Vacation to the Hills !

I travel a lot for work... this time I took a vacation! Mom and I set off for a vacation to the hills of Sikkim. It was a sudden plan and due the lack of availability of train tickets we resorted to travelling by a royal cruiser bus. A rather bumpy all night journey to Siliguri followed by drive to our destination We arrived in Gantok on the afternoon of April 22^nd. A quick freshen up and we took to exploring MG Marg, which is the shopping haven in Gantok. As usual I picked up a bunch of stuff that I hope to turn into magic routines at some point.

At the Lobby of our hotel in Gantok.

An early morning share taxi took us to Lachun ,a small town higher up in the hills, the next day. It was a whole day drive with us stopping at three spectacular waterfalls along the way. We reached Lachun after sunset. A quick dinner and falling asleep to the sounds of the nearby waterfall prepared us for the trip to Yumthang Valley and Zero Point the next day.

Mom by a waterfall on the road to Lachun.

Another waterfall along the way...

...and one more ! 

 The drive to zero point the next day was a bumpy one, with muddy roads to drive through. He had breakfast at Yumgthang valley and then continued to drive up hill. The snow capped mountain was a spectacular sight. I had never seen anything like it before.  Due to me constantly posing for pictures with my playing cards, it was revealed that I am a magician and thanks to constant requests to “show them something” I ended up doing “street magic” in the freezing cold. More on this episode in the next blog.
The Almighty decided to share some magic with me and we were blessed with snow! We drove back to Yumthang Valley and spent some time there enjoying the peace and serenity before getting back to Lachun.

Mom. All set for the drive to Yumthan and Zero Point.

At Yumthang Valley

At Zero Point, Photobombed by Santa Clause! 

Snow! 

After lunch, we were back on the road, a rather winding journey to Lachen.  We arrived in this small town at dusk. The next morning we were scheduled to visit the iconic Gurudongmar lake, however since mom wasn’t feeling too well. We stayed at the hotel. At around noon , I had just come out of the shower , I felt my head swinging. I looked at mom, she seemed unstable too. We were experiencing  the earthquake for the first time... the curtains and water bottles started shaking in a very uncanny way. We made our way to the balcony of the hotel, but it seemed everything had calmed down. Little did we know that this was the first tremor of the Nepal Earthquake. Once the travellers from Gurudongmar had returned, we had a hurried lunch and left for Gantok, fearing landslides and more earthquakes. By now, concerned calls and messages started coming and we were beginning to understand the magnitude of the calamity. We reached Gantok pretty late and after bidding farewell to our fellow travellers we made our way back to the hotel. 

with our fellow travellers... 

The next morning we were supposed to go tsomgo lake, but our plans were called off as the government had stopped all tourist visits in fear of the aftershocks. We took to exploring MG Marg again. After picking up gifts for friends and relatives, we sat down at a cafe for lunch. In about 5 miniutes, we felt the table shaking. The whole building was vibrating. We rushed out of the building to the streets now teeming with panicking tourists and locals. This tremor was stronger than the one we had felt in Lachen. Once Mother Nature had stabilised, we made our way to an all day breakfast joint  for lunch. As soon as we were done, we were confronted by the heaviest hailstorm I have ever experienced. Within minutes the entire road was covered with ice. We sheltered in the cafe for a while and once the rain got a little lighter, managed to rush to the hotel. We were lucky were were close to the hotel as the downpour continued for the next four hours!

At the New Jalpaiguri railway station.

Sensing the possibilities of landslides and road blocks on the road to the foothills, we booked a card to New Jalpaiguri the next day. We checked in at a local hotel. As soon as we entered the room, the earth started to tremble again. The drill was repeated as everyone frantically rushed to the streets. We managed a peaceful slumber that night. The next morning we took to exploring the local markets in New Jalpaiguri. After lunch and a little lazing around, we happily boarded the Darjeeling Mail and arrived in Kolkata at 6:45 am on the 29^th of April!

Not all who wander are lost !!

Believe in Magic, Be The Miracle !

" The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper..."

Remember this scene?

Two of my favourite actors, Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman, in the epic Be the Miracle scene from Bruce Almighty.  My ever first business card,that I created on Microsoft PowerPoint, (Yes PowerPoint),had that tagline, “Believe in Magic, Be the Miracle”. So what is the Magic you Believe in? And are you the Miracle?  We all have Magic inside us. I do the Kind of magic where I create things that look impossible, using sleight of hand, scientific techniques and psychology. What is your Magic?  Do you paint? Do you make music? Are you a writer? Or do you do something so out of this world that no one has ever heard of it? Your Magic is what you are Good at doing! Find your magic... cultivate it... show the world your Magic... and use your Magic to be the Miracle...

A miracle doesn’t have to be the parting of the ”Red” Sea or feeding 5000 with a handful of food. If you can make one life a little better, that is a miracle. Miracles Happen all the time, we just need the eyes to see it.  You can use your magic to create miracles. Give to charity, buy the kid on the street an ice cream, give leftovers to stray animals. If you make music, go out and make music at an old age home. If you paint, sell the artwork and use part of the money to buy a less fortunate soul a meal or a blanket or some clothes. The joy of giving can really be miraculous. One Act of Random Kindness will not change the world... but it will make the day for that one soul and you will be blessed. As a performer myself, I perform numerous show a year for poor children and old age homes. In return I receive uncountable blessings. I experience a different joy when i feed the puppies around Victoria Memorial area in Kolkata. The wagging tails and yelps bring a different feeling altogether. Know your Magic and Be the Miracle... and you too will be wondrously blessed!

Stay Blessed!

Amazing David. 

Emotions vs Practicality...

“ Break free from the chains that shackle each soul through the binding links of fear, greed and indifference...”

Recently I have been told, both directly and indirectly, that I need to be more practical in life ! I still consider myself to be a struggling entertainer who quit his schooling right after high school and chose to become a professional magician. I may be referred to as “Illusionist” now, but at one time its was “magician”, that I wanted to be!

 Man is an animal and as an animal we are blessed with a basic instinct. Sometimes you have to trust that gut feeling and jump! First leap of faith, quit studies... Second big leap of faith, quit my call center job.. Third big leap of faith..Ignore job offers from the UK,.. This list can go on. Every time I jumped, either the universe caught me in a net or gave me wings to fly.

 Today, I am proud to say that I am known name across the Nation if not the Globe. I as a person can not separate Emotions and Work. I work from the Heart. If I wasn't emotional I would not have been the performer or person I am today! I would not have achieved what I have today.

If I had possibly chosen to be practical, today I would have had a steady job, big bank balance, a car and more! But I would have been unhappy... and I choose to be happy! I know tons of practical people who earn a lot and yet are not happy with their lives. They say it’s more comfortable to cry in a Merc than on a bicycle but if I have to cry I would rather cry in the rain with my bare soles mixing with the Earth!  I may sound mean, but here is a little something for the practically unhappy people...

I guess there would be no Harry Potter if J K Rowling chose to be practical... there would be no Rocky if Sylvester Stallone would have been practical, there would not have been countless KFCs across the globe if the old Colonel hadn't been emotional!

Dreams do come true!

See what Criss Angel has to say... 

I may have an untidy home, no car, not enough in the bank... but I do what I love, I spread smiles, and I am happy... and isn’t that what life is all about??

Until Next time..

Don’t loose the Magic in Life...

Amazing David!

PS: Rant Over !

PS 2.0; Thank you Ruqaiyah for helping me put this together.. it's been years since I've written and I needed some polishing up ! 

Rising from the Ashes...

Its been so long... so long that I actually had to search for the "New Post" button.
I guess my blog died way back in mid 2011 and was resting in peace till I got this sudden urge to write! So like a Phoenix I hope I am going to Rise from the Ashes.
Well If you have been following my work on my official facebook page,  https://www.facebook.com/amazingdavidmagic , you will know that my life is indeed a rollercoaster. However half the time I'm puking my guts out but I still throw my hands up and enjoy the ride.
I have decided to have the blog a little more personal too, not just writing about my magic, but also my life and my views. The views expressed here in are solely my own and I do not mean to offend anyone.
And heres just a random picture from a recent gig ! Performing one of my favorite effects at a Principals Meet for the Adamas University, at the Kenilworth Hotel in Kolkata.
And here is a random video of the effect too !!
Amazing David, LIVE! The Floating Table!!
Why this randomness?? Its been so long since I've written and there's so much i want to pen down that I am lost! I have a feeling like I'm sounding a teenage girl at a One Direction Concert!!
I hope I keep the magic alive on my blog and I don't go into a state of dormancy again!
In the mean time,I am a little off Youtube and have gone with Vimeo. The Official Channel being :https://vimeo.com/amazingdavid
You are invited to stalk me on Instagram as: @amazingdavidmagic
Tweet tweet at: @iamamazingdavid

The soon to be Upgraded website is: www.amazingdavid.com

Keep the Magic Alive!!
Amazing David!