Lost in transliteration

Nope, I haven’t lost my skills, far from it. Yes, I know exactly what I wrote in Baybayin and it is nothing compared to what I have seen.  It’s no secret that Baybayin tattoos have grown tremendously over the years and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.  In fact, I’ve seriously thought about learning to tattoo as it only makes sense. Now, I’m thinking about learning how to do tattoo laser removal.

Over the years I have seen a lot of tattoos.  I’ve had people show me their tattoos at festivals that I’ve participated in.  Many of them done beautifully and transliterated perfectly or at the least “acceptable”. However, I’ve also seen many more transliterated incorrectly to the point that the recipient would have been better off getting it done in Roman alphabet.  I’ve been in very awkward situations where I had to tell someone their Baybayin tattoo was wrong…no bueno amigo.  Now, I can understand if it were 15 years ago, back then there weren’t many resources.  The chances of a transliteration to go bad was much higher. With today’s technology and online resources, there just isn’t any excuse that someone can still get it wrong and permanently mark their skin or allow someone to do so.

I cannot stress how important research is before anyone get a tattoo.  Getting a tattoo is a personal journey. There is the excitement, anxiety, pain and gratification.  You just can’t get anymore personal than that, and the artist is there with you on that journey.  But who would go on a journey without first thinking about the perils of such?  If someone were to have surgery, wouldn’t you at least get a second opinion or maybe even a third? Don’t cheat yourself or allow yourself be cheated.  Do your research first, ask questions and look for validation. There is a growing community of Baybayin practitioners and artists out there that you can source.

I dislike being a Baybayin cop.  I honestly do not find any pleasure in telling people of their infractions.  If you are a tattoo artist, I would hope that you did your research on Baybayin before you start inking up folks. No, “artistic license” will not get you off the hook.  You either know what the fuck you are doing or not, period. I’ve seen what’s been posted online and I can tell you, folks are getting ripped off and those who end up with these screwed up tats have cheated themselves.  Do not become a victim of ignorance.  If you are able to use a smart phone or computer, are on Facebook and Twitter, you are perfectly capable of educating yourself.  A screwed up tattoo is a sorry ass excuse for “I didn’t know.”  Remember my mantra, “Think before you ink, laser removal ain’t cheap.”

For those of you curious about what I wrote in the picture above, and you haven’t figured it out, it’s the incorrectly transliterated word MANDARAYA.  It means cheater.