Do lady boys go by Mr. or Mrs.?

For a country with so many lady-boys, Thais sure do like titles. My receipts say Miss Natalie, boat tickets for Miss Natalie C, etc. Funny how that happens. It has me realizing how much women are defined by their relationships to others rather than as individuals.

Miss   Ms.   Mrs.

Miss meaning you are young and single and that's alright.
Ms. meaning you are old enough to be married but you are not.
Mrs. meaning you are married to the man whose name you now have. A completely new identity.

Men just have one name and one title their whole lives.

Lady boys are so common that they are in advertising.

Follow up

I wrote this while in Thailand. It was just a thought I had looking at my ticket while on a long bus ride. Since then, I've returned to the States and attended my 10 year high school reunion. One of my class mates saw my name tag with my same old name on it and said, "Natalie! I thought for sure you'd be 'Mrs. Somebody Else' by now!"

He summed that up perfectly now didn't he!

Perception and Prejudice

In speaking with someone else who recently visited Thailand, I found that our travels already have something in common: people judge you and your trip before you even leave!

Here is a compilation of some of the things I have heard from excited/concerned people in my life:

Pros:
The food is amazing! The best fruit smoothies!
They have the BEST beaches!
You will always feel safe because people there are so respectful. You are getting prayer hands and bows every morning and all day.

Cons:
It's a third world country!
You're going to get sick/dengue/malaria! Dengue feels like you are being crushed by an elephant.
White slavery exists out there. Don't get kidnapped and turned into a slave!

HAHA WHAT??

The tickets are paid in full my friends. So, let's keep the commentary positive! There's no going back now, and I couldn't be more excited!

Tropical fruits, Buddhas and beaches alllll daaayyyy...

aww yeaaaaa

Surprisingly, no one has mentioned Thai massage to me. I am so looking forward to a good massage!