This is your kidneys on drugs

kidney damage

I was admitted to ICU courtesy of a methamphetamine overdose which made my creatinine levels skyrocket. There is some permanent damage to my kidneys from my decade of drug use and my doctor says that the damage is no joke.

dialysis

I had to do a dialysis with tubes sticking out of my neck while I was in there and had a catheter stuck inside me (a very unpleasant sensation – trust me) and I was discharged in a week’s time. The latest blood sample showed that my kidneys are basically alright but now my liver is starting to fail…

…which my doctor says is no joke either.

I guess this is my cue to quit drugs. *shrugs*

It’s for you AL. πŸ™‚

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Latest tattoo: For the devil my soul, for you, my flesh tattoo on back

steph celtic cross tattoo

I got another tattoo done on impulse on Sunday evening. I decided to commemorate the breakup with *x with the new tattoo and said so in the video (actually I said “Steph” in the video, this is a semi-honest mistake, I meant to say “star crossed”). It was done at no other than Borneo Headhunters Tattoo and Piercing for RM 500.

steph celtic cross tattoo wrap

The tattoo is the very same Celtic cross tattoo [sixthseal.com] that I had wanted to do for a long time. Celtic cross sounds too generic so I gave it a name – “For the devil my soul, for you, my flesh“. It’s a tattoo of a Celtic cross with the inscription “In nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti” which means “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Sprit” in Latin.

steph celtic cross tattoo borneo headhunters

The tattoo was done at 5 pm on the 3rd of September 2006, the very same day I was warded for psychosis. I was in a manic state then, and wanted to get a tattoo so I called up Ernesto at Borneo Headhunters (who won the best Celtic/Tribal tattoo award twice in a row) and got myself inked.

steph celtic cross tattoo video

Download: Celtic tattoo video [sixthseal.com]

“This is dedicated to Steph, because of you; I never stray too far from the sidewalk.”

steph celtic cross tattoo tracing

This is the tracing of the tattoo being done…

steph celtic cross tattoo outline

…and getting the outline on my back.

steph celtic cross tattoo me inked

This is me getting inked.

steph celtic cross tattoo forming

There’s the tattoo forming…

steph celtic cross tattoo done

…and it’s done.

For the devil my soul, for you, my flesh.

Always.

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The Final Solution: The day I tried to kill myself

hb suicide attempt

I don’t even know how it started but I was having suicidal thoughts for the past two days. I even made plans to “finish” everything e.g. get my hard disk home (photos) and had thought about which was the best way to go (jumping is not coz just in case I didn’t die, my balls won’t survive the fall and my offspring-to-be will be thwarted).

I planned to use my cigarette break to get out of ICU and then grab a scalpel on my way out to slit my throat. I had also planned to have the backup option of getting a box cutter from the front desk (grab it if I have to) and slitting my wrists.

I had also considered (though not to a great extent) running over to the pharmacy and swallowing a bottle of pills (won’t work coz they’ll just pump my stomach and shove me with a huge medical bill and I’ll still be alive).

I stole a syringe from the ICU and a pair of big scissors I intended to stab my vital organs with. I called my dad telling him that I love him and told him to tell my mom that I said “Hello”. I also asked him to finish my business (hard disk) for me in not so many words. He said he’ll pray for me.

I tried to go to the toilet to lock myself in but the ICU nurse found me out. He asked to check my pants and he found the scissors and syringe. I was watched like a hawk after that. I looked around the entire place for sharp things and I finally found one…a fire extinguisher encased in pure, thick glass.

I looked at the glass and I told myself to smash it and get a large piece of broken glass to slit my wrists. I said I’ll count to ten and I’ll jump over and do it.

10…9…8…

3…2…1…

I jumped out of bed and smashed the thick glass with my fist. I could hear the ICU nurses running over and I knew I had to be quick. I pulled out a big piece of solid glass with my bare hands (got a lot of cuts on my palm coz of that) and slit my wrist.

It was too blunt. I had to stab it in.

Mr. Poh! Don’t do this!

I stopped in my tracks. I don’t know why but having your named called when you’re about to commit suicide just brings you back. I looked at her.

“This glass isn’t even sharp”, I said while halfheartedly slitting my wrists.

I knew I wasn’t going to kill myself then.

There was blood all over the place from the broken glass and my right arm which grazed through the thick glass and where it nearly passed through muscle.

hb suicide stitch

The next few moments passed in a blur. One nurse held my hand to stem the bleeding (was bleeding like a pig) and another got gauze and another got the RMO (Resident Medical Officer) to come up to stitch me up.

I was manic at this point, cracking jokes and making small talk and said to put the broken glass on my bill (they didn’t). The RMO came in and started to suture me. I said I didn’t want any opiates and not even topical analgesics like lidocaine/lignocaine coz I quit drugs.

He said “This is cruel” while stitching me over and over. I didn’t even feel a thing. I told him I like physical pain but I have emotional/psychological pain.

He was impressed when I was stitched up. “Wow, you didn’t even move despite having no painkillers”.

I repeated my stance on physical vs. psychological pain.

hb suicide superficial

I got bandaged on my wrist for superficial wounds as well as on my fist for various cuts and incisions from the broken glass.

hb suicide wound

It’s ironic that the most serious wound (the one that pieced through muscle) was the one sustained while punching through the glass with my bare hands.

I got transferred to Sarawak General Hospital and nearly to Kota Sentosa Psychiatric Hospital. Luckily, I answered all the right questions and was too sedated (they gave me a sedative, not a benzo coz I would have had tolerance and they knew) from something so I fell asleep and woke up in SGH.

hb suicide nicorette

They don’t allow you to smoke in SGH so I had to resort to smoking Nicorette Inhalers. I nearly wanted to kill myself again. πŸ˜‰

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New tattoo on chest – Phoenix (marking fresh out of detox) Rebirth photos

phoenix rebirth

I just got a new colored tattoo on my chest – it’s a phoenix to symbolize rebirth and marking the day I stopped using drugs (opiates). I don’t want to elaborate much about the ICU matter but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why I was in. It’s my third day off drugs now and I’m doing good.

phoenix fresh

Phoenix Rebirth is the tattoo I got to commemorate this day. It’s a custom design, I wanted an aggressive phoenix that looks like it has flames and is soaring up. New beginnings and all that. I had it done at Borneo Headhunters. It’s located on my left chest, close to my heart.

phoenix rebirth video

Download: Phoenix Rebirth tattoo video [sixthseal.com]

Photos of the tattoo:

phoenix rebirth tattoo start

The base design of Phoenix Rebirth

phoenix rebirth me ernesto

This is me and Ernesto the tattoo artist

phoenix rebirth tattoo ink

This is me getting inked

phoenix rebirth tattoo bloody

It’s a little bloody over here

phoenix rebirth tattoo bloodbath

It’s a bit of a bloodbath when the coloring of the phoenix in red was done

phoenix rebirth tattoo blood

This is the finished tattoo

phoenix rebirth tattoo clean

I proudly present to you – Phoenix Rebirth

phoenix rebirth tattoo end

This is my latest tattoo – it’s the third one and it’s going to be a constant reminder that I’ve quit drugs.

Phoenix rebirth.

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The Royal London Circus 2006

royal london circus

The Royal London Circus came back to Malaysia again and is doing a tour of the major cities in Sarawak. I caught the show in Sibu, where it is still currently running at the Old Airport (near UCS new campus).

royal london circus ticket office

The big top for The Royal London Circus 2006 is set up at the old airport of Sibu and tickets go for RM 25, RM 35, and RM 55 for Class C, Class B, and Class A seating respectively. I got two tickets of the Class A seats for RM 110. Class A seats are closest to the circus ring.

royal london circus tickets

The Royal London Circus holds a lot of fond memories for me – I’ve been to the show three times in my life (counting this one). The first one was during my childhood – my dad took me to watch the late night show when I was 5 years old and the second time was when I was 13 – I went to watch a couple of shows when The Royal London Circus were here (free tickets).

performers arriving

This time, we caught the 2 pm show and saw some of the acrobats from China arriving with their Romanian coach in car before the show. I went early with my gf to get prime seats so I could take videos and photos. It turns out that we didn’t have to worry coz practically no one went for the RM 55 tickets, preferring the back seats, so we had pretty much free reign in the Class A area.

royal london circus entrance

The Royal London Circus big top is enclosed in a sealed camp which has toilet amenities as well as food and snacks – classic circus fare like popcorn and pink cotton candy. There are some mildly amusing quotes carved into blocks of wood near the concessions area with phrases like “All who spend money here goes to heaven. The more you spend the closer you get to heaven!!!” and “I don’t like to commit myself about heaven and hell – you see, I have friends in both places” a little further down.

food coupon

The food sold inside The Royal London Circus compound requires food coupons to purchase. The food coupons are purchased at face value and can be redeemed at any of the food stands. One bottle of mineral water costs RM 3 and the same goes for popcorn and cotton candy. Strangely enough, there were vendors inside the big top during the show which sells the same items for cash.

big top

The Royal London Circus seems to have a smaller big top this time, with different entrances on one facade leading towards the three different seating areas. Class C tickets are to the back and barricaded away from the main action while Class B tickets are behind the Class A area and is cordoned off with latch doors. Class A spans the sides of the circus performer’s entrance and the front of the stage.

monkey cage

The Royal London Circus also has animals on show outside the big top to entertain patrons before the show starts. The animals are show animals it seems like the animals are rotated coz I saw small monkeys in cage before we went in and ponies when the show was over.

stage front

The big top opens at around 1:30 pm and we went inside to get good seats – I sat directly in front of the stage, and the circus ring was close enough to touch if one reaches out with the fingers. My gf was apprehensive about stampeding circus animals at this proximity but I told her nothing bigger than an elephant is on the show (which was true). πŸ˜‰

circus stage

The Royal London Circus has a stage which consists of one ring – the main circus performing area and a live band setup with drum kits and all at the top, elevated from the circus ring. The entire setup is colored a cheerful red with white drapes hanging down (which are used for a circus act, as we found out) and the famed Sphere of Terror – a spherical locked cage – prominently displayed on one side.

popcorn

The Royal London Circus popcorn goes for RM 3 inside the ring (same price but paid with cash) and it’s a good thing they sold food inside the circus ring coz I ate quite a lot of stuff from popcorn to sodas to burgers. Classic circus fare, ya know, you gotta partake it in for the full experience. πŸ˜‰

clown start

The Royal London Circus show started with a familiar clown/ringleader that seems to have been in the last two show I’ve been – he’s a rather old (but grandfatherly) British chap, and a little too skinny for a clown. The first routine in the circus introduces the clown (which also acts as the ringleader) waking up from a slumber…

clown clothes

…and putting on his clothes…

clown hat

…with his hat provided by the assistant…

circus cast

…before introducing the entire circus cast! πŸ™‚

intro video

Download: Royal London Circus intro video [sixthseal.com]

china hats

The three Chinese acrobats from China started off the show with a funny three hat juggling act. It’s funnier than it sounds; you really have to watch this one to appreciate the slapstick humor. It’s a combination of choreography and over the top facial expressions that makes this act work.

chinese video

Download: Royal London Circus Chinese acrobats [sixthseal.com]

arabian dance

The next circus act is the obligatory Arabian dance by sharp featured, skimpily dressed Caucasian females. It has been a Royal London Circus tradition to have an act like this interspaced throughout the show and I swear I can recognize some of the women from a Can Can dance routine back when I was 13.

arabian video

Download: Royal London Circus Arabian dance [sixthseal.com]

drape dance

The white drapes at the back of the circus ring mentioned previously was used as a prop for the next act – it was the most beautiful and moving performance in the entire lineup. The performance was done by a pair fusing elements of acrobatics and ballet with choreography, defying gravity by moving fluidly through the air using just the cloth drapes…an absolutely delightful and charming performance.

ballet video

Download: Royal London Circus ballet [sixthseal.com]

poodle show

There was also a poodle performance entailing simple arithmetic done by the trained dogs through barking and the act also has the dogs running around and jumping through hoops and standing on chairs.

elephant act

The next performance is also animal related – it’s the elephant! The elephant was brought in by two Indian handlers and the chained animal was made to do some tricks around the ring.

elephant lift

The act had the elephant lifting up one of the handlers at one point and they also got the pachyderm to play ball.

elephant video

Download: Royal London Circus elephant [sixthseal.com]

circus photo

The intermission came at this point and there were photo ops with the elephant and also a pony. I went for the elephant. It cost me RM 15 to sit on the elephant and I felt sorry for the big dude, he has really sad eyes (it’s a he, I looked) and a bony body.

mexican act

The Royal London Circus started the second act with acrobats from Mexico in a double ring contraption that works by having both of them standing inside the respective rings and moving them around.

mexican blindfold

One of the circus performers was blindfolded and then started moving around the inner ring while his partner stepped out and walked on the contraption itself. It was entertaining, but it made me dizzy.

mexican video

Download: Royal London Circus Mexican act [sixthseal.com]

pony act

The pretty kicking ponies came out next…

pony dancers

…followed by more pretty kicking ponies, sorry, I mean performers. πŸ˜‰

dance video

Download: Royal London Circus dance [sixthseal.com]

chinese trio

The Chinese trio came out with another slapstick humor act after that. I noticed that one of them had a perforation in his suit, right where his crotch was, and I pointed that out to my girlfriend. That was pretty funny. πŸ˜‰

romanian ballet

The dreamy ethereal ballet dancer from Romania came out next to do an elegant routine, which I enjoyed tremendously.

romanian trapeze

This performance also included a trapeze act with her partner in addition to the choreographed gymnastics.

trapeze video

Download: Royal London Circus trapeze [sixthseal.com]

sphere of terror setup

The Sphere of Terror was set up to mark the end of the show. There were four motorcycles in total revving their engines and going around the metal sphere in carefully choreographed loops.

sphere of terror

It’s another cliche circus act, but the crowd seems to like it.

sphere video

Download: Royal London Circus Sphere of Terror [sixthseal.com]

royal london circus end

The Royal London Circus cast and crew came out for an encore after that, marking the end of the show. It lasted a good 2 1/2 hours in total and it was pretty entertaining and nostalgic to watch.

encore video

Download: Royal London Circus encore [sixthseal.com]

The Royal London Circus is a great circus act – it may have been trimmed down in terms of cast and acts since its inception but it’s still entertaining as always.

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Game Boy micro review

gameboy micro display

Nintendo came out with the Game Boy micro as a revamp of the Game Boy Advance SP system with the tagline “smaller. sleeker. brighter.”. It takes in Game Boy Advance SP cartridges and the Game Boy micro is one small and sleek unit, which prompted me to purchase it. I bought it bundled with a game for RM 410 – I chose Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the GBA.

gameboy micro buy

The Game Boy micro retails for RM 380 (stock) and it’s marketed towards the iPod generation with its sleek design. It’s very small – just slightly larger than the cartridges it accepts. You’ll be hard pressed to imagine just how small the Game Boy micro actually is until you see it. It’s about as large as the screen on the Sony PSP. That’s how small it is.

game boy micro box

The packaging of the Game Boy micro is suitably sleek (sorry for the repeated use of this word) – it looks like a product from Apple instead of from Nintendo. The design of the Game Boy micro returns to the horizontal screen and it looks like a controller for a conventional console with an LCD screen built into it. It is easy to mistake this new product for an iPod instead of a handheld.

game boy micro box open

The Game Boy micro package opens up to reveal the Game Boy micro unit – it’s exactly the same size as depicted on the packaging. (!!!) The handheld is protected with a mini bubble wrap covering and the Game Boy micro is going back to basics with the D-pad (directional pad) and the bright and high resolution LCD screen coupled with the A and B buttons on the side.

game boy micro charger

The charger for the Game Boy micro is included with the package. The Game Boy micro has inbuilt rechargeable batteries (non-removable) that charges up with the included AC adapter in about two hours to full battery status. The play time for a full charge is about 6 hours with the speakers on (which is the only bad part about the GBM – the speakers are tinny) and about 6 1/2 hours with a self-powered headphone.

game boy micro unit

This is the Game Boy micro unit itself (still inside the shrink wrap). The Game Boy micro accepts a standard headphone jack and I found gaming to be more interesting with one of my powered vibration headphones. There are Start and Select buttons at the bottom of the unit and two Left and Right buttons on the top. This unit is built to look sleek (apologies for the repetition).

game boy micro manual

There is also a Game Boy micro Instruction Manual. The manual describes the operations of the Game Boy micro and it seems that most of the GBA accessories are incompatible with the Game Boy micro due to the smaller form factor of the latter. However, all the GBA (Game Boy Advance) cartridges are fully compatible with the GBA. Nintendo has also stated that they’re coming out with a Wireless Adapter for the GBM.

game boy micro pouch

There is also a black traveling pouch included in the Game Boy Micro box. It’s built perfectly for transporting the GBM and has a pull-shut string on the top to seal the cotton pouch. It is however, made of cotton and thus would not protect the GBM from shocks and drops. However, I have dropped the Game Boy micro from waist point to solid concrete once and it powered up without any problems. It seems pretty solid for a design of its size. That good coz I tend to drop things…a lot. πŸ˜‰

game boy micro box contents

That’s the standard accessories included in the Game Boy micro box – the Game Boy micro unit itself, the AC Adapter for recharging the built in lithium ion rechargeable batteries, a carrying pouch, and the Instruction Manual which comes with an international warranty. It’s priced at RM 380 which is affordable enough for an impulse purchase and there’s value for money in this latest release from Nintendo.

game boy micro

This is the Game Boy micro handheld unit. The Game Boy micro is made of aluminum metal and looks like brushed silver. It looks good for a handheld – small and sleek. The LCD screen is incredibly bright with high resolution due to its smaller dimensions from a GBA unit (which are the games you would be playing with the Game Boy micro). The simple D-pad with A and B buttons is perfect – back to minimalist handheld gaming.

game boy micro bottom

There is also a Start and Select button on the bottom of the Game Boy micro unit. It flashes blue for several seconds if it’s on a full charge and goes dormant (same color scheme occurs during the charging process – the Start and Select buttons go blue during charging and goes dormant when it’s fully charged). The two buttons goes red when the Game Boy micro unit is low on battery. The Start and Select buttons should be familiar to gamers. The On/Off toggle switch is also located at the bottom of the GBM.

game boy micro top

The top of the Game Boy micro unit is built in with the receptacle that accepts the AC Adapter included with the Game Boy micro unit. This placement is crucial, as I found out, as it allows gaming even when the unit is being recharged (and this is very important for long RPG’s like Final Fantasy IV for the GBA – there is a problem with saving games and you basically have to go through the game in one shot). There are also Left and Right buttons at the top. It’s all very intuitive for console and handheld gamers.

game boy micro back

This is the back of the Game Boy micro unit. The bottom of the unit accepts the game cartridges. The Game Boy micro is compatible with all Game Boy Advance (GBA) and Game Boy Advance SP cartridges. That’s a huge library of games at your disposal. However, the cartridges are expensive though – it would be cheaper to get one of the aftermarket GBA cartridge converters that accepts an SD Card – which you can use to download ROM’s for the GBA online and transfer it into the SD Card for gaming on the go (beats playing it on an emulator on the PC any day). Please note that this is illegal if you do not own the original copy of the GBA game though. πŸ˜‰

game boy micro size compare

Here is a comparison to show the actual size of the Game Boy micro – it is pictured here with a normal King Size cigarette box (20’s). It is only slightly longer than the cigarette box. The official dimensions for the Game Boy micro is 4 inches by 2 inches. It’s the smallest handheld unit on the market.

game boy micro size depth

This is a picture to compare the thickness of the Game Boy micro. It’s hardly near the bulk of the cigarette box – the Game Boy micro measures 0.8 inches in depth. The cartridge adds minimal bulk to the unit, which is surprising. The Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP cartridges all fits in snugly with minimal outcrop.

game boy micro nfs most wanted

I bought Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the GBA bundled with the game. The Game Boy micro does not have a library of its own – it takes in GBA and GBA-SP cartridges for games.

game boy micro cartridge

This is how the cartridges are slotted into the Game Boy micro. It has an auto-interlock system for safe insertion of the cartridges and the raised portion of the cartridges allows you to pull out the cartridges instead of depending on a push-out button, which minimizes mechanical failure during constant swapping of cartridges.

game boy micro cartridge insert

Here is the Game Boy micro with Need for Speed: Most Wanted for the Game Boy Advance. The GBA cartridges all slots in with minimal outcrop, which is great for pulling out cartridges and inserting them.

game boy micro splash

This is the Game Boy micro boot up screen – it shows the Nintendo Game Boy micro boot up sequence (video below) and the Select and Start buttons are red – indicating low battery status.

game boy micro bootup

Download: Game Boy micro (GBM) boot up sequence video [sixthseal.com]

game boy micro nfs most wanted game splash

Here is the Need for Speed: Most Wanted splash screen on the Game Boy micro. The LCD screen is incredibly bright and has a very high resolution compared to the GBA (first and second editions), partly due to the smaller LCD screen, which compresses the pixels. I was impressed by the clarity of the screen on the Game Boy micro.

game boy micro nfs most wanted game

This is how Need for Speed: Most Wanted looks on the Game Boy micro. The rendering is impressive on a handheld of the Game Boy micro generation (GBA). I was interested in how a racing game would perform on a Game Boy micro and it performs much better than on the original platform (GBA) – probably due to the faster processor.

game boy micro nfs game

Download: Need for Speed: Most Wanted game play movie [sixthseal.com]

game boy micro final fantasy

The faster processor on the Game Boy micro can also lead to problems with classic GBA games…Final Fantasy IV Advance runs much faster than I remembered on the Game Boy micro compared to the Game Boy Advance SP. The graphics and the sound has depth to it though – much more than the GBA. The tests were run with a self-powered headphone attached to the stereo jack – the sound output is dismal on a stock Game Boy micro.

game boy micro ffiv

Download: Final Fantasy IV Advance on Game Boy micro [sixthseal.com]

The Game Boy micro is a great handheld system for classic games though – the return to the basic D-pad and the A and B buttons with a higher resolution and brighter LCD screen and the sleek form factor just cannot be beat at this price range.

I’ll give the Game Boy micro two thumbs up but one of them is on the directional pad and the other on the A button. πŸ˜‰

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sixthseal.com 4th Birthday!

sixthseal.com was officially launched on 19th April 2002. πŸ™‚

4th birthday

sixthseal.com celebrates it’s 4th anniversary today! It’s been up to close to half a decade and still going. There were several setbacks this year, mostly due to a drug possession case which severely restricted the nature of my posts so I’m going to do one last experience report to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the site (which is a traditionally unlucky number in Chinese culture, and certainly is an unlucky year for me).

Ecstasy pill name: Red apples
Pill color: Pink with red specks
Circa: KL, Malaysia 2006 (er…I mean 1906, sorry about the date confusion ;))
Suspected contents: MDMA with ketamine (qualitative findings, not reagent tested)
Other substances consumed: Yes. πŸ˜‰

4th anniversary ecstasy

MDMA and ketamine pill combinations are actually pretty common in Malaysia. These are nicely pressed pills (hard) with beveled edges and a solid, high quality imprint of an apple. These are nicely done pills, not a shoddy home kitchen pill press product.

The subject (male, 60 kg) and a companion (female, 50 kg) swallowed 1 1/2 pills each (crushed up) on an empty stomach and interesting dissociative effects characteristic of ketamine started to manifest, so the decision was made to powder the remaining pill and insufflate it.

Subjective characteristics associated with MDMA (empathy, initial “Ecstasy coming up rush”, blurred vision) started to manifest so the remainder powdered pill was split into lines and selective sensory deprivation (scientists refer to it by the technical term “switching off the lights and turning up the music” ;)) was initiated.

4th anniversary lines

Nystagmus and mild hallucinations started setting in at the peak (T+ 0:45) and the lines were insufflated over an unknown period of time (snorting the powdered pills produced a “speedy” rush with dominating ketamine qualities e.g. confabulation and time-space disorientation).

4th anniversary cannabis

Cannabis was smoked at about T+ 1:30 and throughout the next few hours which mellowed out the trip (not an intended effect) but the visual anomalies and nystagmus and CNS MDMA effects lasted until T+ 3:00 before tapering off. Subject’s companion also reported similar experiences. Other substances consumed:

4th anniversary other substances

Erimin 5 (nimetazepam)
Xanax (alprazolam)
Alcohol

Rating: 6/10
(The “pig” imprinted pills circa December, 2005 from Kuching seems to have a higher MDMA content)

Thank you for allowing me to make one final experience report of a substance consumed in…er, 1906. πŸ˜‰

Without further adieu, here’s a recap of the troubled history of sixthseal.com during the past year:

I got arrested, everyone knows that by now, so I won’t go through any drug or pharmaceutical posts.

[sixthseal.com]
A tongue-in-cheek comparison between the two popular ED (Erectile Dysfunction) pharmaceuticals. Oops…did I just say “pharmaceuticals”? πŸ˜‰

Water slide for shit [sixthseal.com]
A reminder to the kids that opiate dependency is Not Fun (TM).

The bird nesting outside my window [sixthseal.com]
Before the H5N1 avian flu hit, people were actually rooting for birds! No shit!

Turtle eggs preparation recipe and report [sixthseal.com]
Before the…oh alright, people have always been rooting for turtles.

I sneezed and my atomic bomb went off [sixthseal.com]
I still think this is the funniest post title for the last year. MapleSEA.com is another corporate time drainer – active in sixthseal.com via MapleStory since 2006.

The cough syrup that locals abuse [sixthseal.com]
In the name of science!!111

PPS Bash 2005 [sixthseal.com]
The Project Petaling Street Malaysian blogger meetup writeup. Quite a mouthful.

Google AdSense cheque [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com was doing good on Google AdSense (trial case study since the site involves drug and pharmaceutical content) until too many complaints flooded in (from other bloggers *rolls eyes*) and I was informed of it by my trial case handler after only the third cheque was received.

Gone fishin’ [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com vs. South China Sea

Mount Kinabalu – The Summit Trail [sixthseal.com]
Mount Kinabalu summit – Climbing Lows Peak [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com vs. Mount Kinabalu

Snorkeling at Manukan Island, Sabah [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com vs. The Beach

Laman Web Dajal (Evil website) [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com vs. The Establishment
(sixthseal.com lost – “vs. The Establishment” is never a good nor fair, fight – I strongly suggest you avoid it ;))

Tongue Piercing – Photos and videos [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com goes tongue piercing (again)

Dragons Playing Pearl Fireworks Mines and Shots review with videos [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com in “How not to light a cake firework”
(but he does it anyway)

CNY firecrackers and fireworks roundup – a sixthseal.com Chap Goh Meh special [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com in “Playing with fire”

Jong’s Crocodile Farm report [sixthseal.com]
sixthseal.com vs. Crocodiles.
A tribute to those of you who can identify with crocodile farms, reptilian or mammal. πŸ˜‰

and the other “Noteworthy Post” in the sixthseal.com blog year from 19th April 2005 to 19th April 2006:

I won the Sports Toto 6/42 Jackpot! [sixthseal.com]
I won the 4D TOTO (Lotto) Jackpot!
…but only got RM 30 (USD 8) out of it.

Read more in the sixthseal.com archives [sixthseal.com].

Despite everything, sixthseal.com has managed to conquer sand, sea and surf during the past year. We’ll see what challenges the next year provides. πŸ™‚

sixthseal.com has been online for 4 years and counting and it won’t stop until I stop.

The first anniversary of sixthseal.com can be viewed here [sixthseal.com].

The second anniversary of sixthseal.com can be viewed here [sixthseal.com].

The third anniversary of sixthseal.com can be viewed here [sixthseal.com].

A big “Thank You” goes out to all the readers of sixthseal.com. The support is very much appreciated, as always.

It’s been great, guys! πŸ™‚

Hail to the King, Baby!

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Tongue Piercing – Photos and videos

tongue piercing today

I had my tongue pierced together with Cherie at Borneo Headhunters Tattoo and Piercing on a whim about three weeks ago. I used to have a tongue piercing back in Christchurch, and it was more towards the front of the tongue. I tried to get it done in the same place (there still is a visible hole) but decided against it since I have a career so I went for one towards the back so it isn’t too visible.

This is the second time for Cherie (she has a navel piercing) while I had most of my face pierced in NZ, so I’m used to it. However, we both have a very high threshold for pain so we didn’t feel much at all.

I didn’t want to post about this but since a previous entry depicted my tongue piercing, I might as well put up the photos and videos. πŸ˜‰

You will need QuickTime for the videos (.3gp) and double size it coz I didn’t bring my digicam (it was an impulsive decision) so it was filmed using a cell phone. Check out the background soundtrack – there was a procession…I found it very appropriate. Heh!

hb clamp

Download: Tongue clamping [sixthseal.com]
This is a video me getting my tongue clamped for the piercing.

hb pierce

Download: Tongue piercing [sixthseal.com]
This shows the needle going in and piercing through the tongue with the follow through with the bar.

cherie clamp

Download: Cherie tongue clamping [sixthseal.com]
This is Cherie getting her tongue clamped.

cherie pierce

Download: Cherie piercing [sixthseal.com]
The needle going through…

cherie barbell

Download: Cherie barbell [sixthseal.com]
…and the process of screwing in the barbell.

hb piercing

Download: HB tongue piercing aftermath [sixthseal.com]
This is a video taken right after the tongue piercing.

cherie piercing

Download: Cherie tongue piercing aftermath [sixthseal.com]
This is a video of Cherie right after the tongue piercing.

tongue gold stud

We used a 14 gauge bar for the piercing. Cherie went for the surgical steel bar while mine is an 18k solid gold barbell

tongue bling bling

…and it’s topped with a jewel.

It’s a bit of an overkill on the bling bling factor, yeah? πŸ˜‰

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Deadline: 3rd December, 2005

Harian Metro
[Image from Harian Metro Ahad]

I have been contacted by the authorities and I’ve agreed to delete
all drug and pharmaceutical related posts in two days (before this
Saturday – GMT +8). I will not write about drugs and pharmaceuticals in
the future on this blog.

I hope that all of you understand why I have to do this – the alternative is very
unsavory. I will still continue to write about other things (alcohol
and tobacco is still okay, as is all legal things) on sixthseal.com and
I hope that you can understand and accept the decision I’ve made.

RIP to the first drug blog in Malaysia with photos and videos.

2002 – 2005

It was good while it lasted…

Thanks to:
Sashi [sashiweb.com]
Lainie [tabulas.com]
John Kuan [johnkuan.com]
mahagurusia [blogspot.com]
Shaolin Tiger [shaolintiger.com]
mmulibra [blogspot.com]
annabella [xanga.com]
Applegal [blogspot.com]
asiapundit [asiapundit.com]
cyber-red [blogspot.com]
laineylashes [laineylashes.com]
Lainie [tabulas.com]
loquterz [msn.com]
kimberlycun [kimberlycun.com]
Terenceg [terenceg.com]
Silly Wabbit [sstwo.net]

and everyone else who showed their support during this difficult
time. Thank you everyone – from the bottom of my heart, as always.

Viva la veritas!

Snorkeling at Manukan Island, Sabah

pulau manukan

Manukan Island or Pulau Manukan is a 20 minute boat
ride from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It’s one of the more popular islands in
Sabah due to the attraction of its white sandy beaches and rich hued
waters teeming with marine life. The abundance of corals and
availability of water sports makes this a premier destination for
island hopping in Sabah.

manukan island jetty

Manukan Island is part of the chain of islands that makes up Tunku
Abdul Rahman Park in Sabah, Malaysia. The island can be reached by the
jetty at Kota Kinabalu city. The boat ride costs RM 15 and can
accommodate 10 people, so if you’re in a group that’s less than the
quorum, be prepared to wait a while until 10 people sign up.
One can rent a boat for a day too.

manukan island heading

The boat that takes you to the island is a modern speed boat and it
easily navigates through the clear waters towards the island of your
choice. The boat had a mixture of travelers from all over the world and
the early morning skies were perfect as we headed towards Pulau
Manukan. Snorkels can be rented from the boat operator at RM 10.

manukan island boat

The boats that are allowed to dock at Pulau Manukan has to be
registered with Sabah Parks and it’s required to meet safety
requirements e.g. life jackets must be worn during the journey. The
waterfront of Kota Kinabalu zips by as the boat departs and there is a
constant wind from the speed of the boat billowing at you. The boat
occasionally runs into waves so splashes of water into the boat are
pretty common.

manukan island docking

The lush green island soon comes into view as the boat slows down to
dock at the Pulau Manukan island. The natural beauty of the island is
apparent – calm, green waters with a diverse amount of fishes swimming
around and white, sandy beaches at the fringe with deep green lush
trees lining the island.

manukan island friendly fish

The rich marine life on Manukan Island is apparent as we disembarked
from the boat – the high tide submerges the lower part of the jetty and
people can be seen feeding the fishes with pieces of bread. The island
is a protected zone so no fishing or harming of the marine life is
permitted. This makes the fish breed with abundance and they’re quite
friendly and unafraid of human contact.

manukan island bouys

Pulau Manukan has chalets for overnight stays but most people come
here just to relax and enjoy the natural offerings of the island on a
day trip. The red buoys bobbing around the perimeter extending 100
meters out from the beach are designated swimming areas. There is a lot
of boat traffic outside that demarcation and the speed boats carrying
island visitors frequently passes very close to the line so it’s a good
idea to keep inside the perimeter.

manukan island pier

The Manukan Island pier is a wooden catwalk hovering over the
vibrant green waters and the natural tranquility of the island is
palpable as you walk towards the beach…

manukan island welcome

There is a “Welcome to Pulau Manukan” sign at the end of the pier and a RM 3 conservation fee is to be paid at the booth before entry to the beach is permitted.

manukan island chalet

The chalets nested in lush greenery greet you as you first step on
the beach. The polished wood chalets look perfectly in place on the
island, due to the matching theme and decor of the architecture.

manukan island lets go

I did not waste any time in hitting the beach as the warm sands and
appealing shade of water looks too tempting to resist. I donned my
snorkels and started to float and swim around, appreciating the
wonderful diverse and unique marine life in the waters.

manukan island snorkelling

This is me in the snorkels. The water on Pulau Manukan is incredibly
calm and hosts a wide variety of fishes. I wish I had an underwater
disposable camera to show the readers of sixthseal.com the incredible
scenes that I saw while snorkeling:

There was friendly little swordfish swimming at the top of the water, skimming over my snorkel masks every now and then.

There were many different multicolored fishes which come over
and take bites out of pieces of bread that you offer then, occasionally
nipping at your fingers.

There were sea cucumbers of all sizes, lining the seabed…

There were starfish and corals of mind-boggling variety and complexity.

Since I didn’t have an underwater camera, I had to snorkel out into
the waters to retrieve select pieces of marine life so I can take
photos of them:

manukan island starfish

This is a starfish taken from about 30 meters out to sea. It’s an unusual blue color with a brown underside.

manukan island sea cucumber

OMG! My thing fell off! πŸ˜‰

manukan island corals

This is a piece of the ubiquitous dead corals that wash out onto the
beach. I couldn’t very well lug one from the seabed, so this would have
to do.

manukan island guard

There are lifeguard posts located at the beach for drowning swimmers (though most non-swimmers I saw were wearing life vests).

manukan island beach

The beach at Manukan Island is beautiful – the scenic islands surrounding it are easily visible from the shore.

manukan island waters

The tranquil waters of Pulau Manukan…perfect for snorkeling…

manukan island reading

Reading a good book by the shade of a tree on the beach…

manukan island girls

These are two travelers that I met while I was on Manukan Island – very friendly people, they were snorkeling as well.

manukan island bombs

This is a WWII memorial at Pulau Manukan…there were bombs and
shells on display by the beach, which were presumably recovered on the
beach after the war.

manukan island fishes

The fishes in the water are clearly visible through the calm, green waters…

manukan island leaving

…and all too soon, it was time to depart the island.

Pulau Manukan in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah is a great place to relax and unwind. It’s a great island…

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