Fourth year Department of Chemistry student, Chu Geng-Ching, has a flair for magic. With his lightning-paced hands and perfectly-honed technical skills, it is little wonder he was asked to perform at the recent 2011 International Chemistry Year celebrations. His extracurricular CV includes captain of the TKU Magic Club, and electric guitarist in a band.

Geng-Ching began dabbling in magic due to the influence of his roommate after entering university. Laughing, he recounts how “It was just for fun at first. I never thought I’d get to the level I’m at today.” Today, he carries a pack of cards with him wherever he goes, and often stays up all night practicing new tricks. His every finger is so well-practiced that when he picks up a pack of cards and begins shuffling, it is as though the cards come alive.

Magic, for Geng-Ching, is both a hobby and a part-time job. He delivers over 30 magic performances each semester, and last year even obtained a street performer’s license, which means he is now a professional magician.

Geng-Ching was once looking around in a magic shop, when he saw Taiwan’s leading pop music singer and fellow magic enthusiast, Jay Chow. He bedazzled the talented singer/song writer with his magic skills, and even taught him a few moves. “The good thing about magic is that it allows you to break the ice with people you just met, and become good friends in no time. But I’ve never thought of magic as a way of meeting girls”, he asserts with a smile on his face.