6:45 pm - Monday 7th August 2000

I'm tired and bored, so why not compile yet another diary entry?

I'm waiting around until it's time to go off to this big Chemistry Dinner. The RACI (Royal Australian Chemical Institute) is having it's annual Presidential dinner, and I figure for $15 it was worth it, considering that is has $30 worth of student subsidy.
It's "Ties for guys" level of dress, and considering I wouldn't be seen dead in a tie anymore, I'm going my usual femme self, with my Guava jacket and black pants/white top.
I suppose I should get this show on the road, more later.

12:00 am - I'm back, and slightly tipsy. It was a good night, the food was ordinary, the company was good. I arrived late and got the last seat on the table of people I knew. I sat next to the Honours students from our group (E****) who had already polished off half a bottle of Red and was showing it. The talk was a rehash of what I'd seen before at the science festival, but which was still interesting.
I talked to my lab partner's girlfriend S*****, and she was pretty cool. The only problem is that I have a lot of trouble feeling like I want to pass, but can't because I'm around people who knew the "old me". It felt nice to be dressed up, but was spoilt by the fact that without breasts or breasts-forms, the suit didn't quite look right. A skirt might have been a good option, but I didn't want to push people, so I didn't even take a purse.
Today I finally gathered up the courage and asked two more people in the group to call me Steph. Thankfully it wasn't a problem, and may have been a good way of building some trust, something which has been lacking I feel for quite a while. I'm trying to change from the rather unpleasant way I used to be, but it's very, very easy to slip back into my old mannerisms and speech. I need to work on it a lot more, in the same way that I need to work on my voice.
Ok, to bed. Tomorrow should be interesting. ;)

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