The last few days were spent in recovery. Between six and a half hours of tattooing, Tuesday and Thursday, and a completely unrelated infection (prior to the tattoo) I have spent the last few days limping around with one arm tucked as if I had a broken bone. Those who understand tattoos will be happy to know that for the entire period of traditional tatau I never made a single facial expression. I sat there and turned the pain into part of the process just as every man, woman or child has who underwent a traditional rite of passage.
Suluape was a great experience and finally being able to meet this man was a wonderful asset to my stay on these islands. I learned much about the culture as well as the history of tattoos in Polynesia. He lives close by and I have intentions on remaining close with my new shaman. He told me that tattooing was not his ambition in life however the opportunity and obligation fell on his lap when his brother was killed a few years ago in Papua New Guinea. He is now the final link of an ancient name and wearing his ink on my body is the mark of a legacy.
So I spent a few days in repair while trying to remain lo-key and catching up on some good reading at the office. I almost stayed in my village this weekend but our water wasn’t working so I stumbled onto the first bus into town and set up camp for the weekend. I’m slowly working on this movie that I plan on sending back home that contains animations and random things I’ve found inspirational from the islands so far. I won’t say much about it but when it shows up on your doorstep take it with a grain of salt because it is the product of a healthy dose of madness I’ve accumulated over the last five months. I had another close call with dogs this weekend and because of my weakened state I couldn’t put on the rock throwing act in an intimidating enough manner to scare the demons away so I had to resort to yelling and animalistic hissing to slide away from a dangerous situation. Somebody told me once that you can kill them if they don’t have collars and even if they do, just make sure nobody sees you. Naturally I don’t have it quite in me yet to put down one of these menacing jackals but it’s crossed my mind. I hear them howl in the night like marauding hell spawn and it makes my spine shiver because I know how crazy they can get.
My birthday was dope on account of Izumi and Takeda who got me some wonderful presents and good company. After tattooing and sifting through guilt brought on from my parents I went to bed earlier than I ever have on another birthday. Really though I haven’t slept in about four days because of the pain from unrelated infection and tattoos but I’m doing well again and before long I will return to my tree kingdom. Takeda got me a pua’a shirt (imagine PUMA with the word PUA’A written instead, which means pig, and the outline of a leaping piglet replacing the puma – Ian, just wait) and Izumi got me a thoughtful but strange gift involving the picture of a 35 year old JICA volunteer girl and an information card which resembles a mail-order bride application. Confused but respectfully I offered two hands to each of my gifts then collapsed into my bed with a frozen Tupperware of lentils on my underarm.
Recently I saw this video from a group of Peace Corps volunteers in 1986 who were partying at a few of my present day friends’ house at NUS. It was very weird seeing Apia 21 years ago and even weirder imagining what it would be like to find a video of our group in 2028. I heard that people from group 78 are slowly surfacing on the internet. If any of you find this page please feel free to email me or any of us because I remember what it was like to be so excited and curious. These days I’m still excited and curious and I don’t think that really goes away.
It kinda sucked having a bum arm this weekend but I made due. I found my way to On the Rocks last night where I met some interesting people from the diving community. We played the tattoo game and I got to show off my new ink while looking at other amazing pieces of art created by Suluape the great and other various Polynesian artists. One man, from Finland, has a traditional Pe’a (which means bat in Samoa – the tattoo actually resembles a bat or flying fox) that covers half of his back, half of his stomach, both of his thighs to the knees and his buttocks. One can use their imagination to figure out everything else that is covered. I also got to chat with Leua from the art school that my friend Bob teaches at. She is the one who wants me to give a presentation to her students about spontaneous art and sometime soon I will be taking her up on it. She has big plans for the artists from Peace Corps and the five or six of us will be working with her on various projects at her school. This is a good thing because I have had much trouble finding resources and fortune has smiled upon me with things like clay and a kiln. Its gonna be a rad week..
Kevin Pieters getting tattooed by Suluape a few months ago
Is this wild or what? Meijer..
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