Inked

After ruminating for about a couple of years to get a tattoo I finally got one last night. For a long time I haven't had any concrete reason to get inked. Today, however, is the first anniversary of my father's death and I have long wanted to immortalize him in some way. It just so happened that I prefer to do it in a corporeal manner.

I want to remind my self of his legacy to me, being the most influential person in my life (my mom having that equal role). Since my dad died there has not been a day that I do not think of him, so I did not get the tattoo to remind him of me. It's just that I want to honor him in a certain way.

But really, my dad wouldn't have liked my getting a tattoo. He has always told us kids not to get any piercing or tattoo. He's simply conservative. So no, he would not approve of what I did, although it wouldn't be the first time that happened.

Anyway, back to last night... I simply walked to Khao San Road and went inside a tattoo shop, one of hundreds around that part of Bangkok. The place looked clean enough and the people looked sensible.

They traced the pattern I printed from the internet, they transferred it on a carbon paper, and then I had the print on my arm. I decided to put it on my inner right bicep because I want it to be inconspicuous. I'm not doing it to parade a tattoo.

The process was rather straightforward. No drama on my part, I mean. It was not really that painful, although I did wince many times just because I thought it was painful. I swear getting a Brazilian wax was more harrowing.

The tattoo is tiny and it's in black. It only took the artist three minutes to ink it in. And then it was over. I was given an ointment to apply on the tattoo twice a day. That's it.

The design is an old Filipino script called alibata or babayin. I used the modified version. I learned it in university over ten years ago and I had to refresh my knowledge of it through the internet. It's for you to find out what it means. :-)