Inked Abroad

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2 years ago I was captured by the phrase ร˜ยชร˜ยฃร™โ€žร™โ€ฆร˜ยช ร˜ยชร˜ยนร™โ€žร™โ€ฆร˜ยช ร˜ยชร˜ยบร™ล ร˜ยฑร˜ยช (I suffered, I learned, I changed). I scribbled it everywhere and had it posted on my wall. I quickly came to the conclusion that I would have it as a tattoo but I struggled to find a calligraphy artist or a tattoo artist that I felt I could connect with and could help capture what it means to me. When I found out I was coming to Jordan I looked up artists in Amman and I came across Huzz ink.

Now before I go on, youโ€™re probably thinking what my mom was thinking: Martha, estรกs loca. Probably one of the most valuable pieces of advice youโ€™ll ever receive is donโ€™t get a tattoo in a foreign country. Well, if you decide to edge past that bit of guidance hereโ€™s my advice:

Do your Research! I found out on his website that Huzz was actually certified in the United States (and in person I found out he got certified down the street from my university!). They use new needles for each client, which he opened the package in front of me, and when I visited they obviously had a very high standard of hygiene in their shop and he didnโ€™t miss a moment to inform me of their methods of cleaning and was happy to show me around.

Have a budget! Have a budget but also understand that the cost of a tattoo depends on many factors including whether or not itโ€™s a custom piece, if itโ€™s in a difficult location to tattoo, color, etc. Also, remember that a tattoo is a lifetime investment so donโ€™t be too stingy. Definitely know in advance what you project to spend but be flexible and make sure youโ€™re getting what you want. (Donโ€™t forget to budget for aftercare products)

Be picky! My tattoo was definitely personal to me to the point where even its location and size was a big deal. During your consultation be sure to voice your desires and stick to them but donโ€™t be so frigid as to leave out the professional opinions of your artist.

Be aware of your aftercare! This is especially important if your program has plans to go out into bodies of water, places where infection are possible, or even if you arenโ€™t able to wash it several times in the day, perhaps it would be wise to plan around that. Plan the date of your tattoo to coincide with the most conducive healing environment.

Now that I have hopefully quelled the worries of my mother and perhaps some of you all, getting inked in Jordan was a blast. With all the changes that have come upon me this year, Huzz made the whole process calming and reassuring. He took the time to understand why this tattoo was important to me and made sure that the design was everything I couldโ€™ve hoped for, and it was! Itโ€™s a nice bit of reassurance that after everything that has happened this past year and even with the uncertainty of things in my future, itโ€™s hard to worry knowing that with a little bit of persistence everything will straighten out in the end. Whaddya know? Iโ€™m figuring it out in Jordan. :)

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Martha Ramos

<i>*Texas Scholarship</i> Marhaba! My name is Martha and Iโ€™m a student at the University of Texas at Arlington and Iโ€™m a huge nerd for all things related to language so naturally I chose linguistics as my major and Arabic my minor and upon graduating I will have earned my TESOL certificate that will enable me to teach English abroad (Inshaโ€™allah!). In my senior year of college, I had an abrupt change of plans when my dream job suddenly was no longer a possibility for me for astronomical reasons beyond my control. I had to rethink my career plans but as the old adage goes, when one door closes, another one opens! I delved into my language studies and am now torn between the possibilities of my future! Teaching English in Latin America or the Middle East is most definitely in my future! I hope to spend some time in the Peace Corps after graduating from UTA and later on contribute to the conservation of Endangered Languages while pursuing my graduate degree. This Summer Iโ€™ll be traveling to Jordan in an effort to refine my Arabic and acquire a glimpse into the lives of my future students.While Iโ€™m there I hope to volunteer in an ESL classroom and teach English to local Jordanians. The Scholarship from FEA has made real for me the opportunity that up until recently was just slightly out of reach and I look forward to such an experience.