Ruminations of an Expatriate

I have for many years thought I would like to have a tattoo, but it has never occurred to me what should be the subject of the tattoo. Recently it occurred to me that I should have a parrot tattoo. Kind of a Jimmy Buffett theme. So I scoured the internet for images of a suitable parrot, downloaded a few, and settled on a favorite.

There are a number of tattoo parlors here in Xalapa which I regularly pass while walking around town and yesterday I decided to go tattoo shopping. As it happened I ended up at a parlor not far from my home last evening about 5:00.

The shop, as you may imagine, was populated by a few well tattooed and pierced fellows, all quite amiable; and contained quite a gallery of tattoo photos. I explained that I wanted a parrot tattoo and presented the parrot photo I had printed. The fellow made a call and before long another fellow showed up to begin preparing the art work which would serve as the template of the tattoo to be applied. I waited in the office, browsed their art catalogs and commiserated with the other clients while the fellow created the template from which the tattoo would be created. I found a more colorful parrot in the art work in the shop and asked that the colors be incorporated into the design. No problem, I was assured.

A half hour or so later I was seated in a chair, such as one would find in a dentist office. The artist cleaned my arm where the tattoo was to be applied; slathered the area with roll on deodorant; and applied the template, of an ink drawing on tracing paper, to the area to be tattooed. The result was an ink outline of the parrot.

The artist pulled down an array of ink colors, unwrapped a single needle for drawing the outline and a triple needle array for filling in color to larger areas, both of which were to be installed in a device which would vibrate the needles to puncture the skin and apply the ink. He applied a plastic sheath to the vibrating device and enabling cable, for sanitary purposes, donned plastic gloves, arrayed 6 or 8 small plastic dishes in which he would place the different ink colors, installed the outlining needle into the vibrating inducing machine, dipped the needle into black ink, and went to work drawing the outline. The feeling was that of drawing a sharp knife across the surface of my skin.

Having completed the outline, the fellow placed the triple needle device into the vibrating unit and began to fill in the area with blue, yellow, green, purple, black, brown, and white. A hour and a half later the work was completed and the area of my skin was left with the feeling as though it had been mildly sunburned. The fellow provided me with written care instructions.

Here is the result, with which I am quite satisfied. I will be returning to have images of flowers, vegetation, and perhaps a margarita glass added around the parrot.

I think the folks in the shop were a bit amused at what I imagine was their first gringo customer, and a geezer at that. The other clients there for tattoos and piercing were all quite young; and, I think, also amused at my presence.

Hey, I figured I’ve earned the right to go a bit crazy.

I have since added a bit of habitat for the parrot.