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The Tattooed Women of Kalinga
In the last five years or so, the last living Kalinga tattoo artist of her generation, Apo Whang Od, has received so much attention both in the Philippines and the rest of the world. Her village is now a seeming pilgrimage site with tourists scaling its mountainous terrain in the hopes of receiving her three dots–the only tattoo she can give these days because of her health and failing eyesight. Indeed, Whang Od has become a rockstar of sorts, the poster girl of a thousand-year-old art form that was almost on the brink of extinction. But visit Buscalan and you’ll realize that Whang Od is only one of the many…
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Kalinga Tattoo Gone Wrong
After I published my story about Getting Inked by Whang Od a couple of years ago, I’ve received numerous e-mails and private messages from people from around the world asking for more information about Buscalan and the famous tattoo artist, Apo Whang Od. I am glad that tattoo enthusiasts have found their way to Buscalan and have received their precious ink. But not all experiences are created equal. While some tattoos heal quickly, some get infected. For instance, it didn’t take long for my tattoo to dry up. But my husband’s took a longer time to heal. He also had fever for a couple of days and the swelling only…
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Getting Inked by Whang Od
My husband and I wake up at six in the morning, still a little groggy from last night’s wedding eve party. We are up in the small village of Buscalan in the Cordillera mountains. Weddings here are celebrated for two consecutive days and last night, it seemed that the whole village joined the revelry at the village ‘plaza’ which was, as luck would have it, only two steps away from Whang Od’s house. Hubby and I were so exhausted from the day’s 16-hour journey. But much as we wanted to sleep, Psy’s Gangnam Style blaring from the sound system every 30 minutes had us tossing and turning up until…
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Buscalan: A Warm Welcome
The village of Buscalan in Tinglayan sits prettily on top of a mountain, some 2,000 feet or so above sea level. The village of Buscalan in Tinglayan sits prettily on top of a mountain, some 2,000 feet or so above sea level. It is home to the Botbot Tribe, one of the 31 Subtribes in the province of Kalinga. When we finally get there, we find the community busy preparing for the wedding feast. A wedding! How serendipitous! Under the colorful tent, some women are making what appear to be decors made from palm leaves. While the women are occupied with the preparations, life for…
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The Long Walk to Buscalan
My husband and I are in the middle of a long trek going up to the remote village of Buscalan in Kalinga, Philippines. We are on our way to see the famous tattoo artist Whang Od, said to be the last Kalinga tattoo artist of her generation. My heart is pounding. And no matter how hard I inhale, I can’t seem to fill my lungs with air. I want to give up and just lie down on the slippery ground. I am such a weakling. A couple of local boys happily skipping down the steep mountainside with impressive agility only added insult to my injured self-esteem. My…
a Filipina's take on travelling the world
