It’s nice to have a day off. I don’t think I’ve felt this relaxed since the semester began almost 12 weeks ago. Unfortunately, this state of ease is going to be a short-lived one; this is, as they say, the calm before the storm. The ominous clouds of examination period are rapidly approaching, and I am feeling excruciatingly unprepared.

Ah well, one must live in the moment, and today was not a moment for study. It was, however, one for going-to-Chapel-St-and-watching-Nandi-get-a-tattoo. And oh how lovely it was.

My beautiful cousin, Nandi, whom you have all met before, is turning 21 tomorrow, and, to mark this extra special birthday, she decided to get her first ever tattoo: a little bird, drawn by elle-meme. I think the bird is the perfect design for Nandi- she's a free spirit, a traveller, far from grounded in the most endearing of ways. Plus, she harbours an intense love for Johnny Depp, who also has a swallow tattoo... now they are unified through ink!

The tattooing process was very interesting to watch. I sat by Nandi's side, clutching her hand for what took just a couple of minutes. As somebody with zero tattoo experience, I was expecting the tattoo gun to be exactly that: a gun. Or perhaps a giant, intimidating needle? Instead, I discovered something akin to a felt-tip pen. A felt-tip pen that obviously caused a lot of pain; Nandi winced and grimaced as the tattoo artist sketched into her skin. Dave was his name, and he was an absolute sweetheart, assuring her that she could stop at any time and take a break if the pain became too much... despite the artwork being a five minute job! Bless him.

In fact, everyone at Chapel Tattoo was friendly to the extent that they managed to cut the frightening, butch stereotype from my increasingly eager mind...

Yes, I am eager for a tattoo to call me own. I have always been a fan of the idea, compiling lists of possible designs and scribbling all over my arms in Biro. Now that I have witnessed Nandi getting hers, and have seen how elated and proud she was having sat through such a procedure, I can't help but think about my own tattooing adventures more seriously...