Marked!!!

Yes...it is now OFFICIAL!

I now have my first tattoo.

Daripada kekecewaan semalam kat the Sarawak Cultural Village, my frustrations were made up by the fact that Daud kept to his word and mai hotel lepak to help me get my tattoo done.

In fact, agak-agak mula-mula meka datang pon tengah malam, sebab meka ada dance rehearsal, tapi sebab abih awal, before 10pm they were already at the hotel.

Si Daud ditemani member dia yang aku jumpa masa kat rumah Penan tu and mamat tu punya awek.

Gi tengok show Bob kat Victoria's Arms di hotel gak sekejap, sebelum bergerak ke bilik tuk get the job done.

They had brought this huge book of references on body art culture in Sarawak so I could really feel confident with my choices.

Given that it was my first tattoo, aku t ak nak ler wat yang beso sangat, nanti tak larat nak abihkan, cacat lak.

Plus, I wanted something basically simple and yet showcasing some amount of workmanship in the tattoo.

Mula-mula nak gak bunga terung tuh, tapi then settled on this tribal motif di pergelangan lengan. Then rethought it, and decided on a floral motif yang takder ler oversized sangat,

Aiyo...yang tuh pun makan satu setengah jam.

Did it hurt? Not really...mula-mula sikit jer...but the fear was more psychological than anything else. Besides, by the first 10 minutes, your arm becomes kinda numb from the sensation, not to mention our body develops an immunity to the recognisation of the pain.

How does it really feel? Like someone running a smaller version of an electrical sewing machine. Imagine a needle loaded with ink, darting into your skin...over and over and over again. You get the picture.

Masa meka buka toolkit yang penoh ngan peralatan aku gabra sikit. Daud memang jahat! Saja jer sakat aku konon nak psycho aku bagik takut.

Sorry ler....aku jenis kalau da set my mind on doing something, takkan mungkin ler aku back out because of a few taunts. Masa on je mesin tu first time, aku dengar bunyi je, teringat klinik dentist.

Adus...now thinking of that, is painful.

We finally get going, and aku sengih je. For real. Bukan sebab cover sakit. But it just wasn't as bad as I thought it would feel.

One of the many reasons for getting a tattoo has been achieved by the first prick of the needle. I conquered a fear!

The session lasted almost one and a half hours, breaking three times for member Daud tuk relaxkan mata, dan sekali have a ciggy break.

Si Daud lak, yang assistant, sibuk layan Star Movies. Ihik...takder ler burok sangat....ada ler dia lap darah aku yang meleleh sikit...nak wipe away the excess ink dan sebagainya.

Tapi lain dari tu, dia jadi the opposite of a cheerleader trying to make me chicken out. That's when he didn't spend the time dozing off...kesian lak dia.

Dahler satu hari kerja and rehearsal...esok pagi ada performance kul 9 pagik! Tengok mata dia time ni...aku sempat amik pic semasa my skin was being punctured int he name of art. Eyesbags kalahkan aku da...

Fat chance!

Bila da abih...semua bebudak yang keluar masuk ruang tamu suite aku (termasuk Bob) cam tak caya I went through the whole thing. Aku tengok muka meka...their expressions cam meka lak yang wat tattoo.

Not too bad for a first effort. I definitely am coming back to Sarawak to get a lot more done. Tapi aku nak yang ethnic je...tak kuasa aku yang tattoo-tattoo sekarang meaningless and without beauty.

Besides, it's a bit of the culture of the suku kaum there I really admire and I wouldn't mind having it on me.

Melalut dah aku. Sebenarnya pas abih semalam, dan semua orang da balik, aku layan TV sampai 4 pagi. Dahler berapa ari lack of sleep, ni kul 9 pagi da up and ready to check out.

Caught the flight yang half empty back to KL (bagus sebab aku dapat rilex...seat airbus power sikit) and dari KLIA, Syed dari Maestro jemput kami bertiga, bersama Along dan Melvyn.

Back to the office je, terus wat kerja nak ringankan beban esok. Tak nak lagi bertimbun kerja nanti tak cukup tidur sebelum gi Singapore on Friday.

Sepanjang buat kerja, bebudak mati-mati ingat temporary punya tattoo.

Yerlah...mula-mula kaler dia memang itam cam fake punya, cuma kena tunggu lepas seminggu dua mula warna dia pudar to become the drak greenish shade you always see tattooes in.

Skang nampak darker, but the colour will settle in later so that it won't look cam pakai marker Artline buat punya.

Buta ke apa colleagues aku ni tak nampak keliling pattern tu bengkak dan merah! Haiyo!

All in all...I'm proud of the tattoo, walaupun simple. It looks good, and I think it's a good first tattoo. No...make that a great one. At least now I know more of the experience of being tattooed and all, I'll plan more for my second.

Ni tengok pic atas tu...sebelah kiri tu...aku tangkap belah malam semalam lepas just completed and baru cuci my arm of the ink and blood (sikit jer darah kuar).

The second pic pagi tadi masa kat airport. Bagik close up sikit design dia.

Ok tak...

Eh...ok ler....I gotta run....

I'll leave you guys to enjoy the pics. Aku nak jumpa some friends for dinner.