Tonight let’s talk to Nny (IAM:Andyroo), the sunshine loving wonderkid!
The Japanese-raised son of missionaries, amongst other things he’s a modified Christian with an in-progress full-body concept tattoo, immense implants, a split tongue, and more, who loves the word ‘fuck’ and wants nothing more than to one day become an ambulance.
| NNY: | Hi Roo, you silly sausage. |
| ROO: | Morning gorgeous, you mentioned to me a few months ago that you were considering legally changing your name from ‘Andrew Buchanan’ to ‘Nny’ — why is that? |
| NNY: | There are a few reasons behind this decision, one of them being that I grew up in Japan, and so the name would be “Andoryuu” which is a little hard to roll off the tongue. So that’s possibly a big reason for why I nevar felt attached to my name in the first place. Seeing how I was also a missionary kid, and Andrew’s a bible name that many other christians name their kids, I knew a lot of people with the same name as me, and that never felt right either. I’ve hated introducing myself with that name because I’d always feel like I was lying, as if I was showing a face that wasn’t mine. I don’t even like saying the name in reference to myself, or even typing it. Bitterness? Nevertheless, when I moved to Alberta eight months ago, I introduced myself as Nny, Nee, Knee, Ni... whatever the fuck rhymed with tea and started with N! The spelling I only decided upon recently — sure, it looks like it’s pronounced many different ways, but it’s supposed to be pronounced like “JohNNY” without the “Joh”. I liked that it’s Japanese for the number two, and that when you say it, it’s easy to go straight into a smile. HAH! heheheh, what? I also like that it’s a simple name, easy to remember, and just fun!
My parents were upset at first when they heard of my intentions, but after a lot of explaining they understood, even though it is a big change and they’re not sure it’s the best idea, they trust my motivations and have given me their blessing. As soon as I get my birth certificate in the mail, I’ll be doing it up. |
| ROO: | Has your involvement in body modification caused you problems with people who share the same religious beliefs? Or does your cheerful personality keep people from holding your modifications against you? |
| NNY: | There have been times where people don’t agree at all with what I’ve done and am doing and plan on doing to my body. The radical more close-minded individuals have a hard time accepting my changes — especially the scarification on my cheeks for some strange reason. If it was ink they’d be ok, but because it’s cut they view it as mutilation. Personally, I believe that the difference between modification and mutilation lies in the motivation behind the change... These people usually don’t listen too well when I try to explain. Then there are the people who respond positively and are grateful that I represent christians from a different perspective. I’ve been through a lot of debates with people and for the most part manage to be accepted in the end. There are those that don’t agree with the modifications but overlook them because I have the right attitude. Jesus Himself said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt. 22:37-40)
I fully believe that as long as you’re living this, the rest is all trivial. |
| ROO: | Do you shout ‘FUCK YES’ when other people would use ‘Hallelujah?’ |
| NNY: | HAHAHAH YES! Well, I tend to switch it up often, but I also try to keep the profanity on the downlow around those that I know don’t appreciate it too much, even though I think it’s silly that people are offended by words, especially one as versatile as fuck. I don’t enjoy excessive swearing though — I like that profanity just adds emphasis and emotion to sentences. Of course there are other, more PG ways of doing this, but it’s mega fun to shout a good FUCK! On the other hand, I am not down with using God’s name in vain in any way. I like hands. |
| ROO: | Tell me more about your gun sleeve, was it an easy decision to cover up your outbreak of “Spotitis”, what prompted it? |
| NNY: | I didn’t even pause to think about covering the “Spotitis”. Which bee tee dubya was also covering sakura flowers very similar to those on my left arm. Before I got the tattoos on my right arm I knew that they were eventually going to be covered in black. And soon enough my left arm will be solid colour and flowers. At the moment I am one huge work in progress — I don’t have any one tattoo that is finished. When I’m done, I intend to be big one piece of art, not a collection of tiny tattoos but an overall singular piece of solid black, cut-out flowers, colourful flowers and circles et cetera. So far I have 38 hours of ink, and I’m guessing I have about thirty or forty more to go. Overall it will cover maybe forty percent of my body — I’m not entirely sure how one could easily calculate that though. Another thing about my tattoos is that there are no meanings behind them. A lot of people have heaps of meaning behind each and every one of their tatties — HAHAHAHAHAHAH — which I think is awesome, but in my case all my ink is there merely for aesthetic or artistic purposes (for the most part).
...any meaning I attribute to the tattoos are thought of afterwards and are usually jokes. |
| ROO: | I know for a fact you share the same love of campfires I do. What’s the most fun you’ve ever had around one? |
| NNY: | Probably the time I had an avulsion on my right index finger from cutting reeds for bedding underneath my sleeping bag. I used tape to hold the flap of skin down. Getting wasted, hot dogs, marshmallows which I don’t burn and S’mores just make your mouth really dry, so then there is dill pickle juice, and laughter... but the best time around a campfire is when we listen to the night, the wind, the crickets, the frogs, owls, leaves and the silence.
The thing you need to understand though, is that I find everything beautiful, honestly, I like everything. Except of course the evil and corrupt things, I will find everything magnificently fascinating, and delightful. The tiniest thing that isn’t even anything will be enjoyed by me. |
| ROO: | Describe your perfect day for me from start to finish. |
| NNY: | First off, it would be spent with my Love/Tiny Kitten/Meth/Super Nin, otherwise it wouldn’t be quite as perfect. ...Fuck, I don’t even know — every day has the potential to be perfect really, especially if it is summer and sun. Other than that I really can’t say, which is a total cop out, eh?
Hahahah sorry to fuck this question up so badly. |
| ROO: | Don’t worry about it, I’ve got an easier one for you. Have you ever received bumsex? |
| NNY: | Nope, but seeing how I’m such a meathole and all, it’s not out of the question. Hahahahah, no, huh? what? mother?
Anyways, ummmm yeah sorry I’m not gay, I guess I’m not really straight either ’cause I’m taken, but boys kissing boys is hot. |
| ROO: | Damn straight brother!
You mentioned in one of your recent diary entries the possibility of moving to New Zealand — why’s that? |
| NNY: | Well the consideration of possibly moving to New Zealand is actually rather new, but it clicks if you know what I mean. I never could picture myself living anywhere, I figured that it didn’t really matter where, as long as it is with my family (to be) and sofuckinghopefully was warm. Canada is ‘no’ because simply put, it’s too cold — BC maybe, except The One that I am going to be with grew up there, so that’s also checked off the list. America sucks, and even though Hawaii is tempting as FUCK, it’s still America. I miss Japan ridiculously, but it’s checked off the list because I am to be a paramedic, and re-learning it all in Japanese would be difficult, plus Japan doesn’t have a drug problem, and, just, I feel like Japan is to stay in my memories. New Zealand clicked. That’s mostly it. It has the same type of climate as BC (they don’t call it “Beautiful British Columbia” for nothing), and ink is much more accepted than here in North America so being visibly tattooed will be much less of a problem... Plus I’d like to pick up an accent.
I don’t know really, but I fully suspect I’ll be a kiwi one day. |
| ROO: | Where do you see yourself in five and three quarter months? |
| NNY: | It will be May 2007, and I will probably be taking my EMT program and working on the side, most likely still here in Edmonton. Maybe I’ll go to the oil rigs and be a safteyman for a bit to save up money, maybe I’ll find a job as an ambulance someplace in South Alberta, or maybe I’ll be in New Zealand already.
Who the fuck knows — my plans are flexible, and I never expect them to stay the same... but I work towards what they are, and the main thing is to become an ambulance. I hope I’m done with my tattoos by then too. I’m sure there will be a very peaceful, serene, content feeling to having them completed. |
| ROO: | Feel free to remain just as you are of course, but if you could be anything in the world — apart from an ambulance — what would it be? |
| NNY: | If I wasn’t what I wanted to be, I’d be working towards getting there, and it’s all really just one big journey, I wouldn’t change a thing! ...although I think it’d be dope to be able to jump hundreds of metres and land gracefully without hurting myself. That’d be kick ass! |
| ROO: | To close, you mentioned that none of your tattoo work has any particular meaning apart from the aesthetic and artistic viewpoint. Can you put your finger on a particular moment in your life that kick-started your wander down body modification road? What drives you to be implanted, tattooed, pierced, and scarred versus say, the less stigmatized world of ‘extreme’ fashion, make-up, or hairstyles. |
| NNY: | I can’t remember any one point in time that started all of this, but I do know that from as young as I can remember I’ve been drawing the two lines on my cheeks. Not sure why, they just feel like they fit perfectly. Drawing on myself was something I did constantly — I didn’t so much like the art itself, but the way it flowed with and added to the body. The flow is really the theme behind all of it. I guess maybe I do have meaning behind my work — the flowers because they’re beautiful and I appreciate them, and the circles because circles are forever. What I like about ink, scars, implants, splits and all of that is the permanence of them. Once I get it done there is no going back — well there is, but that’s just a lot of trouble. Some people are scared by the longevity of modifications, but for me that’s part of the appeal. With all of these changes I’ve made to myself it doesn’t feel like I am adding to my body — it’s just me showing the world what I see. There is an image in my mind of how I percieve myself, and I’m just trying to make it easier for others to see. Also, when I see them in the mirror, it just feels right.
I go with the clicks and feelings — it’s all in the heart. |
| ROO: | Thanks for your time Nny, you’ve been a gentleman. Keep on smiling! |
| NNY: | FUCKING RIGHT I WILL! o^-^o |
| ROO: | I love you, Nny. |
| NNY: | I love you too, Roo. |
Roo Crumbs (iam:RooBot) is 28, male, a thousand feet tall, and grazes on the treetops for breakfast. He’s covered from nape of neck to tip of wang in heart tattoos. He likes to read, write, and daydream about Canada. He won’t fix your computer (unless you ask nicely) and he doesn’t like Charles Dickens.
This article is copyright © 2006 bmezine.com, and for bibliographical purposes was first published November 4, 2006.