bongsau

terrible design/composition.
and what's up with the solid black flower top? - looks like a biker blackout.
 

terrible design/composition.
and what's up with the solid black flower top? - looks like a biker blackout.
 

I want to feel ALL of that tattoo.
The best.
The worst.
The excitement.
The vulnerability.
The fear.
The anxiety.
The confidence.
The strength.
The power.
I have found a lot of peace and healing through the pain. Some people don't get that and can't. Some of you will no exactly what I'm talking about.
Embrace that shit.
 

I've got no love for the pain: it's just three hours of pain. No adrenaline kicks in, I'm just getting stabbed repeatedly in my back while lying on my stomach naked, trying to talk as much as possible and to breathe through the pain. 
It's all about gaman: perseverance. I only ever do 3 hour sessions with breaks.
It's about the rhythm of life and integrating sessions into that rhythm.
The pain makes me discover my body in ways I'd no idea. haha.
It's about doing something for me, only me; reconnecting with my body and focusing my mind in ways I've not done otherwise or previously.
I do enjoy the me time. The ritual. The worst is having to take a shower when I get home. I just want to drink a pint and go to bed. But I've got to clean and coat my back. ugh.
My tattooer rules; so much fun to shoot the shit with him, such a great artist with his own style and yet traditional. So part of it is being connected with him and with a certain tradition which I've chosen to be connected to.
So like most long term things we go through in life, it's not so much about enjoying it. But I guess I'm heavily tattooed individual now. haha

Had my first tattoo at the beginning of this month and then a second one last week. Waiting for them both to heal before I get my next one which will be a bigger one.
 
I personally find the feeling quite therapeutic, and like looking after the tattoo once it's been done..  It's not as uncomfortable as having an injection or blood test in my opinion, how about you guys. Before I had my first one I thought it would be painful but i was wrong 😄

Sorry, non-pc joke...
Why did God make Belgium?
To give the French someone to make fun of. 🤣
Have a wonderful trip and please share some pics.

Oh man! I just got back from Paris on Monday, and while I didn't get tattooed, I did stop into Tin-Tin Tatouages and it's a very cool shop. Small, but with a very talented group of people, and lots of Mondial memorabilia. I stayed on Rue Lepic so it was only about two blocks away. Paris is great to just walk around and it's easy to take the metro everywhere.

what's up friends
I'm going to Belgium & France for 2 weeks in July...my best friend is marrying a french gal, so the wedding is in Montpellier, Southern France.
I will be flying in/out of Brussels, Belgium.
Going to check out Ieperfest hardcore music weekend festival as soon as I arrive in Brussels, planning to meetup with my LST penpal Pascal in-person, then will go with the wind to get to Toulouse and Montpellier areas to meet up with my friends for the wedding. But I also have a bunch of free days after the wedding before I fly home and have to make my way from the South coast of France back up to Brussels...seems like a great opportunity to smash on a new european tour tattoo ! 
Any suggestions of tattoo shops for a walk-in?
Or cool ideas/places to check out? 
I've never solo adventured before, so I'm taking advantage of my new freedom.
thx budz 🙂 Eric

it looks fine, you can read it and you know what it says.
don't overthink it, just live your life with it. it's just a tattoo.

it looks fine, you can read it and you know what it says.
don't overthink it, just live your life with it. it's just a tattoo.

I don't know, I read it before reading your post.  It's your call as what to do with it, just live with it awhile and be sure you know what you want.  Don't jump from one mess into another.

I can read it just fine and I think it's cool as hell.

A full sleeve would be twice as much as a half sleeve.  ;-)
Don't cheap out, don't rush or you'll wind up even more unhappy. I always get anxious when people start asking "how much." It's usually followed by  "how do I fix this."

Medicine Hat...you will be closer to Calgary and they have a large number of skilled tattooers. But the tattooer will determine whether they would want you to hit a few laser sessions and do something completely fresh OR if they would be ok with re-working everything (really, depends on the tattooer).
Look up OllieXXX, he works in Calgary/Canmore. His shit is so heavy he'd run over everything and you won't be able to see any sign of the past. 
There's also https://www.heavyhorsetattoo.com/ in Olds, Alberta, might be more your style.
Shawn Hedley or Rich Harding at Champion Tattoo probably clean you up no problemo, great guys and easy to work with...they are in Edmonton but moving East to Sherwood Park at the end-April.
You're gonna need to go talk to tattooers face-to-face to really see what your options are...Alberta road trippin' buddy !
 

@bongsau glad to hear you're hanging in there! if  you're willing to share, I'd love to see pics of that paint job. Sounds super interesting!
i went thru a broken engagement back in the late 2000s. We had just bought a condo together and she left me with a single income right when the housing bubble was bursting. Perfect timing.
I also had some dark times, but good friends and family helped shine some light on shit and brighten things up. I eventually fell in love again with my current wife of nearly 10yrs. We ended up foreclosing on the condo, like many Americans, coz the mortgage wasn't worth it and my new lady wasn't digging the spot that didn't feel like her own. That said, we got to live there for at least a few months without paying the rent! hahahhahaha... it was kind nice to somewhat feel what actually OWNING a home would be like, not having to pay the bank.
Anyways... i guess i'm just pointing out that cons, pros, ups, and downs come with the ticket to ride. That time taught me many lessons about myself and life, in general. Still learning with far to go!
Sending the strongest good juju your way, my man! 🙌💨💞

update - i've been flying solo for 3 months now. it's a different feeling but I suppose things could be a lot worse. there have been some pretty dark days...but there have also been some really fun and exciting days with old friends and new. my friends have been amazing
I just finished repainting my house. In vivid colours like I always wanted - mystical purple and electric orange...like it's purple from one angle and then from  the opposite angle you only see the bright ass orange. twilight zone haha. everything else is a warm white. It is a bit symbolic, as the house never got repainted (it was this dated,ugly, flat light green from the previous owner)...kinda sad my wife and I had 4 years in that house and couldn't even agree on simple paint job. So I just got it done and it looks great.Got a bunch of new tattoo and kung fu art - yknow cool shit like dragons, eagles, tigers, etc - framed up ready to cover the white walls. Starting to feel like home and ok with the new me, new life.
cheers friends and thanks for the support

update - i've been flying solo for 3 months now. it's a different feeling but I suppose things could be a lot worse. there have been some pretty dark days...but there have also been some really fun and exciting days with old friends and new. my friends have been amazing
I just finished repainting my house. In vivid colours like I always wanted - mystical purple and electric orange...like it's purple from one angle and then from  the opposite angle you only see the bright ass orange. twilight zone haha. everything else is a warm white. It is a bit symbolic, as the house never got repainted (it was this dated,ugly, flat light green from the previous owner)...kinda sad my wife and I had 4 years in that house and couldn't even agree on simple paint job. So I just got it done and it looks great.Got a bunch of new tattoo and kung fu art - yknow cool shit like dragons, eagles, tigers, etc - framed up ready to cover the white walls. Starting to feel like home and ok with the new me, new life.
cheers friends and thanks for the support

update - i've been flying solo for 3 months now. it's a different feeling but I suppose things could be a lot worse. there have been some pretty dark days...but there have also been some really fun and exciting days with old friends and new. my friends have been amazing
I just finished repainting my house. In vivid colours like I always wanted - mystical purple and electric orange...like it's purple from one angle and then from  the opposite angle you only see the bright ass orange. twilight zone haha. everything else is a warm white. It is a bit symbolic, as the house never got repainted (it was this dated,ugly, flat light green from the previous owner)...kinda sad my wife and I had 4 years in that house and couldn't even agree on simple paint job. So I just got it done and it looks great.Got a bunch of new tattoo and kung fu art - yknow cool shit like dragons, eagles, tigers, etc - framed up ready to cover the white walls. Starting to feel like home and ok with the new me, new life.
cheers friends and thanks for the support

update - i've been flying solo for 3 months now. it's a different feeling but I suppose things could be a lot worse. there have been some pretty dark days...but there have also been some really fun and exciting days with old friends and new. my friends have been amazing
I just finished repainting my house. In vivid colours like I always wanted - mystical purple and electric orange...like it's purple from one angle and then from  the opposite angle you only see the bright ass orange. twilight zone haha. everything else is a warm white. It is a bit symbolic, as the house never got repainted (it was this dated,ugly, flat light green from the previous owner)...kinda sad my wife and I had 4 years in that house and couldn't even agree on simple paint job. So I just got it done and it looks great.Got a bunch of new tattoo and kung fu art - yknow cool shit like dragons, eagles, tigers, etc - framed up ready to cover the white walls. Starting to feel like home and ok with the new me, new life.
cheers friends and thanks for the support

ah, thanks @JAC1961 honestly this is all for best.
I don't think I have ever had an opportunity for life freedom like this. Just shy of 40 and everything else in my life is going awesome, so I'm focusing on that.
New beginnings...hey prob some more tattoos 😉 in places that weren't approved under the marriage contract haha.

Hey @Decay
You have a lovely new tattoo. 
Tattooing isn't science, it's art and you can't set a clock by how long a tattoo will take. Your artist, who I assume you trust to tattoo you, will always give you a best guess. It may take longer; it may take less time.  
You do realize how much goes into tattooing, right? Your artist has to come up with a design, a piece of art, from whatever concept you have in your head and translates that into a tattoo on your skin. There's design, drawing, and setup among other things that happen way before the needles hit your skin. If you feel like you are being ripped off over what you think is 30 minutes, you need to think long and hard if tattooing is for you. Enjoy the ride! Let go a little and you will have a better experience. 
I have never seen a menu of prices and that concept will not serve you well on your tattoo journey. Where do you live where you haggle over everything?
And I really hope that you tipped your artist. 

You want some wisdom?When the tattooer tells you how much it is,pay them and add a tip.He or she will be happy to tattoo you again.They are professionals treat them as they deserve to be treated.

so interesting to hear the stories.
for mine, it was like, "here's my hourly rate."
"here are some ideas; I think this one"
deposit.
show up.
let the journey begin.....

We are collectors here, not artists. You are barking up the wrong tree.