THIS IS THE SITUATION.... IN A COUPLE OF HOURS I'LL BE ON A PLANE FLYING ACROSS THE COUNTRY HEADING TOWARDS MANAUS...THE CAPITAL OF THE AMAZONAS STATE IN THE HEART OF THE AMAZON FOREST...FROM THERE I'LL BOARD A LOCAL SHIP CALLED THE "TANAKA V" THAT AFTER 5 DAYS NAVIGATING THROUGH THE RIO NEGRO WILL REACH THE CITY OF SÃO GABRIEL DA CACHOEIRA...THE "LAST BRAZILIAN CITY" ON THE VENEZUELAN BORDER  AND 25KM AWAY FROM HE EQUATOR LINE...A CITY ON THE SHORES OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RIVER IN THE AMAZON AND AT THE BASE OF THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN BRAZIL...THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE WE DECIDED TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE YEAR OF THE WILD BOAR....AND WE DO NEED TO "BREATHE".... THIS MEANS NO "BLOG THING" FOR A WHILE...EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN SO BUSY LATELY THAT MY BLOG LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN NEGLECTED ANYWAYS...CES'T LA VIE..... I HAVEN'T FINISHED PACKING AND THE FACT THAT I COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THE BLOG IS THE REASON WHY.... I NOW WANT SHOW MY APPRECIATION AND GRATEFULNESS TO EVERYONE THAT HAVE VISITED THIS BLOG THIS YEAR...EVERY MESSAGE OF SUPPORT AND EVERY COMPLIMENT RECEIVED MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE AND INSPIRES ME TO CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE MYSELF AND BECOME A BETTER CRAFTSMAN AND PERSON EVERYDAY...THANK YOU... I WISH FOR EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR...MAY YOU HAVE A TRULY MEANINGFUL NEW YEAR'S EVE AT THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THE ONES YOU LOVE...HOPE YOU START 2008 "KNOWING" MORE THAN YOU DID IN 2007 IN PEACE WITH LIFE AND READY FOR THE YEAR OF THE RAT....MUCH LOVE.....

Uma das primeiras tatuagens que fiz no estudio de São Paulo em 2001(sessão retoque de verão)...boas lembranças dos dias quando as sessões aconteciam em uma casa ainda vazia mas "cheia" de possibilidades...tempos nos quais eu tatuava meus amigos deitados em uma canga no meio da sala...cercado de mais amigos e dos gatos fazendo as sessões fluirem como um ritual de celebracão entre gente da mesma "tribo"....como diz HORIYOSHI III:"BRINCADEIRA DE GENTE GRANDE....."

IT'S TUESDAY 23:55 pm AND I'M STILL GOING.... WOKE UP AT 6:40am AND SPENT MOST OF MY MORNING DRAWING...I DO THINK THAT MORNINGS ARE THE BEST TIME OF THE DAY FOR ME TO DRAW LATELY...COOKED MY LUNCH AROUND NOON AND WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE DRAWING TABLE AS SOON AS I FINISHED EATING. STARTED MY TATTOO SESSION TODAY AT 3pm AND FINISHED IT AT 6:30pm...READ SOME MORE OF TODAY'S PAPER IN ORDER TO RELAX MY BRAIN AFTER TATTOOING FOR MORE THAN 3 HOURS AND GOT READY FOR MY YOGA SESSION. DISCIPLINE IS FUNDAMENTAL WHEN YOU PRACTICE ON YOUR OWN...IT'S ONLY NATURAL TO BE TEMPTED TO NOT PUSH YOURSELF AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD IN A GROUP CLASS WITH A TEACHER...SINCE I HAVEN'T PRACTICED IT FOR MORE THAN 3 WEEKS I DID TAKE IT EASY TONIGHT , STILL THAT DOESN'T MEAN I DIDN'T SWEAT. I THEN TOOK A LONG SHOWER AND PREPARED MY DINNER , WHICH WASN'T MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MY LUNCH AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT WASN'T ENJOYABLE....FINALLY IT WAS TIME TO DO THE DISHES AND ONCE THAT WAS DONE THE KITCHEN LIGHT WENT OFF , WHICH IN THIS HOUSE MEANS THAT THE DAY IS OVER. I'M NOW BACK WHERE IT ALL STARTED...MY BEDROOM...DOING MY BLOG THING AND LOOKING FORWARD FOR TOMORROW.... (more...)