Do you do this in your car?

smoking car

I do it all the time. It’s quite paradoxical since I imposed a strict no-smoking rule in my studio apartment – I step out to the balcony if I feel like I need a nicotine infusion instead. However, I do smoke in my car and I usually have to leave the window down while driving to make the smell dissipate.

This creates more problems in itself since the haze and pollution in KL, combined with the emission from other vehicle exhausts enters your car.

Well you know how bad it can be but first let me tell you about this interesting workshop I attended.

It had me smelling ammonia voluntarily.

ammonia

Haha. Read on.

It was the Sharp Plasmacluster Beauty Care event held at A Cut Above. The academy actually has a very interesting project by its students. Check it out:

art

It’s completely fictional of course, and it’s not Photoshopped – everything is done on set and photographed. I thought it was quite intriguing.

spraying ammonia

Back to the Sharp Plasmacluster Beauty Care range, they have six new products from the huge Plasmacluster Ion Generator to progressively more portable devices which you can fit on your desk, car and even your own body (Mobile Ion Generator) which you can hang on your neck via a lanyard.

plasmacutter range

Left to right:
Plasmacluster Ion Generator – perfect for coverage up to 10m2 and you can tilt it and put it anywhere you want.
Bedside Ion Generator – get quality sleep with 25,000 ions/cc. It also helps retain skin and hair moisture! It’s the tall device beside the black Plasmacluster Ion Generator.
Desktop Ion Generator with Humidifying Function – this one comes with a water tank so it’ll release additional moisture. It can use a USB or AC adapter – well suited to your office or home desk I reckon.
Ion Generator for Cars – this is what I’m using! It connects to the cigarette lighter socket in your car and deodorizes 30% faster when you boost it to Turbo mode. No more lingering tobacco smell!
Mobile Ion Generator – this baby is small but powerful. It uses AC, USB or even a lithium ion battery and works for 4 hours!
Hair Conditioning Dryer – moisturizes hair and removes static electricity. It also keeps moisture in and split ends out. Some discerning customers bring their own to hair salons!

plasma ion hairdryer

The basics behind all this is explained to us by Mr Chew, which I found rather interesting. The bit that really caught my attention is the fact that people are naturally attracted to high ion concentration places in nature like waterfalls coz they induce serotonin production!

You know how much I love talking about serotonin. Heh.

plasmacutter ion technology

Anyway, the principles behind Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion Generators has been refined since 2000 to the device they have today which is capable of producing 25,000 ions/cc!

This is important as research has shown that cities like KL and other urban areas has only about 300 positively charged ions/cc and 100 negatively charged ions/cc while the nature which our healthier ancestors lived in has 4,000 positive and negative charged ions/cc. This is still evident in places like forests nowadays but we all know that’s a dwindling commodity.

cheesie
Cheesie’s hair being violated. Demonstration of Cheesie’s hair after the hairdryer treatment.

The entire range of Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion Generators is meant to restore that balance…and improve on it! Plasmacluster Ion Technology releases the very same ions that occurs in nature, which is then bonded with water molecules and delivered all over the place. Thus it not only produces massive amounts of ions, but also hydrates the skin and hair!

plasmacutter

The ions turns into hydroxide when it comes into contact with contaminants, which effectively destroys it. It also removed bacteria, viruses, allergens, mold, odors and other pollutants and contaminants. It’s been tested and proven by various institutions around the world – from the US to Japan.

This is a perfect example which I luckily managed to film. Mr Chew demonstrated the effectiveness of Sharp’s Plasmacluster Ion Technology by soaking a tissue with pure ammonia and asking if anyone wants to smell it.

volunteer

I naturally volunteered! 😀

I smelled the tissue soaked with ammonia tentatively…

It smelled like a very popular public toilet frequented by renal failure patients that hasn’t been cleaned for a DECADE.

I was polite enough to say it smelled like hair bleach though. HAHAHA

ion treatment

The ammonia appears blue in color when exposed to the tissue. He then put it under the Plasmacluster Ion Generator for just a few seconds and the blue color turned into orange – thus removing the ammonia, and not only that, the odor disappeared as well!

mold

Check it out! The process of the ammonia turning from blue to orange (clean). I know coz I smelled it after it was treated. Heh! 🙂

treatment

It’s magical! The smell of pure concentrated ammonia magically disappears after a few seconds under the ionizer.

That’s the wonderful odor busting properties it has, in addition to the moisturizing effects. It looks orange but that’s not coz of the ammonia – the ammonia stains it blue, and the blue has been removed by just a few seconds of the ion treatment. Awesome right?

wipe

I would even use it to wipe my face….IF I didn’t know it had been soaked in ammonia before the ionizer treatment. 😉

car ion generator

I figured that the best product for me is the Plasmacluster Ion Generator for Cars. I smoke in my car so I figured that I’ll take it for a test drive (no pun intended).

turbo

It’s very easy to use, just connect the device to the cigarette lighter socket in your car, and it’s ready to go.

You can set power levels too – from low to a mode called Turbo, which I immediately went for.

ions

It actually emits moisturized air and ions – I was smelling it straight and got a good dose of nice clean ionized air.

I have put it in my car for several days now – it’s particularly nice at night since the illuminated LEDs allows you to see what the settings are and you can change the mode and levels if you want, just via a simple press of a button.

interface

Did it work? I was already convinced when I watched and filmed that demonstration in the Sharp workshop but I wanted to try it out for myself.

I also have a bad tendency of eating in my car, and that emits odors as well. I did just that and smoked while driving back home with the Plasmacluster Ion Generator for Cars on Turbo mode.

There was no smell at all after 1 minute with the windows rolled up!

smoking

It’s not just for smokers too, the Sharp Plasmacluster technology purifies the air by:

  • Suppressing the effects of airborne viruses
  • Breaking down and removing airborne mold
  • Breaking down and removing allergens
  • Removing odors

…which creates fresh clean air and lock-in skin moisture! It’s something that every car needs so you won’t have to jump in fright when someone else sneezes just in case another outbreak of H1N1 occurs. It also makes your car environment a healthier place.

connect

The design is awesome too – the Plasmacluster Ion Generator for Cars is shaped like a pint glass so you can put it in the drinks holder of your car. It’s aesthetically pleasing as as mentioned the illuminated LEDs are very useful at night.

Check out the Sharp Plasmacluster Beauty Care range for something that suits you – there’s even a model for your bedside so you can sleep in peace:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SharpPlasmaclusterMalaysia
Website:
http://www.sharp-pci.com/my/

ion car generator

My Plasmacluster Ion Generator for Cars really works in quickly reducing odors – forget about car fragrances, those only mask the smell of tobacco, it doesn’t actually remove it. I love it! It’s perfect for my lifestyle. 🙂

Heroin Chic

heroin chic

I have found a girl who’s got the heroin chic (or is it called meth chic now?) look down pat. Rail thin with the melancholic look that I’m a sucker for.

heroin chic girl

Like this. I took this photo as she was washing my hair. I wish I could say that I found her in an alley but she was my hairdresser.

Getting a hair wash and massage is a lot like having sex…when it’s good, it’s great! 😉

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The Empire Strikes Back

empire strikes back

Empire [sixthseal.com] is one of my favorite hairstylist establishments in Kuching. The place has got it all – chicks, chicks, and more chicks. 😉 I went to get a haircut there – the hairstylist I use is always the same, so I probably should dub her the official sixthseal.com hairstylist. 😉

empire strikes girl flash

She remembers me despite the time lapse since the previous time I was here – a full two years with Bernice – and she’s a really nice person. I like her.

empire strikes girl

This is another shot of the hairstylist without flash – I think the skin tone looks better in this one, though she was a little bit shy in this shot. This captures her real life persona better, I should post up a video since she looks much better in real life and videos can capture that elusive essence of spirit better than a static photo can.

empire strikes both

This would be the obligatory photo of us. She always has subjects to talk to me about while cutting my hair (which is the mark of a professional hairstylist, IMHO) and I think I’m infatuated with her. 😉

P/S – Iskalla, if you have any doubts of the improvement in my drug use practices, just check out the previous link to Empire – I was practically a carcass then, heading at breakneck speed (no pun intended) towards the dark depths of heavy methamphetamine use.

World Cup 2006 winnings to date: RM 1,900

Japan vs. Croatia
Asian Handicap Odds: Croatia conceding one (1) goal
Bet: Japan (RM 300)
Result: 0-0 (draw)

This updates my winnings by RM 300. I think I’m on a winning streak – I had wanted to bet on Ghana on Saturday night but I was too sick to make the call so I lost out RM 300 (the amount I bet on smaller matches – I go up exponentially in the Group of 16, Semis, and Finals) on that one. I had also wanted to go for Korea (which would have won due to the goal concede by France) but I was too dope sick to think straight, so I just went for Japan. Thus, the (projected) RM 2,500 winnings have shrunk to RM 1,900 but then again, if I had bet, the butterfly effect just might have made the respective teams lose so I’m glad with the current winnings. I haven’t lost a single match (but did draw once during the England vs. Trinidad match) so I probably should put up my predictions, huh? 😉

…only thing is, my predictions are based on punting on the Asian handicap betting system and not on the matches itself per se. Thus, I need to see the odds before I place my predictions.

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Inspiration Alan Salon report

inspiration alan saloon

Inspiration Alan Salon or Alan Saloon School of Hairdressing
as some calls it, is located at Hock Lee Center. I desperately needed a
haircut before I go to KL next week (business trip) to avoid looking
like a “drug addict” as my mom likes to bring up every time I go back.
I headed to my usual hair salon (Empire, Wisma Saberkas) but they don’t
open until 11 am. I needed to sort out a couple of things with my
project (which is why I’m in the office right now) so I decided to try
Alan Saloon of Hairdressing.

alan saloon interior

The first thing that strikes you as you enter Inspiration Alan Salon
is the tastefully designed interior with subdued lighting. It was like
stepping into your personal hair stylist room, like Kenny mentioned.
There are no glaring lights anywhere in the salon – it’s all about
subtlety here…

alan saloon tieup

There is also the standard product promotional tie-in displays at
Inspiration Alan Salon as well, but this wall mounted one is very
aesthetically pleasing and blends in well with the surroundings – it
doesn’t look garish like other hair saloons.

alan saloon ressies

There is a resident hairstylist signboard mounted on the entrance as
well as their working experience and a photo of them in action. I
believe this is the first time something like this has been done in
Kuching. I was looking at the photos to see which hairstylist I wanted
(yeah, yeah, I’m a typical male pig, I go for the good looking one :p)
but did not see any noteworthy ones (which I later found out was the
photographer’s fault, coz some of them are fine ;)).

alan saloon counter

I went up to the counter and asked about the hair stylists on duty
today. The counter girl told me that she’ll assign a free one to me and
told me to take as seat and make myself feel comfortable. “No way,
Jose,” said I. I’m going to choose who’ll be the one to fuck around
with my hair (the one upstairs, for those of you with your minds in the
gutter ;)). She hesitated before politely informing me that they
usually like to train the junior hair stylists.

alan saloon stuff

I asked her who the junior hairstylists are…and she told me there
were five of them. I didn’t want to waste time beating around the bush,
so I straight out asked her whether they are male or female. 😉 I’m
used to getting *cough* female treatment, so to speak, in Empire and
I’m not going to change that. She looked at me kinda strange and told
me that the only females in-house right now are the resident
hairstylists.

alan saloon color bar

I asked to look at them in person coz I wanted to choose the one to
cut my hair. I can be a very demanding customer in certain aspects, as
you can see. 😉 That caused another puzzled hesitation before she
complied and let me into the back room. I only saw one aesthetically
pleasing hair stylist there, so I said I wanted the one in the white
top to cut my hair.

alan saloon vip

I also told her I’ll take the mysterious VIP room (which costs an
additional RM 20) and she ushered me in personally. I had been
wondering what this “VIP Room” has that makes it special enough to
justify an RM 20 extra…

alan saloon vip room

…and I found out that it’s a partially enclosed room with only two
seats for maximum privacy. There are also plush seats at the back of
the hairdressing seats for companions and a personal LCD screen for
each of the two chairs so you can either read magazines or watch MTV.
My hairstylist later told me that the VIP room is usually used for long
procedures like hair coloring and hair straightening procedures.

alan saloon menu

I also noticed that they have a menu for drinks and food and I was
told that VIP room patrons get a complimentary drink. I ordered the
Cafe Mocha. There is also a notice announcing Alan’s Hair Show at Genting Highlands which will be aired on 8TV and TV3 later this month. Jesus, and I thought I’m a narcissist. 😉

alan saloon mocha lid

This is the Cafe Mocha that was served soon after. I thought the
stainless steel cover spoiled an otherwise perfect implementation…

alan saloon mocha

…and this is the Cafe Mocha in question. It was hot and creamy,
but they really need to brew it with higher caffeine content. I thought
it was decaf, for Christ’s sake…

alan saloon hairwash

I went for a Wash and Cut (RM 32) and a person of the male
persuasion came in…and I told him there must be a mistake coz I got
someone else to do my hair. He assured me that everything is in order,
it’s just that the senior hairstylists there makes the junior
hairstylists do all the hair washing…I’m not even going to go there.
I’m still traumatized by being touched everywhere (on my scalp, lar) by
a guy for 30 minutes…

alan saloon antonia pose

My hairstylist, Antonia Yong, who is one of the resident
professional senior hairstylists there came in later and had a
discussion about how we’re going to make my hair look like by the time
I step out of Inspiration Hair Salon. She was kind enough to pose for a
shot while I took it from the mirror. Antonia, these are my readers,
dear readers of sixthseal.com, this is Antonia. 😉

alan saloon mtv

I had the option of watching the LCD screen showing MTV that the
counter attendant activated for me. She asked me which channel I
preferred, and I told her MTV is fine.

alan saloon blog

She also put a stack of the latest magazines on the table in front of me…and this is an interesting bit about blogs. Hah!

alan saloon antonia magic 1

This is Antonia Yong doing her magic on my hair…and the person to
the right is the guy that’s waiting to re-wash my hair. Please don’t
worry about me, I’ll get over it with enough counselling and
support…and I know I look half-asleep – it’s 10:30 am on a Sunday for
God’s sake. :p

alan saloon antonia magic 2

Anyway, I thoroughly recommend her services if you’re in need of a
haircut. She’s real friendly (something I find attractive) and…well,
just take my word for it, you’ll enjoy it AND get a good haircut at the
same time. :p

alan me antonia

This is me and Antonia at the end of the session. I like my hair to
hang down, but she insisted that it looks better like this. Oh well…

Antonia told me that they’re opening up a new branch at Sarawak
Plaza, so look out for that. The total damage to the wallet from the
hair wash and cut is RM 32. I told the cashier that I took the VIP Room
so there should be an additional RM 20 charge for that, but she said
it’s alright since it wasn’t booked or occupied at that time. That’s
very nice of them, and I got a free mocha to go with it too.

Inspiration Hair Salon gets two thumbs up from me, both for service and quality.

I’m a freak!

joliz unisex saloon

I just got my hair cut really, really short. It’s funny how the
definition of short changes over time. This was how I used to keep my
hair, until the decision to keep it long was made. Anyway, I went to
Joliz Unisex Hair Saloon, no particular reason, it was just the first
one I saw who had a hairstylist that didn’t hurt the eyes too much
*cough* so I just went in and told them I wanted to get my hair cut by
her (points at aesthetically pleasing hairstylist).

Anyway, here’s a video of me before getting my hair cut:

pre haircut

Pre-cutting session [sixthseal.com]

The video is just me showing my lower lip length hair, the longest
I’ve ever had. That’s a longan iced drink to the bottom left of the
frame.

I know that the lighting conditions are rather unfavorable, my
apologies for the quality, I didn’t realize I had a lighting preset on
in the recording function.

This is me, in the final stages of the haircut, with short hair:

haircut done

Final stages of haircut [sixthseal.com]

She’s making the final touches and applying gel. I have to add that
this establishment is very big on the comfort of its customers in
providing pillow rests, depending on which hairstylist you go for. 😉

The haircut just cost RM 5.

joliz me helen

This is me and the hairstylist Ellen (or Helen). She’s not Chinese
as I first assumed, and she looks much better in real life than in this
blurry photo (taken by the proprietor).

I miss my old hair…

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