OsadaSlowianska

Catching up with the goings-ons, latest developments and current projects in the blurt community.

One of my favourite types of drinks. Made it up myself xD.

Don't knock it til ya tried it!!!

When I enter the stage, i often start with my monologue piece:

"Long before I had words to describe my curiosity, I was already inquiring into Secret Things. Long before any pursuit of artistry became possible for me, I was already out there asking, seeking, wandering, playing. Long before I knew anything about playing cards, my position was already determined in the perpetual shuffling of Life.

I have lived many lives of honesty, also many lives of deceit, befriending the virtuous, the cunning, the outcast and the common man. In my quest to find what honour means in a world of deception, who I am in this life, my journey has been filled with triumph and disaster, adventures and revelations.

Without realising, my story was written; without reservation through fifty-two companions my story is chronicled, and through you, Ladies and Gentlemen, my story comes alive. My name is Jin, and this is where we begin..."

A pack of playing cards is like the story of Life, all encompassed in 52 cards.

The shuffling of the cards is very much like the comings and goings of life...

When the cards are shuffled, who know where each card may lie?

As Life goes on...who can say where the pieces may fall?

In this perpetual shuffling of life, we all aim to find our semblance of peace...we all strive to find order amongst chaos...sometimes we win and sometimes we lose; sometimes we fail utterly in our endevours; sometimes we are triumphant.

Whatever it is I have my playing cards and the art of Prestidigitation to keep me going, through thick and thin.

This is a recording of the first debut of my one man show "Shuffling Philosophies" (http://birminghamfest.co.uk/events/shuffling-philosophies-jin-lee/attachment/jin-lee/ ; the final show https://www.michaelvincentmagic.com/shuffling-philosophies-by-jin-lee/ and parting words: https://vimeo.com/146513609?share=copy) in the city of Birmingham, England. The Venue was the "Old Joint Stock" Pub and Theatre https://www.oldjointstock.co.uk/ up on the second floor.

Here a very young Jin (freshly 21, with a Sparrow-Tail haircut and some goggles) is performing a few light sequences aimed at steering the audience from the light tone of the show to a more philosophical tone; i think of a show in the Shakespearean thematic progression of building up the show (i see a show as a Drama Play) from light pieces that require no interaction to begin with (so the audience can settle in and get comfy with some eye-candy), to light pieces that introduce audience interaction, leading onto what i call the "half-way point" whereby a longer storytelling piece with a (starkly different tone to the pieces experienced beforehand) will be introduced; this juxtaposition of themes is psychologically jarring in the sense that keeps the audience at peak curiosity. After the "half-way point" the show plunges into my personal style according to the message of the show.

"The Cavorting Aces" is one such piece just before the "half-way point". Once this "point" has been reached then heavier pieces must be introduced....pieces such as "The Duel Of The West" (equally powerful as a show-closer, i prefer) or the like.

The Cavorting Aces was originally conceived in 1876 in a book called "Modern Magic" by Professor Hoffman. The trick/effect is described:

"Having placed the Four Aces in different positions in the Pack, to make the two Black change places with the two Red ones, and finally to bring all Four together in the middle of the Pack" https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/book/453?highlight=27540

I have toyed with various versions and i do enjoy performing the Hofzinser versions, which the Maestro named aptly "Marriage:

"Hofzinser's Kartenkünste Vol II"

"King and Queen of Hearts put together in deck, they appear at top and bottom and are tabled, then appear back on top and bottom and tabled cards are indifferent, Jack of Clubs added to King and Queen, monte type routine with those three cards, they all change into Jacks of Clubs, Kings and Queen produced from deck again" https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/person/490?highlight=84848

Or even from S.W Erdnase's "Expert At The Card Table" https://www.conjuringarchive.com/list/category/783?highlight=7797

Lovely, no?

This was filmed in 2018, May. It was part of my hitchhiking journey across England through to Istanbul, Turkey which took 10 months. After reaching Istanbul and being stuck there for 3 days, i finally gave in a booked a flight to Hong Kong.

This was also the very last time i got to sit down with my Father (his hands appears briefly close up), it was also the last time i got to stay at my Father's place in Fanling.

This was also the last year Hong Kong retained their freedoms of speech and expression. 2019 saw Hong Kong in a major riot due to the Extrication Bill put into Legislation by the CCP. It was an exciting time where for the first time i saw the Hong Kong Peoples, with all their street-wise and ingenuity, stand up against the corrupt authorities.

If only the movement continued, Hong Kong would have been a shining example of personal dignity and community strength. It would have made Bruce proud to know that our people are not the sick men of Asia. Alas! The 2019 riots were quelled....and what came after in the tail-end of 2019 and start of 2020....we all know.

Hong Kong was never the same again.

I will never go back until the filth there gets taken out of the country. Until then, i will not go back.

Bouncing off from my small mentionings of Ancient Chinese naming conventions in my previous videos, i wanted to do a full video on the subject matter. I may do another video on the subject in the days to come.

The creation of American magician Francis Carlye circa 1947. For a history on when this effect please check these links:

I originally learnt this from Dai Vernon's "Stars Of Magic" book, which i always recommend to entry level magicians looking to improve on their classical education in the realm of card magic.

The "Stars of Magic" is a great companion to another two entry books on card magic: "The Royal Road To Card Magic" and "Expert Card Technique". Though the methodology and sleights are a bit outdated when applied to the modern times (sleight of hand has come a long, long long way), but the roots are there for us to refine.

As Rene Lavand would say: "Everything can be refined". Thank you Maestro!

woof

Triggered by a long rain;

Triggered by a wild rain;

Triggered by an urgent rain;

If you don’t know me by now...

:::

This is the poem of my soul. It’s been with me through thick and thin. It has grown with me, accompanied me along the turbulent shuffling of life.

If I were to leave one last trace of myself on this Earth, this poem would be it. If I have a gravestone I would like to have this on it, written in proper English and not DOG-LATIN, alongside my name “Jin Pei Yung, of the Clan Lee” written also in proper English and not DOG-LATIN.

:::

The first stanza speaks about the ever changing of life. I am Jin, from many places, lived many lives. Long before I had words to describe my curiously, I was already enquiring into Secret Things. Long before any pursuit of artistry became possible for me, I was already out there asking, seeking, wandering, playing. Long before I knew anything about playing cards, my position was already determined in the perpetual shuffling of life. Through it all I haven’t changed, I’m still me, yet when I look upon myself, I honestly cannot recognise who I am looking at. Who am I really? I am not the only one asking this question, for there are those like i with the very same sentiments. Only those who’ve walked and experienced the same thing as me along this path of life can know what I speak of.

The second stanza are my constant thoughts during my time on this Earth. Every moment is my finest hour, yet why when the sky turns dark, why do I feel so blue? Why am I so restless? Just why must I have to traverse those roads and places whilst others don’t have to? Am I awake, or am I asleep? What’s my purpose on this Earth? Why am I even here? Where am I supposed to be? I ask these questions during my years on and off the road, on that lonesome sleeper train traversing across Ukraine at night; amongst the crowd at Djemma Al-Fna in Marrakech seated with people from all walks of life, where I am with the people but not of the people; in all my years visiting my own people on my family’s land in Hong Kong, where at once I feel elated to be home, yet I know Hong Kong can never be my home; in the various wilds where I find myself lost and not a soul around, with just a sleeping bag and the clothes in my back, hungry, afraid and itching to take a bath; on those long stretches of roads where nobody knows my name or speaks my tongue(s), nor cares to; and whenever I return to England where the divide is always so great.

The third stanza laments, especially in regards to all the lovers I’ve had in my life, all the wonderful women, our time always so short, so many words we couldn’t say, and too many moments of dishonesty. If only I were courageous enough to admit I need help, that I don’t know how to express myself. I often wonder if I had just stuck with you and just put my nomadic spirit aside for once, maybe I could be somebody proper. For you, for me. I lament also all those friendships and brotherhoods and camaraderies that ended in ruins. How did it end up like this? If only i could take it back.

It’s at once bitter and sweet my friends, yet for me, it’s my medicine.

yaaaaay worrrrrrrrrrrrrrk!!!! 😄

FCK WORK