Sorry to rub it in, but you guys have no idea what you are missing B)

But it's not over....there's still today and tmrw! Go down to the chalet if you can today!

Yah, do come now if you can make it today or tomorrow. Posting from the poolside by the chalet now with my laptop. But please bring down some extra food or snacks if ya dropping by, most are starving of food and sleep, magic jamming all night. Gee many girls in bikinis by the pool side too :) you can mug for you exams here too. I am doing it.

The SMC chalet was fun! I would have stayed over but there's just SO much work to do, I couldn't afford the time. It's on till tomorrow so don't miss this if you can make the time!

Seriously, magicdow's a fabulous cook (his chicken wings are THE best man!) & I enjoyed roasting my marshmallows with Shade and Gordon in the rain. Uncle Bob did his lecture & slayed those there... especially the ones who THOUGHT they knew what was coming *grin* Those who bidded during the magic auctions took home wonderful steals and the rain did nothing to dampen our spirits.

Many photos were taken by Adrian (our dearest official shutterbug!) so do stay tuned!!! ;)

Ning

PS: Poohboar's got the first autographed copy of FHM by Magic Babe (see here if you don't know what I'm talking about) so if you're at the chalet & haven't seen the 6 page interview you can ask Mr. Nice Guy to let you sneak a peek on his copy of FHM December. *grin* LOL! :lol:

My goodness.. the first 2 days have been absolutely awesome..... i would go again just to hang out if i didn't have to study for my exam this saturday!! Learnt so much from Uncle Bob and Enrico.. too much for my brain to even handle let alone practice man..

For all those who missed out this time.. i implore you go for any gatherings that will most definitely be coming up.. we'll let the soon-too-be-posted numerous stories be testaments of why you should!!!!

Thanks Uncle Bob, Enrico and all the moderators for making this chalet undeniably fantastic!!!

+Peace out

bMt

Thanks to all the organisers great job done. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and learnt an invaluable amount. Still have a bit of hangover from all that magic. Will try to give a more in dept review later on. :P

It's been a truly enriching couple of days! I'm sure we're all still recovering from the fatigue; we'll post a full review of the events that transpired once we've recovered!

Suffice to say: it rocked. And then some! I know I had a fantastic time! :)

Shade

Photos will be up soon, once I'm done sorting and uploading them. Watch this space!

AdrianLee

I'd wished I could stay there throughout. Surely I know I have missed something. But next year's chalet... I WILL NOT MISS IT!! Haha.

Kenneth

*grin* Can't wait!!!! ^_^

Phew, it sure took awhile to sift through all the photos...

Presenting the photos from SMC Magic Chalet 2007!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS!

AdrianLee

Photos well taken, Cheers to Adrian.

The Chalet was fun and I did enjoyed doing the lecture. Hope you get some ideas and tips that I have shared.

Hope to see you guys from SMC more often. You are the future generation of magicians who are not only hardworking but also knowledgeable.

Keep it up guys.

Uncle Bob

Love the photos... great job guys! :)

Ok guys, I've sorted through my own photos and I'm rested now.

We'll be covering the review of the Chalet in a couple of sections; too much has happened for any one person to cover everything! Of course, those who've attended, do feel free to add on to anything we might have missed.

DAY ONE
SMC Chalet 2007 - Day 1 Photos

Write-ups:
Uncle Bob's Lecture by Timothy Lim (pending)

DAY TWO
SMC Chalet 2007 - Day 2 Photos

Write-ups:
Royal Road to Card Magic Session 1 by Jonathan Low (pending)
Enrico's Sharing Session by Shade

DAY THREE
SMC Chalet 2007 - Day 3 Photos

Write-ups:
Special Sharing Session by Adrian Lee
Wrapping up by Shade (pending)

Shade

Day Two
Enrico "IRONMAN" Varella's Teach-in & Sharing

After an extremely great lecture by Bob the night before, the attendees' expectations were really high. So much was taught and there was yet more to learn! The morning saw us going through the motions of the 3 card monte and a few general sessioning in small pockets before the RRTCM session.

Enrico arrived in the evening just in time - meaning we had all just finished our dinner (very kindly brought in by Chan Zian - our new mod - and Gordon the stamp collector). He was all dressed up in a flashy purple shirt and with his jacket, he looked damn professional! (^_^)

I will not go into the details of the sharing since it is a private session that only the attendees should be privy to - I'll highlight just some of the stuff that he shared with everyone. Though he was slotted to share the flippant move and the one handed bottom p**m, he shared so much more - the teach-in was worth more than the price of attending the chalet many many times over!

Flippant - performance and explanation
This really cool move allows you to turn over a group of cards in the middle of the deck! Although it was frustrating for some at first, it didn't take too long before some of the excited chatter turned to exclamations of triumph! It was a knack, but Justin (Itachi) and mattlee both got it down almost immediately.

I'm sure they'll be happy to share their experience with this move later... (no exposure of course).

One handed BP - performance and explanation
Knuckle busting but effective - Adrian's got this down to a 'T'. It's really a very powerful secret weapon you can deploy when least expected. I think those who've learnt it will surely find a use for it.

Enrico also demonstrated the card punch - 4 selections were lost in the deck. The performer - without any moves whatsoever - throws the deck into the air and punches into it, pulling out the 4 selections from mid-air! It was an amazing FLOORISH and a stunning ending that brought everyone to spontaneous applause!

Professor's Nightmare - performance and explanation
Enrico's personal take on the PN - an entertaining piece of rope magic that appeals not only to the sights but the intellect as well!

The Hanging Coins - Performance and explanation
A demonstration and explanation of his hanging coins - the one that fooled Kris Korn (of the Mondo Magic fame). Truly an eye-opener!

Shadow Coins - performance and expose
Considered one of the ultimate showpieces in coin magic, Enrico performed his favourite coins effect, inspired by Michael Ammar.

Tips on holdouts
Enrico shared some really valuable tips and ideas on various kinds of holdouts he uses in his shows. He also demonstrated some topit moves with the jacket and amazed everyone with REAL MAGIC! :)

Mental Card reading effect - performance only
Demonstrating again what makes him a performer that is sought after by corporations, Enrico does his reputation making card memory and mind reading effect. Though he didn't explain this one, he did tip the mint on it... just plenty of hard work! :)

Aftermath
We continued to session until 11:30pm where we had to stop - Enrico hadn't even had his dinner! The attendees were all over him and the session was almost non-stop after he finished his official teach-in. I'd say everyone had more than enough magic and learnt something they could call their own.

Many thanks to Enrico for his generous time and support - he was so generous with his knowledge I thought we had suddenly stepped into a free magic convention!

Shade

Day One
Uncle Bob’s lecture

We had just finished the magic auction in which items were sold of at a fraction of their prices. There was even a Vernon book first edition which went for less than forty dollars. Next up was Uncle Bob lecture. Uncle Bob’s warm personality and his naturalness had the whole audience entertained and astonished.

3 Card Monte – performance and explanation
He started the lecture by demonstrating his version of the 3 Card Monte. His naturalness in handling the 3 Card Monte fooled and entertained the whole audience and set the pace for the rest of the lecture. Following this he explained his handling and the reasons behind the construction and moves of his routine.

3 Shell Game – performance and explanation
The 3 Card Monte was good but the 3 shell game was even better. No one could belief it when the pea which was covered with a shell and two glass bowls was found under another shell, which was on the other side of the table. The shells, which are hand made by Uncle Bob himself, also looked beautiful and everyone was surprised with the deceptiveness of the method behind this effect.

Cups and Balls – 2 or 3 performances followed by explanation
Things got even better. When Uncle Bob brought out his Sherwood cups, he caught everyone’s attention. His handling of the Cups and balls demonstrated his showmanship and in-born misdirection. Everyone was thoroughly entertained and fooled by Uncle Bob’s Cups and Balls routine. Even those who were expecting a final load were caught surprised with his kicker in which he made 3 baseballs appear from 2 cups. Everyone was so astonished that Uncle Bob demonstrated his version of Cup and Balls 2 to 3 times before explaining it.

Card Sleights and Effects – performance and some explanation
Besides these 3 effects Uncle Bob also shared on the s****d d*** the t** ch**** and demonstrated other card effects such as his version of the cannibal kings and reset. He also performed a very simple and effective version of card to card case which floored everyone.

Aftermath
Uncle Bob was also gracious enough to stay behind after the lecture to give tips on certain sleights and effect. He demonstrated some moves with coins such as his Han Ping Chien coin move. He performed many more effects and entertained everyone before leaving at around 11pm.

Uncle Bob’s lecture was a great one and his performance of the 3 Shell Game or his Cups and Balls routine was already worth the price of the chalet. It was only the first day of the chalet, and the amount of magic technique and tips on classic effects and moves that Uncle Bob tipped was very helpful and everyone benefited tremendously. The next day many were still practicing the 3 card Monte which Uncle Bob explained. Thank you Uncle Bob for being so generous with your time and knowledge.

Timothy

Thanks Tim for such a nice review you just posted.

I am glad that most of you did benefitted from what I have shared with you guys.

Enjoy your magic and till we meet again.

Uncle Bob

Great writeup Tim, thanks.

And many thanks also to Uncle Bob who's always aready to lend a helping hand to SMC whenever and where ever.

There are those who come and go; those who come just for profit; and those who come, go and return to profit. But Bob Chua has been there from the onset and has been a steady contributor. He has never asked for anything in return; not once.

In spite of his professional status and being one of Singapore's most worked close up worker Uncle Bob has never made posts to promote himself on the forum; he has always worked with SMC purely out of good will and friendship. And he has never felt that SMC was too small for him.

SMC is really fortunate to have people such as you with us.

Thank you; thank you; thank you! B)

Shade
PS: Coffee on us next time... :P

Thank you Shade and the mods for the publicity and give me to opportunity to show off. Ha.......

When we meet again, mango cooler will be on me. Its been awhile meeting at Delifrance TP.

Hope to see you guys soon.

Uncle Bob

DAY THREE
Mystery Bonus Programme: Special Sharing Session

After 2 days and 2 nights of magic overload, everyone's spirits were high, and showed little sign of magic fatigue. In fact, it was a 'flippant' sight as many of us were practising the 'flippant' move freshly acquired from Enrico's Teach-in the night before.

Everyone was eagerly anticipating the Mystery Bonus Programme listed on the itinerary, especially because no one knew what it was. It was finally revealed that the Mystery Bonus Programme was actually a Special Sharing Session by the mods, where the mods will be sharing some of their pet effects/sleights.

muscleaxl - Two Card Monte
First up on the menu was muscleaxl with his pet effect, the Two Card Monte. I'm sure many of us who know Axl, or have interacted with him before, would have seen him performing this effect. Quoting from the man himself "If all fails, I will do this. (effect)" Those of us who have seen him performing this effect before will know how smooth and seasoned he is with this effect.

Axl first demonstrated the effect, and then went on to explain his handling of the Two Card Monte. What was shared was more than just the effect, but also valuable lessons on spectator management and misdirection that he had built into the effect over countless performances. With the tips shared by Axl, one need not worry that the spectator might turn over the cards prematurely and spoil the effect (how many of us have had that before attempting to perform Two Card Monte?). The misdirection was blended into the effect and I didn't really notice all the dirty work being done when I was watching the demonstration. All in all, the attendees walked away not only with the knowledge of a popular effect, but also important lessons on spectator management and misdirection.

AdrianLee - Self Working Effect (for lack of a better name)
Next up on the roster was AdrianLee who shared a deviously deceptive self working effect (that was rather long). The effect, with the right presentation, will work just as well for laymen as well as magicians.

AdrianLee began with a demonstration of the effect to 2 spectators, followed by the explanation of the principle behind the effect. It was in essence an old principle that was slightly modified to make the effect seem fairer. In fact, it went past almost everyone until Shade pointed it out, and there were 'oh ya's, 'ya hor', and 'hmmm' in the air. He then went on to explain ways of getting into the effect, and some presentation tips on making the effect more interesting. The takeaways from the segment were the devious principle that opened up new possibilities and ideas, as well as tips on using presentation and patter to spice up effects.

Shade - Curry Turnover
The Grand Finale of the Mystery Bonus Programme - Special Sharing Session (SSS) was anchored by Shade. This segment was centered around the Curry Turnover. an elusive move that's little-known, and even less-used.

Shade started by talking briefly about the Curry Turnover and the original handling of the sleight, then he moved on to demonstrate a reworked version of the handling. The explanation was broken down into phases, to make it easier to understand and learn.

After everyone had some hands-on practice with the sleight, Shade shared some applications of the sleight, both in terms of gambling routines and in magic. This was really the 'juice' of this segment, as we were awestruck by the wondrous applications of the sleight (as with the skill of the performer demonstrating it), and the possibilities brought about by the sleight.

At the end of it all
The Mystery Bonus Programme started as what it was called, a Mystery Bonus Programme, simply because we didn't really know what to do with the empty slot on the third day. It eventually became a Special Sharing Session by the mods because we wanted to do something meaningful, and share something with the people who took valuable time off to participate in the chalet. Granted we are no experts, but in sharing some of our knowledge, we hope to generate more ideas and eventually more knowledge in those that attended the session.

Sometimes, it is through sharing that we learn more.

AdrianLee

Seems like day 3 was as great as the 2 awesome days that preceded it... really wish i ould have been there.. Alas! The perils of exams! =))

Review of Royal Road To Card Magic (RRTCM) Session 1 - 21 Nov 07

The RRTCM Session was conducted by Shade and Adrian. 3 Chapters were covered, namely: The Glimpse, The Glide and The Riffle Shuffle. The teaching was done in a very systematic and methodical manner.

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Here's a run-through of how the teaching was carried out:

At the start of each chapter, Shade and Adrian would go through ALL the sleights taught within. Additional tips and refinements were given as well as variations of which the sleights could be applied. As the teaching was done through demonstration, there was hardly any difficulty in understanding the material taught.

Next, we were divided into 2 groups to attempt the tricks in the chapter. Given some time, we had to read through a selected trick, go through and discuss the handling within the group. Following that, we would nominate a person in the group to perform the trick for the rest. After the performance, Shade and Adrian would ask us to review the trick based in general on some of the following points:

1) How would you rate the trick upon 5?
2) Would you add this into your repertoire?
3) What do you think about the effect? (Eg. strong / weak points, etc)

They would also give their opinions on how the trick can be improved or applied in other ways by utilising the principle behind the trick as well as the strong or weak aspects of it. Shade also gave his advice on how to get into some tricks that involved a set-up and even demonstrated effects that could lead into the tricks with set-ups.

In this manner, every single detail in RRTCM was covered with no stones left unturned.

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Personally, I felt that the session was very helpful to me and would be good for magicians of all levels. For the beginner, it would be a very good introduction into magic as the effects are mostly good enough to be performed as it is. For the intermediate and advanced, it serves to strengthen and reinforce one's basic foundations and gives the opportunity to analyse and think about the construction of the effects taught in RRTCM. From there, one would be able to further derive uses for the principles and sleights taught.

After the session, I definitely felt that there was an improvement in my own card handling as well as my approach towards magic. As I started out learning magic in a more haphazard manner, I would say that my foundation is not very strong. Thus, the methodical learning approach in the session helped to fill in the spaces lacking in my foundation as well as reinforce my base.

Out of the 7 effects that were taught during the session, I can definitely see myself using at least 2 of them in my repertoire given some small modifications in handling. In fact, Shade taught an effect in RRTCM that he vastly improved on which would play very strongly not only for laymen but for magicians as well.

I cannot wait to attend the rest of the other 9 sessions. I am very sure that there will be gems waiting for me to be discovered in the book of which I can apply into my own repertoire. A big thanks to SMC for organising the course and kudos to Shade and Adrian who invested a great deal of time and effort in working out the course.

REVIEW OF THE MAGIC AUCTION (DAY 1)

Yes, I am most qualified to write about this, as I am the auctioneer (not sure if there is such a word, but you get what I mean right?).

Anyway....

1) I was very very very honoured to have our FHM MagicBabe, Ning, to partner me as auctioneers. If you have seen the photos, you would notice that I was happily smiling all the time... B) .

2) Some old friends turned up... Mark (markiebeth) and Kenneth (llalamer).

Special thanks to Kenneth for generously putting up 2 rare and valuable books for the auction (Daryl's Ambitious Card/ Chronicles of Narn...eh.. I mean Vernon). As testified by our Grandmaster Bob Chua, Daryl's book "is very good..!!", and it eventually went to Jonathan for an obscenely low price. The Chronicles went to Matt Lee, after 2 hours of contemplation.... ok, I was joking, he only took 1.

Also, thanks to Mark for showing me his eh... bending magic pen. Again, check out the photos, you can see I was REALLY amazed!!!Not too bad Mark, I'm only marginally better than you now. :P

3) Of course, besides the people, it was the merchandise we were interested in. Besides, Kenneth's books, there were excellent stuff contributed by Jonathan, Justin, Ning and even Uncle Bob (his eh... very artistic cards was snapped up in seconds!!).

Look, I can never understand how can anybody miss such a good "lobang". I mean, packet tricks, manuscripts and DVDs going at $1 (from Ning)!!!? We are not talking about some kiddish looking trick decks or China-made gimmicks, we are talking about things like glass bending, raising card, magic coin case etc.... all costing at least $30!! Even Shade, who has very high taste, bought a DVD too (The Session 2007). If Mr Soo thinks it's good, it MUST be good (btw, he thinks I'm good too)


Overall, it was a very enjoyable night, full of laughter and fun. Again, I urged you guys to check out the pictures and you can see all the happy smiles of the people there.... and it was not just because of Ning's legs. :lol:

Wrapping Up

It is evident that the SMC Chalet 2007 was a resounding success - last year we had only 4 - 6 people sleeping in a dingy miserable room at Downtown East. This year, we had a 2 storey bungalow with about 12 people sleeping over.

We cleared all the BBQ food; the lectures were certainly enriching! I know everyone there had a good time. :) We hope we could organise a year end chalet of such quality each year.

I'd like to thank all the mods for putting so much into this event. Though the dates were not exactly the most ideal, we made the best of things.

I also want to thank both Enrico and Uncle Bob again for always being there for SMC without conditions. They were the highlights of our chalet events!

Finally, thanks to all the people who took the trouble to turn up, making this a memorable and successful event! We do look forward to your continued support - you guys are essentially what SMC is about!

And special mention to Fei who went to a lot of trouble to get us the chalet at the last moment when our original plans failed. Thanks bro - you came through for us again!

For those of you who've not yet attended a single SMC gathering yet, do come by for the Christmas gathering coming up soon in December. Look forward to seeing you there!

Shade