Oh, Teenagers!

Dennis's daughter got her nose pierced. Not like a full-on hoop that makes you look like a bull. Just a tiny stud, "like Kelly Clarkson". (She is a HUGE almost-15 year old Kelly Clarkson fan...)

Dennis freaked out, a little, but not because he is anti-piercings per se as much as he wanted her to get it done, you know, professionally. Instead of going to a place with clean needles and a sterile environment (read: expensive for a 15 year old), she did it at one of those outdoor streetmarkets (kind of like swap meets, for tourists). I said, "well at least she didn't use a safety pin and an ice cube."

And, there is this "hard core" emerging scene in Chile, (much like everywhere else) where they do things like this:

Which just absolutely shocks me. So I think we are grateful that we only have to deal with a tiny nose ring. Fingers crossed she didn't get hepatitis (no infection, just shock value when she told her dad.)


The cartoon, by the way, expresses how I feel about these teenagers with their funny hair and their piercings and their hardcore indie music and their texting.... I remember thinking in Chile, "wow. don't they go to school?" (it really is an occupation.)