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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Woman 'suddenly grows penis' |
| 2005-07-18 |
| On the other hand, if I keep on getting fatter, I'll soon have breasts... THIN Sandar, a chicken seller in Myanmar, had always dreamed of being a man. When she inexplicably grew a penis last month, the 21-year-old treated it as an awe-inspiring omen - as have the thousands of stunned villagers who have traveled to a pagoda to see him. "On the morning of the full moon day of June 21, I noticed my thing (sex organ) was not the same as before," Thin Sandar, who now goes by the male name Than Sein, told AFP. "And my breasts disappeared," Than Sein added. "So I called out and showed it all to my mom and dad. It was very strange." Strange enough that he has attracted significant attention in this deeply superstitious country, where the unexplained can quickly be exalted to hold powerful spiritual significance. People privately concede Than Sein is a hermaphrodite. Several medical experts have examined him, and he awaits test results from the central women's hospital. But few have come forward with a medical explanation of the transformation as they await an official report by the health ministry, whose experts have also examined Than Sein. "We can not say right now if she has really undergone a sudden gender change," said a township official who declined to be named, adding that Than Sein's birth certificate shows that he was born a girl. "It can be confirmed when we receive the report from the health ministry, although some medical checkups have shown her to be a true man," he added. Advertisement: Hermaphrodites, also known as intersexuals, are often born with ambiguous genitalia, or have both testicular and ovarian tissue in a single person. Medical doctor Aye Sanda Khaing put it in layman's terms in a local journal: "Her penis appeared at the site of her clitoris," the doctor was quoted as saying. Regardless of the official findings, local villagers and other curious Myanmar nationals are flocking to the Aung Myay Thar Yar pagoda, in this new satellite township 19km from Yangon, to see Than Sein for themselves and make donations to him or the temple. Up to 400 gather at the pagoda each day, often in a courtyard under colorful umbrellas to ward off the sun's rays, waiting for the chance to talk with and touch Than Sein. "I have never heard of anything like this, so I came to see him," 21-year-old housewife Thandar Win told AFP. "If I was not married, then I too would want to become a man!" When word spread of Than Sein's transformation, locals raced to his home to see for themselves. Authorities, sensing a possible security hazard - and, perhaps, an opportunity - hastily arranged for him to be moved to the pagoda to accommodate more visitors. Than Sein appeared comfortable with the sudden attention in the new surroundings. Wearing a checkered longyi, the traditional Myanmar pants commonly worn by men, he sat on a rug in the pagoda's side building, flanked by his parents. "I was so happy," father Kyaw Htay, 46, said about his son's developments. "I wanted other sons so they could offer themselves as Buddhist monks, but I had only two daughters." Occasionally Than Sein stepped out to talk with excited visitors, who shook his hand, stroked his arm, and wished him well. A Myanmar state television crew has already interviewed him and awaits the military junta's permission to air the broadcast nationwide. As he waits for the final test results, Than Sein said he firmly believed he had been transformed, and would enter the monkhood for a period of time and seek spiritual contemplation and guidance before deciding whether to marry and raise a family. "Whenever I went to the pagoda I prayed to become a man in my next life," he said, referring to the Buddhist concept of rebirth. "Now I'm happy because my dream won't have to wait until my next life, it's already come true." |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #14 Who says that a penis wouldn't bring the Madame 'appiness? |
| Posted by: GK 2005-07-18 22:59 |
| #13 Lol, WM: major dick = prick. We're on the same page, heh. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-18 22:06 |
| #12 I beg to differ. Everyone says he was a prick. |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2005-07-18 22:03 |
| #11 I'm thinking she had a major dick, awright, but mebbe not a penis worthy of the name. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-07-18 21:41 |
| #10 Maybe she was looking for a penis! |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2005-07-18 21:30 |
| #9 When Charles deGaulle decided to retire from public life, the American ambassador and his wife threw a gala dinner party in his honor. At the dinner table the Ambassador's wife was talking with Madame de Gaulle. "Your husband has been such a prominent public figure, such a presence on the French and International scene for so many years! How quiet retirement will seem in comparison. What are you most looking forward to in these retirement years?" "A penis," replied Madame de Gaulle. A huge hush fell over the table. Everyone heard her answer . . . and no one knew what to say next. Finally, Le Grand Charles leaned over to his wife and said, "Ma cherie, I believe zee Americans pronounce zat word 'appiness.'" |
| Posted by: Neutron Tom 2005-07-18 21:29 |
| #8 I have always had an issue with women that leave the toilet seat down. |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2005-07-18 21:23 |
| #7 Future Olympics pole vaulting medalist |
| Posted by: Captain America 2005-07-18 14:45 |
| #6 LOL BH! So many corners... so little time. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-18 14:33 |
| #5 evokes the eternal quandry: toilet seat up or down |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-07-18 14:32 |
| #4 //Woman 'suddenly grows penis'// ima hate wen taht hapenz! >:( |
| Posted by: muck4doo 2005-07-18 13:58 |
| #3 This person is out of its mind. Waited 21 years to get a "thing". Has the best new toy ever and decides to put it away and become a monk. |
| Posted by: Texican 2005-07-18 11:41 |
| #2 "Now I must find some snow in which to write my name..." |
| Posted by: BH 2005-07-18 11:25 |
| #1 Maybe it's the polio vaccine... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-07-18 11:17 |