‘Iwa Ink Update... and Approval!

So, it's done. It took a little over an hour to complete and I am really happy with the results.

If you've read my prior blog entry regarding this design, it's based on some moments of my life growing up with my grandfather. I hope that those who read that blog entry understood the deep meaning behind this design and the reason for selecting it for (a part of) this tattoo. After having the tattoo done tonight, I can add a little more to this depth to the story...

My grandfather's Hawaiian name is "Kauakanilehua." It is a reference to the Kanilehua rains that fall in Hilo, and translated further, it's technically "the rain that makes noise in the lehua (trees)." For us, it represented that moment when you can hear sound of rain approaching... If you've lived in Hilo long enough, you will understand what I mean. If you've danced hula and performed "Hilo Hanakahi" or any Hilo song mentioning the Kanilehua rain, you'll get it in this format: "make the rain, clap, make the flowers."

After getting inked up tonight, I took my tattoo-session-moral-supporter best friend to dinner for some comfort food - KHOP! Shortly after being seated, we heard rain starting to fall outside and, eventually, a downpour. All I could think of was, "Papa knows that I got the tattoo... and I think (I hope) this means that he approves." Very soon after that, the rain stopped. Like the ‘iwa birds served as a sign to my grandfather, perhaps the rain itself has now become a sign of him.

Thank you to Brady at 202 Tattoo in Hilo for providing his pro inking skills to make my design a reality. I am looking forward to finishing the art for this chest/shoulder piece and coming back to see you.

Thank you Shari for being a part of another adventure in the tattoo world and for keeping me company during the session. You're next (again).

Still smiling through the pain... NAH, no pain!

First glance of the new tattoo!

‘Iwa Ink?

When the black silhouettes of the ‘iwa (great frigate bird) appeared over my grandparents' house, I would stare at them in awe, thinking that they were some kind of pterodactyl that somehow escaped the fate of the other dinosaurs. Never flapping their wings, I wondered how they were up there. There was usually more than one, so you can imagine the scenes of some cheesy sci-fi thriller, "When Pterodactyls Attack" that would play through my mind. Eventually my grandfather would explain to me that they were birds (wow, really?) and were harbingers of something at sea, most likely a storm which had driven them inland. Fast-forward a couple of decades after the Internet became available to us all, I eventually discovered, thanks to Google, that these birds will spend most of their lives at sea and in flight, close to their homes, usually landing only to incubate eggs and all that good stuff you would likely see as a part of the Nat Geo special for any avian episode.

It has been many years since I have seen one of these effortlessly riding the winds high above, but the next time that I do, I will make sure to scream, "pterodactyl!" for old time's sake. Just kidding. I will look at them in a different light, with a new respect and appreciation for them. My grandfather saw these birds as a sign of something in the distance, something in the near and very possible future. I will wear them as a reminder to myself to heed the signs in life, namely those events that just feel like they're from God. They will be reminders to be attentive, receptive, and aware of things around me. Nā hō‘ailona. (Pay attention, Nic!)

Side note... ‘iwa is a Hawaiian term that means "thief" due to this bird's methods of stealing food from other seabirds. Not always in a negative frame of reference, this concept was also used as a descriptor for Kamehamehaʻs union of the Hawaiian Islands. And... Not that there is any coincidence for my inclusion of this symbol in my design, but how's this ‘olelo no‘eau:

"He ‘iwa ho‘ohaehae nāulu."

It translates into "a frigatebird that teases the rainclouds." It's kaona or hidden meaning is reference to a handsome man which arouses jealousy in others. If you've ever seen ‘iwa in flight, they are pretty impressive, their large wingspans and effortless glide on the wind make for a stately appearance. I doubt I evoke the same kind of emotion when I walk by others. *insert awkward silence*

So now, we shall see if my financial and pain threshold abilities will allow for this to happen.