David Beckham’s ‘Vihctoria’ Tattoo

Anybody Got An Eraser?

Do you remember the ‘David Beckham Victoria Tattoo’ story? Back in 2000, Beckham decided to get his wife’s name emblazoned on his arm in Hindi, as he thought it would look ‘tacky’ in English(!) So he did, only to be told afterwards that it actually spells ‘Vihctoria’ with the additional ‘h’. What a pair of twits! Him and his tattooist. You see, there’s nearly two hundred different languages in the world and not all the sounds and pronunciations are the same. In some languages, some letters of the English alphabet don’t even exist. Therefore, when writing words which are not native from one language to another, you have to be sure that the way you have spelt that word can be read correctly, in the language it is written.

My Personalised Arabic Canvases

I have to adhere to this golden rule because one of the personalised products I offer is your name, or the name of your business written in Arabic on canvas. Most of my clients require English names translated into written Arabic, therefore the grammar has to be correct as well as the pronunciation. I make sure all names are translated correctly into Arabic by conferring with my ‘wise man’, a white-haired older gentleman who just so happens to have a scholarship in Arabic Literature. If he can’t get the translation right, I doubt anybody can(!)

The point is, my personalised arabic art is not only visually appealing and personally unique, but it is also grammatically correct. So I can virtually guarantee you won’t have any embarrasing moments like Mr. Beckham. He has to live with it ‘cos it’s permanently tattooed on his forearm, a constant reminder that ‘money doesn’t improve stupidity’.

Your Comments and Feedback

Are you a big David Beckham fan? What do you think? Have you had a nightmare at the tattoo parlour where something has gone wrong like a spelling mistake or even a a nasty side-effect? I’d love all your feedback and responses to this project. If you’re from Nelson, Burnley, Colne or the surrounding areas, or even if you’re half way across the world, your comments are much appreciated.