{"id":4579,"date":"2022-09-05T19:07:58","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T19:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/?p=4579"},"modified":"2022-09-06T14:32:27","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T14:32:27","slug":"dogs-tattoos-and-mystical-powers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traceyeaton.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/05\/dogs-tattoos-and-mystical-powers\/","title":{"rendered":"Dogs, tattoos and mystical powers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rebel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the 1990s, I bought a Neapolitan Mastiff from a breeder in Mexico City. The breeder carried around a broomstick to keep her dogs in line. When I saw that, I probably should have looked for another breeder, but I went ahead and brought Rebel home.
\nRebel was aggressive even as a puppy, but he was also playful and goofy. On weekends, I often took him to Ajusco, south of Mexico City, and we’d walk along paths through the pine forest.
\nI liked Rebel so much that I decided to get a tattoo of his face on my arm during a trip to Thailand. I paid a deposit, but when I showed up for the tattoo later that day, it looked like the tattoo artist was reusing needles. I got worried about catching some disease and backed out.
\nMany years later, I finally have my tattoo. Two of them, actually.
\nI got them in Laos, not Thailand, and it was a great experience all because of an incredibly skilled tattoo artist named Kitty.
\nKitty, also known as Anouphap Hanchaleun, runs a tattoo shop in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. I told him I would like a tattoo of our new rescue dog, Lucy. I shared several pictures with him and he opened them on his computer. He pointed to the one he liked the most and I said, “OK. Let’s do it.”
\nI asked him to incorporate some elements that show the tattoo was done in Laos, not Las Vegas or some other city. So he wrote the name “Lucy” in Tai Tham script, which goes back to at least 1376, the date of the oldest known document containing the language.
\nKitty added Dok Champa flowers to the design. It’s the national flower in Laos and is considered sacred. Also known as Frangipani, the flower is “a symbol of joy and sincerity<\/a>” and good luck.<\/p>\n

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This tattoo cost about $60, including tip.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I thought Kitty did a great job on the first tattoo and so I returned a few days later to get another, bigger tattoo.
\nKitty welcomed me into his studio. He spent time listening to what I wanted and didn’t rush me, even though I know he had a busy schedule.
\nHis wife, Vanida Dalavong, or Bae, joined him. I asked her what it was like to be married to a tattoo artist. She said some of her family members were worried at first because they associated tattoos with people who go out at night and drink. But they quickly discovered that Kitty wasn’t into nightlife or causing trouble, and is caring and sincere.<\/p>\n

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Bae offered me a traditional dessert after my second tattoo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I asked Kitty about the tattoo on his neck. He said it’s a Sak Yant tattoo. According to a post in Skin Design Tattoo<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Sak Yant are beautiful geometric tattoos done in thick black ink and are typically made up of traditional script work, intricate patterns, meaningful symbols, religious signs, and other tributes to spirituality and nature.<\/p>\n

The tattoos are engraved into the skin using a long metal spike, or sometimes bamboo, which has been sharpened to a point. The needle is then dipped into ink and is administered by hand by an expert tattooist, which is typically a Buddhist monk.<\/p>\n

As for the tattooing process, it is done by repeatedly jabbing the needle through flesh by hand using a technique that\u2019s referred to as hand poking and is said to be considerably more painful than an electric tattoo machine.<\/p>\n

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This tattoo was about $100, including the tip.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Interestingly, the wearers of Sak Yant tattoos aren’t protected by them unless they follow strict moral codes throughout their life. That means no killing, stealing or lying. The Skin Design Tattoo article states:<\/p>\n