MY TATTOOS : TURRRBO CHERRY

My tattooer (I like being able to refer to my tattooer, like you refer to your hairdresser, your accountant, and so on) once said that the most stupid ideas often makes the best tattoos.

So this is my Turbo Cherry tattoo. Fat cherries with a sailor hat. Not that stupid an idea perhaps, but a little dumb. An idea which was born after a midsummer spent in the harbour - midsummers up here are almost holy, people flee the cities; really, streets are empty and even the open-every-day- all-year-round stores make an exeption and close their doors for those days. During my eleven years in the harbour I worked more than half of the midsummers and we on duty often stayed in the harbour all night long, the morning shift keeping the ones on the evening shift company, and once night came some staff from the ships would join us for some kind of midsummer celebration among the cranes and concrete. That midsummer left a photo of me by a ship in my leather jacket, a sailor hat and some wine, a photo which the next morning was transformed old school photoshop style (as in paper scissors glue and a copy machine) onto my locker in the dressing room putting me very naturally in the company of the Turbonegro guys.  And that's how Turrrbo-Cherry got it's start. (Note to self: must remember to save that picture from my locker, it's still hanging there).
This was in 2007 I think. The tattoo is opposite of the sad sailorette, on my left under arm.

Sometimes I hear people saying they'd like a tattoo but are afraid to get one because of the supposed pain. Umm, well yes. I can get it if we're talking a full back piece, but then again if you are dubious about such a piece it's probably something else than a fear of pain keeping you from it then. But if you're afraid that little butterfly or swallow will hurt too much, then you might as well just forget it as I think you most likely will not go for it in any case. If you'd really absolutely want a tattoo you would not keep the possibility of pain as a reason for not having it done. Because really, it's not that bad! That having said, it does hurt.  A little at least. More than I thought it would; I remember when I was having my first tattoo done (on the leg) my first reaction was 'WTF!' and thought "why oh why did I make it this big". I kept my cool of course and didn't say a word, got a little red on my cheeks perhaps and when the tattooer asked me if I thought it hurt I nodded my shoulders and said "maybe". He told me I'd be thinking about the next piece in no time and a couple of hours later it was done and I was of course very much thinking about the next one already. And the pain? At some spots on your body it feels like having a knife carving the picture deep in your skin and at other spots it mostly just tickles or feels a bit uncomfortable. The bigger the piece the more sore and tired your skin gets but a little one like my cherries here are done in no time so definitely nothing to complain about or keeping you from having one done.

First part in my "tattoo series", about pieces in general,  can be read HERE.