Nashville, TN

[barbie]

Finally I arrived in Nashville, TN, USA after a delay of flight by severe weather condition. It took more than 24 hours from my hometown to here.

It's surprsingly chilly here. I brought clothes for summer and need to buy some long jeans for winter. And sneakers for exercise outdoors. It's a small city, and I have not yet found any large mall.

Yesterday I walked around the 2nd street and broadway. A lot of boot stores. And Church street in which I did not not see anything peculiar.

A photo taken after just arriving. I did not wear makeup, as I was so much tired from jet lag.

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=media;id=1827

I am not quite sure whether I have a chance to wear one-piece dresses here because I have formal meetings everyday. People here call me as sir, ma'am or lady. So, I use both of men's and women's restroom. I am a little bit confused.

Barbie~~


Post Merge: September 01, 2009, 10:24:20 PM
Tuesday.

Long day for attending symposiums.
The sun here is too much strong. It was chilly indoors due to air conditioning, but became hot outdoors. As I did not bring jeans, I wore silk stockings to warm my leggs.

I took some photos during the lunch time.

At First street which FairlyGirl said some trans people come out, but I could not recognize them.

https://www.susans.org/forums/MGalleryItem.php?id=1830
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The woman was kind to take a photo for me, but other old women even did not know how to manipulate a digital camera. I could not teach them.

Like my country, some men in passing cars looked at me in the street. I was a little bit surprised that I can attract people's attention even in the US. I saw tall and beautiful girls here. Also, I attracted attentions of some people in the street.

I strolled in Riverfront Park.
https://www.susans.org/forums/MGalleryItem.php?id=1831
https://www.susans.org/forums/MGalleryItem.php?id=1832
https://www.susans.org/forums/MGalleryItem.php?id=1834
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I stopped at a Toyota store to purchase car parts. The salesman did not express any strange response after hearing my manly voice.

I purchased a pair of sneakers, and hopefully will tour around the city to find a mall while jogging tomorrow morning.

It's rather safe here!!

Barbie~~

[Viv Juniper]

Glad to hear you are having a good time here in the US...welcome!  It has been a fairly mild summer on the east coast-almost had to turn on the heat last night!

Hope you find a mall there

[barbie]

Viv. Thanks for welcoming. It's the second welcome after the one in the immigration office stuffs in the airport.

I just ran for 1 hour around the Vanderbilt University area. It's a nice and quite city.

I did not see any woman here wear one-piece dress. I am wearing a black comfortable one-pience dress. During the breakfast in the hotel, I was a little bit puffed as women watched me more than men.

Barbie~~

[Louise]

Nice photo.  I particularly like the added touch of the billboard sign in the background to your right. 

I've never been in Nashville, but my impression of it is that it is a bit conservative like most smaller Southern cities.  Glad you are having a good time there and are getting a good reception.

[tekla]

In most American cities the malls tend to be located on the fringe, in the suburbs, not in the city center, SF, Chicago and a few other places do have huge downtown malls, but its not the norm.

[barbie]

While returning home, due to the delay of the connection flight, I have to stay one more night at Atlanta. Delta airline provided me with some tickets for hotel and meals.

As I have nothing to do, I studied the city guide map in the hotel. In the map, I could find a shopping mall near the hotel. In the front desk, I asked how long it would take. One woman replied that it is too distant to walk. Another woman also replied that I would arrive there probably in the next morninig. By taxi (cab), it usually takes 15 min.

I checked it in the google earth. It was just 6 km (ca. 4 mile). I thought about running to the shopping center, but I left all my exercise clothes and sneakers in the bags held in the airport. Walking there would take about 1 and half hour, but there is a interestate highway in the way to the shopping center, and I wondered how I can cross it. And also safety issue...

Finally, I gave up.

Target was there, and I indeed want to stop there. My daughter let me know by text message of her brother's phone that she misses dad so much and wants Barbie dolls.

Barbie~~
Post Merge: September 05, 2009, 06:10:33 AM

I've never been in Nashville, but my impression of it is that it is a bit conservative like most smaller Southern cities.  Glad you are having a good time there and are getting a good reception.

Louise, thanks for comments. Yes. Most people said to me that this is their first visit to Nashville. As it is close to Memphis, there are large dolls of Elvis, and tourists take photos there.

More strange men tried to speak to me in the street. Some asked whether I need help on the direction. Men were particularly kind to me. At midnight in the hotel, one man followed me by the elevator, shouting something to me at the corridor. I did not understand what he said, but replied "Excuse me?". Then he said "Never mind" and went down by the elevator.

But, in this hotel, "Mr" is added as prefix in the my name as the flight ticket. They continuned to call me "Sir" or "Mr.". I wear athletic bra, but now they seldom call me 'sir'.

It is far wamer here in Atlanta.

Barbie~~