Where do I start?
Cardistry is far beyond a hobby, it's my passion.
I remember when I was 12 and first starting to pick up on it, I was excited about every single deck of cards I owned. I developed a habit of keeping everything, every record of every move and every card. It didn't matter which cards or what condition they were in, I kept them. I practiced with them.
I would sneak out of the house when my parents were at work so I can visit my local magic shops all around the casinos, miles and miles apart. Pretty soon, everyone who worked there knew me as the kid who did cool card moves. Not everyone approved though. There were many times when I was asked to leave. I came across a few magicians that would knock cards out of my hands as a mean joke. There were even more times I was told I should quit or just do magic instead because cardistry would never get me anywhere. I didn't listen and I was stubborn about my way.
One day, I convinced my mom to take me to a magic event called the "AOI film festival" and there I saw Homer Liwag and Chris Kenner - they were supposed to be really important people. I had no idea who they were - only that they looked faintly familiar. Little did I know that eventually I would be friends with them. Everything in my life came full circle. They were the guys I saw when I was a little kid half way across the world in the early 90s. The guys I'd seen on DVDs I would finally meet, work with, and learn from.
Cardistry is something that's been with me throughout most of my life. All the great things that came out of it was because of it. It's taught me many things. Never give up. Nothing is impossible. Be a rebel, don't listen to anyone, and pursue your goals with full force. Lastly, never go full retard. Ha!