A week before we were on our flight back to the U.S., me and my friend Max decided to go get a traditional Thai tattoo, which is just a bamboo stick with a needle attached to it and they slowly hammer it into where ever you want it. A lot of the tattoo consists of Thai script which is mostly Buddhist. They’re used for protection or for bringing you good luck. Mine’s to protect me wherever I go.
We went down to Koh Chang island (Little Elephant) and found a tattoo artist. His name was Mr. Blue. His wife said, “You call him Mister Blue. He like blue. No use Thai. I work on English with you.” He agreed to give us tattoos for $30 each. It hurt a lot and took two and a half hours for me. His wife saw I was in so much pain and she gave me a little cup. I thought it was water and I took it, and realized it was tequila. She handed me lime and I thought, “Okay this is happening.” It was so worth it and by far my most treasured souvenir from Thailand.
—Taylor Ringenberg, junior photography major
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