Written by By: Leighton Jones / Translated by: James Wang

The change to a seasonal magazine, I must say, has not been an easy transition for Hard Livin’. Gone is my monthly invective about vice that usually results in lots of letters of complaint, usually from the managing editor. You guys will have to satisfy yourselves with a seasonal grab of vice from now on. Keep the complaint letters coming though, we got ‘em all framed in the office and we’ve almost filled a wall. This season, we talk ink!

Taiwan of course has a long history of its own local tattoos. The facial tattoos of the Atayal tribe here are not dissimilar to those of Maori moto tattoos in New Zealand. But how cool are tattoos? How long will this revived fashion accessory last? And are they really no longer the mark of bikers, ex triads and vagrants. Jean Paul Gaultier used moko inspired designs for an ad campaign in 2007, but you don’t see a lot of people running out to tattoo their scones these days.

The permanence of a tattoo is what has always held me back. Fashions change and a tribal inspired tattoo might look sweet today, but tired in ten years. Those Chinese characters that read peace, love, and harmony, on your inner thigh are gonna look great until enough people outside Taiwan learn to read Chinese and realize that, in fact, you had the words peace, love and harmony tattooed on your inner thigh. In the meantime though, you could have the words ‘I’m stupid enough to think this looks cool” tattooed there, and none of those illiterate foreigners would be any the wiser.

 I went to talk to Sky and Kendi to find out exactly where I should get my tattoo. Now that Highway 11 pays me so well, I guess I have no concerns that a nice full moko will affect my ability to find gainful employment. But then again, do I really need people pointing out that I recently got a facial? Kendi mentioned that males find the lower back area to be the most painful for applying ink, so perhaps I should re-think the tramp stamp. I can think of a couple of other places that might be a tad more excruciating, but Kendi says they don’t pierce or tattoo those kinds of areas in their two stores. And why would they? She also mentioned under arms and tongues also result in screaming matches and tongue tattoos usually fade quickly after a few bowls of soup anyway. I am slowly running out of available skin. 

Sky and Kendi have been in the business for years. What started as a roadside henna business eight years ago, has developed into two tattoo and piercing stores in Hualien, the first of which opened six years ago. They can help you design something, or you can design it yourself. Kendi said that often the tattoos designed by the customers look like crap. She has no qualms about telling you that you probably don’t want to have to look at that grotesque chicken scratching for the rest of your life, every time you look down in the shower.

I know I wrote the vice column for Highway 11, but the fact of the matter remains. I am a bit of a chicken really. I hate pain. Can this be done with anesthetic? The answer is no. But Kendi says that she has become an expert on knowing when people are about to pass out. Kendi says, “They tend to go pale, and then I send them home and tell them to come back tomorrow to try again.” That’s really helpful. That sounds like me. I’m pretty sure I will be sent home several times before I could get one finished.

Oh and Sky and Kendi are not huge fans of tourists getting a souvenir tattoo, so you lot who are visiting for the weekend and are thinking about getting “I love Moji”, tattooed across your forehead, think again. As Kendi says, a tattoo is for life, and requires some thought, a good night’s rest and a full stomach. Coming in for a tat after a two day bender on aboriginal rice wine, is not going to impress these professionals.

See you in the fall.

Sky and Kendi Tattoo
5 Jie Yue Street, Hualien
53-1 Jong Hua Road, Hualien.
0910 550 197