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 Tattoo
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My best Valentine's gift arrived on the 14th night. I saw a
hot pink suit case being wheeled out, but failed to
recognise my own daughter. That's because she was in
disguise. She was in a huge baggy tee shirt, most
unusual!
For the first time, her hair was scraped high into a
jauntily swinging ponytail at the back. I always tease
her saying she looks like the ghoulish spirit with the
curtains of hair in The Ring. There she approached, a
living smiley doll!
In addition, the disguise was completed by very large
earrings, instead of the usual small dainty ones. She
laughed and said, "I knew you didn't recognise me!" "Aaah!"
I thought wisely to myself, "She's trying a New Look."
On the way home, she kept us updated on all Dancing Doll's
current activities. The Doll apparently had restyled her
hair. Then D.D. called me and said to remind Beautiful
Dreamer to call her when she got back home. I thought,
the poor thing, she's already missing her sister.
Something to show you
As we reached home, B.D. said, "I have something to show
you." I told her to wait until tomorrow to unpack, it
was late and she must be tired. "Yeah, yeah!" she said
and disappeared. After a while, she came back in a
strappy top and said, "Look!" She pointed to her
shoulder, and it was scattered with coloured stars of
various sizes, about six of them.
"Eeeeee!" I screamed, "What have you done? Tattoos? Are
they real? Are you crazy? They look like bird
droppings," and things on those lines, whilst she
giggled away. I suddenly noticed she was holding the
phone near me. "D.D. wanted to hear your reaction first
hand!"
So I very obligingly yelled a lot more about it not being
safe, a health hazard, etc., and they said, "In
Singapore? Muuuum, everything's safe there. It's the
safest place in the world. Anyway, eeer, this lasts only
for five years." I grabbed the phone from her and said,
"Don't tell me you have got one too?"
Are you both crazy?
D.D. answered in a soothing tone, "Well, yes, but mine is
waaay smaller. Much, much smaller. It's a teeny one on
my ankle." So once again I erupted, "Are you both crazy?
How could you do this without asking us," etc.
Apparently she had got the word "Faith" in Dutch,
because of our ancestors, on her ankle. "I'll give you
double-Dutch!" I yelled at her. Of course, they found my
reaction vastly amusing, even though I most definitely
was not amused!
She said she had faith in being a member of our family.
Then B.D. said to D.D., "Okay, now I'll go downstairs
and show dad!" I heard a lot of grumbly noises and loud
laughter and then he came up and said accusingly, "You
saw how they pretended to joke and now they have
actually gone and done it? So how much did it cost?
What? What! God only knows what they will get up to
next! Five years my foot!" After a few more grumbly
mutters, he got into bed and promptly fell asleep.
The next morning, when B.D. was talking to me, he strode in
and said, "Come here! I want to see if I was dreaming
last night." Then he proceeded to check her shoulder.
Alas, it was no dream! And so, on to more laughing and
giggling on her part and lecturing on ours, to no
avail.
Military drum tattoos
I personally prefer the military drum tattoos and drill
displays to this kind of tattoo. This is infinitely more
attractive to the ear and eye. Imagine disfiguring
yourself, undergoing pain, risking infection and
actually paying for this? This doesn't make sense!
Apparently, even in Neolithic times, Otzi the Iceman found
in the valley of the
Alps had a
rudimentary sort of tattoo on his lower spine,
consisting of simple dots and lines made by punctures
filled-in with powdered carbon. Ancient Egyptian mummies
also had cosmetic tattoos clearly visible on various
parts of their bodies.
In the case of the Ainu, an indigenous tribe in ancient
Japan
or more recently the Maoris of New Zealand, the entire
face is tattooed. This makes them a really frightful
sight. Let's not forget the forcible tattooing of the
Jews in concentration camps by the Nazis.
Animals are branded for identification. I think numerous
tattoos make people more sinister looking and menacing.
You think of a Gang or Sect! So you see, this is totally
barbaric behaviour, not to be condoned! Faith in the
Family, my foot!
- Honky Tonk Woman
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