"I have the choice of being constantly active and happy or introspectively passive and sad. Or I can go mad by ricocheting in between."

— Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

Hello.

I wanted to do a wordy post but who'd read it anyway.

So anyway, I've been offered jobs left and right and I'm taking up all of them gladly. At some point I'm going to start work in a rooftop bar and as a hello kitty ambassor and I'm crazily excited heh heh.

My tongue is not healing but it's fine, I have given up eating full meals so all I eat is 3 bites off anything and this is significantly helping my weight loss. My tummy has never done better justice to my navel stud.

Speaking of piercings:

When I got my navel piercing, I was scared it'd hurt balls because this was the first piercing I had that needed to go through the skin twice. But as it turned out, it was a quick squeeze and suddenly I'm the owner of the cutest piercing in the world. I had a small issue exercising with it after but nonetheless.

Pain level: 0/10

When I got my first tattoo, I was convinced it's going to be a new realm of pain and I will pass out midway. But it turned out amazingly alright, I could chit chat while getting my ink. It could be the adrenaline and excitement, and there was no aftermath problems. All was perfect, ink will eventually be an addiction.

Pain level: 4/10

When I needed to touch up, I was thinking how bad can it be. I was in heels and I thought it wouldn't matter since I've survived the first ordeal so happily. Wrong. Hurt like a fucking bitch and I was going "fuck fuck FUCK" when he came to the part near my Achilles heel holy shit. I have since learnt to take touch ups seriously.

Pain level: 7/10

When I got my second tattoo, I was in deep misery and was utterly convinced that nothing could make me feel anymore pain than I was under and true enough, the tattoo came and went so quickly I didn't realize it's over. Hazel, who had been convinced I was crying and calling out my mother when I got my first ink, was very annoyed that I didn't break down and convinced me it's probably because the artist was gentle hahaha.

Pain level: 2/10

When I needed to touch up, I was  thinking it would be hell since I've scratched this tattoo to death and I left it a raw wound. But it turned out pleasantly alright. Everything was done and over quickly, literally blinked and it's over.

Pain level: 2/10

When I got my tongue piercing, HA.

I was chatty and nonsensical and asking my piercer stupid questions like can I smoke through my tongue when I take out the stud yadayada and she was patiently answering. The piercing was swift, barely felt a thing. When I looked at it in the mirror I was so weeping happy I wanted to cry. I finally had my perfect 7th stud, the wonderful number for the small metals on my body.

Pain level: 1/10

Oh but what about the aftermath pain?

Let me tell you the honest truth while I'm still suffering before I turn into those tongue-studded, insufferable annoyances who convinced me that a tongue stud heals quick and I shouldn't even worry.

IT IS HELL IN YOUR MOUTH.

Firstly, your tongue isn't used to the metal so it sits awkwardly in your mouth and you really don't know what to do with it. It just feels like a very long and thick gum stuck in your mouth.

Secondly, EATING IS SHIT. I couldn't eat. At first I tried to push it to the side of my mouth but NOOO, my tongue magnetically attracted food to it and I chewed on my raw, open wound thinking it was part of the food KNN, BE PREPARED TO GIVE UP EATING.

Thirdly, you can't talk for nuts. I sound like I have a speech lisp and this is severely hindering me because I am super flowery in my speech and knowing that I now sound like a moron makes me just want to say "HUNGRY. CB. FOOD." instead of my usual "God I'm hungry, my stomach craves sustenance, let's go to a nice eatery."

So here I am, starved and sounding stupid and resisting the idiotic urge to chew on the supposed gum in my mouth which is actually my wound so STOP IT NICOLE.

I hope that was a good guide of what kind of a pain threshold is comparable and what to expect when you decide on a tattoo or a piercing. But whatever your worry, go through with it.

You will never regret any of them.