shimai = sisters

My younger sister and I have been pretty close our whole lives. We shared a room, she was my maid of honor and I'm hers. We got matching family crest tattoos on our inner Achilles heals.

We decided we wanted another tattoo, something that represents both of us.
So, we decided on an ambigram (something that says 1 word right side up, and when you flip it upside down it says a different word).

We wanted one that sisters one way, and friends the other way. Instead of using the english version of sisters, we used the japanese word which is shimai. I know the Japanese language is pretty tricky and really, they don't have a word for sister or brother, but moreso older sister or younger sister etc... Shimai is the closest representation to sister in that language.

Anyway -- We got the tat's on our inner right wrists.

Hurt a bit and I'm a lot more swollen than my sister was. It's a bit hard to make out since I'm swollen and goey(lotiony), can't wait to see it fully healed.

This pic shows "shimai".


This pic shows "friends".


Tattoos are addicting. This is my third one. I think I want another ;-)

Both my sisters and almost all my cousins have tattoos and some with piercings too. Mike's fam, no one has tattoos, so he doesn't really 'get it'. Not that there is really anything to get. I find tattoos a form of self-expression. There are those out there that feel the need to tell people that they 'ruined' their body by getting tats, but hell, it's not THEIR body. To each their own...Personally, I love tattoos on people, male and female. LOVE IT!

I'm worried about Mike's family's reaction to this new addition I got. Back when we first started dating, his cousin asked (in front of his fam) if I had any tattoos. At the time I had 2, and Mike responded to his cousin saying 'No'. Wow, that was a slap in the face. We had a fight, blah blah blah, and he regrets saying it. Luckily my 2 tats were in hidden spots for the most part, but eventually his fam was going to see them, then what? Eventually his fam and I had some conversations about tattoos and I told them I had two and where they were, what they were and why I got them. I felt the need to explain myself, like trying to find a reason good enough for them to approve of me. They are not fond of tattoos, but then again, I think that is b/c they are stereotyping. I don't want to explain this one, I just want to have it, and let it be something between me and my sis. That I can look at and be happy about.

I'm not a very forward person, so telling people to mind their own business or be blunt enough to say I don't want to talk about it, is out of the question. Ugh. Anyway, this is the MAIN reason why I haven't gotten a tattoo earlier. I would've years ago. I was a wuss. Maybe someday, I'll get one on my own...