Kuku Tattoo

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I have no tattoos.

That has never stopped me from admiring a little good work with ink.  And, it's never stopped my horrified staring when I see some people who've had really poor tattoos done by non-artists.  I'm sure you've seen them too.  In my opinion, if you are going to invest any money to put a tattoo on your body, this is one of those times when you need to pay the proper price to someone who knows what they are doing.  Otherwise, you're going to look cheap and foolish for a very long time.  Your friends may not say anything to your face, but everyone is going to know you made a mistake and talk about it behind your back.

Tattoos were really popular in Fiji.  Some tattoos were the name of the person's high school or the year they graduated.  I'm so very glad I never did that.  High school is a long ago faded memory.  Most of the tattoos I saw were traditional designs that took up the upper part of the arm.  A couple of times, I wanted to run up to a stranger and ask if I could take a photo of their tattoo.  But, I don't run up to strangers that often for close up photographs.   So, I was very pleased when I met Semi on my stay in the Kuku community.  It's no trouble taking pictures of people I know.

The Nawala home had open doors in every sense of the word.  The front door and the back door were open most of the day and into the night.  Friends and family stopped by continually.  And, from day to day, you never could be sure who would sleep on the two couches in the living room or on a floor mat.  On my first visit, I kicked Semi and his friend Simi out of their bedroom and they took the couches.  On my second visit, I had a couch when grandma came over for a few days.  There was always room for one more.

Like most people, or at least it seems this way, if you get one tattoo, it's only the beginning.  Semi is not done with his tattoo work.  The ink in this portrait is a Fijian design.  He plans to get two more tattoos with Samoan and Tongan patterns.  I searched to find the difference.  I didn't see any.  They are all very geometric, graceful and beautiful across legs, arms and chest.  But, not on my skin.

I am tempted to get a tattoo.  I have three little freckles on my forearm.  If I get two more dots, it would look like the Southern Cross constellation.  I'm brave enough to travel the world and see that constellation on multiple occasions.  I am not, however, brave enough to walk into a tattoo parlor and face any unnecessary needle.
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