May 31, 2017

My Encounter with a Multiple Personalities Person

What prompted me to write this article was this video featured by The Oprah Winfrey Show on youtube - a mother who has 20 different personalities.



Mine was a story of my personal encounter with a guy during my uni days who has dual personality. This was back in England. And during this period of time, I met a guy who was studying in the same university as I. Let's call him Jim (not his real name).

Jim was originally from Hong Kong and was a devoted Christian. I met Jim in a cell group hosted by campus students in one of the random student houses. I wasn't a Christian, but I was attending a lot of cell groups and went to church because a group of my friends in the UK were from church.

Jim was an amazing guy, extremely friendly and was always willing to lend a hand. Whenever there's a house party and he's invited, Jim would always stay back and help the host clean up the mess and wash plates. That's the kind of guy Jim was. I was new in town, and somehow we just became good friends.

Now I always knew Jim has a crush on this girl for the longest time, whom I had never met, but this girl was never interested. He always made sure her identity was not revealed. Sometimes I would probe him for more info or just plainly encourage him to go after her simply because I cared about him a lot as a friend. There were days Jim would tell me the amazing characteristics of hers and what made him fell in love with her in the first place.

And I know for a fact that the girl wasn't me, in case you're wondering, because he has been in love with this girl for the last 5 years he was studying and living in the UK, and I have only met Jim for a few months when I knew about this mystery crush.

This went on for about couple of months, then one day, Jim came to visit me looking dejected. Turned out the crush of his has gotten herself a boyfriend. That evening he revealed to me a secret that he has been keeping from many of his friends in the UK. You see, Jim has dissociative identity disorder, or more famously known as split personality. Which is not to be confused by bipolar.

Facing with such a controversial psychiatric condition, I took in the news with a pinch of salt and just listened to him while Jim carried on explaining about his other personality. The reason for his telling was that he feared that his other personality was to surface soon because it had been occurring frequently. And whenever this other personality of his surfaced, Jim would disappear, and when Jim surfaced again, he would have no recollection of what happened when Jim was 'asleep'. However, it was not the case the other way around, this other personality have a clear recollection of whatever that's happening in Jim's 'awoken' life. He went on to disclose that the last time the personality surfaced, he was but a 14 year old teenager.

That night, I learnt that this other personality has a name, till today, this name stuck, whereas the name of the main personality 'Jim' has faded in my memory. The name was "Ka Fa Kiong" (in Cantonese naturally). Jim warned me to be weary of Ka Fa Kiong, and that he was a dangerous person. Ka Fa Kiong was everything the opposite of Jim, he was mean, a prankster, violent, selfish, has absolute disregard for laws and a flirt. Ka Fa Kiong hated christianity and called Jim foolish for being in a one sided love for so long, he also despised the said "crush" with a vengeance and hated Jim for being the weak goodie two shoes that he was. Ka Fa Kiong was the perfect alter ego of Jim.

After that night, Jim disappeared for two whole weeks from my life. His phone was uncontactable, there was no social media back then. As a foreign student living in a world without whatsapp or Facebook, and with little credit on our phones most of the time, when we want to meet a friend, we knock on their door. So one late afternoon after two weeks, there was a knock at my back door.

And there stood Jim, looking disheveled, with his old bicycle. There was something about Jim that moment that felt different. I greeted Jim like how I would normally greet him. But the person stood there in the kitchen, with a smirk on his face, and told me cooly that he's no Jim. I've never seen Jim smirk, and he exuded a sort of confidence that was never present in Jim.

He announced that I should know who he was. I stared blankly at him. For some reason, I calmly replied "are you Ka Fa Kiong"?

He smirked again.

I didn't believe him despite his acknowledgement. I was so sure I was being pranked, and Jim would suddenly declared it was all a joke and that it was him after all.
But that didn't happen.

Ka Fa Kiong told me Jim was on his way home when he (Ka Fa Kiong) took control, he encountered a drunk guy in broad day light cursing around (typical England) and while the drunk took a swig from his bottle, Ka Fa Kiong took a step forward and punched him (or shoved his bottle into his mouth). Blood immediately poured from his mouth as the drunk fell to the ground, then he allowed Jim to surface, Jim 'woke' to a drunk guy with bloody mouth screaming in pain on the ground, he called the police. What followed was probably Jim faded right after the police phone call and Ka Fa Kiong came knocking at my door with injured knuckles.

Now I don't know why Ka Fa Kiong looked for me, he would visit frequently and then disappeared for weeks. I found Ka Fa Kiong alluring even when he and Jim both (I started referring them as two separate person by now) warned me about the bad person that he was; I believe it was part naivety and part curiosity that got me closer to him. I would asked him questions about his past, Jim's past, how he came about, how he felt when he was 'asleep' (it felt like resting on an isolated island apparently). Our conversations mostly revolved around my questions to him; and Ka Fa Kiong, with his usual smirk, would always answer me without reserve.

One day, while chatting in my room, he pinned me down on my bed and told me I was being too comfortable around him, he mentioned that I have forgotten he was a dangerous person, and then he kissed me. It took me by surprise, while still in a daze, and not exactly knowing what followed, Ka Fa Kiong left shortly after.

The next time Jim came around my place, I spoke to him about the kiss, this time it was Jim's turn to be shocked. He said (in Cantonese), half seriously, half teasingly: "You're in trouble, he likes you." Yet strangely, despite the violence he could perform, I always knew Ka Fa Kiong would never hurt me.

Now being attracted to a person with dual personality was a very confusing thing. Jim was in love with someone else, Ka Fa Kiong was just a vagabond at heart. Whenever either of them was around, I would become more and more attracted to this person with the same face, same height, and same voice standing in front of me. However I would always look forward to when Ka Fa Kiong visited, feeling a little guilty at the thought. After all, Jim was the dominant personality and in order for him to be completely cured, his other personality had to go. Perhaps it was the mixed signals, that night while chatting, Jim kissed me, sensing me wanting it. I kissed back. Our rendezvous became more frequent after that.

After not showing up for a week, Jim came by and said he was going to confess to his long-time crush. I listened and gave him my blessings. When Jim walked out the door that day, I didn't know I was never going to see him again.

By the time Ka Fa Kiong showed up next, weeks or months have gone by. It was the longest period either of them has disappeared. Ka Fa Kiong came to say goodbye, I was taken aback. When asked why, he explained the foolish Jim has confessed and finally got into a relationship with his crush, but it wasn't long before his crush realised they were not suitable and called it off. Jim sank into depression and decided to 'dive' into himself for good. Which meant Ka Fa Kiong was being forced out, permanently. The free spirited volatile Ka Fa Kiong was not going to stay around, he didn't tell me where he was going, but only said he would not be tied down. "Jim was stupid, and good riddance (to the crush)" he said. Then he was gone, too.

Till today I didn't know where Ka Fa Kiong went to. Did he go travelling? Did he get out of the small town that was Hull? Did he hurt anyone or break any law? Did he get into trouble? Did he go to classes as usual? I never saw him again. And I knew from church friends that Jim stopped going to the church, he has vanished together.

Life went on and I graduated. I came back to Malaysia and started my life here. Couple of years has come and gone before I heard from Jim again. And it was in the form of MSN messenger. Turned out he has returned to Hong Kong after staying back a year or two after I left England. He also informed me the bicycle I left behind to his housemate for safe keep (I thought I was going back to England to further my Master study) has been safely passed on to his trusted friend. I never did go back for that beloved bicycle of mine.

I asked him about Ka Fa Kiong, and Jim said he has never heard of such a name, let alone such a person. It took me aback. Was Ka Fa Kiong a complete fragment of my imagination? Did Jim lie about not knowing the existence of Ka Fa Kiong? Has he lost his memory? Why would he lie? What was there to hide? It wouldn't be the first time guys lie about something petty.

We never spoke again after. When MSN became obsolete, we lost complete contact.

The memory of Jim and Ka Fa Kiong cut deep. Sometimes I feel that entire section of my university life was pretty transient with no one to prove its existence. But I know for a fact both Jim and Ka Fa Kiong were very real and they were a big part of my uni life.







May 12, 2017

New Beauty Trend: Pumping Oxygen into My Face?!



I don't go to beauty salon for facials often. Not that I don't believe in a good facial, but I never visited one that can do what I can't do at home.

I wanted something I can do as a monthly routine. Fuss free basic good facial. I never found one. Some of them even had worse (more aggressive and less efficient) technique than my own. Heck, my extraction tools are more advanced than theirs. Don't get my started on the pain! After a while I just called it quits and thought I'm better off performing my beauty ritual at home.

Sure I've been to fancy facials that used machines and some of those worked great. But those were borderline aesthetic rather than facial, really. i.e. micro-needling.

I'm not sure if it's the diet, the age or the sleeping pattern that drove me to accept a visit to Monz Beauty & Soul. But I haven't been completely satisfied with the condition of my face for the past half a year and I wanted a change.

Monz Mid Valley branch



I was recommended the Oxygen Jet Facial treatment that came with two masks and the procedure was going to take 2.5 hours. When I heard they also did lymphatic massage, I immediately signed up for a trial. It was the time of the month where my hormones were raging and I was ballooning up due to hormonal water retention. Lymphatic massage was the most effective method to rid of that.

I started off with the massage, and I was pleasantly surprised (and slightly impressed) that they used their home brand Celmonze body contour body oil as a massage oil. I remembered liking the scent that I asked to see the product the masseur was using. And god I LOVE her, her hands lifted my butt and toned my thighs for a week! Imagine the shock when I stared into my full length mirror that night. I remember her name being Ain?? from Indonesia. I'm going to ask for her again the next time I go.


After 90 mins I moved to the facial room for my Oxygen Jet Facial. It's meant to oxygenate my face, stimulate collagen, and reduce wrinkles up to 77%. Now I'm a true blue sceptic, so when they put a long metal instruction onto my face the first time and started "pumping" oxygen into my pores. I laughed.



"Does this really work?" I asked the beautician.
In my mind, that was the biggest baloney I've heard since bird nest.




They proceeded with two types of masks, one at the end, and I emerged from the salon with no redness on my skin despite the extraction. Sure I felt rejuvenated, as do all freshly masked faces feel.

I got home, slept, woke up the next day, looked into the mirror and thought to myself: Wow, I have amazing skin today. My face was illuminating! That's before washing my face. And I haven't felt this way in over half a year. What impressed me most was that I continued to feel that way for the entire week! But the effect lasted for a month.

                 before First session                          before Second session - one month later


                 before First session                          before Second session - one month later                                      


As of writing this I have visited Monz twice. Did a massage and two different facials. Above are photos I took one month apart before my first and second facial. Straight from the camera without editing and without make up; the difference was apparent. Even my eye bags were significantly reduced (they "pumped" oxygen into my under eyes when I mentioned my under eyes were quite a concern).

I can confidently declare I love their Oxygen Jet Facial treatment, and preferred it over the other facial treatment I received. I felt almost ashamed of my judgements prior. Whatever technique they were using, it worked on my skin.

The Oxygen Jet Facial treatment usually cost RM480 per session, they have a trial session for my readers that only cost RM48. So lucky readers you can sign up here for it, the offer last till 31st May 2017. 


May 4, 2017

The Manliest Scent: Gucci Guilty Absolute Review



Seldom I come across a scent so manly it sweeps me off my feet.
There are many mix reviews on this scent from my social circle, to my utter surprise, quite a number of them find it too overwhelming, too woody, too leathery.

Nonsense.

If you like a manly man, this is the scent for your man. And it's not the rugged type of log-hauling boot-wearing men scent, this is much more sophisticated. I see six packs getting out of the shower and stepping into a bedroom of white clean linen, clean shaven, towering and overbearing but true blue gentleman with his tailored wardrobe. A man that screams wilderness but speaks civilization. It's so alluring my knees go weak with this scent on my man. See how many times I mentioned the word man.

Unlike the usual fragrances, the scents are simple and direct. Two top notes of wood and leather that exist simultaneously and a base note of lingering scent of cypress (Nootka Cypress to be exact). Cypress should be the natural scent of men's sweat. Just like how women's sweat should smell like strawberry.

What made this a winning fragrance is that this is a EDP - Eau De Parfum, and not EDT - Eau De Toilette. It's more long wearing and truly, having tested (not on me of course), a spritz can last the whole day, by the end of an 8 hour work day and even after a light shower, you can still smell the faint smell of cypress on the bare skin. It's unbearably attractive and gives the illusion that his body smell great naturally.






I also love the sleek design of the bottle, reminds me of a whisky flask but in glass. Very exquisite and classy. What wins me over is the price, Parfum is known to be more expensive in the fragrance world, yet it's retailed at a EDT price. Though to be fair, the Gucci Guilty Absolute EDP is not as long lasting nor as strong in scent as a traditional Parfum despite its classification. Still, you get your stretch of your buck given how little you need in each application.


GUCCI GUILTY ABSOLUTE RETAIL PRICE: 

GUCCI Guilty Pour Homme Absolute EDP 50ml      RM281
GUCCI Guilty Pour Homme Absolute EDP 90ml      RM374
GUCCI Guilty Pour Homme Absolute EDP 150ml    RM429