sixthseal.com

Planes (no trains) and automobiles

Here's a quick summary of today before I promptly fall asleep. I shall do a proper post and reply all comments tomorrow, for I fear that I'm too sedated to do that now.

I checked in at Kuching airport. The place was uncharacteristically full.

I figured it would be appropriate to quench my thirst with a cup of Air Mata Kuching before boarding.

The plane was a Fokker 50. It's one of them relics that do short haul flights and pack you like sardines. It has been dubbed the Fucker 50 due to this unfortunate seating arrangements, though I don't use that term myself. It was related to me when I flew to Penang with some other classmates and a teacher when I was 12 for a national quiz.

There were twisty artsy (fartsy) designs when the plane was in the air. Nothing new, was just perfecting the shot to get an optimal one depicting Rejang River and the outlet to the sea. Yes, I do this every time I fly.

I arrived at Sibu, picked up my gf, dropped in to check on my pharmacy friend, acquired some lormetazepam (not lorazepam, this one is different), ate some of them, drank beer and had dinner with gf, and now I fear that the hypnotic properties of lormetazepam (Noctamid) has been potentiated with some red wine from a Chinese New Year hamper I found in the store (which automagically makes it mine, since I'm the only drinker in the family and no one else would drink it anyway).

I'm afraid I shall have to continue this tomorrow. Good night, dear readers, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite. Oh, and roll to your side, just to be safe.

Posted in by Huai Bin at 11:09 PM Permalink | Comments (10)

Sibu

I'll be flying back to Sibu (my hometown) straight after work tomorrow for the long Labor Day holidays! My flight departs at 6:00 PM which would make me have to be as nimble as...er, what's that guy's name again? Jack? to catch my flight. I'm going home in the guise of visiting my family and loved ones, but just between you and me, I've also been meaning to:

1. Say hello to my pharmacy friend.
That should be read as "get restricted pharmaceuticals from my friend who owns a pharmacy". ;) This is not a pharmacy that's in the same group as the plethora of Mickey Mouse pharmacies out there, mind. He has a real pharmacy, with everything a real pharmacy has to offer - amphetamine type stimulants, opiate agonists and BENZODIAZEPINES! =D
Word of the day: Mickey Mouse pharmacy
A derogatory term referring to the "pharmacies" that does not have a license to carry or sell restricted (recreational) pharmaceuticals and only carries the standard, over the counter (OTC) stuff. A useless store, in other words.

2. Say hello to my favorite physician
That should be read as "get clonazepam from my liberal doctor". ;) Now here's a Doctor With Balls who's not afraid to script you as many clonazepam tablets as you want, as long as you pay RM 1.10 per tablet for 2 mg Roche Rivotril ones and RM 0.80 for 2 mg generic Rivopam ones. Prices goes down in bulk, the amount is only limited by your budget. I think I've spoke highly of him before, when I noticed that he started producing various bottles and blister packs of the stock he carries without any questions, when I went doctor shopping.
Word of the day: Doctor With Balls (DWB)
The esteemed title reserved for a doctor who doesn't hem and haw like a pussy when you ask for benzodiazepines. A medical practitioner who answers "How many tablets and what kind do you want?" to the question "Can I have some benzodiazepines?"

Thus, the next post I'll be making would be from my hometown - the proud and mighty (and sedating, I might add) Sibu, Sarawak!

Posted in by Huai Bin at 06:33 PM Permalink | Comments (25)

The coffee shop with no name

I went to this coffee shop for dinner tonight. It doesn't have a name. It's just a couple of tables and chairs along the roadside at Jalan Abell.

The waitress took our order. A little kid sat beside us watching.

The order went to the little cooking place in the corner.

I had two glasses of tong gua long yuen hai cha ping. It's buah kundur (don't know the English name for this), longan, and hai cha.

I don't know what hai cha is, but it looks like this.

I had a plate of Taiwan fried noodles. It was served with gravy and the waitress told me it was spicy. This photo is out of focus.

I had a plate of belacan fried kueh tiaw. It was served dry. Every plate has two pieces of fried chicken fillets on it. This photo is not out of focus.

We shared a plate of lemon chicken.

I was ready to throw up after eating all that.

Posted in Local food by Huai Bin at 08:52 PM Permalink | Comments (21)

Item may have been delayed due to insufficient postage

I just got a birthday card from my sister...23 days after my birthday. How appropriate, considering I'm 23 this year. ;)

My sister, if you didn't know, is practicing medicine in Christchurch, New Zealand. No, that doesn't mean I get the fringe benefits of having a doctor for my sister. I wish you luck if you're planning to pull off doctor shopping techniques with her. She wouldn't even script her only brother, nay, her only sibling, benzodiazepines.

I have been trying to get her to give me some collectibles like pens and notebooks, the sort of stuff pharmaceutical companies gives out with names of recreational mediations on them, but I've never seen the shadow of those. I have also been trying to get her to get some of those "physician samples" of recreational pharms with neat packaging but she won't bring those back either. It's just my luck that I get a straight laced, law abiding sister.

If I had a sibling who appreciates recreational pharmaceuticals, I would have taken the liberty of sending heaps of dextroamphetamine, fentanyl lollipops, oxycodone and benzodiazepines with "Happy Birthday - Enjoy! I know you will!" on it. I imagine that's why I didn't go into medicine...I would have my license revoked very quickly, I suspect. ;)

Posted in by Huai Bin at 05:38 PM Permalink | Comments (11)

Deli, er...Darliefrance

Let me present to you Darlie's new (at least I haven't seen it on the shelves before) toothpaste - Hydro Fresh Gel! It contains spring water from France (or so it says on the packaging, I am unable to independently verify these claims).

I can tell you one thing though...this ain't your grandma's dental hygiene product.

It says that Darlie Hydro Fresh Gel is "the very first toothpaste that contains spring water from France". This gives us much pause as to where the manufacturers of toothpaste in France get their water from.

This is what the product looks like. I tested it and sure enough I did feel a "pure fresh sensation" from the "HydroCool molecules", whatever they are.

The toothpaste itself is translucent light blue with dark blue specks. And if I close my eyes while brushing my teeth, for just a second, I can actually feel that I'm in France...

Use Darlie Hydro Fresh Gel and drench yourself in spring water freshness that lasts and lasts!

Posted in by Huai Bin at 06:32 PM Permalink | Comments (27)

Stunted growth palm tree

It can be hard to realize your full potential when you get mixed up with rocks...

Posted in by Huai Bin at 08:23 AM Permalink | Comments (24)

sixthseal.com's first video post - Episode I: Shadow People

This is the first full video blog. I am basically doing a monologue about my day. In the grand tradition of sixthseal.com, we tend to do things differently. While others strive to present only their most aesthetically pleasing self to the readers, culling out all "ugly" photos and only inserting the "good ones"...we, on the other hand, present it like it is, just one take, and its uploaded. Thus, be prepared to see a rather unflattering version of me in this pilot episode. :)

Download: Episode I: Shadow People [sixthseal.com].
Requires Apple Quicktime. Going to the "Movie" drop down menu bar and choosing "Fill Screen" would be more optimal for viewing.

Yeah, that is what I look like after multiple day runs...strung out, scattered and definitely not pleasant company.

Indiscriminate...I'd rather be elite
I'll choose my own shit scene
Unsubstantiated rumors flown are true
I'm here for me, not you

Nonconglomerate...I mean what I say
I'm not your fucking scape
Though, apparently I've alienated some
It seems my job's half done - NOFX

So let me present to you, the first episode - Shadow People.

Transcript:
(coz I know I sound incoherent)
------------------------------------------------

Hey, you're watching sixthseal.com and this is - a video post.

I've become too tired to write, and...this is how long my hair actually is now.

I keep it long on one side, probably the last time I'll see such hair, because I have hereditary male pattern baldness.

I feel like shit, it's been a couple of days without sleep...and I went to the doctor's today, got some benzos, that's good.

By the way, I'm just pretending to smoke, simulating things, you know. I'm not inhaling.
Honestly, I don't smoke.

Anyway, we'll just talk until this ends...ah, I've got one shaving cut today.
Somewhere anyway. Just a little cut.

------------------------------------------------

Dear readers, if you're in the mood for some good old classic ultra mundane posts with the blogger talking about things that you probably don't give two shits about, please, do not hesitate to download the video post. I must urge people not to mistake this as some kind of satirical production about the blogging community - that would be giving me way too much credit. Heh.

Anyway, like I mentioned, I went to see one of my doctors today, I don't "officially" have a medical record for anxiety here, but he's always generous with the benzodiazepines whenever I go. He's asks me how many I want, instead of prescribing them himself, and I can pick and choose here. :) I decided on 20 x 2 mg Rivotril (clonazepam) and 20 x 5 mg chlordiazepoxide (generic Librium, just for review purposes) today. I suspect he knows quite a bit about my lifestyle even though I never tell him. I'm quite certain he knows that I'm benzodiazepine dependant but still doesn't mind handing them out due to previous consultations where I basically told him about my various problems and he seems to feel that my situation justifies it.

Anyway, I also asked to have my blood pressure read and it was pretty good (for me). I registered a BP of 180/95 (same results, taken twice) and a pulse rate of 135 at rest. The figures aren't bad - it's the bit about sustaining what are probably higher figures than that for hours, before judicious benzodiazepine self-administration reduced it to the figure that was measured at the doctor's that made me feel quite uncomfortable. I must say that I wasn't feeling too good earlier as well, thought I was about to have a stroke. I have just about every factor that puts me at a higher risk and I have had many incidences of stroke symptoms manifesting during certain high risk activities.

There were a few that required medical attention (hypertensive crisis) but most of them were resolved without medical care, off my head, there was one a few months ago - extremely alarming rapid onset of action, everything happened within seconds, or so it seems. I knew I had gone too far and my body was protesting but I, er...drank another cup of coffee, and suddenly felt an alarming feeling of pressure insistently building up in my brain, followed by the lost capability to move my left leg, which resulted in me tripping and as I laid there on the ground, I couldn't even think, it was all too confusing, and then *whoosh*, came the extreme headache that I thought would push my brain out of the skull and I passed out.

I woke up 3 hours later totally disoriented and confused and couldn't remember the events which precipitated it. It was worse than the worst hangover I ever had. I was wondering what time it was, and why I was lying on the floor. I thought I went to bed and fell off it...until I saw the...ah, smashed coffee cup on the floor. It's not a very nice feeling to wake up in your own room and wonder why the lights and computer was on (with several flashing IM messages to boot) and you're lying propped up against a laundry basket and there's a smashed *coffee* cup beside you. It took a while to regain my senses, and it's a testament that the first thing I did was to remove all incriminating evidence (the coffee mugs which aren't coffee mugs and coffee which isn't coffee) before my gf came in the next day. Granted, I was aghast about the period of unconsciousness...it seemed to be too long and I had the distinct feeling that a good portion of my brain was compromised on that day.

Well, that's what happens when you drink too much caffeine containing beverages like coffee compulsively over a short period of time if you have condition(s) which contraindicates those, but still do it anyway. I've never been the type that learns from my mistakes, I'm the kind of person who jumps back on the horse. I would be careful the next time though...from experience, I noticed that for me, it's the overt intracranial pressure point that has "Last Exit" written on it, coz it can avalanche very quickly to the point where you are unable to communicate with people and then pass out. I noticed that I could never go on heroic runs after my first incident. Two to three day ones feels punishing, while it wasn't even a problem before. The Shadow People are starting to turn up earlier and earlier too....

Trip down the stairs into hell
Cathay de I miss your smell
A mixture of puke, beer, stale piss,
fuck, sweat, and fear

Adrenaline addicted, the
blood leak from my head,
kinda concerned my friends...

But at the time it felt so right
The music blaring on.... - NOFX

Posted in by Huai Bin at 04:05 AM Permalink | Comments (35)

Green kolo mee

Have you ever had green kolo mee? I've never even heard of it until today! The beauty about these noodles is - the green didn't come from food coloring...it came from vegetables! I had these at Chong Chon at 3rd Mile Bazaar, Kuching. The stall is called Chong Chon Kolo Mee.

This stall has some unusual offerings - noodles that add life to plain kolo mee. The photo above shows that they have two choices of noodles - either green vegetable noodles or orange carrot noodles. I thought it was just food coloring, but it isn't - the owner of the stall told me the green ones are made with bits of vegetables inside them and the orange ones are made with bits of real carrots inside them.

How's that to spice up the simple kolo mee? They add nice chunks of relatively large bbq pieces instead of the usual char siew and there are a lot of veggies in the dish. I have never seen anything like this before, but it sure tastes good - you can actually tell that the noodles are made with veggies inside!

I was told that the noodles here were good and I wasn't disappointed. My CTO brought me here to have lunch at 2:10 PM. My lunch break is from 12 PM - 1:30 PM, but we had a meeting with the SUPP (Sarawak United Peoples' Party - part of BN) Batu Lintang representative which was scheduled at 11:45 AM. It took till 2 PM to finalize the details and he was about to drive back to the office when he suddenly though "Oh, you haven't have lunch right?" *slaps forehead* Yeah, I was in the meeting with you, so of course I haven't had any lunch. Can't blame him though, he has a lot on his mind and he's a really nice guy, even though I had to work 1 1/2 hours extra today. ;) Regarding the project, if you want my honest opinion - it's is a crazy and logistically challenging project. The "technical guy" (and I use this term very loosely) in SUPP has...well, flawed understandings about distributed networks (to call a spade a spade) and drew up this unrealistic diagram. I don't know the scale from the map yet, but if it's what I think it is, it's going to be a real challenge to deliver what he's asking for. However, I, Huai Bin, is here to make 2 + 2 = 5, so I'll be damned if I don't deploy this solution, by hook or by crook [pengsan.com].

Posted in Local food by Huai Bin at 05:39 AM Permalink | Comments (25)

Hello, ini Balai Polis, Jabatan Narkotik

It has turned into a full fledged meme amongst our group of friends. I was the first to propagate this one...I had gotten a new fixed line which no one knew about, and I called up Ah L:

Me: (serious and harsh tone) Ini telefon (his name) kah?
Is this the number of (his name)?

Ah L: Ya, siapa ini?
Yes, who is this?

Me: Sini Balai Polis Kuching, Jabatan Narkotik. Saya dengar kamu sana ada ice. Betul kah tidak?
This is the Kuching Police Station, Narcotics Department. I hear you have methamphetamine in your possession. Is this true?

Ah L: Tak ada lah.
No, I don't have any in my possession.
(He really doesn't touch methamphetamine)

Me: Hahaha! It's just me.

Ah L: %#@&!%#@#

I then called up Ah B:

Me: Hello, ini telefon (his full name) kah?
Hello, is this the number of (his full name)?

Ah B: Ya.
Yes.

Me: Ini Jabatan Narkotik Balai Polis Kuching. Saya ada maklumat kamu ada jual ice.
This is the Narcotics Division of the Kuching Police Station. I have information that you sell methamphetamine (ice).
(He really doesn't use or sell methamphetamine)

Ah B: Betul kah?
Is that right?
(He recognized my voice at this point)

Me: Ya, kumpulan saya akan sapu kedai dan rumah kamu hingga kami cari ice.
Yes, our team will raid your business premises as well as your place of residence until we find methamphetamine.

Ah B: Tak payah lah, eh...saya ada satu kawan, dia sangat suka ice. Saya bagi kamu nombor dia lah.
There's no need for that, hey, I have a friend who loves meth, I'll just give you his information.
(He was referring to me, but only kidding coz he recognized my voice)

Me: &!*!@%!@#!

Just today Ah T called me from an unknown cell phone number:

Ah T: Ini Jabatan Narkotik Kuching. Saya dengar kamu ada banyak ice di rumah kamu!
This is the Narcotics Department of Kuching. I have reason to believe you're in possession of a lot of crystal methamphetamine!
(I did not recognize his voice at this point)

Me: (knows it's a joke, but cautious nevertheless) Hah? Tak ada lah, saya tidak main dadah.
Huh? That's totally inaccurate, I don't touch drugs.

Ah T: It's me lah.

Me: %!Q!&@!&!@

It's a highly virulent meme and not funny at all, if you're on the receiving end. ;)

Posted in by Huai Bin at 11:59 PM Permalink | Comments (20)

Arak Putih Rumah Panjai - longhouse liquor

Arak Putih Rumah Panjang (or Rumah Panjai as it states on the label) is a very affordable brand of distilled liquor at RM 4.40 for 620 ml of around 60% proof alcohol. It's one of the locally brewed spirits - the picture above shows the grand tradition of these fine local offerings. As you can see, local distilleries is very big on recycling and environmental issues (haha!). The photo taken above shows the various bottles that it comes in - there's a white one which I suspect is a recycled vinegar bottle, and the brown one beside it is a recycled Carlsberg bottle and the one behind that is a Tiger beer bottle with the bottles emptied, cleaned (I hope) and filled with their own product and slapped with their brand.

This one is from Hornbill Distillery at 4th Mile, Kuching. I got the white bottle to show that the distilled spirit is white. Excuse me for not being articulate and forgive any language semantics inconsistencies in this post because I have already consumed 1/4 of the liquor on an empty stomach.

It's known as longhouse liqueur because of the picture of a longhouse on it.

It certainly is packs a punch...I've chugged a third of the bottle now, and the taste is surprisingly palatable, with none of the kerosene taste these locally brewed liquors have. It's good. Nice! Well, and I am afraid I am unable to continue writing now. I'm starting to get quite inebriated...

Check yourself into AA, you fucking alcoholic!
The unglamorous face behind sixthseal.com. ;)

Lainie [tabulas.com], if you ask me now, I'm feeling good. :)

Posted in Ethanol and tobacco by Huai Bin at 06:20 PM Permalink | Comments (27)

1314

1314. It came out on Magnum 4D Draw 048/04 just now. I hardly ever buy lottery tickets. Yesterday afternoon, I was going to get a Foochow big pau (RM 2) for lunch and I only had RM 50 denomination notes and they didn't have change. The memory of the last time I bought 4D from the accident was still fresh and the Magnum 4D outlet was just a little down from there, so I decided to get change there, and got a number just for fun.

1374. I figured it was an appropriate number because I was depressed and thinking about the utter pointlessness of life. 1374 pronounces as "once born, go die" (literal translation) in Mandarin - it fitted my mindset because that's what life's about. We get born, we live through our meaningless lease on earth, and death awaits us at the end. I was hoping it would be sooner than later, due to my personal problems which I would not like to talk about but you can all probably figure out (it's related to veritas).

Anyway, I went back with change and bought my big pau for lunch. Walking past the outlet, I realized that there was an even better number - 1314. It would translate as "one birth, one death" - a rather Zen like approach to life...we live, we die. Until then, we take what we can from the offerings of this world. I started to walk into the Magnum 4D outlet with the full intention of buying that number, I shit you not, I really stepped in with the FULL INTENT to get that number - when I saw one of my coworkers walking past.

I did not want to be associated with these activities, since I do not gamble. That is not my vice, my vice is drugs, so I immediately walked out again to avoid being seen at this venue. Anyway, I was posting today and remembered the 4D slip that I got and vaguely remembered that the draw was opening at 7 PM today - it was the live results draw on their website and I saw 1314 come out as the "Special Prize" number, which nets RM 200.

Results from Magnum 4D website [magnum4d.com].

I was elated! RM 200 would give me a free return ticket back to Sibu during the long Labor Day holidays! RM 200 would get me a "stick" (about 500 mg) of methamphetamine crystals, with RM 20 left to donate to the nice auntie who explained the semantics of this game to me! The possibilities! It's a small amount, no doubt, but to win by just very casual buying (I think this is the third time in 4 years?) would be incredibly lucky and I jumped up in elation when that number came out.

I checked my slip...it was 1374. I forgot. I didn't go in to get 1314 because I didn't want to be associated with this (which is strange, since I don't mind being associated with drug use). Fuck! The sheer elation...and then the letdown. The disappointment at what could have been mine. Not could have, it's WOULD HAVE. I had the full intent of getting that number. My girlfriend says it's not meant to be.

I fully agree. I swear that I'll never let Magnum 4D get RM 1.10 from my pockets again. Pffftttt...

I don't care now though, I get over things very quickly. :)

Posted in by Huai Bin at 08:28 PM Permalink | Comments (21)

Lok lok

I'm not sure where the etymology of the word "lok lok" comes from, but it's basically stuff skewed onto a stick (like a satay or kebab) which you can pick and choose from the large selection on offer. There are two different styles of lok lok - it's either boiled (more common here) or deep fried. This is Ming Corner in Kuching, it has become a staple where me and my friends go for lok-lok and nasi lemak. It's along Jalan Padungan and you can't miss the neon sign.

Here are photos of the many varieties of selectable items that can be found in places specializing in loklok:

These are the more common offerings. There's fishballs and meatballs of all sorts and shapes and mystery meat made in the likeness of shapes like fishes, barrels etc.

You'll also notice that some of the lok lok sticks comes interspaced with different items e.g. one sausage followed by half a meatball till the stick is filled. There's also more esoteric items like the mussel (with shell intact) topped with a fish ball you can see beside the sausages. The far end of the picture shows the items that are less in demand like chicken stomachs.

Here's a picture of tofu, cuttlefish, shrimp and crab claw lok loks.

There's also vegetables strung onto a stick and sotong interspaced with vegetables.

Now this is something I won't miss out on every time we go for lok lok - quail eggs! =D I love these things. The white ones are normal boiled quail eggs and the dark ones are century quail eggs! I'm surprised that century eggs comes in the quail egg size in addition to the chicken egg size. I love them all! Quail eggs! Quail eggs! Quail eggs!

Last, but not least, is the staple of lok lok - clams. These are the small clams you can find in Penang style char kueh tiaw. There are also unshelled clams and whole fishes in addition to stingrays and whole prawns.

Anyway, what you do is grab a plate from the stack and pick up the sticks of lok lok you want. I had two plates, this is the first one:

It contains jellyfish, clams, squid, a crab claw and meatball combo, and a prawn ball and half fish ball combo.

You pass your plate to the attendant when you're done choosing from the selection and she cooks it by dipping it into the small boiling pot of broth. The time it takes for each item is different e.g. vegetables are just dipped in for a second while squid will be simmering in the pot for a while. Thus, each batch is cooked separately.

In the meantime, you can take another plate and fill it up with the sauce(s) of your choice. Personally, I mix all four together in different ratios. My personal preference is - two portions of satay sauce (peanut based sweet sauce), 2 portions of oyster sauce, one portion of chili sauce (it dilutes the sauce mix and I like mine to have a thick consistency) and one portion of this unknown salty tasting sauce which is not soy sauce (just to make it salty).

Here's a photo of the cooked plate, served to your table. This is Plate #2 - it contains vegetables (yes, I do eat veggies...occasionally), quail eggs, century (preserved) quail eggs spaced with cuttlefish, prawns and clams.

Ming Corner (or just "the lok lok place", as we call it due to the prominent neon sign) serves a mean plate of nasi lemak as well - the dish that makes the meal, since lok lok isn't filling per se. Yes, I realize how cheesy the adjective "mean" sounds when used in this context. ;)

Posted in Local food by Huai Bin at 06:44 PM Permalink | Comments (15)

McDonald's Fish McDippers

Fish McDippers is the latest addition to the McDonald's menu over here. It's like Chicken McNuggets, except it's made with fish instead of chicken. This gives it a soft and spongy texture which is quite pleasing. McDonald's Fish McDippers comes in two sizes - the photo above shows the large "mini bucket" which contains 6 of the fish nuggets and retails for RM 4.90.

Here's a look inside the six piece container.

It's also available in a smaller size, which usually comes with Happy Meals, but can be purchased separately for RM 2.95. The small 4 piece box has...er, four pieces of the deep fried, batter coated, fish nuggets.

It is wonderfully crunchy and crispy on the outside, but retains the soft, slightly undercooked and delicious fish flesh on the inside.

This is what the 4 pack looks like, when opened.

The Fish McDippers comes with tartar sauce - which goes well with fish.

Unlike the sauce mini containers in Australia, the ones here are free instead of the A$ 0.30 they charge over there.

Instructions for use:

1. Grasp one Fish McDipper with your fingers and insert the nugget into the open tartar sauce container. Dip the exterior surface with the sauce.

2. Open mouth and take a bite out of the piece. Repeat.

Posted in Fast Food Inc. by Huai Bin at 04:33 PM Permalink | Comments (27)

sixthseal.com 2nd Birthday!

On this day, the 19th of April 2004, sixthseal.com celebrates its second anniversary! It coincides with the day this site was moved to its own VPS (Virtual Private Server) to accommodate the huge bandwidth demands that it generates. There will be the traditional wrap up of the previous year as well in the post below.

I have been blogging for two years now, starting from a humble HTML blog without comments to the blog you see now. I have watched the site grow from single digit daily unique visitors to the thousands of unique visitors that it now receives every day. For that, I thank everyone, from the vast silent majority to the vocal minority, for reading my daily posts. Thank you!

This year was particularly noteworthy, due to the fact that the timeframe covers my final days in university at Melbourne, Australia through to my first job at XM Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and up to my second job in Kuching, Sarawak. The site also expanded and acquired multiple domain names under the sixthseal.com umbrella - castitas.com (9th September 2003), pengsan.com (18th November 2003), louisalee.com (27th January 2004) and fengtau.com (30th January 2004).

It also stands witness to "veritas" finally coming clean and admitting what everyone already knew or guessed - there was never a guest author...every single "veritas" post was written by the "main author" (which would be me, there is only one author on sixthseal.com). It was necessary to use a pseudonym to distance myself from the drug related content, thus "veritas" was born. I realize that it's an ironic name since "veritas" is Latin for "truth".

However, it was originally meant to provide readers with an insight to my recreational drug use - the Latin word for "truth" was meant to dispel the junkie drug user stereotype and to provide true harm-minimization oriented drug education, without any government or anti-drug propaganda. It was also meant to help existing users to be safer and more responsible in their drug consumption and to be aware of what they're actually consuming and the risks involved.

I'll be the first to admit that it's not all altruistic...I love drugs and writing about them. I enjoy receiving the "fan mail" that veritas gets. I wanted to be the first drug blogger in the world. I'm not sure if I really am the pioneer in this sense (experience reports have been around forever), but I'll like to think that I'm the first one to take photos of the various drugs that I consume and write posts about them in a weblog format, at least in Malaysia.

Here is a re-cap of the more noteworthy posts during the blog year from 19th April 2003 till 19th April 2004:

Huai Bin

Project Petaling Street announcement
June 12, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
The birth of the monumental PPS documented.

Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol, Hypnodorm, "date rape drug")
June 12, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
My doctor shopping skillz shall be disputed by none! ;)

Tribedadelic rave
July 5, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
My last (indoor) rave before leaving Melbourne.

Miss Malaysian Chinese photographic shoot
July 6, 2003 - Sibu, Sarawak
Photos of girls in Sibu.

McDonald's Sega handheld video games
August 1, 2003 - Sibu, Sarawak
The promotional Sega - McDonald's collaboration handheld games.

Okonomiyaki
August 22, 2003 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Full photographic documentation of the okonomiyaki making process.

Deviant Species doof
December 22, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
The outdoor rave (doof) I squeezed into my itinerary when I went back for my convocation.

McDonald's Salads Plus
December 28, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
I ate most of the Salads Plus menu - an attempt by McDonald's to shred (no pun intended) it's unhealthy image.

Last day at XM, Malaysia
January 15, 2004 - KL, Malaysia
My last day at the first company I worked in, before moving to Kuching for a better paycheck.

Firecrackers in Malaysia
January 21, 2004 - Sibu, Sarawak
A sixthseal.com Chinese New Year special!

HIV testing in Malaysia
March 22, 2004 - Kuching, Malaysia
My community service message to balance out my karma for all the drug posts I make. ;)
*Updated with Western Blot Gribbles test results.

Come out and play
April 4, 2004 - Kuching, Sarawak
Nightlife in Kuching.

Lidocaine experiment
April 12, 2004 - Kuching, Sarawak
I inject myself with Xylocaine, "veritas" has already been admitted to be me all along.

"veritas"

LSD (acid) blotters
April 23, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
Never underestimate hallucinogens.

Dextroamphetamine scripting success!
April 30, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
This is legal speed (not available in Malaysia) - amphetamines from your friendly neighborhood doctor. ;)

Magic mushrooms
May 9, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
Successful mushroom hunting for psilocybe subaeruginosa and amanita muscaria.

Methamphetamine IV (intravenous injection)
June 17, 2003 - Melbourne, Australia
I join the (dubious) ranks of injecting drug users.

Video of veritas smoking methamphetamine
February 7, 2004 - KL, Malaysia
The first video release on sixthseal.com - we embrace all forms of journalism. ;)

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

Thank you, dear readers of sixthseal.com. It has been another good year, and here's to many more good years to come! Cheers! :)

Posted in Best of sixthseal.com by Huai Bin at 08:06 PM Permalink | Comments (40)

sixthseal.com is back online!

This post would be visible if the move to my robust VPS with 6 GB disk space (it has been upgraded) and 75 GB bandwidth per month with 128 MB guaranteed RAM (up to 4 GB possible) has successfully propagated. There are still a lot of things that needs to be done, much of the site is totally messed up, but that will have to wait till tomorrow due to human fatigue. ;)

Say hello in the comments so I can gauge when to switch temporary pointers to permanent ones.

Posted in by Huai Bin at 12:48 PM Permalink | Comments (17)

sixthseal.com is moving

I'll be performing a "forced migration" today, since attempts to get it working on my VPS with a preserved SQL database seems futile with the latest Movable Type release. The DNS/nameserver change may result in some downtime, though a smooth transition is expected (but that hardly ever happens from experience). This, of course, will result in heavy Google penalties since this method of migrating does not preserve the original file structure, but it's unavoidable, since bandwidth bills are getting insane, so I'll have to move it to my robust 2 GB disk space with 75 GB monthly bandwidth VPS. Please allow 24 - 48 hours for the move to be completed. Please direct all email to this address and if the transition does not go as smoothly as I hope it will, new posts will be temporarily made at castitas.com. Thank you for your patience and I'll see you all soon!

Posted in by Huai Bin at 08:38 AM Permalink | Comments (2)

Keropok perisa ayam (square tapioca crisps)

Do you remember those square tapioca keropok (crisps) that was widely available in our primary school days? I love those things - it's the best testing crisps in the world! It's made from tapioca instead of potatos, unlike mosts crisps. I seriously cannot find anything that rivals these things (though Double Decker chicken crisps comes a close second)...it's simply delicious. I couldn't find it in normal retail outlets though...it seems to be only sold in bulk (100 packs or so).

Well, I managed to find some at this shop near a primary school - it's not the original ones that I remembered, but they taste exactly the same. It costs the same too, which was surprising. It's a very affordable RM 0.20 per packet. Just 20 cents like it used to be! Nostalgia...I could eat heaps and heaps of these without getting sick, and most people in my workplace loves these things too, the shop is near the place I work.

Basically, its square crisps flavored with chicken with heaps of MSG. Mmm...tasty!

In other news, I had a long meeting today with the MBKS (Kuching South Council) mayor and his entourage. I don't know what half the people in the meeting room was there for - they didn't seem to be related to the project and was just there sitting passively and nodding their heads and smiling at the appropriate moments (usually on the mayor or his assistant's cue). I went to the MBKS HQ with my CEO, CFO and CTO and we successfully secured a project...which means more work for me in the foreseeable future, but hey, it's what I'm being paid for. The suaku guy in me was amazed at the expensively decorated and architecturally extravagant interior and the lavish meeting room. There was even an attendant to make sure our coffee cups were full and he was serving us sandwiches as well. It's shrink wrapped individual ones with a polystyrene container and a three layer sandwich in one side and a two layer one in the other. I don't know what's inside though. We later surveyed the site for a while and I highly regretted not bringing my digicam along (I figured it would look unprofessional) since there were good photo opportunities - the view was amazing from there. Suaku guy, signing out...

Posted in Snacks by Huai Bin at 06:23 PM Permalink | Comments (13)

Hilux vs Wira accident and 4D numbers

There was a vehicular collision involving a Toyota Hilux rear ending a Proton Wira just a little down from where I work right before lunch break. I didn't hear the accident but Evelyn from Accounts informed me that there was a loud collision and showed me where it happened. I tried to look out of the second floor window, but couldn't see anything - apparently the vehicles have moved to the side to allow traffic to flow along the busy and narrow Jalan Padungan road.

Anyway, after ascertaining from her that it seems to be a rather gnarly accident, I was disappointed when I went down, digital camera in hand, to see there was only a damaged bumper and boot to the white Wira, and hardly any signs of damage on the front of the Hilux. Nevertheless, it seems that people like to buy 4D (lottery prediction numbers) based on the victim's car number plate, and I decided to go during lunch break to this 4D outlet near my workplace to get one just in the spirit of fun.

I must say that I can't remember the last time I bought 4D since gambling is not one of my interests, so I was surprised to see that the outlet was closed. Another coworker who saw me photographing the closed outlet told me that all prediction number agencies are closed on Thursday. I guess I'll have to get it tomorrow then. ;)

Posted in by Huai Bin at 01:28 PM Permalink | Comments (17)

BBQ chicken skin

I have been recently introduced to the strangely tasty offerings of chicken skin, skewed on a stick (not unlike a satay) and flame grilled over a BBQ. BBQ chicken skin is exactly what it means - it only has the chicken skin on it. Look closely at the photo and you'll make out the skinned chicken pieces arranged on the sticks. These places usually also offers other items like chicken liver, as well as more conventional fare like chicken wings and sausages.

Chicken skin has this cloyingly chewy sweet taste and I must say it's somewhat of an acquired taste. It does taste good, but after the 3rd or 4th stick, you'll start to feel a bit queasy. It's pure chicken skin after all, without any meat, so the texture starts getting a little...unpleasant after a few skewers of this. I would recommend this in small portions...and its best eaten with a slathering of chili sauce. :)

Posted in Local food by Huai Bin at 05:56 PM Permalink | Comments (21)

Clams cooked with ginger

I love these clams...the larger ones with a white shell and a tender and moist center. I had these for dinner just now. It was cooked with ginger, but that did not overwhelm the taste. The place I go to does it just right - slightly underdone and the clams are fresh. Mmm...

Anyway, my mental faculties are somewhat impaired right now and Mr. Sandman is being insistant about doing his duty, so I'll have to reply the comments tomorrow. My apologies about this - there's some really insightful and feedback in the past few posts, thanks for all the responses!

P/S - Your posts always provide much needed insight to keep me in check, maria callas. :)

Posted in Local food by Huai Bin at 07:47 PM Permalink | Comments (17)

Xylocaine - lidocaine (lignocaine) injection experience report

I have managed to acquire a pharmaceutical grade plastic vial of lignocaine (also known as lidocaine) recently. It was sourced from a hospital, using a very unethical method, so we'll just concentrate on the experience report instead. Xylocaine 2% is a sterile solution of lidocaine for injections. Lignocaine is used as a local anesthetic (amongst other things) at hospitals and is generally not considered to have any recreational value.

However, I like experiencing new things and I keep an open mind when it comes to substances, so I decided to experiment with the lidocaine solution to see what it feels like. It's not every day a new and sealed 5 ml vial containing 100 mg of injectible lignocaine comes into your possession. Lidocaine is a restricted item and is meant to be administered by qualified medical practitioners only. I'm always up for trying new substances which may be potentially recreational, depending on what your definition of recreational is.

I have read that lignocaine is meant to be used with larger gauge needles for SC injection so I got both 23 gauge and 27 gauge needles. SC is the shorthand for subcutaneous, better known as "skin popping". It's the method where you insert the syringe needle into and under your skin without hitting any veins, arteries etc. The syringe body is bought separately and fitted manually with the needles. All the injecting equipment is bought from an understanding pharmacy, no questions asked.

Syringe body

Lignocaine can be administered via IV, but this route seems to be unsafe without medical supervision, so I would avoid hitting any veins. I have experience with self-administrating using syringes (more than I'll care to admit to), mostly with IV (intravenous injection) methamphetamine, so I will not be going into that aspect of the experiment. However, I must state that sixthseal.com does not condone, promote or encourage the use of illicit drugs or diverted pharmaceuticals. This is merely a personal experience report with Xylocaine.

27 gauge needles

I am obliged to inform readers that injecting has more risks associated with it compared to other routes of administration so I must urge people to research and read about safer injecting drug user guides before even thinking about doing it. I've also read (after the fact) that lidocaine may cause convulsions so it's a good thing I'm on high doses of clonazepam (a benzodiazepine with strong anticonvulsive properties). It should be stated that possession of syringes without justifiable cause e.g. insulin dependant diabetes, is illegal in some countries, like Malaysia. Please stay safe.

23 gauge needles

Back to the experience report, I used both gauges to inject 100 mg of 5 ml lignocaine solution over a 15 minute period. The injection sites are all on my left forearm, with several insertions around a small area. I found the 23G needle to be more comfortable. It seems that the Xylocaine solution is meant to be administered slowly, and a smaller gauge ("thicker") syringe feels more comfortable for SC injection. The site of injection swells up when the lignocaine solution is administered, and the swelling goes away within an hour or so.

Here are the video clips of the Xylocaine (lignocaine injectable solution) experiment:

I will rate the videos which are more interesting into two categories:
* Recommended
* Must See!
This allows dial up users to only download the more interesting ones, without having to bother with the more mundane videos.
Recommended videos have some interesting content inside and is worth a look if you have the bandwidth.
Must See! videos are the best of the bunch and should be downloaded first as it has the most interesting content.
Video clips which are not rated are the ones which would be boring for most people since it's only there for continuity and documentation. The first few clips are not rated and thus isn't worth downloading unless you have a fast connection or you're interested in the experiment flow.

Xylocaine introduction

Xylocaine experiment introduction video [sixthseal.com]

This video is just an introductory clip with the injecting paraphernalia e.g. syringes, needles, Xylocaine solution and a quick description of the experience report.

Xylocaine 27G syringe - drawing lignocaine solution

27 gauge needle drawing lignocaine solution [sixthseal.com]

The Xylocaine plastic vial's opening ceremony. ;) There is an issue with the syringe body where the needle does not fully lock into the syringe lock. This resulted in a less than optimal syringe draw (due to the lack of a full vacuum environment) and this video clip was aborted after failing to withdraw any liquid. Further tightening of the screw in 27 gauge needle resolved this issue.

Xylocaine 27G syringe - first blood!

27G first injection attempt [sixthseal.com]

This is the first SC injection of lignocaine into my upper left forearm. There's nothing much to see here (the view is obscured), so I would recommend downloading the other more interesting videos. This one shows the initial needle insertion and the administration of a small amount of lidocaine. There was an initial numbness, which I thought was the main effect, but this was merely the teaser.

Xylocaine 27G syringe - second attempt

* Recommended

27G second injection video [sixthseal.com]

This video has a clearer shot of the syringe insertion - it goes a little deep for an SC (subcutaneous) injection, considering the size of the subject's (that's me) forearm. It's not an IM (intramuscular) injection, it didn't go that far. Issues with the syringe body caused problems with lignocaine flow, so not much got into the site. It's worth a look if you've already seen the Must See videos below, otherwise, I'll recommend downloading those first.

Xylocaine 23G syringe - drawing lignocaine solution

23 gauge needle drawing lidocaine [sixthseal.com]

It was decided at this point that the smaller gauge needle is brought for a test run. The lower the gauge rating is, the larger the needle hole is. This makes it easier to administer the solution. Thus, the 23 gauge needle is swapped in to replace the 27 gauge needle. The syringe body was also changed to a new one. The first attempt yielded only 0.5 ml, so the solution was squirted back into the plastic vial and another attempt made in the next clip.

Xylocaine 23G syringe - first attempt

* Recommended

23G video - SC injection [sixthseal.com]

The syringe was loaded with a rather generous payload, though not all was administered at this point. The first injection was aborted due to concerns about hitting a vein and the site moved to the left. You can actually see the second site swelling up as the SC injection started transferring the liquid from the syringe into my arm. Astute viewers can see that I'm not wearing anything and I have some excess weight in my abdomen area. ;)

Xylocaine 23G syringe - second attempt

* Must See!

23G video of second Xylocaine injection [sixthseal.com]

This is where I get more familiar with lignocaine and start administering more Xylocaine solution in my SC injections. The swelling caused by the liquid is clearly visible now and the local anesthetic qualities of lignocaine start to shine. I also demonstrate how it makes the injection site numb in this video

Xylocaine - lignocaine SC injection site swelling

* Must See!

Download video showing the swelling caused by lignocaine injection [sixthseal.com]

The video shows how the SC injection site swells up with liquid after another SC injection. The needle is inserted at an angle, bevel side up, and pushed deeper to experiment with different techniques and how it affects the local anesthetic qualities. The classic angle shot seems to make more liquid pool up beneath the skin and the numbing qualities were more noticeable.

Xylocaine - local anesthetic and numbing

* Must See!

Xylocaine's numbing properties after injection [sixthseal.com]

Here's the last injection that I filmed - there's quite a few insertion points by this point and most of the lignocaine solution has been used up. This video clip shows the subjective peak activity of the local anesthetic - the injection sites are rendered numb, and touch stimuli has lost much of its impact.

Xylocaine thoughts and ending

Lidocaine ending thoughts [sixthseal.com]

I end this experience report with my thoughts about lidocaine. Basically, it's fun to play around with, but it's not recreational in the true sense of the term. I made an off-hand statement in this video clip which I must amend here since I don't have any video editing software. I mentioned "try it once" somewhere in the video and I have to make it clear that I was referring to myself. I meant I've tried it once, it was fun and it's a good experience. The quote should not be taken out of context to suggest that I'm somehow encouraging experimental drug use. sixthseal.com does not encourage, support or condone the use of illicit drug use and diverted pharmaceuticals.

I found Xylocaine (lignocaine solution) to be interesting. It seems to take effect almost instantaneously and lasts for around 15 - 20 minutes. The qualitative effects can be best described as a general numbing in the area of injection. Stimuli can be felt despite the numbness but it seems that a higher threshold is required for it to be registered. I administered SC injections in several low dosage syringe payloads, which seems to dilute the experience somewhat. I've also noticed that a deeper needle penetration before administering produces better results.

It healed perfectly within 48 hours.

I also found that more lignocaine solution in a single penetration causes some swelling (fluid retention?) and increases the anesthetic qualities of Xylocaine. I had started out conservatively, with multiple low payload syringes, since it's my first experience, but the latter injections were done with higher payloads, and that resulted in an increased subjective numbness. It is a topical anesthetic, which most people would not consider recreational, but I found the experience to be fun and would repeat the experiment again, with a single high payload syringe for maximum effects.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and the methods described in this post may be wrong or even dangerous. I would recommend starting with a low dosage when dealing with an unfamiliar substance. This post is just a personal experience report and should not be regarded as an authorative source of information. I must warn readers that this is my first time injecting lidocaine. I am not responsible for any errors or omissions in this post. Please do not share or re-use any injecting equipment and ensure that used syringes are disposed responsibly.

Posted in Best of sixthseal.com by Huai Bin at 04:56 PM Permalink | Comments (46)

Dial up is better than nothing

It's two and half months...I've not have net access at home for that long. That just changed today, the Telekom people came in and installed my phone line. :) Now, I'll only have to wait for my Streamyx, there's some problems due to the fiber wiring here instead of copper. Anyway, I'll get the lignocaine post up soon, it's been approved. ;) Till then!

Er...it might take a while, dailup is slow after running on a Streamyx Enterprise line...

Posted in by Huai Bin at 04:16 PM Permalink | Comments (6)

The longest Cohiba cigar in Sarawak

The photo above is from the humidor (a display case might be a better term) at the Hilton, Kuching lobby. It's a cigar of epic proportions, my estimate would place it at a meter long, at least. There's a place card beside it, proclaiming this cigar to be the longest one in Sarawak. The card also unnecessarily mentions that it's not for sale and is meant for display purposes only, lest any collectors or aficionados get any ideas. It's a torpedo shaped cigar in shrink wrap, featured in a custom made wood display box. The cigar a Cohiba band on it, so I assume it's made by this illustrious Cuban brand.

P/S - The lignocaine experiment has reached its conclusion. The write-up, photos and video clips is ready to be posted, pending approval from my better half. It is going through some red tape since it involves the heinous act of self-administrating an injectable solution using the obvious route of administration (please correct me if I have made an error in assuming that injectable solutions are meant to be injected). I gather that my interest in experimentation and the latest exploit has generated great displeasure (to say the least) from my significant other, regardless of the benign nature of the substance.

The subtle semantics gleaned from the discussion leads me to believe that I have two options - post it and risk having to use the past tense when describing said other half, or not post it and getting a miniscule (but much needed) amount of brownie points. I'll be taking a "wait and see" approach for this one. I'm also under the impression that I'm in the doghouse for suspected use of recreational substances. There is no tangible evidence to suggest that I'm still actively involved in my chemical endeavors, mind. It just seems to her that I cannot be trusted to be left unsupervised, since methamphetamine will invariably find its way into me on its own accord.

I am forced to conclude that I require 24/7 monitoring since I'm just 23 and not capable of independent thought. I'm also made to understand that I'm no better than a human version of Pavlov's dog, salivating at the very mention of drugs. I also seem to possess the dubious ability of establishing solid and reliable sources for methamphetamine wherever I go. This is followed by the usual lament about why I can't have a "normal" leisure pursuit (or hobby, if you will), where "normal" is the absolute point of reference from the profiling of "other people". I'll have to get back to you about the concise definition for these two terms, since I'm unable to grasp the concept as well.

I'm not sure what I think of these allegations (since I'm incapable of independent thought, you see), but the lignocaine experiment will never see the light of the day until the...well, green light is given. This is necessary to avoid the tedious process of having to revert into past tense whenever my better half is mentioned. I shall also have to restrain veritas from posting until further negotiations allows the draft of a new acceptable post policy. That still leaves the constant suspicion that I'm always using methamphetamine. I always maintain that the photos are taken from various friends' stashes, but it doesn't seem to hold much weight now, since I've used that excuse innumerable times in the past, before she found out that it was all from my personal stash all along.

Thus, I cannot blame her for her lack of trust since I've insisted for two years that "veritas" is another person, until everything collapsed under the weight of the complicated fabrication of a fictional separate entity that invariably settles down in the very same city that I'm currently residing in...and moves when I do. The problem of being unable to produce a person compounded the issue, since I'm unaware of any advances in science that allows the construction of a real life person from my pseudonym. It became harder and harder to hide the fact that "veritas" is just a nick I use to make drug related posts to distance myself from it. I finally found myself in a position where I could not maintain the facade anymore and told her the truth. Long time readers may remember that incident.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when we conspire to conceive...

There is no excuse for subjecting her to that, and I will not attempt to defend myself. I only did what I thought was right - not subjecting the people I care for to unnecessary worries by being economical with the truth about my choice of recreational activities, which I justified by convincing myself that I was somehow morally superior to some other people, since I did not cheat on her, but merely indulged in chemicals (which is an inert substance). It's flawed logic, for a flawed personality.

Question: Do you think it's "wrong" (based on your own definition of this word) to experiment with a medical grade substance with literally no recreational value, just for the sake of building up a database of personal experiences?

Granted, it was not administered using a route that many will approve of (alas, people here have yet to understand the concept of having an open mind), but the substance is pharmaceutical grade, sterile, and is not "recreational" in the strictest term of the word, but rather "fun, for the sake of trying something new". Needless to say, with my phobia, I maintain very strict procedures when this route of administration is used - the equipment is all sterile and syringes are changed after each injection, with only myself in the room. I don't like having people around when I'm self-administering using this route due to my irrational fears and hypochondriac tendencies.

I admit, there are no valid medical reasons for me to be using lignocaine, but honestly, why should that stop anyone from doing anything? Has everyone really lost the need for experimentation in search of truth validated by personal experiences? Are there no inquisitive minds who demands actual experience instead of detached observation and existing literature? If that's true, I truly lament the loss...we've become content to be merely fed information without enquiring, questioning, trying. We've stopped evolving, everything is taken as gospel, ignorance is strength. Our future lies in the hands of risk adverse people who goes through life with a dull acceptance, being told what is "right" and "wrong" and like the cattle they are, integrating that into their belief system.

I will not rationalize my love for experimenting with substances, since that would require a rational mind, and rational minds are incapable of thinking outside the box, of breaking free of the need to conform to society norms, of bending a set of ridiculously rigid rules and regulations. This statement is based on flawed logic as well, it's just there to provide rhythm. :p Ligocaine is merely a local anesthetic that's commonly used in hospitals and it's not meant to be "recreational", but I'm interested in trying it anyway. I pursue the only kind of knowledge I value - personal experience. Does the word "injecting" really produce such a knee jerk response? Why is there a stigma associated with self-administrating using syringes, when it's done in an educated and safe manner? Do people really think that syringes are meant to be used exclusively by medical professionals? It's not like I'm doing anything unsafe, all equipment is brand new (the only way it should be) and used only once. Heck, I practice safer injection procedures than most doctors...at least I swab myself beforehand.

At any rate, when it comes down to the bottom line, I'm not going to be harming anyone but myself (and no harm will be done on that front, rest assured). I firmly believe that this ideology is "right" based on my principles (yes, contrary to popular belief, I do have principles :p). I have a straight laced sister who went through medical school in New Zealand, and she's now practicing there after graduating in the upper percentile. I reckon someone has to be the black sheep of the family, so that leaves me as the de facto candidate. It's a dirty job, granted, but somebody's gotta do it. ;) Anyway, this taught me a lot about the staggering limitations of a med school graduate's knowledge base and experience. I have little faith in the average GP giving a proper diagnosis for anything except the common cold. Don't get me wrong, I'm not undermining the medical profession*; it's just that doctors are all jack of all trades and master of none until they specialize. I know the pharmacology of the substance (which is more I can say for some doctors). I've had experience with this route of administration and I stay on the safe side when this route is used. Doctors and nurses use other people (patients) as guinea pigs during their training, I use myself.

* It's only acceptable to do this if you're involved in the healthcare industry, based on the "Exclusive Use" guideline e.g. it's generally unacceptable to use the n word unless you're African American, even if no malicious intent is meant. Of course, it's more of a guideline rather than a rule. An example here is the concession of the racial slur "chink" which I'm technically allowed to use, due to my Chinese descent, though I don't remember ever having used it. I'm disinclined to use any racial slurs due to the superfluous nature of the terms. I'm partial to the classics when profanity is justified. A "motherfucker" is a "motherfucker" and a "fuckwit" is a "fuckwit" (to call a spade a spade), regardless of race or religious affiliation. I guess my upbringing emphasized mutual respect and inculcated intolerance towards racism in any form. However, being directly related to a doctor allows me to take advantage of Bylaw #2 - "Limited use granted to direct family members" to exercise my liberty to take a couple of harmless pot shots at the medical profession. ;)

Oh, this reminds me of an unintentionally patronizing GP I saw the other day who claims to have "studied pharmacology" and "knows better than laymen about what's best for them". I was trying to get DHC (dihydrocodeine) for my migraine (seriously, I wasn't scripting) and I had quite a bit of fun "discussing" (read: correcting) her supposedly vast pharmacology knowledge about this group of drugs. The first reply upon my request irked me to no end, so I just couldn't help myself. She said that (verbatim) "We don't prescribe drugs like dihydrocodeine or codeine here, especially to someone as young as you. To me, if you take these drugs, you are a drug addict to me. It's usually meant for the sick and elderly, to ease them into the next world." Naturally, I didn't take kindly to being called a "drug addict", especially with something as tame as DHC/codeine, so I took offence and mentioned that I wasn't aware that doctors are trained to pass judgment on their patients as a value added service, especially with allegations as serious as the ones she's making. I also mentioned that I did not know that such weak opiate agonists would offer much support for palliative care patients, since I imagine they would have built up a tolerance that requires stronger pain management medications like fentanyl. It turns out that her pharmacology knowledge is limited to knowing that opiate agonists can cause constipation and can be "habit forming" (at least she used a more appropriate term this time). I told her I'm aware of all the potential side effects since I've been diagnosed as being allergic to paracetamol/APAP (which is not being untruthful, I drink alcohol daily, thus paracetamol would do a number on my liver) so I've always been on DHC for my migraines.

She managed a weak "...but, but, you can get high off these things" before I got tired of her ignorance and told her that I'll actually get nauseous and throw up before that would happen. I questioned her code of ethics for not prescribing the appropriate and blatently obvious medication under the circumstances. She finally conceded and scripted me 30 mg codeine without paracetamol/APAP (claimed I was allergic to most NSAIDs) after deciding it was not worth risking her reputation in front of the nurse after being politely corrected the third time by a "laymen" about the pharmacology side of prescriptions with potential for abuse (which is stepping into my domain ;)). I'm normally pretty easy going, but this particular doctor's hau lien (condescending) attitude needs to be rectified. Oh, and she asked me if I was a pharmacy or medical school student on my way out. I still can't get over my witty reply, it just came into my head, like the best ones do. I said, "Nah, I'm just a laymen" and shut the door. ;) Heh! I must say that I'm usually not like that, I'm always polite, but this doctor is a disgrace. I was ashamed to see the plague that shows we graduated from the same alma mater (Monash University, Australia). I wonder where she learnt to be so anal with things as tame as DHC/codeine only pills. I could get those OTC in Sibu for Christ's sake. I've never had problems getting the tricky controlled scripts like dexamphetamine (dextroamphetamine sulfate - I have a permanent script in Melbourne!) and flunitrazepam (Hypnodorm, better known as Rohypnol) over there, so I'm sure she did not taint the name of my alma mater since she couldn't have been taught that there. I digress.

Anyway, lignocaine is an established and very common substance with practically no recreational value. I have established the dosage and potential risks, I do research a new substance before administering (er...usually). We have different aims - I'm not going to pretend I'm doing this for anything except to experience what lignocaine feels like myself (the pursuit of personal experience is the aim), while medical professionals may be holding to some notion that they're helping other people (show me someone who's not in it for the money or the perceived social status). I'll be the first one to admit that the way the lignocaine injection bottle came into my possession is completely unacceptable and immoral (er...it fell off a truck *cough*). This is also not an issue about "helping other people", the medical professionals do that, yes, it's their job, they get paid for it. It's about the reactions I get from people who seem to think its "wrong" to experiment with even pharmaceutical grade non-recreational substances. I'm puzzled at the reactions I get...and I'm now also pissed off that I wasted all this time on this rant.

Why is it wrong to safely inject myself with a medical grade local anesthetic in the pursuit of knowledge and personal experience? Enlighten me...

Posted in Ethanol and tobacco by Huai Bin at 09:32 AM Permalink | Comments (25)

EZ needle lighter modification guide a.k.a. "Why does my lighter have a syringe in it?!?"

This is How to make a needle lighter for Dummies. ;) The original document [sixthseal.com], which describes a more "orthodox" way of making a needle lighter*, is deprecated by this revision for the more apathetic (or chronologically conscious, depending on which way you look at it really) ones amongst us. It is a heavily truncated and modified version of the original guide using different starting materials as a shortcut to producing a functional needle lighter. All credit goes to my friend who described the methodology of this variation. This one can be assembled within seconds, without prior experience with origami or childhood time spent helping mom bake in the kitchen.

* Please correct me if I'm wrong, for needle lighters are new to me since I've never felt the urge to slow the combustion process down by using a low heat flame (we tend to go hard at the expense of mileage here on sixthseal.com ;)), so I'm not sure which came first - the needle or the foil.

It also puts the "needle" into "needle lighter" - literally. This needle lighter really has a syringe needle in it - note the bevel on the tip of the needle. Thus, caution MUST be exercised when this lighter is used in a group setting, since needle stick injuries can happen, especially when jittery hands attempts to light the needle lighter at the needle point with another lighter to start it up. Please maintain extreme vigilance when this lighter is to be used by people other than yourself - treat it as a syringe, coz it is a syringe.

That said, the shopping list for this easy to make needle lighter is short and sweet:

1. Syringe needle

This is available at your friendly neighborhood pharmacy outlet. You'll want a lower gauge needle for optimal results. The gauge of a syringe rating specifies the diameter of the syringe, the higher the number is, the "thinner" it is. I'll go for at least 27G and 23G seems to produce the optimal (in my humble opinion) results. Don't ask for insulin syringes, those are 29G needles meant for IV use. It's generally too frail for this purpose. Unless you're planning another route of administration, get the needles separate from the syringe body, since you won't be using that anyway.

Syringe needles may be a restricted item where you live. If that is the case, there are no shortcuts for you, unfortunately. However, I've never had problems getting syringes over here - walk in confidently and tell the pharmacist specifically what you want. There are two possible ways to get it - by asking nicely and through intimidation. Naturally, the first option is the preferred method. It is possible to get it from pharmacies in Malaysia, though YMMV.

Personally, I get mine by a combination of the two - the Guardian pharmacy here is staffed by a skeleton crew at night and I go in first, without any attempt to pretend to look as if I have any valid reason to be buying syringes. Upon reaching the prescription counter, I will ask nicely for the items I'm purchasing in English, using the appropriate terminology where it applies. This is probably when the pharmacist will give you the Guarded Guardian (TM) look.

It will seem like a cross between a dubious look (so that's why my mom always tells me I look like a junkie) and a half surprised look (which is where the local pharmacist is trying to comprehend the paradox of a junkie type who speaks English AND apparently knows what he's talking about). This is where your (loud) friends come barging in and generally creates a disturbing atmosphere that would make normal shop proprietors speed up the transaction to avoid undue discomfort for the other customers. It helps if your friends don't look like choir boys.

This is probably superfluous, but it does wonders in eliminating the annoying Guarded Guardian, Protector of the Universe (TM) look. Please remember not to let things get out of hand, you want to establish a relationship with the pharmacy so that future purchases will be unquestioned. You're not here to ju tio (wreck havoc), you're here to engage in commerce. I can get injecting equipment alone just fine, but the trademark expression Guardian Pharmacy teaches new trainees irks me something awful, so I particularly like to go to Guardian Pharmacy in a sadistic desire to witness the various possible permutations (it seems to be indefinite, by my latest count) of the Guarded Guardian (TM) look.

2. Cigarette lighter

Like in the previous guide, please get the transparent ones where you can see a single white tube running down one of the two columns.

How to make the EZ-needle lighter:

1. Detach the cover of the lighter to expose the inner workings. This can be achieved by leverage applied to the gap opposite the gas release button. Your fingernail will serve this purpose just fine.

2. Remove the needle from the syringe lock (the part that connects to a syringe body) by pulling away that bit. It should look like the photo below after you're done with it.

3. Push the base of the syringe needle into the valve that looks like a mini volcano. Depending on the lighter manufacturer, it will either miraculously fit like a glove or require some manual pressure (controlled insertion, don't jam it down) to get the bottom of the syringe into the lighter valve. It has been tested on various models and the common ones have standard valves so those would work fine with the syringes. Please note that it needs to go into the valve, not over it.

4. Since this is supposed to be a minimal hassle way of producing a needle lighter, it should be noted that it's possible to manually maneuver the flame intensity control bit so that it's lodged against one side of the lighter, as shown above. The purpose of this is to make the gas release button obsolete, since the proper use of this will lift the gas release lever on the other side to be always on. Please take note of the way the intensity control piece is manipulated to be lodged under the gas release lever, making it release combustible gas automatically. It needs to be stuck in the lever for the continuous gas release. Test the needle lighter by lighting the tip (be careful not to touch the syringe tip, this goes for everyone). The needle lighter will automatically produce a flame if you did the jamming trick correctly. If the lighter does not ignite, depress the gas button and then light the tip with another lighter. If this results in a flame, it means your jamming trick did not produce the desired results. It's important to note that you need to really jam the flame intensity rubber bit so that both "flaps" of the lever is lifted. It may require some dexterity to get it right...it's easier to do one side of the flap first by lifting the level and stuffing (hard, if needs be) the rubber bit in and repeat with the other flap. The nub will optimally be twisted up to rest on the side of the lighter as this bit holds the whole contraption together. You should be able to directly light the needle lighter now. It's good practise to make sure that the syringe base is securely inside the valve - when in doubt, push deeper.

There you have it - a real needle lighter which can be readily assembled with ease. The needle lighter is not recommended for ages 3 and below due to small detachable parts (and sharp bits). Management is not responsible for off label use. These contraptions are meant to be used as a device for instigating the conversion of solid matter into liquids and then gas. It has come to the attention of the company that our fine scientific product is being used to smoke methamphetamine crystals!

It should be noted that this is a perfectly acceptable use of this instrument as it falls into the intended operation purposes. Methamphetamine crystals can demonstrate this state change wonderfully. However, extreme care should be taken so that the vapors are not accidentally inhaled. These vapors can result in unwanted side effects which includes, but is not limited to, extreme euphoria, "body rushes", and general CNS stimulation. Should accidental inhalation occur while working with this sample, the subject should be allowed to enjoy the experience. Effects will subside within a few hours.

Tip: You may have several lighters (either modified or unmodified) lying around which has been depleted of the liquid gas. It can still be used to light the needle/syringe lighter - the spark produced by the flint would get the job done, you don't really need a functional lighter with a flame. This is good to keep in mind as you would not want to be driving out to buy a lighter while you're tweaking hard.

Posted in by Huai Bin at 09:27 AM Permalink | Comments (3)

The questionable appeal of hotel washrooms

I have always wondered about the appeal of hotel washroom facilities. There seem to be a subculture of people who favors upscale hotel washroom facilities for their various restroom needs. These are people who are willing to travel a considerable distance just to use their favorite hotel's toilet facilities. There are even people who are partial to a particular stall.

I've been brought along (not entirely against my consent) many times along these excursions, both in Sibu and Kuching. Yesterday night, one of my friends, who is a regular at Hilton, drove quite a distance just to take a dump there. He's so well known there that he claims the people there know him by sight. He goes every morning, without fail, to sit on Hilton's porcelain throne. Personally, I don't see the appeal. I'll do it in my own washroom any day.

Incidentally, I'm going to Hilton later for a meeting (work related, mind).

Posted in by Huai Bin at 08:25 AM Permalink | Comments (18)

Guide to making a needle lighter (cigarette lighter modification)

I have recently learned how to make a "needle/syringe lighter" (slang may vary in different geographical areas) by a friend and fellow tweaker. All credit goes to him for patiently showing me the procedures involved and explaining each step in this cigarette lighter modification. However, I have to admit that my first reaction when he described what a needle lighter is was sheer incredulity. Why would someone want to drastically reduce the flame output of a lighter?!?

To tell you the truth, I've never even heard of such a contraption before. My friend learnt about how to make a needle lighter from the locals in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, during the time he spent there. It seems that the difficulty and/or hassle of acquiring injecting equipment, coupled with the high bio-availability of smoked syabu/shabu (methamphetamine) leads to Sabahans thinking up innovative ways to smoke methamphetamine. Malaysia Boleh! ;)

Anyway, I later realized that there are various applications where a needle lighter would be much more preferable to an unmodified lighter. veritas will be posting about one of the common uses for a needle lighter in his blog, since the content is more suited to that site instead of this one. This post is meant as a general interest article and a step by step guide to making your own needle lighter. It's not hard to make, except for the "needle" bit. I must reiterate that I do not take illicit substances, but I'm always interested in "new" (meaning different) methods of administration, thus, I was there to see how needle lighters are made.

Needle Lighter shopping list:

One cigarette lighter

Just get the cheap RM 1 ones, like Alladdin. It's important that you get the transparent ones where you can see a single white pipe going into one of the chambers, instead of the solid color ones. A lighter with flame intensity control (most of them have it) would be nice.

Scissors or equivalent

You probably already have one at home. I don't own one, so I used nail clippers instead. It's just for cutting excess foil.

Aluminum foil

These three items can be easily found in your local supermarket. Heck, you probably could find all of them around the house somewhere. Please note that the items stated above are the required items that is necessary to make a needle lighter.

Steps for making a needle lighter:

1. Cut off the "starting bit" (the jagged end) if it's a new roll of aluminum foil.

2. Fold the strip of aluminum foil back about a size of a pencil (roughly 1.5 - 2 cm). Please ensure that there are NO creases or any defects. Repeat till you get a mint condition strip of foil. Ensure that the foil has a nice firm side so you can rip it off the rest of the roll without ruining it.

3. "Flatten/straighten" the piece of foil by running it through a business/name card (or something equivalent) which is folded into half. This can be easily done by holding on to one end of the strip with one hand and apply firm pressure while quickly pushing the folded business card along the length of the foil with the other hand. Repeat several times until it's very straight, no defects should be visible to the eye. Don't worry about it if the strip of aluminum foil snaps while you're doing this, you're not likely to use the whole thing anyway - if the longer part of the two is about a cigarette lighter's length, you can still use it.

It should look something like this, but yours had better be crease free. ;) This is just a fudged strip.

4. This is the hard part...start by folding one end into something like a triangle (folding in) and then start rolling TIGHTLY, with pressure maintained all the while to ensure a solid construction. The "glossy" side of the aluminum paper should be "outside" when you're rolling it. The beginning you started with should be the smallest in diameter, VERY SLOWLY increasing in diameter. The end should be bigger than the beginning, but only VERY SLIGHTLY. The "needle" should be so tightly wound that it would look like a single wire when it's done. I just pulled out a couple of my hairs as reference and it shouldn't be more than 5 human hairs, but this is so variable due to the differences in hair diameter amongst humans. Just look at the line going into the cigarette lighter from the bottom and ensure that your wire is thinner than that. Remember that the wire you're making is supposed to have a hollow core despite the tight binding you did, due to the triangle shape you folded before starting to roll. The hollow center would probably not be visible to the naked eye if you binded it tightly, but the outside will look like a spiral design if you look closely, indicating that the rolling has been done correctly.

5. Please note that you can make a wire as short (though at least 5 cm is recommended due to the place the wire would be placed) or as long as you want (though longer wires may have a tendency to have a blockage somewhere). You can fold up the whole strip or just a bit. It's up to your preference - I like short ones so it's closer to the lighter and easier to use. Use scissors or another sharp object to cleanly sever the end when it's reached the length you want.

6. Now that the hard part is done, remove the metal or plastic cover from the lighter top. It's the piece that begins after the gas release button and covers the round flint spark thing. It may seem unyielding, but you can actually remove it with very little pressure. Look for a little ledge above the lighter flame settings and use a fingernail to flip it up.

You don't need to keep the cover, unless the activities you're going to do with the needle lighter is short. The cigarette lighter will run out of fuel if you use it constantly in less than an hour.

7. You should see something like a valve...it's the thing that has a hole and looks like a mini volcano.

8. Insert your needle wire, smallest end first, into the hole. You'll have to redo the whole thing if it's too big to fit in there...

9. When the needle is inserted, depress the gas release button. Don't worry, it won't explode and kill you or something absurd like that.

10. Observe how far up the lever opposite the gas release button thing goes up. We need to force the lever to release the gas by pushing it up.

11. Use folded up aluminum paper, or whatever's around to keep the gas flowing by stuffing the area between the lever and the lighter flame controlling nub. Basically, you'll see the lever rise when you depress the gas button. Stuff the area in between when the lever goes up, and keep that wedge there - it will provide a permanent gas flow, and thus, a flame that's only limited by how long the gas lasts. You have the option to pull the wedge out if you want it to last longer.

12. Test your needle wire by using another lighter to light the gas coming out from the top of your own wire. If all goes well, a flame will automagically appear at the top of the wire you made. Otherwise, something went wrong in your process flow. It would be necessary to start from the beginning.

13. If you see a flame appearing on top, congratulations! You've made a needle lighter. It's not very hard per se, it's just the aluminum foil folding that usually causes problems. My first few attempts were all duds - they didn't draw gas up, it wasn't hollow. I was never good at origami anyway. But you get the hang of it after a while though. You can change the flame intensity using the dial control, but you might have to remove the wedge which is responsible for supplying constant gas first and putting it back again. You'll probably be disappointed if you're hoping for a large plume of fire, this contraption is not meant for that.

It is called a "needle" lighter due to the abilities of some experienced people to make their aluminum foil wires very tough - it feels like a real needle and it can really piece the skin, though it's likely to be a papercut type wound. Basically, the needle lighter is just a normal lighter which had its fire delivery system replaced manually with a smaller, easier to control and handle "chimney" that won't extinguish unless you expel air (that's a pretentious word for blow ;)) at the top of the wire or remove the wedge. It's relight-able, of course. Just use another lighter to light the top of the wire.

However, this DYI permanent lighter would probably be nothing to write home about for most people. I like lighters that burn fast and hot myself. It would appeal to certain people using it for specific activities though. The good thing about the needle lighter is the always on flame, which Zippo already has, but a Zippo flame is hardly suitable for most things. Now, this needle lighter, it has finesse! It can be set to the lowest settings to automatically produce a steady and continuous delivery of heat, unlike normal lighters.

New and related post on castitas.com:
Needle lighters reduce wasteful excess smoke while smoking methamphetamine (or heroin) on foil [castitas.com]

Warning: It's a little dry compared to the usual veritas posts. I suppose you could already tell that from the title. ;)

Posted in by Huai Bin at 11:54 AM Permalink | Comments (26)

23

Today, the 5th of April, 2004, is the day I turn 23. I don't feel older (that's what people always say, pardon my use of this cliche), and I'm still battling the same old demons. I will not turn this into a depressing post though, even though my serotonin levels are dismally low. It's not chemically induced, mind, I just get depressed every 3 months or so, for no particular reason, and I have the misfortune of having my quarterly depression fall on my birthday this year. However, I shall turn this into a more upbeat post!

I received a package in the mail from my girlfriend, who is studying in KL. I always tell people my birthday is on Ching Ming, but I have neglected to account for the leap year factor. There's 29 days in February this year instead of the usual 28 days, which pushes my birthday to one day after Ching Ming. This just happens once every four years, on leap years, my birthday is always on Ching Ming otherwise. :)

The package contains a gift-wrapped box from Body Shop.

This is what the inside of the box has - a variety of soaps.

She also sent me a birthday card, and I was surprised when I opened it, due to the (relatively) large portion of text. My girlfriend usually writes "Dear xxx" on top and "Love xxx" at the end, and then does the "" thing on the pre-printed birthday wishes. Heh.

Thanks Louisa! I won't have to factor soap into my budget for a while. ;)

My parents also sent me this nifty birthday card that plays a birthday song, complete with flashing lights.

I had planned to go out and celebrate my birthday tonight with friends, but I had to cancel it because I'm a little too depressed to feel like going out. I'll probably sleep at 5:30 pm or something. It's just another day anyway. *shrugs*

P/S - Excuse me for not replying the comments today. I will reply all comments after my quarterly serotonin depletion passes. This one should probably last one or two days max, you can "feel" (ie gauge) how long the depression will last after you've been though several. The two main factors in determining this for me is the intensity of depression and the time needed for partial recovery (which can be measured by how long it takes for you to feel slightly better). I've had monsters - debilitating depressive episodes lasting for many weeks, but thankfully, this is not one of them.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! :)

Posted in by Huai Bin at 04:29 PM Permalink | Comments (39)

Come out and play

Hey, come out and play! My friend was injured last night due to a fight (or violent confrontation, if you will) at a pub. It happens, part and parcel of the night scene here. He required stitches from the self-injury which sliced through the area between the thumb and first finger to the bone.

The incident happened late Saturday night (er...which makes it early Sunday morning) - there was an altercation over some...well, non-performing loans in my friend's portfolio. Naturally, I won't name my friend to avoid incriminating anyone, and also since he, er...instigated the matter by smashing a mug of beer into the skull of the other party. The other party did not even put up a fight, there were just two of them, grossly outnumbered, and the second person in the other party instantly distanced himself from the confrontation.

Where did my friend sustain his injuries then? Well...not satisfied with letting the other party get away by just "buying him a drink" (as we call it here), he drove home and got his weapon of choice:

This is called "kwan tau" in Chinese. "Kwan tau's" are black market items and is usually sourced from profit oriented blacksmiths.

Now, this may look unwieldy, but not in the hands of an experienced person. It comes up to my neck and has a blade that is very sharp. It has a good base for defending against attacks in the right hands. This kwan tau has seen many gang related altercations, it is only produced when necessary. It is said that the blade has been "blessed" with the blood of a live chicken, which is supposed to give it Strength +2.

Back to where my friend wounded his hand...it's actually a self-injury, as previously stated. He went back home, grabbed his sword, and in his haste to exact righteous punishment, accidentally severed the bit between the thumb and first digit by grabbing the sharp end of the blade instead of the handle. He then returned to the pub, totally disregarding the injury (balls of steel) and parked outside the pub to ambush them when they came out.

He was holding it vertically in an attempt to conceal it when the other guy came out of the venue. The other party did not see the approach until the last minute - and by that time, the kwan tau has been raised to the attack position and my friend was preparing to engage the other party. You should have seen the scared shitless expression on the other guy's face! Haha! My friend managed to slash one of his arms before the other guy promptly made like an Olympic 100 meter sprinter and ran as fast as he could. :)

Thus, that's the rather anti-climatic end to this particular engagement. It is somewhat difficult to chase someone who does not want to suffer grievous bodily harm while holding a kwan tau (it's very heavy). Anyway, my friend adjourned to my place, dripping blood all over the staircase and staining the walls red from his self-injury. I gave him a towel to clean up the blood and another one of my friends helped to clean up the drops of blood that leads up to the third floor (where I live), to eliminate incriminating evidence.

My friend then improvised a bandage using toilet paper (yes, I do have TP now), which didn't help to stem the blood flow at all. It was decided that a trip to (a private hospital, which will remain unnamed) would be necessary. However, my friend decided that *cough* dissolved in 30 ml of boiling water, self-administered through a vein would be of better help. He's been through a lot of violent altercations, so yeah, if he's not worried about it, then it shouldn't be a problem.

It was 3 hours later before we finally made the trip to the hospital for stitches. There was this funny conversation with the triage nurse:

Nurse: Hello, what's the matter?
Friend: Knife wound.
Nurse: .........
Friend: Oh, I just accidentally cut my hand while doing woodwork, need stitches for that.
Nurse: Okay, follow me to the doctor's consultation room.
Me: Excuse me, we're his friends, can we come in as well?
Nurse: (looks at my digicam and giving me a strange look) Well...sure.
(Enters doctor's office)
Nurse: Doktor, patient ini kata tangan dia terkena pisau bila gergagi kayu, you believe it or not?
(Doctor, this patient claims his hand was injured while doing woodwork, do you believe it?)
Me: (makes a wisecrack about that comment, lest the nurse think we are linguistically challenged and is unfamiliar with sarcasm)
Nurse: .........
Doctor: How did you manage to cut yourself like this?
Friend: I was, you know, sharpening my knife for the Ching Ming festival when my fingers slipped.
Doctor: (dubious look at our motley crew)
(Doctor proceeds to prep my friend with a local anesthetic and starts stitching)
Nurse: Who are you? A reporter?
Me: No, I just like documenting things.
Friend: He has a webpage where he posts stuff like this.
Friend #2: Yeah, he keeps a blog.
Me: Shh...mai kong chu lai wa eh website eh mia.
(Shh...don't mention the name of my website)

Photos of the stitching:

Preping for stitching...

The stitching is done using a metal hook with a running thread.

Suturing...

Bandaged!

Video of the doctor stitching and suturing the wound:
Doctor stitching wound video clip [sixthseal.com]

I happened to notice what looked like "Water for Injections BP" at the bottom of the tray where the procedure was done. I checked for CCTV systems and other possible recording devices in the room and did not see any. I was filming and taking photos the whole time and stealthily moved nearer and nearer to my friend till I was sitting right beside him, obscuring the view from the back (Nurse #1). The doctor was preoccupied with the stitches and Nurse #2 was helping and I gauged that their point of view would not include the tray.

I allowed myself another furtive glimpse at the bottom drawer and mentally noted the position of the one that I could safely remove with the least noise and disturbance to avoid unwanted attention. I moved closer yet, and snapped a photo, before putting the digicam down on my lap, and in the very same movement, blindly reached out for the memorized position coordinates while pretending to be engrossed with the doctor's work. It did not make a noise at all, when removed from the container.

I held it in my right hand, palms fully extended, with it pressing against my thigh to conceal it, before pretending to reach into my right pocket for my cell phone. I was actually transferring the item I...er, relieved from the hospital's inventory into my pocket. Easy. :) I was pleasantly surprised when I inspected the item once we got out of the hospital...it's not "Water for Injections BP" but Xylocaine 2% lignocaine injection in a 5 ml sterile pack containing 100 mg of lignocaine. =D

This is the very same local anesthetic that the doctor used on my friend, and he mentioned that it felt totally numb when the solution was administered. I don't think anyone would consider lignocaine to be recreational, but veritas will be self-administrating and posting up an experience report, just for fun. I guess being numb for a while in a localized area can be considered "recreational", so I'm looking forward to it. The experience report will be up once I show my filial piety by getting some insulin syringes (the doctor used a large gauge needle though) from the pharmacy for my, er..late grandfather who has diabetes. ;)

The doctor also prescribed a blister pack of Olfen-50 (Diclofenec-Na 50 mg tablets) for pain management. My friend took two and donated the rest of the strip to veritas for his fun experiments with pharmaceuticals. I'm not familiar with this particular substance and I'll have to research this to see if it has any recreational potential. I also made a crack about why no oxycodone (Oxycontin) was prescribed and the traige nurse glared at me. Oh well...

Saturday Shenanigans indeed...

Posted in Best of sixthseal.com by Huai Bin at 10:40 PM Permalink | Comments (28)

Missing toilet paper

I have been going without TP for a week. I have daily bowel movements so it's a matter of some urgency, but I keep on forgetting to get some on the way back from work. Anyway, on the day that I did remember, I dropped by