I got robbed so I got something they can’t steal from me
When I was 15 years old I worked at Chick-Fil-A in Orlando, Florida. I worked part-time with my brother and friends. It was a fun experience because I was able to make money and learn how to be financially independent. After one month of working at minimum wage ($5.25/hour), I made my first purchase, a gold Figaro necklace. I always wore it – I never took it off. I was very proud of it because I paid for it with my own money. A few months of living in Saigon, my 12-year-old cherished possession was stolen from me in a blink of an eye. I was walking on Dong Khoi Street just before Tet Holiday in a crowd of people. It was a classic snatch and the thief blended into the crowd.
Things like this happen quite often in Saigon. That’s another story in itself. Petty theft in Saigon is big business. It happens to both foreigners and locals. As Vietnam continues to grow, one has to think, who will do anything to get this under control. Besides for this incident, Vietnam has been good to us and that’s why we love Vietnam!
I was incredibly upset and this just helped me make my final decision about getting a tattoo in Asia. A tattoo is definitely more permanent than a necklace. However, many people associate tattoos with the mafia in Asia. In America, tattoos are a form of expression. I got my first tattoo after my father passed away and it reminds me everyday about him.
After doing my research, I decided to get my tattoo at Lac Viet Tattoo & Piercing, a branch of Saigon Ink at 608 Dien Bien Phu. They were professionals. It took a total of 13 hours in three sittings and it was truly an experience that I will never forget. I added a design to an existing tattoo that has an Ohm and made a short sleeve. It represents my time in Asia and on my back there is an outline of Mount Fuji where I proposed to Shauna.
