September 8, 2005 2:03 PM BST
Today I guided a group of architets and city planners around in the residental area I had designed in 1996 as a man. I hadn´t refused when a female collegue called me and asked me to do it. It felt "a not very nice task" but it had to be done because I don´t want to isolate myself among collegues. One half of the group knew me either as a man or a woman or both. Even the rest, I guess has heard my story as a gossip, but not yet seen me. Everything seemed to run just fine, to my surprise, a few female collegues who knew me so far only as a man came close to me to chat with me. they were very friendly and I could feel their message: "welcome to our side of the fence".
Now the ice is broken...and that is a relief.
On my way back to the office a somewhat drunk guy looked at me and said: "Gee, you are a beautiful lady". My say was saved
.
Laura