Summer 2003: Les aventures de MarieJaine en Montreal

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Summer 2003: Les Aventures de MarieJaine en Montreal

It does rather sound like the opening line from "Twilight Zone": Picture this if you will: imagine waking up in a foreign country.

You have limited cash and no charge card, no real identification to prove who you really are, the locals don't speak your

language-much, and you must be careful trying to cross the border because there are zealous people just looking for

Welcome to my summer vacation...no, really! This year, the Barbershop Harmony Society had its annual convention and

This means that English--while spoken--will be heavily accented…if spoken at all. (I found that much out before leaving; I

reconfirmed our rooms at the hotel we will be at and discovered that I may be in for an interesting time…) It also means that,

for the first time in several years, I am leaving all my Jayne ID at home-along with my checkbook, debit card, affinity hotel/

airline cards,and just about anything that ID's me as MaryJayne Sakura, save my Transgender ID card. (This goes

everywhere, it just stays in my clutch.) I am not doing this by choice; I do not wish to be outed to my parents who are

traveling with me should we get vetted. (Not yet, anyway, and certainly not at the border.) Not only that…but I am taking

only $175 in cash; the SO has $100 in cash, $100 in Traveler's checks…and she has the lone charge card. I have my male

passport and Driver's License, which is okay because I don't have them as a woman…yet. But being Gender Dysphoric, I

know I will wake up and wonder the same things I do at home…like my name, my true gender…and is that my makeup kit or

hers? In essence: I will need to be awake for border crossings. I will need to be really sharp; as I am taking all the herbs, pills,

creams, lotions, makeup and perfumes, etc I normally take…plus, nearly all my jewelry and clothing (save a few items) are

all femme. Which ultimately means I am still going as Jayne Sakura…just not quite identifiable as such. But in this post 9/11

world, with things like the Patriot Act in place…well…it'll be interesting, to say the least. Fun too, I am sure.

Well, so much for the best laid plans…I wanted to be out of the office at 3:30 today, and I didn't clear out until 5:15. However, I did

get much done…after getting home, I got changed: Blue Liz Claiborne T-shirt with white stripes, blue panties, 36c white cotton

bra, Claiborne jeans, blue belt, white socks, and my white Princess shoes. Jewelry was a sterling silver cross. No makeup; I

was too tired to try. We loaded the car, and left Evansville for Lafayette, a four hour drive. Had a heck of a light show several

hours north of us near Chicago; it was so flat out we could see miles and miles away. Very pretty, but I am glad we didn't have

to drive in it! Checked into our room at the Baymont, and called it a night.

Morning came a little too soon for my tastes. (It usually does.) Today's ensemble: Blue Liz Claiborne T-shirt with white stripes,

mint green panties, 36c white cotton bra, Liz Claiborne jeans, blue belt, white socks, and my white Princess shoes. Jewelry

was simple: Necklace with a light blue slide, a Claiborne bracelet with blue stones, and a lapis ring. Makeup: My nails were

good and covered in clear polish, Shiseido lipstick in clear, curled my eyelashes, then applied brown mascara (also a Shiseido

product), hair sprayed into place, and even managed to wax my eyebrows. I wanted to look my best…for my parents. They haven't

seen some of the changes…including my…mmm…somewhat larger cleavage. After a brunch at The Cracker Barrel, off we went

to Uncle J's. (He's watching the car for us; we will be riding in the nice rented Chrysler Concorde) We swapped all the luggage

Dinner was at Applebee's in Kendallville. I share that simply because we took all the back roads to get there, and so there isn't

much to share, other than talking and catching up with my parents. Once we got settled in our rooms for the evening at the Best

Western, I took a shower, redid all my nails (including the pink toenail polish), shaved my legs and armpits, and rested. It was

Morning already? Clock, you lie! It is the day of the great Family Reunion, and go I must. So, into a decent (but comfortable)

outfit; this would be outside, and we would be traveling to Toledo, OH. Afterwards. My choice: Gray panties, white socks, a

cotton 36c bra, blue and white striped LizGolf polo, my jeans, shoes and belt from last night. Curled my eyelashes, and then

the makeup: brown mascara, clear lipstick, and Liz Claiborne perfume. Jewelry: my abalone shell slide on a sterling chain, a

jade ring, and the blue bracelet from yesterday as well. Breakfast was at the hotel, and then…I got to meet some of my more

distant relatives. All very sweet, very nice…and can they cook! Some of these folks I met when I was a little girl, others…I

never knew I had. Uncle J showed up…he finally let his curiosity get the better of him. He asked my S.O., "What is with all

the jewelry on that boy? She came to me, ashen. While she knows much, she doesn't even try to understand everything.

She sent me his way, and I got down on my knees, and said, "You were asking about my jewelry?" "Yeah-what's with it

all?" I grinned…and told him I did it just to be obnoxious! He laughed, and said, "You are just like your mother" and that

was that. (I didn't know if that was a compliment or not, so I took it as such.) A lot of good food-too much so-and good fun

and fellowship as well. We finally managed to pry the Momma away (it was her family, after all) and drove into Perryville, OH.,

just south of Toledo for the night. We dined (yes, dined) at the Shanghai Chinese Restaurant. This was NOT the buffet we all

thought it was…I ordered Chicken and Snow Peas; we had to share plates and I wasn't exactly dying of hunger here.

Afterward, we all went back to the Baymont where we were staying, changed into my jammies, and called it a night.

The thought did cross my mind as I drifted off…why haven't my folks said anything? I chuckled a sleepy little-girl chuckle as I

There must be something in the air, because I woke up disconcerted and somewhat puzzled. Staggering into the loo, I sat down

to ponder the last of the previous evening's dinner, only to be interrupted by the S.O: "Honey, you look awful." I looked in the

mirror, and…I hate it when she's right. After a shave and a good face washing, I managed to curl my lashes and apply my

mascara (lipstick got applied after breakfast), brush out my hair and spray it into place, then got dressed: Multicolored striped

panties, a cotton 36c bra, an Elisabeth Hawaiian print blouse, jeans and blue belt, white socks and the princess shoes.

Jewelry: Turquoise ring, black and clear bead bracelets, and a puka shell necklace. Met the folks for breakfast…they looked like

they fared little better than I did in the sleep department. Breakfast was a pleasant affair, and we got packed up nice and leisurely

afterward. From Perrysville, we headed north. Lunch was at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, we introduced my

folks to trivia via the NTN network there. They did pretty well.

We crossed the border into Canada at Port Huron, and after being asked all the usual questions, were allowed to pass without

further problems. Which means-at least to this point-I could have brought my Jayne ID with me…but not my Swiss Army Knife.

The highways in Canada are pretty well kept, and while we stayed at the posted limits for speed, we made really good time getting

to Toronto…right in the middle of rush hour. We finally got to the Comfort Inn we had booked in Osshawa, ON, got our rooms, and

got settled in a bit before dinner. This is where my Mom really blew me away. We were walking from the car and she said, "That's

a nice blouse…uhhh…shirt…you're wearing." I smiled. They'll figure it out soon enough, I suppose. Dinner was at Teddy's, a

local restaurant recommended by the front desk clerk. I recommend it, too…go hungry. I ate way too much, came back to the

room…and entered a blessedly peaceful sleep.

About my hosts: Canada is a pretty clean place, compared to the US, and very pretty friendly as well. When I was up there, the

exchange rate was $1.30 CDN to a buck US. This makes it blessedly hard to do transactions in cash. Use a credit card; you'll

get better exchange rates. You also don't have to worry about cashiers who can't figure an exchange rate…or trying to cash a

traveler's check, which was almost impossible until I got into Montreal proper. You can't say you have not been warned.

Today is the Canadian equivalent to our Independence Day. Which means that if you are not a store, you are closed, more than

likely. I peeled an eyelid open…literally; my eyes had dried out in the room overnight-too much forced air. After a shave and a

serious face-washing, I got dressed in travel clothing: Black panties, 36c bra, blue socks, my jeans, a powder blue Claiborne

T-Shirt, blue belt and princess shoes. Jewelry: dark blue slide, a lapis ring (which I dropped on the floor at lunch and broke),

and my Claiborne purple stone bracelet. Makeup is the same as it's been; why change it if it works? We ate at the hotel (we do

try to book hotels with free breakfast; you may pay a bit more…but you save it on breakfast!), and eastward we headed. Lunch

was at a lovely Japanese restaurant: The Sapporo, on…Princess Street. (I felt right at home, oddly enough.) Our waiter, if not

"family", could have been: he was awfully swishy…but really cute…and efficient.

As we continued eastward, I started to drowse. So did everyone else, including my Daddy…who was driving at the time. We

almost got run off the road; we then pulled over and let the Momma drive for an hour or so. Upon entering Quebec, I discovered

the bilingualism in Canada is somewhat of a humorous thing: all the signs and markers are in French! We finally got to the

Best Western Europa just about dinnertime. And after checking in, the S.O. and I went over to the Queen Elizabeth, to get

our convention registrations and some convention souvenirs early on. Like I said about Portland: If you want them, get them

early. After our return to the Europa, we went in search of dinner, in a town that was somewhat closed up, on a rainy Tuesday.

We went a few doors down, to Le Boeuf Angus. Which turned out to be one of the nicest steakhouses in town, I think; we

covered dinner for the folks (we have been alternating nights), to the tune of $212 CDN for four of us….roughly $159 USD!

Ouch! My S.O. had picked it out, thinking it would be nice and close to the hotel. (In all fairness, it was, and we dined that

evening, and it was really a nice place with good atmosphere and great food.) After we paid the check, we slowly walked back

up to the hotel, and discussed plans for a tour. I wasn't too keen on a tour for Wednesday; we had been on the road for a few

days, and I know Daddy wanted to NOT be in a seat again for three hours or more.

About our room: We had an end room, with an unusual arrangement in terms of the bed: You could NOT watch TV from it. There

was a cuuuuuute little seating area to watch TV in, if you chose to. I didn't. I set the radio to a classical music station, got into

my femme Bali nightshirt and went to bed…knowing the peppercorn steak I had for dinner would speak to me about 3:00 AM…

…I hate it when I am right, some days. 3:15 AM saw me up and rooting around for Tums in my purse.

Oooooohhhhh…too much beef, too little time…I roll over and look at the clock. I find that I am glaring at the radio: they are

babbling on in French. Groaning, I sit up, then move to get dressed: Blue panties, white 36c bra, khaki shorts, white ped

sox, and a gray t-shirt. I add the black vest, so I have a place to hang everything. Jewelry was simple: a jade ring, the

abalone slide, and clear and tan bead bracelets. No time for makeup this morning; the folks are waiting on us. Brush my

hair, and off to the breakfast buffet in the hotel. Breakfast was a lively affair, with much talk over food, and then it was off to

the headquarters hotel to do some more shopping and looking around. Of course, the headquarters was a zoo, but I did run

into a few of my old friends. After that, though…lunchtime. Lunch was at the Cities `d Asie. Had quite a good meal, and

filed this as a place to return to, especially since it was at the hotel. Since Daddy wasn't feeling too good, and we had shut

down the idea of a tour for today, the S.O. and I went Underground.

No, I'm not joking…we literally did-Montreal has something like 18 miles of underground shops and stores, all connected in one

way shape or form. Spent my afternoon shopping, and going into some really nice places, including one (Ogilvie) that carried

Shiseido makeup. I filed that for future reference, and we just spent the afternoon doing some touristy stuff. Dinner was with the

folks at Hurley's pub, Irish food in French Canada was just as good as Irish food almost anywhere. Afterward, the folks called it

an early evening, we went and soaked in the hotel hot tub. Parboiled might be a better term for what we did; that tub really was

a hot tub! I came out of that looking a cooked lobster (but it did feel soooooo good on my legs and feet…).

Back upstairs, in my Bali nightshirt, we talked a little about a lot, and finally the lights were turned off and sleep blissfully

OoooOOOooooohhhhh…I awake in the midst of a somewhat kinky dream; I have been a very, very bad girl and now am having to…

hmmmmm…never mind. Suffice it to say I woke up VERY playful and leave it at that. Time to get dressed: Clean blue panties,

white 36c bra, khaki shorts, white ped sox, and the polo shirt from last year's convention, plus the black vest. Jewelry: a turquoise

ring, the light blue slide, and blue stone bracelet. I HAD to have makeup this morning; so I curled my lashes and applied some

perfume, mascara and lipstick. Brushed my hair, sprayed it in place, and off to the breakfast buffet in the hotel. We enjoyed a

leisurely breakfast, then the S.O. went off to watch a Sweet Adeline Chorus, my folks went back to their room…and I got to be

alone for about 90 minutes. I was blessed and I knew it-so I took advantage of this time!

Off to Ogilvie's I went, stopping in a few touristy places on the way, and bought new Shiseido mascara and lipstick, plus I got a

sample of Zen body crème. (I have a new favorite scent now, as a result.) Got everything back into the room and stowed, and

had a few minutes to wash all the old makeup off and apply the new stuff before the S.O. came back in to get her stuff together;

then we all went to the park for the Mass Sing. Something about 10,000 voices all singing the same thing is too cool. Cool was

good, because it was a hot day. Lunch was right after, and underground. (All that underground shopping had just paid off.) We

went to Katz' Deli, and had some great Jewish Deli food. Back to the rooms afterward, Daddy needed to rest and so did the

rest of the party. We rested, then I changed into khaki slacks, white socks that I cuffed, and off we went to the Harmony

Foundation Reception. This is an increasingly fancy thing every year, and it was great to see more of my friends joining the

Foundation as sustaining members. (Wanna make a donation to keep music alive in our schools? Click here for details.) Right

after that ended, we had juuust enough time to get to Centre Bell for the AIC show. This is for all the past champion quartets, and

is always one of the best shows of the week. This year was no exception, and just a few days after paying for the most expensive

meal on the trip, we paid for the cheapest: $18 CDN for 3 hot dogs, sodas, etc. About ten bucks US, and except for The Momma,

who wasn't all that hungry, we ate rather well for stadium food.

At the end of the night, we all staggered off to bed, and crawling back into my nightie, was asleep in pretty short order.

I woke up mad. I won't get into the dream here, except I had it twice and I cannot figure out the part where my S.O. is leaving for

Ireland without me…but taking six kittens. After a shower and shave, I dress comfy-gray panties, 36c bra, red and white striped

t-shirt with a big blue star in the middle (a Liz Claiborne creation and bought especially for this trip), khaki slacks, white socks

and shoes. Jewelry was a bluegray soapstone ring I had bought yesterday, the blue stone bracelet, and my dark blue slide.

Makeup was a necessity; today we were touring the city and this girl wanted to look her star-spangled best for the locals. So

I curled my lashes, applied mascara, did the perfume thing, and put my lipstick on after breakfast. Breakfast was at the hotel

buffet, and I had a few minutes to go shopping this morning, both with and without the S.O. So I went back to Ogilvie and bought

the Shiseido eyelash curler; I wanted to get an eyelash brush but they were out.

The tour was lovely-three hours on the bus, but it took us all over-old town, Olympic Park, and some places we just would not

have thought to go to/through. Lunch was on the tour-and nasty. After all was said and done, the folks headed back to their room,

the S.O. and I walked back through to old town (and the Cathedral of Notre Dame', past Chinatown, through the jazz festival, and

back to the hotel in time for dinner-all you eat Sushi-at the Cities `d Asie. It was inexpensive and really good.

The evening was spent back at Centre Bell, watching the quartet semi-finals. And then…afterglow time. I went in search of

scoresheets from the competition, and it took me awhile to find them, because I was sooooooo horny I went of in search of a

man to do. It didn't take me long to find a good hard one, either. Montreal has a fair number of porn shops, and all I had to do

was wait. Some signs really are universal, and…well…uhh…mmm…well, a hard cock is a hard cock, and even if he spoke

no English, there was nothing wrong with his French. Let's just say I was a very contented woman when we got done. On the

way back to my room, I ran into some of my fellow conventioneers who were being harassed to sing. There only three of them;

so I joined them, making four, and we sang for him, and then for a girl who just turned 21. After that, their harasser was long

gone, I sent them on their way, and I went to my room, changed, and crawled into bed…a very happy but very tired woman,

indeed. A most pleasant way to spend your nation's birthday.

Oooff…I know I am eating way too well, but this is getting out of hand. With visions of last night still floating around my

cerebral cortex, I got up humming a happy tune and got dressed: Blue panties, white 36c bra, tan sox, khaki slacks, and

last year's convention t-shirt. Jewelry was simple: my rainbow necklace, clear and black bead bracelets, a jade ring.

Makeup was done in a bit of a rush, having slept just a little too long. Off to breakfast, then to the Chorus contest. Lunch

was in the middle of that, at La Cage aux Sports, and I was NOT impressed with the service or lack thereof. After contest

(where there were no surprises), we went back to Cities d' Asie for dinner-quick, inexpensive, but plenty of food and plenty

good. A quick touchup of my makeup, then off to quartet finals. A bit of a surprise there, and after…I went off to get score

sheets, but afterward went back to the room, got in my nightie, and called it a day. We had many miles to go tomorrow, and

Goddess! I really want to get moving, but my body is NOT cooperating. We are traveling about 400 miles today, so comfy

clothing is a must: Pink panties, white 36c bra, this year's convention polo, jeans, a blue belt, white sox. Jewelry: Herringbone

chain with the small dark blue slide, blue bracelet, turquoise ring. Makeup as usual. Breakfast at the hotel (the buffet is getting

really old by now), pack the car (did we really buy this much stuff?!?) and off to Niagara Falls. We could not clear Montreal OR

Quebec fast enough…it did seem a little odd at first when we returned to Ontario, and everything was in English again! Lunch

was at a Tim Horton's on the freeway; Dinner was at the Palms Restaurant and all I wanted was something light. We pulled into

the Canadian side of the falls after dark; and decided to go see with the folks) all the lights. We took a shuttle from our hotel, got

to the drop off point at the casino (which really should have been a clue to what was about to befall us), went around the back,

We had found the only way to get to the falls was to walk down the "Great Canadian Midway". Which was mostly American

companies that had built on the Canadian side of the Falls, to help in separating fools from their money. It was really sad, in a

way. We finally did find the Falls, they were very pretty, and then we went back to our hotel. I crawled into my nightie and

Wow…is this really my last day in Canada? Goddess, I hope so. It has been fun, but it really is time to cross the border. To

celebrate: Pink Striped panties, 36c bra, blue sox, blue jeans, flowered blouse. Jewelry: Soapstone ring, puka shell necklace,

the blue stone bracelet. Makeup, of course-after breakfast, we took off to see the falls by day. We finally crossed over into New

York after 5 or 6 trips around town trying to find the rainbow bridge, so we could exchange our Canadian back to US, and to get

some of the taxes back. Lunch was at a Denny's over the NY State Thruway, and Dinner was at a Donato's pizza somewhere in

Ohio. This came back to haunt us all when we hit Toledo. Basically, all we did was travel. I did take advantage of the pool and

hot tub that evening…both felt wonderful, but especially the feeling of water moving over my breasts in the coolness of the pool.

A long day, and a long trip. Toledo to West Lafayette to Evansville. Clothing was gray panties, 36c bra, jeans, my striped T and

white sox. Makeup was tasteful but a little subdued. Jewelry was the abalone shell slide necklace, the blue bracelet, and the

soapstone ring. Breakfast was at the hotel, Lunch was at the Half Acre Café, and after saying sayonara to my parents, we left

them and had dinner at an Applebee's. It was good-really good!-to get home. The cats even forewent the usual ignoring of us;

they were quite glad we walked in the door. All was well again in their little kitty lives.

I had a little piece I was going to put here on the things I liked and the things I didn't like on this trip. I decided not to. Montreal is

an interesting place, and I think everyone should go at least once. I would not mind going again, if I had the right company.