The video documents the author's journey to Buscalan, Kalinga, where he meets Whang Od, a 101-year-old traditional Kalinga tattoo artist. Due to a death in the village, Whang Od is not tattooing that day, but the author and his crew manage to cheer her up with a nose flute, and she agrees to give him a signature three-dot tattoo. The author learns about the traditional Kalinga tattooing culture, where tattoos were a status symbol, and men and women had to earn their tattoos through accomplishments or beauty. The author also meets Luk Ja, an 80-year-old woman with traditional Kalinga tattoos, and learns about the meaning behind her tattoos. The author eventually gets a scorpion tattoo from Whang Od's granddaughter, symbolizing courage and change. Throughout the video, the author reflects on the deep cultural significance of traditional Kalinga tattoos and the importance of respecting and appreciating other cultures.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator is in Buscalan, Kalinga, a town in the Philippines.
2. The narrator is visiting Whang Od's house, where he meets Francis Pa-in, a local from Tinglayan, Buscalan, Kalinga province.
3. Francis explains that the people of Kalinga province were originally headhunters.
4. The tradition of Kalinga tattooing came from the men who would return with a head and get a tattoo as an honor.
5. Women also got tattoos, but for beauty and to attract men.
6. Men had to earn their tattoos by killing someone from another tribe, while women got tattoos for beauty.
7. Whang Od is a 101-year-old tattoo artist who has stopped doing full tattoos due to arthritis.
8. Whang Od still does signature tattoos, which are three dots that represent her and her two granddaughters, Gracia and Elyang, who are also official tattoo artists.
9. The narrator gets a signature tattoo from Whang Od, which is three red dots.
10. The narrator also gets a full tattoo from one of Whang Od's granddaughters, which is a scorpion that symbolizes courage.
11. The tattoo artists use a thorn from a Pamello tree and charcoal from pine trees to create the tattoos.
12. The narrator meets a 90-year-old woman named Luk Ja, who has traditional Kalinga tattoos.
13. Luk Ja explains that the tattoos were used to attract men and that she got them for beauty.