DAY 23 - HENNA TATTOO

Ah, the Orange County Fair!

You can find all sorts of random things at the fair: from hog races, to deep fried cheesecake, and even henna tattoos. I had never gotten a henna tattoo and wanted to see what it was all about.

I don't have any tattoos. I had never been very decisive about body art, so I never pursued getting one. I threw around the idea of getting a second piercing on my ear, but having a Filipino mom & dad threatening to rip it off obviously deterred me lol.

MY FILIPINO PARENTS: "It's not professional!"

Understood.

But a tattoo? I mean, you would've even be able to tell if a "professional" has tattoos because, most likely, it's concealed.

Well luckily, henna tattoos only last from 1-3 weeks.

[Inception!]

Getting back to the henna... I did some research on designs prior to arriving at the fair and chose a lotus flower. The lotus flower is not only attractive, but also has many meanings to different cultures:

• Hinduism

• The lotus flower symbolizes the human spirit.

• Also known as "Padma," the lotus flower represents overcoming great adversity. The actual plant typically grows out of the mud and into a beautiful flower, symbolizing purity in the midst of suffering, pain, and chaos.

• Buddhism

• Depending on its position (closed, partially open, fully open), it can represent different stages of enlightenment.

• Rebirth through reincarnation.

• The flower, depending on its color, can also mean various things:

• Gold: Enlightenment

• Purple: Spirituality

• Pink: Life of Buddha

• Blue: Wisdom

• Red: Love

• White: Purity

Henna art is a whole other thing as well. Originally, henna was used on the body for its "cooling effect" in warm climate. The mud helped cool down the body, especially during hotter days. When the cooling effect would wear off, the mud would be removed, but a stain would remain on the skin for several days to several weeks.

Eventually, henna morphed into an aesthetic use, most commonly now known as a bridal decoration. In Indian culture, for instance, henna would be applied to the bride's hands and feet the night before her wedding. The intricate artwork is not only beautiful, but also believed to bring good luck and prosperity to the newly wed couple. It has also been said that for as long as the henna design remains visible on the bride's hands and feet, she is exempt from doing any household chores. Interesting!

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Here's a random gif of my friend and I eating fair food. Thanks for taking my photos!

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DAY 22 - Get a henna tattoo [COMPLETE]

• My thoughts?

• Seems pretty cool! It was quick and came out surprisingly nice.

• Would I do it again?

• Yea maybe. If I have a sudden urge to decorate my body temporarily, then sure.

• Did it hurt?

• Nope! It's basically a mud-like mixture (kind of like puffy paint) that is applied to the skin. After about 30 minutes, the mud hardens and after 12 hours, it can be flicked off. A stain remains on the skin for 1-3 weeks until it completely fades away.

• What did I learn?

• I learned a lot about the lotus flower and henna tattoos that I had no idea about prior to this experience.