‘Tis and Tatts.

I just had the strangest weekend.

It started out as one of the most normal weekends, just chilling at David’s place, with his sister Liz and friend Arthur Miri-an tattoo artist. He’s staying over for the weekend of that cancelled KL Tattoo Convention and on Saturday, David randomly decides Oh, today feels like a good day to get inked :)

wah damn hebat.

So hebat i was laughing nonstop while he kept flinching in pain later on as the needles poked him silly heeheehee



Whatchu laughing at!


So there we all were, in the living room, ordering takeout and watching Sex and the City, with the low buzzing sound of the tattoo machine in the background. The place constantly smelled of Dettol and anticeptic creams, but no one seems to mind. It smelled so- clean!
I tried to get some studying done too, but you can imagine that’s quite a difficult feat when the place is turned into a frickin’ tattoo parlour

It was my first time watching a tattoo being done. And i must say, it doesn’t look too fun.

But this was a really painful type of tatt, on a really painful spot to get tatt-ed.

He was getting the Bunga Terung tattoo, which Arthur then explained to me how this is more painful than some, because it’s not just lines or shading, it’s coloring or somethingsomething technical OK GOT IT damn painful, laughing ends now. :)



Continued the next morning

So the Bunga Terung tattoo has some interesting history behind it.


It’s a traditional Iban tattoo which signifies the coming of age, a life journey, or life event.
Traditionally, one side marks the beginning of a journey, and the other marks the completion. It’s supposed to guard the wearer from evil spirits. I also heard somewhere that Iban head-hunters get these tattoos for protection and as proof of their achievements, that they can only have these tattoos after they have chopped heads.
But that’s being really traditional i suppose. In modern terms, it marks the wearer closer to his Iban roots :)



and both Iban boys, David and Arthur have them
edit: (Arthur is Kelabit, my bad) /edit


It’s pretty cool. I learned something new about tattoos eventhough the convention got cancelled that week :)

And i also learned, to never lend your hand to a person getting inked. The sweet gesture isn’t worth it, guys. I lent mine to David to hold, and he damn near crushed it.







Currently listening to: Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Door

1. sze Says:
   November 11th, 2009 at 1:30 am

   ehhh, hot stuff henry golding has one toooo

2. devil_undercover Says:
   November 11th, 2009 at 8:28 pm

   Ah, Sephora!! I browse their sites n order stuff n send them to my sister in NY. Now shes in VA but same country la.

   Now, I don’t hv to!! Just take a trip to SG, YAY!!!

   Bwhahahaha… yes yes I’m a product junkie- it’s AWFUL. I’ve got shampoos + conditioners of various brands to last me a whole year.

   Teruk betul.

   And no lah, tattoos are ok, just depends where they’re inked!! But after 1 week, the damn thing itches so badddd. I wanted to scratch my shoulder off. pppft.

3. Damn Dirty Angel Says:
   November 12th, 2009 at 6:51 pm

   hey, cynthia! correction= i am a Kelabit! hehehe…

4. Cynthia Says:
   November 13th, 2009 at 9:04 pm

   sze: really really? :)

   devil_undercover: yea u shud definitely check out Sephora SG! awesome stuff. AND I COLLECT MINI BOTTLES OF SHAMPOO N SOAP TOO~ *soulmate* hahaha though i dont exactly collect conditioner la. hmmn.
   yala right now david’s bunga terungs itching and peeling so badly. looks so diseased -_-

   DamnDirtyAngel: eh sorry i was told you are Iban! :) nice meeting ya!

5. devil_undercover Says:
   November 21st, 2009 at 10:43 pm

   hahaha yea i’m very dashyat, and most of it aren’t even mini bottles, but the normal sized ones.

   heehee had to clear 2 shleves on the bathroom for it all, and the drawers are overflowing (I had to curi the extra drawers in my parents room - so FAIL).

   I love the drug stores n chemists overseas. Boots, Priceline all tht shit. Oh So so badddd.

6. Brands Says:
   December 6th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

   that is one of the most hideous pair of tattoos i’ve ever seen. it looks like his armpit gained consciousness and decided to say something and a fancy thought balloon popped up. oh..he should have given it more thought… probably got inspired by pancakes he saw on the floor. schmuck.

7. Cynthia Says:
   December 7th, 2009 at 1:11 am

   Brands: i think that’s a terrible thing to say. What do you know about other people’s culture and heritage? Just because you’re ignorant and dont understand something, your defence mechanism is to insult it, isit. Who does that. Oh right, a person who hides behind an anonymous name, typical

8. DRB Says:
   December 7th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

   Brands : Woah, obviously you are a person with no understanding of culture. Pancakes on the floor? right..don’t you know that thousands of Iban’s have these tattoos as a sign of manhood. Does that make them all schmucks to get a tattoo developed by their ancestors?