Hawai'i and Germany Meet Halfway in Manhattan

Hawai'i and Germany Meet Halfway in Manhattan

Last Sunday, I found myself unexpectedly in my weekday stomping grounds, outside of Penn Station. I saw a couple sitting on the steps in Penn Plaza and noticed the gentleman had a remarkable tattoo on his outer left calf.

We had a slight language barrier, as they were tourists from Europe. But Rico agreed to let me take the photo:

The tattoo was done by Tom at Stechwerk Tattoo Studio in Kempten, Germany.

Rico said he just liked the design and that Hawai'i is somewhere he hopes to visit one day. The surfboard and the archipelago outline are symbolic of our fiftieth state, and the yellow hibiscus is the state flower.

Danke schön to Rico for sharing this cool Hawai'i-themed tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

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Tattoosday Goes To Hawai'i - Aloha to the Islands

Tattoosday Goes To Hawai'i - Aloha to the Islands

I wasn't sure how many tattoos I would meet on my five and a half day trip to Hawai'i, but my last day there exceeded all expectations.

As reported before, I met five separate people with tattoos at Pearlridge as I did some last-minute shopping before heading back to the airport.

After returning my rental car and clearing security, I headed to the gate, my heart heavy with the reality that I was once again leaving my childhood home, not knowing when I would return.

I guessed that my inkspotting had ended on the trip, as I dropped my carry-on at a row of seats outside of the gate, which was sealed as the earlier flight's passengers cleared customs.

I guessed wrong.

The delay in entering Gate 25 left passengers lingering in the open-aired terminal with a moment to relish the warm tropical air.

The gentleman next to me removed his outer garment to reveal a short sleeve shirt. And this tattoo:

So, for the next twenty minutes or so, I chatted with Bill, originally from Brooklyn, now living in Hawai'i. How's that for a mirror image?

What's more, Bill had this tattoo, as well, on his upper right arm:

Aloha indeed. What a fitting way to leave Hawai'i!

The top pin-up was inked at a shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey.

The forearm design is a modified version of a flash design Bill had seen at a shop in Honolulu, up near the University of Hawai'i campus in Manoa.

The original design featured the young lady standing in the Waikiki surf, with Diamond Head behind her. Bill opted just for the pin-up, without all the extra stuff.

We had a nice chat about Hawai'i, tattoos, and Brooklyn. He was heading back to the East Coast to visit family.

Thanks to Bill for sharing his cool tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

And thanks again to everyone I met on my trip, and for being integral parts of the Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i saga!

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - Sylvia's Back Piece

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - Sylvia's Back Piece

The one day in Hawai'i when I didn't take any tattoo pictures, I did pass out a few fliers. One I handed to a woman sitting in a chair at the Safeway Center on Kapahulu Avenue.

She had what appeared to be an incredible back piece, the top of which was visible to passers-by.

Sylvia later e-mailed me and shared a link to a site that featured a photo of the tattoo, along with an explanation of the piece. I have extracted it here for the enjoyment of the Tattoosday audience.

First, the tattoo:

Sylvia explains:

"My tattoo represents my ancestry...from the family of the 'Royal Hawai'ian Ole' (chanters of the Alii court), from the snowy mountains of Japan, the homeland of Portuguese Bean soup, and the inter-mix marriages of American Indians and Puerto Ricans. I believe the seven I have on my back describe who I am the best. Most locals have meaning for their tattoos but we also have people like Lindsay who just go with their flow. Many families have several signs that make up their families even as far as the Scottish Clan "Duncan" like me..."

What's wonderful about this tattoo to me is that Sylvia has incorporated so many cultures and motifs into the design which, as she acknowledges, is based on the wonderful mix of heritage and ancestry that comprises her background. This is very typical of people who live in Hawai'i, which is host to such an explosion of multicultural intermingling.

I love how the honu/sea turtle brings all of the elements together. The eagle, dragonfly, bear paw, wolf, buffalo, and shark all join to provide a rich tapestry of images that each speak to a different aspect of her heritage.

Sylvia's tattoo was inked by Joseph Garcia, Trigga Happy Tattoo in Waipahu. Eagle, Dragonfly, Bear Paw, Turtle, Wolf, Buffalo, and Shark.

Thanks to Sylvia for responding to me initially and for sharing her tattoo via her post here. We here at Tattoosday appreciate your contribution!

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - Honu Thursday

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - Honu Thursday

One of the most popular symbols in modern Polynesian tattoo is the green sea turtle, or honu, as it is known in Hawaiian.

I saw a lot of honu tattoos while I was in Hawai'i, but I didn't snap any photos of them until my last day on Oahu, when I was wrapping up my trip with a last minute stop at Pearlridge. More specifically, I was at the Pearlridge Longs Drug Store, a great place to stock up on chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, Kona coffee, and other tasty local snacks that are hard to find on the mainland.

While wandering the aisles, I spotted not one, but two honu-adorned locals, who were kind enough to share their tattoos with me.

First was Ash, who didn't say much about the four honu on his left leg, other than the fact that he has "always loved turtles," and that his brother was the artist who did the tattoos.

Next was Chantel, who has this lovely tattoo on her upper back:

This not only has the honu element, but also has a floral aspect, along with a Yin and Yang design.

When I asked her where the design came from, she laughed and said she had seen it on a sticker plastered to the back of a car. She liked it so much, she got some paper, traced it, and brought it into a shop called Big Fat Tatts, where the artist sketched it and cleaned up the lines.

Thanks both to Ash and Chantel, for finally getting me my photos of honu tattoos, just a few hours before returning to New York.

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family, Part 2 (Keali'i's Sleeves)

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family, Part 2 (Keali'i's Sleeves)

Mind you, readers, that the last time I saw my nephew Keali'i, he was not yet into the his teens or, if he was, he had just started. So when I saw him for the first time in nearly twenty years, I was stunned. There, in the blindingly bright Kāneʻohe sunlight, where once I had remembered a boy, stood a man.

My first glimpse of his tattoos was at a time when I wasn't thinking much about ink - a sad occasion that gives everyone a bit of perspective, in the bright shadows between the living and the dead.

It wasn't until later that evening, as small glasses with clear liquor were raised in honor of a departed husband, father, and grandfather, when the talk of tattoos began.

I had known Keali'i had ink, but I never realized how much. He has two full sleeves and he kindly shares them here.

His left arm is distinguished by a black and gray depiction of a skeletal warrior king presiding over a dark domain. Skulls are prevalent in the flowing piece that runs the full length of the arm:

The depiction of the great Hawaiian king, Kamehameha the Great, is a popular element in many tattoos for people honoring the history of Hawai'i.

The traditional warrior helmet on the skeleton signifies that this is an undead Kamehameha, a twist on the cultural and historical icon that makes the dark side of Keali'i so unique.


Keali'i's right arm contrasts the left with an explosion of color:

My nephew's full Hawaiian name is Keali'i 'O ka Moana, which translates to "Chief of the Ocean". And he lives up to this moniker, being an avid fan of surfing, diving, and fishing. Embracing his love of the sea, Keali'i adorned this side of his body with the bright vibrant colors of the ocean reefs, with multi-hued corals, anemones, and other sea life, including a fish and an octopus.

Unfortunately, the bottoms of Keali'i's arms are darker than the tops, a fact that he grudgingly accepts as the cost of being in the sun so much, combined with having naturally darker skin to begin with.

His artist, Billy Whitney from 808 Tattoo Studio, has scolded him, Keali'i told me, but he swears up and down he can't help it.

Regardless of the visibility of some of this work, it's still wonderfully done and was great to see in person after hearing so long about his great tattoos.

I want to say a big mahalo to my nephew, Keali'i, for sharing his sleeves with us here on Tattoosday!

Previously in the "Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i - All in the Family" series:

Part 1, A Preface.

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