You may notice a new picture starting with this column. Well, I’ve been talking about the wonders of Botox and my new best friend, Dr. Parvin Mani of the San Diego Cosmetic Laser Center, so I thought I would unveil the new me. Of course, the picture is very slightly re-touched by my genius friend Todd, but I swear it is mostly me and my new, much younger self.

Who are the most recognizable people in San Diego today? Who are the people who get more airtime than Brad and Angelina, and generate more love/hate reactions than Nicole? Why, it’s none other than the political B & B – Francine Busby and Brian Bilbray. No matter what time of day or night, no matter what TV station you’re watching, you can’t escape the negative ads that flood the tube. These ads aren’t from their personal campaigns, of course, but from their respective congressional committees. How convenient! Imagine how many homeless people we could have fed with the amount of money they’ve spent. And it’s only the primaries. Thank God for Tivo. I can skip them all.

I spent the last 10 days in New York City for the first wedding in my family in the last 20 years. So I braced myself for all the emotions of seeing so many family members whom I had not seen in a very long time. I met a few of them in New York City before we all shuttled to Buffalo for the wedding. When I arrived at JFK airport to pick up my sister from Manila, I was suddenly stricken with panic. What if I didn’t recognize her? After all, the last time I saw my sister in N.Y.C. was about 15 years ago. Not only is it expensive to come to the U.S., it is also very difficult to get a visa. I waited and I waited, and by then I was sweating. When she finally emerged, my tears just flowed uncontrollably. Sometimes we are so engrossed in our own lives that we do not realize how much family means to us. This scene would be repeated many times over the course of the week.

My niece, the bride, grew up in Buffalo, and that’s the reason why the wedding was held there. She’s a doctor and is marrying another doctor – an American from St. Louis, Mo. Even in this day and age, this is not common for an Asian family, and it would have been even more difficult in the Philippines. In fact, my sister (her mom) married her Filipino husband here in the United States because it was so much easier to do so and avoid all the social taboos two decades ago. My family has always been progressive; in fact most of my nieces and nephews here in America have American boyfriends or girlfriends. And most of them have seen Coco in person.

Which segued to my next concern: What should I wear to the wedding? My fantasy would have been to show up in a Chanel gown, but my conscience told me I should be nice, so I opted for a simple Hugo Boss suit instead. And while I consider myself a transgender person, I am not Coco 24/7. It is times like these that it hits me: If I’m agonizing about what to wear, what must my friends in transition feel like every time they set foot out the door? I have the luxury of peeling off the false lashes and shedding my Jimmy Choos. But they do not, and with each impending family gathering, I begin to dread the otherwise customary questions one asks each other in social gatherings, and what I’m supposed to say. In the end, I decided that since we all live our lives separately and far away from each other, I will not burden anyone with more than they can handle. I kept my fingernails long, but ditched the French tips. I do not volunteer information about things like my work in gay adult entertainment unless they are very curious, and then I figure they will have to deal with it. I restrained myself from breaking out on the dance floor to do my number every time the band played songs like “I Will Survive.” I did, however, bring my makeup case with me and went to work on my sisters. After all, this is Buffalo, and I do not believe MAC has found its way there yet.

The wedding was a blast for me. I was teary eyed many a times, especially when seeing how my nieces and nephews have grown and how well they have turned out. I was nostalgic when they included several Asian touches in the ceremonies, like the veil and cords ceremony, which is very Filipino, and the tea ceremony, a Chinese tradition where the newlyweds serve tea to the parents on both sides of the family. I enjoyed the large family dinners and the sharing of stories. And most of all, I reaffirmed the joys and love of family. I even got to see Niagara Falls once again and ate chicken wings, which is all there is to do in Buffalo. I flew home to San Diego exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. I was glad I made the trip and my fears and concerns were all unnecessary. In the end, I realized that no matter how different we may be, we are still, after all, one family. Next time a wedding comes along, I’ll be ready… and maybe some day I will get to wear my gown. But for now, I’m OK with it.

When Oprah announced a year ago that she was producing the Broadway musical The Color Purple, I wasn’t much interested. In fact, I’ve been to N.Y.C. twice since the show opened and I didn’t bother getting tickets. This last trip, however, I decided to find out what the hoopla is all about, since the show was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. I was able to get discounted tickets the day of, but they were crummy seats. Fortunately, the Broadway Theatre is a good-sized theater and it was not a bad deal. Because I came in preparing to hate the show, I was very pleasantly surprised that I did enjoy myself immensely. I was a mere child, and English was not my first language, when I first saw the movie with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah in a small role. In fact, I don’t even remember which role she played. But I distinctly remembered Miss Celie being told “You sure are ugggggly!” I was totally impressed with the staging and the talents of the ensemble, especially the three church ladies. What was surprising was the “gasps” from the audience when Miss Celie and Shug Avery, the chanteuse from Memphis, had their lesbian kiss. I do not think most of the audience was expecting that, or had read the Alice Walker book. All in all, it was a lovely evening at the theater. What’s good, too, is that it is bringing a new group of theatergoers, mostly African-Americans who may otherwise not come to Broadway. The Tony Awards are this Sunday on CBS.

Mark your calendars: Porn diva and celebrity DJ Chi Chi LaRue will be coming to San Diego on Thursday, June 15, and will spin at Bacchus House. Ms. LaRue will be bringing with her Rascal Video exclusive Tyler Riggs as a guest of It’s Raining Men, my weekly wet underwear contest. There will be lots of video giveaways, $1 well drinks, and hot guys getting wet in their Rufskin underwear. What’s not to love? Be there or be square.

I’ve been going to the Boathouse Restaurant for a few years, and have always enjoyed their lobster (Wednesday) and prime rib (Friday) specials. Now, the Boathouse, located on beautiful Harbor Island, has a new executive chef, Michael Kiefaber, formerly with the famed Tartine in Coronado. I hear that Chef Michael loves bold flavors, insists on using only the freshest ingredients, and will be creating innovative and contemporary cuisine while maintaining the classic tradition that we have come to love at the Boathouse.

The Boathouse Restaurant is located at 2040 Harbor Island Dr. Join them for lunch or dinner, and I recommend making reservations by calling (619) 291-8011. Great food by the water – what better way is there to enjoy life!