Tina's Worst Idea Yet

I generally try to make at least one bad decision per day. Yesterday it was taking my bike over the border, winding up in some tiny Swiss town, having no idea how to get back to Konstanz, and consulting maps in a church cemetary. Today it was wandering into the jewelery store, and spontaneously and spur-of-the-momently getting my ears pierced while I was completely alone and an hour before I had class.

I'd been thinking about getting it done for awhile, and Sungmi had even offered to do them for me. But as much as I trust Asians with anything and everything beauty related, somehow the prospect of a professional with an earring gun sounded alot better than Sungmi (as much as I love her) putting holes in my head with nondescript household objects, namely a needle, a magic marker, and a lighter.

So, just curiously, I wandered into Aforementioned Jewelery Store and asked how much money I would have to give them in exchange for them perforating my face. "7 Euros" said Store Lady, "But I'm afraid dear that you have to be at least 16." "Well, that's good," I said, "because I'm 20." Store Lady stared at me for like 30 seconds, started laughing and said "Seriously? Because you look like you're fourteen." Thanks, Store Lady. Anyway, Store Lady had me pick out earrings, threw a stool down in the middle of the store, and said "Now don't you worry, Other Store Lady is going to do them for you. I've pierced ears before, but only once, and...well...Other Store Lady will do it. Other Store Lady, you'll do it, right?" "Hells no," Other Store Lady said, "you can do it."

Wow, Store Ladies, really not making me feel comfortable right about now.

Anyway, Store Ladies pulled about 8 billion different gadgets out of packages, sterilized things for like 8 years, and finally pulled out Earring Gun. "Don't worry," said Store Lady, "I've practiced alot." What I felt like saying was "With all due respect Store Lady, I totally wasn't worrying until you pointed out that you'd only ever done this once, and hinted that it didn't go so well. The thought of you practicing on dummy heads doesn't make me feel any better, and, if truth be told, I think this is a terrible idea, I don't trust you to put holes in ears eithout killing me in the process, and Sungmi with a lighter is sounding alot safer right about now." But I didn't actually say anything.

Hole 1 went quite well, but when Store Lady put Hole 2 in (with Other Store Lady muttering helpful hints and suggestions along the way, which disturbed me even more), they both freaked out. I don't know why they both went nuts, but when they freaked out I freaked out, and Store Lady going "It's okay! It's okay! I think it's okay!" pretty much put me over the edge. I stood up, but as soon as I did, the entire room went white, everyone's voices went about three octaves lower, and I went into total Get Away From Crazy Ladies Wielding Earring Guns mode. I paid, took the little leaflet they gave me and the bottle of cleaner so my ears don't get infected and fall off, and was out of there like lightning.

In retrospect, having Sungmi do my ears probably would have been less traumatizing, but they actually look quite nice, if I do say so myself. Marina said they really bring out the color of my eyes, which confuses me alot because my earrings are blue, but I figure at least now I can wear crap off the sides of my face like normal people.

Adios amigos