I was introduced to the diving world by a friend, who was surprised that it wasn’t already an item on my bucket list. I thought about it and decided that he’s right, and booked a trip to Koh Tao during my sabbatical. Koh Tao is a tiny island off the coast of Thailand, just north of the more famous Ko Samui. It’s well known within the backpacking community as a cheap place to get certified in scuba diving, and its crazy full moon parties (largely due to the influx of crazy young backpackers getting their diving certifications).
I was expecting a quiet week on an island, but then I met the Canadians. I was chatting with a group of travelers at dinner, when they started telling me the story of the buffalo tattoo. If you don’t know the Buffalo game, it has one simple rule — chug your drink if you drink with your dominant hand. Apparently three Canadians took it way further, where the stake became tattooing the word “Buffalo” in Thai on their butts. True to their words, they did, and words of the legendary feat spread quickly around the small island.
Since it was a small island, soon after the story was shared, the protagonists showed up at the restaurant. I soon hit it off with the beautiful and gregarious Grant, who proceeded to show me her other regrettable tattoo adventures. At the end of the night, I joined their march to the lady boys show with much enthusiasm, despite not having that anywhere on my bucket list. While I’ve seen few drag shows in the US, I have to say, the lady boys certainly look more like ladies than boys. It’s not just the way they dress, but also their demeanor and attitude. For anyone who had doubts whether they were actually boys, the grand finale involved them walking out without their fake bras, inciting another round of cheers from the crowd.
What I loved about the show was the extreme confidence the performers exuded on stage. Even though they were only lip syncing, they definitely got the diva persona down, and it was mesmerizing to watch. Even though lady boys are more common and more socially accepted in Thailand than other places in the world, it’s still a population that’s discriminated against. While I haven’t interacted with them enough to know the hardships that they go through in life, I love that they perform with such poise and confidence, as if saying “this is me, and I’m amazing, whether you like it or not.” Perhaps we should all channel our inner diva sometimes, especially in those moments when we don’t feel love from the world around us.
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