27 years old

woah...I am 27 years old today!

After I returned to Hong Kong from U.K., which was at the very beginning of this month, I have been doing nothing, nothing really substantial or fulfilling.I become a full time youtuber, spending more time on watching videos than anything else.

Of course, I have been creating something new with the moves that I learned from Peter and Gordon, among the four items, except the new ending for Jet twist, I don't really happy with the rest of them. They are just another few four Aces revelations and a two card transposition.

I feel the need, the need for expression; I feel the urge, the urge for creating something that I can be proud of. Be frankly though, I have no idea of where I should start...

Actually, there are a couple of things on my to do list:

1: Revision of the novel that I have finished writing early this year
2: Make a video response to The tricky chopstick video on youtube
3: Hong Kong Up Close ebook
4: Filming The Zenneth Code vol.2 & Card Magic by Misdirection

But I just can't really start working....

sigh....

Oh, Come On!!!

Chong Chong [my lovely 13 years old student] called me yesterday, telling me that he'll be suspended from attending school for three months! I was shocked and wondered why...

The whole thing was quite stupid really, according to Chong Chong, two of his classmates were in a fight and he was trying to pull them away from each other, and unforutnately, he ended up involving in the fight.

Eventually, the penalty being that he has to suspended from attending school for three months.

I don't think Chong Chong will lie to me, but, in most events, suspending a 13 years old student is not an appropiate penalty. This is purely suspiction on my part, but I think it won't be far from truth to say that the rationale of this de facto unreasonable penalty is related to the few "campus violence incidents" in Hong Kong taken place in the last few months.

Obviously, when it comes to campus violence, situation in Hong Kong is probably much better than nearly every other country.

The campus violence incidents that I referred to were some video clips posted onto youtube early this year of a few students beating up their classmate. I am not saying this is something that we should proud of, from a comparative point of view though, it's minor.

Anyway, the education department decided to make this a big deal, therefore, I suspect, Chong Chong becomes a victim of the latest policy/guideline.

So...um....well...I don't even have a tiny idea of what Chong Chong should be doing in the next 3 months. His mom locked up all his playing cards, he is now forbidded from practising card tricks...

oh..that sucks...! eventhough it's perfectly understandable....

Well.....Chong Chong, cheer up, we have to face adversity once awhile in life. Just take this as a lesson.

I'll be seeing you very soon!

Clothes

After the lesson with Johnny, I went to Mongkok and intend to buy some new clothes. I walked into a store which is doing the final sale, there are quite a few shirts and suits in my wardrobe that are of this brand. I thought it would be a nice idea to buy some shirts and a jacket, after spending some 10 mins in the store, I realized that I don't really want to buy anything, and the reason is an unusual one, that I don't want to wear suits or formal shirts anymore.

A few years back, I used to fancy the formal clothes alot, the fixation is so strong that till this day, there are still more suits and shirts in my wardrobe than T shirts and jeans [which I still don't have many pairs till this day, I must admit that James Bond has quite some influence on me when it comes to fashion].

So what does the fact that I don't like ties and suits these days indicate? Well, I am getting mature.

Magician and Relationship

From my own statistics and personal experiences, it's proved that magic only does harm than good to a relationship.

When you are single and a magic hobbist: [Reasons that I broke up with my first girlfriend]

1) You spend more time with books, DVDs, cards and coins than with girls that can be your girlfriend

2) You might be able to break the ice by performing a few tricks for the girls that you like, unfortunately you don't know what to talk to keep the conversation going, and girls leave you because they couldn't stand you talking about magic or performing tricks anymore

3) You want to know more about magicians who passed away ages ago than the one in front of your eyes

When you are single and becoming a professional magician:

1) Making a living is such a difficult task, you won't have time to think about relationship

2) Dating a girl who doesn't mind your poor financial status is just as nearly impossible as making a satisfactory living

When you are single and a professional magician: [Reasons that I broke up with my second girlfriend]

1) Girls tend to believe that you stand higher chance than ordinary people to meet other girls, because of the nature of your job, and therefore less trustworthy

2) You sleep during the day and work during the night, taking day offs during weekdays and working in holidays, which means you won't be able to spend some quality time with girls that could be your potential girlfriend

When you are single and a successful professional magician: [I yet to experience this position]

1) You tend to get bookings that is far from the area that you resident and therefore you had to travel alot, which means you have less time for your potential girlfriend

2) You work even more during the night, see 1) for the effect

When you are single and a lecturer/professional magician: [Reasons that I broke up with my
third girlfriend]

1) Now you spend more time to create new routines, writing lecture notes, filming instructional DVDs, practising your routines, you travel intensively and would have to do lecture tours from time to time

2) You can befriend with magicians who live in the other hemisphere but you don't even have time for people who stay in the same house as you do! [Okay, obviously I didn't cohabit with any of my girlfriends but you know what I mean]

sigh...

wish this was funny...

There's a price to carry...

I am a dream catcher, constantly persuing my dreams, and I have many dreams. Among them, some are easier to be accomplished, some aren't.

The easiest one: to travel around the world
The hard one: to become an artist who doesn't have to worry about money
The hardest one: to have a girlfriend who understand what I am doing and support me

Those who are reading my blog, I am sure, by now, you can probably sense something that are not quite right...well....

My girlfriend said to me last night that she neither wants a boyfriend who travels alot and leaving her alone in Hong Kong, nor she wants to travel around with me and leaving her friends and parents in Hong Kong.

Can I compromise?

Not really, unless I give up my dream and stop travelling so much.

I didn't realize until now that I do travel alot, since March this year, I have been taking a flight at least once a month... been to quite a few cities in Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taipei, I would often go to Shen Zhen to film my DVDs, now U.K., and maybe Europe in the short coming future.

hmm...

So I am rootless, I can hardly rest at one place, and that's unfair to her, which also justifies her decision.

Not many valid grounds for a rebuttal, I am selfish and I insist to persue my dreams.

When she suggested a break up, I didn't even try to say anything and ask for a reconsideration, because I can't compromise really.

Received an email from Gene, telling me that he couldn't finish editing my book within this year and he doubts if the book can be published in the near future even if he could finish the editing.

I understand, there are ups and downs in life, so I am not disappointed, people don't read these days anyway.

hmmm...

Paul Harris has been leading such an astonishing life, mine is equally dramatic, and I am actually proud of it!

=)

Zenneth Kok 2007 UK Lecture Tour Travelog Day 31

1-8-2007

Today is the last day of my 2007 U.K. lecture tour, just checked out from the hotel and am going to pay a visit to The Big Ben and hopefully few more sight seeing spots before my departure. My flight tonight is 7:00 P.M. and it is expected to arrive Hong Kong at 3:30 P.M. tomorrow.

Will do more fans service later on, now...I seriously need to grab some food...

Talk to you guys later!

okie dokie....so I took the huge luggage with me and went to Westminister, gave Peter's regard to Big Ben and London Eye, and then went to the airport.

The flight was delayed, when it actually took off, it was already 10:30 P.M. I didn't feel very bad about it though, mainly because the airline outsold their business class tickets, and I became the lucky guy -- my economy class airticket was upgraded to business class for free!

yay!!!

awww....business class is way to be, much bigger space, a lot better chair, greater dinner, and maybe better services too.

The long hour flight from London to Hong Kong, wasn't too hard for me at all this time, I was able to fully extend my foot when I was sleeping.

sweet, such a brilliant ending of the day and the tour.

Zenneth Kok 2007 UK Lecture Tour Travelog Day 30

31- 7 - 2007

I stayed at Sergio's place for two nights, and then I have decided to move to a hotel at Waterloo, which seems to be more convinent for me to do some tourist things, but it was such a hassle, most single rooms at the area which are available at a reasonable price are being booked, so eventually, I went to Borough.

Left my mobile phone at Sergio's place, had to go back to pick it up, therefore, I couldn't give Peter's regard to The Big Ben [will do it today, 1-8-2007]

Sergio asked me to go and have a look of his street show at Covent Garden, there were quite a few street performers doing their acts already. Sergio is very good at this form of entertainment, his act is basically a variation of Gazzo's act, less offensive though.

I start to believe that busking is the real training ground for magicians, there are more variants that are out of your control on the street than any other performance envoirment, okay, except kids party [that's really tough...]

You have to successfully:

1) stop a crowd
2) multiply the size of the crowd
3) get hold of the crowd
4) deliver 4 or 5 gags every mintue
5) make sure people will pay you after your performance....
and many more...

If one can pass the tests on street, the rest types of magic performance is a piece of cake.

hmm...I have loads of books and props to buy when I get back to Hong Kong.

Zenneth Kok 2007 U.K. Lecture Tour Travelog Day 29

30 - 7- 2007

Today's big event being the visit to Magic Circle, somewhere close to the Euston station. I made a call to Patrick Page and gave him the regards from Gordon and Peter, unfortunately he had to leave at 8:30 P.M., we didn't talk much, otherwise, I'll definitely consult him for some opinions on being a magician.

By the time I arrived Magic Circle, it's already 7:30 P.M., it is an amazing building indeed, some rigid dressing codes though: no jeans, no T shirt. [There are more and more male celebrities who would wear Jeans and a suit jacket to attend some important events these days, I guess we have a new definition of the dress code these days.]

Anyway, that's not a big problem really.

Magic circle was doing their summer school when I was there, the topic is about some mechanical props, which is not my type of thing.[oh..well...I can't afford them, that's the real reason]

I wandered around, read the news that are being placed on the wall, watched all the posters, photos and some other collections of many late giants. Magic was so different in their time...

Maybe I should pay a visit to Wu Qiao, it's a small town in China, neverthe the less the centre of Chinese acrobat[ by the way, magic is being considered as a form of acrobat in China, historically] and learn some traditional chinese magic.

I went to the bar, most senior magicians were there, unfortunately I don't know any of them except Ali Bongo, we chatted awhile, Ali seems like Hong Kong very much, yeah, it's an amazing city, isn't it? [set aside the politics in the local magic scene, that is.]

Alan introduced me to James, who's the booker of lecturers of the circle, apparently he enjoyed my works very much and telling me that the Magic Circle will be more than pleased to book me for a lecture in my next visit to U.K. [sure thing, pleasure]

Left the circle between 9- 10, couldn't really remember the exact time, and then we went to Nando's, a resturant that serves Indian food on Baker street. I am more excited about the fact that I finally been to the place that Sherlock Holmes used to live...

The Baker Street tube station is even more fascinating...

I wanted to go to the Sherlock Holmes bar that Peter told me about, unfortunately, time is money, which I was running low.

Zenneth Kok 2007 UK Lecture Tour Travelog Day 28

29 - 7 -2007

Before going to the airport, Peter drove me to Etta's place and she took a few photos for me and Peter again. I don't want to go, not for Peter is one of the best cardmen on earth, but for he is such a nice and humorus guy.

Peter, thank you very much for everything!

The Scottish card guys....amazing!!! All of them have something of their own, signature pieces, fabulous "convention" moves...I thought I have seen alot of moves, boy, I was wrong bigtime! Gordon Bruce showed me at least 20 card moves that I have never seen before, Peter..haha...other than showing me the moves that I have never seen before, he actually showed me many moves that I thought I know what they are!

If you think you are good with a pack of cards, you should pay a visit to Glasgow and you'll be a much more humble and likeable magician again.

Said goodbye to Peter and Etta at the airport..

I got to Stansted first and then went back to Liverpool Street by train, and then I went to Waterloo by tube...when I saw Lee, I was knackered! I need to take a shower and have some good rest, but Lee asked me to join him and few others guys for dinner.

Sergio and Dynamo were both there, this is actually the first time I see Dynamo, heard he's very good with cards, especially his break dance with card flourishes, something that's absolutely unique. He did show me something, but I was too tired and the resturant wasn't a nice place for him to do his act.

It's was quite late when we finished dinner, I tried to catch the train and I couldn't, and then I went to the tube and that's closed, I waited for half an hour on the street to catch a taxi, but eventually, I was able to go to Sergio's place.

I chatted awhile with Sergio about magic, and he invited me to see his street magic show, mind you, by street magic, I am talking about busking, the traditional definition of street magic, not the David Blaine/Criss Angel/Cyril street magic [which you are not really paid by the spectators to perform].