That being said, I have gotten more than the usual amount of stares when I go strolling down the street, and I hear clucks of disapproval from elderly matrons and such, but I think most of them just chalk it up to my bizarre foreign-ness. As foreigners, we aren’t as bound by Chinese cultural constraints as Chinese are, though we shouldn’t try to push the limit. I get inked because I like the pictures and it’s fun, and everything I have is my own design. I’m not getting Chinese dragons or goldfish or other cultural emblems to try and identify with China, and the characters I have are simply for aesthetic purposes, since getting the words in English would be unwieldy.

I knew what I was getting into when I made the choice to go for heavy ink and I know that some people will be uncomfortable, but I just make extra effort to break the stereotype in their minds by being as nice a person as I can, and my tattoos have been great starting points for conversation and friendships. One final thing: no one has ever expressed disapproval for choosing Chinese character tattoos, in fact it has always been the opposite.

I got more tattoo’s than I can bother to count right now, and apart from them being inspired by all the different cultures and places I have lived in they each represent a different time and place for me in my life. Some of them are just plane stupid as well.

When you are immersed in tattoo culture, they do sometimes become a personal form of belief and expression, like religion or politics. But just because you seem to wear your beliefs on your sleeve does not necessarily mean you invite confrontation. This world is full of highly opinionated pricks who feel it is their self appointed duty to confront strangers with their objections. So be it. I for one cant be bothered with them.

If you get a tattoo with the sole intention of having a pretty butterfly on your shoulder to impress the lads, you will one day be disappointed. In about 10 years it will fade, colors will blend, and skin will sag. Then you ask yourself, ‘what does that ink mean to me?’

And this coming from a guy whose only tattoo attempt was the temporary sticker found in a box of poptarts, it was funny for about a day, but then again it only lasted a day too.