It all started with me visiting a tattoo parlor for the first time (I never had the reason/friends to check one out one before), and subsequently watching Fei make an impulse decision to get her very first tattoo that day.
Tiger tattooing Fei’s first.. 
Sitting there browsing through all of the designs, seeing how it was done, and being almost in the thick of it, kinda inspired me to get one as well - if not soon, at least later. Of course tattoos require commitment, and I somehow suggested that I should get a temporary one first, just to see how it feels like before deciding.
And hence a decision to use henna was made..
For the uninitiated (like me), henna is an organic compound with reddish hue use by many Indians and Middle Eastern women to stain the skin on their hands and feet with intricate cosmetic designs.
Jacq testing out the Henna by doodling some batik floral shapes on her leg.. so spontaneous! 
The girls decided on using a design from Jun Matsui, an accomplished tattoo artist specializing in tribal art, and the whole of my right calf / leg will be the canvass.. Trust me, I had NO say in this lol - but I admit it was a pretty awesome choice..
And then it begins…
Halfway there…
At times, I felt like I was a patient, and these 2 doctors were studying me. Then later, I felt like I was a car in a workshop with these 2 mechanics crawling under me. But mostly, I felt pretty flattered that these 2 beautiful ladies were showering that much time & attention on my leg..
Notice the reddish hue of the compound under direct flash.. poor Jacq & Fei for having to get into uncomfortable positions to do the back of my leg..
The henna was more watery than expected, causing quite a lot of dripping and uneven application. Some parts of it were darker, while other parts were lighter and we had no idea what were causing the inconsistencies. It took pretty long to dry as well (the whole drawing and drying took almost 4 hours), and we eventually resorted to using a hairdryer to speed up the process.
Half peeled.. red vs black..
And that’s me all geekily high after having my first body art 
I went home and showered, and when I soaped it down even further, much much more of the color came out. What I have right now is a pretty faded reddish tinge design on my leg unlike the vivid looking thing in the above photos. I’m gonna try a second application (which should be easier since the outlines are there) and see what happens..
Although this is only temporary, I can’t help but feel what it COULD be like to walk around with a design like that on my legs. And believe me, its quite an empowering feeling. I fully agree that tattoos add so much more personality and strength of character to anyone - the important thing is that the design has to be unique, relevant and carry meaning for the individual. Location’s really important to me too - there will always be people who view tattoos in a negative light, or shun individuals who owns them (whether they are afraid or just like to generalize) hence its always good to be able to keep your tattoo hidden when the need arises (no no for work interviews!).
A million billion thanks to Jacq and Fei for doing this for me. 
I really appreciate every bit of it, as it helped open my mind just that little bit wider. Now I only need to find a tattoo design that I REALLY want, and hope I have enough guts (commitment) and $$ (will) to get it done.
