The After-Partymath

.:So I Have This Friend Named Audrey...:.

Funny thing about one of my co-teachers, Audrey Tong.

Apparently, her middle name is Uy, making her Audrey U. Tong.

That's just wrong. =P

.:Must. Make. Weekly. Plan. First.:.

This is the last non-teaching day I have in Reedley, so now is a good time to make sure I acclimate myself to how a weekly lesson plan ought to look like.

Unlike Philosophy and unlike college teaching, high school teaching has an inherent amount of difficulty to it, marked by its incredibly rigorous way of dealing with students, in contrast to the generally more laissez faire method employed in college teaching.

For the longest time, I always said I will forever hold elementary and high school teachers to a different level of regard from even my favorite college teachers. Yes, my favorite college teachers are all brilliant and shaped me in unbelievable ways, but at the end of the day, what Ms. Rivero did for me in high school will forever be on a level all its own, regardless of how huge an influence the likes of Mr. Bulaong or Mr. Calasanz have managed to exert on me.

And now, I'm heeding one of the most challenging vocations on Earth: teaching high school. I can't even begin to tell you how daunting it is to someone like myself, but it's a challenge I will myself to face.

.:Taste Asia 2: When Sequels Outdo Their Predecessors:.

Picture taken from Aileen Apolo. Marcelle the host, and Sorsi, the head-banging rock star? You be the judge!

Taste Asia 2 was a success, much kudos to SM Hypermarket and Aileen, and I'd like to give a shout-out to my co-host, Sorsi, as we just really enjoyed hosting the event for the 400++ strong crowd composed of bloggers.

It was a fun-filled night, and congratulations to all the winners, of course including the likes of Anton Diaz, and the grand prize winner himself, Anitokid!. With so many raffle prizes to give away that we ran out of calling cards to draw from our fishbowl, practically everyone who came there did not leave empty-handed, or at least did not leave with an empty stomach. As I always do, I did some magic for the people there, although Tiffany promptly made my jaw drop by showing me how to really solve a cube. Turns out Tiffany is a speed-cuber, and she can solve cubes in a minute, flat. My best time, whether blindfolded or otherwise, is a mere two minutes, so much respect to Tiff for that feat.

In any case, it was an awesome night, and funny quips left and right were thrown throughout the event. The food was really great as usual, and the people were a joy to perform for, particularly when I actually did magic for the Taste Asia people already, including even the waiters, along with the management. It was a really good run, as I did a bit of Liquid Metal, some Ultimate Transpo, and of course, the Closeup Illusion. The Wizard Manual also served its purpose, and all in all, I was really on a roll, and hosting the event was quite an experience in itself. It did my heart much good as well when someone from SM Hypermarket told the people watching me perform that I wasn't a magician: I was a mentalist. Finally, the notion *is* catching on!

I hung out for a while even after the party to just talk to friends here and there, and it was all good. Much thanks to Shari for letting me hitch a ride home, and a happy birthday to her dad as well.

Again, a big shout-out to everyone who was there, and it was a really great experience! One can only hope this is just the second of even more events courtesy of SM Hypermarket.

You can be sure I'll be around to support them in any way I can. =P

Beginning To Understand An Ethics Of Deception

.:Why Mentalism?:.

For someone who wishes to write a dissertation on the ethics of deception for his doctorate, it's a bit odd that the particular branch I specialize in would be mentalism, which is just a stone's throw from the charlatans of our times, the mediums and the quacks who try to pass off their abilities as genuine supernatural abilities that make their clients hang on to every single word they have to say.

While I do enjoy mentalism, I deliberately keep the opportunities for my audience to be influenced beyond my performance to a minimum, because I really do not want the kind of responsibility that comes with shaping people's lives through a reading of their personality that, while most of the time accurate, is still never foolproof. Reading a person involves psychology, insight, and quite an amount of guesswork, so the fact that you will influence a person, and unlike a teacher, cannot follow up on the effect you managed to catalyze in them.

As a teacher, if I would shape a student, I would have the ability to guide that influence in the proper direction, because I know I would deal with my students often enough to be able to do so. As a mentalist however, I have no such capability since more often than not, that will be the first and the last time I would ever meet that person. Thus, that being the case, I cannot help but underscore that while I certainly have the potential to read people to a tee when I do mentalism, I have little choice but to not rely on it as much lest I influence people adversely.

Despite that obvious conflict, mentalism is still arguably my favorite branch of the art, because it stands as arguably the last bastion of the art, insofar as in a world of special effects and made-for-tv magic, mentalism still holds the morally ambiguous distinction as one of the truest forms of the art that still remains, because of the simplicity of its nature and its dependence on an audience that is not out to see the performer fail.

I choose mentalism because it taps into the unexplored realms of the human person's abilities: it taps into the sense of wonder, yet at the same time is grounded in reality because in a time where everything can seemingly be summed up handily by science, the small nagging questions about clairvoyance, psychokinesis, and telepathy, still hold an allure all its own that few other things in this planet can hope to even approximate.

Mentalism may not require you to have knuckle-busting skill, but the kind of mindset you must constantly and consistently will yourself into when performing does not come easy, even for those with an innate gift for it, as it were. It requires restraint, subtlety, and showmanship all at the same time, and the mix one needs to endeavor into these three factors are unique to mentalism all its own.

Ultimately, as someone who wishes to specialize in ethics for Philosophy, mentalism proves to be a lived example of the fine line that only it manages to cross with much aplomb, that fine line between ethics and deception.

Wheee!!!

.:And I *Still* Haven't Started Teaching...:.

It's Wednesday, and while I was introduced to one of my classes today, aside from the fact that I might be way in over my head in dealing with high-school kids, it would appear to me that I don't really start teaching until next week.

That being the case, I'm going to make the most out of my breathing room at the moment. I really am enjoying the company of my co-workers so far, and meeting the German intern Sven was really fun as well. I hit it off pretty well with most of the people here, especially with Benj, who also owns a PSP, and Audrey, who I just find so easy to talk to about anything and everything, considering we've really only been around each other for three days.

I like it here. And things have been making interesting turns left and right the last few days, so it's all good...

.:That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles...:.

Last night was the launch for the Mrs. Fields Cookie Cafe branch in U.N. Avenue, as organized by Jayvee, and it was definitely a success. As always, the usual suspects were there, such as Ms. Noemi, Shari, Sorsi, and Karlo. I even met a few new people, like Nikki, who happens to be the niece of one of my favorite teachers, Mr. Dy-Liacco!

Anyways, I went there as I was tapped by JayVee to do a bit of mentalism for the people, and I came through with all-new material. I want to do another effect over, and I may get a chance when I get to host this Thursday for the SM Hypermart event tomorrow, as requested of me by Aileen, but at the end of the day, I was just glad to have entertained people that night, and slowly but surely, opportunities to take my show on the road have been slowly presenting themselves to me.

Blindsight, Liquid Metal, and of course, the Wizard's Manual were huge reaction-getters that night, even if I was actually using Liquid Metal purely for walkaround at that point, and no longer for stage. The owner of Mrs. Fields was visibly impressed by the effect, and even Nikki and I exchanged souvenirs: I got a copy of her book, The Yellow Paperclip With Purple Spots, and she got a Liquid Metal fork in kind.

It was fun hanging out with all the bloggers, truth be told, and the quote of the night just simply had to be:

Hindi ko naman kelangan ng lalaki, eh. Masaya na ako sa sarili ko.

So pinapaligaya mo ang sarili mo?

Pure gold, and to protect the identities of the culprits of this dialogue, I shall stay mum about it. Heh.

This week is definitely a loaded week for me. On top of my current gigs as listed in one of my recent post, I'm also going to do a children's party for The Ranch in Tiendesitas next Saturday. There are a few more projects here and there waiting in the wings, and it's all good, considering how just a week ago, I was lamenting the lack of gigs coming my way.

For better or for worse, when it rains, it definitely pours.

Randomicity...

.:Saturday Night Magic:.

It was a fairly quiet night for the TSC last night, but it was all good. I did a bit of crashing for a few people at Megastrip, and my first go was when I did magic for some Persians at the behest of Drac, and as soon as he was introduced, he never let go of those spectators.

Meanwhile, I crashed for a couple more people, but I was also doing some magic for a new TSC member, Marla, who was particularly amused by mentalism, and towards the end of the night, me and the rest of the guys were just having fun doing comedy magic for each other, and unbelievably, Marla was actually amazed by the levitating ballpen effect! Heh.

Magical Plugs

.:Shameless Self-Promotion:.

I was tempted to do magic for Quentin Tarantino when he was in town as well, but that would've solely been for bragging rights. It's not like a guy trying to get a drink in the Philippines while on tour would be particularly helpful to a guy like me... =P

Despite that, I ended up doing the unthinkable last Friday night while I was waiting for Sean: yes indeed, I hung out at Pilita Corales's restaurant, and I did magic for her and Kuya Germs! At this point, I'd like to think I impressed them well enough, and Kuya Germs was telling me he'd want me to guest at his show, Walang Tulugan, sometime soon.

Shameless self-promotion FTW!!!

.:Scheduled Appearances...:.

This week is a particularly loaded week for my magic, so anyone who's interested in seeing yours truly in action would be pleased to know that this is what I have lined up for the week...

21 August, Tuesday: Mrs. Fields relaunch at UN Avenue, 7PM.

23 August, Thursday: SM Hypermart, Mall Of Asia, 7PM.

24-26 August, Friday-Sunday: Music And Arts Festival, Megatrade Hall 3, 3PM onwards (Except Friday, where I'd probably be there only during the evening onwards.).

Hopefully, things would really pick up from here, because I've been going out of my way to really plant the seeds for me to really break into the scene, and with nothing but the best magic and mentalism effects in my repertoire, it's not a matter of how far I can go, but how far I'm willing to go.

Magical Thoughts...

.:Genuine Street Magic:.

A few weeks ago, Carlo from TSC and I went and did street magic around Ortigas in the middle of the night, and it was definitely a hit! We went ahead and just walked around, and the reactions we got from the people was just awesome.

Nights like these, I’m reminded why I do magic in the first place… here’s hoping we can do more of that in the future.

.:And Finally, Sightless Vision Is Here:.

I finally got the Richard Osterlind blindfold and it just simply works like a dream. Last Saturday night, I demonstrated O.R.B.S. at least four times in a row at Starbucks in Araneta, and at one point, I solved the cube while being observed by a speed cuber, who was thankfully at least impressed from what I did.

That being said, I had a good run last night. Following after Leonard's magic really works out well for me, mainly because our routines are so widely different that the audiences don't feel bored despite seeing close to half an hour of effects already. I don't think Nomer and I would have the same kind of luxury.

Leonard's over the head routine was incredibly fun as well! It was really amusing seeing him floor his audience with the simplest of effects, and the high energy level of the performance really gives people quite a rush.

In any case, I've been designing a few effects, one of them involving Talecraft. Here's hoping that I can ask permission from the makers of Talecraft to feature the effect in a magic video. That'd be really awesome, since there's nothing quite like a mentalism effect where you construct a short story prediction from Talecraft cards your audience would pick.

Anyways, Starbucks Araneta was an awesome venue for The Story Circle. One can only hope that there's more where that they came from in the future.

.:Book Tests Galore:.

I'm currently going over the new book tests I acquired last Wednesday, and I think I'd like to give a review or two for the books I got. They're really awesome, for the most part, and I think it's high time I did some product reviews of the magic items I've been acquiring over time. It's the least I can do.

That being said, I got my hands on the following book tests:

1. The Wizard Manual, by Docc Hilford
2. Double Coincidence, by Devin Knight
3. The Dracula Book Test, by Black And Cherry
4. The Sherlock Holmes Book Test, by Black And Cherry

Those are the four book tests I got, in order of preference. I really like the Wizard Manual a lot, while the fact that the Sherlock Holmes book test doesn't stand on its own turns me off a bit. Regardless, it's all good, but I should've really gotten my own copy of the Dracula Book Test. I just ended up keeping it warm for Jay, really.

.:Pow Wow:.

Hanging out with the TSC people and Jay Mata has been giving me a lot of ideas for new effects, so we have the likes of a Talecraft story prediction effect, which just really goes over pretty beautifully, if only I can figure out one little hitch in the method...

In any case, Jay and I are considering how to improve stuff for our shows even further, and we kinda resolved to work on a better book for the Wizard Manual, as well as working on developing homemade versions of some other Osterlind effects, like Transparent Forces.

Bushed, As Usual...

.:Frustration:.

For a magician, hecklers could be the worst kind of people you'd ever meet.

However, I am inclined to think otherwise.

I truly believe that the worst spectators around are the ones who practically destroy your props, whether by sheer carelessness or outright malicious intent to ruin you.

Last Saturday, I was treated to the rare privilege of performing, upon request by another magician, for a group of people containing two of the worst possible types of audience ever: the said heckler who had something to say every five seconds, and the blithering nincompoop who heavily damaged my Wizard Manual finale.

I cannot conceal how annoyed I am at the one who asked me to perform for his friends, because he knew in the first place that I was going to deal with a mouthy know-it-all in the audience, when I wasn't even going to do "magic", to begin with. I was going to simply do mentalism, and the bloody fool, in her desire to be the star of the show, was too stupid to remember the two words I asked her to remember on the page. My only vindication was when one of the other people asked me if I could turn her into a monkey, and I snappily retorted, "It's been done already."

Nomer, friend or no friend, I'm never going to do magic upon your request ever again. That was a horrible experience that just pissed the Hades out of me. The Wizard Manual does not grow on trees, so I'm being exceedingly nice in not asking for a replacement.

Le Sigh...

.:And The Ink Has Dried...:.

... Yet somehow, I feel I'm getting the short end of the stick. I'm actually going to making less than I was making from WAVE with my new job, but I guess the normal hours should at least make up for it.

But I just wish I had more breathing room financially. Now, having gigs isn't a "nice-to-have", it's turning into a must...

.:That Took Guts...:.

I approached Pilita Corrales and Kuya Germs last night in Greenhills to give my calling card.

I should've prepared a demo... =(

Guh... Unemployment

.:It's So Weird...:.

After three years, I'm *really* unemployed.

It feels so weird being unemployed, even if I happen to still be a student. I guess it just feels so unnerving, as if this isn't how it's supposed to be for me.

And now, I'm feeling the crunch. Until September, I have no source of income whatsoever, and it's been rather disorienting for me, since for all of my previous company's shortcomings, they were still a reliable source of income...

I know this seems rather blatant of me, but I am really calling on anyone who can help me out of this pickle, because this month may just very well get the best of me otherwise.

Most of you reading here know who I am, and what I do. I am an accomplished host and master of ceremonies, as well as one of the more high-profile mentalists out there not named Sonny Minoza or Erik Mana. I would really appreciate help from any of you who might be able to give me leads and contacts I could use, because I really want to take the next logical step in this "career" of sorts.

I am very much available for bookings, and all you need do is e-mail me at mistervader@gmail.com. I'd really, really appreciate it.

Thanks, guys. This is one of those times where I really can't just coast along. It's time for me to really step up...

Hodgey Podgey

.:Hodgey Podgey:.

Magic items arrived, and I even took the time out to meet up with bloggers in two different gatherings, both involving Yehey.

That being said, I'm too busy to blog properly, and I know I've been delinquent for the past couple of weeks. I can't help it, really, and I'm disappointed in myself, too.

I've been marketing my shows lately, and I'm hoping that I get something out of that this month.

In any case, my thanks to my two favorite guinea pigs for effects I plan to debut, namely, Crissey and Shari. You guys have been a great help in allowing me to gauge how to routine my new stuff.