Hi Guys:


Here is an account of what happened during my Company's Annual Dinner:

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Before I left, I setup in my pants, shirt, coat, and wrist all the necessary "gadgets", which are namely:


1) 20 rubber bands around my left wrist
2) 6 paper clips in my back (right) pants pocket
3) Silk in my back (left) pants pocket
4) Gaff in my wallet in my front (left) pants pocket for performing CTW
5) 1 normal deck (Blue)
6) 1 normal deck (Red) setup to perform 2CM and Malaysian Magic Fellowship ID trick
7) Stealth pen
8) 2 sharpies (one as backup)
9) 2 D'lites in my silver belt
10) 1 soft TT and 1 hard TT in my right coat pocket
11) 4 small sponge balls in my right coat pocket
12) 1 big and 1 small sponge ball in my left coat pocket
13) 1 deck setup in right inner coat pocket to perform the modified version of Cody Fisher's Impossible Signed Card to Any Wallet
14) A Card wallet containing some cards marked with "Dream Card" for performing no.
15) Extra wax in small scissor container for backup (in inner left small pocket in the coat)
16) LeClair Animator setup
17) 4 extra LeClair Animator setup wrapped in small piece of card in a card case as backup - in the event of thread breakage
18) MAsk
19) Top hat with feather

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I reached the hotel, put on my coat, mask, and top hat and walked into the ball room. There were a lot of people, some with mask, some without mask...and here, I was looking for my first "prey"

hey...I saw my colleague Lim - very honest guy...hehe....I approached him and said:

" Hi, I am Raven - specially hired by PwC to provide entertainment for you guys...u guys are from PwC right?"

Then he said:

"Hi....hmm....are you CHH?" (CHH is my real name)".

Not wanting to spoil the atmosphere, I said:

"CHH, who is that? I am Raven...let me show you somthing".

Thereon I started pulling out two sponge balls from his ears...he was quite surprise and started smilling:

"Hey, you are a magician....."

Before I could proceed, another of my colleague - Adrien, interupted and requested Lim to do something else....err....but Adrien did not recoginise me....hehe

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So I had to look for another prey...I walked to a corner and saw a senior manager (Piaw)...alone there.....woo....a great chance perhaps?

I approached him, used the same patter as above, and performed the 3 phase sponge ball routine which I learnt from Ellusionist "Inside Magic"....Piaw just could not stop laughing during the routine...I don't know why, but at least he enjoyed himself....so did I...

I then shook his hand and thanked him

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Then I went into the hall, and saw a table full of woman from typist pool.
I tapped on the head of typist's shoulder (Patricia), used the same patter, and perform the same sponge ball routine as above...

Woo.....again, she could not stopp laughing...other woman sitting beside her also seem to be enjoying themselves....I was pretty satisfied....


I then shook her hand + other typists' hand and thanked them....and walked away...
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I suddently felt like peeing....so I went to the gents and came out....then I saw another collegue - Yao - whom I will be seated with him in the same table....

Same thing - I used similar patter, but this time, I wanted to do something else - and it was 2 Card Monte...

Before I could start, he called his friend:

"Hey, my friend is doing magic, lets come over"

And that friend of him ( a lady) stood at my right hand side.....not a very good angle...if you know 2 Card Monte...u will know why....

As usual, I performed the routine and my routine involved a top change.
Before I executed the top change, I looked at the lady and said something - trying to use that as a form of misdirection...she looked at me and I was thinking....ya this time I am going to succeed....But suddenly the cards got stucked...I could not do the top change...

Oh man....how am I going to change the card? Then suddenly I thought of one way to perform top change where you are fully surrouded by specs....I did that move...no one noticed it.....and there you go....one card has changed...

Yao was quite surprise when he turned over the first card and it has changed...I said then:

"Turn over the second card"

He did the required and that is why he said:

"Waloa....how did you do that?"

I did not say any thing...just shook his hand + that girl's hand, thanked them and walked away....

(Note: For the subsequent performances, I also did the thank you part but to save time, I will not repeat here)....

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I felt really good now....then I approached another Malay guy, from filing department...can't quite remmber his name....did the sponge ball routine for him...
the difference is that there were more specs this time, so I asked them to blow on that Malay guy's fist, and the ball multiplied and multiplied.....

Again, awesome reaction from them....I was really happy....

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Oops....the Dinner was about to start already....I went into the hall again, and seated at my table....then Yao came in, that was where he realised, hey, the masked magician was me....

He asked me to teach him so that he could pick up some girls......hmm.....how could I share the market with him yo....haha......

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So we had some food, and I saw that the time was right....I then performed CMH....I could hear my batchmates (at the same table) saying....

"Woo....look at that!" - when the rubber bands unlinked

Then I performed "Band Thru Wrist"......wonderful reaction again.....however, the best has yet to come.....

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I never imagined in my life I would perform IT related effects - until yesterday.
I received the DVD entitled "Who is afraid of invisible thread" by Jon LeClair on Monday and started playing with it.

All along I was thinking that IT is too delicate, cumbersome, difficult to setup and difficult to perform. LeClair changed my view.

I knew that I would not be able to perform adequeately all the effects taught in the DVD, so I focussed on "Whirling card" and "floating bill".

I did not have much confidence on "Whirling card" because I could not catch it properly, so I further focussed on "floating bill". I practiced "floating bill" for about 10 times at home...paying specific attention on how is the setup, how to do proving, and how to hand the bill to the specs.....

Again, I never expected I would perform "floating bill" even though I practiced it for 10 times at home - which I thought I would only use it as a backup effect....

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Remember Yao? After performing the "Band Thru Wrist" effect, I thought of moving into "steath pen"...I performed and he was really impressed....

And then.....

I took the bill, rubbed it against by coat, saying that this would give some static charge....and here I go....the bill started FLOATING!!!!

Walao....I could hear my batch mates saying:

"Wey...look at that!!!!! Oh Man!!!!!!!!!!!!"

When the effects was done, all my batch mates eyes were buldging.....and they said.....

"You are like David Blaine man...........!!!!!"

I knew that my "floating bill" has since become my signature effect....no doubt about it.....and I only practiced it 10 times at home.....

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I acted like I was a "restaurant magician", and I approached another table (where Piaw was seated), again I performed the same "floating bill" effect....hoo...I can tell you.... the reaction from the table was priceless.....

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I went to another table, saw Lim again, performed stealth pen effect and then "floating dollar bill".....all people sitting at the table went crazy and gave me applause.....

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Remember the Malay guy? (No pun intended....I don't know his name so I just called him Malay guy)

I saw him at one table, went there, and perform the same "floating dollar bill".
Half way through, one guy standing near me started touching the bill....I lightly tapped his hand and told me that that would take my power away....(speaking of audience management...not easy also).....

I finished the act and the people there looked at me like I am an Alien to them....

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I went to another table, and saw Akmal.....I did not want to perform Floasting Bill immediately, so I perform the MMF ID trick....wow, he was really amazed....then I aasked for a bill from him....he did not have it, he then asked from another person....and as usual, I performed the same "floating bill" effect....the reaction was again awesome.....

I think from that day onwards, when they see me, they will think of the guy who levitated the bill....I never did receive such reaction from card trick.....

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So I moved on to another table and saw my colleague "Liew"....we talked and he challenged me to perform magic tricks - since I was wearing a magician's costume....I first denied (purposely), then I took the one dollar bill from him and strarted performing "Floating Dollar Bill".

Before I performed IT effects, I understood that there are important considerations:

1) Wind
2) Light

The hall was pretty dim, and as such, I was hopping from table to table performing "Floating Dollar Bill"....

Back to the story, the bills was floating up, and when I was just about to do the proving, suddently, without any indication, the white light shone from the stage to the table (because of some kind of performance), and my chest was ****** the light....

"Oh My Gosh"....."Sei lor..Sei lor" kept ringing in my mind... I quickly de-levitate the bill...but it was too late, the people at the table told me:

"I saw the ************** already la"....

Err.....I was so sad....why did the light suddenly.......err......geramnya.....
Anyway...I sat down, talked for a while and left....

With hindsight, I might have shifted my position to "another side"....but that would block some people's view if they want to look at the performance....so I think it was my luck....

After I left, I perform ACR for another friend of mine - Kevin....
No more "floating bills" for the night......

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The above is the major glitch....after the glitch...I think I lost the motivation to perform "floating bill" in the dinner already....perhaps I would perform in another environment....but at that time the motivation just lost.........

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Once again....I never expected to do "floating bill" effect....it was suppose to be my backup act....but it turned out that I performed it the most....6 times man....

In Summary:

Effect Times Performed
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Floating Bill (6)
Sponge Ball (2)
Stealth pen (3)
CMH (1)
Band Thru Wrist (1)
ACR (1)
2 Card Monte (1)
MMF ID Trick (1)


Effects not performed:
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1) D'lites
2) Incredible Shrinking Rubber Band
3) Travelling Cash
4) Modified version of Impossible Signed Card to any Wallet
5) Whirling Card
6) Design for laughter
7) Triumph
8) Vanishing Silk
9) Linking Paperclips
10) Pinnacle

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I have learnt a lot through this performance.....things like audience management, misdirection....spectators involvement....etc.....

Last but not least, I really enjoy performing magic....You bring joy, astonishment, and sometimes, suspense for them.....

And if you guys have not ventured into IT, do check it out...When Adrien told Yao that I have performed magic in the previous batcmates gathering...Yao said:

"That was nothing, you should see what he performed just now"

And of course, he was referring to "Floating Dollar Bill"....
I highly recommend this effect....but remember to prepare backup IT - I broke my IT twice, once where I was getting into my car (from home), another time was while eating.....Fortunately I prepared 4 sets, so I still have 2 sets unused when I got home......

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I hope you guys enjoy my story.....
Please feel free to give me your comments ya....
Thanks!

Anyone read this?

Yes, I read it and congratulate zhuanan on his magic.
It's sounds like everyone had fun and that's important.

Zhuanan still has 10 more effects he can do for the same people later.

It's a matter of choice but unless it's packet tricks that don't use regular cards, I don't bring decks to function. I prefer to keep it all looking as impromptu possible.

Good job Z!

Thanks a lot Guys!

I read it and enjoyed it. It was a bit long, but it kept my interest.

Well we can't accuse him of being lame and shy. He certainly went prepared and eager to entertain. I won't hold a candle up to that.

I've been to many company parties (past employers or friend's invitation) and the only highlights are, assuming they have it, booze and food - the rest is usually a boring affair and waste of time. To have a roving magician is a great opportunity to cut the big whigs short in their joke telling and say "Oh look a magician - gotta go see this and walk the hell away".

I noticed you summarized a few learning experiences after an evening of entertaining the crowd. Sounds like a real winning situation as you gained experience which is yours to keep (still can't purchase that at your magic shop), shared some great magic with an appreciative audience, and gave them something to remember and talk about.