It is a fashion - a fad.

Aussie Rules players, Premiership soccer players - many have their right forearm (or the whole arm) smothered in black designs.

Most fads can be discarded at will - I remeber my old 'Mod' clothes with nostalgia, but I would never dress like that again.

I remember hairstyles I had - now I have no hair!

But tatoos cannot be discarded so easily - so when the fad changes in a year or two these people will be stuck with their foolishness.

And on wimmin? No - not even those on Thai bar-girls - although that has seldom stopped me taking the doggie-bag home - I just turn out the light.

Found a bunch of tattoed girls ,som very nice (the tattoes that is)

Could not cpy/pst them so look for ya self http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/suicide_girls_galleries.htm

What i think of it?

Some look nice,but on the long term?

Well, i was thinking more along the lines of a shamrock on my shoulder...

Or perhaps i should go all the way and get a third eye...!!!!

In memory of my first marlin caught on a handline from a canoe. The armaband (you can just see it) was done in the traditional way with a hammer and chisel type device.

Photo was taken about 4 years ago.

I was just about disinherited by my parents for those tats, even though I got them in my 30's.....my folks are a bit proper and old fashioned

So, I can hardly complain if women have tats.

Crikey! I was just browsing through the rest of my photos.....that photo was taken this year, I now realise, at a very embarrassingly drunk party :s

Hardcourt, had a similar response from family members. Was late 20's when I had my first tattoo after deliberating about it for MANY years. Then i had a few more done within a two year period. Nothing was said to my face, but the look of utter horror on my rather elegant aunts face (who is sort of like a mother to me) said it all. I think she just couldnt believe that her (in her mind) graceful niece would do such a thing to her body (the only one she could see was the one on my foot.). My brother was more bemused than horrified though. But then again he often calls me his crazy sister, so i think was no real surprise.

I actually consider my tattoos tasteful not vulgar. The day that i dont like them anymore, is the day ill start to have them removed. But for now they are a part of me, and, i cant explain it, but when i had them done, it felt liberating. Like marking my body in a way that was different from other bodies. Something unique to me. Something which has a meaning for me. Even if i remove them one day, i wont have regrets of having them done in the first place.

Yeah, Eek, my feelinge exactly. I was brought up to have an attitude towards "those people" that had tats....they were of a certain class etc, like bikey gang members. There was always a stigma attached to people with tats.

Mine are me. I'm no hel_l's Angel just because I have ink.

To this day, nobody in my extended family has a tattoo, except my grandad from his time in the army in 1940's.

Probably seemed like a good idea at the time.

http://gprime.net/video.php/tattooremover

Beware the wimmin with "Love" and "Hate" tattood on their knuckles and a ship's anchor on their biceps.

Funny how people's perceptions of tattos change depending on who is wearing the tatt's.

Western Men : Louts, slobs, probably English football supporters and violent drunks.

Asian men : Devout Buddhists showing their adherence to the right path.

Western women : Chic, fashion concious women breaking out of the mold defined by males.

Asian women : Whores, sluts marked by their "tramp stamps".

Personally I don't like tattoos, I've thought many times about getting one but always came to my senses. My father always said a tattoo was a permanent sign of temporary insanity. However, as said, it's a personal choice much like a hairstyle however a bad hairstyle grows out in a few weeks.

In memory of my first marlin caught on a handline from a canoe. The armaband (you can just see it) was done in the traditional way with a hammer and chisel type device.

Photo was taken about 4 years ago.

I was just about disinherited by my parents for those tats, even though I got them in my 30's.....my folks are a bit proper and old fashioned

So, I can hardly complain if women have tats.

How big was the marlin? Is the tat actual size?

Beware the wimmin with "Love" and "Hate" tattood on their knuckles and a ship's anchor on their biceps.

Funny how people's perceptions of tattos change depending on who is wearing the tatt's.

Western Men : Louts, slobs, probably English football supporters and violent drunks.

Asian men : Devout Buddhists showing their adherence to the right path.

Western women : Chic, fashion concious women breaking out of the mold defined by males.

Asian women : Whores, sluts marked by their "tramp stamps".

Personally I don't like tattoos, I've thought many times about getting one but always came to my senses. My father always said a tattoo was a permanent sign of temporary insanity. However, as said, it's a personal choice much like a hairstyle however a bad hairstyle grows out in a few weeks.

Asian men ????? Yakuza / Thai mafiosi / triads / whatever the VN and Indonesian equivalents are.

Was in a bar last night (as in most nights ) and a new girl had started - tattoos on shoulder and cleavage - that I could see.

Chatting to the girl I usually chat to - told her I didn't like tatoos - her face fell - said "Well, I've got one .... here" and pointed to her nether regions. What could I say?? Suggested she show me, but out of luck.

Not sure why it matters so much what people choose to do with their own bodies. It doesn't hurt me any so why should I care what tattoos people have???

In memory of my first marlin caught on a handline from a canoe. The armaband (you can just see it) was done in the traditional way with a hammer and chisel type device.

Photo was taken about 4 years ago.

I was just about disinherited by my parents for those tats, even though I got them in my 30's.....my folks are a bit proper and old fashioned

So, I can hardly complain if women have tats.

How big was the marlin? Is the tat actual size?

Hahaha. It was a bit bigger than that. As it was just for cuttung up and selling for food, it was never weighed or measured...it was just another fish at the time. It was only when I came to NZ and saw what people do to catch one that I realised that it was something special.

I remember it was longer than I am tall.

It seem while tattoos were once a sign of rebellion they are now one of conformity.

Having said that I don't really care what people do to their own bodies. I'd prefer them to be "tagging" themselves rather than trains, buildings sign posts etc.

In memory of my first marlin caught on a handline from a canoe. The armaband (you can just see it) was done in the traditional way with a hammer and chisel type device.

Photo was taken about 4 years ago.

I was just about disinherited by my parents for those tats, even though I got them in my 30's.....my folks are a bit proper and old fashioned

So, I can hardly complain if women have tats.

How big was the marlin? Is the tat actual size?

Hahaha. It was a bit bigger than that. As it was just for cuttung up and selling for food, it was never weighed or measured...it was just another fish at the time. It was only when I came to NZ and saw what people do to catch one that I realised that it was something special.

I remember it was longer than I am tall.

I did a Google on marlin canoe after I posted Alex and came across a video of a guy catching a 300 pounder from a kayak. It took him 5 hours to drag it in and it pulled him for miles.

Amazing.

Ahhh...I see: scepticism. Fair enough, I can understand that.

I am guilty of a little misleading: I said "my first" implying that there were others later. There have not been other marlin to date.

I grew up on Vanua Levu, just across from a small island called Kioa in the Somosomo Straight off Taveuni.

5 hours sounds a heck of a long time actually....it should take less than half an hour.

The Kioans are not Fijian, they are Tuvaluan. I married a Kioa girl. The Tuvaluans, like the people of Niue, Tokelau and Kiribati all fish from their dugout outrigger canoes. The secret to hauling in the big ones on a handline is that you do not pull in the fish, rather it pulls you along, tires quickly, and you pull yourself to the fish.

The other secret is that once the marlin is beside you, you use your shirt or a rag as a glove and take hold of the fish's beak and let your shirt fall down over it's eyes. This immobilises it somewhat and gives you a chance to use your other hand to wack it on the head with a machete or club that you always have on board for just this reason.

The handlines used are 300 - 500 lb breaking strain. You could use a smaller line as the canoe is so light in the water, but it cuts your hands too easily. The fish are caught trolling, with you paddling and the line wrapped around your foot. You first have to catch some smaller fish for bait as we do not use lures for the big fish trolling. A baracuda is best.

I have also caught giant travally, walu, giant barracuda trolling from my canoe.

I have many a great fishing tale.

Try googling paopao (the Tuvaluan canoe)

My FIL made mine from a wiriwiri tree, with a mokosoi trunk as the outrigger. I believe mokosoi is ylangylang in Asia. Fijians use it for scenting coconut body oil. Wiriwiri is a light wood, a bit denser than balsa.

The beak, once dry is used as a wood rasp for finishing off hand made axe or knife handles. exFIL has about 6 of them.

If you are interested, I'd be happy to elaborate on any aspect.

I think I most more afraid it WOULD be true, Harcourt: apologies...I confused you with Alex.

I was a very keen fisherman in my younger day and marlin were the Holy Grail. Pulling them in on a handline from a canoe just seemed a bit....... disrespectful?

I think I most more afraid it WOULD be true, Harcourt: apologies...I confused you with Alex.

I was a very keen fisherman in my younger day and marlin were the Holy Grail. Pulling them in on a handline from a canoe just seemed a bit....... disrespectful?

Hemingwayesque anyway. I think Santiago spent 3 days landing his. That epic struggle was worthy of a tattoo.

The Old Man never got to eat his catch

Now, this one I kinda like:

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Now, this one I kinda like:

untitled.bmp

It's already in Phunny Photos somewhere