You know the score; it's August, and I've just come back from holiday in Cyprus so I was feeling blue, due to the weather in England and it's crap tendencies. So our plans for the day were scrapped.
At A Glance Author sare Contact sare@bme.anon When A year ago Artist anna Studio ace tattoo Location sunderland, uk What to do instead?
Ahh, let's go get something pierced.
I decided on my tongue, as I'd ran out of places on my body to get done. A last meal of fish and chips was ordered, but I had butterflies in my stomach, as I always get when I'm about to get pierced, so I could only manage half.
We went to Sunderland Body Art first off, but the girl who we normally see wasn't in, and wouldn't be in untill Monday, when I was back at work. Boooo!
Ace Tattoo near Parklane was my last chance, it was getting late and I didn't want to go home without a piece of metal in my mouth.
I walked in, and asked the girl behind the counter if they could pierce my tongue. "No probs" she said "Gimme two minutes". My mate stood outside to have a cigarette, when he got his done, he was a good 30minutes.
She introduced her self as "Anna". She had an amazing chestpeice, which she later explained represented her mother, who had died from cancer. It was made up of daffodils and snowdrops. Beautiful.
Anna sat me down, snapped on a pair of surgical gloves and showed me
the needle was sterile as she took it out of the packet.
"Stick out ya tongue then, honey"
So I did, and she took a good look, and checked for where my veins ran, careful not to hit one. A quick dot with a pen, and we were good to go.
She sprayed my tongue with an anaesthetic spray, that tasted a little bit like melon strangely. Now then, my mate having the ciggie outside said he had to swish the spray around his mouth for about 30minutes before they would pierce his tongue.
Anna turns to me with some tissue paper.
"Ok, spit it into this and we'll get started"
I thought, no way, missus! She must be psychic, because quick as a flash she said "This spray is wicked, it works in seconds"
Fair enough, I thought.
Out came the little clamp, and she lined it up with the little pen mark on the centre of my tongue. Before I knew it, or could feel it, I had a needle slap bang in my tongue.
Weird, I thought, I've got a honking big needle in my tongue, and I can't feel a thing.
Next she slipped a plastic tube where the needle was, and inserted the metal bar. All done.
Cost me £20, but I tipped her £5 for being awesome, and walked out of the studio.
My mate hadn't even finished his cigarette.
The strange melon anaesthetic spray had quickly turned into the most disgusting taste in my mouth I've encountered. Walking from the studio to where the car was, we past our favourite bar, Pure. I desperately needed something to take this taste out of my mouth. "Jack and coke, my good man" I said to our mate behind the bar, "Plenty ice!!!" I really wanted to avoid my tongue swelling, as it did with most of my friends.
I sat down, and took out the leaflet Anna had given me on caring for my new piercing.
"Try not to drink alcohol soon after - it thins the blood"
Well, I did try, but clearly failed.
The ice was fabulous, and soon I realised I would have to go the shop to buy supplies for the following week; namely soups, ice lollys, ice cream, yogurts and a good mouthwash.
On getting home, my mother spied my new piercing and proceeded to give me the normal talk of how I've ruined my body, who will marry me now, how will I get a proper job etc. When she stopped half way through, and said "In all fairness, it does suit you. Quite nice, actually"
I nearly fainted.
The following days ensued with my struggling to speak, I had particular trouble with saying "th" and "s", especially when I had to answer the telephone at work with:
"Hello, Shocial Shecurity, Sharah speaking"
which of course all my work colleagues and friends found hilarious.
Anna had told me not to change my bar for 7-10 days, and if I wanted she would do it for me. By the fifth day, my tongue still hadn't swelled up. Probably due to the amount of ice cream I had consumed and ibroprofen I had taken for it's anti-inflammatory ingredients.
So I took the smaller bar out of the little plastic bag Anna had given me, and took out the ridiculously large bar already in my mouth.
As soon as the smaller bar was in, my speech was returned to normal and I could eat normal meals!
My favourite piercing of all time.