The New Tattoo

The weekend before my tattoo appointment for the outline sitting, I met an amazing individual who happens to have no tattoos. In casual conversation, the upcoming tattoo appointment was mentioned and I was challenged to articulate why I was getting this piece done. Many people, possibly yourself included, have asked the simple question of "Why?". I didn't have an immediate answer during this conversation and that frustrated me. After a couple days of reflection here is what I wrote as a response.

...when you asked me about my tattoo, i didn't have a clear explanation to satisfy your honest curiosity and it's been bothering me ever since we spoke of it. i didn't have an articulate explanation because i haven't told very many people about it. i didn't like the feeling of being judged by your opinion of tattoos in general and i was disappointed in myself for not being able to clearly define the significance that it embodies for me. this manifested itself briefly as a feeling of doubt but ultimately helped me critically reflect on my own motivations for getting this new tattoo. i know the answer to the why? deep within myself, but i have rarely shared it with someone else. i appreciate that you challenged me to evaluate my desires and come to a better understanding of how to express them.

there are 5 elements which explain why tattoos are significant to me: i am a nomad; i am a 'young' soul and therefore, at times, painstakingly reflective; i am an artist; i am a risk taker; and life is short.

i am a nomad. permanency is a something i rarely touch. the permanency of a tattoo is one of the only ways i have ever felt the weight of something forever. it is powerful and i am drawn to that.

i am young. i can be naive. i am very impressionable. i am always learning, but never afraid to fail. i don't experience regret. i do believe that hindsight is 20/20; i never stop reflecting upon my experiences to learn new things about myself. i write in a journal, and more importantly, i always read, reread, reevaluate and learn from my past entries. my tattoos are an artistic record of who i am and the experiences that have shaped me. they are my own celebration of such stages of learning and periods of growth.

i am an artist. i have created art all around the world. most of what i create is temporary, left behind, given away, covered up and ultimately lost from my life. tattoos have always intrigued me for their permanency and also their beauty. from my eyes, when done tastefully, art on flesh is one of the sexiest expressions of beauty. as an artist, tattoos are important to me because they are mine - my taste, my canvas, my choice, and my perspective. tattoos can be breathtakingly beautiful to me. unlike many people, every tattoo i have is entirely for me, for my memories, my experiences and in no way for someone else. for me, tattoos define a strong and unique connection between creativity of the mind and the body.

i am a risk-taker. i enjoy not knowing exactly how things will turn out. i crave adrenaline and the anticipation of something monumental.

life is short.

this might seem like an extreme overindulgence to you (quite honestly this was written much more for me than for you, but i do enjoy sharing). you inspired and challenged me to articulate my motivations which turned into a significant appraisal for me. i really appreciate this...

And now, one week later, I have the outline finished. It was a truly amazing experience; two solid hours without a break. Joey Pang is an incredible presence. She made me feel comfortable and I trusted her entirely.

According to Japanese legend, if a koi succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate on the Yellow River, it would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement.

More generally, the Japanese associate koi (also known as carp) with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. Because of its strength and determination to overcome obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals.

The Designer and the Artist - Joey Pang

After almost a year of careful consideration, I have decided on my first full-colour tattoo piece. For this work, I have come to terms with the idea that price, duration and pain are of little significance. What I have prioritized is choosing the right time and place, adequate preparations and planning and most importantly the relationship I can develop with the artist.

I needed to find an artist in HK whose philosophy of art (and specifically tattooing) is in tune with mine. Different from my previous tattoos, this proposed piece will be an elaborate piece of art. Not just a symbol or a token, not just an outline which represents my own story within it. This will be a story inside and outside itself. With the exception of my first tattoo, all of my subsequent tattoos were carefully crafted and drawn by me. These were straight-forward and simplistic designs. The process is important as it gives me ownership of, and connection to, not only the tattoo itself, but the experience it represents. However for this proposed piece, as complicated as it is, I needed a professional tattoo artist who would eventually draw the final piece for me. I needed to find someone who could create my masterpiece, not only for me, but with me. Someone I can collaborate with openly, someone I trust entirely, and can rely on to take the time to understand the complexity and intricacy of my design.

So I went to work investigating tattoo artists in HK, the history as Asian tattoos and the significance of certain design elements. I have spent countless hours reading artists blogs, publications, reviews, and tattoo shop web pages. I have studied image galleries, sample portfolios and design sites full of ideas and examples of actual artists work. Yesterday I made my choice and luckily she is available for this project. Meet Joey Pang.

From Hong Kong Hot List (November 5th, 2009) 20 People to Watch
#11. Joey Pang: Taboo Artist

By standardizing the practice, Joey Pang hopes to banish the Chinese stigma against tattooing as something only for society’s underbelly.

"Tattooing isn't just about the art, there are other tangible consequences to the craft, such as issues with hygiene," says Pang. "By standardizing the practice we can bring tattooing in from the periphery of society.”

Pang's Tattoo Temple on Stanley Street is now offering courses in tattooing as a prelude to her plans for a tattoo school in the UK, which she hopes to open within one year.

JOEY PANG - INTERVIEW
At HK's Tattoo Temple the beauty of 'Ink to Ink' is highly apparent in the form of owner Joey Pang, a 29 year-old female tattoo artist that is not only inspired, but multi-talented. Shoes are removed before entering the unusually calm environment, which helps prepare the mind and body for what is about to occur. Pang reveals that the art form got her hooked from a very young age. "Since I was a child I always loved drawing and painting, as it was a way through which I could express myself. This led me to follow a career in design and later beauty, in the form of makeup." It was during this latter period that she became engaged in the activity of painting tribal henna versions of tattoos on people. "I was painting on someone's body and realised that I wanted to do this permanently. I really wanted to explore the beauty of ink to skin in the form of tattooing. I knew that this was my calling."

This realisation led Pang to travel to New Zealand to further explore the tribal tattoos, which were becoming more popular. Following this trip and gathering all the information she could, Pang went to Thailand, where she met the legendary Chris Wroblewski, who taught her everything he knew about the art of tattooing. His book, The Tattoo Bible, contains hundreds of facts and photographs of the beauty of this ever-expanding art form, including a history of HK's tattoos. "When I was in Thailand, I was able to practice my tattoo skills on at least three people a day, because the Thais believe that tattoos are good luck. This also gave me the confidence to work on people." Pang goes on to state how Chris influenced her entire view of the art form. "He taught me everything I know and encouraged me to go and learn more about tattoos in Europe, so off I went." Being ever curious, Pang traveled to France, Germany and Switzerland, working part time jobs on the side, to keep her curious fire burning."It was such amazing experience, and I find even now that I am learning new styles of tattooing," she enthuses.

Upon her return to HK, Pang took the decision to open up her own tattoo studio at age 27. "I wanted to show HK people other styles of tattooing apart from the usual gangster style ones that were apparent everywhere" she states confidently. Being a firm believer in expression, Pang views tattoos as a part of the ever-evolving self in which the body acts as a diary or a canvas to mark life's experiences. "I am now 29, Tattoo Temple has been open for two years and I plan to take it to new heights. I believe that HK tattooing is not yet as evolved as other places."

Pang wants to make her mark on HK by educating individuals about the new techniques associated with tattoos, and also show that colour tattoos don't fade as they once did. " In HK, tattooing has only been around for about 60 years. James Ho came here from Shanghai and introduced this beautiful art form to HK, where one of his tattoo studios still remains. Amongst some of the oldest tattoo places in HK are Ricky and Pinky's in Wanchai, which is still around and Benny Tsoi's in Jordan, which is now run by his son. His daughter also owns her own tattoo studio in Granville Road."

When asked how she handles customers, Pang merely states, "It's all informal. They usually call me and I design a tattoo for them in my studio. I don't like to copy other people's designs because I like creating unique tattoos for unique individuals." And this truly seems to be the case, as there are absolutely no displays of other peoples' tattoos on her wall. The only displays are her own calligraphy tattoo designs. "one of my favourite things to do at the moment is Chinese Calligraphy. I love Chinese and Japanese styles as they really inspire me."

In five years' time, Pang claims that she sees herself creating her own styles of tattoos that she hopes will become as widespread as the tribal influence. "The skin tells a story , it can mark the journey of life, which in itself is something so beautiful."

A Wish List

Lately I haven't had enough energy, or focus, or clarity, or inspiration, or achievement, or quaility reflection time to write a decent blog post.
I'm sorry :(

Forever in my Heart, Alan Dick 1954-2009

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge,

Myth is more potent than history,

Dreams are more powerful than facts,

Hope always triumphs over experience,

Laughter is the cure for grief,

Love is stronger than death

For many of our students and their parents, Alan Dick personified the Canadian International School. As a passionate and dynamic educator, and a proud Canadian, he created an incredible legacy through his contribution to the development of our school and our community.

He did so not from behind closed doors, but with tremendous personal warmth and charisma. Each and every day, he greeted students at the entrance, addressing everyone by name. Every afternoon, he sent them home the same way.

At assemblies his Smile Factor was infectious, as Alan led the children in singing songs ranging from O Canada to the Hokey Pokey. He taught children what it is to be a global citizen, and what it was to be a Canadian.

He also taught them to love school by making it a loving place. He was a great hugger and loved to visit the children in class, where he disrupted many a lesson. In some respects, he was the biggest of kids, with his Funny Bunny, Winnie the Pooh staff badge, silly ties, and extraordinary Hallowe'en costumes. His playful approach won the children's hearts and so, their minds.

He himself was a dedicated life-long learner - the book "The Learning Leader" is still on his desk. He is survived by a sister, a brother and his parents.

He was an extraordinary character, larger than life and a life lived large, and he will be sorely missed as an educator and a friend. The past few days have been very difficult for the CDNIS community. Staff, teachers, students, and parents have been moving through the grieving process while trying to continue on as Alan would have wished.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 3:00pm at Asia World Expo. Our intention is to gather as a community to celebrate Alan’s life and to provide an opportunity for his many friends to come together to express their love and respect for Alan. The service will reflect Alan – full of spirit, colour and, of course, music. As this is a celebration of Alan’s life, we ask that eceryone wear pink, his favourite colour.

You are loved and missed. Forever in our hearts and dreams.

I have been back to school for a month now and am coming to terms with the reality that on some days I don't love being a grade 5 teacher as much as I tend to tell myself that I do. I can't help but be fully engaged and committed to whatever it is that I am doing. Whether or not I like it, my innate sense of optimism, or (possibly more accurately) some control issues or a slightly obsessive compulsive pursuit of perfection, force me to apply myself 100% to the task at hand. Right now it's teaching grade 5, so I'm giving it my all. And I truly love it, in the moment. Lately, in my reflection time I realize that I don't have the same passion in my teaching throughout the day as I used to as a subject teacher. I think I prefer seeing students every other day and I enjoy the idea of being able to focus more closely on the teaching than on the behaviour. That being said, I think if I changed positions, I'd miss the classroom community that I work so hard to create as a homeroom teacher and the nurturing bonds that evolve between me and my precious students. I would also miss the challenge of my current position as grade 5 team leader. I work with an awesome group of talented educators who enrich my life each day. Here is a shot of us at the CDNIS Board of Govenors' cocktail reception last week at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Photo credit: Desmond Hastie

Recent reflections have led me to consider some possible changes in the near future. My thoughts range form career transformations to minor work details. The focus of my teaching passions these days tends towards 21st century learning and literacy, technology integration in the classroom, and teaching without walls (outdoor and experiential learning opportunities). Some aspects of these avenues can be fostered at my current school and I would consider on a possible role change for next year, if the opportunity presented itself. There are potential obstacles, of course, and I'm having trouble knowing what will be best for me and everyone involved (most importantly those cute little Gr. 4s I see on the playground who wouldn't be in my class next year if I change roles). I also have to keep my little, infectious travel-bug in check. We'll see what transpires.

In other thoughts and reflections on creativity, I've realized that my camera can sometimes be my catalyst for great experiences.  Last week I signed up for a hike on Sunday morning and as the meet-up time drew closer I was feeling less and less inspired to go. Then I looked over at my camera sitting dormant on my desk. I realized it has been a while since I'd taken pictures and I instantly found the motivation I was (until that moment) lacking. I threw on some quick dry pants, sunscreen and a hat and hit the trail. The hike ended up being a fantastic experience as I made friends with a 9 year-old boy who taught me everything I could have ever wanted to know about Hong Kong flora and fauna. His vocabulary was articulately diverse and his mannerisms were very grown up. He would pull on my hand gently when he needed my attention, or yell excitedly when he found something new to show me. After teaching me something about plant names and varieties, he'd find a way to quiz me later on down the trail. It was a very hot and hazy day. Prior to the hike I was feeling anti-social but needed to get out and move around. This little boy never even asked me my name. It was a perfect day.

Photo credit: John from HK Hiking Meet-Up

The above photo isn't my work, but I did take a lot of photos that day and spent a couple hours post-hike working on them before publishing them to the world online. I find that having my camera with me enriches my experiences so much. More importantly, the subsequent browsing, editing, enhancing and eventual sharing of my artistic representations of my experiences helps me understand those experiences on a new level. I feel this way about journaling and blogging too.

Last week I presented a full day technology integration workshop to teachers at my school about the value of teaching (guiding) students to create educational blogs in the classroom. If you haven't already, you should check out my new class website. On the right (middle) side bar there are links to my students' school blogs. Hosting the workshop reinforced my motivation and enthusiasm in the direction of becoming a technology integration specialist in the near future. A mixture of teaching teachers about classroom tech. integration and working with kids inside classrooms would be my new dream job. I just have to find the right place to embark upon it. Asia for sure. Hong Kong maybe.

Return to Hong Kong

The start of year 2 has been many things; pretty, peaceful, packed, powerful, physical and perfect.

1. Pretty: My creative energies have been tickled through photography opportunities on hikes, an afternoon at Art Jamming, and the Grade 5 first unit of inquiry "How we Express Ourselves with Digital Technology" (my perfectly awesome excuse to play and create masterpieces on my macbook!)

2. Peaceful: For my entire first year living at Lilian Court my view included quite a few racks of bamboo scaffolding and green mesh (standard HK building construction set-up) and on weekend mornings I usually awoke to a large-scale heavy machinery soundtrack. Half-way through the year scaffolding went up around Lilian Court itself, as workers replaced the drainage pipes for the entire building. My kitchen view became non-existent, the weekend morning soundtracks became interior orchestras and the smells of noxious chemicals, welding metal and even sewage occasionally penetrated my living space. Upon my return to Lilian Court this August I was thrilled to notice, on my first morning waking in my space-ship bedroom, that I could hear birds chirping amidst a sweet calmness. I opened all the blinds to a delightfully un-scaffolded view.

3. Packed: The pace of life and work in Hong Kong. Always busy.

4. Powerful: This is the first time in my short career that I have been afforded the absolute luxury of teaching the same thing for a second round. I have slowly identified within myself (and with the help of others' observations and comments) a serious control freak. My spirits become elated after carrying out simple organizational tasks and my psychological well-being is satisfied by knowing exactly what is going on and what is expected. My new team leadership role within Grade 5 has given me these insights into the big picture and completely satiated my inner control freak.

5. Physical: In my first month back in Hong Kong I have joined a Yoga school, 2 hiking groups and made it down to the school pool regularly after school. Creating a balance between school, fitness, professional development, cyberspace, social life and city life will continue to be a challenge, but I've set off on a energized foot which will hopefully remain strong.

6. Perfect: Life in Hong Kong  is good :)

It's a good thing I'm a teacher and even better that I have awesome colleagues.

This is my Chinese horoscope for the month of September.

In China this is the month of the Rooster. Goats and Roosters are not fast friends. You Goat people are too funky and airy for their steely taste. So this month may be a bit tougher for you than the last two. Again, your temper may turn out to be your worst enemy. People who want you to conform to their way of doing things irritate you. You are often someone who isn't afraid of compromise and concession, but when it comes to your work life, you can be exceedingly stubborn. The best way for you to manage your over reacting to suggestions you alter your way of approaching a project, would be to adopt a policy of nodding and telling the person or persons politely that you need time to ponder the matter. "Thank you; I will think about this" is all you have to say. Then, take the time to look inward and discover exactly what you think about it. And while you're thinking, try to figure out what transforms you from a creative, ethereal, gentle soul into a raging beast when someone makes a comment about your work. You ought really to take up meditation, see a therapist or attend anger management classes. One thing will sooth your rage this month, and that is children. Either your own or somebody else's kids will be around a lot in September. Play with them and enjoy their innocence. The company of little ones always brings out the best in Goats.

Anger Management? Therapy? Who knew...... 

Why I Can't Resist Blogging

Since I've begun a new classroom-oriented EduBlog project this year, Grade 5E,  I wasn't sure if I was going to find the time to maintain a personal blog. However, it turns out I can't resist. I LOVE blogging. And even if it becomes hard to find the time, I figure any random collection of posts is worth something to those of you who read my blogs. It is definitely worth something to me, in terms of personal reflection and evaluation of what I've done, where I've come from and who I am. I just read some of my posts from my first blog, Happily Unsettled, which details some of the adventures I had in South Korea the summer before moving to Hong Kong. I cherish those posts like lifelines that revive and rejuvenate a path to my own memories. My second blog, Hong Kong Explorer, compiled quick snip-it views into my life; my 5E Explorers classroom, my holiday trips and my gradual adjustment to a new home in a small flat in a busy city.

Blogging is a valuable investment and commitment to one's own personal reflection. I believe that  life learning isn't as authentic without sufficient time to reflect, evaluate, and create something new out of the experience itself. You invariably indulge deeper into your own experiences by recalling and articulating them for others. Blogging is something that I encourage everyone to try. My students last year showed an incredible maturity as I directed them slowly and carefully through a jungle of responsibilities and considerations, far and above a Grade 5 level of thinking. And they rose above and beyond the challenge. They amazed me, more and more with each post, demonstrating conscientiousness, etiquette and personal dedication to make each post better than the last. Some of the 5E Explorers even continued blogging throughout their summer holidays. I am proud of their abilities and awareness. I feel confident that my students will make the informed choices when it comes to publishing their thoughts for a global audience.

So, here I go again. A new year. A new blog. A very happy Nana :)