already been replaced once).<br />
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The sad fact is that I was probably too porky for the dress, and I was just lucky that it told me so when I was already heading home.<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-51721693757976397732012-03-02T12:18:00.003+11:002012-03-02T12:19:35.597+11:00Pin It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm always keen to try out new social media, in one or other of my guises, so it will come as no surprise to know that I've started dabbling with the image sharing site <a href="http://pinterest.com/"><b>PINTEREST</b></a>. After all, it's claimed that it's demographic is 95% female and that it's just a vast repository of pictures of make-up, shoes, frocks and cupcakes. Whilst the latter aren't good for me in large numbers (even my new corset can't hold their effects at bay), no page with lots of the former items on it can be all bad. Can it?<br />
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Anyway, you can follow me <a href="http://pinterest.com/justplainrachel/"><b>HERE</b></a>.<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-72767394770772433042012-03-01T11:15:00.002+11:002012-03-01T11:15:44.045+11:00The Wrong Kind Of Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Being a crossdresser in summer around here isn't much fun. Now this is probably partially down to me - I like to go out and about, but I also like to look awesome. But, and this may surprise you, to look as awesome as I do takes a certain amount of assistance. That is, there's the wig on top and a whole load of engineering going on under those op-shop outfits.<br />
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The problem? Even that light floaty summer look has so much underneath it that it's bloody hot. I have cut it down to a minimum, even at the expense of looking like what is technically termed 'a fat lass' but in local summer temperatures it's hard work. I endure it when I have to.<br />
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This year I haven't had the same problem. The problem I've had this year is that it won't stop raining. It rains for days. Whole days. Whole days on end. Who wants to go out on a day like that? Even as a guy I'd rather stay indoors. The idea of frocking up to wander the shops in a torrential downpour just doesn't cut it.<br />
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I'd never considered how weather-dependent I'd managed to make my crossdressing experience.<br />
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Apparently autumn is going to be wet too ...<br />
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-236072300194527852012-02-23T23:17:00.000+11:002012-02-23T23:17:56.631+11:00The Last Two Years. A Summary<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was surprised to see that it's been two years since I last posted anything to this blog. Of course those of you who know me know my track-record with regard to blogs and will not, therefore, be surprised at all.
So what's been happening?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I'm still in Australia. No surprise there. We moved house about nine months ago, but we're still in roughly the same area. In terms of Life As Rachel, I've done a few things, some of them new experiences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been to two Mardi Gras Fairs (2010 and 2011); they were good fun, but very, very hot. My decision to switch back to wigs at the start of January 2010 was a good one, but makes dressing in the summer something of an endurance trial. The Fairs are probably the closest I've been to The Scene though. With my one local tranny friend effectively retired (although we see each other from time to time as guys), and no other local scene I was really looking to be part of the Sydney scene. But, frankly, Mrs Rachel and I found travelling there for evening meals was exhausting and just a little too expensive for us. I've chosen to concentrate my dressing on just going out and about as me in what we laughingly call The Real World. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I still take trips up to Sydney, mostly by train. But I do so just to enjoy the city - as a tourist or shopper. I still venture into Wollongong as well, from time to time, but am doing so less with Mrs Rachel. Whilst I am relatively open about being a crossdresser in my male life, it's not something we over-emphasise through our work, as many of our customers are not as trans-friendly as we'd like. Out on my own I am relatively OK, as people tend not to connect my scruffy bearded male self with the gorgeous tranny they might see walking around town. But if I have Mrs Rachel in tow then I may as well just wear a name-tag; if anyone sees her then it's not hard to work out who she is with. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What else? Well, I went to a non-tranny ball as Rachel in 2010, on the grounds that if it involved dressing up I wanted to do it as a gender that can <i>really</i> dress up. And I bought a new wig; my original one is starting to get past it and is now really just a costume prop for my male self's photos. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, on my trips to Mardi Gras my children joined me. This was a big event for all of us, but they were really cool about it. I know that a few of their friends know their dad is a crossdresser, and two of them have met me as Rachel. The world didn't end. One of my daughter's friends surprised me a few days after he first met me by making me a pair of clip-on ear-rings. I was a little overwhelmed to be honest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been out twice with non-tranny people. In both cases it was photographic expeditions to Sydney. And in both cases people were cool about being with me. In the first case it was with people many of whom knew me quite well as a guy. Indeed most of them were unaware that I used the name Rachel and, to be honest, I didn't bother with it during the day. They know me as a guy, and will continue to do so. So on the day I was the guy they knew. As a girl. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the whole I dressing less than I used to. Life has got complex and busy, and finding time for Rachel whose expression, despite being something I need to do, is something of a luxury, isn't always easy. As ever, I do my best. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll finish with a few pictures to bring things up to date:
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On The Train To Sydney<br />Mardi Gras 2010 </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee In Austinmer<br />June 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At The Ball<br />July 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Wig<br />August 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still Visiting The Beach<br />January 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beach Again<br />August 2011</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Around Sydney In Jeans And Boots</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">September 2011 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hippy Chic In The Southern Highlands<br />November 2011</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Portrait Shoot</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">December 2011</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-68152236529054520312010-01-10T16:52:00.002+11:002010-01-10T17:02:56.590+11:00Another FirstIt's true that I like recording crossdressing 'firsts', and I've racked up another.<br /><br />My first train journey as Rachel.<br /><br />I've done the London Underground a few times, but don't really count that. This was something I'd been wanting to do for a while, and hadn't got around to - a day-trip up to Sydney. It's a two-hour train journey from here, but not to expensive, so I decided that it would be worth the effort. Doing it in the middle of the school holidays perhaps wasn't the most sensible plan, perhaps, if I was aiming to avoing the tranny's natural predator - teenagers - but in fact everything went well. <br /><br />So there we are. Easy.<br /><br />In Sydney I poked around a few shops (and decided that the new 'Doctor Who ' role-playing game is out of my price range), and did some sightseeing around Hyde Park. Nothing fancy - it was too hot really.<br /><br />Here I am hiding in the shade:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/4257940592/" title="In The Shade by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2495/4257940592_dd96ab027d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="In The Shade" /></a><br /><br />One thing that did come out of the trip was the realisation that long hair is more trouble than it's worth. I do love the freedom of my wearing own hair as Rachel, but it's a lot of effort to maintain, especially given that for 95% of the time I'm wearing it as a bloke. A wig may be warm, but, frankly, it is more convenient. So, I'm thinking about having my hair cut off ...Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-79330041795759650452009-12-21T21:38:00.005+11:002009-12-21T21:58:15.859+11:00How Things Change"You're quite welcome to come to the meal as Rachel if you like."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Three years Ago:</span><br /><br />"Rachel? Who's Rachel? I don't know what you mean." Thinks: <span style="font-style:italic;">Shit! How did they find out?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Two Years Ago</span><br /><br />"I'd love to. I just need to make sure it's dark when I leave the house so no-one sees me."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">One Year Ago</span><br /><br />"Fantastic! Great! Thanks! She'll be there. What to wear? What to wear?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Saturday</span><br /><br />"That's OK. I can't be doing with the effort of getting femmed up. I'll just come as a bloke."<br /><br />In other news, I am now living in a strange world where it's considered normal to drive 100 miles, and for 2 1/2 hours (each way) to go for a meal. We added in some Christmas shopping to justify the outing, though. I guess the key phrase to bear in mind in cases like this is 'Dispersed Tranny Scene'.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-11735531682659390242009-11-17T22:10:00.008+11:002009-11-17T23:57:11.094+11:00I've Been Here A Year, You KnowHey! I have a blog! It's a bit dusty, though. Must have been neglected for a while.<br /><br />So, since I last used it, I have moved house (not by choice, it has to be said) and generally not done much else of note. Here's a resume of my crossdressing since the last time I blogged:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3869742902/" title="The Little Black Dress by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/3869742902_cd6234ebd9_t.jpg" width="56" height="100" alt="The Little Black Dress" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3952058809/" title="Return To The Beach by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3952058809_ec455839bd_t.jpg" width="100" height="100" alt="Return To The Beach" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/4018013749/" title="Out In The Garden by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/4018013749_7b5da96961_t.jpg" width="100" height="75" alt="Out In The Garden" /></a></center><br /><br />Two meals up in Sydney, and a morning out shopping in Wollongong, where I somehow ended up on the beach again.<br /><br />Yesterday I revealed my latest 'new look' to the world. Earlier this year I experimented with 'wigless' as a look. I attacked it with confidence, but decided that my hair was really too short for it to work properly. Now, six months on, it's had chance to grow, and:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/4108218049/" title="My Own Hair by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/4108218049_ba793b449a_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="My Own Hair" /></a><br /><br />I went Christmas shopping with Mrs Rachel up in Sydney, and felt great. As before, being wigless was truly liberating, but this time I was totally happy with how I looked. I know that 'passing' isn't really important*, and I don't presume to do so anyway, but looking the best you can helps with the confidence needed to get out and about. And I felt justified in my confidence yesterday. We're off away thsi weekend for Transfusion and, whilst I may pack a wig just in case, I think the whole thing will be wigless again. I may even get around to blogging it sometime. Probably next year, though, based on past performances.<br /><br />The truth of the matter is that I started this blog so that I had somewhere to document my tranny experience. But a year ago I basically came out 'fully' on the 'net (and, by extension) pretty well everwhere else as well, so I have found other outlets through which I can share my experiences; ones where I can share them not as an anonymous tranny, but as a relatively normal married man and parent who can show that crossdressing doesn't turn you into some kind of evil monster. The need for this blog has diminished. But I still have a soft-spot for it, so it'll be around for a while yet.<br /><br />*Saying that, one of the high points of my day was waiting at a counter for lunch; the woman next to me was asked by the assistant what she'd like and pointing at me replied "Actually I think that this lady was here before me".Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-84797405373991957872009-08-18T17:07:00.002+10:002009-08-18T17:41:02.063+10:00Of Wigs And BallsIt appears that I've been neglecting this blog. Again.<br /><br />I see that the last entry was the 6th May, and now I've been hunting around trying to work out what I've been doing since then. Obviously I've been ticking away happily as a bloke for most of it, but you're not interested in that I'm sure. What you want is frocks, and various tales of tranny life in the Colonies. Errrm, you may be disappointed.<br /><br />I see that in my last post I mentioned that I was thinking of buying a new wig. And I did; a week or so after that post I went back into Wollongong and got this one:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3577955045/" title="Vanity Mirror by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2427/3577955045_df320eea07_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Vanity Mirror" /></a><br /><br />It makes me look a little older and more sophisticated than the other one does, but I love it. And it seems to have met with a good response from other people, so I guess it was a good choice. <br /><br />Mrs Rachel came with me to help make the choice; it's always good to have another person with you when buying something that so defines how you look. Unfortunately the lady in the salon thought that she was my mother, which was amusing up to a point, but, like The War, is something best not mentioned ...<br /><br />For anyone wondering, my own hair is growing nicely, and I may use it again in a couple of months.<br /><br />That picture was taken at the end of May when I went out with Lettie, Mrs Rachel and various girls and partners from the surrounding area to Wollongong's Japanese restaurant (again). It was a good night out, and I chose to wear trousers - leather trousers. Leather trousers from a charity shop. Bargain. I like to look ultra-sexy on a budget.<br /><br />And that was it for two months. For six weeks or so the urge to dress left me, and then for a couple of weeks the opportunity didn't present itself. This partially explains why this blog hasn't been updated; there wasn't anything to write about really. <br /><br />When Rachel re-emerged, at the end of July, it was still with the new wig and we were out in Wollongong once again. But I managed to completely fail to get any pictures of the outfit I wore. It was actually this one, but with different shoes:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/2058730677/" title="Outside The Philbeach Again by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2171/2058730677_e67b6aaced_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Outside The Philbeach Again" /></a><br /><br />Oh, and a different wig, of course. And a different bag. And a different jacket. And different tights.<br /><br />It was the same dress. And me inside it.<br /><br />And this weekend I was out again, when we all headed up to Sydney for the Seahorse Ball, run by (of course) The Seahorse Society. <br /><br />I looked fab:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3825422475/" title="Before The Seahorse Ball by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2581/3825422475_1350840161_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Before The Seahorse Ball" /></a><br /><br />Mrs Rachel looked fab as well, but I didn't get any pictures of her. I'm rubbish like that. <br /><br />The ball was good fun. Each bit of it seemed very average (and I really could have done without the Elvis impersonator), but the whole thing seemed to hang together well. Rather like one of my outfits really. We danced and drank and ate, and had good company. Brooke and Fiona from Melbourne were a beautiful couple, and I was privileged to share a table with a Uniting Church minister who was accompanying one of her trangender parishioners as part of the support the congregation was providing during the transition process. You read many terrible tales of what happens when people's religious beliefs meet the trangender world, and it was great to encounter a positive story of support and fellowship at first hand.<br /><br />The day after the ball we had a brunch and shopping trip into Newtown, where I failed to buy anything at all, despite being sorely tempted by the vast array of goodies on display. Mrs Rachel was suitably impressed. With it being Winter here I was rather hoping to wear some of my cooler weather wardrobe, but the forecast was for temperatures in the high twenties (celcius) and it wasn't wrong. So it was light Summer wear for me:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3832196465/" title="A Sunny Day In Newtown by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3832196465_b98b1900e0_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="A Sunny Day In Newtown" /></a><br /><br />I also skipped a layer of makeup (no beard concealer) and that seemed to work out OK. I have a new electric shaver that seems to do a wonderful close job, and just didn't need it. I do find that I tend to overdo the slap, so being able to leave a bit out helps give a more natural look.<br /><br />Heading home from Newtown we stopped off to pick up my children, who had been stopping with their cousin (my niece) for the night. This was another milestone, as it was the first time that any member of Mrs Rachel's family had met Rachel in the flesh. It was a nervous moment for me, of course, but it all went off OK. Indeed I have been promised a trawl through her cast-off skirt collection at some point, as it turns out that we're roughly the same size; she's diplomatically smaller than I, of course. <br /><br />When we got home I was spotted by both of our neighbours, who may or may not have already known, but probably do know now.<br /><br />And that brings me up to date. I'm out again in a couple of weeks, and then we'll see where we go from there.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-51408301192663863172009-05-06T20:58:00.003+10:002009-05-06T21:16:41.830+10:00Mr And MrsI'm still alive, you know. Don't think you've got rid of me.<br /><br />I confused a shop assistant today. I had some shopping to do in Wollongong, and decided that it was a chance to have a dressed outing. One of my trips was to our local electrical retailer, and when you buy something there they enter your personal details into their computer so that they can print out the warranty docket. She started out OK, putting in my surname. She then skipped over the 'Title' box, and put my initial in the next one (which is not 'R', in case you were wondering). Filled out my address and telephone number. All well and good.<br /><br />When she hit 'Return' it flagged the 'Title' field in red - it was a compulsory field, and she had to put something in there. It was then that I started to realise that she'd skipped it because she didn't know what to put, and wasn't sure how to ask. She must have spotted my wedding ring (which I wear, even when dressed), and putting two and two together entered 'Mrs'. I'd like to report that I said something witty at this point, but all I did was smile sweetly and say "You can put 'Mr' if you like".<br /><br />So she did.<br /><br />So here I am - Not-Mrs Not-Rachel:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3506448633/" title="In The Car by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3595/3506448633_9769c312b9_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="In The Car" /></a><br /><br />You'll notice that the wig is back. It returned a couple of weeks ago when we went out for a meal in Wollongong with our friend Lettie, and her daughter, who was meeting her dad's femme side for the first time. I thought that under the circumstances my experimental look was probably a bit much, so went for my 'normal' appearence. And I realised how much I actually missed it. My own hair is still growing nicely, and I will 'use' it again sometime. But, for various reasons, at the moment I need the comfort of the old Rachel.<br /><br />I did, however, start shopping for a new wig today. Saw and tried one I like, and I may go back and get it in a couple of weeks. I have to say that the ladies in the shop/salon I visited were very friendly and helpful indeed. <br /><br />So, stay tuned. There could be another new look coming in a few weeks.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-25270821688425402252009-03-30T17:07:00.004+11:002009-03-30T17:28:25.039+11:00Bargains Galore!The wigless experiment continues. This time I tried a headscarf:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3391410181/" title="The Headscarf Experiment by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3539/3391410181_9a28840c78_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="The Headscarf Experiment" /></a><br /><br />Now you might say "If you're going to wrap your head in a scarf, why not just wear the wig?" And that's what I thought. But, do you know what? It was more comfortable than a wig, and not half as warm to wear. And, given that my default look is 'hippy chick' not a million miles away from the style I've opted for anyway.<br /><br />Come the Winter I'll try Hats :-)<br /><br />Full outfit shot, because I'm a photo view whore:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3392220680/" title="Forgot To Smile - I'm Smiling Inside Though by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/3392220680_cc00a0c135_m.jpg" width="125" height="240" alt="Forgot To Smile - I'm Smiling Inside Though" /></a><br /><br />I wore jeans. It is possible for a crossdresser not to wear a skirt.<br /><br />The last few weeks have been on and off stressful in the Rachel household, and both Mrs Rachel and I have sought solace in retail therapy. Being cheapskates, of course, we've hot the sales racks and charity shops, and found some real bargains. I've got two pairs of 'cute shoes' (slippers/pumps/whatever you want to call them) for a few dollars each - both pairs are gorgeously comfortable, which is a real bonus for girly shoes I buy. And I have managed to get three personal wardrobe essentials. Numer one is that salwar kameez (Indian trouser suit) I always wanted. It wasn't dirt cheap, but was under A$50, which was good enough for me. Dove grey cotton, with lovely green embroidery. There are hours of entertainment to be had just working out how to wear the dupatta (shawl). The other finds were even better. A couple of weeks ago I found a perfect Little Black Dress in a charity shop, for a grand A$4. Fits like it was made for me, and is simple enough in style that I can dress it up or down as needed with accessories. And today? A pair of leather trousers. For A$3. Gorgeous. I've found a number of tops and shoes they go with, and am itching to inflict them on a jealously waiting world.<br /><br />I nearly added a floaty chiffon evening dress to the haul today as well - A$10 of utter loveliness. But it didn't quite fit. Probably for the best; we need to keep some money for food ...Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-16882470909535805242009-03-22T16:37:00.002+11:002009-03-22T16:52:46.873+11:00The Only Tranny In The VillageWollongong has a gay nightclub. That's 'gay' in the LGBT sense, not the 'yoof-speak' sense, so it's a club for people who are gay, rather than one that's not very good. Anyway, said club has a small web-presence in which, on a Saturday night they promise 'Glamourous', a night for those of any gender to come and sparkle and be seen<br /><br />A tranny night out in Wollongong? Sign me up! Ever since I've got here we've been looking for the local tranny community (as opposed to the one in Sydney) on the assumption that, since The Gong is a reasonably big place by Aussie standards, there must be one.<br /><br />So, last night, Mrs Rachel and I decided to go and see what this night of local tranny activity was like. I got myself all glammed up, as, of course, did she, and away we went. It's only about a ten minute drive from us, and entry is free if you get there earlyish, so we reasoned that our time wouldn' be wasted.<br /><br />And it wasn't. The club was fairly nice. Edgier than Mrs Rachel normally likes, but not too crowded, and with both a loud dance area and quieter seating/chatting area. We spoke to a few interesting people and had a pleasant time.<br /><br />Only one problem.<br /><br />I was the only tranny at Wollongong's premier tranny venue night.<br /><br />This did tend to defeat part of the point of actually going, of course.<br /><br />So, am I the only tranny in The Gong, or are the rest all hiding somewhere else?*<br /><br />I also went wigless again. I looked good; the club had lots of mirros and I could check frequently. But when I came to take some pictures later (you didn't think I wouldn't, did you?) I was disappointed. I looked terrible in virtually all of them; my hair just doesn't work. Now it could be that the style wasn't quite right this time, but I think it's mostly that it doesn't really have enough length to work properly yet. It does just seem to be in photos, but it's now shaken my confidence in how it looks in real life. And confidence is everything.<br /><br />I'm still going to continue my move towards wiglessness, I think, because I love the freedome it gives me. But unless I can find some ways of diguisling my very male hairline a little more (hats, headbands or similar) I'm going to wait until it has a bit more length and body to it. At the moment it's too short to really work properly.<br /><br />*We do have one local friend, but she lives in Albion Park, and that's not Wollongong. As any fule kno.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-88832147952549172502009-03-12T12:08:00.004+11:002009-03-12T17:06:39.460+11:00New LookIt was my wife's idea really.<br /><br />Last night we went up to Sydney with our friend Letty for one of the regular tranny meals held there. So the late afternoon found all three of us getting ready at our place. I had just done my makeup and put on the outfit I was planning to wear and was getting my wig ready, when Mrs Rachel said, "You know, you might get away with your hair as it is". Now my hair is short and blokey, but still mostly all there. It's a far cry from Rachel's faux-silky reddish locks, but it does the job.<br /><br />The truth is, her comment reinforced something I'd thought earlier; maybe I <span style="font-style:italic;">could</span> just go out with my hair as it was. I asked how she thought I might get away with it. "Gel it up and comb it into some kind of shape. If it doesn't work you can always stick your wig on."<br /><br />So I did. After ten minutes with gel, a comb and a hair-dryer I had something that wasn't quite my normal bloke look, but wasn't the Rachel that I, and you, know and love.<br /><br />And do you know what? I liked it:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3347877756/" title="Arm's Length by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3637/3347877756_9e9e22db78_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Arm's Length" /></a><br /><br />I looked like ... me.<br /><br />I went for it. With my new look we went to Sydney, and did a little cruise around some shops before going to the restaurant where we were due to meet the others. And I felt as confident as ever. Different, but confident. I thought I looked good, and I felt good. If I ever passed before, I didn't now, but what does that matter? I am a crossdresser, and proud of it, and as long as people accept that I'm fine. <br /><br />It's strange. I've always felt that the wig is what 'makes' the person I call Rachel. I never felt fully dressed without it. It's usually the last thing I put on; a ritual of 'becoming Rachel'. Last night I just made that leap without the wig ritual. <br /><br />I guess the wig has been a kind of mask; something I could hide behind and which gave me the confidence to go out and face the world as Rachel. Last night I took off the mask and let the world see something more real, perhaps. The wig made me look more feminine, but perhaps that's less of a worry now I'm more comfortable with the idea that people see me as a bloke in a frock. I can just redefine 'passing' to suit myself. Although perhaps a bad experience will change my mind on that score; so far I have been lucky and not had any encounters with people in the real world that have shaken my confidence.<br /><br />So will I do it again? I'd like to. I may let my hair grow a little more, and then get it styled in some adaptable or gender-neutral way. I'm not sure I want long hair again, but I think it needs just a bit more length. It may mean a change in how I do my makeup as well, as I've always done it on the assumption that my face will be 'framed'. And if it doesn't work, I always have the wig to fall back on. It's been a good friend up until now, and will still be there for me when I need it.<br /><br />Actually my biggest concern is that my wardrobe has been designed around 'Redhead Rachel'. I'm hoping that he stuff will work for 'Short-hair Rachel' as well, otherwise this project could get very expensive indeed :-)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-52082877704631298072009-03-03T17:26:00.002+11:002009-03-03T17:30:46.084+11:00The Perils Of A Vanity GoogleI googled my user ID:<br /><br />"<a href="http://www.page3.com/girl/rachel_garley/index.shtml"><span style="font-style:italic;">One day I was <span style="font-weight:bold;">just plain Rachel</span> and the next I was a Page 3 girl</span></a>"<br /><br />May be NSFW? Depends on where you work, I guess :-)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-16065769538831014542009-03-02T21:03:00.000+11:002009-03-02T21:04:10.758+11:00Separated At BirthI'm not sure if this is a good thing or not:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3321612965/" title="Rachel And Lois by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3321612965_fc2cbfbeeb_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Rachel And Lois" /></a>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-132599275040721812009-03-01T11:40:00.003+11:002009-03-12T17:09:02.310+11:00Two Months Seems So LongAll right, it's been more than two months since I wrote anything here. Anyone who's followed my male blog will know that I'm extremely lazy blogger, and this one looks like it's going to be affected by the same malaise.<br /><br />So, what have I been doing?<br /><br />Well, we are settling nicely in to our new life in Australia; Mrs Rachel and I are in the throes of setting up a (non-tranny related) business, whilst the children are now at school. There are a few things we could do without, but on the whole life is good.<br /><br />From a Rachel point of view things have been relatively inactive. After Transfusion I didn't dress again until the middle of January, when Mrs Rachel, Letty and I went up to Sydney for the semi-regular Concord meal. It's always pleasant company, and good food, but the two-hour drive each way isn't much fun. And we always get lost in the Western Suburbs. the next one isn't in Concord, but in newtown, so we'll have somewhere new to get lost in :-(<br /><br />It was also on one of the hottest days of the year up to that point. One of those days when I envy those t-girls who wear their own hair, and don't need the security blanket of a thick layer of makeup. You can see me suffering a bit if you look closely at this picture:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3197146911/" title="Back In A Frock by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3197146911_5c6841e2bb_m.jpg" width="172" height="240" alt="Back In A Frock" /></a><br /><br />But I survived.<br /><br />And then it got hotter. Fortunately this coincided with a major dropping off in my desire to dress, so I didn't have to make the choice between not induging my tranny urges, or doing so and cooking for my sins. I know that in the UK there was a perceived drop-off in tranny activity in the Summer, due in part to holidays but also because it's not much fun when it's too hot. Well, girls, it's worse here, I can tell you.<br /><br />But, Summer is nearly over, and this week saw me go out not once, but twice. <br /><br />As the weather cooled the urge crept back, and I indulged it with a shopping trip into Wollongong. I'd been promising myself this for ages, partially because there's lots of clothes shops there (I'm so shallow) and partially because I'd promised the owners of two of them (both vintage/esoteric establishments) that they'd get to meet the feminine version of the beardy bloke who kept coming in and trying on their frocks and skirts.<br /><br />I actually wore one of the skirts I'd bought in one of them, and the lady who runs the shop was thrilled. But it is a wonderful skirt. Have a look:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3307857961/" title="On The Beach - Closer To The Camera by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3612/3307857961_07668783f0_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="On The Beach - Closer To The Camera" /></a><br /><br />And, yes, I had a walk on the beach as well. Not just a walk; I ran barefoot across the warm sand, allowing my skirt to fly out around me. I rejoiced in being alive and free to be me. And it felt wonderful.<br /><br />But I gush. I'm sorry.<br /><br />In terms of hard practicalities I came away from that outing with two more skirts and some jewellery, and a 100% pass on the Schoolgirl Test. Yes, at one stage I walked past a gaggle of teenage schoolgirls who either didn't notice me, or were so polite that they didn't call out anything. I know that neither thing would have happened in the UK; girls there have well-tuned tranny radar, and gobs like skips when it comes to letting you know they've spotted you. Apparently.<br /><br />Three days later - yesterday, in fact - I was off out socialising again. Letty (my local tranny friend) organised a local get-together. This time it was the Sydney-siders who had to travel down to us. Letty and I were the only locals, and we had a couple from Canberra as well, but the aim was to show the girls that we know must be in Wollongong that there is some tranny activity here, and that they needn't be shy. We ate in a very public and busy Italian restaurant, with no bad experiences (and at least one nice one, when the waitress complimented me on my shoes), and then went to a local bar/club for the rest of the evening. A group of tall, blokey-looking girls turned a few heads there, but again there were no problems and we had a very pleasant evening drinking, talking and dancing. Here I am before we went out:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3317014883/" title="Wollongong Social by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3317014883_4abcf3b1d3_m.jpg" width="123" height="240" alt="Wollongong Social" /></a><br /><br />In trousers again, I hope you note. I was going to wear some different, tighter trousers, to show off my legs (tart!) but unfortunately they also showed off too much else in the ... nether regions. And no amount of tucking seemed to hide that problem. They are trousers for another day, and a much longer top :-)<br /><br />So, that's me caught up with news for the last two months. There's another Sydney meal coming up in a couple of weeks (see above), and Mrs Rachel and I are considering popping back to the club we went to last night; entry was free if you got there earlyish, the drinks weren't too expensive and the clientele were of a wide age range, including old fogies like us.<br /><br />It's also the first time that I've been clubbing as Rachel in a 'regular' club. Previous outings have always been to LGBT establishments. As I have said before, being a tranny is a series of 'firsts' sometimes.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-77593052256981041292008-12-23T18:15:00.003+11:002008-12-23T18:52:10.933+11:00Better Late Than NeverIn my last post, written a month ago, I promised a report on Transfusion in Sydney. This is one of the big events in the Aussie tranny calendar, so it would have been rude not to go. So I went.<br /><br />Of course, I was limited in terms of outfit because my stuff still hadn't arrived from the UK, but I eventually settled on a sequined minidress that I just happened to have with me, and spent a happy afternoon scouring Wollongong for accessories.<br /><br />Letty (see previous post) offered to drive me up to Sydney, and back, thus alleviating the need for me to take the train. And Letty was going to be en-femme all weekend, so I decided that the time had come for a new adventure and followed suit. By some standards 30 hours is not that long, but it's the longest sustained time I've spent as Rachel. And in the Aussie heat it was long enough as well.<br /><br />So, we drove up to Sydney, and Letty showed me the sights of Newtown - loads of little shops and cafes, many of teh former selling gorgeous vintage clothing, which I resisted (aside from one skirt which I tried with a view to buying, but which didn't fit). After lunch in one of the aforementioned cafes we headed for our hotel so that we could change for the evening. Since so many girls were staying at the same place we were having pre-event drinkies on the roof, so we needed to get ready fairly briskly. After all, it takes forever to look as good as we do, doesn't it :-)<br /><br />So here I am at the hotel:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3071621625/" title="Hotel Balcony by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/3071621625_e62747340c_m.jpg" width="231" height="240" alt="Hotel Balcony" /></a><br /><br />I changed. I headed for the roof. Somehow I failed to find it and, much to my embarassement got stuck in a fire-escape stairwell. Fortunately a quick call on my mobile alerted Letty to my whereabouts and she opened the door to the roof and let me out. A good start to the evening.<br /><br />Up on the roof:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3074227364/" title="Waldorf Roof by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/3074227364_b6580c65ca_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Waldorf Roof" /></a><br /><br /><br />The venue laid on a bus for us, so transport was easy. The return was either the bus (at an appropriate time) or taxi.<br /><br />Transfusion - it was fun. Great to meet so many Aussie t-girls in one place. The music was OK (as good as you get at any tranny event in the UK), the drag act was typical of its genre and the food was average. But I danced like nobody was watching, and chatted to the usual interesting cross-section of people that inhabit the tranniesphere. I'm going again next year.<br /><br />So, the event drew to a close, and the club (ARQ), was opened up to 'real' people, mostly muscular and (seemingly) shirtless gay men. Not my thing to be fiar, but I decided that the night was still young and that I'd hang about and get a taxi back, rather than taking the bus back to the hotel. Eventually I tired of the club, and met up with a couple of other girls (and a partner) in a next-door venue, The Taxi Club. This is closer to a pub or cocktail bar than ARQ (similar to The Philbeach, say, but without the hotel bit), so it was easier to sit and chat. And it was fascinating watching the few tranny-chaser's eyes follow every girl that walked past.<br /><br />It was 2am by now, and I decided to head back to the hotel. Now, I knew its name, and knew it was nearby. It was a Waldorf (still is), so I reasoned that it wouldn't be too hard a destination to find.<br /><br />I was wrong.<br /><br />I'd headed out of The Taxi Club alone, knowing that I could pick up a cab outside. But none of the drivers I stopped knew where the hotel was. And, I realised, neitehr did I. I knew its name, but not what street it was on; Sydney is a foreign city to me still, and I was, to put it mildly, a bit buggered. Eventually a nice couple used their mobile internet to look up the address for me (thank you, if you ever read this), so I had a street to give the next driver. But still they seemed reluctant to try and find it. A lot of them obviously spoke little english, that was clear; getting a taxi at gone 2am in Sydney was proving harder that I thought it would be. And, for the first time when I was out as Rachel, I could feel my confidence slipping. I was basically alone in a strange city and I was en-femme; I won't say I felt scared but I did feel a little vulnerable and was staring to consider what options I had.<br /><br />At that point a driver puleld up who did know where I needed to go, and I was rescued. He opined that it may not have been geographical ignorance that he other drivers displayed but the simple fact that they didn't want 'one of you' in their cab. Transphobia, or geographical ignorance? Who knows. Anyway, I was saved, and returned to the hotel by about 3am, ready for sleep.<br /><br />And up bright and early so that Letty and I could head into Sydney city centre for breakfast. Which we ate at a pavement cafe, before heading to the glorious Queen Victoria Building for some shopping and sight-seeing. I didn't buy anything femme, but did get a card-game from the local games shop. Which I haven't played yet.<br /><br />And here I am in the QVB:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/3076447176/" title="Queen Victoria Building by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3076447176_ffaa241667_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Queen Victoria Building" /></a><br /><br />And then back to Wollongong, where I was genuinly glad to throw off the trappings of Rachel, and slob out in male-mode.<br /><br />Thanks to Letty for being my escort, guide and chauffeuse for the weekend. <br /><br />I was back in Sydney a fortnight later, with my family this time*, as we went to see 'Priscilla: The Musical'. See it. I have spoken. That is all.<br /><br />Oh, and our stuff turned up from the UK a couple of days after Transfusion. It's only when you unpack things that you realise how much of your wardrobe is taken up by each persona; in my case Rachel takes up more than twice the space of my bloke self. For clothes that are worn less than 5% of my time. Daft, really.<br /><br />Anyway, have a good Christmas, and I'll probably be back in the New Year. At present I'm in a 'not bothered aboout trannying' phase, but the urge will return I'm sure, and I'll be ready when it does :-)<br /><br />*And me 'en-bloke'.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-65825431690846061502008-11-24T14:44:00.003+11:002008-11-24T15:05:10.859+11:00MilestonesLife as a tranny seems to be made up of a series of milestones; first time out dressed, first time in the 'real world', first chat-up line*, and so forth.<br /><br />This week saw me deal with two more.<br /><br />Firstly I managed, quietly, without any fuss, to nudge open the door towards going public. That is to say I posted a picture of me as Rachel on my male Flickr stream. I've done this once or twice by accident (and vice versa with Rachel's stream), but this was a deliberate act. Since moving to Australia we have a new life to build, and new contacts to make. These people will have no expectations about us, and may as well know about us properly from the word go. When we were living in the UK we had a constant worry about neighbours or people from work 'finding out'. We have decided that this no longer applies. For better or for worse I am a crossdresser, and people will have to deal with that.<br /><br />That's not to say that we are forcing it on them, but neither are we taking any special measures to hide Rachel from the outside world. We have discussed it with the children and they are comfortable with it as well, and to be honest it was them that mostly drove a lot of the discretion in the UK anyway.<br /><br />Anyway, those who know me in bloke mode will know that I have been doing a daily self-portrait project on Flickr. Over the last year I have found ways of introducing Rachel into this without bein too blatant about things (although I've done it enough that I know several people suspected I was a tranny). However the other day my self-portrait was of me as Rachel. Any suspicions anyone may have had were confirmed, and anyone who cares to look at my stream and who doesn't know I'm a tranny will do so now. I haven't, as yet, associated my male stream with that of Rachel, or, indeed Rachel's stream with my bloke one. That's a step to be taken at a later date.<br /><br />So far responses have been positive. But the genie is now out of the bottle and we'll take what comes.<br /><br />And the next milestone?<br /><br />Since we arrived in Oz I have been in e-mail communication with a local girl, Letty. We decided that it would be good to meet up sometime, and last night we did so. However as meets go it was pretty momentous. Letty invited me to her place for a meal, but extended the invite to Mrs Rachel and the children as well. Now Mrs Rachel has been out with me enough for this to be a non-issue, but this would be quite a big step for the children. However we discussed it with them, and they were quite happy to join us - the first time that they have ever been out with me as Rachel. Also the first time that they had met another crossdresser in girl mode. Anyway, we all had a very pleasant evening, and, when our stuff finally arrived from the UK, we will return the favour. There are many times that your children make you proud - last night was one of them; they were brilliant.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm off out again next weekend for the Transfusion Christmas party up in Sydney. Report and pictures when I get back.<br /><br /><br /><br />*A year ago. It was roughly 'My mate really fancies you.'Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-85139315750755086832008-11-20T17:50:00.004+11:002009-03-12T17:10:11.163+11:00Rachel Steps Out AgainFresh from the success of my shopping trip to Shellharbour a couple of weeks ago, last night I went to my first tranny social event since arriving here in Oz eight weeks ago. This was a restaurant night in a suburb of Sydney, so required a couple of hours' driving there and back. But it was worth it; Mrs Rachel and I met three girls, two of whom had their partners with them, and we had a very pleasant Italian meal. And, just to rub it in to those of you in the UK, we sat outdoors :-)<br /><br />I'm out of practice in getting ready for these things, and we were late leaving home because I was still putting my face on when we should have been in the car. Add to that the fact that we don't really know our way around Sydney (which, we think, covers a larger area than London, despite only having half of the poulation) and got lost, it was no surprise that we were late turning up. However no-one had ordered, so we didn't disrupt things. To balance things out we also got lost on the way back home as well and, just as we finally found the correct route out of the city, we got caught in the mother of all thunderstorms; lashing rain and bright sheet lightning all the way down to Wollongong and beyond. <br /><br />Anyway, thanks to Jan, Caroline, Karen and their other halves for making us welcome. I'll see some of you in just over a week at the next big even - Transfusion.<br /><br />I wore some particularly high heels for the evening and to get used to them spent a morning wearing them around the house. Which led to the bizarre sight of me, in full bloke mode, playing competitive Guitar Hero against my son whilst wearing 5" stilletos. It actually seemed to improve my ability to play.<br /><br />And it was my son who, whilst we were getting changed at the local swimming pool this afternoon, notcied that I had forgotten to remove the raspberry pink nail varnish from my toes last night. Oh well.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-6855412476197946372008-10-31T16:35:00.003+11:002008-11-01T07:09:51.522+11:00My Aussie DebutWell, The Urge finally caught up with me, and I decided that I had to get frocked up and have some kind of outing or I'd go spare. Since we arrived in New South Wales a couple of weeks ago I've not been shy about trying things on in shops whilst in bloke mode, (and buying some of them as well), but it's not the same is it?<br /><br />The downside is, of course, that it's too bloody hot for trannying a lot of the time. So I bided my time until we had a relatively cool, overcast day and then went for it.<br /><br />In fact it wasn't an exciting outing - I just went shopping in the local mall (Shellharbour Stockland) - but it was my first time in not only a new area, but a new country. I have no reason to assume that urban Australia gives a damn about the odd tranny wandering around, so I wasn't too worried, but I will admit to a few butterflies as I parked up and started to get out of the car.<br /><br />For those that like to know these things I wore some leg-flattering cord trousers from Next which I bought in Staines the day before I flew out here, my New look dolly shoes and a lovely loose flowing tunic top in cream with lace trim I picked up in a vintage/esoteric clothes shop in Wollongong earlier this week. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/2986169248/">Here's the ensemble</a>.<br /><br />I can report the best thing one can always report after an outing into the Real World - nothing happened. A few people did a double take, anyone who stared got my winning smile and most people didn't notice me or ignored me. Just what I'd expect. Shop assistants were, on the whole, polite and helpful and seemingly unfazed by a crossdressing Pom spending money like it was going out of fashion. The only place where I noticed a reaction (definate sniggers as I left) was the local games shop which I'd been into to see if they had a release date for the new Guitar Hero game for the DS. Perhaps it was my taste in games they were laughing at?<br /><br />I did every clothes shop I could find in the mall, and tried on things in several of them. In none of them did I have any problems doing so. Looking confident always pays off I guess. <br /><br />Anyway, I came away with a new iPod FM thingy for the car, a new bra and a lovely 50s style floral dress which I now need an excuse to wear.<br /><br />Next time I go shopping it's going to be Wollongong city centre - there are heaps of lovely clothes shops there just waiting to be explored. And I shall have to work on the next outing as well; there's a nice Thai restaurant just down the road from where we're living which could be a possible venue.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-39835221671183315872008-10-17T08:56:00.003+11:002008-10-17T09:02:20.902+11:00Made It!G'day!<br /><br />Just a short note to say that I'm in Australia now. Actually I've been here for a couple of weeks now, but we started with a two week holiday in Northern Territory and it's only in the last couple of days that we arrived in New South Wales, where we intend to live.<br /><br />I have tried to maintain some tranny credentials. On the day we flew out of the UK I bought a new pair of shoes, and on my first day in New South Wales I tried on a nice looking black pinafore dress in the local shopping centre. Didn't buy that one, though; I wasn't sure it suited me.<br /><br />Look out for new pics and adventures when i get myself properly organised.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5486396638067496669.post-7331470338976803012008-09-17T16:53:00.002+10:002008-09-17T17:11:42.723+10:00The End Of An Era<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/2863289623/" title="The Last UK Outing by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2863289623_322fefa699_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="The Last UK Outing" /></a></center><br /><br />Last night I went out as Rachel for the last time in the UK. In less than two weeks I, and my family, will be emigrating to Australia and waving these shore bye-bye.<br /><br />Appropriately, and coincidentally, I wore pretty much the same outfit I wore last October on my first major public trip out - a meal with my wife, brother and sister in the centre of Birmingham. This time I was going out with Mrs Rachel again, but meeting up with the three work colleages who know about Rachel. Oddly enough they were all people who, for various reasons, were unable to make it to my official work leaving-do on Friday, so it was a proper chance to say farewell to them. But it was also the first time they had met me as Rachel, which was an odd experience for all of us. They'd seen photos, of course, but the real thing is always slightly different. Better, I hope :-)<br /><br />Anyway we had a meal and a drink at a nice pub/restaurant in Ash. They were also fashionably late, which meant that Mrs Rachel and I had a panicked few moments wondering if we'd got the right night or the right pub even. We even both ambled around the place looking to see if our friends had turned up through a different entrance and were sat somewhere else. Guess which one of us attracted the most attention there ...<br /><br />The last couple of weeks has also seen my last Transdoori curry-night and my last trip to the Surrey Swans. Thank you to all of the friends we have made over the last year. Your support has been invaluable, and we will keep you acquainted with our adventures Down-Under via this blog, my photos and all of the usual forums. But that's it. In a few days 'Rachel' will be packed up for transit to Australia and there will be a (brief) break in her activities. Maybe, if there's space, I'll pack a 'stripped down' Rachel in my luggage, but otherwise she's going in the crate with the bulk of our other possessions, and making a long slow sea journey. So, until she catches me up, bye for now.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/justplainrachel/2864120086/" title="The Last UK Outing by justplainrachel, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3196/2864120086_dac009155c_m.jpg" width="170" height="240" alt="The Last UK Outing" /></a></center>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01153193275259377113noreply@blogger.com7