Inked!

You know, when I was a teenager I was into all that boy band crap, gyrating MTVs featuring Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, those ya-ya teenbops .... and unrelated as it is, I always thought it was so cool getting a tattoo (yes blame it on the celebrities). BUT!! Thank goodness sanity and sensibility prevailed all this while (I am sure as hell I don't want a picture of Backstreet Boy's Nick Carter permanently inked on my skin). And I dread to think of crazy/stupid piece of art I would adopt.... 

There's usually this wave of 'hipness' in the tattoo world, I recalled there was a period where butterfly tatts were all the rage... then those curly tribal motives on the lower back.... oh and who could forget those arm band tattoos?

Well.... can't say that sanity has prevailed this time around..... anyways, my point being that, I've wanted a tattoo for as long as I can remember....

 Just that all this while, I haven't a clue what to ink... I wanted something significant, and not just anyhow settle on a pretty design, right ? Also, all this while I was in KL, without a transport of my own, and there are only that many places you can go via a public transport. 

Not to mention I didn't have much faith in Malaysian tattoo artists. I mean, I'm sure there are decent ones and some who are probably good, if not better than the Singaporean ones. But my concern is the hygiene, the possible lack of rigid rules in the industry.....

Anyhow! I finally went through a moment of so-called realization.... I wanted a Bodhi tree! I'm not sure how it hit me, but it's so fitting... and possibly all I looked for in a tattoo!

I quickly did all the necessary search, googled for every image related to Bodhi trees.... Hunted for a tattoo artist... well, it wasn't exactly a hunt, I was shopping with my sister in Far East Plaza and we just somehow walked into this parlour. The guys there seem nice too... Sha was my inker!

Spent about a week ping-pong-ing emails and ideas with Sha before finally settling on my very own version of the Bodhi tree! 

I'm not really terrified of the incoming pain..... I've sort of had a 'tattoo' experience - eyebrow embroidery, though that time I had numbing cream applied to my eyebrows before the embroidery commenced. Not sure if they are entirely different or just somehow similar, but I'm prepared to face the same sort of pain.

I asked Sha if he's going to apply any numbing cream and he said no.... (omg?) but he told me not to worry cause the pain will be bearable. And apparently, according to his experience, girls have a higher threshold for pain! How about that! It's like the Fact of the Day.

 Sha had to half-close the shop cause he was the only one manning the place... lol!

 The imposing-looking tool...... The pain is definitely bearable, but I think it depends where the needle plants in... at some points it's a breeze....  but there are moments I will be grimacing.... Took my mind off the pain by browsing 9gag.com and whatsapping TY... lol.

 Thirty minutes later, it's done! I was initially told it's going to take an hour and a half so I was really surprised! Sha said it's quick cos I stayed still LOL!! I mean, of course I would stay still right? Later my tree senget one side then how??

The end product! I'm really pleased with the results.... though I'm walking like an old lady after this..... didn't want my shorts to rub against the raw skin.... 

I can't wait to get more! :P Though in return I have a feeling I'm going to get an earful from my parents....