Every time we start a shift at the fish tank, we have a meeting to begin with to give us updates about any changes with the exhibits (ie, the spider crabs are mating, that's why they are on top of each other like that) as well as any other blurbs about the day.

Yesterday we were advised about a group coming through. Now groups come thru the fish tank daily - primarily school groups and seniors from church groups. They can get pretty large - several hundred or more.

Turns out one of the groups coming through was, um, a transgender group. A really large group. We were told they would be using the 'appropriate' restroom, based on how they were dressed. There were some giggles and snickers and off we went to the animals.

It was unusually busy for a weekday morning, so I didn't really even give it a thought. I was working at an area where guests can touch things in touch pool, often looking down and juggling a lot of different people and questions. I hear a man ask a question. I look up to answer. He was dressed in women's clothing. VERY deep voice. Quite a contrast.

Later I was standing at another exhibit when I was surrounded by a large flux of people from two groups - both the transgender as well as the senior church ladies. As I'm talking, I'm watching the expressions of the church ladies staring at the 'other ladies'. Some figured it out. Others looked really confused.

When the crowd started to move on, a few of the church ladies stayed behind as we were talking more about the exhibit. Then one of the ladies said to me rather hushed,

"There are a lot of really unattractive tall women here today!"

She didn't have a clue and I had to bite my lip...

*The fish tank is always interesting people-watching. I watch them almost as much as I watch the animals. I've never been exposed to so many men in women's clothing (call it cross-dressing, transexuals, whatever...). If they wanted to be pretty, feminine, attractive - why the heck did almost all of them have one of three almost identical hairstyles - which were the absolute most unflattering possible choices for a masculine jawline possible???